As quick as I am to congratulate Mr. Golding, I am quite disappointed in a few moves he has made, within a short space of time. He led an opposition party who opposed every single thing including the way the wind blew, which is why his actions intrigue me so much.
Let me begin with the extension of the Olive Branch to the new Leader of the Opposition, Portia Simpson Miller. After the way the Jamaica Labour Party treated her in the media over the last few months, how could they expect her to become bosom buddies all of a sudden? The Opposition is now pursuing Constitutional issues, Magisterial recounts plus facing a seat in St. Mary being swiped from them because 2 ballot boxes were not counted…and there is now an injunction preventing the boxes from being counted….and now “best friendship”? Surely we all have feelings and blood running through our veins!
Next, the size of the Cabinet is appalling. When the JLP was in opposition they criticised the now opposition, for being too top-heavy…yet we now have a cabinet comprising 18 persons, with an additional 13 persons as junior Ministers etc. So now taxpayers will have to bankroll 31 people for the next 5 years, after we were promised a leaner government. What is most appalling to me is that Audley Shaw, the new Minister of Finance, now has 2 other persons Don Wehby of Grace Kennedy Limited and Dwight Nelson) as Ministers without Portfolio overseeing the national coffers. What happen? Audley can’t manage the job? Let me be frank by saying that I question his ability to govern the national coffers, especially with his entrepreneurial experience or lack thereof. Wignall gave us some insight a few years ago:
In addition to that, I too am asking, if Wehby will collect a government salary and in addition collect the difference between the government salary and his regular salary from Grace Kennedy, then who will he be answerable/accountable to?
I will continue to comment in future posts, but I couldn’t end without saying that the cessation of weekly press briefings is the best one. When I heard it on the news last night, that the current administration will take a retrograde step by cutting out weekly meetings with the press, I couldn’t help myself…I had to laugh. Why? The same set of people who sang “Halleluiah” last week are now singing something else this week. The first point of duty was just to cut them off….and it is so funny!
Jamaican Girl, please refer to Mr. Ken Jones’ letter titled “PJ’s Consultants” in today’s, Tuesday, September 18th Daily Gleaner.There is a possibility that the comaprative cost of administrations may be instructive. Nonetheless, I rather doubt it. RESPECT !
I have read it, however, I, like many other Jamaicans are expecting changes and I am also expecting the promises laid out in the Manifesto to be honored. We cannot ignore the fact that the previous administration was criticised heavily and we cannot ignore that we were told that this administration would be leaner, when in fact it is quite weighty. I am looking forward…
[...] Golding, I am quite disappointed in a few moves he has made, within a short space of time”: Jamaican Lifestyle has its eye on post-election politics on the island. Share [...]
LOLLOL. Yuh nuh easy enu JG!! LOL
Where is your hope? You are usually so meticulous in your commentary….but you have totally ignored the PM’s leadership in holding the country from mayhem after Portia Simpson Miller nearly sent it to hell on election night. I am not partisan. I have voted PNP before. Don’t let being partisan prevent you from being a part of the spirit of reconciliation that all Jamaicans who love Jamaica must now be hoping for. Jamaica does not belong to the PNP nor to Portia. So if the people vote you out and you are a TRUE servant, yes you “SUP IT”!!
I was very glad when I saw Ken Jones article on the PNP’s many “consultants”!! And trust me – I don’t only READ this – I KNOW THIS. If this cabinet gets the job done without paying consultants who fly all over the world and stay in expensive hotels with their wives and missis(!!!!) on tax payers money – den it will be a much less expensive budget.
Reporting to Parliament before reporting to the press – is not retrograde. Too much spin. I have worked in parliament in other countries and this is NOT retrograde.
JG i like your blog but I suspect it is very very very partisan. Mi love it same way but mi haffi talk di tings dem. LOLLOL. A dat mi seh!! LOL
P.S. Just as you can now give the title of Leader of the Opposition to mrs. Simpson Miller, it would be very Jamaican of you to now accord the title of Prime Minister to Bruce Golding. So lets just start saying Prime Minister Bruce Golding. It is our Jamaica and he is our leader.
