3/09/2010

Cost of living in Cloud Nine

Temasek Review, TOC and several blogs have reported that the budget provided for a 8.8% increase in ministerial salary. The hint is that this is outrageous given that the workers are being asked to be cheaper, better and faster. Superficial impression will make many to agree with such a perception. How could the ministers still be thinking of raising their sky high salaries? Then think again. The workers need not have to have any salary increases, or the increases need not be too high as property prices, I mean public housing, are very affordable. Compare to the prices of private properties, each costing $5m to $10m, it is tough to buy such properties. And 8.8% increase of a $1m salary is only $88k, $2m salary is $196k and $3m salary is only $264k. It will take several years of savings to buy a private property with this kind of small increases. It is thus unfair to frown upon the 8.8% increases as we cannot compare apple with oranges. The cost of living in high society is very high. Properties are expensive and so are luxury cars and overseas holidays. Even the meals are costing that much more. I can't remember how much it cost for cooking class in France. The increases should be comparable with the increases in the cost of living and property prices in the stratosphere. Only then will it be fair. It will be more appropriate to provide for a bigger raise in order to minimise their hardship. Without a pay hike, life can be very tough with a $1m or $2m or even a $3m income. The people should not complain and should count their blessings. At least they need not have to keep on worrying about where and how to get those millions to pay for the high cost of living.

7 comments:

  1. The people deserve the Government they elected.

    The ministers also deserve the salaries they asked for.

    What to do? It happened.

    More good years?

    1-2-3, sold!

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  2. If the MAS would stop printing money, you will find inflation dropping.

    Just because the govt asks you to work "better and cheaper" doesn't mean you have to agree to do so.

    The market for the "average worker" (not govt servants) pays people what they are worth. If you want to earn more, make yourself worth more. Simple? No very hard -- it requires enormous effort, sacrifice and application, but it can be done. Those who have chosen to do it and stuck with it (persistence) have got theirs.

    The way out of sheeple-hood is not to think like the rest of the flock (sheep) who are being constantly fleeced, shagged and slaughtered.

    The people (sheeple) certainly deserve the govt they choose, but you can always become an apostate of the faith and its "true believers".

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  3. Cost of living in Cloud Nine.

    Minister's salaries not yet in Cloud Nine?

    They should make it to Cloud Nine by giving themselves a 9% increase rather than 8.8%. 8.8% is not outrageous by their yardstick.

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  4. Hi Redbean, please do not complain about this 8.8% increase in the ministerial salaries. I think they feel that they deserve this increase. Singaporean should all be happy to have such a fantastic group of people to decide for the nation. The stock market is improving, the property price is going up, your women folks are not maids in other countries. What more do you want???? Be happy and say a big "thank you" to your elite govt.

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  5. Hi Redbean, please do not complain about this 8.8% increase in the ministerial salaries. I think they feel that they deserve this increase. Singaporean should all be happy to have such a fantastic group of people to decide for the nation. The stock market is improving, the property price is going up, your women folks are not maids in other countries. What more do you want???? Be happy and say a big "thank you" to your elite govt.

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  6. Yeah, redbean. Anon is right. It could be worse.

    They could have put it up 50%. Actually the sky is the limit, since the government can do whta it pleases anyway.

    But judge ye not: they are behaving perfectly as humans. If any one of us was granted absolute power, there is little doubt in my mind that we would act in a manner of no consequence.

    When Acton wrote: Absolute power corrupts absolutely he wasn't joking.

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  7. Me bets that 90% of Singaporeans will want our parliamentarians to be better paid.

    I have since forgotten how many Singaporeans questioned me on how Singapore has become so affluent. And invariably they explained to me that it is all because of the World Class SIN Leaders. Maybe they do deserve more than what they pay themselves, they should pay themselves more SINfully.

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