Here's an idea....(of what
SHOULD change)
We have been given a fantastic glimpse of who is important and who is not in the world under the current situation. Sporting fixtures were the first to get the chop. Not sure what it's like in USA, but in Oz, the football players (of both codes, NRL and AFL) are all bltching about having to accept between 50 and 75% pay cuts, for the duration of shutdown. Meanwhile a lot of Australians, myself and my wife included, have taken a 100% pay cut... And once this shutdown is lifted, we have to then compete with thousands of other people for a scare few jobs.
But the people who are our last line of defense against this virus are still struggling on, some dying, on salaries I would only describe as insulting. We've also seen concerts cancelled, and most TV and movie productions shutdown, but doctors, nurses and research scientists are expected to work, even harder and under far more trying conditions than most of us could ever imagine. There's been many stories in our media of nurses and doctors sending their children away to live with grandparents, and for the medical staff to be living in their own isolation for fear of bring the virus home. Some have even isolated away from husbands and wives. Medical research teams are being badgered for answers and vaccines, with the public crying foul as to why the situation got so bad so quickly...
I think it was a Spanish researcher summed it up very well.
https://oyogist.com/2020/03/you-pay...arn-less-meet-them-for-a-cure-scientist-says/
So, here's my proposal for when this is all over, and what should change...
I'm calling it the Australian Science Fund Tax (ASF)...
Every sporting body, sport club, sports-person, actor/entertainer, TV and movie production company (basically anyone who does not contribute to the 'functioning' of society) is to pay 1% of their GROSS income to the Fund, which distributes the money to research institutions and staff (including nurses and doctors). The Fund to be administered by a body of research and medial persons, NOT accountants. Accountants should be relegated to where they belong, doing the book work. Most of the mess this world is in can be laid at the feet of the accountancy profession.
So, who's with me? As a society, worldwide, we need to reward the people who keep us safe far more than those who provide 'entertainment'... Entertainers are not essential for us to live, they are nice to have around, as an embellishment, but when the smelly brown stuff hits the rapidly rotating air movement device, who'd you rather have on your side? A guy who can throw a ball rully rully fast, or someone who knows how to stop you dying? Personally, I think its a 'no-brainer'...
Chris.........
