Statement To Parliament Re Purchase Of Ferry Property

[Lazie]

Don't need to prove anything to the likes of you, Lazie. You don't even have a vote here!

The contradictions are clear for those of us voters that aren't party stooges.

What is the contradiction? All you people duh is prove why we have a Portia as Opposition Leader. What is the contradiction? There were 3 options, do nothing and allow the schools to close, build a school or take the action the gov't took?

During Monday's PC the brains in the PNP was saying push come to shove build a school. I even hear Peter Bunting saying the same thing on NNN Monday evening. Now unless unuh can prove that the numbers provided by the PM is misleading, unuh not party stooges .. just a set of stooges.

[Assasin]

Mo same thing with many Jamaicans as 90% supports the democrats regardless.

[Lazie]

Lazie regardless of what Bruce said he bailed out a former VP to him in the NDM. He made the decision.

The PNP could capitalise on it. The first wrong move the PNP made was not to bring in new credible leaders. Sticking with the same people don't build crediblity. On matters like this you need a young hark to take care of them.

Bruce could talk about corruption in opposition because he wasn't Seaga.

... suh what should they have done then? Allow the school to close then?

[Assasin]

the government could have been open on it from begining and explain it to the public, instead they took it upon themselves to do what they wanted to do.

it maybe a good deed but not the way to govern.

[Mosiah]

let's get back to the point of this thread.

[Lazie]

Yuh see mi running down anybody to explain what McCain said, and being a party stooge regardless of what the facts are?

Okay then!

What are the facts? Guh read the article and stop follow Portia dem.

[Assasin]

my position is clear on this already as posted above.

[Lazie]

the government could have been open on it from begining and explain it to the public, instead they took it upon themselves to do what they wanted to do.

it maybe a good deed but not the way to govern.

Been open? Wasn't this move in line with plans from the previous gov't? I'm talking about development of that area? The big fuss is because of who run the schools. Again, should they have allowed the schools to close? Or people gonna mek up noise bout contradiction all day? Figet bout di good deed part. If it was your call what would you have done?

[Lazie]

my position is clear on this already as posted above.

Oh suh we skip round the issue but then claim they could have been open. I guess some affi guh at length fi give the impression of objectivity.

There were 3 options. The opposition suggested one ... to build a school. That would cost between 400 and 500 million and they didn't even consider the time it would take to build. How much the land cost, 160+ million.

This is laughable. Instead of focusing on how fi tackle the economic crisis we're facing dis was the big issue in Parliament. Comical set.

[Assasin]

been in the plan is different from going out and purchase the school. What else have they acted upon?

They needed to be more open in purchasing the school.

[Mosiah]

1. The PM first stated that the main reason behind the purchase of the lands was because it was part of a strategic vision of the UDC to develop that corridor. He was decent enough to retract the erroneous statement that that was the only piece of land in the area that was not in UDC's possession.

2. Meanwhile, UDC chairman says that the board was asked to look into purchasing that land for further development. He adds that they were specifically asked not to consider the fact that the land was occupied by Hydel.

3. The PM then states, in very strong terms, that they had to step in to save the school.

Following the expiration of the notice and the inability of the school to relocate, the owners of the land took the matter to Court. The Court gave Hydel until June 2009 to vacate the premises. The Government had three choices:
(1) Allow the school to close with 1,283 students displaced and cram them into the already overcrowded schools in the region;
(2) Find $400-$500 million to build a new school;
(3) Acquire the land to enable the school to continue to exist.

One wonders, whatever happened to that broad strategic plan by UDC?

4. If a school is in trouble, one would normally have the Ministry of Education conduct a study that would suggest a course of action. This was not done in this case.

5. Any study re the viability of the school including its location would probably suggest moving the school to another area. Hydel's location is inappropriate for a school, to say the least. Some people say it would be better building a new school or expanding existing ones in areas with some sort of an urban concentration. If it means Hydel would have to become a grant-aided school, so be it.

6. Hydel is a private school. Does the UDC, from hereon, purchase other private schools faced with some type of adversity?

7. All this has occurred on the back of the dismissal of the UDC board, in a manner that seriously questioned this govt.'s commitment to transparency.

[Lazie]

been in the plan is different from going out and purchase the school. What else have they acted upon?

They needed to be more open in purchasing the school.

More open wid what Sass? When the PM addressed Parliament last week he said,

"the school would continue to operate on short to medium term leases, because the development programme for the corridor is now being formulated and therefore, would determine the length of time that the institution would be allowed to operate, or whether or not a school is to be part of the development of that particular area."

... but if people more comfortable with the though that this was corruption then .. by all means. We quick fi claim there is contradiction but no one can say what should have been done.

[Lazie]

Addressing the Parliament the previous week, the "Corrupt PM" told the house including the geniuses on the other side of the house,

""It may be that when the development of the corridor is completed, we will have to consider relocating the school. I am not saying that we will, I am saying that these are issues that will have to be determined, once the development plans have been completed," he said."

Suh, how come all of a sudden .. cho! Know what ... better unuh talk bout Barack yaah sah!

[Mosiah]

Why wasn't the MOE involved in any of this?

[Lazie]

Why wasn't the MOE involved in any of this?

Quoting the PM,

"Hydel is already registered with and recognized and regulated by the Ministry of Education. The Ministry of Education is already short of school places in St. Catherine. It was aware of the dilemma facing Hydel, had been in discussions with Hydel and was concerned about the possible closure. What conceivable advice could the Ministry of Education be expected to provide - that the school should be allowed to close?"