FAP's Blaming of SGs Not Being Lifelong Learners Debunked!

[makapaaa]

[h=1]SINGAPOREANS ARE NOT LIFELONG LEARNERS?[/h]


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Post date:
15 Oct 2014 - 7:01pm









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We refer to the article “Never too early or too late” to learn a new skill: DPM Tharman” (Straits Times, Oct 13).

It states that “In a Facebook update on Monday morning, he cited the examples of two senior folk he met last week while on a study trip to visit community colleges in the Bay area around San Francisco in the United States.

One, a 67-year-old lawyer, was taking a course in metalworking at De Anza College in Cupertino because he “wanted to make things with his hands”, Mr Tharman said.

The other, a retiree who enjoyed cooking, was enrolled in a culinary arts course at Laney College in Oakland and offered to make Mr Tharman “a better cook”.

Free education for seniors?

- we would like to point out that many universities in California waive the course fees for seniors to attend many course.


Pension, medical benefits, etc?








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Also, most seniors get a pension indexed for inflation and medical benefits (such as Mediaid and Medicare) – monthly public transport pass from as low as US$20.


Stark contrast with Singapore?
In contrast, Singaporean retires have no Government funded pensions (only about 1 in 8 can meet the CPF Minimum Sum and many studies place our retirement adequacy as one of the lowest in the world), no generous almost free medical benefits (only means tested subsidies from ever rising medical fees), relatively more expensive public transport fares, etc.
We believe most elderly Singaporeans would adopt lifelong learning, if most of them may not have to struggle to make ends meet, or worry about their medical fees, etc.

S Y Lee and Leong Sze Hian
P.S. Come with your family and friends to the 5th Return Our CPF protest on 25 October 4 pm at Speakers’ Corner https://www.facebook.com/events/446619505476438/

 

[eatshitndie]

much bs is being fed to sinkies from these duo of sy lee and leong sze hian, who have very little clue what goes on in the sf bay area.

here are the facts (all these bozos have to do is google for them):

free education for seniors?

while there are classes hosted by volunteers who contribute their time and knowledge for free, there's no such thing as "free". at the sf senior center where so called "free" lessons are provided for classes in pottery making, art or dancing, participants are required to join the center with a basic fee of $10. for classes where materials are used, participants are encouraged to pay for them via "donations". at adult continuing classes at de anza and foothill colleges, charges can range from $30 to $100 depending on content, duration, and demand. many of the teachers conducting these classes supplement their income with these classes, charging nominal amounts based on their popularity and expertise. for example, 5 ballroom dancing classes can cost upwards of $125, introductory class to hypnotism can cost $32, and introductory class to yoga can range from $50 to $70 depending on instructor and location.

schools and colleges in the bay area are more quiet and under-utilized in summer, and although some waive enrollment fees for seniors, class fees and charges for materials and use of equipment are not free.

taxpayers and seniors themselves ultimately foot the bills, when classes are subsidized one way or another. all california public schools and colleges are currently underfunded by the city, county, state, and federal assistance, and many if not the majority of these programs are cancelled or no longer in existence unless otherwise saved by private donations or seniors contributing monetarily to the programs. programs and classes in private non-profit organizations such as sf senior center are still active. and the list is rich, rewarding, and long. the sustainability of these programs is very different between public and private institutions. while public programs for seniors suffer through lack of funding and sometimes misuse of taxpayers' money, private programs thrive through active fund raising, charity and donations.

 

[eatshitndie]

pensions, medical benefits, etc.?

if a californian worked full time for gov entities in city, county, and state levels and joined a union, very likely they will get a pension after tenure (usually 10 years) upon retirement or termination of employment. pension, depending on union and job, can range from 80% to 100% of last pay check, for life plus medical benefits. public executives in management or supervisor ranks exempted from joining unions are also awarded pensions based on tenure. while base pay for a city manager can range upwards of $300k per year, pension benefits range upwards of millions in lifetime payout.

this is why the state is broke. and many cities, counties and public institutions, especially schools and colleges, are under water. and taxpayers bear the brunt. it's no longer sustainable for taxpayers with the kind of welfare generosity that california has become.

in businesses and privately owned companies, although big ones have gone public via ipo's, the pension system is no longer offered or available to employees except for some utilities such as pg&e where employees can still join the union which offers pension protection. other than that, most if not all companies offer 401k, which is an individual private investment scheme. companies match contributions up to 6% of base pay, and at 59.5 years are not obligated to match contribution. the 401k savings will have to be transferred to an ira, for example a roth ira, where it can still be privately managed. most leave their money with fidelity which manages their 401k savings. this is not a pension nor retirement schemes from the federal gov, such as social security.

social security. ss is tax paid by the taxpayer to uncle sam all his working life, and upon reaching 63, a senior is eligible to withdraw ss benefits based on contributions he made in income tax returns during his working life. benefits are not proportional to the amount of contributions (taxes) made. unlike cpf, ss collections go into a common pool, and every tom, dick, and harry who made puny to plush contributions to the cesspit drink from it. for example, i've contributed tens to hundreds of thousands to ss over the years, and all i am getting at 63 is a mere $1397 a month without factoring inflation for the next two decades. and by the way, ss is the biggest government ponzi scheme and is going broke by the time i hit 63.

medicare. for those who have contributed taxes and ss which includes medicare payments all their working lives, they can enjoy some form of medical insurance protection via medicare at age 65. it's not like the gov is paying for us. we paid for it via our tax and ss contributions. this is not eligible for seniors who have not paid into the system. however, with hefty cash contributions per month, non-eligible seniors can join the system.

medicaid. only in california. eligible for those below the poverty line to apply for medicaid assistance. most private hospitals and clinics shun coverage for patients in the medicaid system. patients will need to rely on public health institutions and halloween-hospital like sf general (you die your biz), and may god help them if their dying bodies are retrieved weeks later at a secluded stairwell.