3/12/2015
Chuan Jin planning your retirement with your money
Chuan Jin has come up with a comprehensive plan or several plans for the retirees or impending retirees on how to retire and how much they would need. And your retirement plans and needs would be presented to you by the girl sitting across the table at the CPF, or is it at MOM? She would know exactly your retirement needs that you did not know after spending more than 50 years of your life living and working.
The girl across the table would know of your family background, your savings all over the place, including those under your bed, your children and probably even the number of mistresses you have and the number of children by them. How nice. She must have kept a good track record of your life or is it the CPF?
How many PMEs did not know how to plan their retirement and how much money they need and require the expertise of the girl over the counter who met them for the first time in their life? If the girl knows, how come the PMEs did not know?
Actually not like that lah. The girl only knows how much you have in the CPF and how much you can take out and how many options available to you. Initially I thought how come got so clever girl that can help everyone with their retirement plans. With the high level of education of the younger generations, not the lost generations of illiterates, many would be better educated than the girl across the table or know much more than what she knows about retirement needs. No?
Can I plan my own retirement with my own money? Do I need someone else to plan my retirement with my money? Can I have all my money back? Oops, at 55 or 65, the mental faculty is not so good and the thinking also not so clear. Now, is it my money or not my money? Only young girls with a clear mind would know. The oldies and CPF members would not know.
Maybe I should ask Chuan Jin. He must know.
Did anyone ask Chuan Jin to plan their retirement with their money? Did anyone elect a govt to plan their retirement with their money? I know I did not and would not.
Ministers salary, 3 year no increase, so ‘charm’
It was reported in the main media today that the ministers did not have
any pay rise for the last three years. And their salaries are falling
behind the benchmark in the approved formula. And in another report it
said the average household income has gone up by 38%! Goodness, we are
shortchanging the pay for the ministers and politicians. How can we do
that? 3 years no increase, cannot be like that mah. And the ministers
and politicians are suffering quietly, dare not make a noise or ask for
an increase, probably tightening their belts.
I think the committee in charge of ministerial salary must convene and recommend an adjustment upwards. We have to be fair and kind to the ministers or else they will quit and join the private sector that would pay them more. Then we will lose the service of these super talents and the economy would go bust, the country will be in deep trouble, our wives and daughters will become maids.
How about a 10% increment to make up for the 3 years of no increase? Let’s see, the entry level for minister at MR4 says the salary should be $1.2m. Now the minister’s salary is only $1.1m, a shortfall of $100,000. I think a 10% increase will be just nice, ‘gum gum ho’. What do you think? Since the ministers are so ‘pai seh’ to ask for a raise, the people must not keep quiet and look the other way right?
Or the opposition MPs should put up a paper for this. Won’t that be nice. Oops, cannot. Then they will also be accused of being greedy, looking after their own paychecks. I think the best people should be the NMPs. I think they are not only neutral but also very clear thinking. Yes, that’s it, get the NMPs to propose a motion to raise ministers’ salary. Get the new NMPs to say it. They are full of fire and novel ideas, to think out of the box.
A 10% increment of $1.1m is about $110,000. Enough or not? How many people earn that much in a year? The median household income according to the media is about $70,000. Household income you know! How many percent of the population earns less than $110,000 annually, as a household? 80%?
So? To give the ministers a $110,000 increment should be fair right? Don’t say I did not say, we need to pay the ministers a decent salary for our own good. I know some of you would say, wah, increment already $110,000 and 80% of the people’s household income is less than that. Would it be too much or not? Come on, nothing is too much when you are getting good value for money. The ministers and politicians are worth every cent paid to them. What is another $110,000?
Just because they never complain does not mean they are not unhappy. They are just being nice, honourable and reasonable people. If they are forced to ask for a raise then you people will say they are greedy. Let’s do the right thing and petition the Ministers’ Salary Review Committee to do the necessary.
What do you think?
PS: I think the IBs will clap and say Redbean now very reasonable. Sure support one. And the non IBs will say Redbean ‘kee seow’. Life as a blogger also very ‘charm’, say left got whacked, say right also kena whacked. Got hardship allowance for bloggers or not? Come to think of it, 10 years as a blogger also got no raise.
