A Place for Singles

It's catch 22... we make more money, cost of living will surely go up cos quality of living will rise. When the citizens become more affluent and have more money to spend, the govt will see that as a fatter cashcow to be milked. There's no real way to beat the system.. you're just trying to keep pace or outrun the system. Therefore the income disparity between rich and poor will always widen. Cos the rich can get richer, but the poor will become poorer due to these tax measures. For those of us still young enough to work and make money, the GST hike is not so significant a problem. But when you're middle-aged with children and elderly parents to feed, the hike will just make daily living a little harder. And if you're a retiree with only savings to depend on, any little rise in prices will mean less to survive on for your remaining yrs.
 


for me it's just sad, just a feeling... otherwise it shuldn't really bother me... it's not unexpected nor foreseen. it's just like getting used to a regular quarrel with a gfren. after some time, u just decide to be a bachelor and do this at your own pace, for your ownself.

i'm a logical person and everything will always be dealt with logic. the most basic question is, Do we Need this? WE = General Spore Population.

i'm just hoping tat the richer sporeans can voluntarily find ways to help the poor. and hopefully, the poor can Believe in themselves sufficiently to pull themselves out of the glut.
 
No offence but I don't like to do things that have no value-add. Which is kinda ironic since I work for the govt. Will signing a petition reverse the decision? Will a strike make a difference? (Incidentally, strikes are illegal hor. Keep your broomsticks.) It is true that S'poreans are good at whining and doing nothing. That's why the opposition parties are in dire need of good representatives (not the CSJ type lah. Dare not type name. Scully get sued). Politics in S'pore is still in the fledgling stage. At least we see improvements over the years. I think we're doing pretty well for a nation of 41 years. From the point of view of a civil servant, you need to recognise that the policies that you recommend need to serve the majority of S'poreans. A 1-size fits all. Harsh reality. How to handle customised solutions for all? While making noise, can someone come up with a better solution then? Isn't that the reason why there are so many avenues for the average S'porean to voice their opinions? How many actually do?

Different countries have different ways of helping the poorer income group. There may be reasons why progressive taxation can't work in S'pore. Can we help subsidise the living standards of the poor then? Aren't there financial assistance programmes for them? IMO, I think the S'pore govt would generally rather err on the safe side than to risk a major overhaul.
 
isn't the reserves for tat purpose? didn't even know we had a problem with financials tat required us to 'suffer'. we have already 'suffered' to contribute to the reserves liao... wat's the point of living poorly just to make sure the numbers in the bank account continually shows 1mil?

ministers can pledge small percentage paycuts... MRTs/Buses/Taxi Operators can Pledge/Donate 1 Saturday's taking every Quarterly... LTA can pledge EVERY 1st Saturday of the Month's ERP takings... LTA can pledge 1month of car transfer fees... Singapore Power can do something in that line... HDB can pledge a portion of the resale levy... Traffic Police/URA/HDB can pledge a Whole weekend of summonses... etc etc etc... all these hardly hurt the 'pocket'.

Do We Need So Much Profits in a Monopoly when Profits are almost guaranteed with hardly any competition?
 
Nope. Reserves are for emergencies like when S'pore sinks, S'pore kenna war, S'pore needs to build another bloody complicated MRT network as if the island is so damn big. Differences in mentality towards savings lah. Like I mentioned earlier, I think the S'pore govt would rather err on the safe side. Imagine having to account for a Thaksin situation here. Actually it's pretty amazing the major projects we can pull off without borrowing money from the World Bank. Guess the govt could do another ERS with the reserves.

Hmm... Tat's a pretty good idea. Target the ministries & stat boards. S'pore Power & SMRT cannot lah. Those are technically pte ltd now though still GLCs. You want PM's email address to suggest to him?
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Wah... I can't believe I defended the govt. Did I mention I don't really enjoy the civil service tat much?
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Wahh.. debating here ah..

Saw the quote :
[Mr black says...
i think next time MRT will arrive once in every 20min... busy clearing "poor" dead bodies.]

I burst out lafting at that too... whahaa....

Another one which I read did leave a deep thot...
[/... This is our home, NOT their BANK..../]
 
money Can't help us in both scenarios u mentioned.

i'm ok with watever is being dished out... i will ride everything like the waves... everyone can die with millions in their bank for all i care, if it makes them feel good.

Spore Power is a monopoly... who else can we take electricity from?
 
Powder..
didn't know u r a wave surfer eh? whaha.. kidding.. well.. I guess this monopoly thingy is not a "Yi Zhao Yi Xi" thing also rite? haiz..

