Another nine-day wonder?

 I wonder if that excellent investigation by the Integrity Commission which unearthed the alleged corruption at KSACMC and the top executive at NWC, will cause the Holness administration and its minions to stop harassing/maligning that institution and allow it to do its work in peace!

Or if the spotlight now turned on the corruption at the Building Department of the double-dealing KSACMC will be just a talking point or will something be finally done about that institution that has caused nothing but grief for many struggling homeowners in the corporate area?

Me, hold my breath?

No way.

I am of course referring to the Integrity Commission’s exposure which caused NWC top boss Mark Barnett to be sent on leave by the NWC and now face prosecution.

The 'delinquency' of the Building Department is not new. And it has cost the Municipality, homeowners, and taxpayers, dearly over the decades.

Right now, the spotlight on that department has to do with new developments in upscale areas but the headaches the department caused over the years, have long been visible in places like Richmond Park, Eastwood Park, and Bedford Park.

I resided in Bedford Park for decades, and their refusal to prosecute businesses that operate there illegally caused nothing but frustration for us forever, despite the fact that the breaches were reported ad nauseam. 

Not to mention the unnecessary cost to taxpayers in general. For, the commercialization of residential areas causes the rapid deterioration of the roads which were never built to the standard necessary to withstand commercial activity. So, on the rare occasions when the authorities repair these roads, it’s the general public that has to foot the bill.

Why?  Because “Money talk and bull#&@%** walk!”

That is what the first operator to breach our covenant told residents when he turned his home into a heavy-duty commercial operation and a delegation approached him. And yes, the KSACMC refused to do anything about it, so more and more illegal operators followed suit until the road became almost undrivable. The entire area deteriorated and life became miserable for homeowners despite regular reports to the so-called regulators, the KSACMC.

“Money talk and bull#&@%*...walk.”

As a victim of that corrupt municipality, I know them well. Yup,  and there have been many successive administrations at that sewer pit.

I couldn’t believe it when I recently heard an apologist saying the problem at KSAMC was that they didn’t have the funds to employ enough building inspectors!

Do you know what the penalty for operating businesses in residential areas is? If my memory serves me correctly, it is in the range of $25,000 per day once the infractions continue. And they were always reported and totally visible!

But while the violations continued for all to see, the KSACMC happily gave up that revenue because individuals at the monitoring and enforcing institution were being paid millions not to enforce the laws. So, as the neighborhoods became run down, people who had worked long and hard to own a home had to move out of sheer exasperation.

The unprosecuted violations over the decades elicited an occasional report in instigative journals, but successive administrations would do nothing about the disgraceful and outright corruption at that municipality, so one can only assume they are all complicit!

Now it continues, not only with the commercialization of residential areas but also with rampant building violations in apartment development in areas with large lots.

That’s what the much-maligned Integrity Commission has brought to the fore by the exposing of the NWC boss and “delinquency” at the Municipality.

Will the exposure lead to any cleansing of the stables at KSACMC?

 I doubt it, for we are notorious for our love of nine-day wonders followed by a “bagga mout,” but no action is usually taken.

Many decades ago, it was reported that the late Sir Alexander Bustamante had once disbanded the KSAC because of the entrenched corruption there. After my experience with that institution, as far as I am concerned, the time has long passed for another cleansing there.

If the latest Integrity Commission's Report leads to that action, they will be more than well worth their existence, despite the determination by senior politicians to destroy them.

Ole time sinting indeed

Miss Lou would have been proud. For it was hilarious from start to finish, with splendid backdrops, lively music/dancing, colorful costumes and most importantly, professional acting.

The cast

I say Miss Lou would have been proud as not only were her lyrics, proverbs, and poems all integral parts of the production, but also it was produced by the organization in Florida established to not only keep the culture she held so dear relevant, but also to raise funds to sponsor scholarships to Broward College and the Edna Manley College of Visual and Performing Arts in Jamaica.

This outstanding pantomime “Ole Time Sinting Come Back Again’ was written by the late Easton Lee and Norma Darby (former director of Jamaica Folk Review) and first staged in Miramar Florida in 2011.

Consul General Oliver Mair salutes Norma Darby

This latest staging was at the 1000-seat Lauderhill Performing Arts Center in Florida and was a sold-out affair on the first night, Saturday, September 30, 2023. It closes on Sunday, October 1st.

Behind this production, is the dynamic cultural organization, the Louise Bennett-Coverley Heritage Council. It is chaired by the talented Jamaican, Colin Smith who also chairs the musical chorale, the Jamaica Folk Review, most of whose members were the actors in this production. 

