ST: We can barely stay afloat, say low-income folk

last SG · 2007-12-02T13:06:08+00:00

Originally posted by ^tamago^: [b]How one family copes Mother of five scrimps and saves on food, household necessities and even electricity to stretch fami...

fymk SG

Reinstall partial protectionism since Singapore cannot depend on total protectionism like Australia.

Set a cap 3 Singaporeans : 1 foreigner for professional skilled jobs instead of the otherway around.

How the private companies want to do it is their perogative

Cut the ministerial salary : Transfer those money into providing education funds for the less fortunate on a case by case basis.

Temasek Holdings have so many major stake in overseas and local companies right? Start placing Singaporeans inside to gain experience overseas. Use the money recovered from salaries into encouraging those Singaporeans who are not as economically fortunate with others to go overseas for a stint. Set up a fund or whatever . So no more excuses for paying exhorbitant salaries for so called more globalised foreigners.

Those who can work - funding to upskill them and offset their education costs.

As for the elderly only, hard problem - set up a trust fund for those who are not fortunate enough to have families to look after them.

Provide more tax benefits to those who actually look after their elderly at home.

Just a rough idea , I have not polished anything here. I am not a fan for giving a man a fish to feed himself for one day but I do believe that the elderly are the only vulnerable group that needs some form of immediate assistance.

As for the reserves - keep some for a rainy day like global recession to tide Singaporeans over the period .

zenden9 SG

I already mention.. Pls refer back! U still owe me an answer!

^tamago^ SG

Yes, I also see that too. And I also see that it is not the Government helping them, but peasants offering the assistance.

If the income disparity had not been that big, I believe people might have been more motivated and patriotic. No doubt everyone has a part to play from top to bottom, but if someone earns 30 times more than you, I'm pretty sure it does get in the way of most people's preception, the reality will glare at you.

the Bear SG

no it is not.. it is looking at other countries and looking at a bunch of VATs and all that..

as for increasing tax to pay for a lot of other things like your safety net and the welfare of those who slip through the cracks now, there are a lot of other things which are a consequence of increase in taxes...

employment will take a hit.. so will the cost of everything... and to add to the inflation caused by scarcity of products, there will be inflation caused a lot of other things like the cost of manpower, the cost of doing business...

now.. even a non-economist like me can think about these things, go think about them...

the MIW may be to blame... i think they are... but then, blaming them is not going to solve the problems...

just bloody remember the responsibility of a "democracy" to keep the politicians honest... that is something people in SC don't do.. they just sit, bellyache and worship charlatans who come up with hugeass theories which don't even start to imagine these poor people exist...

go out.. go question your MPs during the "Meet The People" sessions.. demand answers... they are your MPs.. they are supposed to serve the people... not the other way around.. and if you allow them to think you serve them, and keep quiet about it, you have failed the citizen's responsibility in true democracy..

now.. back to bread and butter issues...

what do you think can be done? and i'm talking about practical and things which we can do.. not some kind of "i pay 2% more and the MIW is to blame" solution...

real solutions...

the Bear SG

2% and blaming the MIW is not an answer Laughing

zenden9 SG

SIngapore gov is just like an unfillial son, asking parents to save plenty of money in bank and one day his elder parent sick and lie in hospital waiting for an expensive operation to save his life.. And the money never came! Cos the son say money is for the golden goose to atttract more interest... Mad

zenden9 SG

suggest nothing can be done is a typical bear response! Laughing

fymk SG

I posted my opinion.

As for MPs , even if they did care , they can't do anything except use it in Parliament to wayang kulit.

Spoken to MPs before - vomit blood except for one fella who is now minister - he listens if you have an idea.

the Bear SG

that could be a way..

time for us to convince the idiots in power...

and convince the idiots who insist that "i pay 2% more... MIW is at fault" will solve everything Laughing

^tamago^ SG

I can't believe we paid so much for their services, and we have to do the jobs ourselves. Mad

fymk SG

Sometimes it is better to keep it in reserves for a reason - you cannot expect them to open the reserve unless there is something that affects the world like global recession.

When global recession hits, everyone will know. Even the government cannot cover up global recession.

LazerLordz SG

Peppering the MP with questions isn't going to bring about change unless you have a solid weight behind you.

Secondly, SC is a forum after all, what people do in their real lifes with regards to lobbying and policy critique may differ from what they may choose to display.

In any case, I have outlined my opinion and what I think could work on this whole matter. I am certainly not an economics student and perhaps there might be more knowledgeable people out there.

LazerLordz SG

Definitely.

We're looking more for a calibrated form of welfare, not an open doors policy.

^tamago^ SG

sigh....

the Bear SG

and... then?

read Dilbert...

so.. do what we have to do in a democracy and go take them to task...

ask.. keep asking....

use the vote...

fymk SG

I may be writing a paper for the MAS essay competition . See if they listen or not - the only problem is going around the million dollar salaries of ministers and making it disappear from the equation which is gonna be difficult.

the Bear SG

so.. you are going say "it's not going to matter anyway" and just bellyache here?

zenden9 SG

The problem is the citizen has already done their part by giving plenty of public taxes thru GST. Gov has plenty of channel to generate their fund and pool of reserves by Car/road taxes,heavy alcohol and cigarettes taxes. Singapore pools and many many more..

The question shall be shoot back, WHat can the gov do for us?

First thing to help reach out the poor is the public transport system! Lowering public transport fee as the first step.

Delist SMRT and nationalise it. Public transport is no a mean to generate profit and make shareholder happy(they claim increase fees becos of high expenses and yet they claim millions of profit and 2 digit jump in profit for the group)!

I dare to claim 90% of public transport user is poor and middle income(if u are rich u will be taking taxi or driving big cars)

Without the mean to generate profits and please shareholder. Those unneccessary huge millions of profit will channel back to masses by reducing fares.

LazerLordz SG

I'm saying that what you have suggested, may not breed effective policy change all the time. It depends on the types of policies commented on, and also the person that you are speaking to.

It is a realist statement, and an opinion.

You've always advocated respect for diversity of opinion, there you have it.

Wink

LazerLordz SG

The issue of million dollar salary is an ideological issue, and that's what makes it a prickly factor.

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