Rules, Regulations, Policies and Procedures, The Jamaican Way

In my previous blog I emphasized the need for Rules, Regulations, Policies and Procedures as a requirement for any system to operate properly. It is important that everyone understands the Rules, Regulations, Policies and Procedures and follow them if the system is to realize its full potential. However there is such a thing as having too much Rules, Regulations, Policies and Procedures, so much so that it retards the fluent operation of any system and introduces too much Red Tape and Bureaucracy which also provides a platform for corruption to thrive, as such a healthy balance is required for optimal performance of every system.

I have worked in companies that have in place too much Rules, Regulations, Policies and Procedures, they were way too conservative when it comes to change, with computer software code that is never touched once it is released into production, as updates and patches are never applied. One manager I worked with implemented a core piece of third party software in 1989 but refused any attempts by the company to apply any updates to the production code, maintaining the same code base for a decade but all hell broke loose when year 2000 came around because the Y2K version of the software had in it 10 years of changes. All the interfaces had changed and were now not compatible to all other interconnected systems.

There is no system more bogged down with Red Tape and Bureaucracy like the system of Government and the Jamaican Government is no exception. It gets even worst when the people of Jamaica are unable to separate their Political Life from their Professional Life, when nothing is being done in the interest of the country but instead in the interest of the Political Parties and peoples ego. The general public is getting very sick and tired of the counterproductive relationships between the Government, the Opposition, the Office of the Contractor-General (OCG), The Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) and The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). It seems none of these groups exist to work in the interest of the country as everything descends into chaos, public hardcore bare knuckle Cage Fight as they curse out each other in public, accusing each other of corruption. Entities within the Government Structure behave as if they live in a low income tenement ghetto yard with daily brawls.

This Five Ring Circus does not look to me like they exist to facilitate each other and work together in the National interest as they seem to spend every working hours running interference against each other, putting up road blocks at every turn, trying to kill plans and stagnate the country. All our Governments both JLP and PNP has suffered this same faith. On a rare occasion of unity, representatives from both the PNP and the JLP on July 18, 2010, expressed their concern that the Contractor General seems to exist, to block their every move and kill every plan. I am not against the contractor General, that department could play an important role in our society. They should exist to make sure the dealings of the Government is above board, open and honest but what I do not see is any cooperation, they are not helping the Government to achieve their goals, nothing like “ OK we do not agree with how you are going about this, so let’s sit down like educated adults and see if we can work together to come up with a solid plan to move the country forward" but instead public political bashing.

Christie/OCG vs the Politicians

Why is it that people who are supposed to be the most intelligent and educated among us, are finding it so hard to utilize basic Problem/Solution techniques? It is the norm now for various Governments regardless of Political parties, to announced various grand development plans only to have those plans blocked, bogged down and rejected by either The Office of the Contractor-General (OCG), The Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) and The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the party in opposition will never give up a juicy chance to side against the sitting Government. Then the Jamaican people choose sides, depending on which political parties they support and the war begins, not realizing that they are poorer for it, shooting ourselves in the foot, cutting off our nose to spite our face. Sometimes I have to wonder what the members of a party is thinking when they are in opposition (regardless of party), do they really believe that all they have to do, is to oppose their way into Government and then this “Oppositioning” will magically stop after they have achieved their goals? Because as soon as they take control of the Government, what they dish out while in opposition will come back to haunt them as the new Opposition Tun-Up the “Oppositioning”, activate their operatives in the various NGO and sectors with instruction to block every move ensuring failure of the new Government… and yes the cycle of accomplishing  fuck-all continues since this is all nothing but a big game to these people.

Both Government and Opposition exist in the theoretical world, both have a long list of potential plans and a whole heap of what ifs and at times they make various speeches about what they wanted to do while in Government BUT… this, that and the other thing happened preventing them from doing it. Currently we have a couple theoretical schemes being thrown around and have been around for some time now. Our Governments talk a lot about mega Alternate Energy Projects but we have yet to see any. Our Governments talk about increase water supply projects but we still suffer from water shortage and lock offs. Our Government talks about new 380 Megawatt energy power plants but this is only a pipedream, still nothing. Our Governments talk about a Logistic Mega HUB to take advantage of the Panama Canal expansion but all we have to show for it is more big chat, conflicts and confrontations. Our Governments talk and talk and talk, we wait and wait and wait and still nothing is delivered, nothing is done.

