October 19, 2004

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Learning from the young

Welfare is a big issue in Hong Kong, with further cuts proposed to the welfare budget after pensions were cut by over 5% last month. This is despite record land prices, a budget that is rapidly approaching surplus again thanks to a booming economy and a misguided view of basing welfare payments on the past deflation rather than the approaching inflation.

But the poor of Hong Kong needn't despair. A 10 year old has shown them the way. From the SCMP:

A 10-year-old schoolboy spent $10 to buy a rice box, got free water from a McDonald's restaurant and slept rough in a park each day after running away from his Tuen Mun home nine days ago.
Primary Six student Pang Kap-lun, who wore a vest and shorts when he left home with about $100, also bought himself a $10 shirt to keep warm during the chilly nights, according to his father.
If you assume an average month has 30 days, then pensions need only pay HK$333 for Hong Kong's poor to live comforatbly. It's nice to see the youth of this city taking a lead on such a difficult problem.

posted by Simon on 10.19.04 at 11:01 AM in the




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Comments:

Sounds just like camping.

posted by: fumier on 10.19.04 at 12:25 PM [permalink]




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