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Coffeeshop Chit Chat - Do we really need to spend $387M on YOG?</TD><TD id=msgunetc noWrap align=right> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=msgtable cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="96%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=msg vAlign=top><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgbfr1 width="1%"> </TD><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead vAlign=top><TD class=msgF width="1%" noWrap align=right>From: </TD><TD class=msgFname width="68%" noWrap>kojakbt_89 <NOBR></NOBR> </TD><TD class=msgDate width="30%" noWrap align=right>7:47 pm </TD></TR><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgT height=20 width="1%" noWrap align=right>To: </TD><TD class=msgTname width="68%" noWrap>ALL <NOBR></NOBR></TD><TD class=msgNum noWrap align=right> (1 of 7) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgleft rowSpan=4 width="1%"> </TD><TD class=wintiny noWrap align=right>36004.1 </TD></TR><TR><TD height=8></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgtxt>YOG’s S$ 387 Million budget, do we really need to spend so much?
July 13th, 2010 |
Author: Contributions
http://www.temasekreview.com/2010/07/13/yogs-sgd-387-million-budget-do-we-really-need-to-spend-so-much/
In reference to, recent reports that the Youth Olympic Games’ (YOG) budget has ballooned from SGD$104 Million to SGD$ 387 Million.
I was walking home one night and chanced upon a Mercedes Taxi adorned with the YOG stickers. Looking at the stickers, it leaves little to the imagination that it is going to be used for the YOG and we would have to give way to it on our roads.
http://www.temasekreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/yogtaxi7.pngWill the driver take advantage of the fact that we have to give way when he is ferrying a ‘normal’ passenger? I do not know. But the question that brings to mind, is it really necessary to use a Mercedes Taxi, for which rental is dearer to a standard taxi model?
When it comes to size and comfort the latest Hyundai taxi model is just as spacious. And I would think the rental would be cheaper then the Mercedes. I guess the ruling party seemed to prefer style over substance.
This is not a one-off case. There are other reports where lanes are painted/adorned with YOG logos to give preferential treatment to vehicles involved with the YOG; or ministries and government linked organisations (such as the Ministry of Education and People’s Association) buying up the YOG tickets.
Why can’t the tickets be provided free? Surely the money spent by the MOE would be better spent on other beneficial schemes for Singaporean students? Why the need to spend tax payers’ money to paint the roads when we Singaporeans have to pay monthly Service and Conservancy (S&C) charges to get our flats painted once every 5 years? And we all know, failures to pay the S&C charges could mean fines, a date with the Courts or possibly booted out of our homes.
Why the need to spend so much money from public funds when our ruling party should have sourced for sponsors to cut costs? Why don’t they take a leaf from the Olympics or the recent successful World Cup by FIFA, to sell television rights so as to cover the costs of running the YOG?
And I am perplexed to think that our public fund will be spent so that GLC’s (or in the case of the above picture – Comfort-Delgro) can profit from it.
We have hosted a successful South East Asian games before. But, never at so much expense and the special privileges showered on the YOG athletes and their officials. Privileges, our unemployed and our destitute can only dream off. The YOG athletes and their officials will come and go, but the unemployed and the destitute remains. Probably they will be another round of ‘clean-up’ at our beaches and void decks before the YOG.
Unfortunately, without transparency we will never know the true costs and benefits other than what will be reported by our local Mainstream Media.
Instead of finding innovative ways to cut costs for Singapore and Singaporeans, the ruling party unfortunately will find innovative ways to spend our funds (or waste it away) and at the same time find innovative ways to squeeze more money from us. Why do we Singaporeans keep falling, for their claims that GST are ‘to help the poor’, or the recent transport fare changes is meant to be ‘fairer’. Why do we keep voting for them and reward them with million dollar salaries but yet we do not receive any tangible benefits from them other than the ones before elections?
Sure, the GLC’s will probably post another healthy profit at the end of the accounting year, and the ruling party will give themselves a pat on the back with another salary increase and obscene bonuses.
But, at who’s and what costs?
A Singaporean Patriot
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http://www.temasekreview.com/2010/07/13/yogs-sgd-387-million-budget-do-we-really-need-to-spend-so-much/
In reference to, recent reports that the Youth Olympic Games’ (YOG) budget has ballooned from SGD$104 Million to SGD$ 387 Million.
I was walking home one night and chanced upon a Mercedes Taxi adorned with the YOG stickers. Looking at the stickers, it leaves little to the imagination that it is going to be used for the YOG and we would have to give way to it on our roads.
http://www.temasekreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/yogtaxi7.pngWill the driver take advantage of the fact that we have to give way when he is ferrying a ‘normal’ passenger? I do not know. But the question that brings to mind, is it really necessary to use a Mercedes Taxi, for which rental is dearer to a standard taxi model?
When it comes to size and comfort the latest Hyundai taxi model is just as spacious. And I would think the rental would be cheaper then the Mercedes. I guess the ruling party seemed to prefer style over substance.
This is not a one-off case. There are other reports where lanes are painted/adorned with YOG logos to give preferential treatment to vehicles involved with the YOG; or ministries and government linked organisations (such as the Ministry of Education and People’s Association) buying up the YOG tickets.
Why can’t the tickets be provided free? Surely the money spent by the MOE would be better spent on other beneficial schemes for Singaporean students? Why the need to spend tax payers’ money to paint the roads when we Singaporeans have to pay monthly Service and Conservancy (S&C) charges to get our flats painted once every 5 years? And we all know, failures to pay the S&C charges could mean fines, a date with the Courts or possibly booted out of our homes.
Why the need to spend so much money from public funds when our ruling party should have sourced for sponsors to cut costs? Why don’t they take a leaf from the Olympics or the recent successful World Cup by FIFA, to sell television rights so as to cover the costs of running the YOG?
And I am perplexed to think that our public fund will be spent so that GLC’s (or in the case of the above picture – Comfort-Delgro) can profit from it.
We have hosted a successful South East Asian games before. But, never at so much expense and the special privileges showered on the YOG athletes and their officials. Privileges, our unemployed and our destitute can only dream off. The YOG athletes and their officials will come and go, but the unemployed and the destitute remains. Probably they will be another round of ‘clean-up’ at our beaches and void decks before the YOG.
Unfortunately, without transparency we will never know the true costs and benefits other than what will be reported by our local Mainstream Media.
Instead of finding innovative ways to cut costs for Singapore and Singaporeans, the ruling party unfortunately will find innovative ways to spend our funds (or waste it away) and at the same time find innovative ways to squeeze more money from us. Why do we Singaporeans keep falling, for their claims that GST are ‘to help the poor’, or the recent transport fare changes is meant to be ‘fairer’. Why do we keep voting for them and reward them with million dollar salaries but yet we do not receive any tangible benefits from them other than the ones before elections?
Sure, the GLC’s will probably post another healthy profit at the end of the accounting year, and the ruling party will give themselves a pat on the back with another salary increase and obscene bonuses.
But, at who’s and what costs?
A Singaporean Patriot
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