Chris Richardson, why didn’t you tell John Howard & Peter Costello?

Name:        CHAN, Sin Fong

Subject:     Chris Richardson, why didn’t you tell John Howard & Peter Costello?

Visit Time: 19/12/2007 2:21 AM

Remark:

It is amazing that Chris Richardson from Access Economics finally realised that the tax cuts were not good for the economy. I wonder why he did not tell John Howard and Peter Costello about his analysis before.

Furthermore, it is not rocket science to add up the promises of Labor Party. If he had announced his calculations and findings to the public prior to the election, just like what he had said on Tuesday 18 December 2007, the swinger voters might have voted differently!

Literacy & numeracy problems

Name:        CHAN, Sin Fong

Subject:     Literacy & Numeracy Problems

Visit Time: 19/12/2007 12:51 AM

Remark:

Perfect means free from mistakes or faultless, and is numerically represented by 100%. However, VCE students who get perfect scores only achieve 99.95%. This is a definite proof that our school system is the cause of students’ literacy and numeracy problems!

China and Kyoto Protocol

Name:        CHAN, Sin Fong

Subject:     China and Kyoto Protocol

Visit Time: 13/12/2007 3:48 AM

Remark:

The segment on “China beefs up clean energy drive” was fascinating. I returned from The Silk Road tour recently, and agree wholeheartedly that the air pollution in many Chinese cities is totally unacceptable. In LanzZhou, the world’s most polluted city, blue sky and sunny day were non-existent.

On the positive note, I saw hundreds of wind turbines rising like white gum trees in various parts of the Gobi Desert. A tour guide also mentioned that some natural gas electricity plants had replaced the coal-fired plants.

In GuangZhou, motor cycles are banned in the city, partly to relieve the traffic jam, and partly to reduce the air pollution.

China has set itself very high targets in cleaning up the pollution. China knows the health of the 1.3 billion people will suffer if this is not done sooner - the health care cost will be enormous. If China’s economic growth continues at the present rate, it has the money to invest in its scientists to develop technology to clean up the mess.

China’s willingness to reduce the carbon emission is self-imposed. It makes no pledges to the world about its reduction targets, nor tells the world what to do. Actions are more important than just Kyoto Protocol.

The government’s commitment to the Kyoto Protocol may result in closure of coal mines and power stations, and loss of export income. The map of Victoria could be redrawn with coal mining towns turned into ghost towns.

An unhealthy income statement

Name:        CHAN, Sin Fong

Subject:     An Unhealthy Income Statement

Visit Time: 13/12/2007 2:48 AM

Remark:

Kevin Rudd is definitely a no-nonsense Prime Minister who keeps to his promises in rectifying the Kyoto Protocol, setting in motion to provide every Year 9 to Year 12 student a laptop computer, and expending $600 million to improve the hospital waiting list.

If he continues on at this pace, he will probably spend $2 billion to roll back the WorkChoices, if that was the amount claimed by Labor what Howard’s government had spent. He will also spend $42 billion for schools funding guarantee, $4 billion on high speed broadband network, $2 billion on health and hospitals reform, $1 billion to secure nation’s water supplies and desalination projects, $100 million for innovative manufacturing, and so on.

He will not forget to handout cheap travel for older Australians and provide a new 50% Education Tax Refund to help families of school-age children meet the costs of education. This Santa Clause will also help aspiring first home buyers save a larger deposit by establishing a new, low tax, First Home Saver Account.

If Australia is a listed public company with the Stock Exchange, I shall not be investing in it. Not a single pledge by Kevin Rudd involves in creating wealth for Australia. A healthy Income Statement (also known as Profit and Loss Statement or Statement of Financial Performance) requires more than just generous expenditure, but most importantly, income generation.

I sincerely hope that the income will be derived from company taxes in a rising economy rather than increased GST or income tax rates, which will badly affect the working families.

Rudd's Education Revolution

Name:        CHAN, Sin Fong

Subject:     Rudd's Education Revolution

Visit Time: 5/12/2007 2:44 AM

Remark:

The views and concerns expressed by many interviewees about this education revolution are appropriate and true.

Even without a laptop computer or abacus, Kevin Rudd and his team should be able to work out how much the so-call education revolution will cost the taxpayers. For example, a laptop computer plus basic software worth $1,500 for 100,000 students from year 9 to year 12 in a year will cost a grand total one hundred and fifty million dollars ($150,000,000). Need I go further?

Is there any restriction on how many laptop computers can a student claim throughout year 9 to year 12? If there is none, the students will be able sell the computers and pocket a very healthy profit each year, since the computers do not cost any money to the students.

Computers are just tools, and will not make the students smart. I have been working in the computer field for over thirty-five years, and I don’t think I am super smart. As a teacher in many disciplines, I can conclude that the computers make it easier for students to plagiarise, and make them bad spellers because they rely completely on the spell checker.

Once the students have laptop computers, they will be able to access school Intranet or Internet web sites related to their study. Will they not use them to chat with their friends or strangers, visit what’s hot and pop web sites, play games and download songs and movies? They could be spending their time in doing something more productive instead.

There are a lot of other related unwilling expenses. The schools need to upgrade the computer network systems, the parents will have to pay for more expensive Internet plan, last but not least, the Rudd’s government will have spend more to introduce higher speed broadband than what originally intended.

When teachers put their blood, sweat and tears course / lecture notes on the Intranet, they are digging their own graves! Many students without the presence of teachers, including off-campus or online study students can use the material. This is one of the reasons how education institutions can replace their full-time staff by sessional teachers. TEACHERS BEWARE!

Kevin Rudd did not submit this education revolution promise to be costed by the Treasury before the election, and many voters thought this would not matter!

If we extend Kevin Rudd’s ideal further, students studying science subjects such as chemistry and physics may get a rebate for setting up laboratories at home in the future. Sweet dreams!