Shaw bites back - Former finance minister takes on Christie for rebuttal of statements on LNG contract award

We were wrong - JLP was bullied by the then contractor general into ending LNG deal with EXMAR

"We, the Cabinet approved EXMAR as the preferred bidder and we allowed this nonsense perpetrated by the then contractor general to throw us and derail this programme. If it was not derailed, whether we were in power or not, LNG would be rolling out in Jamaica right now and I say that without any fear of contradiction," declared Shaw."......

One of my favorite pastimes is to read news from the other countries that share the Caribbean Sea with us, just to see how they are dealing with the day to day struggles of life. The other day I started reading news from the Dominica Republic and I found out that.

• Dominican Republic opened the ‘biggest’ 430 megawatts power plant at a cost of US$707.0M. Wärtsilä has been awarded the contract to supply a complete dual-fuel power plant to the Dominican Republic. The turnkey project has been ordered by Empresa Generadora de Electricidad Haina (EGE Haina), the largest power generation company in the Dominican Republic. The Quisqueya II power plant ordered by EGE Haina will feature 12 Wärtsilä 50DF generating sets in combined cycle running primarily on natural gas, but with the capability to switch to heavy fuel oil as needed. The contract was awarded on 27th December 2011 and the finish project was up and running on 23rd September 2013. So while we fight, squabble, throw words and tear Jamaica apart for political power, thanks to the Five Ring Circus, countries like Dominican Republic are moving ahead, working, working, working, implementing, implementing, implementing.I have no faith in Jamaica and Jamaicans, no faith in the Political Parties, no faith in the Government, no faith in the Opposition, no faith in the OCG, OUR, DPP and any other organizations to actually facilitate the building of the 360-megawatt power plant.

• In Panama, Dominican Republic was touted as the Caribbean’s Official Hub at Expo Logistics Panama 2013, the most important regional event in the transport and logistics field in all its classifications: sea, air, or land in a backdrop of business contacts to get up to speed on the market’s latest trends…. Jamaica was not even mentioned, who cares about our idle chatter and internal power struggles. 

• Santo Domingo.- Solar panels from SolarWorld, the largest U.S. solar manufacturer for more than 35 years, now power the largest solar-electric installation in the Dominican Republic. The 1.5-megawatt solar array sits near the runway of Cibao International Airport, the country’s third largest airport. The system, a complete solar solution featuring SolarWorld’s high-quality solar panels and proprietary racking, generates enough clean energy to support about half of the airport’s energy needs.…. I have always said that a part of the PetroCaribe savings should have been used to invest in Alternate Energy Projects, Jamaica should have had as least 4 or 5, 5 acre Solar farms up and running by now….

• Santo Domingo. – A local company on Wednesday unveiled Dominican Republic’s biggest rooftop solar panel array, located at the Frederic Schad logistics complex, as part of its ongoing effort to consume less energy and reduce greenhouse gases. 

• Santo Domingo. – China will hold its Fifth Trade Fair Sept. 26-29 in the Dominican Republic, seeking to strengthen economic relations with the country, the organizers revealed.
• Santo Domingo. – The Dominican Republic's organic food production has grown continually over the last few years, a fact that makes the country the world leader in bringing such foods to market, official sources pointed out. 

To put it simply, at this rate Jamaica is destined to accomplish absolutely... Fuck-All! Thanks to the Five Ring Circus we call the Government, the Opposition, The Office of the Contractor-General (OCG), The Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) and The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and we can throw in the Jamaican people as circus clown to make this a  Six Ring Circus.

Gerry Potter Poet - How Do You Respect Fuck All ?
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In Jamaica, our Political System Stagnates us, our political system is keeping us back, our political system is one of our biggest problems and because our political system is run by Jamaicans then the problems we face are all created by Jamaicans. We are a tribal country and we are not afraid to destroy this country so that our tribe, the political party can gain power. So while we fight and stab each other in the back, block any path to progress, other countries are moving ahead, they work together in their National Interest to build a nation state that takes care of their people… No one in the world cares about the JLP or the PNP, when anyone in the world thinks about Jamaica’s failures they are not thinking PNP Tribe or JLP Tribe mash up the country and the only thing that comes to their minds is that Jamaicans are unable to govern themselves.

The Medieval Feudal System is the Social and Political System adopted and practiced by Jamaica and Jamaicans…

Update: 10/4/2013

The company that was awarded the contract to build the 360 Megawatt Power Plant failed to come up with the down payment and as a result the contract will now be awarded to the second bidder who must also come up with the money.

