How to reduce income inequality in Singapore

[jw5]

When business is doing well, the owner can always shake leg, talk cock and do nothing if he wants to. Nothing wrong. His prerogative.

It depends on what the "business" is trying to achieve, i.e. what are its intention/objective/purpose.
Should it even be considered a business in the first place? Apparently, the answer in unique sg is yes.

 

[jw5]

In other words, you are saying a PM is worth less than the average man. Your definition of equity is a ratio even lower than Dr Chee's. I thought we are rating the job size and not the person doing the job. If the person doing the job is inept, please kick him out.

That's not what I'm saying at all.....................................

 

[cantbeassed]

The topic is reduce income inequality in Singapore, not eradicate it. So many ways to reduce. Giving a larger bonus to the lower salaried and to reduce the tax liability to sole proprietors.

 

[mojito]

It depends on what the "business" is trying to achieve, i.e. what are its intention/objective/purpose.
Should it even be considered a business in the first place? Apparently, the answer in unique sg is yes.

To be more precise can it be run like a business? Yes we can, crows the 6014. So far so good.

"Should a country be run like a business? Why shouldn't it?" These are the questions we need to ask ourselves.

 

[jw5]

To be more precise can it be run like a business? Yes we can, crows the 6014. So far so good.

"Should a country be run like a business? Why shouldn't it?" These are the questions we need to ask ourselves.

Yes, it Can be run liike a business.
Should it be run like a business? No, because that's not what the objective of running a country should be.
If the people who put themselves forward want to run the country like a business, they should go ahead and start and run their own businesses, which if you noticed in uniquely sg, none or very few of them ever did pre and post trying to run the country.

Ok, why shouldn't the country be run like a business?
It's like asking someone why he shouldn't be a fireman.
He's afraid of fire, he's afraid of heights, he's reluctant to face danger and take risks.
However he likes to ride in the fire engine, he likes to come down the pole at the station, he likes people shaking his hand after a successful rescue and to see his name in the papers.
His reasons for wanting to be a fireman are simply not what the objective of a fireman is supposed to be.

 

[Thick Face Black Heart]

It is very difficult to define inequality because we are comparing two different things. To Dr Chee, the PM is worth only 5 times that of the average man. To LTK, it is maybe 25 times. But to LHL, it should be 50 to 60 times. His father says it should be that for life. Kinana will say anything that LHL says at the moment is correct. If LHL changes his mind, it will also be correct. So which figure is equitable? Only inequality can be measured absolutely and we can agree that there will be inequality but how much? Only when the lower end thinks that it is acceptable. Otherwise we have a problem. In a sense, I agree with Cruxx. It has something to do with no poverty.

Inequality is nothing wrong provided it arises based on difference in ability and contribution to society.

It is inequity that I am against and JW5 has said it spot on.

 

[Cruxx]

Inequality is nothing wrong provided it arises based on difference in ability and contribution to society.

It is inequity that I am against and JW5 has said it spot on.

What about those lacking in ability and contribution? Do you subscribe to the Leongsam-ist notion that they should starve?

 

[mojito]

Yes, it Can be run liike a business.
Should it be run like a business? No, because that's not what the objective of running a country should be.
If the people who put themselves forward want to run the country like a business, they should go ahead and start and run their own businesses, which if you noticed in uniquely sg, none or very few of them ever did pre and post trying to run the country.

Ok, why shouldn't the country be run like a business?
It's like asking someone why he shouldn't be a fireman.
He's afraid of fire, he's afraid of heights, he's reluctant to face danger and take risks.
However he likes to ride in the fire engine, he likes to come down the pole at the station, he likes people shaking his hand after a successful rescue and to see his name in the papers.
His reasons for wanting to be a fireman are simply not what the objective of a fireman is supposed to be.

We have every right to question if that person is the right man for the job, especially when many clues seem to point that he is not suitable for the job.

The PAP however is different from the fireman in your example. They may not do it for the right reasons, but they have put out the fires as they should, never mind if they ruin all your furniture to get it done.

Isn't job creation something Singaporeans want the government to do? Despite the PAP's nefarious intentions, they have created so many jobs in Singapore! Now isn't that something?

Now that Singapore is leagues ahead of regional basketcases, shouldn't we reward our brave leaders, clever bureaucrats and their kinsmen the privilege of taking it easy?

 

[Fook Seng]

Inequality is nothing wrong provided it arises based on difference in ability and contribution to society.

It is inequity that I am against and JW5 has said it spot on.

