Absolute madness

It appears that most Jamaicans are upset over the government voting itself hefty increases in salaries ranging from 100-200% and more.

 The reaction can be understood as there are no means of accountability or performance assessment for politicians, except of course through elections. 

However, with almost 25% of our constituencies being garrisons, you see our dilemma!

The timing of the announcement of the salary increases is interesting and significant!

For it came after the public servant unions had signed off on increases of approximately 20% for their members, (teachers government servants, nurses, etc.) in light of the claim from the government that they couldn’t pay more, based on the economic realities in the country.

Apparently, the Minister of Finance Dr. Nigel Clarke thought he was being smart with the timing. But the unions are not stupid, so are already decrying their measly increases in comparison to what politicians have given themselves.

In a country where pensioners haven’t received an increase in years and the minimum wage cannot even cover the minimum standard of living for any individual much less his/her family, the unconscionable increases in one fell swoop for politicians, is therefore not only absolute madness but totally unacceptable.

I suspect there will be prolonged upset and maybe even turmoil, over the anomalies during the ensuing weeks.

  

The Governor General's insignia shows an angel with his foot on the neck of a black man!

 The salary increase which hit me for six though, is the increase in the salary of the Governor General from $12 million to $34 million.

 According to the government, this is because the salary of the governor-general is tied to that of the Chief Justice.

 I cannot believe we have been living with this nonsense for decades, considering the important role and duties of the judiciary when compared to that of someone representing a foreign monarchy, with few and insignificant duties to boot!

This really explains the significance of the Governor General’s insignia; for it shows a white angel with his foot on the neck of a black man!😡

For decades I have felt somewhat lonely in raising the issue of the over $400 million we pay annually to keep that inconsequential office going!

But let's look ahead now.

Since we now have a Constitutional Committee in place, it’s time everyone pays close attention to the type of head of state we replace the monarchy with. (hopefully, it will happen in my lifetime!) 

For we simply cannot replace a virtually useless governor general with a useless ceremonial president.

If we do, the entire process will have been a colossal waste of time. 

So, while they are at it, hopefully, the new president will have useful oversight and real responsibilities.

And wouldn’t it be great if we, the voters, could choose the president, rather than having some political hack imposed on us, compliments of collusion between the PNP and JLP?

Not holding my breath at all.

 

 

 Link: https://joan-myviews.blogspot.com/2023/05/winning-lottery.html?m=1

 

 

College? Not for me

 A few years ago, speaking to a young American, I was shocked when he declared that he was sorry he had gone to college. When I asked him why, he explained that he had wasted four years of his life getting a degree, cum laude too, only to find that the job market for graduates was no good. He told me that all around he heard of the thousands of young people who did not graduate with anything but were making huge sums of money on things like gaming and You Tube.

Interestingly, he did not mention criminal activity though.

I was a bit puzzled as where I come from, Jamaica, higher education had long been considered the route to upward mobility, including financial success.

I guess I am out of step though for I am only realizing that the type of youth that I knew who hungered for higher education, now seem obsolete, especially among young men.

It came home starkly when I was advised recently that two well-advertised scholarships valued at $2.4 million, to our own University of the West Indies, was commanding little interest.

These scholarships were being sponsored by Violet Edwards, a Jamaican, who is one of five people in the world that got a university degree while in their 90’s. (Joan, my views: Reflections on aging (joan-myviews.blogspot.com)

Even then I didn’t want to believe there was a serious trend until a friend sent me this recent news item from TVJ. (https://youtu.be/Y9WiSxpcc7I.)

 In the news clip, you see and hear Minister of Agriculture Pernell Charles Jr, bemoaning the fact that there are dozens of scholarships available for which there are no takers.

And to think that for years I have been living under the illusion that just enough scholarships are available for poor students! 😞                                                                    I really shouldn’t be surprised you know but I am genuinely dismayed.

I say I shouldn’t be surprised, for I have known for years that Jamaica is a country where crime definitely pays. 

So if you can get rich quickly and easily through crime, why study?

Even when our criminals are as high profile as Dudus was, the law does not touch them as our security force is super corrupt.

One of the homes alledgedly owned by Dudus

And, there are so many easy ways to make money and openly enjoy the flashy lifestyle in Jamaica without ever being deterred (unless the Americans step in), that those who don’t choose that route could be considered either cowardly or stupid!