Laundry Woes,
hmm.. u got PM's email ah? steady.. give lah.. then I can send him love ltr... wahaa...
 
Media Release: GST hike will crush poorer Singaporeans

Could there be anything worse than the Government raising the GST to 7 percent when Singaporeans are hurting economically, especially those in the lower income groups?

Yes, the spin that raising the GST would benefit those in the lower income groups.

Ignoring all the data showing that the poorest households continue to see their incomes fall, the Government makes bald assertions that its latest move to increase the GST would in fact benefit these people.

PM Lee Hsien Loong tells Parliament that it is good to increase the GST while the economy is good. This begs the question: Good for whom?

While the rich continue to get richer, many of whom are not Singaporeans, poor Singaporeans are left with nothing but desperation. The number of suicides, mental illnesses, crimes and divorces has mushroomed in recent years and is a result of the Governmentment's heartless economic policies.

All this while PAP Ministers live the good life by paying themselves millions of dollars in salaries, oblivious to the hardship and toil of the average Singaporean.

Yet the elite of society remains unrepentant. It even derides the working class for not having the wherewithal to make a success of life. Worse, PAP MPs continue to chide Singaporeans for "complaining" and not taking enough responsibility.

In the meantime, Government entities like Temasek Holdings make reckless decisions that cost Singaporeans billions of dollars in questionable business ventures.

Is the GST hike, set to rake in almost $1.5 billion for the Government over two years, an attempt to recoup the losses made over the Temasek-Shin Corp and Singtel-Optus deals?

The horrendously careless acquisition of Shin Corp may incur losses of up to $3 billion while the much-criticised ownership of Optus stands to face a write-down of up to $8 billion.

In addition, has the Government been transferring our reserves to state-owned enterprises to prop these companies up since the Constitution was amended in 2004 to allow this?

Sadly, however, no answers will be forthcoming. Worse, the PAP is thumbing its nose at Singaporeans and saying: "So what if we increase the GST? What are you going to do about it?"

This is because the system manipulated by the PAP shields it from having to account to the people. It does not allow Singaporeans to speak and vote freely which means that we will continue to live under the thumb of the ruling elite.

Depending on their mood, ministers will from time to time encourage citizens to speak up. But make no mistake: this is not a change of heart. It is just a ploy to mollify the electorate and give them a chance to let off steam.

The Singapore Democrats feel the frustration and the anguish of the people. But without our rights to free speech and peaceful assembly, citizens are powerless to make the Government more responsive to our needs.

Without citizen power, the Government will not have to consult the people and it can do as it wishes, when it wishes.

The SDP will continue to raise issues concerning the welfare of our fellow citizens. This remains our priority. But in order to help the people to improve their quality of life and welfare, we need to work to take back our democratic rights without which we will continue to be at the mercy of the PAP.

Chee Soon Juan
Secretary-General
Singapore Democratic Party
14 Nov 06
 
Wah. U all can still debate after midnite? My brain shutdown liao. Eheheh...

Errr... Which 2 scenarios? *blur* I haven't had caffeine yet!

Other electricity suppliers. SembCorp Power? Tuas Power?? I'm not sure myself. I always thought they have already opened the market to competition. Just that it's still only the GLCs who can afford to compete in such an industry.

Ok lah. Just trying to provide another POV. My personal concept is like Powder's actually. I don't need hoards of savings in the bank. And I'm definitely not going to penalise myself to watch my savings grow. Maybe coz I know I will never reach millions in my bank account lah. No kick. Ahahah...

Frankly, it's the rich people who are really miserly. Don't you think?

Skylar, all (ok lah, not all. Most!) civil servants' contacts are available online. Check out www.sgdi.gov.sg. You can email PM or his father even.
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I think S'poreans are not stingy... we've been giving and giving whenever there's a donation drive. Only when the NKF saga blew up did people start to become more wary about donating. But the fact remains that certain charitable organisations have accummulated a lot of cash reserves. How are they using the money to help the poor? IF the govt justifies the 7% GST by saying it's used to help the poor, you can be sure that some S'poreans (eg myself :P) will probably cut down on their donations in other forms. Wonder what the charities feel about this GST hike, since it's suppose to benefit them??
 
Heheh. G~gal, did we just cost S'pore Power a customer? Starhub also provides land lines now but how many of us actually give up good old SingTel?

