What I hate about the current Singapore

[3Boys]

limlim:

Oppsgal:

Ask the higher income to donate part of their salary?

They REDUCEd the income tax contribution rate and impose/introduce GST..

You say leh?

Right, so there is class warfare you say.

Tell me, what's the VAT rate in Norway, Finland and Denmark, the paragons of class equality, relative to top income tax rate?

[concern2]

3Boys:

CPF precedes Medisave by a long time. The initial use of CPF was purely as a retirement fund, there was no intent for its use for other things. CPF has been liberalised significantly since its early days ALREADY, you can use if for housing, buys stocks, gold. It is fundamentally an Asset enhancement tool these days. My view is that CPF usage policy is ALREADY too liberal, many people don't KNOW how to use it. But yet they clamour for more and more liberalisation.


Medisave was introduced later, to assist with health care costs. It was never ever meant to be comprehensive cover. Again, over the years, its use has been liberalised.

So before we throw everything out the window on account of an emotive video of old couple who are out of Medisave money, lets sit back and be a little thoughtful about the fundamental issue here.

That is, this couple is poor and without family support.

That is the issue, and lets deal with that, not smashing the CPF usage policy. And there MUST be restrictions to CPF usage, otherwise, it will be useless as a retirement fund. We don't make policy by knee jerk (at least I hope you don't expect the g'ment to)

Thanks for trying to explain, 3Boys. To be frank, the CPF is so complex now that only HARRY can understand. To the layman, it is just a generic term to mean something that one can use when one reaches the age of retirement, or when one needs to pay for medical bills in a hospital. And that the CPF's fundamental role, is it not?

[limlim]

3Boys:

limlim:

in summary, ALLOW the use of one's and kin's OWN MONEY to take care of their medical bills.. unless.. medisave is NOT own money.. then.. my argument is flawed..

As per my usual question, have you done the sums or even considered the knock-ons of such a policy? Its easy to be populist when one does not suffer the consequence of poor policy making.

I am not even asking for handouts from the govt.

So \"can see, cannot touch\" is good policy making?

[limlim]

3Boys:

People use terms simplistically. \"Oh, CPF is MY money, Medisave is MY money. I therefore can DO ANYTHING I want with it.\"


That is utter rubbish.

CPF is your money, with strings attached. Same with Medisave. Same as things like pensions, 401K schemes in the US, retirement funds, annuities. They belong to you, BUT, you do not have unfettered use of it, you cannot use it willy-nilly, for anything you like, anyhow you like.

I trust you understand why this is so, I don't have time to get into a long explanation.

I said, use CPF money for medical treatment when it is needed, not \"anything\".

So, need treatment, cannot touch CPF, no cash, no treatment => condition worsen => higher bills later or go to \"a better place\" is \"good policy\"?

[limlim]

3Boys:

concern2:

[quote=\"verykiasu2010\"]
and what is your solution and action plan besides hating ?

:spank: :nunchuk:

So what is the gar men's action plan after knowing all these problems? The old folks have already given you the answer in the video - WHY CAN'T WE USE OUR CPF????????????? Answer them this question please.

And after they use it up, how do they feed themselves?

Wait! I know the answer to that one too.........

Its all zheng hu's responsibility, Singaporeans just sit on the wayside and throw bricks.... brilliant![/quote]So a better plan is..

lock up the money, no treatment they migrate to \"a better place\" and zhenghu can keep the money isit? (they got no kids)

Medical conditions are usually more favorable to treat at early stage.

If these pple delay treatment due to no cash, the bills later ballooned to something they cannot afford.. how?

[Sun_2010]

Strparent:

What I hate most about current Singapore ?


seeing so many elderly citizens HAVING TO clean tables and collecting empty drink cans - yes, the same seniors who worked all their lives to bring up their children ( where are they and what are their priorities now ? ). Many elderly have to fend on their own and are struggling to make ends meet.

http://i45.tinypic.com/t85539.jpg\">


[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBpFYx6Xt1A][/youtube]



Said it too many times, tried as much as I can on personal basis, but these sad cases are getting more and more. The younger generations are losing their compassion, their filial contributions and duties, etc ( from whatever reasons and causes - another story ), and the result is many more needy elderly.

Strparent,
Firstly its really soothing to hear of citizens like you who do their bit for their nation. Many just sit and complain because it is the easy thing to do. it even makes them feel like they have accomplished something noble when in reality they are just ranting.

What I hear in your post is not hate but anger and love. Of one who badly wants to do more for the ones who slogged for this nation. We need more like you.

Are there more people like the Lims? Yes, most likely. Should'nt the govt be doing something more about it? Yes.

But what pisses me is the article.
Someone walked with the Lims from the poly along the path, watched them pant and struggle for one whole hour , so that he could eloquently write \"forcing the doddering couple in the perilous walk home\", so that he could get their story.

Now what does that say about that slimy b******???

And he talks about how we can avoid such cases in future.

Emotionalizing an issue shows the true intent. When there is such a geniunine case why is there even a need to do this?

Like TV marketing -
See the problem?
Voila we have the perfect solution - yada yada yada... :roll:

I am sick and tired of this dressing up figures, marketing precisely what you want people to see, squeezing the public emphathy factor dry.
Lets just leave that to the multinationals and media and the entertainment industry, shall we?
Nauseating , really! :mad:

[3Boys]

limlim:

So a better plan is..

lock up the money, no treatment they migrate to \"a better place\" and zhenghu can keep the money isit? (they got no kids)

Medical conditions are usually more favorable to treat at early stage.

If these pple delay treatment due to no cash, the bills later ballooned to something they cannot afford.. how?

Ok, free for all then. Retirement planning be damned.

Who will suffer eventually? The 'elites' that you despise so much?

There are mechanisms to help with health care costs for the needy, you don't have to chuck out the whole CPF structure to deal with exceptional cases.

[limlim]

3Boys:

These people need assistance, but lets look at the proper mechanisms for rendering it, rather than caving in to short term, knee jerk reactions. There is no thought process to these proposals at all, apart from sitting in front of a laptop and bashing on the keyboard.

Let's talk consider the purpose of medishield..

It is a good policy right? the pple responsible for their own medical costs.

Now..

WHY using medisave to pay for medishield fully is \"no thought process\"?

[3Boys]

Sun_2010:

I am sick and tired of this dressing up figures, marketing precisely what you want people to see, squeezing the public emphathy factor dry.
Lets just leave that to the multinationals and media and the entertainment industry, shall we?
Nauseating , really! :mad:

Now that I have read that article more closely, I agree it is nauseating. So what? Dismantle CPF totally? Manipulative morons, a disgrace to Singapore political scene.

[3Boys]

limlim:

Now..

WHY using medisave to pay for medishield fully

Could you be a little more explicit please? I don't understand this point.