Subject: Fwd: Who are the real leeches bleeding Singapore dry ?
http://wayangparty.com/?m=20090204
Who are the real leeches bleeding Singapore dry ?
February 4, 2009 by admin
Filed under Daily Musings
By Eugene Yeo
In a speech made in Parliament yesterday on the Job Credit Scheme, PAP MP Madam Ho Geok Choo whose speech writer was TOC Chief Editor Choo Zheng Xi, used the following analogy to describe needy Singaporeans dependent on perpetual handouts from the government:
"By all means give help to the needy but we must ensure that we don't in the process make being needy a new growth industry and acceptable career. What remains a constant is that while it's New Age to have a bleeding heart but as relevant is what MM (Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew) once said: 'we have to be careful not to bleed to death." (Read full article here)
Are our government coffers really "bleeding to death" as a result of social welfare programmes to help Singaporeans ?
To put things in perspective, the PAP government has been most stingy in doling out aid to Singaporeans. Only about 3,000 Singaporeans, most of whom are over 70 years of age qualify for the Public Assistance (PA) scheme which pays a miserable $330 a month for their living expenses.
ComCare, Work Fare and SPUR programmes are not strictly social welfare programmes as they are merely serving as adjuncts to help distressed workers tide through this economic downturn.
The PA scheme cost the government an estimated sum of $11.8 million dollars which amounts to only 0.049% of the $24 billion dollars plough into U.S and European banks last year by Temasek and GIC.
After the 20% reduction in their salaries, our President, Prime Minister, Senior Minister and Minister Mentor will still receive in excess of $3 million dollars a year. To keep the calculations simple, let's round it down to $3 million dollars x 4 will give us $12 million dollars, $200,000 more than the amount needed to keep 3,000 needy Singaporeans on PA scheme a year.
This is only the tip of the iceberg. Our government leaders and senior civil servants are all grossly overpaid. Even a mere unelected holder of public office like a Permanent Secretary can earn more than the United States President !
I propose the following wage cuts and retrenchment of unnecessary personnel to save precious taxpayers' monies so that more money can be channeled to social welfare programmes for needy Singaporeans:
1. Suspend the wages of the President, Senior Minister and Minister Mentor. Savings: $9 million dollars a year.
2. Reduce the pay of the Prime Minister by 90%. Savings: $2.7 million dollars a year.
3. Reduce the pay of all ministers by 90%. Savings: $20.5 million dollars a year.
4. Remove the two ministers in Prime Minister's Office: $3.1 million dollars a year.
5. Reduce the number of MPs from 84 to 42 and reduce their MP allowance by 90%. Savings: $13.3 million dollars a year.
6. Reduce the pay of all permanent secretaries by 90%. Savings: $9.6 million dollars a year.
Total savings for Singapore: S$58.2 million dollars a year. (Note: this figure is an underestimate as I have rounded down the salaries to simplify the calculations).
Last, but not the least, ban Temasek and GIC from making any further overseas investments to focus on developing local enterprises instead and reduce the salaries of their top management by 90% for screwing our investments up big time ! This will save us a couple of billions of dollars a year !
So who are the real LEECHES which are bleeding Singapore dry ? Needy Singaporeans who cost us a few million dollars a year or a big, bloated overpaid government and its Sovereign Wealth Funds which is costing us many billion of dollars MORE ???
Let me take the liberty to help Zheng Xi rephrase Madam Choo's speech on his behalf:
"By all means pay our ministers and civil servants well, but we must ensure that we don't in the process make being public office holders a new growth industry and acceptable career. What remains a constant is that while it's New Age to have a bleeding heart but as relevant is what MM (Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew) once said: 'we have to be careful not to bleed to death by our own disgusting, immoral and shameless exorbitant salaries.'
http://wayangparty.com/?m=20090204
Who are the real leeches bleeding Singapore dry ?
February 4, 2009 by admin
Filed under Daily Musings
By Eugene Yeo
In a speech made in Parliament yesterday on the Job Credit Scheme, PAP MP Madam Ho Geok Choo whose speech writer was TOC Chief Editor Choo Zheng Xi, used the following analogy to describe needy Singaporeans dependent on perpetual handouts from the government:
"By all means give help to the needy but we must ensure that we don't in the process make being needy a new growth industry and acceptable career. What remains a constant is that while it's New Age to have a bleeding heart but as relevant is what MM (Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew) once said: 'we have to be careful not to bleed to death." (Read full article here)
Are our government coffers really "bleeding to death" as a result of social welfare programmes to help Singaporeans ?
To put things in perspective, the PAP government has been most stingy in doling out aid to Singaporeans. Only about 3,000 Singaporeans, most of whom are over 70 years of age qualify for the Public Assistance (PA) scheme which pays a miserable $330 a month for their living expenses.
ComCare, Work Fare and SPUR programmes are not strictly social welfare programmes as they are merely serving as adjuncts to help distressed workers tide through this economic downturn.
The PA scheme cost the government an estimated sum of $11.8 million dollars which amounts to only 0.049% of the $24 billion dollars plough into U.S and European banks last year by Temasek and GIC.
After the 20% reduction in their salaries, our President, Prime Minister, Senior Minister and Minister Mentor will still receive in excess of $3 million dollars a year. To keep the calculations simple, let's round it down to $3 million dollars x 4 will give us $12 million dollars, $200,000 more than the amount needed to keep 3,000 needy Singaporeans on PA scheme a year.
This is only the tip of the iceberg. Our government leaders and senior civil servants are all grossly overpaid. Even a mere unelected holder of public office like a Permanent Secretary can earn more than the United States President !
I propose the following wage cuts and retrenchment of unnecessary personnel to save precious taxpayers' monies so that more money can be channeled to social welfare programmes for needy Singaporeans:
1. Suspend the wages of the President, Senior Minister and Minister Mentor. Savings: $9 million dollars a year.
2. Reduce the pay of the Prime Minister by 90%. Savings: $2.7 million dollars a year.
3. Reduce the pay of all ministers by 90%. Savings: $20.5 million dollars a year.
4. Remove the two ministers in Prime Minister's Office: $3.1 million dollars a year.
5. Reduce the number of MPs from 84 to 42 and reduce their MP allowance by 90%. Savings: $13.3 million dollars a year.
6. Reduce the pay of all permanent secretaries by 90%. Savings: $9.6 million dollars a year.
Total savings for Singapore: S$58.2 million dollars a year. (Note: this figure is an underestimate as I have rounded down the salaries to simplify the calculations).
Last, but not the least, ban Temasek and GIC from making any further overseas investments to focus on developing local enterprises instead and reduce the salaries of their top management by 90% for screwing our investments up big time ! This will save us a couple of billions of dollars a year !
So who are the real LEECHES which are bleeding Singapore dry ? Needy Singaporeans who cost us a few million dollars a year or a big, bloated overpaid government and its Sovereign Wealth Funds which is costing us many billion of dollars MORE ???
Let me take the liberty to help Zheng Xi rephrase Madam Choo's speech on his behalf:
"By all means pay our ministers and civil servants well, but we must ensure that we don't in the process make being public office holders a new growth industry and acceptable career. What remains a constant is that while it's New Age to have a bleeding heart but as relevant is what MM (Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew) once said: 'we have to be careful not to bleed to death by our own disgusting, immoral and shameless exorbitant salaries.'
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