Middle-income earner
Contention
February 17, 2007
IT is a budget that has brought me to my knees.
On Valentine's Day on Wednesday, I got down on my knobblies, but no
wise old fool accepted my proposal.
Why so desperate all of a sudden?
I had anticipated that after Valentine's Day, Budget day would once
again see singles like me on the receiving end of
next-to-not-much.
I am a Silver Surfer (a Marvel Comics character if you will), a
senior citizen who Nets - Internet and ATM.
I am single and I work 12 months of the year to take home 11
months' wages, because a month's salary goes to income tax.
Solo silver surfers are two-time losers.
We are aged and we are single. (This is not the loser part,
okay?)
And when we do not fall between the lower income brackets (earning
$1,500 and below a month) we actually end up being the ones who get
the least and give back the most.
So I did not expect anything - and the expectation came true. But
you know, lah, old people, we can also be quite blur, one.
We have barely heard the complete sentence and are all
excited.
Which was my state when I heard that for the over-55s, there's to
be - in my qualifying group - $800 GST credits.
Oops, then the penny dropped. That's $800 over four years, which
amounts to $200 per.
I perked up again at the mention of a Senior Citizen Bonus. Usual
conditions applying, I am good for somewhere midway of $400 to
$1,000.
Alamak, not so fast, again paid out in four yearly
instalments.
Where got people give out hongbao like that, in instalments?
Okay, so I am going to be property-tax-free for two years, a big
deal for an HDB four-roomer. Plus there will be rebates on service
and conservancy charges and Utilities Save (U-Save) for five
years.
(Another thing, how do you explain S&CC and U-Save to the man
in the kopitiam? Uncle, can put aircon on longer, bill won't be so
high?)
Overall, the solo silver surfer in the middle income group is
sandwiched between the cracks, living life in the longkang lane, as
it were.
Do I feel as if we are being penalised? For being non-productive
(if you do not count the two, three good jokes I produce
annually).
My brother, a father of three, said: 'You guys enjoy all the
benefits of the country, but you have not produced children, who
are future contributors to the nation, that's why.'
Put like that, it makes some sense.
You know, I said to him, with what I am about to receive, I can buy
only a one-way ticket to the Cannes Film Festival this year. Which
is not an altogether bad thing.
Hmm, this calls for a drink. At least my Tiger will be
cheaper...