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Mr Golding shows his true colours
It ain't pretty!
Franklin Johnston
Friday, November 13, 2009
This is a bad year for bankers earning $38m and over; poor Bill, poor Derick! To fathom events of the past weeks, consider three things: One, it is hard to raid the massive BOJ profits if the governor will not play ball. Two, some politicians make millions.
Franklin Johnston
We can't fire or recall them so sick or dying. They cling to office, a taxpayer jet to a Miami hospital, honours, immunity and a freebie state funeral. Three, Bruce can manipulate public opinion and an uncritical media is his asset. As NDM guru, Bruce was an avatar - good policies, ethics. His humiliation by Mr Seaga was medicine teaching him never to inflict such pain on anyone - he learnt nothing! Bruce, when "yu head tek yu", direct your fire power at Parliament, the seat of division, corruption and violence. There is a God!
The plot
Bruce's exposé fuelled an attack on the gov as he plays the hero. His ploy elicited a media feeding frenzy of the wise and witless; a junket of envy, politics and moralising. Our journalists have much to learn. When the mask of civility rips we see gross abuse of power - no scruples, no compassion. Like Pavlov he points to the victim, stands aside and watches the dogs attack - and attack they did! He voids a contract without "cause" and sets a precedent we will regret. Did you know the very first gun was issued to gain party advantage and things were to return to normal? Normal never returned! Terror and two thousand murders a year is the price for that miscalculation!
The issues
Bruce has "broughtupsy", so it gives me no joy to say that to fire the gov based on feelings must be immoral and corrupt. In the US or UK the gov would have offers from lawyers to make him rich. First, to fire any worker without due process is illegal and violates his human rights. Second, Mr Latibeaudiere's contract is justified. I hold no brief for him as he was a youth when I consulted in BOJ. Readers said Mr Clarke should accept no less than $500m from the Bank of Nova Scotia.
What should we pay the man who runs BOJ - profitable like BNS - plus the nation's monetary economy? Minister Tufton says $24m fees plus expenses (total unknown) to sell failed sugar interests is value. The gov's pay is $16m fees ($8m less than Tufton's man) plus benefits (total $38m). But his expenses are less than six known Cabinet Ministers and his pay less than five heads of statutory bodies. His pay to run a bank plus our monetary economy, negotiate an IMF deal - awesome scope and accountability - is a bargain! This is Jamaica's toughest job, but not its best paid! PM, what is the right pay for the gov? Is it half or twice Tufton's expert?
Third, why destroy the man's career and reputation? Politicians do this to each other - they are the law - why pick on a non-politician? A Ponzi man or a favoured felon facing extradition would get due process - not the gov, he blocks the big heist! Where are the church, union, media, rights group in this? Crosses like this send people to obeah man! Do you know what stress, family sacrifice, insomnia, health risks and pressure lie behind the gov's smile? His career ends. What does he tell his kids? Does Bruce care? He owes them an apology and more!
Fourth, in life, you get what you negotiate - not what you deserve, not what you like - but what you vie for and win. He fires the gov for negotiating a good contract, why not the bosses, their lawyers and advisers? Are unions now to "ease up" in negotiation? The teachers' contract adds $4b to the debt (gov is paid from BOJ profit), is it "repugnant"? Will he void their contract? Fifth, BOJ is not independent. Bruce selects the board, and it can fire the gov at will. Two years to read a contract? Wow! So why the hype? Bruce had to drop the gov personally to win the applause. There is a God!
