by Jean Lowrie-Chin | Jamaica Observer column for 21 April 2014 THE announcement of new taxes took a bit of the flavour out of our
Easter bun and cheese — in fact, some of us may have sliced these
seasonal treats a little thinner when we heard that we had to find an
additional $6.7 billion worth of taxes to close that ever-recurring gap
in our $118-billion budget.
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| from go-jamaica.com |
To make matters worse, water is scarce, and electricity is threatening a
21 per cent rate hike. We the honest residents of Jamaica are being
asked to pay more to help cure others of their chronic electricity-theft
habit. That 'freeness' mentality has been nurtured over the years by
politicians of every stripe. When a thug gets a politician's 'hug', he
is being given permission to 'take charge' of his constituents.
'Badman' throws up an illegal connection and you dare not touch it.
'Badman' becomes the hero of the poor, who emulate him, creating a
critical mass of electricity 'takers' whom we must now subsidise.
'Badman' helps some of our councillors and MPs to keep these folks
corralled in ghettos, pack them tightly in easy-to-control yards or
complexes, and in campaign buses. Children become traumatised as the
collective grief in their communities weighs heavily on their slight
shoulders, stunting their self-esteem and making them easy prey for said
'badman'. All the 'Unite for Jamaica' ads cannot help us if our
politicians are not practising what they preach.
Our beloved Jamaica has been crucified by some of the very folks who
pledged to dedicate themselves to her development. Yes, there are some
well-meaning politicians, but they have been very shy about demanding
better of their less admirable colleagues. However, we now have the
technology to monitor the behaviour and connections of the cynical ones.
Let us use it to ensure that our lawmakers are worthy of this title.
It is a hard truth that some of these, more absent than present as we
watch them entertain themselves in the House, have such a serious
mandate.
'Tough love' from the IMF
Our generous international friends may very well be becoming impatient.
Governments and international development multilaterals have poured
billions into this country and have heard a great deal of promises, but
seen little change in the condition of the poor. Clearly Jamaica needs
leadership of high calibre, both in intellect and character, to keep
their trust. Let us be aware that our closest neighbours — Haiti, the
Dominican Republic and Cuba — are making great strides and have far more
to offer than our tiny rock; this is no time for complacency. Indeed,
the size and plight of our country in proportion to the largesse we have
enjoyed should be cause for embarrassment on the part of Jamaica's
leaders past and present.
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| Richard Byles - photo from JamaicaObserver.com |
In a brief chat with that phenomenal multi-tasker Richard Byles, head of
the Economic Programme Oversight Committee (EPOC), he suggested that
the conditionalities set down by the IMF may end up being "one of the
best things to have ever happened to Jamaica". He believes that this is
the tough love that will help us to become more disciplined and
productive.
Furthermore, we all need to be more courageous in promoting
accountability and standing up to the victimisation that is rife in this
country. Individuals may not be able to weather the backlash from
being a whistle-blower, but well-organised groups, including key
influencers, can. If we want a resurrection for Jamaica, now is the
time to speak up and be counted. We must tell both the PNP and the JLP
that their cosy little Gordon House members' club is presiding over the
dumbing down of this nation at a time when only the brightest and most
efficient can play a meaningful role in our development.
Taxes with a smile
A poor, unproductive nation will never be able to cough up the level of
taxes being demanded. Yet, my friend in Norway, who pays far more than
we do, declares: "I pay my taxes with a smile," because he sees what his
money in paying for: accountable, no-frills government presiding over a
well-run country. What is our large Cabinet doing about these hundreds
of families huddled in unsanitary shacks?
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| Food for the Poor Jamaica Chairman Andrew Mahfood |
If there is a news story
about a dire situation, the volunteer chairman of Food for the Poor
Jamaica, Andrew Mahfood, is on e-mail before 7:00 am asking for quick
action. Last Saturday, over 5,000 less fortunate persons, most of them
seniors, attended the Food for the Poor/Lions Club Health Fair, many in
dire need of proper health management.
If our leaders want us to pay more taxes, they must display 'the urgency
of now', in the words of Martin Luther King Jr, to take our poor out of
their miserable circumstances. The technology exists to power a
smaller, more-efficient government, so let us use it instead of
overburdening the Jamaican taxpayer.
We are not saying that our leaders need to live like Jose Mujica, the
president of Uruguay, who donates 90 per cent of his salary to charity
and lives in a humble neigbourhood, farming his property. However, it
would help if our ministers, MPs and councillors acted like the servants
of the people and not their masters.
The West Kingston tragedy
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| MP Desmond McKenzie |
The recent shooting in West Kingston in which a 12-year-old boy was
killed is a sad reminder of how difficult it is to wrest the control of a
community from the hands of gangs once they are allowed to take hold.
It is a frightening situation and we send our prayers to MP Desmond
McKenzie, who has shown courage in the face of these challenges.
Senior Superintendent Steve McGregor has been steadfast in his security
post there, and I recall an interview with him many years ago when he
was assigned to East Kingston. He explained that he would go to the
parties organised by the young people and try to get them involved in
sports. He said that many of them would bury their guns and, if they
were kept occupied, would forget the hiding places. A very observant
man indeed, who went the extra mile in community policing.