And the people of Jamaica say………Jamaica first, party second!! LOL
Well Dutchie you and I are going to disagree on the point about the cessation of weekly briefs from the Cabinet. If a government promises greater transparency and accountability…and is trying to seal the relationship between government and citizens as a partnership more than a “onemanupship” then I think that it was a wrong move. Yes, it may happen in other countries, but this is Jamaica and we need to look at it from that perspective.
I have commented in a previous post that I was very disappointed in Portia Simpson Miller’s election night speech. It was handled badly and I think she should have conceded that very night.
I saw Ken Jones’ letter and I wondered…..did we have the expertise and just wanted to employ foreign experts? I don’t know….was it a waste of money? I just read that in Bermuda they are paying a consultant US$250,000 per annum to whip the education system into shape….can you imagine what would have happened if they did that here? By the way…..what say you about the 3 ministers assigned to one ministry?
http://bermudasun.bm/main.asp?SectionID=24&SubSectionID=270&ArticleID=34986
That is true about the consultants. Except – I don’t thnk most of them were “foreign” at all. Take crime for example, I have watched the PNP manipulate a certain consultancy process, the one bout deportation mi talking….and utilise TOTALLY partisan “consultants” to put forward their agruments that deportess causing crime in Jamaica. To that I say – LIE DEM LIE!!! Because not one god damn thing did it achieve. The consultant was a PNP thoroughbred who even worked as Senior person on the Philips team. I saw that example replicated too many damn times – thats why Jamaicans got FED UP!!!
Mi nuh really set up shop yet still and mi battery low in dis coffee shop here – so ketch yuh later….I coming back to ansa di rest .
Mi new talk is: And the people of Jamaica say……….LOL
JG, I welcome your criticisms of the JLP, but let us not jump to conclusions without gaining a complete understanding of the issues. For instance, with the matter of the Cabinet press briefings, we do not have enough information to conclude that old system will not be replaced by a more beneficial one. In fact the Prime Minister has given a plausible explanation for the change and indicated that the “press briefings” will occur after the cabinet decisions are presented to the Parliament. Although the specifics of this new option have not been clearly defined, we should certainly wait to see how the new system works and not jump to any outrageous conclusions.
Nicholas…I agree with you….however, I also have to agree with Vernon Daley’s article in the Gleaner today: http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20070918/cleisure/cleisure2.html
I must agree that the focus is not so much on the action itself, but the promise of creating a leaner government and not honoring same. Also, I am of the opinion that the weekly press briefings was a good thing in the sense that the common man could now hear the government’s position in a sort of “real time” (Jamaican time)…..I don’t think it was a great move to suspend such an action. But you are right….a lot of speculation is going on now….but the government must be open to speculation and criticism.
Okay. Vernon’s argument is noted and I do not agree with it. Creating a leaner government in my book of management is creating a team that gets to the core of the issues in a BETTER way than it was being done before.
I take it we are agreed that things were not going in the right direction. Therefore new idea is needed.
The crux of my view is this:
Ideological divides between political parties are fast becomg irrelevant. People the world over are starting to realise that you do not have to vote for the party your parents voted for even if they bring you incompetent posers. In Jamaica, I see ABSOLUTELY no difference between the ideology of the two parties. The history of the party is not presently relevant to secure my vote.
What is VERY relevant to secure my vote in this 21st century society is which party is the better MANAGER OF THE COUNTRY’S AFFAIRS. Which party will execute a team to position my country in a better place on the world stage.
On that note, the OLD managerial/structural model the PNP had is by no means a bible. It does not have to be followed. It was not working. It was flogging a dead horse. If the new government has a plan on divsion of labour that presents a better management team….what is the problem? We will be privy to these portfolios.The argument that the PNP never had this or that this has never happened before is not comparatively sound when the country’s problems are considered. There are many ills in the Jamaican economy and government that require measures that have never been done before. It does not mean that it is not a leaner “GOVERNMENT”. Governance is not only a representation – it should be seen in a result. And most of the results from the PNP’s management structure are not ones I want to see the new government follow. What a robust opposition will do is to monitor the “results” and strides (or lack of) within these newly specialised areas.