Smith is also the founder and leader of Tallawah Mento Band which provided the music for the pantomime. He also directed this production.

Miss Lou was a child of the pantomime, having acted in the first one staged in Jamaica in 1941 and writing, producing, and acting in many others during her active life.

This latest production of 'Ol Time Sinting Come Back Again’ was entertaining from start to finish and elicited audience participation and laughter throughout.

I hope it will be taken on the road throughout the USA, for Jamaicans everywhere deserve to see this production.

I had been a regular pantomime attendee in Jamaica for many decades. Then they became boring to the point where I literally fell asleep in the last one I attended decades ago!

Then Covid came and brought it to an end locally.

Hopefully, this pantomime will be taken to Jamaica too so the younger generation will learn, and good pantomimes will once again become part of Kingston’s entertainment scene.

The late, great Louise Bennett aka Miss Lou

Miss Lou and the younger generation deserve no less. 

Snippets

Politicians giving themselves huge, unwarranted salary increases,  did not escape these two!😊

Municipal Councils negligence

 So, it appears that the government is finally giving consideration to holding legally due parish council elections in Jamaica.

Should we celebrate?

Absolutely not.

 For decades, some of us have been pointing to the total ineffectiveness and waste of money that the Parish Councils as presently structured represent. However, the latest response from the government has been to add insult to injury by announcing a whopping increase in salaries of the underperforming councilors.  For as of 1^st April (all fools day,) next year, the virtually useless councilors will earn a whopping  $5.7 annually each.

By making the ridiculous raise effective on all fools day, the government is telling taxpayers what fools they are, I guess!

Total disrespect, for that sure is a large chunk of money for people who give very little value for money and whose duties are nebulous, to say the least.

But does the Jamaican taxpayer care?

Nah.

According to the Local Government Webpage, among the responsibilities of the Municipal Councils (fancy name for parish councils) are; “developing, managing and maintaining infrastructure and public facilities such as parochial roads, water supplies, drains and gullies, parks, recreational centres, markets, abattoirs, pounds, (my emphasis) cemeteries, transportation centres, public sanitary conveniences and public beaches.”

I wonder which Council provides any of the services listed above even in part! From the level of complaints one hears about their operations, I hazard a guess that none do.

Did you notice that in the list above, pounds are included. For your information, the Pound Act specifically calls for every parish to have one in operation.

 But not even one Parish council has a working pound, I am informed.

This despite the fact that in August 2023 alone, six persons (including a policeman) were killed in vehicular accidents involving stray animals on the roads. These were in Westmorland, St. Elizabeth and St. Mary.

And in publishing those statistics, I note that the National Road Safety Council does not bother to mention persons who are injured, although in my book, its often these people who suffer the most.

In many instances a large number of people injured in road accidents are left disabled, unable to work, unable to sue anyone responsible for their plight and left to live the rest of their lives in pain, destitution and misery. But that’s another topic for another day.

In August, after the death of the policeman, the topic of the negligence of the parish council briefly surfaced, but was quickly forgotten. For you see, in Jamaica, unless politicians, celebrities, the rich or other influential people are killed or harmed, no action is ever taken, just a bagga mout.

This voice in the wilderness only returned to the topic today on seeing a recent story about an accident that occurred in Williamsfield on the brand new highway which was opened with great flourish just a week or two ago.

This is the leg of highway 2000 which runs from   Williamsfield to May Pen. In this case, the victim is calling for the highway to be closed until it is fenced, to keep animals at bay.

But what about the delinquency of Parish Councils, in not establishing pounds all around the island, as they are required to?

And don’t the owners of these animals where identified, accountable?

Who is enforcing the laws against them?

I see that almost two billion has been allotted from the third supplementary estimate to finance the oft-postponed parish council elections. Yea, sure, the laws call for parish council election to be held every four years, but successive governments always ignore this requirement anyway. But when will they be required to start giving the beleaguered taxpayers value for money?

Almost Six million-dollar salaries for unproductive individual councilors and billions for the operations of parish council. 

What on earth are they delivering?

 

Much improved

 This is my second visit to the Native American festival and it has certainly improved.

This is an annual Indian festival hosted by the Miccosukee Tribe on the grounds of their casino. 

This is one of the many active native American tribes operating in Florida.

The first time I went to the festival, it struck me as only a way of increasing traffic to it's casino,  but this year it was far more family oriented.

There were far more rides for kids and even a petting zoo.

 They  also had many more stalls with native crafts and food.

