We have no “dough” here.  You have to apply for “dough” which can last for 6 months or lesser.  The government thinks if your sister is a doctor or your sister owns a 5-room apartment, that you too, are quite well-off.  In comes some “dough” (economic restructuring shares and what-not) but alas they are only to soften the GST (goods and services tax).

On the flip side, the local Singapore government also knows that people are not totally poor – Singaporeans can still sell off their 5 or 4 room HDB flats, downgrade and still have some cash.

The social reasons cited as the causes of poverty/homelessness (such as mental illness, drug and alcohol problems, etc. ) have not changed much the last 50 years.  And there is still a gross imbalance between earnings and cost of living for many of the poor.

Governments may be increasing wages of civil servants but they are not making it mandate for private and small business employers to increase the wages of their employees.

And my God, I used to work for one of the most established businesses in Singapore but they have VERY poor standards of ethics – for one they do not reward faithful staff who’ve been in their service for more than 20 years.  When I was forced to quit because of a right-hand injury, it dawned on me what sort of people I was serving when I wasn’t compensated for my injury!  WTF…haha

Back to the topic!

Government subsidies can only do so much.  Heck, for poor people it means that all (subsidies) are blown on arrears and the poor are again penniless due to sickness or joblessness. The whole cycle starts again.

How will improving education reduce poverty for those who are picking our vegetables, slaughtering for our meat, clear our rubbish, clean the office?

After so many donkey years do the local Singapore government start to realise why people look down on those with perfectly honest and admirable nursing jobs.  Then only do they realise that it aint’ fair to have them start at a miserable monthly salary of $900 when hotels’ dish-washers were earning $1,200 monthly!

If people are better-educated, will they earn more for doing those jobs mentioned? Is the government willing to make a law whereby those doing “dirty jobs” get higher salaries? Will people who work in jobs that do not require specialised training be able to earn more? Or is the government ready to say we don’t need people to pick our vegetables etc?

If entire population is well-educated, for sure, everyone would be asking for premium wages.

Who are left to do the dirty jobs if everyone was well-educated?  Foreign workers?

And I can see so many Singaporeans get so racked up about using foreign expats.  We can’t LIVE without foreign talents!!  For example, do you know our local speed cameras are of German engineering technology?

People (normally) trust their own kids. I was trusted and along the way I became a temporary foster parent as well.    Friends asked how I survive those years without a job. I freelanced (I took whatever writing and freelance design assignments that came my way) and I became frugal.

No more splashing SG$300 to SG$400 on weekends on clothes alone!  No more partying except for wedding dinners, funerals and the occasional kids’ parties.   The monthly 5 course dinner or buffet became a bi-yearly affair.

There were days I just drank fruit juice and eat raw cabbage (quite healthy actually!) I tried raw carrots but they were too hard!  My ‘food adventures’ were anything but boring.  I had a pleasant suprise too.  I learnt that the food pyramid was all wrong – the carbohydrates and rice should come after vegetables.  If you’re interested to know more, stay tuned to the HEALTH catgeory of my blog.  I will post more!

If people are taught how to be responsible for their own health instead of letting doctors decide drugs are the only solutions, may be there would be lesser need for medical care.  Costs of medical care will also reduce!

Think Being Homeless is a JOKE? Unfortunately many people will view people like me as LUCKY cos I have a computer paid off over 2 years of hire purchase.  Keeping this internet connection alive is a miracle for me (and a wonder for those who know me) cos I am not working fulltime under any employer (neither am I working part-time).  My computer is my biggest asset while most people’s biggest assets are either their boobs, butts or their properties. 

Meet another homeless netizen – Kevin from Nashville, USA.
Easy to be Homeless
Barack Obama on Welfare and Poverty
Street Children in Vietnam
7 ways to stay poor for a very long time
Children of Global Poverty

Some say that entrepreneurship is one way to start ending personal poverty.

Related articles about poverty:
Ronald Reagan used to tell a story about a welfare queen who collected food stamps while driving a Cadillac. What are we to call people who collect tens of billions from the taxpayer – and then redirect $4 billion to themselves?
Obama’s anger is justified – Merrill Lynch used $1.2 million of TARP money to remodel an executive suite.

Itching to talk back?  Please do so!  I’d love to know what you think!