It is getting more and more obvious that the Government regardless of party and the regulatory bodies cannot work together, their relationship is counterproductive and this is because of a Jamaican trait, “two bulls cannot be in the same pen”. We do not know how to work together when power is equally shared and the master-servant context does not exist. The Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) is not taking any shit from the Minister and the Minister is not taking any shit from OUR and as a result the country stagnates, same goes for OCG and DPP.  I can imagine them now… “di Minister boy caan tell me what fi do, a di GG me report to”… This is a power struggle where egos collide and alpha male personalities clash and no development will ever take place under such conditions. The General Public is so busy and obsessed with the witch hunt for corruption that they forget who they voted for and who they did not vote for…

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It would be unfair to of me not to also list the Progressive Projects taking place in Jamaica at this time.

• The 6.3 MW New Maggoty Hydroelectric Power Plant in St. Elizabeth Parish, Jamaica will add much-needed renewable power to the country’s national energy grid.MWH designed the $33 million (USD) project that is the ninth hydroelectric power station in Jamaica. The company Mott MacDonald was contracted for the hydro expansion scheme and and the project is schedule for the November 2013.

 

• Wigton Windfarm Limited, a subsidiary of the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ), is reporting encouraging findings from a recently completed Wind Resource Assessment, which identified four locations suitable for wind energy development with a combined potential generating capacity of 212 million KWh annually. The study, which assessed 24 prospective sites across the island, highlighted four locations which were found to have "excellent energy yield (each) featuring more than 5,300 MWh/a". Wigton Windfarm Limited is now embarking on a wind farm expansion, installing an additional 18 MW of generating capacity from nine (9) 2 MW Vestas V80 wind turbines.

 

• Caribbean Broilers goes solar with pig farm, after years of trying unsuccessfully to convince pig farmers to invest in climate-controlled barns as a means of growing pigs more efficiently, CB is building its own farm on property in Hill Run, St Catherine with 192 panels on the barn. A solar-powered pig farm will allow the company to offset the use of the utility grid. This offset yields tremendous savings, resulting in a four-year payback of the system

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More On The Hypothetical Logistic HUB!

First let me state my position regarding the Logistic HUB, I am against the use of Goat Islands purely on environmental reasons and nothing anyone can say or do would make me change my mind. I am not against the concept of a Logistic Hub, I think it is a good thing, I am not against the Chinese people and I am certainly not against Chinese Investments or any Foreign Direct Investments, all are welcome so long as Jamaica and Jamaicans benefit.

The Logistic-Hub is slowly becoming a dirty word coupled with a disturbing trend of increase anti-Chinese rhetoric which is almost racist. The question one must ask is, does the Logistic HUB equal Goat Island or is Goat Island just a small part of the Logistic Hub Concept? I know what I am opposed to, Goat Islands to me is a deal breaker, it is the point at which I am prepared to walk away from the deal even if it means the end of the entire HUB concept, that is… if (HUB="Goat Island") then HUB-DONE!!!

Us Jamaicans have not had a proper mature debate/discussion about the future of the entire Logistic Hub to date, there has been a lot of screaming and shouting on all sides but no mature grown up debate, no Pro versus Con debate, everything is speculation and made up to prove a point depending on which party you support.

The Government knows the position of the environmentalist but what about the entire country? We have no idea what Jamaicans are thinking and as such how can any groups organize a movement without knowing what percentage of the Population is for and what percentage is against…? These things matters, this is a numbers game because there is strength through numbers, majority rule but we have no idea of the numbers. We are in need of a national poll to try to find out what the Jamaican people are thinking, an indication of where most Jamaicans stand on this Goat Island issue.

I know where the genuine Environmentalist and people who would protest this vile attack on the environment, on our natural way of life, stands. These people would take the same position regardless of which party they support because these are people with principles. I think we all know where the Diehard Partisan Political Muppets, who I have next to no respect for and make up both parties (PNP or JLP), stands on this issue. The Opposition supporters will always oppose the sitting Government and in this case they are opportunistic environmentalist not because they care about the environment or Goat Island but because their party is not in power, people like these would not know principle is it got up and bitch slap them twice across the face, they represents 70% of the problems we face in Jamaica. The Government supporters will also blindly back their party in Government, totally useless the lot.

