RBSC

Collapse

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

This is good but at the same time, it

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • This is good but at the same time, it

    wasn't posted on this site. Maybe it's too long and detailed and since education wasn't even mentioned at yesterday's rally, I can only asumme that we getting accustomed to not having to read in detail and objectivity :P

    <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><SPAN class=TopStory>My grandfather's bones</SPAN>
    <SPAN class=Subheadline>Common Sense</SPAN></TD></TR><TR><TD>John Maxwell
    Sunday, November 19, 2006
    </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
    <P class=StoryText align=justify>My maternal grandfather's bones lie somewhere underneath the alumina refinery at Nain, safe at least from the caustic soda and soda ash which pollutes the air breathed by his neighbour's descendants, sickens their livestock and corrodes their aluminum roofs.

    <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width=157 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD><SPAN class=Description>John Maxwell </SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><P class=StoryText align=justify>Beginning six decades ago, bauxite mining companies began to buy up huge areas of land in Jamaica, in areas where the earth was red, as red as blood when newly dug. The people from whom they bought the land were happy. There was no irrigation in St Elizabeth, St Ann and Manchester, and the land they sold was, in their opinion, not really good farmland. That was not true, as my friend Rolly Simms and his neighbours proved in Mocho, in Clarendon, where they grew huge crops of vegetables on bauxite land fertilised by chicken, cow and goat manure as they still do in parts of St Elizabeth.<P class=StoryText align=justify>That was before the bauxite companies came to Mocho in the 1960s, and their coming was in a way providential for the farmers there: they had been bankrupted by the failure of the Marrakech and Arawak hotels which had bought thousands of pounds of vegetables from them and went bankrupt without paying.
    In January 1978, when I was chairman of the Natural Resources Conservation Authority, I dislocated my shoulder and nearly broke my neck falling out of a soursop tree in Hayes, Cornpiece, in Clarendon.<P class=StoryText align=justify>I was in the soursop tree because I wanted to see close-up, the damage the people said was caused to their roofs by the toxic and corrosive dust and fumes emanating from the Jamalco alumina refinery. I went to Hayes at the invitation of Hugh Shearer, MP for the constituency and former prime minister, who, in addition to explaining to me the problems of the people, confided to me what he said were the real reasons for the turmoil then rocking the Jamaica Labour party.
    I was joking with Shearer as I climbed the tree, and didn't pay enough attention to the branch my foot rested on, which is why I fell out of the tree.<P class=StoryText align=justify>My shoulder was the least of our worries that day or in the weeks that followed. Nothing that Dudley Thompson, then minister of mining, or Shearer or I or could do, could persuade Jamalco to admit that their factory played any part in the misery afflicting the people of Hayes, Cornpiece.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"Even before community concerns escalated to public protest, the complaints of illness caught the attention of University of the West Indies medical student Patrece Charles-Freeman. After an exhaustive study of emissions and medical records within a 10-mile radius of the Halse Hall bauxite-alumina operation in neighbouring Clarendon parish, Charles-Freeman this month submitted a doctoral thesis documenting dramatically elevated incidence of asthma, sinusitis and allergies among those living close to the mining and refining operations.

    <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width=125 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><IMG height=194 src="http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/images/20061118T150000-0500_115462_OBS_MY_GRANDFATHER_S_BONES___2.jpg" width=125

  • #2
    RE: This is good but at the same time, it

    Why do you persist in exposing the level of your ignorance in matters concerning Jamaica post 1969 ?

    Why do you think eduction was not mentioned during the Rally ?

    You don't even have enough respect apparantly for a even modicum of research before attempting propoganda.

    You don't want to be taken seriously ?

    Comment


    • #3
      RE: This is good but at the same time, it

      Maudib (11/20/2006)Why do you persist in exposing the level of your ignorance in matters concerning Jamaica post 1969 ?

      Why do you think eduction was not mentioned during the Rally ?

      You don't even have enough respect apparantly for a even modicum of research before attempting propoganda.

