They lie!

[Muadib]

Head of the Stream...

Once again we are back to the Head of the Stream.

Yuh cyaan escape it.

[Karl]

Betraying the public's trust

Betty Ann Blaine
Tuesday, November 13, 2007


Dear Reader,
The Cuban light bulb probe is much more than a juicy scandal. It calls into question the broad issue of good governance, and should elicit a vigorous debate across the country regarding public integrity, transparency, and accountability, and what happens when governments and elected officials betray the public's trust.

As far as I am concerned, the light bulb scandal, ultimately, is not about which personalities will be caught and which ones will or will not go to prison. While it is clear to me that the culprits should pay the price for their wrongdoing, the broader issue of how the country is going to rid itself of systemic corruption seems even more paramount. While sending one or two men to prison may be a start, that action alone certainly won't get to the root of the problem. If nothing else, the scandal has reinforced one fact: corruption has deep and wide tentacles.

Even though the jury is still out and the final verdict has not been rendered, it is clear from what we know so far that the Cuban light bulb programme has already breached certain broad principles and ethics. How can a gift, ostensibly to relieve the energy burden on the poor, cost a poor country close to J$280 million? Why weren't the free Cuban light bulbs distributed through the established national networks for the poor? Everybody knows how to distribute goods and materials to the masses at minimal costs. The charitable organisation, Food for the Poor, with its national networks of churches and non-government organisations, could easily have taken on the job of distributing the light bulbs. With more churches per square mile than any other place on the planet, and permeating every community in the country, distribution of anything to the masses could be easily undertaken by church groups.

What this saga has demonstrated is that greed and good governance are inherently incompatible. If the objective had been to provide the people of Jamaica with the best deal possible, then all types of in-kind and pro bono possibilities were available. It is clear that the objective was for a group of select persons to "clean up" on the deal, and in so doing, what was supposed to be free will end up costing Jamaican taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.

As the disturbing details of the light bulb scandal continue to unravel, the 'hard to go away' Trafigura saga has returned to haunt the former administration. Those persons in the PNP (People's National Party) should take heed of the words of the late Martin Luther King Jr when he declared that "truth pressed to earth will always rise again". Far from remaining in the departure lounge, the Trafigura issue is back on the agenda and, like the Cuban light bulb scandal, also calls into question the broad issue of the betrayal of public trust.

Contrary to what some people may argue, the Trafigura issue is much more than an internal PNP matter. In fact, it will probably outdo the Cuban light bulb scandal as far as its international scope and exposure are concerned. It is not only the Dutch oil-trading company that is tainted. The former PNP government and its political party have the dubious distinction of being a part of a trans-national probe with damning implications. In a way similar to the notorious Jamaican posse, the Trafigura scandal is sure to put a stain on the entire country.

As the spotlight is being placed on Jamaica from the outside, more and more of us are coming to grips with the fact that the country is plagued with systemic corruption, rippling through almost every facet of national life. While the current focus is on corruption in government, it is widely believed that the Jamaican private sector is even more corrupt, and that it is the private sector (the engine) that is actually driving public corruption. While it might be easier to finger public officials, there is no doubt that there are willing partners in business and in private life, helping to cut the deals and raise the "ante" in the name of self-interest and greed. The point to be made is that, when it comes to betraying the public's trust, there are culprits across the length and breadth of the corporate/private landscape. When all is said and done, the question is not who will bell one or two public cats, but who among the country's 'movers and shakers' is honest and courageous enough to tackle the roots of systemic corruption.

What is particularly vexing about the corruption at the highest levels of national life is the vulgar trade-off, using the poor as the pawns of the trade - the context in which the Cuban light bulb scandal must be placed. At the same time that close to J$300 million of the people's money was being misspent, our children were attending school under a feeding programme that offers bulla and bag juice; they were being fed at home on a steady diet of chicken back and cheese trix; babies were dying in their mother's arms for lack of adequate health care; hard-working Jamaicans are losing their homes because of detrimental government policies, and the list goes on. It is clear that it is really the poor who are paying the price for corruption.

The problem with corruption is that you can't have a "corrupter" without a "corruptee", and corruption doesn't just fall from the sky. Corruption starts in the hearts of men, and if it remains unchecked, will have an insidious and contaminating nature. At the heart of the problem is greed, and there's no end to where greed will take you. There is no doubt that greed has caused a betrayal of public trust.
With love,
bab2609@yahoo.com