The UK Ministry of Security and Justice was recently split in a similar manner. The Home Office is now split from the Justice section. Why? Too many things were falling through the cracks. Bottom line – it wanted a proper fix, not a dress rehearsal – but a proper overhaul to deal with the issues it now face!!! It never a run proper and it needed specialisation and adequate divison of labour.
As for the cut of the post Cabinet briefings. From my expereince of working in Parliament and seeing how the Jamaican cabinet briefing was done. I absolutley AGREE with what Bruce did!! Mek mi tell yuh why!!
Cabinet briefings became an excercise in SPIN which the past government mastered!!! Teh PNP could do this because it never really had to contend with an opposition for years!! Before the arguments reached the Parliament it was spun in the media to INFLUENCE!!! This move may well be better for the Opposition than the JLP, so the government is actually taking away some of their own powers when they do this. That is one tick for transparency. There are parliamentary reporters, the message wont be lost. get the people involved in the institution of parliament. Trust me, journalist will always get information but if you want clean up house – this is a move I 100% agree with!!
And the people of Jamaica say…………….LOL
Dutchie…I hear yuh. However, I disagree that the PNP did not have a viable oppostion to deal with. When the JLP was in oppostiton it was a force to be reckoned with, especially under the now PM Bruce Golding. They were strong as hell and this is how we the public were able to hear about the wrongs the PNP were doing. I agree that change is necessary. We need to give someone else a chance to show us that for the last 18.5 years, we were really living a life of drudgery…..but right now, the factor that is most important to most here is that of keeping one’s word. I would like to see the current administration keep its word on all promises made to the Jamaican people and so far I cannot say that I have seen it. Mind you…these are early days and they have been out of power for a long time, so I do expect hitches and glitches. Considering it wasn’t a landslide victory, it still shows that the country is a little divided on who should rule. Therefore, it is expected that you will have a mass of people watching for any wrong move so that criticisms can be made and that is only fair. Whatever happens, Jamaica and Jamaicans must come out to be the winners….
Don’t you think that it is the responsibilty of the ruling party to dispel all myths about their position on many issues to be more than just an “election gimmick”? Just asking….
Not sure I understand the question. Is the JLP dispelling some things as election gimmick? Like what……talk up…..?
If it is in the manifesto, they should be prepared to deliver. Indeed. None of that talk around here!
The JLP only became a viable opposition when Seaga finally left after crippling the democratic integrity of the electoral system with his extended presence.
The PNP should position itself to be a great opposition! That is how JAMAICA will win. Opposition does not mean stumbling block to progress though! What I liked with Bruce in opposition was that he actually proposed options and alternatives. That bull and duppy conqueror speech by Portia at conference was just ignoring the fact that Jamaicans are tired of this type of confrontationalism in our politics. I thought she would have rallied back with a sober and solid temperament. NOt a rant. I do not want a ranting opposition – that is totally different from a proactive and efficient one!
I cannot say “so far, the JLP have not kept their word” – because we have not gone far at all since the new government has been sworn in. Personally I do not think he has gone back on his word by his appointments…..I understand it as an important management team to get the manifesto done. The past government paid out jobs like air to their friends as “consultants” at a HUUUGE cost!! Lets see if the JLP are making good on their portfolios and let’s hold them to their word. I can’t predict, I have to look at the result then I will be scathingly critical as required!!!
And the people of Jamaica say…………..Jamaica first, party second!!
P.S. My time difference whole heap more – I gone do my thesis.
Looking on Portia’s face during her presentation made me think that she had nyammed the olive branch, and then spat it out for good measure. Fierce!
If it isn’t the “Hallelujah” chorus they’re singing now, methinks it’s probably something along the lines of “Crucify…”
Oh, I’m gonna behave.
