4/09/2010

What comes after COE hike?

The surge in COE prices must have brought smiles to many people and to the state's coffer. Maybe some will filter down to help the needies. But what else will be affected by this COE good news? The car owners will be affected immediately and positively with the resale values going up. On the negative side, taxis and buses, I think they need COEs too. So be prepared for higher taxi fares and maybe bus fares. Hopefully the MRT is not affected by COE hikes and would not raise MRT fares. But their staff travel by cars and vans. So the hike still affects their cost. All transport agencies or businesses will be affected if the cost of vehicles goes up. And this will just trickle down the line for sure. This is one thing that must be passed down to the consumers. School buses? The cost of living will move up nicely.

18 comments:

Robert Tan said...

Hmmn, maybe I should just skate instead. Time to take out those old and dusty skates and give them a good clean-up, oil the ball bearings, give them a new set of wheels.....

Should be fun and healthy. Also, save the planet.

Except, better make sure buy accident policy. Once, break the bones, , even if arms/legs not broken, hospital/medical bills sure cost arm and leg.

But then, with the money saved on COE, insurance etc, enough to buy big accident policy. So, if accident happens, and to use Wally's phrase, time to surrender passport, there should remain a nice little pile left over for those left behind...:)

Wally Buffet said...

PFC Robert!

Huh? you made it back to civilization after all! We waited for you at the LZ and the Huey pilots were yelling blue murder to take off without you. Using my rank, I told the boys to shut the f@#k up and wait for my comrade in arms to appear but after another 10 minutes which is like infinity, we had no choice but to scram from their shithole. Sorry buddy for abandoning you. Now something tells me that you must have been wasting all our time and anxiety by admiring the scenery as you are wont to do. But I'm glad you made it. Hope you will tell us how you managed to climb up from the dung pit back into the Green Zone which is Mr. Bean's turf. Hehe.

Now, back to business. Did you bring back the investment manuals as I told you to? If you did, you would not have to take out your ancient skates and run along like an old juvenile. Instead, you will be travelling in style like your good ole Colonel. How did I do it? Simple really. The basic Buffet dictum is to buy low, sell high. I bought up all the goods and assets that wannabes hanker after aeons ago when it went a begging. I knew that after the shock of 2008/2009 which by the way is actually a conspiracy to defraud by the big hedge funds and some governments, there would be pent up demands for everything. So I bought it all up. Let me tell you that this Colonel doesn't have to demand on Uncle Sam's peanut pension to have a life!

Hehe.

Robert Tan said...

Sorry ... got a bit delayed, lah. Had to clean up properly after doing de bisness - otherwise, may stink to high heaven and risk the "enemies" complaining to the UN for illegal chemical warfare.

Anyway, thank goodness, after I found that I had been left behind by the Huey (and it's entirely yours truly's fault), I managed to hitch a ride from a kind soul on his rickety bullock-cart. It was a much slower ride in comparison to the zippy Huey, but, yeah, one gets to admire the beautiful scenery.:)

Geee... in my big rush, I had to leave those investment manuals and my precious history books collection behind.....Sure gonna miss them. But then again, dunno whether the bull(or cow) could have survived the extra weight from that humongous. If it were to die on us half way, I would still be stranded in the battlefield....:)

No matter - as long as the Col is around, who neds investment manuals???!!!!

Wally Buffet said...

Good golly!

It's raining RPGs and AK 47 enemy gunfire and you're thinking of shitting? Are you shitting me, private first class Robert? God, what kind of soldiers are they turning out these days. During my time, we're as tough as they come. No bull SHITTING, no questioning and not obeying a superior officer's order and no admiring of the enemy's scenery. When you're ordered to take the friggin' investment manuals, you take them!

Anyway, forget about the nightmare in that dung pit. Welcome home to civilization and the realm of civilized men, no weirdos. I am fearless of a sane adversary but when it comes to facing a raving mental, I'm out of there as fast as my stubby legs can carry me.

Hehe.

Robert Tan said...

Worse than RPGs and AK 47s.....

