Jake Kennedy 's Entries

• 05 Sep 2018
  Perception of 'excessive' pay can weaken faith in public sector

  hile I appreciate that Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong spoke from experience and with good intentions, I do not think his statement has adequately addressed Singaporeans' concerns over ministerial salaries. 온라인카지노 Singaporean MPs remain significantly higher paid than their counterparts in other developed nations, such as Britainor Germany, even after factoring in additional on-the-job benefits that those countries provide or disparities in the costs of living. Most developed nations pay their ministers an equitable remuneration based on an average of the country's per capita gross domestic product. The significance of this comparison is twofold. 온라인바카라 First, Singaporeans may perceive this salary gap as an incongruity. Even if the Government presents logical justifications for its pay structure, the popular perception of "excessive salary" will remain, and that can have the very tangible effect of undermining faith in public institutions.   Thus, while Mr Goh's position is well argued, I do not think Singaporeans have been convinced. Second, it casts doubts on the argument that competitive salaries are required to attract top talent. 카지노사이트주소 Indeed, the Cabinets of the above-mentioned countries are staffed with highly qualified and capable individuals willing to forgo private-sector opportunities and remuneration to serve their electorate. This harks back to Singapore's first generation of leaders, who poured their talents and energies into the nation-building project without the expectation of a handsome salary. Do we not desire this spirit of self-sacrificial service in our leaders?

  1747 Posted by Jake Kennedy
• By Jake Kennedy

  Perception of 'excessive' pay can weaken faith in public sector

  hile I appreciate that Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong spoke from experience and with good intentions, I do not think his statement has adequately addressed Singaporeans' concerns over ministerial salaries. 온라인카지노 Singaporean MPs remain significantly higher paid than their counterparts in other developed nations, such as Britainor Germany, even after factoring in additional on-the-job benefits that those countries provide or disparities in the costs of living. Most developed nations pay their ministers an equitable remuneration based on an average of the country's per capita gross domestic product. The significance of this comparison is twofold. 온라인바카라 First, Singaporeans may perceive this salary gap as an incongruity. Even if the Government presents logical justifications for its pay structure, the popular perception of "excessive salary" will remain, and that can have the very tangible effect of undermining faith in public institutions.   Thus, while Mr Goh's position is well argued, I do not think Singaporeans have been convinced. Second, it casts doubts on the argument that competitive salaries are required to attract top talent. 카지노사이트주소 Indeed, the Cabinets of the above-mentioned countries are staffed with highly qualified and capable individuals willing to forgo private-sector opportunities and remuneration to serve their electorate. This harks back to Singapore's first generation of leaders, who poured their talents and energies into the nation-building project without the expectation of a handsome salary. Do we not desire this spirit of self-sacrificial service in our leaders?

  Sep 05, 2018 1747
• 05 Sep 2018
  Sacrifice, service are key to work in public sector

  I believe that ministers must be given adequate and comparable pay, taking into consideration the sacrifices they have to make when crossing over from the private to the public sector. 인터넷카지노     Being a high-flying chief executivein the corporate world is very different from being a minister or politician. The CEO's primary job is to ensure that he and his staff bring in profit for the organisation. To this end, the CEO has to fully exploit his business and financial acumen and lay out the strategies for his staff to adhere to. 인터넷바카라 And for this, he and his staff are adequately rewarded with good bonuses by the board of directors at the end of the financial year. But, if the same CEO crosses over to the public sector and becomes a minister, it is no longer about moneymaking but, rather, about the service to the people.   It is an entirely different ball game in the public sector, where the passion to serve the people is paramount. A good minister need not always be a high-flier from the corporate world with a master's degree or PhD. As long as he is reasonably educated, able to mix well and identify with the ground, able to communicate his thoughts well and can lead, he will make a good minister. 카지노사이트 There are so many examples of ministers who were not high-fliers in the corporate world before crossing over. If any high-flier from the private sector insists that he will become a minister only if he gets the same pay he was drawing in the private sector, then he would be a failure as a minister, because being a minister is all about sacrifices and service to the people and nation. Our national servicemen make sacrifices when doing their two-year stints in the uniformed services. Ministers are expected to do likewise for the well-being of our nation.