Eh... We are so good at hijacking threads leh. 1 min we're worrying about bedokboy & Yvonne's lifetime happiness, the next we're talking abt energy suppliers?
 
powder, I'm not sure if we can choose senoko... possibly not unless your landlord does so. In any case, SP is still the main player in the retail market lah. But there's no guarantee that things won't change in the future.

Laundry... relax lah. It is natural in a conversation to digress ;) Anyway, why so worried about BBoy and Dec baby.. up to them what they wanna do mah... you looking forward to be their kids' godparent??? HAhahaha....
 
Ooo.. As usual, I had to go kaypoh and google it. Think the retail market is not fully open yet. Currently available only to what they call "contestable consumers", based on electricity usage. The rest of us not yet. Akan datang. Powder will be first in line to change electricity supplier.
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actually i dun really care abt the electricity supplier cos it's a neccessity. i'm driving a car tat is high on fuel consumption... i'm totally ok with being taxed becos of my Life choices in luxury etc... i have a Choice, so i dun complain. i'm more worried for those without choices.

for the Power thing, i'm just abit cheesed off with the Core values which they are run. profit is a must, but How Much? and Why? there are entities tat started out to serve the pple... (or so i thought), i dun feel very served becos i dun have a choice.
 
Agreed. Don't complain when there are other options available. It may take a longer detour, cost a bit more, but ultimately, it boils down to your own choice.

Powder, u drive Mercs ah? SUVs? Lexus? Can I be your friend?? Eheheh...

G~gal, eh, wat has their kids got to do with me? They happy happy already then pay for their own actions hor. I money no enough myself.
 
haha no lah... i drive an italian car sporeans hate. yeah was thinking of getting an SUV next year... can dump the baby stroller and everything in easily... keke.

as much as i like Some mercs and Lexus, i will never drive them as long as they use footbrakes instead of handbrakes... for emergency purposes, handbrakes always a better bet.

we're already frens mah...
 
Italian car? Fiat? Or Ferrari?? Wah! Can I be your chaffeur?? Eheheh... Siao liao.

Ya, SUVs are nice. Used to like the Suzuki Vitara a lot. Now older, must upgrade taste. Lexus. Drool...

Friends? Don't want lah. I changed my mind. Want you to be my employer now.
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yeah, i'm a big fan... this my 3rd Alfa liao... keke. as i tell many pple, an Alfa is not a car, it's a companion. alot of spirit and life in her...

laundry ah, car enthusiasts dun hire chauffeur wan lah... drive car so shiok, why pay another person to enjoy your car?
 
Damn... Thought I can con someone into letting me drive. What happened to the 1st 2? Kenna crashed and burnt ah?
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Actually hor, I don't really like to drive. I prefer to be chauffeured (basket u lah. expose my spelling error). But if it's a super chio car, then I think I look better in the driver's seat lah. Eheheh... Pattern liao liao. Anyway, I didn't know S'poreans don't like Alfa. Just that most people go for good old & affordable Jap cars which probably can't survive a car crash lor.

Eh, Alfa Romeo has those 17" super solid-looking sports rims rite? Nice leh!
 
alfa romeo is a good car... do singaporeans hate alfa? i dun keke... its not bad.... but my friend chose an audi A4 over alfa after much consideration...
 
yeah, i'm onto my 3rd set of rims liao... well the 1st one is a red Alfa 33 - she was scrapped when she hit 10yrs old, 2nd one is a black 146 - she was exported to Malaysia before her 5th year due to High COE prices. the current one has a story behind it... i fell in love with her during my dark periods of near-bankruptcy, i test-drove it and really love it... and instead of buying it (which i can't afford), i went to join them as a Sales Exec! keke... finally bought a new one when i revived my life... so alot of meaning for me... it has inspired me to climb out of my hole and get back on track in life again...

oh, trust me, many sporeans may say they like alfa, but most will think the car has problems... due to those in the 1990s which weren't as reliable. anyway the car is not loved for these qualities, but it's loved becos of the spirited drive... Most pple will choose german over italian cos germans really make good cars!
 
Wah. Cool. U onz sia. Think I need a car as recovery therapy too. Or I should go join City Developments. Maybe they will give me a condo as my bonus. Ahahah...

What does spirited drive feel like? You turn steering wheel right, the car die die wants to go left ah?

Ya, ya. Audi nice too! I love those sleek curves. The logo can recycle for Olympics and People's Association some more.
 
spirited-drive... let's just say that most pple think i drive too fast. some have puked after i dropped them off... it's funny, my mum has no problems with it, keke. well tat's another subjective matter lah, i find most pple driving too slow and dangerous... with their minds thinking of something else.
 