The police
Bruce is dissatisfied (as are we) with former police commissioner Hardley Lewin. What's his reason? He told us of no targets, deadlines or goals missed. Were any set? Where are the strategy, goals, timelines which he approved then gave the resources to Admiral Lewin? Politicians got us into this mess and police are complicit, so we need outside help. Our crime is not normal. It is cruel proto-terrorism and the remedy for this is not here. We need a strategist, motivator and manager to task the JCF. A target-driven, ex-FBI, CIA, MI5 strategist-type - man or woman - who can attract major help from career collegial contacts. We also need a small, elite, brain-driven, hybrid FBI/Special Forces body under a civilian director. Ex-FBI, SAS or MI6 trainers are available and this can be operational by mid-2010. This is the place for Reneto Adams. Police officers are community workers. For 40 years we pervert the JCF and make it a target by using it to brutalise people. The elite body will allow the JCF to revert to normal police work. We cannot reorganise and clean up the JCF until this part of their remit is removed. A third-choice "tail-ender" cannot do the job.
Term limits
A veteran worker won a big job on merit and is fired by a politician because he negotiated his pay too well - only in Jamaica! The reason is trivial, the method is brutal; his loved ones must be devastated. We need term limits! If Bruce knew he must return to normal life among us - go shopping, go to the tax office - he might be less arrogant and use proper channels to interdict employees. Do the right thing, but do it the right way! What the JLP thinks is irrelevant. Uncommitted voters gave Bruce the nod and his party won. Bruce made a serious error. Can he claw back their respect and their votes?
The BOJ
Our Currency Board worked well, but in 1960, ego-trippin' politicians set up BOJ (50 years in May) to ape big nations. BOJ is not working as intended, but Bruce is too scared and risk-averse to restore a Monetary Authority (modern CB). He should now appoint KPMG to review BOJ, get the advice of Lord Morris (Bank of England) and immediately remove the running of the bank itself from the new governor's remit as the scope is too wide. We must now see changes in money - cost, availability and supply - a swift fall in interest rates and brisk lending to small businesses. Bruce now has what he wants, power over our fiscal and monetary economy, BOJ's profits, to appoint his own governor and commissioner and the PNP on the back foot. Let him unveil and implement the economic and security strategies he gestated for 18 years in Opposition and two years in office. Bruce, it's November 2009, slate clean; let us see what you can do!
Dr Franklin Johnston is an international project manager with Teape-Johnston Consultants, currently on assignment in the UK.
franklinjohnston@hotmail.com
It ain't pretty!
Franklin Johnston
Friday, November 13, 2009
This is a bad year for bankers earning $38m and over; poor Bill, poor Derick! To fathom events of the past weeks, consider three things: One, it is hard to raid the massive BOJ profits if the governor will not play ball. Two, some politicians make millions.
Franklin Johnston
We can't fire or recall them so sick or dying. They cling to office, a taxpayer jet to a Miami hospital, honours, immunity and a freebie state funeral. Three, Bruce can manipulate public opinion and an uncritical media is his asset. As NDM guru, Bruce was an avatar - good policies, ethics. His humiliation by Mr Seaga was medicine teaching him never to inflict such pain on anyone - he learnt nothing! Bruce, when "yu head tek yu", direct your fire power at Parliament, the seat of division, corruption and violence. There is a God!
The plot
Bruce's exposé fuelled an attack on the gov as he plays the hero. His ploy elicited a media feeding frenzy of the wise and witless; a junket of envy, politics and moralising. Our journalists have much to learn. When the mask of civility rips we see gross abuse of power - no scruples, no compassion. Like Pavlov he points to the victim, stands aside and watches the dogs attack - and attack they did! He voids a contract without "cause" and sets a precedent we will regret. Did you know the very first gun was issued to gain party advantage and things were to return to normal? Normal never returned! Terror and two thousand murders a year is the price for that miscalculation!
The issues
Bruce has "broughtupsy", so it gives me no joy to say that to fire the gov based on feelings must be immoral and corrupt. In the US or UK the gov would have offers from lawyers to make him rich. First, to fire any worker without due process is illegal and violates his human rights. Second, Mr Latibeaudiere's contract is justified. I hold no brief for him as he was a youth when I consulted in BOJ. Readers said Mr Clarke should accept no less than $500m from the Bank of Nova Scotia.