Dutchie…what I was really expressing, is that based on what the media has said so far, the talk show fans have said so far…there is a perception that so far (and it’s only 8 days), they have not lived up to their word (i.e. smaller government size, school fee refunds immediately in particular). Therefore…they should move swiftly to correct this situation. Take for instance the school fee scenario….the impression was given, based on the election talk…that if they win today, the tuition fee was free tomorrow….and if I am wrong, I stand corrected…but even I got that impression that would be the case…I heard a case on the radio where a man went to pay his school fees in the morning and wanted his refund in the evening…even though I don’t know why he did that….however…this is the case now…people want immediate action as promised. It would be wise to correct any misgivings immediately…and not like the PNP, who to this day, has not commented on Trafigura, amongst many other scandals.
Jamaican Dawta…yuh ‘it di nail pon di ‘ead. Crucify was the right word..but mi mek yuh say it instead…lol
Ladies and gentlemen from what I’m reading here..the prime minister of Jamaica and his ministers are saints sent from the heavens to us..He’s broken promises but so what Pj had consultants .so is he not entitled too.?he’s employed ministers that were not elected by the people (against the constitution he so defends) but it’s ok he’s a saint,he has people who have sworn allegience to a foreign country.in the govt..but it’s ok his name is Bruce never mind the constitution laws,he promised schools fees but now gives tuition..his leaner govt is massive but he has valid reasons… why do we need an opposition.?…everything is right, everything is great..he has the best reasons ..all Jamaica needs is Bruce and the JLP..send home everyone else and do not oppose anything they do because of course they are saints sent from above.
We can all close our eyes go to sleep and leave everything to the Hon .Bruce Golding..JaG..u may as well close ur blog as u should have nothing to discuss anymore everything that is done is correct so just agree and agree!
Once u oppose or criticize anything he does you are biased.
Are we still living in a democracy??? I guess it’s not needed anymore!
[...] Golding, I am quite disappointed in a few moves he has made, within a short space of time”: Jamaican Lifestyle has its eye on post-election politics on the [...]
Bevy yuh harsh yuh nuh. The sarcasm is dripping all over the place. I was kinda wondering about some of the issues you raised…like the swearing in of persons who have cases before the courts regarding their citizenship…by the way….mi neva know seh Gregory Mair was a Venezuelan? Bwoy this is getting interesting. No I won’t close down because I don’t agree with a lot of things I saw done over the last 18 years and so far, the last few weeks. We have to keep on talking…remember that they said free education and then caught up themselves and said free TUITION. One of the things they said as a sort of “one hit wonder” was the doubling or tripling of teachers and police salaries…..hmmmmmmmm…..not a sound out of them again on that one. Anyway, we have to see what happens as we cannot jump the gun so quickly…let’s see what our new government is made of. We have to give them a chance….you ask if there is no democracy? It is democracy which is alive and well and working which is why we now have a change of government.
What needs to be explored .is this…cost sharing as against auxilliary fees? What is the difference in cost to the people…? Are they equal?cost sharing more?If there is a saving to the parents then kudos…….but if not, what have we gained by the change…a change of name , confusion, an election drawing card ..what???
Can you research that JAG?
New and improved site looks great !!
thanks
I have to comment on the matter of Bruce and the keeping of his word. I have had my share of concerns about a few things so far….his “half-truth” of the Commissioner’s comment, retaining Shahine while she flouts the constitution, the injunction requested to prevent the counting of the two ballot boxes by a member of his party (very very disturbing!!!) and to an extent the decision on press briefings. I am grateful for the comment of Dutch Pot as he has pointed out that there is a strong argument regarding Bruce’s probable concern for how the media manipulates the mind of many in this country and a media who cannot always be counted on carry “the news”. Contrary to JGirls comment on Bruce’s “retrograde step by cutting out weekly meetings with the press,” I have heard him explain that the WEEKLY briefings will take place but AFTER the matters have been brought to Cabinet. There is not a question of the information not being provided but its just not on Monday after Cabinet but after Tuesday’s Parlimentary meetings. I have no difficulty at all with that provided that those meetings happen but we have to ensure that in our criticism we tell it as it happens and tell it as it is said as it could lead one to question……??? I have no difficulty with a bigger cabinet if I get value for money. He can spend twice as much as the PNP Admin if I get value from it. Let’s wait and see. Let’s try to wait and see.