Foreign Investment is not the issue, what the potential problem might be is how the Government negotiates the terms of the agreements. Jamaica cannot afford to appear too needy but must stand firm on some basic demands, principles we will never betray. Many foreign non-Chinese investors got away with murder, the tourist sector is one such sector where some entities have never paid taxes and are given waivers to import whatever they want. The largest foreign investor to the United States of America is the Chinese they are investing in America in records numbers, same for the UK, Greece and Australia… So the problem is not Chinese investment but the terms of the agreements, not cutting corners because they wave a wad of cash. The opposition must be very careful how they curse out the Chinese because I remember Petrocaribe and Venezuela, you cursed both and then like hypocrites behaved as if it was God sent when you came to power.

Everything is a negotiation, I have no problem with Chinese investments, no problem with the Chinese… so long as I can see where it benefits Jamaica and we establish rules and guidelines and policies that we are not prepared to go against… In countries where investments goes wrong it is because those Governments did not enforce any rules, guidelines or policies, no standards, so why would a foreign country look out for your interest if you are not prepared to lookout for it yourself… American and UK companies invested in our Hotel industry, imported their upper and middle Managements and employ Jamaicans to spread the bed because our Government appeared too needy…

I do not see any other countries lining up to outbid the Chinese, no one else wants a piece of this. I know most Jamaicans wanted white America, UK and EU foreign investments because we have been conditioned to value them over all others but truth be told they are not coming, because they are all in China looking for Chinese investments for their own economy, they are also flat broke trying to survive this world recession. I do not see a long line of global investors lining up trying to get a piece of this, so I do not know where this free loyalty to America and the United Kingdom comes from. If this HUB was such a hot item and we are the center of this hot item then where are the other high end investors fighting to get a piece of this sweet potato pudding?

More about → Rules, Regulations, Policies and Procedures, The Jamaican Way

The Great Jamaican Debate: Who Should Rule!!!

The great debate in Jamaica is a never ending debate, the debate as to which Political Party is best suited to lead Jamaica and this debate is as old as Jamaica itself. Jamaica is no stranger to being ruled by different factions over the many hundreds of years. First the Taíno Indians, also known as the Arawaks ruled Jamaica but suffered continued attacks from the warlike Carib Indians who wanted them for dinner. Then the Spanish conquered the island claiming that they discovered it and proceeded to exterminate every last Indian on the island. It was the Spanish who first introduce Africans to Jamaica in order to replace the Indians they systematically wiped out.

Then one sunny Jamaican morning in 1655 on the 10th of May another band of European scavengers turned up on our shores, it was two Spanish settlers who first spotted the huge fleet just as it rounded Point Morant... this was the English Armada which resulted in the invasion and the start of the war between the Spanish and the English. In the end Jamaica was conquer by our colonial masters the English and the Spanish was sent packing. Throughout the entire Caribbean the Dutch, French, Spanish, Portuguese and English was engaged in one war after another trying to decide who "discovered" what and controlled what. Almost everywhere the Spanish and Portuguese went they discovered gold which made the English green with envy, they wanted some gold of their own, so they set out to "discover" distant lands but they were never that lucky, they found no gold.

It was then that they decided to take gold from the Spanish and Portuguese, it they could not find a land mass with easy gold for the pickings then they would take the Spanish Gold. It was easy work, sit back relax and let them do all the hard work of invading, murdering the natives and extracting the gold then attack their slow over burden ships as they made their way back to Europe and take their gold, easy money and how the Empire got started.

In one incident after much murdering, enslaving, raping and pillaging by the Spanish in South America they woke up to find English Armada sitting just off the coast, guns pointing towards shore and without even firing a single shot the Spanish decided to just give up and give in, they gave the English all their Gold because the alternative was not worth it. Which is exactly how the British took Manhattan, the Dutch woke up to find the British Fleet heading into New York and not having any stomach for a fight they surrendered their possessions and head home. The Dutch were Traders not fighters and in the end traded their lives for Manhattan, New Amsterdam then became New York.

**Armada is the Spanish and Portuguese word for naval fleet but the word Armada is way cooler than the word fleet... Other names I love are Bismarck battleships and HMS Dreadnought... wicked names... 

Fast forward to present times and we are still being invaded and conquered by different factions both local and international but instead of guns, spears and battle armor they wear slick expensive suits, armed with Ivy League education, mastered the gift of the gab and backed by Multinational Corporations who are the modern day version of the Dutch West India Company and British East India Company. Historically these companies used local leaders as their front men after trying and failed at direct rule because It seems the locals prefer to be oppressed indirectly by people who look and sound like them, so the English was content with ruling from the behind, pulling the strings and reaping the rewards, a tradition that continued to this very day via the World Bank, IMF and United Nation to name a few.