It's quite a difficult task, but Indians from the over 500 tribes still existing in the USA, are working hard to not only maintain their cultures but also sharing it with the rest of the world, we were informed. 

One tool used is through dance rituals.

At the festival today, a number of dances were exhibited. Dancers are drawn from all over the nation, including  Oklahoma, Florida, Wisconsin etc.

The sole female dancer did a rain dance.

The dance troops not only use their craft to entertain Americans, but also, they go on tours all over Europe, we were informed.

My personal favorite was the alligator wrestling show though.

This year, the alligator was a bit more aggressive than the one I saw when I attended a few years before. 

It was a 9 foot critter.

The theme this year depicted a young brave going off by himself to capture a gator for food. His only weapon was a stick and after tiring out the gator for a bit, he moved in to hold it and tie its mouth with barks from a  tree. 

But the gator got agitated and the M.C had to jump in and help him.

 After the gator was subdued, the brave turned it over on its back so it would go to sleep.

 It actually did, or so it appeared to me.😕

Only then could he be able to put it in his canoe and take it home, he explained.

I am sure that in the olden days, many braves were killed before they perfected that technique!

It was interesting but a bit heart stopping at times.

Incidentally, I learned that the Miccosukee have their own police force but when I saw an African American driving one of the cars and asked about it, he told me it's called that but there are no native Americans in their squad.😊.

 Interesting!

What would the festival be without a ride in the swamp on the air boat?

Lacking😊.

 So that topped it off for me.

Good day, great entertainment and educational too!

Youtube link; https://youtu.be/twP3Zzns6R8

History 101

 Often, when you hear 'history,' words like boring or tragic may spring to mind, but not history 101. 

For whenever Maxine "Queenie" Osborne is involved, everything changes.

😊

The engaging Queenie arrives on stage dressed in a school uniform. 

Yup it was our true history, as she traced events from Columbus' brutality to the joys that being Jamaican bring to life.

 It was  entertaining, delightful and   

educational.

In no time, this amazing actress and the versatile Tallawah Mento band led by Colin Smith O.M., had the entire audience rocking and participating in every skit. For the band was also an integral part of the act!

Maxine started out with laughs as she emerged as a troublesome lkkle pickney before delving into serious business like the wisdom of Miss. Lou, the ever-relevant philosophies of Garvey, the bravery of Queen Nanny and the unbreakable spirit of the Jamaican woman.

 I must admit that when it came to the description and uses of popular herbs, I learned a lot and like the rest of the audience, had fun.

Maxine even brought out the acting and singing abilities of some in the audience as we all happily participated in the skits and rocked non-stop to contagious Mento music.

 It was a seamless performance and the audience would have loved if it continued all night. But alas, the library closed at 8 pm.

Malachi gets down with Maxine.

Tallawah Mento band kept us rocking the entire evening.

Big up Director/Dub Poet Malacai and the talented team.

Important info.

If you love this blog, subscribe and share. Also copy and paste the link below for a great product; https://www.digistore24.com/redir/426124/JoanWill/.

                       

A great birthday session.

 It was a birthday celebration with a difference, and that's what made it so special.

                                     

Janice opens a birthday gift from her son Pierre

It was compliments of Janice, my close Jamaican friend, who came up with the brilliant idea of inviting us all to spend her special day in a totally new way.....breakfast on a farm in Florida.

I enjoyed every minute, though arriving just minutes before they stopped serving breakfast and that's why I never got any corned pork😭.

Sister Josie in the middle

I have never been on a farm in Florida before, and this was a farm with a difference. 

I doubt that it was a typical American farm though, but for me it sure felt like a typical Jamaican farm that just happened to be in America. 

Sorrel plants in the front and yam hills in the back!

Skellions (escellion) like sand.

I haven't felt so at home for a long time, for I am a farm girl from St. Elizabeth in Jamaica, dubbed St. Bess and 'the breadbasket of Jamaica." And guess what, the owner of this little piece of paradise, Sheldon, is a St. Elizabeth man himself! 

He hails from about 10 miles away from where I was born. 

Small world indeed!

farmer/entrepreneur Sheldon.

Like a typical St. Elizabeth farmer, he had a little of everything planted on his six-acre of holding. From sugar cane to coconuts, gungo peas, yam, green bananas, nesberries, guavas etc. 

Think of a familiar Jamaican food/fruit and you find it there.

Apart from growing a wide range of Jamaican food, they cook them as well and have a farmer's market.

The farmer's market 

And what would a Saturday session be without a coconut man?