I am grateful for BevyD’s comment about selecting a cabinet member who was not elected by the people I grabbed up a copy of the constitution and can’t quite find yet the part that speaks to this. Is this really so? I find the argument about him breaking his promise for an immediate refund of the fees to be unfair. For crying out loud what could “immediate” mean surely not the day I am sworn in these things require execution and “the how” has to be worked out systematically. I just feel that some of us are looking forward to being right that he cannot be trusted and I suspect that you might be right but sometimes I get the feeling from on reading the comments that some are salivating about being right on this. Sigh. I am tired, really tired and join Dutch Pot in saying…..let’s wait and see and if you are proven right, try not to crow too loud and try not to smile to bright. It might be a good day for you but a sad day yet again for Jamaica
Jeanette..one cannot be a Minister of Finance in Jamaica unless you are elected by the people. That is in the constitution. What we have here are a lot of appointments in some very sensitive areas…..Yes he said something about meeting with the press at another time but I haven’t had the time to put this up as yet…have a lot of things doing.
Also…regarding school refund…the JLP did say if they won on the 27th the next day tuition becomes free and people would get back their money. How long are people expected to wait? They can’t even say when these refunds will be forthcoming….
Remember now that people are entitled to their own views…if they come across as “watching for the wrong move” well so be it. It is not only commentators here…but also in the offical oral and print media that cynics exist.
I do not support 18 persons in a cabinet when they criticised the former government for having 17 and then after 14 they still criticised. They promised a leaner government and they should stick to that promise. Yes we are all rational beings and should be more understanding if someone deviates…but let us not make excuses….you cannot be condemning the previous administration and then do something worst yourself…and expect people must just love it up…..I don’t want to cast any judgment so let’s see what happens….but how likely is it they won’t hire consultants?
It seems to me that you & Bevy D must be correct but forgive me if I request knowing where that is to be found. I recall my concern for weeks that Lisa Hanna was made a candidate as MP when she herself could not vote. Many persons made great issue of this and I did so too on the basis that it Obviously had to be in the Constitution. As it turns out that was not the case. Out of an abundance of caution I would prefer again to find the reference in the Constitution before running with it again.
Now as for the “Size of Cabinet” discussion…what did the JLP manifesto say
“1.21 Structure of Cabinet
Establish in the Constitution the core ministries of government with a limit as to the number of additional ministries that can be created.
1.22 Transforming the bureaucracy.
Undertake a comprehensive review of the existing structure and operation of government bureaucracy to eliminate waste and unnecessary red tape and improve efficiency and accountability.”
First – It clearly says he will LIMIT the number, it does not state how much. He cannot be accused of not delivering what is in the Manifesto.
Second – Not one of us is in a position to say a Cabinet of 18 is unnecessary, wasteful, inefficient or going against accountability. We should determine if we get VALUE for MONEY. If Bruce is guilty of anything AT THIS POINT it would be making foolhardy criticisms on matters like PNP Cabinet size prematurely before he has satisfied himself if it was justifiable.
You say “Yes he said something about meeting with the press at another time” but you were “too busy to put something up”. I am not asking that you “put something up” just one sentence acknowledging what he REALLY said is important….being too busy to do so, as I said before begs questions.
It seems to me that tuition did become free on the 28th. The ONLY basis on which you can tell me it is not free, is if you produce ONE only ONE child who went to school since the 28th and was told you can’t stay you did not pay TUITION fees. Those who paid are supposed to get the fee back, he did not say when but if you were making this comment a month or two later I would say fair enough Jamaican Girl but you want it refunded on Sept 28….forget appointments of ministers, forget meetings to decide state ministers, forget that you need to put such in place to execute the refunds.
Lastly my criticism of someones point of view is by no means the same as saying they are not entitled to it, how could you draw such a conclusion? And I have never suggested even hinted that persons should not watch every move – I am watching I am scrutinizing but is not the watching and scrutinizing, its the analysis of what you’ve observed and the conclusions that are drawn that simply bother and boggle me.
Having said all that I maintain my assessment that there seems to be a definite anticipation of his failure to carry through. I am waiting to see if you are right about Bruce and I am waiting to see if I am right about “the anticipation”. If I am wrong, I apologize.
