Taxes and Elections

Let's get a few of the heavy hitters out of the way. I want to talk about some cool topics asap.

TAXES
Aussies will complain that the US has too many layers of tax payment: Federal, state, region or city. Aussies make one payment (and none too small) to the Feds who then pass it on to the states as they see fit. GST tax applies to just about everything purchased, but it is added to the price - or hiding in the price, if you prefer. Again, Aussies like this for the less mathematical effort on their part --who wants to calculate tax on a purchase? Just hit me with the bottom line.

There are a couple of demerits to this system as I see it. One, it fosters an extraordinarily high expectation on the Federal Gov't/current Administration and a walloping sense of entitlement. No more so than in the National Health Service (Medicare), pensions, nonwork benefits and education. Governments who hold these purse strings, and eagerly use these social issues as political pawns, do not do so without great public scrutiny and demand. Second, regional areas outside the Big Cities (and face it, there are only 5 big cities in the whole country) wind up getting the short stick. The major support of Western Australia is mining (mineral, metal, semi-precious & precious stone) frequently located in remote areas. Despite paying loads of taxes, the money doesn't find its way back for the necessary infrastructure maintainance needed to conduct its business. A downside to a lack of regional financial autonomy.

ELECTIONS
Same kind of top-why-go-down thinking seems to go into elections. Elections here are not on a prescribed schedule, i.e. first Tuesday in November, spring election in March, but called by either a very vocal and irritated public or a current administration which sees political benefit in calling an election before terms are up. Mercifully, campaign seasons last only 1or 2 months. But elections are expensive to run and every level of government has its own election. The idea of staging federal, state, shire (county) and city elections all at the same time is not even in collective consciousness if not an anathema to Australians. Not surprisingly, shire and city elections are widely ignored. They've not enough perceived political clout to generate interest in yet another trip to the polls. All votes nationwide are cast on paper ballots. The House of Representatives are voted in on percentile of approval--voters do not vote for one person but rate them 1st choice, 2nd choice, 3rd choice,etc. and then they are all averaged out (best way to put it) so the person who had the most highest-choice votes wins. (hey, I just live here...)
I should add that voting at Federal level is compulsory. Some states have instituted compulsory voting mandates as well.