You probably wouldn't believe it and think it's some B...#$@% if I were to tell you that I nearly got hit by a blinkin' shoe/boot that came whoooshing by whilst I was still in the midst of me biz!!!!


And you're right, time to move on....although we may reminisce about those knee-shaking and heart-pounding events through generations to come....:)

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

This is year 2010, two of you still in My Lai?

Robert Tan said...

The" Col" wanted an update and I guess I owe him an explanation for "my delay".. Sorry Redbean, for taking up your bandwidth.....:)

Wally Buffet said...

Wish we were in My Lai, Sir.

Nope, we were in something more nightmarish. A place where the terrorist comes after you with cattle prods instead of a swoosh and there goes your head. In case you'll wondering, the latter is a much more humane way to go. Quick, painless and you're immediately in heaven surrounded by virgins.

The cattle prod? I don't want to talk about it. I am still undergoing psychiatric help after being put to the test on all my combat training. I guess I failed.

Robert Tan said...

I am no where near the Col's calibre. (Guess that's why I'm just a PFC and he's the Commandant.)

I was reading my history books instead of

1) The Art of War;

2) Investment manuals.

So, I'm fortunate to be back in 1 piece, with the Col's invaluable help and wise counsel even though I may not be able to afford the fees of a shrink....

Yup, better not talk about it anymore - otherwise can't sleep at night....:)

Anonymous said...

Lol!

Something good happened though - the terrorists have been exposed. Glad our soldiers came back in one piece.

Anonymous said...

There are yellow shirts in Philippines, Thailand has red, pink and earlier on yellow shirts, Taiwan has blue and green shirts.

SIN has complacent, lazy, stupid, crutch mentality, no spur in the hind type, no conscience, greedy and ball-less kind. And who say the above ? Mostly the SIN Leaders, who used them to describe their sheeple, only the Last three are my impression.

So, if sheeple are bullied and being bully by the packs of marauders, it is only to be expected. No wonder some Sinners call their fellow countrymen Sillyporeans, Sinkaporeans, Singalorishs and Sickaporeans etc.

Anonymous said...

Is that so? If so, do show your conscience, generosity and big balls by first providing your I/C no., name, address, telephone and e-mail details.

Then we can follow you in your adventures and perhaps be inspired by you :)

Anonymous said...

As I said all the time, all Singaporeans work for the Government, directly or indirectly.

All that they earn will end up with the Government, mostly indirectly. Examples are housing, transport, shop rentals, fees, ERPs, COEs etc, all collected by one establishment, no matter how many steps down the line. It still ends up with the ultimate predator.

The shopkeepers, factory owners, hawkers, taxi drivers etc are just agents doing the collection.

Anonymous said...

We have white shirts hor! They even wear white pants to match.

Anonymous said...

Anon April 09, 2010 2:31 PM has a point. Even those lambasting the 'white shirts' are working for them.

I notice a trend on the net nowadays that lies are rampant and 'good guys' are in truth 'no so honest' ones who will rear their ugly heads sooner or later.

For all we know, the 'white shirts' aren't really 'white shirts' and the 'red', 'yellow', 'blue' ones may well be some other color in disguise.

Scary world it is on and off line.

JeffGoh said...

Lets get focussed and not be distracted - GIC + TEMASEK = higher coe + higher utilities cost + prop bubble + more in-coming increase cost of living. This is only the tip of the iceberg

Anonymous said...

Dear Anon 1:34;

let's not get personal.

Most, though not all cybercitizens, are very much awared that there is in reality, no anonymity. All personal informations are with the ISPs and invariably traceable. Some anonymous netizens were charged, punished and put behind bars and some were recently investigated as reported in the medias.

What matters are fact, truth and substance, there are always people we can learn from and there are also always some we cannot agree with. In any case, all are accountable to their own integrities and the authority whether they like it or not.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Hi, let's all enjoy the chat and the differences in opinion. We need not agree with what other people said, and neither do we have to be angry with anyone.

There is no need to challenge anyone to put his particulars here for all to see. It is not our interest to want to do that. I don't think we need to grind our axe at each other.

This is only a kopitiam and maturity in discussion, views and style are most appreciated.

Cheers everyone.