Here are the salaries of 13 major world leaders

[specuvestor]

Common sense to know that there is a disconnect between the pay scale and the common man on the street don't you think? I don't get it why VBs don't get it that the electorate that one serve cannot buy-in with your idea if there is such huge disconnect? Watch LKY documentary and you will see the biggest draw the old founders had with the common people is that they are in it TOGETHER. They have no escape plans. And make no mistake, the founders were not in it for the money. LKY was not exactly likeable by either the British, communists or UMNO.

I also wonder, why you don't get it, the common sense of paying market rate for talent. I am starting to think, that you "common sense" is more like Populism. A popular policy to please the mass (common men/women on the street), although non-practical.

Cannot buy-in? I am not so sure, there is always vocal minorities, otherwise PAP may already be voted down years ago.

I'm not populist. Even in this forum I am not populist

Paying market for talent is common sense in the COMMERCIAL setting which many in this forum are trained by. Paying top $ for talent in a policy making or even social welfare/ religious setting is not the key criteria. It is the wrong tree/ indicator

The writing is on the wall. Do you not see the trend of the votes? Impact from policies take time. Our transport problems didn't start with LHL. LHL style has changed significantly before and after his cancer treatment. His original mathematical methodology does not click with the masses. LKY was not populists but he stresses buy-in, discussions, and finally make the tough choices. There's a difference between buy-in because you can feel the ground, vs populist because you just want to make everyone happy. And this pay thing has been much more than 5 years old.

"If you want to be popular, do not try to be popular all the time. Popular government does not mean that you do popular things all the time. We do not want to be unpopular or to do unpopular things. But when they are necessary, they will be done. Popular representative government means that within each five-year period, your policies have demonstrably worked and won popular support. That is what it means. And if we flinch from the unpopular, we are in deep trouble." -LKY

Just in time..
I suggest that all should read the article in its entirety.
http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapo...ented-team

Pragmatism means you must take whatever that is best out there at an acceptable cost.
As to whether the person is dedicated, he or she has five years to prove it. I willing to bet that in most cases, the more talented ones are likely the ones that can understand the electorates better and balance with the needs to run the country with unfavorable policies.

I've seen the debate In short you are saying the Elites know better. There is a fine line between elitism and aristocracy and we know history has taught us lessons. Meritocracy which we grew up to understand and advocated is different animal... it involves like what Wong Kan Seng mentioned: social mobility.

And yes 5 years to prove it... but in politics it doesn't gets weeded out as easily as you think:
http://therealsingapore.com/content/pap-...t-sessions