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Just enough to buy bulb
During the 18 years of the last PNP administration, we often heard that Government had no money to do the people's business. We would hear that this road could not be repaired or that hospital could not get the equipment it needed, or that school could not get computers because there just was not enough money available.
It may not have been intentional but it seems they were actually telling the truth. Because how could they have money to do anything of the sort when it takes all of $200 million to do a simple thing like distribute four million free light bulbs. That's 50 bucks a bulb!
Not only that, but can you imagine how much more money was spent doing stuff that actually cost something? For example, if it takes more than 200 million to give away free bulbs, how much would it cost to, say, repair a road for five million; about a billion dollars?
No wonder former Minister of State Kern Spencer was in tears in Parliament this week. It was the good life. He claims, though, that his tears were more out of frustration, hearing the misconceptions coming from the other side of the bench. Whatever, man. What-ever!
Enough motivation
Why then did he not rise and defend himself? Surely, he had enough motivation from the Members of Parliament who urged him to tell it like it is. However, he chose to listen to the voice of Bobby Pickersgill, a man famous for putting his foot into his own mouth, who told him to sit down and shut the hell up.
The thing is if this had happened in another ministry, I think everyone would have probably given Spencer the benefit of the doubt that he knows nothing of where the 200 million dollars went. And while I would not even dare suggest that Spencer had anything to do with any of that money, after all, this investigation has only just begun, you really have to wonder just what was going on at the Ministry of Industry, Technology and Commerce. I mean seriously, how many cock-ups were there coming from that ministry?That ministry alone is directly and indirectly involved in at least two ongoing investigations - this bulb scandal thing and the Trafigura affair (sounds like the title of a Robert Ludlum novel, doesn't it?).
Whoever is involved though, it makes you cringe just wondering what else went on at the Ministry of Industry, Technology and Commerce that will perhaps never come to light but made wealthy people out of those who did 'shady' business with it in the past, all at the taxpayers' expense.
It also makes you thank God that the PNP is no longer in power because it seemed as if the longer it was there, the more creative people would have found ways to 'spend' our money on projects like the distribution of free light bulbs. Thank God they weren't building a light bulb factory.
At the end of the day though, someone has to be found responsible for this atrocity committed upon the Jamaican public. Somebody has to be at fault and I don't mean some minion within the ministry or within Government because minions can't write 40-million-dollar cheques. When that person or persons are found, they must be punished to the full extent of the law. They must be put in a cell on Tower Street where we house the nation's worst criminals and the guards there must ensure that there are no light bulbs in that crowded cell.
During the 18 years of the last PNP administration, we often heard that Government had no money to do the people's business. We would hear that this road could not be repaired or that hospital could not get the equipment it needed, or that school could not get computers because there just was not enough money available.
It may not have been intentional but it seems they were actually telling the truth. Because how could they have money to do anything of the sort when it takes all of $200 million to do a simple thing like distribute four million free light bulbs. That's 50 bucks a bulb!
Not only that, but can you imagine how much more money was spent doing stuff that actually cost something? For example, if it takes more than 200 million to give away free bulbs, how much would it cost to, say, repair a road for five million; about a billion dollars?
No wonder former Minister of State Kern Spencer was in tears in Parliament this week. It was the good life. He claims, though, that his tears were more out of frustration, hearing the misconceptions coming from the other side of the bench. Whatever, man. What-ever!
Enough motivation
Why then did he not rise and defend himself? Surely, he had enough motivation from the Members of Parliament who urged him to tell it like it is. However, he chose to listen to the voice of Bobby Pickersgill, a man famous for putting his foot into his own mouth, who told him to sit down and shut the hell up.
The thing is if this had happened in another ministry, I think everyone would have probably given Spencer the benefit of the doubt that he knows nothing of where the 200 million dollars went. And while I would not even dare suggest that Spencer had anything to do with any of that money, after all, this investigation has only just begun, you really have to wonder just what was going on at the Ministry of Industry, Technology and Commerce. I mean seriously, how many cock-ups were there coming from that ministry?That ministry alone is directly and indirectly involved in at least two ongoing investigations - this bulb scandal thing and the Trafigura affair (sounds like the title of a Robert Ludlum novel, doesn't it?).
Whoever is involved though, it makes you cringe just wondering what else went on at the Ministry of Industry, Technology and Commerce that will perhaps never come to light but made wealthy people out of those who did 'shady' business with it in the past, all at the taxpayers' expense.
It also makes you thank God that the PNP is no longer in power because it seemed as if the longer it was there, the more creative people would have found ways to 'spend' our money on projects like the distribution of free light bulbs. Thank God they weren't building a light bulb factory.
At the end of the day though, someone has to be found responsible for this atrocity committed upon the Jamaican public. Somebody has to be at fault and I don't mean some minion within the ministry or within Government because minions can't write 40-million-dollar cheques. When that person or persons are found, they must be punished to the full extent of the law. They must be put in a cell on Tower Street where we house the nation's worst criminals and the guards there must ensure that there are no light bulbs in that crowded cell.