What should we pay the man who runs BOJ - profitable like BNS - plus the nation's monetary economy? Minister Tufton says $24m fees plus expenses (total unknown) to sell failed sugar interests is value. The gov's pay is $16m fees ($8m less than Tufton's man) plus benefits (total $38m). But his expenses are less than six known Cabinet Ministers and his pay less than five heads of statutory bodies. His pay to run a bank plus our monetary economy, negotiate an IMF deal - awesome scope and accountability - is a bargain! This is Jamaica's toughest job, but not its best paid! PM, what is the right pay for the gov? Is it half or twice Tufton's expert?
Third, why destroy the man's career and reputation? Politicians do this to each other - they are the law - why pick on a non-politician? A Ponzi man or a favoured felon facing extradition would get due process - not the gov, he blocks the big heist! Where are the church, union, media, rights group in this? Crosses like this send people to obeah man! Do you know what stress, family sacrifice, insomnia, health risks and pressure lie behind the gov's smile? His career ends. What does he tell his kids? Does Bruce care? He owes them an apology and more!
Fourth, in life, you get what you negotiate - not what you deserve, not what you like - but what you vie for and win. He fires the gov for negotiating a good contract, why not the bosses, their lawyers and advisers? Are unions now to "ease up" in negotiation? The teachers' contract adds $4b to the debt (gov is paid from BOJ profit), is it "repugnant"? Will he void their contract? Fifth, BOJ is not independent. Bruce selects the board, and it can fire the gov at will. Two years to read a contract? Wow! So why the hype? Bruce had to drop the gov personally to win the applause. There is a God!
The police
Bruce is dissatisfied (as are we) with former police commissioner Hardley Lewin. What's his reason? He told us of no targets, deadlines or goals missed. Were any set? Where are the strategy, goals, timelines which he approved then gave the resources to Admiral Lewin? Politicians got us into this mess and police are complicit, so we need outside help. Our crime is not normal. It is cruel proto-terrorism and the remedy for this is not here. We need a strategist, motivator and manager to task the JCF. A target-driven, ex-FBI, CIA, MI5 strategist-type - man or woman - who can attract major help from career collegial contacts. We also need a small, elite, brain-driven, hybrid FBI/Special Forces body under a civilian director. Ex-FBI, SAS or MI6 trainers are available and this can be operational by mid-2010. This is the place for Reneto Adams. Police officers are community workers. For 40 years we pervert the JCF and make it a target by using it to brutalise people. The elite body will allow the JCF to revert to normal police work. We cannot reorganise and clean up the JCF until this part of their remit is removed. A third-choice "tail-ender" cannot do the job.
Term limits
A veteran worker won a big job on merit and is fired by a politician because he negotiated his pay too well - only in Jamaica! The reason is trivial, the method is brutal; his loved ones must be devastated. We need term limits! If Bruce knew he must return to normal life among us - go shopping, go to the tax office - he might be less arrogant and use proper channels to interdict employees. Do the right thing, but do it the right way! What the JLP thinks is irrelevant. Uncommitted voters gave Bruce the nod and his party won. Bruce made a serious error. Can he claw back their respect and their votes?
The BOJ
Our Currency Board worked well, but in 1960, ego-trippin' politicians set up BOJ (50 years in May) to ape big nations. BOJ is not working as intended, but Bruce is too scared and risk-averse to restore a Monetary Authority (modern CB). He should now appoint KPMG to review BOJ, get the advice of Lord Morris (Bank of England) and immediately remove the running of the bank itself from the new governor's remit as the scope is too wide. We must now see changes in money - cost, availability and supply - a swift fall in interest rates and brisk lending to small businesses. Bruce now has what he wants, power over our fiscal and monetary economy, BOJ's profits, to appoint his own governor and commissioner and the PNP on the back foot. Let him unveil and implement the economic and security strategies he gestated for 18 years in Opposition and two years in office. Bruce, it's November 2009, slate clean; let us see what you can do!
Dr Franklin Johnston is an international project manager with Teape-Johnston Consultants, currently on assignment in the UK.
franklinjohnston@hotmail.com
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