Jeanette…yes I am very busy these days. If you look at my pattern of writing you will see that of late it hasn’t been every day so yes…I am a little tied up.
The next point is this….when the JLP was in opposition he criticised the PNP for having such a large cabinet….would this not suggest to you that he would not follow suit, for it is something he has criticised. Did he make a provision which said “I will break my promise to the Jamaican people if we are getting value for money”? No….he said he would have given us a leaner government and so far it is way larger than previous administrations. How do we know we are getting value for money for having 3 persons in charge of the Ministry of Finance, when one in particular has never succeeded in any business venture. Do you not see something wrong with that? Could it be that most people are dumb to be asking this question as well? It is a concern to the taxpayer and rightfully so. And does it give them the right to not honor their vow to Jamaica if they deem not to? He won’t know the viability of any of these ministers until at least 5 years down the road so we have a long wait before we will even know if they are effective or ineffective.
You bet that at the start of school there were cases of schools refusing to accept children because they had not paid. This was on the premise that the schools were saying that there was no formal policy in place for same. In fact if you can recall, that PM Golding had asked for schools to accomodate these children until the ministry got it together. It was in the media. Well if he doesn’t give a refund quickly, then he will have a problem with the electorate because it was the impression we are all under…”if you pay you will be refunded”…do we wait 10 years for this? People want their money now.
Let me add to this comment that when I started this blog, it was because I was disgusted with the way the PNP handled the Lisa Hanna affair. I have not been entirely satisfied with any government in Jamaica as both main parties act as if they answer lies within 60-80 people and no other views count. I try to be balanced and speak the truth always. Everything I have written is factual or my own opinion based on what I have read and what I know. Then again I am not the mainstream media…I am not even the media…I am in cyberspace….lol.
That wasn’t specifically directed at you either Jeanette…just wanted to put that in.
I would hate for anyone to percieve my position as any kind of blind defence of Mr. Golding but I am going to say this much. The only persons who could really have thought that Mr. Golding meant that he would be in a position to refund the monies by Sept 28 simply do not understand the mechanics of government, there are procedures that must be upheld and if he broke them to give refund, we would have heard about that too. I said before if you were making the criticism one or two months later you would have not heard one whit from me.
As for the schools who turned children away on the basis of “no policy being in place” They wanted policy in place within 24 hours of an election, before a PM is sworn, before a Minister with responsibility for Education is selected ….ah bwoy. You cannot impute turning away children to the JLP if they have instructed that that not happen and certain civil servants act contrary. There are many many civil servants who supported the PNP for 18 years who have indicated that this government does not have their professional support. I listened to a member of the JTA on TV tell parents not to pay the school fee even if it mean school have to close (don’t miss that) because Bruce say it free. So though the new President of the JTA was encouraging parents who could pay, to pay until the refunds were being made, you had a colleague deciding that the school fi lock, no matter how it would affect the children but his issues with the JLP have blinded him. Him bex and him tink him a tek it out pan Bruce but its the very children whose interests that should come first that takes back stage. I am an ex-civil servant and I have heard many a conversation with former colleagues regarding plans to sabotage, withhold information, etc, etc.
JGirl alot of persons have failed to appreciate what Dwight Nelson said TWO days after election day when accused of not refunding the people…..TWO days after. He reminded that when they presented their manifesto no one had ever thought that the PM would have set a date so close to school, which many believed went against political convention and was unwise. But the date was set and now the complications that arise are directed to others. Interesting.
As for how long we would have to wait to determine value for money. I don’t understand why we would need 5 years. Every month we get reports from BOJ, PIOJ, STATIN etc providing indicators on the countries economic status and performance and certainly by the end of any financial year we are in a position to assess projections versus actual achievements. I don’t understand the statement. But it is statements like that and the question “do we wait 10 years for the refund” that leaves me thinking that you are being disingenous. It smacks of something I can’t quite put my finger on.
You know something I had been planning to look at the 2002 PNP manifesto to determine how much they actually achieved and since the election passed I decided it was not necessary but I think it might even be more relevant now. It would be very interesting to see.