Our independence and freedom exist within the framework created by these bodies. So who control these world governing bodies? That is a question everyone is trying to find an answer to. Some say the United States of America controls the world governing bodies but who control the United States Government, in fact who control all Governments? If one followed the money trail one would find that it leads back to the Multinational Corporations who bought the entire world, lock stock and barrel, they are the Ferengis of our time, greedy, untrustworthy little trolls.

There is no longer a dividing line between our Governments and the Multinational Corporations, the Government of a country works directly for and in the Multinational Corporations who controls what you eat, think, love and hate, they decide when war starts and when war ends.

Perspective: JLP = PNP = Jamaican People or JLP vs. PNP vs. Jamaican People vs. Jamaican People
 

It is really irrelevant which Political Party makes up the Government of Jamaica because the medicine is and will always be the same, …it will be Bitter and Toxic!! Simply because of the actions or lack of actions of the Jamaican people... because of our greed, selfishness, lack of insight, indiscipline, lack of innovation and imagination we have allowed the infection that plague our country to run wild and spread deep for many decades and now the patient must undergo invasive surgery to remove this cancer.

The fact of the matter is the IMF is not going to change its terms base on which Political Party makes up the Government of Jamaica who I must say, is just along for the ride on this IMF roller coaster. The IMF solution and the IMF terms are set in Rock Stone as no one is willing to lend us money to prop up the Jamaican dollar so we can import more feel good garbage and if they do lend us money for that purpose then the rate and the terms will be harsher… The IMF terms are the same terms presented to the JLP after their IMF agreement and they failed to implement them simply because election was upon them and they did not have the balls to do what was right. Back then the IMF gave Jamaica US $400 Million in direct loans and another US $400+ Million from various other financial institutions as a result of the agreement and even before the first IMF test and we had a jolly good time with that money. We imported like there was no tomorrow as the influx of US $800+ Million was like a shot of heroin into Jamaica’s import Junkie life blood, this resulted in artificially reducing the exchange rate and allowed us to splurge while we sing praises to the Government of the day, not realizing or not caring that it was the wrong thing to do.

I have noticed that the Jamaica Labour Party is NOT campaigning on the high exchange rate or on any of the requirements dictated to us by the IMF because they cannot promise a different path. Both the JLP and the PNP cannot say they will artificially reduce the exchange rate, higher more people in the public sector or pay out more in benefits to social programs, they simply cannot go against the current IMF mandate and they do not have an alternate path and have long since ran out of any ideas. They are all just blowing smoke and whistling Dixie, jumping around like circus clowns, posturing for their idiot voters.

The PNP had promised a different path before the 2011 election only to realize that the path is not open for negotiation with the world financing bodies, who has clearly had enough of our promises and failed implementations not to mention they have their hands full with more important countries and economies and realized long ago that if you throw money at Jamaica, Jamaica will squander it, keep a big merriment party and live for today, we are a money sucking black hole.

The JLP cannot bring anything radically different to the table, just like the PNP could not bring anything radically different to the table after 2011. Whatever growth program both the JLP and PNP are planning, if any, must be done within the guidelines of the limited IMF agreement and terms which is standing firm. This is why I do not care which Political Party/faction makes up the Government, they are in fact, just hamsters on a wheel and despite all their promises and rage they are still just a rat in a cage.

The Real World Boss!!

More about → The Great Jamaican Debate: Who Should Rule!!!

Puppets and Puppet Masters, IMF in Control

In January of 2010 the IMF announced that its was in agreement with the Government of Jamaica for a bailout loan of US$1.2 Billion under a 27-month Stand-By Arrangement. By 2011 Jamaica’s IMF agreement derailed as Jamaica did not sit the review test for quarters ending December, June and September and the IMF has said it would not go to its board until Jamaica is able to get the programme back on track, as such Jamaica was unable to drawn down any more money from the fund.

Under the 27-month agreement with the IMF, Jamaica had agreed to reduce the public-sector wage bill from 11.5 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) to 9.5 per cent of GDP. Prime Minister Bruce Golding told Parliament that the requirement could lead to approximately 10,000 job cuts, which I think was a conservative estimate as some experts predicted close to 30,000. The IMF declared that Jamaica has not been moving fast enough to affect necessary reforms under the 27-month standby arrangement and so they will let off no more funds.

