AirAsia flight QZ8501 crash, Day 13 - Search teams have found the tail of the crashed AirAsia flight QZ8501 in the Java Sea. Efforts are now being made to retrieve the tail, which is expected to hold the black box.
1. Rat found in salted vegetables at Marina Square Chinese restaurant - Stomp Jan 09, 2015
Hmmm. Are we REALLY a world vibrant global city and a 1st world nation with rats taking centre stage of our National daily newspapers lately?
OK. I had been too harsh. NY City has plenty of rats too.
2. $20 million budget to upgrade nine private estates - AsiaOne Jan 09, 2015
1. Rat found in salted vegetables at Marina Square Chinese restaurant - Stomp Jan 09, 2015
Hmmm. Are we REALLY a world vibrant global city and a 1st world nation with rats taking centre stage of our National daily newspapers lately?
OK. I had been too harsh. NY City has plenty of rats too.
2. $20 million budget to upgrade nine private estates - AsiaOne Jan 09, 2015
SINGAPORE - Nine private estates will be upgraded at $20 million under The Ministry of National Development's (MND) Estate Upgrading Programme (EUP).
The selected estates are: Clover Estate, Lentor Estate, Thomson Faber Island Gardens, Toh Tuck Estate, Meng Suan/Springleaf Estates, Happy Gardens, Sea Breeze Garden, Toh Estate, Jalaln Merbok, Jalan Layang-Layang, Jalan Kakatua, Jalan Selating, Jalan Rajawali and Shamah Terrace Estate.
These nine selected estates were developed more than 30 years ago and over 4,800 households will benefit from the improved facilities when the construction is underway in three to four years' time.
The new upgrading works will include footpath lightings and safety railings, covered drains for more footpaths, more barrier free access and improved landscaping and parks.
Before the project is implemented, residents will be able to offer their views and suggestions on the upgrading works during dialogues with their respective neighbourhood committees.
EUP chairman, Dr Mohamad Maliki Osman, said: "This is truly a collaborative effort, with residents taking ownership and playing an active role in deciding what improvements they hope to see in their estates to make the living environment better for all.""
This is absolutely COOL for the private estate owners who had long felt that they had been discriminated by the government for taking care of the public HDB flat dwellers and NONTHING for them!
Lessons for me are:
1. is this the right move for the government to pay for the private estate owners? Well, if you based on pure economics, NO as they are supposedly well off with the highly appreciated assets. At the same time if you look at a BROADER perspective of they being Singapore citizens or at least tax payers too, they should be given some slacks!;
2. for the sceptics, and the conspiracy theorists, this public fund for private estates will or can be conceived as 'in preparation of the GE ground'! Of course, this is a bit far fetch as voters don't really care to much about being funded for upgrading if they don't want it in the 1st place. Again, for some, or MANY, they definitely love to have some public fund to beautify the surrounding of their homes.
For me, reading that type of improvement the public fund will be doing, it seems reasonable. Yes?;
3. now comes the controversial opinion of: why should the government fund such upgrading when the private estate owners are in general fairly well-to-do folks who definitely do not need hand out from the government like the greater number of citizens who live in HDB 1- and 2-room rental flats! So, there is no way public fund should be channelled to the private estate owners to beautify the surrounding of their multi-million dollar house/condo/etc.
The private estate owners will say: Hey citizens, we pay a lot of taxes compare to you lower-income group so why should we NOT get some benefits from the government! After all, WE fund the state as far as revenue from personal income tax area!
The question is: do we need to ALLOW the debate to start by giving that meagre S$20m to these private estates vs. the hundred of millions of hand-out given to the disadvantaged and the lower income citizens?
Should it NOT be 'I am rich and I can pay tax and that is a great obligation gladly discharged' that we want to encourage? OR be so pragmatic that we want the wealthy to think, say and act: 'Hey, I pay more taxes so I should get back more from the state!'?
Whatever path we take, we better take the path that will narrow the entitlement divide between the have and have-not!
The selected estates are: Clover Estate, Lentor Estate, Thomson Faber Island Gardens, Toh Tuck Estate, Meng Suan/Springleaf Estates, Happy Gardens, Sea Breeze Garden, Toh Estate, Jalaln Merbok, Jalan Layang-Layang, Jalan Kakatua, Jalan Selating, Jalan Rajawali and Shamah Terrace Estate.
These nine selected estates were developed more than 30 years ago and over 4,800 households will benefit from the improved facilities when the construction is underway in three to four years' time.
The new upgrading works will include footpath lightings and safety railings, covered drains for more footpaths, more barrier free access and improved landscaping and parks.
Before the project is implemented, residents will be able to offer their views and suggestions on the upgrading works during dialogues with their respective neighbourhood committees.
EUP chairman, Dr Mohamad Maliki Osman, said: "This is truly a collaborative effort, with residents taking ownership and playing an active role in deciding what improvements they hope to see in their estates to make the living environment better for all.""
This is absolutely COOL for the private estate owners who had long felt that they had been discriminated by the government for taking care of the public HDB flat dwellers and NONTHING for them!
Lessons for me are:
1. is this the right move for the government to pay for the private estate owners? Well, if you based on pure economics, NO as they are supposedly well off with the highly appreciated assets. At the same time if you look at a BROADER perspective of they being Singapore citizens or at least tax payers too, they should be given some slacks!;
2. for the sceptics, and the conspiracy theorists, this public fund for private estates will or can be conceived as 'in preparation of the GE ground'! Of course, this is a bit far fetch as voters don't really care to much about being funded for upgrading if they don't want it in the 1st place. Again, for some, or MANY, they definitely love to have some public fund to beautify the surrounding of their homes.
For me, reading that type of improvement the public fund will be doing, it seems reasonable. Yes?;
3. now comes the controversial opinion of: why should the government fund such upgrading when the private estate owners are in general fairly well-to-do folks who definitely do not need hand out from the government like the greater number of citizens who live in HDB 1- and 2-room rental flats! So, there is no way public fund should be channelled to the private estate owners to beautify the surrounding of their multi-million dollar house/condo/etc.
The private estate owners will say: Hey citizens, we pay a lot of taxes compare to you lower-income group so why should we NOT get some benefits from the government! After all, WE fund the state as far as revenue from personal income tax area!
The question is: do we need to ALLOW the debate to start by giving that meagre S$20m to these private estates vs. the hundred of millions of hand-out given to the disadvantaged and the lower income citizens?
Should it NOT be 'I am rich and I can pay tax and that is a great obligation gladly discharged' that we want to encourage? OR be so pragmatic that we want the wealthy to think, say and act: 'Hey, I pay more taxes so I should get back more from the state!'?
Whatever path we take, we better take the path that will narrow the entitlement divide between the have and have-not!
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