as their adulating article on water boy Shaw.
Quick question,does the Govt recent proposal to sell anything that isn't nailed down has anything to do with getting the debt sustainable loan?
A couple of the funny,sad(yeah oxymoron)statements in the article.
"We didn't bring that problem under control until I sent the army and said 'listen nuh, don't leave until yuh bring that problem under control.
"He said the two gunmen should have been in the courts, but the case faltered because witnesses remained unwilling to come forward."'
The latter of course raises the question, are convictions in Jamaica only possible with eye witness testimony?
The dereliction of our police continues to be ignored. Their role in crime and their ineffectiveness of even solving the ones they are not part of.
PM not happy
Bruce Golding dissatisfied with Government's handling of crime
BY ERICA VIRTUE Observer writer virtuee@jamaicaobserver.com
Monday, January 19, 2009
PRIME Minister Bruce Golding yesterday expressed dissatisfaction that his administration has not done more to reduce Jamaica's nagging crime problem which has already claimed more than 70 lives 19 days into the new year.
Addressing stone-faced supporters of his ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), who listened attentively to their leader at the party's Corporate Area constituencies (Area Council One) meeting at Kingston High School, Golding also admitted that the party had done a poor job of talking to its constituents, even as he vowed that 2009 will be his year.
"What I will say to you is that I am not satisfied that we are doing all that we can do or all that we must do to bring this crime under control. And therefore, there is more that has to be done and there are more steps that will have to be taken," Golding said.
His remarks were read by some Labourites as a mild warning to National Security Minister Colonel Trevor MacMillan who political analysts have given a failing grade since his appointment eight months ago.
Golding gave as one of the sources of his disappointment, the terror unleashed by gangsters on residents of Gravel Heights in St Catherine and the fact that it required his intervention to have some semblance of order returned to the community.
"We have problems in Gravel Heights that lasted for two months," said Golding. "We didn't bring that problem under control until I sent the army and said 'listen nuh, don't leave until yuh bring that problem under control. Camp out in there'. Why, because two bad man, who decide that they need an area to go subject to donmanship, because the areas where donmanship exists there is not enough space for them, they must now find an area that they can don for themselves and they must terrorise the daylights out of people in Gravel Heights - two a them," Golding said.
He said the two gunmen should have been in the courts, but the case faltered because witnesses remained unwilling to come forward.
Golding said the police should have been able to go into the community, grab available intelligence, plan strategies and give assurance to the residents. Not being able to do so, he said, warranted his intervention as minister of defence.
Noting that the State could not react to every criminal outburst across the island, Golding reminded his audience that two anti-crime bills currently before Parliament needed bi-partisan consensus. However, the bills may have to be modified in order to achieve that consensus.
"They cannot be passed into law unless the Opposition also agrees. That is what the Constitution says," he said.
Golding also told the Labourites that last week, in addition to the regular Monday morning meeting of the Cabinet, the executive met at a special retreat Thursday and Friday, and the JLP's Standing Committee met on Saturday in order to strategise ways to move the Government and party forward.
Quick question,does the Govt recent proposal to sell anything that isn't nailed down has anything to do with getting the debt sustainable loan?
A couple of the funny,sad(yeah oxymoron)statements in the article.
"We didn't bring that problem under control until I sent the army and said 'listen nuh, don't leave until yuh bring that problem under control.
"He said the two gunmen should have been in the courts, but the case faltered because witnesses remained unwilling to come forward."'
The latter of course raises the question, are convictions in Jamaica only possible with eye witness testimony?
The dereliction of our police continues to be ignored. Their role in crime and their ineffectiveness of even solving the ones they are not part of.
PM not happy
Bruce Golding dissatisfied with Government's handling of crime
BY ERICA VIRTUE Observer writer virtuee@jamaicaobserver.com
Monday, January 19, 2009
PRIME Minister Bruce Golding yesterday expressed dissatisfaction that his administration has not done more to reduce Jamaica's nagging crime problem which has already claimed more than 70 lives 19 days into the new year.
Addressing stone-faced supporters of his ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), who listened attentively to their leader at the party's Corporate Area constituencies (Area Council One) meeting at Kingston High School, Golding also admitted that the party had done a poor job of talking to its constituents, even as he vowed that 2009 will be his year.
"What I will say to you is that I am not satisfied that we are doing all that we can do or all that we must do to bring this crime under control. And therefore, there is more that has to be done and there are more steps that will have to be taken," Golding said.
His remarks were read by some Labourites as a mild warning to National Security Minister Colonel Trevor MacMillan who political analysts have given a failing grade since his appointment eight months ago.
Golding gave as one of the sources of his disappointment, the terror unleashed by gangsters on residents of Gravel Heights in St Catherine and the fact that it required his intervention to have some semblance of order returned to the community.
"We have problems in Gravel Heights that lasted for two months," said Golding. "We didn't bring that problem under control until I sent the army and said 'listen nuh, don't leave until yuh bring that problem under control. Camp out in there'. Why, because two bad man, who decide that they need an area to go subject to donmanship, because the areas where donmanship exists there is not enough space for them, they must now find an area that they can don for themselves and they must terrorise the daylights out of people in Gravel Heights - two a them," Golding said.
He said the two gunmen should have been in the courts, but the case faltered because witnesses remained unwilling to come forward.
Golding said the police should have been able to go into the community, grab available intelligence, plan strategies and give assurance to the residents. Not being able to do so, he said, warranted his intervention as minister of defence.
Noting that the State could not react to every criminal outburst across the island, Golding reminded his audience that two anti-crime bills currently before Parliament needed bi-partisan consensus. However, the bills may have to be modified in order to achieve that consensus.
"They cannot be passed into law unless the Opposition also agrees. That is what the Constitution says," he said.
Golding also told the Labourites that last week, in addition to the regular Monday morning meeting of the Cabinet, the executive met at a special retreat Thursday and Friday, and the JLP's Standing Committee met on Saturday in order to strategise ways to move the Government and party forward.
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