Yea man, corn pork, run dung, ackee and saltfish, calaloo, boil dumpling etc. All the goodies your little heart could desire for breakfast. 

Unfortunately though, they do it only on Saturdays.😡

This farm is located in Boyton Beach but I really never expected to feel so at home in Florida. 

The buildings have thatch roofs, really cool and homely. 

Hanging around with friends, a great Jamaican breakfast while enjoying the ambiance, dominoes and camaraderie, just made my day. 

I really haven't felt so at home and comfortable for a few years.

Janice and son Pierre versus Joan and her brother Tony. We were equally yolked, so there was no six love dropped today😉!

Dominoes take serious concentration😁

                 Aah. The perfect domino location😁

Yup, sure will be back soon.

Important info.

If you love this blog, subscribe and share. Also copy and paste the link below for a great product; https://www.digistore24.com/redir/426124/JoanWill/.

                        MORE MEMORIES

Coconut trees in the background

Elsie ready to party.

Happy guests mill around

The host is in her element

Beautifully organization fields

fever grass

Ackee in front, coconut trees behind

           

An American crisis

 America is having a serious governing crisis. The problem is, too many of its leaders appear beyond their level of competence but are still determined to hold on power.

According to Wikipedia, the latest age distribution in that country is as follows.;

0 – 14 years: 18.2%

15 – 24 years: 13.0%

25 – 54 years: 39.0%

55 – 64 years: 12.9%

65 years and over: 16.8%.

In other words, while the 65’s and older in that country, make up less than 20% of the population, it is that category that is making most of the decisions!

So, who is representing the majority in that country when what you most often see in Washington is a lot of shaky old people dominating the decision-making process?

I suppose that is what spurred presidential hopeful Nikki Haley to call for term limits and quip that ‘the senate is the most privileged nursing home in the nation.’ Newsweek put it more subtly, for according to them ‘the 118th United States Congress is older than any in history.’

The episode with Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell (who is 81) freezing up twice in a month, has opened the eyes of most voters to the problem.

Of course, having Diane Finestein (over 90) being pushed around in a wheel chair and clearly being so out of it that she has had to grant power of attorney to someone else, hasn’t helped matters.

Biden stumbling around mentally and physically as he deteriorates daily before our eyes, is the scariest omen though. Especially since he is determined to hang on to power despite polls showing that 69% of his own Democratic party members saying he is too old to run again.

Having Kamela Harris as next in line has not helped either for her approval rating is in the gutter at 29% according to the Los Angeles Times. Hunter Biden is not helping anything either!

 Biden is being extremely selfish as his determination to try and get a second term is just going to give the Republicans a big win.

Yes, he beat Trump before and is opining that he can do it again. But despite four criminal indictments against him, Trump is currently leading him in the polls.

Not among Republicans, but among Independents, according to an AP poll published in early September.

I will never be able to understand Americans, for as crazy as it seemed to the rest of the world, despite his reputation of being a one-man crime syndicate due his stealing funds from his foundation, scamming persons who went to his university, not paying small contractors who worked on his construction projects and being a self-confessed sexual predator etc. more than 70 million Americans voted for Trump in 2020. 

And he keeps soaring in the polls despite four criminal indictments.

On the other hand, very few Democrats are enthusiastic about Biden. That is sure sign that there will be a low turnout among Democrats. Not to mention how the public squabbles among leaders in solid democratic cities like New York and Chicago are playing out!

These are due to the economic pressures being put on such cities because of Biden’s failed immigration policies.

As president, Biden has done a reasonably good job but he needs to accept that he is just too old to be seeking a second term.

Further the Bidenomics which he touts, only leaves a bad taste in people’s mouths when they go to the supermarket and gas station! Look at the latest CNN poll too, ‘70% think things are going badly in the country!’

Biden needs to step down early to give someone young, capable and vibrant a chance to emerge in time to build a movement and raise funds for the 2024 election.

For as long as he insists that he is running again, no one in his party is willing to challenge him. So, the longer he hangs on to power, the more he digs a deep grave for the Democrats.

Even if his favorite opponent, Trump, does not make it to the elections, any energetic empty barrel in the Republican party can probably trounce him, for he comes across as old, out of it and wobbly.

Even beside even Mike Pence!

Give the democrats a chance Mr. Biden don’t let selfishness wipe out all the good you have achieved.

Lots of Dems are asking me, ' if not Biden, who?' How many of you ever heard of someone named Barak Obama before he challenged Hilary?

Nuff said.

The world is watching nervously, for what happens in the USA affects the entire planet.

Important info.

If you love this blog, subscribe and share.