A tough budget ahead

We have a tough budget ahead, it affects us all differently, I try to take a national view; that is, what is best for the nation must be placed ahead of personal gains, instead of complaining about how it affects me.

I pay extra tax, above and beyond normal employee tax rates, I don't receive any tax benefits, as such, I am a net contributor, not a receiver of government benefits. This is an unusual situation in modern Australian society.

I am against the welfare mentality, yet I understand that a safety net is required for those less fortunate than myself.

How the budget affects me directly is the uncapping of university fees, with uncapping to be likely to be implemented from the 1st of July this year. This will affect the final two units of my bachelor studies, that is leadership and then business ethics, globalisation and sustainability.

I was also seeking to undertake a further unit in organisational behaviour to round out my education. I was seeking to then apply for my MBA,  the expected doubling of university fees will likely make a ROI impossible.

It will just not be worth the effort in the short to medium term. It will probably have the affect of enhancing existing MBA value in the workplace should graduate numbers decline.

I have to ask myself, have I ever gotten value for money from my taxes? I drive on the roads, drink the water, don't walk around in the dark and spent fifteen years in the primary and secondary education system.

Sure, you might argue, you are charged for electricity and water but I can drink from most taps in the country free of charge and can walk down the street without being charged for the actual light I used. So someone pays for that, sure we do so collectively, the burden to finance a functioning society falls on the inhabitants.

As has been described, the age of entitlement is over, I currently study under the Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) system, that is, a federal government higher education subsidy. I expect a rise in fees for the last two units, that I will have to live with to complete my qualification.

I thought my dream of attending an MBA course had eluded me, postgraduate education is full fee anyway and not financed under the CSP system -  maybe I still have a chance to realise my goals after all.