Now kopi also no have. Launch book also not enough takers. So far only about 50 copies ordered and I need at least 200 copies to get it off the ground. ‘Jiat lat’ man.
I think the committee in charge of ministerial salary must convene and recommend an adjustment upwards. We have to be fair and kind to the ministers or else they will quit and join the private sector that would pay them more. Then we will lose the service of these super talents and the economy would go bust, the country will be in deep trouble, our wives and daughters will become maids.
How about a 10% increment to make up for the 3 years of no increase? Let’s see, the entry level for minister at MR4 says the salary should be $1.2m. Now the minister’s salary is only $1.1m, a shortfall of $100,000. I think a 10% increase will be just nice, ‘gum gum ho’. What do you think? Since the ministers are so ‘pai seh’ to ask for a raise, the people must not keep quiet and look the other way right?
Or the opposition MPs should put up a paper for this. Won’t that be nice. Oops, cannot. Then they will also be accused of being greedy, looking after their own paychecks. I think the best people should be the NMPs. I think they are not only neutral but also very clear thinking. Yes, that’s it, get the NMPs to propose a motion to raise ministers’ salary. Get the new NMPs to say it. They are full of fire and novel ideas, to think out of the box.
A 10% increment of $1.1m is about $110,000. Enough or not? How many people earn that much in a year? The median household income according to the media is about $70,000. Household income you know! How many percent of the population earns less than $110,000 annually, as a household? 80%?
So? To give the ministers a $110,000 increment should be fair right? Don’t say I did not say, we need to pay the ministers a decent salary for our own good. I know some of you would say, wah, increment already $110,000 and 80% of the people’s household income is less than that. Would it be too much or not? Come on, nothing is too much when you are getting good value for money. The ministers and politicians are worth every cent paid to them. What is another $110,000?
Just because they never complain does not mean they are not unhappy. They are just being nice, honourable and reasonable people. If they are forced to ask for a raise then you people will say they are greedy. Let’s do the right thing and petition the Ministers’ Salary Review Committee to do the necessary.
What do you think?
PS: I think the IBs will clap and say Redbean now very reasonable. Sure support one. And the non IBs will say Redbean ‘kee seow’. Life as a blogger also very ‘charm’, say left got whacked, say right also kena whacked. Got hardship allowance for bloggers or not? Come to think of it, 10 years as a blogger also got no raise.
Now kopi also no have. Launch book also not enough takers. So far only about 50 copies ordered and I need at least 200 copies to get it off the ground. ‘Jiat lat’ man.
3/11/2015
Training – Uniquely Singapore
When we were young, our parents pushed us very hard to study well, to
get the O and A level certificates, then tertiary educations to get a
diploma or a degree. Those who were able to, to go for post graduate
studies to get the masters or the PhDs. What for? So that we can get a
good job, a well paying job, to live better.
Many of the young are parents today and are repeating the whole cycle, pushing their children to work hard to get that coveted degree, to get a good job and to live well. And every course that we or our children are taking means a potential to upgrade, to earn more, to be more respectable and dignified. Isn’t that the objective and meaning for training and more training?
Today, many of the PMEs had attained that, many have had a good life, been there and done that. Now many have been retrenched and laid off. And the training cycle starts all over. At 55, 60, 65 or more, they will be sent for more training. This time the training is to downgrade, so that they can get a job that pays less, less respectable and less dignified. What is happening?
Singapore is the only silly country in the whole world that sent its PMEs for more training to downgrade to lesser skill jobs, to earn less. And this training phase is spoken freely like the only solution, the best solution they could think off to help the daft Sinkies who were professionals, managers and executives just a few years ago, or a few months ago, or a few days ago. Suddenly they are totally irrelevant, their skills and experience are irrelevant, they cannot find a job, even with a pay cut to do the same thing. They must be sent for training to be downgraded. And they have to pay for the training too, not free training mind you.
Ingenious isn’t it? Cannot see anything wrong with this silliness? We sent professionals, managers and executives for training for lower paying jobs, less demanding jobs, lesser skill jobs? And this is a big industry, training to downgrade.