Eh, tat's you with spirited drive lah. Not the car. The car tyres just get tortured only. But got adrenalin rush leh. I like. Eheheh... Reminds me of Initial D. Some of my friends drive like tat as well. The space they leave between their car and the car in front, can measure in centimeters one. Ahh... my goal in life. To drive like them.
 
ahh, dun drive like tat without proper training hor... alot of basics tat need to be learnt first, cos our natural reaction for manoeuvreing when car goes out of control is typically Wrong, tat's why normally pple get accidents when they lose control of their car... cos they steer the Wrong way!

anyway start by going for defensive/advance driving courses to learn more abt your car...
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Heheh. Admire doesn't mean can do mah. I can barely remember how to drive manual gear leh. How to go advanced driving course? Can't even handle basics. Not to mention I'm carless now. Why do you think I'm eyeing your car?
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powder the facelifted alfa romeo isn't bad.. i wen to look at cars about 2 to 3 months back... the car is good... but when test drove it actually skidded during fast cornering...

laundry woes... if your friends drive like that... they are more of road bullies i think... these ppl 'think' they can drive... resulting in unwanted accidents...
 
laundry got eye my car meh?

cecilia, skidding is fun! u doing the spore drift isit? hehe... the cornering is really fun for this car.
 
wah this thread side-tracked so much, thought it was suppose to kick-start with a meeting last friday?

So the latest topic has changed to car?

Hey, I used to own and drive an Alfa for a couple of years many years ago. Must say that the car really got "character". It is really a good car (nice exhaust sound) to drive if you can live with its quirk.

After the alfa, I drove a couple of japanese cars (toyota and mazda) before jumping back to continental car again, this time changing to a certain German marque and I never look back since.
 
Audi is...


waaaaaaay cooooooool!!!!

hahahahahahahaha...

eh simpleman, so paiseh to say which German brand.

I have something on this Fri though. Last week nothing materialised.

How about next Fri? Everyone can come, don't be shy and say it's about me and Yvonne. Ceci, come out smoke break with me lah, since I always make you laugh.

Anyone else wanna come just come lah, estralla talk so much, nan, skylar everyone just come lah. Understand some ppl think scared later nothing to talk about or what, got me around won't lah. It'd be good if Powd can come also.

Everyone come lah, set aside 2 hour slot, come late or leave early it's your free will. Place we think later.
 
simpleman, which german model? Why all so secretive? Continental car, we already know not cheap liao lah.

Buay tahan. People raving about his Audi. Ya lah, ya lah. Audi is waaaay coooolll. But driver also must look good mah. Ahahah....
 
yeah yeah audi!! *droooooool* hahaha...
some SUVs are not bad too.

nx fri ar...hmmmm...if we go, it's for yvonne and bboy, must give us angbaos leh...haha...has anyone been to Q bar?
 
The german model is BMW.

The bad thing about BMW is that after having driven them for a couple of years, it is difficult to go back to drive other car.

Actually now I am more intrigued with more environmental friendly car - like hybrid/electric or other alternative fuel car.

Next friday should be fine.
 
driver ah? heehee. Driver look goooooood! But only in the car.... hahahahahahahaha... aiya, I don't deserve it lah. For now....

see lah. estrella start again. Once you start everyone start to make fun of us then everyone will be so conscious to attend. It's not about me and yvonne lah. It's about making new friends, and giving yourself a chance to see new opportunities.

Seriously, I've come across in this forum itself a gathering actually brought some people together, in the name of friendship lah. Me and powder, googal, do chat on MSN a bit. tansy now and then. Powder has given me encouragement and good advice since as a friend. Without people like him, types like me find it hard to carry on being myself one. Thanks powd.

Googal also encourages me, and I also share with her career tips here and there.

It's not say in life definitely must meet as many people as possible. But it's always good to talk to your neighbours to find out as much as you can in this small little kampung country of ours.

Tell you guys a little story.... wahhh... é˜¿å…¬è®²å¤ (hokkien)...