I am 100% against inequity but it is not easy to measure and define. Therefore we still need to fall back on inequality and specify what amount of inequality is acceptable.

I am actually agreeable to Cruxx's view that one of the key objectives is to eradicate poverty and we have to set that first. I think we should leave FT out of this as the S$ that they bring home is worth PPP much more than we Sinkie enjoy. We need a different mechanism to control that.

The rest we have to adjust on a relative basis and it has to be done across the board. A lot of the changes have to be done indirectly e.g. How can you determine private sector salaries? Mind you, GLCs are also private sector but at least the Govt can control that. But again to maintain equity, it cannot move too far off from the rest of the private sector.

The whole thing is quite complex really, involving a re-look at property prices, car prices, so called "subsidies" and other big ticket items that affect the individual's cost of living and companies' cost of operation. All these must be set, or at least the desired levels determined early, before we can set PM and Ministerial salaries to maintain equity. As we have to set salaries for the posts rather than for the persons, the political system will also have to be changed to allow for an easier way to throw out a non-performing minister.

This will take a long time, possibly not implementable in one go. So key principles of equity have to be clearly set so that we can move towards the ultimate objective.

 

[blur sotong]

Find out who the lowest paid employee is in your company and tell the payroll department to transfer 10% of your salary every month to the poor guy.

If it happens to be you, you don't have to do anything. Just sit back and your pay will go up with no effort on your part required.

That won't reduce the income inequality.

By so doing, you only reduce the income inequality (differences would be a better word) between you and the lowest paid employee in the company and at the same time you are increasing the income inequality (read as differences) between you and the highest paid employee in the company unless you are the highest paid.

Total inequality remains if you are somewhere in the middle.

 

[blur sotong]

Rather say it this way.

Why don't reduce the income of the very top by 50% which is good cos anyway these bastards are not working effectively and by reducing their pay, they still have plenty money left for them to slack. LOL

Good idea provide the very top's paid after the cut is still above the next top and so on and so forth.

Some differences should be maintain for motivational purposes as well as to accord appropriate pay match to the significance of the position.

 

[blur sotong]

Better still why not everyone get the same pay? Sure then we will have income equality then. Go all the way la, why half way?

Hiyah, this answer failed completely. Totally unacceptable.

Look at Communist China. They tried it and have done away with it.

Why? Look at my previous post in this thread.

 

[blur sotong]

Answer is very simple. Pay every citizen's Cpf back to them at age 55.

In this way, the poorer ones can have more at an earlier age. For the rich, it doesn't make any difference.

However, as it is now, OUR Cpf is being locked-up till 65 and beyond where they will give us back in drips and drabs !!!:oIo:

Sir, this one not income inequality reduction lah. Coz not income base.

Nevertheless, it helps. Good one.

 

[blur sotong]

I am not against income inequality.

I am against income inequity. There's a difference.

Yes, there are definitely some differences between inequality and inequity.

Income inequality is easy to measure - use Gini coefficient.

Income inequity - a rather abstract term. Like Gross Happiness Index. :(

However, identifying it is a step forward. Good one too!

 

[blur sotong]

Better still fucktard, why don't everyone works WITHOUT PAY!!

Since there is NO INCOME, where the inequality or equality?

This is an interesting concept. But then how does motivational concept applies?

Think in Changi Hotel they practised that. Motivational concept is not monetised. But reduced by the days of work required instead.

 

[Fook Seng]

Kim Jong Il and Kim Il Sung solve the inequality problem ages ago. Those with an issue can migrate to N Korea

Don't think they have and so is Singapore.

 

[blur sotong]

How much one can get?It is mush according to how much he or she can do.

Salah lah. In real world, who you know is also very important and this will inevitably lead to income inequality.

Imagine 2 fresh graduates. One is the son of the big boss and the other is the son of a humble dad.

Big boss ask son to work for him.

Humble dad ask son to look fo job.

What are the chances of the son of the big boss getting a fatter salary?

 

[blur sotong]

Waiting for that to happen is like you finally becoming a nice guy.

Wait for boss Sam to be a nice guy?? Wait long long ah. :o

 

[blur sotong]

Absolutely, and the best person to address this issue is the labour chief.........................

Inevitably the union chief must play a role to reduce income inequality on a broader scale. Who else could it be?

 

[blur sotong]

I'm not against income inequality. I'm against poverty. There's a difference.

Yes, there is a difference.

To live with dignity is yet another dimension. This is above just above the poverty line.