  6747 Posted by Jake Kennedy
• By Jake Kennedy

  Sacrifice, service are key to work in public sector

  I believe that ministers must be given adequate and comparable pay, taking into consideration the sacrifices they have to make when crossing over from the private to the public sector. 인터넷카지노     Being a high-flying chief executivein the corporate world is very different from being a minister or politician. The CEO's primary job is to ensure that he and his staff bring in profit for the organisation. To this end, the CEO has to fully exploit his business and financial acumen and lay out the strategies for his staff to adhere to. 인터넷바카라 And for this, he and his staff are adequately rewarded with good bonuses by the board of directors at the end of the financial year. But, if the same CEO crosses over to the public sector and becomes a minister, it is no longer about moneymaking but, rather, about the service to the people.   It is an entirely different ball game in the public sector, where the passion to serve the people is paramount. A good minister need not always be a high-flier from the corporate world with a master's degree or PhD. As long as he is reasonably educated, able to mix well and identify with the ground, able to communicate his thoughts well and can lead, he will make a good minister. 카지노사이트 There are so many examples of ministers who were not high-fliers in the corporate world before crossing over. If any high-flier from the private sector insists that he will become a minister only if he gets the same pay he was drawing in the private sector, then he would be a failure as a minister, because being a minister is all about sacrifices and service to the people and nation. Our national servicemen make sacrifices when doing their two-year stints in the uniformed services. Ministers are expected to do likewise for the well-being of our nation.

  Sep 05, 2018 6747
• 05 Sep 2018
  Euthanasia is just glorified suicide

  Mr Seah Yam Meng claims that society should offer euthanasia as an alternative to reduce the high rate of elderly suicide.  However, euthanasia should not be legalised because it is just a glorified form of suicide. 카지노사이트주소 Just because it involves an official document and a doctor does not change the fact that someone is in such a dark and lonely place that he has decided his life is not worth living. We have to work on creating a community that will help people find a reason to keep living, not give them a quick "solution" to end all their problems. By legalising euthanasia, the responsibility is pushed on to the person in question, not the people around who could make a change. 바카라사이트주소 This would make euthanasia seem ideal to the uninvolved because this places them on a moral high ground.   It is an easier way to deal with illness and suffering. Last, it is illogical to compare putting down animals with euthanasia for humans. Animals do not have a say in ending their lives, their owners do. Often, we focus on our pain instead of how we can come out of it stronger. 안전놀이터 I cannot imagine the pain that terminally ill people go through, but I believe that if they put up a good fight, they would be an inspiration to others who are battling the same illness to keep fighting. To fight is to take a gamble on your life, but to not do so is to guarantee death.

  7154 Posted by Jake Kennedy
• By Jake Kennedy

  Euthanasia is just glorified suicide

  Mr Seah Yam Meng claims that society should offer euthanasia as an alternative to reduce the high rate of elderly suicide.  However, euthanasia should not be legalised because it is just a glorified form of suicide. 카지노사이트주소 Just because it involves an official document and a doctor does not change the fact that someone is in such a dark and lonely place that he has decided his life is not worth living. We have to work on creating a community that will help people find a reason to keep living, not give them a quick "solution" to end all their problems. By legalising euthanasia, the responsibility is pushed on to the person in question, not the people around who could make a change. 바카라사이트주소 This would make euthanasia seem ideal to the uninvolved because this places them on a moral high ground.   It is an easier way to deal with illness and suffering. Last, it is illogical to compare putting down animals with euthanasia for humans. Animals do not have a say in ending their lives, their owners do. Often, we focus on our pain instead of how we can come out of it stronger. 안전놀이터 I cannot imagine the pain that terminally ill people go through, but I believe that if they put up a good fight, they would be an inspiration to others who are battling the same illness to keep fighting. To fight is to take a gamble on your life, but to not do so is to guarantee death.