Let me end this by saying, I was very happy when I discovered your blog, mostly I read and only comment when I feel it most necessary. I was pleased to find somewhere, an outlet to share concerns, ideas, visions, thoughts and as I read here I would share with others views aired on your blog. I am careful in my criticisms because you have done something I have only talked about doing and for that you really have my respect. But it is only because I think what you are doing is so very important and laudable why I am being very frank about my concern for balance and fairness.
Jeanette…how many people understand the workings of government inside out? If I wasn’t pursuing a sort of “governmental” discipline I probably wouldn’t understand it inside out myself. Remember that the majority of the electorate are lay people in the sense that when they hear “win today, pay tomorrow” it is taken literally. Take for instance the issue of free tuition and health care….I didn’t think it would have come on board before the next fiscal year…but we were told it would be so within 24 hours. What should we be thinking then?
If you think you have heard one colleague say they are not paying, my helper told me her entire district wasn’t paying a cent. She said the government will take care of it and they weren’t putting up a cent until they heard how the election went. How about that? Should those very poor people pay up and then collect later? To be honest they probably are all on the PATH programme which would mean that it was neither here nor there to them…all they knew is that they wouldn’t even bother tangling up with PATH to find out of the qualify or not…because it’s free now. Not even the little auxillary fees they wanted to put up because they thought that govt would deal with that.
Are we to now believe that because the election day was set too close to the opening of school (which was unconventional and unwise) that that is the cause of why refunds are not forthcoming? Yes we may be able to get some statistics from the various govt bodies but I do not believe that we can measure the true impact of this administration for another 5 years at the very least. I say this because usually when a government is new it takes a while for them to implement projects and really work to make them successful…….it may take up to 10 years minimum..who knows…but I am saying this because it usually takes at least 2 terms to measure the benefits. When I said “wait 10 years for a refund” I was just playing devil’s advocate…they have yet to say when the process will begin.
As I have said…I am not entirely happy with one single party. They have BOTH contributed to Jamaica’s downfall…..
[...] Jamaica Labour Party’s startAfter the way the Jamaica Labour Party treated her in the media over the last few months, how could they expect her to become bosom buddies all of a sudden? The Opposition is now pursuing Constitutional issues, Magisterial recounts plus … [...]
JGirl I don’t want to belabour a point you and I have ventilated much on but going back to fairness….you are dead right many persons would not understand that refund did not mean Sept and yes many did not pay just in case JLP won. Dont’ have a problem with that. But I would prefer if the JLP were being accused of irresponsible communication. All politicians seem to speak above the electorate’s head at times. But what I hear the JLP being accused of is failure to do what they say they will do and I say its too soon for that accusation and I will agree to disagree with you on that one.
Again, in the name of fairness I did not say the poor should pay up and collect later. I clearly said that the “JTA President” advocated for “parents who COULD pay were to pay until they were refunded”, a principle I firmly believe in because it would my child I am spiteing not Bruce’s.
You are right it will take a while for us to FULLY appreciate the extent of the value of the Cabinet but I daresay some things will not take that long. There are policies of the PNP and programmes that I did not need even 5 years to determine that they were working and were solid decisions made by the Minister….albeit not many but there were some. Take Paulwell’s decision to “tax” incoming calls from overseas providers. That fund grew enormously in two years. I don’t need 5-10 years to assess the worth of that fund and if I had to pay Paulwell an extra 5 million per year for that idea and excellent negotiation I would say he was worth an additional 10 million alone.
But as I say JGirl this is one we will probably have to agree to disagree. Till next time take care.
Jeanette…I agree with some of your points and I like that we can agree to disagree. I always value your input here. However, if you say “let those who can pay, pay”…who is going to be the “those who can pay”? How will you determine who can afford to pay? Rational economic man doesn’t like to pay if he is getting something for free. Rational economic man sees this: price goes down, his demand goes up. Therefore, if it is said to be “free”, rational economic man, whether he can pay or not, will not have the desire to pay (based on economic theory). Social responsibilty is relative and subjective. You and I may say “it’s good for my child”, but trust me…many are out there saying “dem seh it free suh mi nah pay. Mek dem come axx mi fi money…mi nuh have it and there is nutten dem can seh fi seh mi ‘ave it”. Sounds like something the average Jamaican may say? If not I stand to be corrected.