The big question then is, why did the Bruce Golding led Government stopped the IMF reforms dead in its tracks? What did the IMF want them to implement, was it so harsh, so terrible that they did not have the stomach or the backbone to continue with the IMF requirements? Whatever it was it was too much of a bitter medicine for them to deliver... so exit Bruce Golding and enter Andrew Holness.

In Oct 24, 2011 Andrew Holness was sworn in as the New Prime Minister, not long after he declared that the country will hold General elections on December 29th, just few months after taking office. Constitutionally the Hon. Holness did not have to call election and I thought it was a very bad idea at the time, Andrew needed time to make his mark but he was in a peculiar position with the IMF on one side and the Jamaican people on the other. Instead of taking the bull by the horn and do what had to be done he called an election thinking he would either first secure a mandate from the people or maybe he just did not want the job as head Bitter Medicine deliverer hoping that job would go to the PNP. Mr. Holness election campaign was based partly on the Bitter Medicine that was to come and the PNP campaign was based on the Good times that were to come.

Now the PNP have the job of delivering the toxic medicine even though they promised Good Times but only a fool would believe that good times was in our immediate future, knowing the state of our economy and society. Deep down in our hearts we knew for many decades we were heading in the wrong direction, spiraling out of control but throwing caution to the wind and living the high life felt way to good and addictive. However I do believe the Jamaican people have been crying out for structure and leadership for a long time, they wanted someone to stop their destructive behavior and lead the way, they wanted an intervention but our Political class is way too selfish for that, so they feed into the destructive behavior as a way to secure votes like a drug dealer to a crack addicted whore.

Honesty and Reliability are important factors in life, it is a requirement needed for the proper development of any society but members of our political class are neither Honest or reliable, they are just lying, blood sucking opportunist.

I agree with the Private Sector and the Opposition with regards to the Stealth Planned Tax Package. We understand that The IMF will have certain demands from Jamaica before any funds are released, they always do, so when the government announced a big broadcast, everyone tuned in to watched, waited to hear what was in store for us. Knowing the IMF and the state of the Jamaican economy "With a debt-to-GDP ratio of above 140 per cent, a persistent and perennial low-growth or no-growth economy, a crushing debt stock of J$1.7 trillion, and consistent under-performance on revenue collection" …we knew it would be both a Bitter and Toxic medicine and as such we braced ourselves, drink a beer and expected the absolute worst. One thing I know about Jamaican people, they do not do Austerity. They don’t mind getting a loan, always up for a big money let off but do not believe they should jump through hoops or swallow bitter medicine, ...it goes against the very principle of the Let off Culture.

So After the broadcast I said to myself, is that it? A friend of mine said when is the other shoe going to drop because that cannot be it? The Government introduced a new JDX (Jamaica Debt Exchange) programme requested by the IMF (called it: NDX (National Debt Exchange)). The Finance Minister touched on some potential projects to help boost growth and declared that they were hoping to have a public sector wage freeze agreement. After which the Private Sector declared that they were all on board willing and ready to do their part, shoulders to the grind stone. The opposition is never on board it is the very nature of a Jamaican Opposition regardless of which party is in opposition. Our opposition is only concern with opportunities to oppose and expose, stick it to the government… they live for the “Got You Moments”, so there will never be any holding of hands and tackling national issues out of patriotic and national pride. The Jamaican political class and diehard supporters practice the Scorched Earth Policy, if my party is not in power, tear down the country, mash it up, leave no stone unturned until I regain power.

It was a very Underwhelming speech by the PM and the Finance Minister which is why the Private Sector was chuffed, the private sector prefer their bad news light not heavy and disruptive, however the broadcast did not deliver much by way of substance. The TVJ Panel of experts was more informative, although I did not understand the need for them to call Jason Abrahams in Florida, sound like they woke him up, he had nothing to contribute but nothing Jamaicans love more than a person with an impressive last name and Job title working for a big company in North American to babble on and on about absolutely nothing …seconds into his chatter I was thinking… “Man come off a di phone and go back a yu bed”.

The next morning the Government went into Parliament and announced a $16.4-billion Tax Package, plus an additional $11.4 billion from the NHT (National Housing Trust) over the next 4 years.

The Government met with:

• The Opposition before the broadcast and no mention was made of the Planned Tax Package.
• The Private Sector before the broadcast and no mention was made of the Planned Tax Package.
• The Trade Unions and no mention was made of the Planned Tax Package.
• The Jamaican people on a nationwide broadcast and still no mention was made of the Planned Tax Package.

