Perceptions are the truth

"Budget to mitigate high food prices and inflation
By Wong Mun Wai, Channel NewsAsia
Posted: 11 February 2008 2043 hrs

SINGAPORE: The upcoming Budget will include measures to mitigate high oil and food prices, as well as inflation, on a long term basis."
Adopted from CNA Website

This friday is Budget day!
This is a time when alot of good ministers sit down and cheer on our finance minister on each and every single goodie he proposes for the good people of Singapore. Subsequently, my dearest finance minister would take these proposal and debate with everyone else in the parliament before these goodies eventually trickling down to the masses..

But frankly... its really not neccessary. WHY? In fact, i think they should just info everyone on how much money has been set aside for these goodies and get on with the distribution.

For as long as i can remember, the govt has a tendency to cater to the 'poor' and aged. Even though that these 'poor' singaporeans are supposedly to be much more thrifty than the 'rich' singaporeans.
As such,

1) alot of subsidies would be given to this group of people.
2) less subsidies would be gievn to the other group of people (i.e the supposedly 'rich' ones)

And since its a well known fact that Singapore has a decent majority of 'rich' people...

then would there be a high possibility that the amount of subsidies given to the 'poor' category and 'rich' category is a zero sum game and thus render this entire debate 'uneccessary'?

i.e
Conservation charges for 1/2 room flats ~ 30 dollars.
Conservation charges for 4/5 room flats ~ 60 dollars.

% of 'poor' Singaporeans ~ 20%
% of 'rich' Singaporeans ~ 60%
% of 'SUPER RICH Singaporeans ~ 20% <---does not qualify / qualify for min subsidies.

Subsidies for 'poor' Singaporean ~ 12 months
Subsidies for 'rich' Singaporean ~ 2 months

As such
$30 x 0.2 x 12 months ~ 60 x 0.6 x 2 months

I seriously think we should use our time more meaningfully.

Regards
Supposedly Rich Singaporean