Solar energy for Grand Palladium
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| Spanish Ambassador to Jamaica Her Excellency Celsa Nuño |
We attended an informative PSOJ seminar on solar energy, co-sponsored by
the Spanish Embassy in Jamaica and Sofos Jamaica Limited, which was
established here two years ago by its parent company in Spain. The
company recently completed a massive solar energy project for the Fiesta
Group in the Dominican Republic and was recommended by them to the
Palladium Hotel in Lucea, Hanover. They explained that the Grand
Palladium's investment of US$3.45 million, with an annual savings of
over US$730,000, will be recouped in just over four-and-a-half years.
Speaking at the event, Spanish Ambassador Celsa Nuño noted that
successive governments of her country had been promoting renewable
energy generation. She said the smallest of the Canary Islands, El
Hierro — population 11,000 — is set to become the first island fully
powered by renewable energy. It was pointed out that the sun provides
4,000 times the energy consumed globally and that Jamaica had one of the
highest levels of solar irradiation in the world, making us ideal
candidates for photovoltaic energy generation. We need not be slaves to
electricity rates — let's do it.
Comments from The Jamaica Observer website ....
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Our politicians past and present need to apologize to this country
for wrecking it. They have brought this nation to its knees, and now
even Haiti is making progress while we are still experiencing
regression. And these shameless politicians show no sign of
embarrassment or remorse, but they go about with high chest expecting
they subjects to worship them. The atrocities committed by these people
warrant some serious prison time.
Between 1970 - 1980 Jamaica had a PNP admin
Between 1980 - 1989 Jamaica had a JLP admin
Between 1989 - 2007 Jamaica had a PNP admin
Between 2007 - 2011 Jamaica had a JLP admin
Between 2011 - Now PNP.
If
you was to take away the two JLP admin from the entire period 70's-now;
do you think that Jamaica would be better off; socially and
economically today ????.
If you was also to take away the three PNP
administration from the entire period; do you think that Jamaica would
be better off; socially and economically today ???. The truthful answers
to those two simple questions will clearly highlight why we are; where
we are today.
You point is blunt and can clearly bee seen. We must understand
that the Garrison idea came to certain densely populated areas of
Jamaica and force was used to intimidate people. This idea took root and
right now it is going to take much willpower to come down from that
hill. The police will have to use some creative ways to change people
over time. When people get to see that there are other ways of surviving
without violence it will catch on .
Right now the only game in
town may be tightening the belt and dancing to the tune of that IMF. It
is going to take much political will and even sacrifice for any leader
to emerge with a different direction to crime and violence. We can
salute Desmond Mc Kenzie for taking a stand for which he is going to
come under much fire !
A large cabinet is not the problem, the real problem is the large
burdensome political structure- we need to reduce the number of MPs and
replace the Parish councillors with County councillors with a drastic
reduction in their numbers, and we need to stop paying pensions to
part-time workers, ie politicians.
The solar energy issue is not as simple as it this columnist seem to think it is.
Jamaica politicians seem incapable of doing what is right for the greater good of everyone.
You write so well, and always seem to seek to light a glimmer of hope
in your columns. I appreciate it, but really long for the day when our
grand hopes, or even the modest ones, are proven justified.
One Love !
Jamaica needs to be split up into three major divisions Corwall,
Middlesex and Surrey, then Govern primarily by a representative of each
division, Kingson the focal point for Surrey, Mandeville for Middlesex
and Mobay for Cornwall under a federal Government off-course, in this
way their would be more direct Governance and transparency each
Governors should start hands on with the security Issue,and try to
garner the earnings of their own division instead of everything going
to Kingston,,The Country badly needs a make over starting with spatial
and new political entity,,,MAY GOD HELP US!!!
Very well written. You are spot on about needing an intellectual at the front of our great country....sadly that is lacking now!
Down through the years, intellectuals have not had good track records leading governments.
GO SOLAR JAMAICA WE HAVE THE SUN.
We should but it nah guh happen cause the PtB (powers that be) wont
allow it. How will they be able to bleed us and suck our people dry if
they cant impose sky high charges for energy, road use and cheap imports
which only serve to destroy our local industries.
The country democratic process has been hijack all section of
govenment is controlled and entrech to suit a political end Not to
mention the media .We have a silent dictatorship even if the Government
changes the structure and system will be still inplace supported by the
churches civil groups,and the unions.Elections are a waste of time.Many
of the political sympathisers are so disapointed because food not
running fast now that they are pushing their representatives to target
business people and the working poor to tax in order to put more in the
eat a food/freeness basket. AS long as the media practise
bigotry,hypocracy Jamaicas resurrection is an illusion .
Norway is a very rich country,probably the richest on the planet
,while we should be doing better and could be doing better despite our
history ,I don't think comparing poor poor Jamaica with rich rich Norway
is fair .
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well said the only problem is I don't believe Jamaica politicians
have a clue about running a country I think they all just trying a thing
how could both parties fail every time they get a chance to govern
Well pointed observations. I sometimes wonder if the politicians will
ever own up to the gross deception of our people. The bundles of free
cash delivered in scandal bags to keep constituents loyal have created
an entitled generation bereft of the aptitude and inclination for hard
work. Whether the IMF deal is a silver lining in the current economic
climate is still left to be seen. However, your point on Solar power is
spot on. Its no secret that we are blessed with an abundance of this
resource, yet surprisingly, large scale commercial interest still
lags significantly behind fossil fuel.
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