      You don't want to be taken seriously ?
      Ben I wasn't there, so I followed what was presented by the Gleaner:<DIV id=printReady>

      Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) shares vision - Golding to champion NHT, constitutional reform
      published: Monday | November 20, 2006
      <P class=KonaBody>Edmond Campbell and Dionne <SPAN class=kLink style="FONT-WEIGHT: 700; COLOR: orange! important; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; POSITION: relative">Rose</SPAN>, Gleaner Writers <P class=KonaBody>
      Caught up in the euphoria on the conference <SPAN class=kLink style="FONT-WEIGHT: 700; COLOR: orange! important; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; POSITION: relative">floor</SPAN> are from left: Desmond McKenzie, Mayor of Kingston; Mrs. Lorna Golding with husband Opposition Leader Bruce Golding; Joyce Young, candidate for St. Andrew Western and Ruddy Spencer, candidate for Clarendon South East. The JLP's 63rd Annual Conference was held at the National Arena, yesterday. - Photos by Rudolph Brown/Chief <SPAN class=kLink style="FONT-WEIGHT: 700; COLOR: orange! important; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; POSITION: relative">Photographer</SPAN> <P class=KonaBody>[B]Opposition Leader Bruce Golding, unveiling what he termed "his vision for the country," yesterday gave a commitment to constitutional change if the <A class=kLink oncontextmenu="return false;" id=KonaLink3 style="POSITION: static; TEXT-DECORATION: underline! important" href="http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20061120/lead/lead1.html#" target=_new &#111;nclick="adlinkMouseClick(event,this,3);" &#111;nmouseout="adlinkMouseOut(event,this,3);" &#111;nmouseover="adlinkMouseOver(event,this,3);"> <SPAN class=kLink style="FONT-WEIGHT: 700; COLOR: orange! important; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetic

      Comment


      • #4
        RE: This is good but at the same time, it

        You know, you might have a point with this literacy thing.

        Apparantly you cannot read. You indicate you are using a Gleaner article to deduce that education was not mentioned in a Rally when it is CLEARLY stated as being one of the recommendations they would introduce.

        Transform the education system to produce more literate students

        You are a real clown... Tourist, the all-inclusive type no less stuck in the 60's.

        Comment


        • #5
          RE: This is good but at the same time, it

          so after thirtyfour years JA is still

          at 53% illiteracy? I thought education would be the theme of the rally (that was really my point). Personally if I was running education would be the theme of my campaign, put me in and I would fix the education system (which in turn would produce quality students for Ja to become a productive nation). You guys seem to miss the importance of education in these times, all the other tripe that was listed is pale in comparison to education. The island is small (so is it's population) why can't we seize the outsourcing opportunity? Why can't JA set itself up to put 40k people in the IT market? I thought Bruce would have a comprehnsive plan on education (seeing that he said he was interested in moving ja forward). You guys don't seem to see that education is now national security. I know the first thing to say is that they will run abroad (building self defeating obstacles) Look at the windows operating system, do you think it's just a few programers in Richmond that put it together? No it's done by many and some never left India. Is it that we see ourselves as dim witted, hence we caanot accomplish anything in the info age? Ja's economic future will depend on skilled minds to guide it in the info age, therfore any party that doesn't place strong emphasis on education does not mean this island any good. More literate? come again Brucie (ah mean the free education was anice try) Say quality then you are on track. Talk about clown ah boy.

          Comment


          • #6
            RE: This is good but at the same time, it

            Jawge are you aware of how much is spent to educate a child in Jamaica?

            Barbados - U$701
            Bahamas - U$649
            Jamaica - U$ 170.

            What does that tell you? There hasn't been much change in the amount allocated to education. Again, what does that tell you?

            The theme was "For a Better Jamaica!" Wouldn't education fall into that? They have made proposals for education and you were one of those that didn't want to hear it. There is nothing wrong with asking questions about a proposal, but simply dismissing it because it is put forward by the JLP just prove one's ignorance.

            What was Portia's proposal for education? What you need to do is compare then make an objective decision. Then again, forget it.
            "Jamaica's future reflects its past, having attained only one per cent annual growth over 30 years whilst neighbours have grown at five per cent." (Article)

            Comment


            • #7
              RE: This is good but at the same time, it

              Let's say JA's education per child falls around

              680 USD. The JLP is advocating free education; where is Audley going to find this 680 USD?

              Comment


              • #8
                RE: This is good but at the same time, it

                They have retracted that to tuition free education. There are islands in the Caribbean that are pushing for free education beyond the secondary level, yet the JLP are seen as villians for wanting to go that route. At the rate we're going can we afford not to have free education?

