Golding misses the boat

[Mosiah]

great! good ting yahoo have unlimited capacity now.

..

[Gamma]

??!!! karl.....i have no idea what point you just tried to make.....

[Mosiah]

still another hour and a half for the next dosage. go slowly with him right now.

[Don1]

Don1, give me a better idea of what you would be looking for in this kind of social contract. A commitment to build/improve schools? new public housing? new social services in the depressed communities?

Something on the level of the Great Society that President Johnson laid out in the US in the 60s?

Recognizing that poor social relations are our biggest impediment to progress:

GOJ or some independent commission should develop a STRATEGIC plan to move the country forward in important sectors and associated tactical plans to give effect to it.. concentrating on education, dismantling garrisons one by one and immediately replacing/upgrading the social, economic and infrastructural elements in these communities with comprehensive but smart investment.... one can't just root out criminals from these places... we breed them like rabbits and a new set will take over... so something must replace them on an economic & social level. (that this does not happen with crime plans.. is a primary reason for their failure).

That plan must be presented to all important stakeholders in the country:

All political parties
All unions
civil society and non-governmental groups
reps from depressed communities- urban and rural
private sector

Lock them up in a room with an independent honest broker/elder statesman leading... with instructions not to come out before they have a consensus agreement on some form of that plan signed by all who will sign.

Importantly... televise the proceedings to discourage/expose posturing and stupidity.

Present that plan to the nation as our solemn roadmap to progress and have an independent executive agency with reps from those same sectors oversee putting it into action with proper accountability.

Dedicate/encumber by law (requiring bi-partisan approval to revoke/change.. is that possible?... maybe not )PetroCaribe funds for this effort over 10 years... say US$300m/year more to education, vocational and job training, community social development and slum/squatter upgrading.

After 10 years and US$3b wisely spent mainly on education/training and community development.. we will have a shot at a better society and sustained growth.

respek

[Karl]

??!!! karl.....i have no idea what point you just tried to make.....

simple - we have more bars per square miles!

[Muadib]

What about Highways ?

[Muadib]

Is the Public sector corrupt ?

Heh, heh.. ah bwoy..

[Don1]

Go back to Mosiah's question above!

Answer: 'Both'...marching lock step in time! There was and has never been the need to do 'one' then 'the other'!

As I said I believe Jamaica's greatest obstacle to development is our horrible social relations. You and others may not see it that way.

Since I believe this.. I think addressing this issue is of the highest priority. I am not saying other things should not be addressed simultaneously.. this is not a mutually exclusive solution.

As our social capital is so perilously low.. I believe the petro windfall can be largely dedicated to its improvement even as we get on with other necessary issues facing the nation .. funded by other sources.

Understand boss??

[Don1]

What about Highways ?

what about highways?

[Muadib]

Priority should be Highways... no ?

[Don1]

Priority should be Highways... no ?

my thesis relates to Petro Caribe windfall funds and how I believe this could be best used.

i would not support highway financing from that source.

[Muadib]

Yuh gwine stop projects on di ground ??

[Don1]

Yuh gwine stop projects on di ground ??

projects on the ground?? Petro Caribe is a huge and growing fund which is only partly being used... mainly in :

subsidizing Air Jamaica? yes stop
subsidizing sugar industry? yes stop
subsidizing the Port Authority? yes stop
whatever other subsidies... yes stop or reduce

Time to fund some project that can fundamentally change the country for the better.. ie education and community development.
The above projects even taken together and along with whatever is planned by GOJ.... as announced publicly... have no potential to fundamentally change the country.. improve the country.. yes... but not fundamentally change.

Jamaica needs radical, innovative policies and creative leadership.. not more of the same crap.




dun talk.

[Muadib]

Which leads to a question I posed before..

What handle were you posting under BEFORE September 2007 ?

[Don1]

Which leads to a question I posed before..

What handle were you posting under BEFORE September 2007 ?

this question doesn't seem to have any import but since you insist and appear to be on good behaviour at the moment ... I was not posting b4 then... i'm not particularly interested in partisan tit for tat or following the ebb and flow of politics.



really dun talk now