Saturday, January 7, 2012

The Forgotten Ones Among Us

All in one Saturday paper.

The less well off are often forgotten or an after thought. The rich are pampered, too well taken of to the point that they are spoilt for choice.

If I want to track this everyday just using the ST, this blog will become cluttered with such examples in no time.

Today three articles caught my notice, and I wasn't even looking for them.

Many motorcyclists are not high income earners. These are mostly small capacity bikes, not the Harleys.

It was obvious from the story that the policy makers have conveniently forgotten about them. Luckily for them the ST decided it was newsworthy and gave them prominence.


I never forget a conversation with the elderly office cleaner at my office more than ten years ago. She was explaining the economics of her pay to me. To cut to the chase, basically she had to walk to work in order for her pay to make sense. On that morning she was ruing about looming pay cut because IS is expected to lose the contract to a cheaper service provider. She will lose her job because the new salary would be so low, it no longer made sense.

This is a very old problem and only after the 2011 GE did the government start to look at it more seriously.

The over building of luxury homes is now a problem in many cities. It has become a problem for us too after the government took away the punch bowl and ended the party. You see, the well heeled are well served. No, make them over served.

Most Singaporeans don't want a society that is decided by money. We will eventually become a plutocracy which at some point is no better than a communist dystopia. I am glad enough of us are protesting. We have to keep up the heat on the government or we shall lose our only home.

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