I just met up with an old friend today for coffee. He's going thru pilot course. So after telling me the highs and lows of the course, I asked him if he had an exit strategy (career-wise, I always believe you must have an exit strategy, but not something you keep thinking about, at least a rough idea you can put in the back of your head). He said, go drive taxi. He said that he's never been the sort who can ejaculate when he sees planes take off, trying to illustrate that he's not as plane-crazy as some pilots are and he sees himself possibly getting tired one day as he may miss not being at home some days to watch his kids grow up and be with his family. So, if he hasn't saved enough to start his own business by the time he is tired, he is seriously considering driving a taxi after that. In my head I was thinking, 'wah, even if you still look quite presentable then, and drive a merc taxi, how much can you earn? can support family meh?' (I can sometimes be quite ignorant, so I think I was making assumptions too quickly)'. And he was not joking. So it occurred to me. Here I am always chasing the big dreams. Amongst our friends, he and I are the few remaining unmarried ones. And to both of us, yes, having a family is important. The slight difference is, he was brought up on a much simpler, more modest lifestyle. We both have errant fathers. Yet it seems, though his aspirations are so much more modest than mine, he's still a few steps ahead of me in that he has begun on a very very decent career. Where am I? Maybe I should stop chasing my wild dreams and make the best of what is given to me. To me, I am always very indifferent to things that seem unchallenging to me (ppl who generally learn fast can be quite 五分钟热度 one). Hence the simple things in life always miss my radar. So for a moment, I was given a reality check.

So... it's good to talk to different people now and then. Don't say talk to starving Ethiopian and then tell yourself how lucky you are to be living in Singapore lah. Talk to a fellow Singaporean and see if you can learn something different from a different perspective on what you and him have in common - Singapore life.

cheh bah...

can be motivational speaker not?

aaaaarrrgh, wild dreams again...

hahahahahahahahaha....
 
BM dub-U beri nice.

But I hope you are not one of the drivers I have cursed, seeing some of them drive quite recklessly on the road.

As Spiderman's Uncle once said, 'with power comes responsibility'....

hahahahahahaha...
 
halo.. my first post.. if there's group outing next week, then can i join too?.. but i'm the quiet type, since bb said got him means got topic ma.. haha.. estrellalq, Q bar seems nice, would like to go there, but let's see what the rest say..
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Hmm.. was wondering why my eyelid twitched...someone mentioned my name?? Hahaha..:P

Bboy, how old is you fren? Pilots can earn a lot so surely he can save enough for retirement and then drive a cab as a hobby? I've met quite a no of cabbies like that.. driving for fun.

Simpleman, if you like German cars and wanna be green, heard of the Mercedes F-Cell car?? Pretty cool...

Sigh..I better go and book my basic theory test 1st... so unmotivated. :P I've been chauffeured all my life..
 
bboy, ya there's nothing wrong with making new friends.

simpleman, (used to) perceive bmw as flirty. simpleman not so simple afterall...haha

hi kopibin, Q bar is "new kid on the block"...featured in a num of magazines. ya, let's see what the rest say.
 
powder skidding is not fun lor.. haha! audi does not skid when doing the same cornering.. actually i felt safer in audi.. but i do like alfa... the body of the car is a design and style on its own...

bboy really wanna go for for coffee and smoke huh? i dun mind la.. but recently a bit busy , can be arranged..
 
Estrella,
Lexus SUV! Nice hor? Hor?? Think Lexus should start paying me for positive word-of-mouth. The Honda CRV's not too bad either. Sigh... How come the people here all so rich one? Nobody owns cheapo Jap cars anymore?

Never been to Q Bar. Just passed by. Looks quite happening. Lotsa angmohs. Banker-types and strangely, some arty-farty looking people too. Maybe coz it's near The Arts House? Eheheh...


simpleman,
I've heard that said about BMWs before. That having gotten used to them, it's difficult to drive other cars. Very smooth ride. But hor, don't ask me why. Being a female, I'm fascinated not by the performance, but by the drink cooler! Ahahah... BMW got a drink cooler next to the driver's seat leh! Drive drive, happy happy, pick up cold beer to drink.


bedokboy,
Look good only in the car? You keep your wig in the car har? Eheheh... Sometimes, when you see a super chio sportscar vroom past, you eyeball it all the way. Then it stops and you spy some balding uncle who looks better behind the wheel of a Merc. Wah. Major letdown.

As for your story, I don't think there's anything wrong either way. Some people like to dream big, some are contented with what they have. Sounds like a pairing between me and my separated HB actually. What's life without big dreams? However, reality tends to set in when responsibilities come along. Then it becomes all about the money. Been toying with this topic actually. Career-wise.


G~gal,
My friend underwent pilot training at the ripe old age of 31. He mid-life crisis lah. Wanted a career change. Unfortunately, he didn't make it through. Drop-out rate is very high. It's good to have a backup plan.
 


Laundry, Jap cars are not really cheapo leh.. except those assembled in Thailand eg Honda City. Your fren mid-lfe crisis at 31??!! That's too young lah. But ya, plan B, C, D, etc always good to have.
 

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