                Ever since you and I been discussing current affairs, its the FIRST you have asked a relevant question. Clap yuhself! They have proposed to cut out the local gov't ministry and channel the funds towards education. There is also a plan to float a long term, tax free international bond to refinance high cost debt. The savings will be channelled to education. Will it work? Who knows!
                "Jamaica's future reflects its past, having attained only one per cent annual growth over 30 years whilst neighbours have grown at five per cent." (Article)

                Comment


                • #9
                  RE: This is good but at the same time, it

                  Lazie, both you and Audley must come to

                  realise that this is no guessing game. You can't be runnig trial and error experimentswith the future of the nation (or this will fall into place as we go along). When the present Govt. floated bonds with an attaractive interest rate togather needed foreign exchange both Ben and yourself was jumping up and down this board talking about mass transference of reaources from poor to rich (whatever that means). What do you think the MOF was doing with all that money? Now you guys are going to float bonds!! I thought your party was coming with somethin creative and new? If you are going to copy the present govt., what's the point Lazie? Why don't you post a copy of Brucie's rally speech?

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    RE: This is good but at the same time, it

                    Trial and error? Here I was thinking you were actually serious. I need to slap myself. Mek mi try again. The bond they would be floating would be used to refinance existing high cost debt.It is the savings from the refinancing that would beallocated to education. What suh hardin that to understand.

                    Omar's policy is to borrrow from Peter to pay Paul, you and others here had no problem with that. Suh why is there a problem if they were to float a bond to provide education to the youths? See ... you are a hypocrite. You come here all the while hyping bout education rah rah rah ... but instead of thinking about what is proposed yuh just want to shoot it down. Think ... then ask a question. There are questions to be asked about it, but I will only discuss it with thinking people, yuh still a creep.
                    "Jamaica's future reflects its past, having attained only one per cent annual growth over 30 years whilst neighbours have grown at five per cent." (Article)

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      RE: This is good but at the same time, it

                      Lazie when Omar floated Bonds what did you and

                      Ben have to say about it? Now it seems that Audley must go sit at Omar's feet and learn why you can't just float bonds all over the place. One has to look in other areas. My question is this: If you guys are learning and copying, why should the Jakan people put you in? :P

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        RE: This is good but at the same time, it

                        Jawge you have to first demonstrate Literacy before expecting to be taken seriously.

                        You see what you want to see.

                        Fix that problem first then come chat.

                        You guys seem to miss the importance of education in these times, all the other tripe that was listed is pale in comparison to education. The island is small (so is it's population) why can't we seize the outsourcing opportunity? Why can't JA set itself up to put 40k people in the IT market? I thought Bruce would have a comprehnsive plan on education (seeing that he said he was interested in moving ja forward).

                        You probably missed the interview with Holness stating that the JLP want to increase budgetary expenditure on Education to 15% increasing from the 10% it is now.. he even exlained where the money would come from. So when it comes to understanding the importance of education, you are blinded as to the position of each party.. remove the plank Jawge, remove the plank.

                        It also takes cash to care so when the RAFT of problems created by 'your' party that exploit 'weaknesses' in the system result a trickle down effect to all social issues not only education.. don't blame the JLP for 'not focusing'. What you call tripe has a DIRECT impact on 'education'...

                        You see what you want to see.. fix that problem first.. also work on the literacy thing.. then you are eligible for reasoned discourse on this matter of Jamaica.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          RE: This is good but at the same time, it

                          Yuh in over yuh head or something? Obviously! I explained to you twice and yuh still nuh get it. BJ made an explanation about credit cards, use it.

                          The JLP (Audley Shaw, since you have some fascination with him) has been consistent. They have said on more than one occassion that they would be taking steps to reduce the debt in order to fund vital services. If you going to mickey mouse around serious issues mek mi know. You've always made alot of noise about education, but now thinking people putting forward ideas you trying to find fault with it.
                          "Jamaica's future reflects its past, having attained only one per cent annual growth over 30 years whilst neighbours have grown at five per cent." (Article)

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            RE: This is good but at the same time, it

                            You pose a very good question.

                            What has the PNP being doing with all that borrowed money ??????

                            Something you also need to ponder... WHO pays for the interest on that money ?

                            Clown.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              RE: This is good but at the same time, it

                              Can't be anything bad because see Audley is

                              planning on bringing the same concept to govt. my question: Do you think Audley should spend a period of appenticeship with Omar?

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X