  Sep 05, 2018 7154
• 05 Sep 2018
  System of rewards and fees can curb plastic use

  It was disheartening to learn that Singapore's plastic recycling rate lags far behind other developed countries. 카지노사이트  Many Singapore retailers, supermarket chains and customers may not easily change their behaviour over single-use plastic bags in the near future. To help reduce the use of plastic bags, the National Environment Agency (NEA) could financially reward retailers that give incentives to customers who bring their own bags. Retailers will be thus able to offset the cost of giving more monetary rewards, and more customers will be interested in bringing their own bags. 온라인카지노 Retailers could impose a small fee of 10 cents to 20 cents on each customer who wants to use plastic bags for their purchases. This fee will make customers think twice before using plastic bags, especially for small purchases that can be easily taken away. 온라인바카라   The NEA could also reward or recognise retailers that use biodegradable bags or make an effort in their business practices to reduce single-use plastics. I hope all the stakeholders will make a real effort to reduce plastic usage and protect our wonderful garden city.

  6914 Posted by Jake Kennedy
• By Jake Kennedy

  System of rewards and fees can curb plastic use

  It was disheartening to learn that Singapore's plastic recycling rate lags far behind other developed countries. 카지노사이트  Many Singapore retailers, supermarket chains and customers may not easily change their behaviour over single-use plastic bags in the near future. To help reduce the use of plastic bags, the National Environment Agency (NEA) could financially reward retailers that give incentives to customers who bring their own bags. Retailers will be thus able to offset the cost of giving more monetary rewards, and more customers will be interested in bringing their own bags. 온라인카지노 Retailers could impose a small fee of 10 cents to 20 cents on each customer who wants to use plastic bags for their purchases. This fee will make customers think twice before using plastic bags, especially for small purchases that can be easily taken away. 온라인바카라   The NEA could also reward or recognise retailers that use biodegradable bags or make an effort in their business practices to reduce single-use plastics. I hope all the stakeholders will make a real effort to reduce plastic usage and protect our wonderful garden city.

  Sep 05, 2018 6914
• 05 Sep 2018
  A person's value is more than his title, pay

  Some say that the rich or richly paid are not likely to be corrupt. Not really. Many drug lords and politicians who have fingers in their national coffers are, as the Chinese saying goes, "snakes that are so avaricious that they even attempt to swallow an elephant". 바카라사이트         The intrinsic value of a Singapore dollar - the value of the plastic and ink that make up the dollar - should be lower than its currency value. But, the intrinsic value of a person is his innate character. It should be higher than the values of his title and his pay. A learned Roman refused to serve his emperor and was reduced to eating porridge, considered a poor man's food. Someone taunted him, saying: 인터넷카지노  "If you know how to serve Caesar you don't have to eat porridge."   He replied: "If you know how to eat porridge, you don't have to serve Caesar." Once, I was surprised that a millionaire was caught for financial corruption. "Didn't he have enough?" I exclaimed. My wife, who overheard me, said: "What do you know? You have never even smelled a million!" 인터넷바카라 Good point. If I already had a million, would I be practising the philosophy of one of my very rich students who once told me: "Sir, you can never have too much money." A really great man is one who, while serving Caesar, also knows how to eat only rice or even porridge, if necessary. Such integrity is a rarity.

  6976 Posted by Jake Kennedy
• By Jake Kennedy

  A person's value is more than his title, pay

  Some say that the rich or richly paid are not likely to be corrupt. Not really. Many drug lords and politicians who have fingers in their national coffers are, as the Chinese saying goes, "snakes that are so avaricious that they even attempt to swallow an elephant". 바카라사이트         The intrinsic value of a Singapore dollar - the value of the plastic and ink that make up the dollar - should be lower than its currency value. But, the intrinsic value of a person is his innate character. It should be higher than the values of his title and his pay. A learned Roman refused to serve his emperor and was reduced to eating porridge, considered a poor man's food. Someone taunted him, saying: 인터넷카지노  "If you know how to serve Caesar you don't have to eat porridge."   He replied: "If you know how to eat porridge, you don't have to serve Caesar." Once, I was surprised that a millionaire was caught for financial corruption. "Didn't he have enough?" I exclaimed. My wife, who overheard me, said: "What do you know? You have never even smelled a million!" 인터넷바카라 Good point. If I already had a million, would I be practising the philosophy of one of my very rich students who once told me: "Sir, you can never have too much money." A really great man is one who, while serving Caesar, also knows how to eat only rice or even porridge, if necessary. Such integrity is a rarity.

  Sep 05, 2018 6976