This is truly uniquely Singapore.
PS. And these PMEs are being replaced by fakes or people with questionable degrees, skill sets and experience from God knows where. From the devil you know they prefer the devil they don’t know. Isn’t it tragic? Maybe that is the price to pay to have juveniles and imbeciles in charge. Come, come, more training for you.
Many of the young are parents today and are repeating the whole cycle, pushing their children to work hard to get that coveted degree, to get a good job and to live well. And every course that we or our children are taking means a potential to upgrade, to earn more, to be more respectable and dignified. Isn’t that the objective and meaning for training and more training?
Today, many of the PMEs had attained that, many have had a good life, been there and done that. Now many have been retrenched and laid off. And the training cycle starts all over. At 55, 60, 65 or more, they will be sent for more training. This time the training is to downgrade, so that they can get a job that pays less, less respectable and less dignified. What is happening?
Singapore is the only silly country in the whole world that sent its PMEs for more training to downgrade to lesser skill jobs, to earn less. And this training phase is spoken freely like the only solution, the best solution they could think off to help the daft Sinkies who were professionals, managers and executives just a few years ago, or a few months ago, or a few days ago. Suddenly they are totally irrelevant, their skills and experience are irrelevant, they cannot find a job, even with a pay cut to do the same thing. They must be sent for training to be downgraded. And they have to pay for the training too, not free training mind you.
Ingenious isn’t it? Cannot see anything wrong with this silliness? We sent professionals, managers and executives for training for lower paying jobs, less demanding jobs, lesser skill jobs? And this is a big industry, training to downgrade.
This is truly uniquely Singapore.
PS. And these PMEs are being replaced by fakes or people with questionable degrees, skill sets and experience from God knows where. From the devil you know they prefer the devil they don’t know. Isn’t it tragic? Maybe that is the price to pay to have juveniles and imbeciles in charge. Come, come, more training for you.
Please stop the PME crap
The Govt does not have any responsibility or obligation to provide jobs for PRs and foreigners. Period.
The civil service, stats boards and GLCs have thousands of good jobs available. Just reserve these jobs for citizens and the PME problems will be solved immediately. The fear of entitlement mentality is non issue as the Govt/employer has the option not to hire the bad attitude and unemployable. Giving preference and priority to citizens is not an unconditional entitlement.There is also no problem with excessive pay for oldies. It is not necessary to pay the oldie PMEs in the millions or the same pay they used to draw.
A reasonable compensation, even a 30% cut, for the same job in lieu of the age and slowness of oldies would not be disputed. However, age is not a major determining factor in many job and how the employee should be paid as many could perform just as well or better despite their age. It is the health of the PMEs and whether they are able to cope with the demands of the job. A 90 year old PME could be healthier or more able than a 45 year old. But young and healthy PMEs should be paid their fair value for the job.
The Govt should do the necessary with respect to jobs in the govt service and GLCs for Singaporean PMEs. No more crappy excuses. The Govt owes it to the citizens. If the Govt still thinks that it owes the foreigners and PRs good jobs, then let the foreigners and PRs elect them to be the Govt. The citizens should elect a Govt that takes care of their interest and well being, and to provide them with good and decent jobs before offering the excess jobs to foreigners and PRs. Why should they vote for a govt that chose to offer good jobs to foreigners instead of citizens?
And stop the silly practice of giving good jobs to foreigners followed by a pink IC at the same time. This is cheating the citizens.
The Govt is of the people, by the people, for the people. The Govt is not of the foreigners/PRs, by the foreigners/PRs and for the foreigners/PRs. The people must remember this by hard and so must the politicians that are put into political office by the people. The people must know who and why they vote them to power. Make this an election issue in the next GE. Remember, whoever you vote to Parliament must be there to look after your interest, not the interest of foreigners.
Politicians must not betray the very people that vote them to political office.
3/10/2015
Things that Obama cannot do
There are things that Obama or any American presidents cannot do, beyond
their power to do, and if they dare to do it, they would not only be
voted out immediately, they would be pronounced as insane.