Clearly the time to announce/introduce this Planned Tax Package was during the nationwide broadcast after introducing it to the stake holders in the pre-meeting. Then go into Parliament and discuss the details with the Opposition and the country.

I am sorry but The Government was disingenuous and I cannot understand why, to what aim, what were they trying to achieve, what outcome did they expect from this deception? I don’t even know if we can call it deception because it looked like pure stupidity to me. What is the difference between being upset the night before or in the morning, plus the night before we were expecting to go to bed upset after hearing the bitter medicine details?

Those of us old enough understand that the IMF have us firmly by the short and curly because once you invite the IMF into to your house then they are now in charge of your house, so just be Honest and Open, let the chips fall where they may, we the Jamaican people caused this mess and we the Jamaican people must sacrifice to clean up our mess. Trying to Stealth in a Massive Planned Tax Package was the wrong thing to do and this Government looked foolish in my eyes. I am not even sure I can call it stealth anymore because it was announced in parliament and to the opposition, so I will just stick with Pure Stupidity.

The Real
World Boss

Having lived through IMF I told you youngsters not to go back to the Fund, I was told how cheap the loan was, but these youngsters are only looking for cheap, easy, let off money, they expected to get something for nothing which is what fishing is all about. This my dear friends is what the IMF does, its terms are Harsh, Hard and Fast, they can tell you to lay off 40,000 workers without batting an eye or implement massive Tax Packages at moments noticed, It is the IMF way or the highway and knowing the state of Jamaica it will only get worse, their terms are always Austerity and I have yet to hear or see any growth programme from this Government. The IMF is now in charge, they are the ones dictating our financial policies, the elected Government is just the conduit through which their power flows.

The Political Class

It amazes me also that this Government was anti-tax and anti-JDX when the previous Government was pro-tax and pro-JDX and it equally amazes me that the Opposition is anti-tax and anti-JDX when they were pro-tax and pro-JDX when they were in power. I never know if the opposition is making a statement base on Solid Economics Facts, with unselfish logics and commonsense or just opposing for opposing sake. I would like to think they are making a solid economic factual statement but knowing our political parties they say one thing in opposition and say something else when in Government. Audley Shaw on CVM sounded like he was campaigning. However I am happy to finally hear from the opposition, having heard way too much from those muppets in the G2K. The moral of the story is, be careful of Political Posturing while in opposition because you never know what will happen when you become the Government. Be mindful of what you say and do because it might come back to bite you in the butt.

I watched “Simon Says” on CVM the other night as he read statements from members of both political parties while they occupy different positions of our Government structure over time and it got me thinking... They can curse something one minute and defend the same thing the next. It just confirms to me what I knew all along but hoping that someday it would change, that politicians have no Principles, because principle is not wishy washy or opportunistic, it is a firm, stand your ground thing and the measure of a person. I think we are in bigger trouble than any of us care to think about, not because the economy is rubbish, not because the exchange rate is rubbish, not because of high crime rate but because those members of the political class are Spineless, Lying, deceitful, little invertebrates totally void of any principles and no good will come of it. For the first time in decades I genuinely fear for the future of my beloved country, each time I look and listen to members of the Government and Opposition.

Unless the Opposition can come up with something radically different, promoting personal responsibility and moving us in a different direction then I do not see any other option. It was the Opposition that brought the IMF back to our beds and then failed to implement their requirements. The IMF is not trying to create a growth program, it just knows how to chip away at what it sees as the problem, Public sector wage bill too high? Fire the lot!, Government need more Revenue? Increase taxes! Take the public sector for example, ever since I my eye deh a mi kneel, I have been hearing that we need to reduce the size of the public sector, every jack man knows it is bloated and costing us too much, people are just employed for employment sake and there is no efficiency in the sector. Back in the 90’s Douglas Orane was commissioned to investigate the sector and identify waste and mismanagement. The Government paid lip service to it and when the report was finally delivered the Government shelved it, none of the recommendation was ever implemented to my knowledge. We did not need the IMF to tell us to lay off 30,000 people, we could have laid off 1000 public sector workers , per year with an hire freeze for the past 30 years or 2000 over 15 years. A lot of our problems have been around for decades and we have done nothing to deal with it over time. The Political class does political tip toeing around the problems and the people.... well they just love and enjoy their merriment ...from Dancehall to Jazz and Reggae Concerts, to hot Observer Page 2 moments at various events. Jamaica is the Matrix, that movie must have been written with us in mind, reality means nothing, perception is everything, every body lives in their own creation of Lah, Lah Land where they bask in their own self-importance... look at me, look at me, I am big and large.