Paulwell’s initiative is one of many. There are some..in fact most..which the impact cannot be measured in $ and cents but how well recipients of the programme made out overall. Take for instance the JUTC bus system….it is heavily subsidised by the government which has put its finances in a tailspin….the numbers people may say cut it out….but others may say…keep it…because if you don’t…then there will be repercussions.
For example:
– Removing subsidies from the JUTC could cause the following:
*More cars on the road since people will struggle to buy a car and put gas in it (in the long run it makes more sense than paying an unsubsidised bus fare).and it will send up the national oil bill*
*Higher accident rates as there may be more cars on the road*
*Wear and tear on the road surface, due to the number of the vehicles – Means that taxpayers will have to fork out more for the upkeep of roads*
*Carbons being released into the atmosphere contributing to global warming*
*Inability to get to school on time (for those who have parents who can buy a car. Inability to get to school – PERIOD – due to the bus being unaffordable*
*Take a guess about the social implications for those who cannot go to school*
This is just a fraction of what can occur just by removing a subsidy from something like public transportation which is bleeding taxpayers currently. Do we let it stay? Do we remove it? How much will it cost us now? How much will it cost us later? My opinion is that the long term “cost” may be more detrimental to the city of Kingston…..what do you think?
I think that there are some services that are provided in almost every nation that has to be and are subsidized and transportation whether it be by rail or bus are justified for the same reasons you articulated above. At the end of the day when we tally up the cost-benefit analysis of removing some of these subsidies we realize that we gain in $ and cents but the multiplier effects bring us an overall loss.
I personally believe there will always be need for a subsidy on transportation but I am equally sure inefficiencies do exist that are the cause of much of the losses. However, perhaps the real reason we are buckling under the load of this subsidy and others stem from wastage in other areas. If we were performing in other places the Consolidated Fund would have enough to pursue social policies such as this.
Oh just one quickie regarding all being refunded, rather than . I understand the challenge in administering a waiver which would only be applicable to some and not others but when I really think about it, there are many other provisions by Govt that require a level of screening in order to identify the need and respond. I am not sure this would present any greater difficulty. Matter of fact almost all the social programmes are on the basis of need. Simple one…for many years if you went to the hospital and you substantiate your lack they make provisions for your situation and waivers are granted. Same principle, if we can do it for one programme then surely it can workfor another. Hey JGirl struggling to finish cuz sleep a bust di shirt so….we press on til morrows.
Its just about administration and I am sure it would save us more money than if we attempted to refund all or let him do the surgery.
Jeanette….if you say something is FREE then you can’t be trying to assess who can pay. It is FREE FOR ALL. Therefore, the argument of assessing on a “needs” basis is out of the question…..It was promised to us and we would like it. Thank you please.
JGirl yet again you get me wrong. I am begining to think that my ability to express myself has been shot to h*ll. Two comments aback I quoted the JTA president and her colleague. From that you commented in your last blog “if you say “let those who can pay, pay”…who is going to be the “those who can pay”? How will you determine who can afford to pay?”.
I simply attempted to answer the question by pointing out that in many other social programmes it is done on a needs basis and so SHOULD it have been done this way then I am thinking it WOULD have been better than free for all because freeness as YOU so clearly pointed out in another blog post tends to diminish quality.
It therefore means that we departed (or so I thought) from the discussion of Bruce freeness to the ideology of is FREE better for Jamaica? You asked the question how it would work, I attempted to suggest how it does work elsewhere. But now you imply that I am thinking that Bruce should renege on his promise.
You know this discussion inspired me to really go back and re-read your Purpose as perhaps I am being unfair to you. I did and I see I am being unfair you did after all “promise to be blunt and scathing as I laugh each day at the nonsense that goes on in this our Jamaica” and that (unlike the Govt) you are keeping your promise.
Jeanette….that statement about “free for all” was a sort of “tongue in cheek”. I was really saying that if the govt has decided that it is a free for all then we won’t need to any “needs assessment” since everyone will get, regardless of where they come from, instead of what they need.