Among the easy ways the youth see people making lots of money and living large without studying are; scamming, extortion, drugs, religion and politics.

On the other hand, most who choose the long tedious route involving years of study, after graduation, they end up in jobs which don’t even give them the ability to pay rent in relatively safe neighborhoods, if they don’t get the opportunity to migrate.

Of course, there are exceptions to this general trend, but clearly not enough to give most young people the impetus to pursue the straight and narrow.

Till we tackle this drift, college and higher education will continue to be unattractive to many in the younger generation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kicking off the 60th.

 I love Jamaica Festival when we celebrate Jamaica’s independence from Britain.

I bet persons my age and older never forget where they were that night when the British flag was lowered and ours unfurled.

I know I can never forget, as I got in serious trouble.

Those were the days before cel phones and some friends and I sneaked away from St. Elizabeth and drove all the way to Denbeigh in Clarendon to enjoy the festivities.

We had a wonderful time but the repercussions were lasting.😢

We drove down to celebrate.

Anyway, I look forward to every festival celebration, the festival songs, the comradery, the street dancing, everything.

Last night, friends and I drove down to Miramar to help them kick off their festivities.

Miramar is a city in Broward Country, Florida which could probably be described as Kingston 22 . It has a population of around 135,00 but I bet the majority are Jamaicans as the mayor is Jamaican as are the other  4 elected commissioners who run the city.

Apart from the festivities, I was  drawn to the event by an item in the program indicating that the leader of the opposition from Jamaica, Mark Golding, would be saying a few words.

Mr. and Mrs Golding

Yu know, though retired, mi have the politrix inna mi blood still😁.

The event kicked off outside with refreshments,  music from Florida’s greatest Mento band, Tallawah, led by the versatile Colin Smith and much comradery.

Tallawah got things going

Then we repaired into the auditorium where the mayor of Miramar welcomed everyone and Wayne Armond, former leader of one of Jamaica’s best dance bands, Chalice, sang both the Jamaican and American National Anthems.

Wayne Armond sang the anthems.

Then Golding spoke.

I had never seen him in person nor heard him speak before, but he has a bad media image, so I was curious.

Normally when the politicians travel abroad, they are full of it.

It's normally all about how great they are and how terrible the other side is.

I was pleasantly surprised though as Golding did not go down that road at all. Instead, he spoke about our powerful culture, our influence throughout the world , our great philosophers like Garvey, and the need for us to unite to realize our full potential.

Wow, totally off the usual script.

It made me wonder if prime minister Holness, who is a post-independence baby too and whom I had never seen in person or heard speak live, has a similar outlook.

For that would really bode well for Jamaica.

Next came good entertainment by  Jamaica Folk Review, backed by Tallawah. 

Some young energetic dancers then followed.

Internationally famous dub poet Malachai  who never fails to excite, did two numbers.

Malachi on form

Some fashions were on display but the popular ones were Queen Nanny and Garvey.

Then Wayne Armond really riled up the crowd.

He had the auditorium on its feet as he pumped out popular revivalist and festival songs.

Then it was back outside for the street dance with music provided by a local Florida sound system.

They delivered popular festival songs, but the vibes of a real Jamaican street dance were not really there although we enjoyed ourselves.

It was a good start but I look forward to the real Mckoy in a few weeks back on the Rock.

Happy to see my long lost friend Norris.

Opposition spokesman on security appeared distracted

The police were on hand    

                

                                        

                                             

I HAVE A DREAM

A government that truly represents these Jamaicans-that truly serves these Jamaicans, will require a different kind of politics. The politics will need to reflect our lives as they are actually lived. It won’t be prepackaged, ready to pull off the shelf. It will have to be constructed from the best of our traditions and will have to account for darker aspects of our past. We will need to understand just how we got to this place, this land of warring factions and tribal hatreds. And we need to remind ourselves, despite our differences, just how much we share, common hopes, common dreams.etc.

I took these words from Obama’s “Audacity of Hope” and simply put in Jamaica where he had America. For our dreams are just the same as his. It least mine is but no useless and unnecessary bi-elections will do it for us..

I hope Obama achieves his dreams of change in American politics and I hope we will one day find an own homegrown Obama, a politician who is willing to put his country above his/her party.