Constitutionally they cannot even dream of remaining in their office for
more than two terms. This is totally out of question. The Americans
would not allow it, would not allow any individual to be entrenched in
the Presidency to abuse the authority of the position. They knew this
danger two hundred years ago and their wisdom on this matter has never
been in doubt. The corruption of men in power is so real and so scary.
There are other things that Obama would not be able to do. He cannot tell the Americans that their life savings, money saved over a life time, is no longer for them to decide how it should be used. The American Govt will henceforth decide for the American people how their life savings should be used, would be used and when they are to be returned to them, the rightful owners of the money. The Americans have no say in their money? Obama or any president trying to do it would be bundled out of the White House in no time.
Any American president thinking of doing it would be accused of insanity or suffering from bi polar syndrome. Or they would risk an assassination bullet in his head for meddling with the people’s life savings as if it belongs to the govt.
Obama would not be allowed to spend billions of American tax payer’s money as he likes, like using it to pay for the education of foreigners, to pay their expenses instead of spending the money on Americans without the consent of the American people, without informing them. He would not last his full term, not to mention a second term to do such a darn thing.
Obama would not be able to allow the reckless influx of immigrants to the US without the approval of Congress. He is still fighting for his life over his immigration policies to give amnesty to the illegal immigrants. It would be foolish for Obama or any American president to bring in foreigners to replace the Americans in good jobs in big numbers. He would be accused of being a traitor and sacked from his Presidency. I am sure the Americans reading this would nod their heads and shake their heads in disbelief if he did otherwise.
Would Obama dare to spend his time fixing his political opponents instead of running the country? No way. His ass would be kicked sore if the Americans know that their President is playing partial politics everyday to keep himself in power. Anyway he needs not try as the constitution would not allow him to stay on after two terms.
And Obama would not be able to write his own paycheck or the paychecks of his staff. If only he could do that, with the size of the American economy and his responsibilities on world matters, he could easily justify to be paid in billions, not in hundreds of thousands as he is being paid today.
Because there are so many limitations in his power, that could be the reasons why he is paid so much lesser than other politicians with practically unlimited powers. The more power a politician wields, the more he can pay himself and can do anything as he likes, as he is the law.
Poor Obama, poor American presidents.
There are other things that Obama would not be able to do. He cannot tell the Americans that their life savings, money saved over a life time, is no longer for them to decide how it should be used. The American Govt will henceforth decide for the American people how their life savings should be used, would be used and when they are to be returned to them, the rightful owners of the money. The Americans have no say in their money? Obama or any president trying to do it would be bundled out of the White House in no time.
Any American president thinking of doing it would be accused of insanity or suffering from bi polar syndrome. Or they would risk an assassination bullet in his head for meddling with the people’s life savings as if it belongs to the govt.
Obama would not be allowed to spend billions of American tax payer’s money as he likes, like using it to pay for the education of foreigners, to pay their expenses instead of spending the money on Americans without the consent of the American people, without informing them. He would not last his full term, not to mention a second term to do such a darn thing.
Obama would not be able to allow the reckless influx of immigrants to the US without the approval of Congress. He is still fighting for his life over his immigration policies to give amnesty to the illegal immigrants. It would be foolish for Obama or any American president to bring in foreigners to replace the Americans in good jobs in big numbers. He would be accused of being a traitor and sacked from his Presidency. I am sure the Americans reading this would nod their heads and shake their heads in disbelief if he did otherwise.
Would Obama dare to spend his time fixing his political opponents instead of running the country? No way. His ass would be kicked sore if the Americans know that their President is playing partial politics everyday to keep himself in power. Anyway he needs not try as the constitution would not allow him to stay on after two terms.
And Obama would not be able to write his own paycheck or the paychecks of his staff. If only he could do that, with the size of the American economy and his responsibilities on world matters, he could easily justify to be paid in billions, not in hundreds of thousands as he is being paid today.
Because there are so many limitations in his power, that could be the reasons why he is paid so much lesser than other politicians with practically unlimited powers. The more power a politician wields, the more he can pay himself and can do anything as he likes, as he is the law.
Poor Obama, poor American presidents.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)