1/05/2008
Help needed with higher cost of living
This is the headline of Gabriel Chen's report on a public dialogue session chaired by Josephine Teo last night. 'Retirees, civil servants and salaried workers were united in demanding that the Govt do more to alleviate higher transport costs and food prices. "The current hike in taxi fares - it's becoming ridiculous," said Madam Adeline Chan....Mr Colin Tan chipped in with a radical suggestion: have a two tier GST - one for basic necessities and the other for luxury items.'
Like it or not, believe it or not, the pain is sinking in. With the spate of increases coming one after another, it is going to hurt many.
In another article by Goh Chin Lian, MP Inderjit Singh was quoted to say that 'one way to relieve the burden on such middle income families is to lift the GST on essential items....He also thinks that the Govt should not have allowed those costs within its control to spiral upwards too quickly...ie not just utilities, rental and other govt charges, but also the property prices.'
Economist Tan Khee Giap also 'believes that such institutions and corporations as transport operators SMRT and SBS Transit, should fulfil their social obligation by moderating inncreases. "We are not saying they should run at a loss. But you don't have to make abnormal profit.'
These are sensible comments by responsible people, including redbean, but have fallen onto deaf ears. What I think is that the policies are worked out and approved by people who are too comfortable in their lifestyle and have totally lost touch with the hardlanders.
The alternatives suggested were not complicated and complex sciences or mathematical formulas that are difficult to understand. They are rejected probably because some supertalents insisted that their assumptions and policies are right and good and do not want to be proven wrong.
The verdict will be out in the next General Election. There is no need to insist on who is right or wrong now.
PS: For the unthinking doggies who were ordered to disrupt blogs and forums without questions, the above are quoted from the Straits Times, the official paper.
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9 comments:
Transport companies are not in the charity business. They operate in a capitalist system and have the darn right to make as much money as they possibly can. The PTC already exists as an unbiased third-party to moderate any excessive fare increase requests made by the transport companies. And what is that so-called economist smoking ? Who is to decide what is 'abnormal' profit ?
So, anyone who questions your 'wisdom' is a paid dog, eh Redbean ? How very wise of you.
A Transport company like any other listed companies are out there to make as much money as possible for the share holders. Redbean, I am sure you own shares in some companies. Would you like to see your companies run at a loss or make lesser money than the paid out dividents?
Who are the doggies? Who pays them to disrupt blogs? Have you proof or just one of your wild accusations?
a govt for the people would have to decide what are the services that should be privatised or remain a public service. here we chose to privatise public transport. we are privatising hospitals, HDB, and other institutions down the line.
once privatised, we claimed that they are meant to be run for profit. it is a decision of the political party in power to decide.
down the road another party may decide to turn them back as public organisations again.
just because one is privatised or public, does not determine how much profit it should make. ok, abnormal profit or decent profit is relative.
the bottom line is that the people will finally have the last say. when they find it unbearable, they will boot out the party in power. no political party can exist forever when its policies are not to benefit the people.
No political party can exist forever? Where have you been Redbean? The dynasties in China, good or bad, lasted for many many years. The way things are in Singapore, don't hold your breath for any changes. Sheeples in Singapore will get the govt they deserve.
haha, a few centuries is not forever. china is a huge country and things change slowly. in our case, tomorrow can be a totally new heaven.
it has been proven in thailand, philippines, indonesia and malaysia. change in the modern world can come swiftly. ussr is gone. the british empire is gone, the syonan to is gone.
don't worry and don't sweat. the doggies will know.
The more you want to control in a free market, the more you will lose as money flows along the path of less resistance.
The government have been offering monetary gains to all who come to our shores. If these foreign investors and talents have the freedom to choose to come here, they too have the freedom to leave.
The world changes very fast these days, you can control things in your backyard but the world does not really stop for "one red dot". The government is alway forking out money (whose?) to maintain their relevance in this world. Using money to buy so-called friends of Singapore.
When the money is gone, let's see who is left standing behind them. And who will start to step on our toes.
using money to buy friends and talents is a very shortsighted thing to do. yes when the money runs out or if someone offers more, the friends or talents will go. the tug of war between taiwan and china is a clear example. the two silly players ended up pay and pay. the recipients are laughing to the banks and at the stupidity of the paymasters.
competing for such talents is only good for short term, learn and benefit from such talents or no talents quickly and boot them out. learn quickly and be self sufficient. when singapore has to depend only on foreign talents we are doomed.
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