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..... AKA a National Social Contract/New Governing Paradigm/Participatory Government etc etc etc
Question: Is Drivah up to the task to put Jamaica on that highway or will he continue blindly down the bridle path to destruction?
Does he have a clue? Does he have the balls to act??
EDITORIAL - Prime minister must be chief mobiliser
Published: Thursday | August 6, 2009
In his message marking the occasion, Prime Minister Bruce Golding makes the point that Jamaica is observing today's 47th anniversary of its independence in bad economic times. This is true and evident.
Indeed, the country's long-term fiscal instability and anaemic growth rates have left little or no cushion with which to absorb the shocks of the current global recession. So, Jamaica, after a 12-year break, is on the cusp of a new credit agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which is currently a greater subject of national debate than the ideals or achievements of independence.
But, while Prime Minister Golding appreciates the urgency of pulling Jamaica through the immediate crisis, he suggests that the country's situation is worsened by one of the deficits of the last 47 years: the low pace of economic development. The PM also identifies the building out of the education system and weaknesses in the legal and justice systems as other areas in which Jamaica has not achieved anywhere near its full potential since 1962.
Fix the problems
"... They (the deficits) must be tackled with the same evangelical zest with which we pursued the attainment of independence," Mr Golding says.
We agree with him. Our problem, though, is that we discern a gap between Mr Golding's recognition of what is to be done to fix the problems and his application of the solutions. (Amen!!)
As the prime minister is fully aware, filling the post-independence deficit, including economic underperformance, requires, first, fixing the current crisis. But so far, the Golding administration has largely talked around the problem, being short on the specifics and in expending political capital.
Of course, the PM has acknowledged that "many Jamaicans are experiencing additional hardship in their daily lives" and has signalled that the administration will have to tighten spending in an effort to slash the deficit.
What neither the PM, his finance minister, Mr Audley Shaw, nor the Government broadly has yet done is to get down to the so-called nitty-gritty of what people should expect or do. Nor do we feel that there has been sufficient effort to inspire Jamaicans to efforts beyond their individual selves.
National mobilisation effort
Mr Golding is right about not allowing "our failures to overshadow our achievements" during independence. For there have been gains of which this country can be proud, and which stand as testimony to the work of those who fought for them. Yet, we can speak frankly of the deficits and move, as the PM suggests, to fix them.
However, putting this process in train is the job, primarily, of the leader who, in this case, is Bruce Golding, the prime minister of Jamaica. Therefore, starting with the response to the current crisis, we look forward to the prime minister outlining the hard, cold facts, and where they will bite, while painting a clear vision of the future. He must, at the same time, start the national mobilisation effort.
Mr Golding must appoint himself mobiliser in chief.
If Mr Golding fears that taking the plunge is politically risky, he need not worry. The Opposition People's National Party is, at this time, in no state, intellectually or organisationally, to challenge any serious effort at reform. (Tru Dat!!... the way is clear Drivah)
In that regard, we suggest to Mr Golding that he adopt an independence resolution: to be frank and bold.
Question: Is Drivah up to the task to put Jamaica on that highway or will he continue blindly down the bridle path to destruction?
Does he have a clue? Does he have the balls to act??
EDITORIAL - Prime minister must be chief mobiliser
Published: Thursday | August 6, 2009
In his message marking the occasion, Prime Minister Bruce Golding makes the point that Jamaica is observing today's 47th anniversary of its independence in bad economic times. This is true and evident.
Indeed, the country's long-term fiscal instability and anaemic growth rates have left little or no cushion with which to absorb the shocks of the current global recession. So, Jamaica, after a 12-year break, is on the cusp of a new credit agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which is currently a greater subject of national debate than the ideals or achievements of independence.
But, while Prime Minister Golding appreciates the urgency of pulling Jamaica through the immediate crisis, he suggests that the country's situation is worsened by one of the deficits of the last 47 years: the low pace of economic development. The PM also identifies the building out of the education system and weaknesses in the legal and justice systems as other areas in which Jamaica has not achieved anywhere near its full potential since 1962.
Fix the problems
"... They (the deficits) must be tackled with the same evangelical zest with which we pursued the attainment of independence," Mr Golding says.
We agree with him. Our problem, though, is that we discern a gap between Mr Golding's recognition of what is to be done to fix the problems and his application of the solutions. (Amen!!)
As the prime minister is fully aware, filling the post-independence deficit, including economic underperformance, requires, first, fixing the current crisis. But so far, the Golding administration has largely talked around the problem, being short on the specifics and in expending political capital.
Of course, the PM has acknowledged that "many Jamaicans are experiencing additional hardship in their daily lives" and has signalled that the administration will have to tighten spending in an effort to slash the deficit.
What neither the PM, his finance minister, Mr Audley Shaw, nor the Government broadly has yet done is to get down to the so-called nitty-gritty of what people should expect or do. Nor do we feel that there has been sufficient effort to inspire Jamaicans to efforts beyond their individual selves.
National mobilisation effort
Mr Golding is right about not allowing "our failures to overshadow our achievements" during independence. For there have been gains of which this country can be proud, and which stand as testimony to the work of those who fought for them. Yet, we can speak frankly of the deficits and move, as the PM suggests, to fix them.
However, putting this process in train is the job, primarily, of the leader who, in this case, is Bruce Golding, the prime minister of Jamaica. Therefore, starting with the response to the current crisis, we look forward to the prime minister outlining the hard, cold facts, and where they will bite, while painting a clear vision of the future. He must, at the same time, start the national mobilisation effort.
Mr Golding must appoint himself mobiliser in chief.
If Mr Golding fears that taking the plunge is politically risky, he need not worry. The Opposition People's National Party is, at this time, in no state, intellectually or organisationally, to challenge any serious effort at reform. (Tru Dat!!... the way is clear Drivah)
In that regard, we suggest to Mr Golding that he adopt an independence resolution: to be frank and bold.
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