I have heard diehard supporters of the opposition declaring that it is now time for us to do one of our world renowned demonstration, that it is time to go on a slash and burn, looting and shooting rampage and I wonder to demand what, how will that fix anything, a rampage on that level will only make matters worst. It is about time we separate some of our problems from the political arena to the national arena and deal with the problems as one people, united before the world.

Meanwhile over the many years, No Mass Rally or Protest have ever been organized against:

• Government Corruption, Lies and Empty Promises
• Increasing Murder/Crime Rate
• Economic Mismanagement and Hardship
• Crumbling and/or missing infrastructure
• Child abuse/murder on rise in Jamaica

Which tells me mass riot and demonstration is only done when the opposition wants to become the Government not because they care about the lives of the people.

We have done nothing to address the problems in our society and as a matter of fact every Government have tried not to take any bold step fearing they may upset the electorate who provides them with power and glory but we cannot continue like this, we must change. The name Jamaica was meant for bigger and better things, a shining example to all but we have lost our way and derailed our journey to greatness. It is now time to correct the error of our ways.

The Austerity, Inflationary, No Growth, Bitter Medicine, Debt Reducing IMF Budget 

More about → Puppets and Puppet Masters, IMF in Control

What is wrong with this statement?

"Do you have the support of your prime minister in securing the IMF deal," Holness asked as he noted that any delay in inking a deal with the multilateral could be "detrimental to the very people that you are trying to protect".

A House Divided... 

I have never heard Republicans refer to the President as your president (even though they hate his guts and Rep. Joe Wilson Called Obama A Liar During State of Union Address) or members of the British Parliament refer to the Prime Minister as your Prime Minister even though during Prime Minister Question and Answer Time they can get pretty rowdy. It is The President, our President or The Prime Minister or Our Prime Minister…. The implication form the Hon. Andrew Holness is that The Prime Minister is only the Prime Minister of half the country but not his half, it clearly sends the wrong message to an already fractured and divided society. It is a statement I expect from old, past them prime, gray back, politicians, old dogs that cannot be thought new tricks and tribal, partisan, diehards but not from the young, vibrant, up and coming 21 century politicians/leaders who should represents hope for the future and will lead the country one day.

Must Fall!!!

Sometimes it would be nice if the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader would deliver a common statement together, showing a unified front for example against external attacks, instead of nip picking at each others every word like kids in a school yard, it gets boring and predictable. I have seen this done in a number of countries with positive effects, it sends the message that yes we might have our differences but make no mistake we are Jamaicans and will close ranks if Jamaica is attacked. We all understand that part of the job of being in politics is to go at each others throats like mad rabid dogs but it should not be the entire job.

I did not even see a bipartisan display of togetherness during the Jamaica 50 celebration, yes both parties were represented at various functions but they were there in body not in the spirit of Jamaica’s 50 year Anniversary of Independence. Nothing happened between them that would make me walk away from the celebrations feeling secure in the knowledge that our future looked promising. Before the start of the celebration various members of the Government and opposition was constantly at each other’s throat, cursing loudly and disgustingly like people living in a low class ghetto tenement yard on capture land. One would think that they would have buried the hatchet (though not in each other’s back) for the grand celebration showing the people some form of Nationalistic and Patriotic Solidarity and Pride.

I continue to be deeply disappointed at the members of the political class. They have let us down in the past, are letting us down now and will no doubt continue to let us down in the future. They make no attempt to raise the level of discourse within our society and continue to send the wrong message to the younger generation, that this is a dog eat dog world, every man for himself, go get yours any which way you can world.

"Left to themselves, political parties will quickly degenerate into machines for votes, attacking opponents, distributing the spoils of office and electing candidate....MM"

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Small Examples of Bipartisan Behaviour I have read about:

• -Romney gets bipartisan scolding over his criticism of Obama administration
• -Hoyer Remarks at Bicameral, Bipartisan Press Conference Urging Joint Select Committee to "Go Big"
• -Senate Bipartisan Press Conference on Climate Change Legislation
• -Rep. Dold's Bipartisan Press Conference on the Looming Fiscal Cliff
• -Rep. Dold at a Bipartisan Transportation Press Conference

I remember How proud I was watching the event that took place 

At time index 4:10 and 4:26 in this video.. 

More about → What is wrong with this statement?