Wednesday, October 23, 2013

No Poverty Line Please, We Are Singaporeans

Not only is his EQ level suspect, the keechiu general may need to have his IQ reassessed. Minister for Social and Family Development Chan Chun Sing said that "Singapore is not considering having an official poverty line, as it would not fully reflect the severity and complexity of issues faced by the poor, and may also lead to those above the line missing out on assistance."

The real catastrophe the Mad-dog General is trying to sweep under the carpet is the Pandora's Box that will be opened. Hong Kong's government-appointed Commission on Poverty has set its first poverty line at half of the median monthly household income. By doing so, it is boldly confronting the problems of wealth gap, labour disquiet, housing affordability and myriad problems that come about when the rich have too much, while the poor are ignored. Politicians may tell you different, money is a zero sum game. The MG does not have the cajones to face facts like the top 1% in Singapore has an annual salary that is more than 58 times that of the bottom 3.4%.

In economics, cliff effect is the disproportionately positive or negative result of an action. In telecommunications, the (digital) cliff effect or brickwall effect describes the sudden loss of digital signal reception, where the digital signal "falls off a cliff" instead of having a gradual rolloff. Chan's version is that by  using a single poverty line to assess the family status, those below the poverty line will receive all forms of assistance, while other genuinely needy citizens outside the poverty line will be excluded. Well, the means test - which Khaw Boon Wan promised not to implement, then went ahead after the elections - has already afflicted that kind of damage several times over.

The "cliff effect" we have seen is the 60.1 percent of the 2011 electorate marching like lemmings into the dark void. And if they continue to swallow the bit about being able to receive "all forms of assistance", more will be tipped into the abyss of lies in 2016.

The truth is that you have to grovel before a member of parliament being getting a $10 food voucher at the weekly meet-the-people session (MPS). If you happen to be starving to death in the interim between MPS days, don't bother to call. There's no help centre giving out food stamps within walking distance. Vouchers to help pay for utilities are harder to come by, last we heard, those are not available at opposition wards.

Someone hiring a maid for the time learnt that the maid levy for a caregiver is halved if her aging mother is above 65. Her maid agency was ignorant of the fact. The social worker who told her about the "discount" disclosed the useful input like divulging a state secret. The government does dole out financial assistance, they are just too damn stingy about it.

15 comments:

  1. It is a technique. Otherwise MPs have nothing else to do except to spread the "right things".

    If its so easy to get assistance, they will be unable to differentiate themselves from other opposition MPs. The technique is to create unnecessary obstacles, hoops and gates so that when the assistance finally arises, they look so damn usefull, caring and competent.

    Its a built in device to make themselves look fantastic.. and since the poor are less educated.. the charade continues. Worked for years and years.

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  2. Like I said.
    We pay them $million dollar salaries.
    So that they can turn around to tell us it's not their job.

    This is the latest example.
    Pay General Kee Chiu million dollar salary.
    Now he says setting a poverty line is not his job.

    Why we bother to "groom" and "mentor" these scholars to do nothing I don't know.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It should be noted, general kee chiu who has never fought a battle in the military or political arena has yet to earn a single vote from singaporeans...this bugger can start by talking less and doing a lot more for singaporeans...even while eating, sleeping and shitting.

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  3. You want to reduce the income gap?
    Vote Opposition.
    I hope you are finally convinced as I am.

    (Former PAP Supporter)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I fully agree with you, we must shout it LOUD but also quietly to convince others to Vote For Opposition

      Delete
  4. Heard the latest case where the developer is countersuing the couple just because the declared salary is a couple of hundred above the stipulated S$12k criteria to qualify for buying a EC apartment? Looks like they are prepared to close their eyes if the couple had not sued for wrong calculation of floor area?

    This will be a good test case of the cliff that our Minister is trying to use as an excuse not to define what is poverty.

    By the way, if one is buying a property that cost over a million bucks, what the fuck was the Pap Minister thinking when he imposed a Max limit $12k salary criteria in order to qualify? Is that the poverty line he had in mind?

    No wonder so many people say they are now so greedy & elite unlike those days under Goh Keng Sweet!

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  5. This is the real rich-poor factor.
    President earned $6 million a year. Cleaner earned $6,000 a year. The rich servant earned 1000 times what the poor master earned.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes.
      But 60% of the cleaners in Singapore voted PAP.
      60% of the family, friends and relatives of the cleaner voted PAP.
      So who do you want to blame for the mess?
      PAP or the PAP voters?

      Delete
    2. Yes.
      But 60% of the cleaners in Singapore voted PAP.
      60% of the family, friends and relatives of the cleaner voted PAP.
      So who do you want to blame for the mess?
      PAP or the PAP voters?

      Your statement is clearly not correct - who ever taught you statistics ought to go back to secondary school. 60% voted PAP means 60% of cleaners voted PAP? So that means only 60% of civil servants and 60% of gezillionaires voted PAP??? You are clear signal that forest gump has come to red dot, or maybe you have been watching too much singapore idol.

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  6. Singaporeans are idiots, period.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You must be the leader of the pack

      Delete
  7. Lee Kuan Yew: “You go down New York, Broadway. You will see the beggars, people of the streets…Where are the beggars in Singapore? Show me.”

    They don't need a poverty line because they do not see beggars in the streets! Uncles, aunties collecting tin cans, cardboard boxes etc are not beggars - they are just entrepreneurs. One fine day we should all dress up as beggars to wake their f...g ideas up.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. i like your suggestion of dressing up as beggars and perhaps congregate enmass along orchard road,
      but ideally i prefer PAP become the minority and a new govt leader who will authorise volunteers like myself to conduct a personal tour for LKY and son, and see for themselves up close there are indeed beggars and also elderly folks who collect cans, cardboxes for a living...about time Lee senior and Lee jr have lunch and dinner with these folks, eating from the same menu...and of course i will gladly foot the bill.

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    2. They will give you the run-around if you want public assistance. Means testing, screening of disabilities etc. It beggars belief that in 2010 "The most destitute citizens' families may apply for public assistance; only 3,000 currently qualify."

      Welfare In Singapore - The Stingy Nanny (2010 article from The Economist)
      http://www.economist.com/node/15524092

      Singapore Government response to above article:
      http://www.economist.com/node/15541423

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    3. Selling tissue papers is disguised begging.

      More than that, they used to round up the beggars and cart them away (god knows where).

      Delete