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Puss, Dawg and bad luck
JAMES MOSS-SOLOMON
Sunday, June 20, 2010
THE Jamaican proverbial warning rings true, and lest we forget, many of its aspects concern the relationships between nations. In the case of Africa, several conflicts have arisen from the insensitivity of dividing, merging, and confiscating tribally divided areas. This has carried over into the Middle East, Greece, Spain, and all of the former Soviet Union countries. So tribal strife is not only the province of Jamaican politics, it seems to have a life of its own after certain critical pressures have been reached.
It is also manifested in the relationships and pressures imposed on developing nations by the developed world. The world trading systems seem to be variable, or as in the case of the WTO, sometimes expediently manipulated. I am therefore concerned with future negotiations and the ability to access the remedies contained in those agreements at affordable costs.
The recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico which continues to pump millions of gallons of oil into the sea has the potential for massive degradation in sea life, and not only in the immediate vicinity. The leak continues unabated and is one of the major concerns of President Obama, who received the accolades of all the countries of the Caribbean at the time of his election.
But in a typical American "big stick" approach, he has forced BP to provide an interim fund of US$20 billion, even before the legal issues have been resolved under the law. But what of the implication of US-owned Halliburton who were the ones engaged in the engineering which failed and contributed to the disaster, have they contributed in advance?
It seems to smack of an exercise in power politics on a foreign company, but not on a US company, which enjoys certain rights under their Constitution, namely the burden of proof of guilt, and the right to a fair trial.
President Obama has disappointed me, as this was not one of the ways he portrayed himself in his quest for power. Particularly as the incident has caused loss of life, isn't this a possible criminal negligence matter going beyond the oil spill and BP? But puss an' dawg...
In a related matter, the $20 billion is to alleviate the loss of jobs and total destruction of the seafood industry. It is fair to say that some 50-60 per cent of shrimp consumed in the USA comes directly from Louisiana and the Gulf.
Prices have already gone up by 30 per cent as the market responds to the shortage. It is my considered opinion that any disputes at the WTO concerning low-wage accusations, and phyto-sanitary measures, which currently exist between the USA, Peru, and Vietnam will be quickly withdrawn or "settled" in the interest of US businesses and consumers.
On our side, if tourism and related industries are threatened by globs of oil coming onto our beaches, or for that matter, Cuba or the Bahamas, who will give us our "pound of flesh"? So Middle Quarters and Portland, prepare yourselves for an onslaught of desperate addicts who need pepper shrimps and Janga. Please don't expect shrimp fried rice, just "hold the chicken" at two per cent price reduction, and satisfy yourselves in Miami (if you have a visa). But puss an' dawg...
Coronation Market has been shot up, burnt, and generally destroyed. The generosity of Digicel in pledging J$100 million towards the rebuilding is laudable. It represents about 10 per cent of the total cost of restoring this important trade centre to proper operating conditions.
Please note that over the years, under the gangs, the infrastructure had deteriorated to below the standards of public health. So perhaps the reconstruction will provide a new and satisfactory environment for the hard-working vendors, with proper sanitation and facilities.
So as we say hurrah, all the other markets islandwide that are in deplorable conditions, do not shoot them up or burn them down, and hope to gain from those actions. Puss an' dawg...
In similar ways, Tivoli Gardens will be rebuilt, but not as an enclave. Some talk-show participants laughingly disparage the sentiment of Tivoli as a middle-class area. I have found their lack of knowledge and imagination to be a limiting factor. Would someone tell me of any progressive city that allocates its downtown real estate as other than premium value residential, and wasn't that the original reason for the development of Ocean Towers?
Having said that, poor people must be given space to develop as their financial means improve, and their children get older. The days of crowding poor people together in confined spaces and expecting them to uplift themselves died with the end of slavery.
Progressive improvement, decent behaviour, and conformity with the rule of law require an unwavering attitude of respect. This includes the respect of the law enforcement personnel, the judicial systems, the political leaders, and the rest of society who have "made it", and who now reside uptown.
My recommendation would be to transform and upgrade Tivoli into an open community of persons willing to be other than slavish tribalists, and who could expect increases in their property values. For those of lesser means, I would offer them new spaces in new areas where they can gradually grow and expand in their journey towards upward social mobility based on honest work, education, and abiding by consistent values.
I would be prepared to allow that persons can contribute to their home cost reduction by their own labour. The NHT should gather those persons into their network for future benefits as they are encouraged to take responsibility for their own development. We should never again allow thousands of persons to be held captive on the pretext of providing their votes in a manner consistent with the demands of an overlord. But Puss and Dawg...
That now brings me to the role of the NHT and its focus on the provision of houses to its contributors. A story in the Financial Gleaner of June 11 entitled '$7b for upmarket St Ann houses' caught my eye. What surprised me was the possible inclusion of the NHT in this project. The houses will range from $30.7 million to $35 million, and this certainly does not benefit first-home buyers, or lower-income persons, or the PAYE taxpayers who fund the NHT.
It seems that a development of this nature should qualify for its own funding through advance sales discounts or commercial credit. These are not the homes of average Jamaicans, and will likely be sold to persons overseas, and so we should not commit scarce housing funds to assist other than fund contributors. But puss an' dawg...
These things merit consideration and comment from every citizen of this little nation, Jamaica. We need to take responsibility for our own fortunes. Intelligent planning is a requirement for orderly and sustainable development. After all, we are not just Puss and Dawg waiting for lotto wins.
Happy Fathers' Day.
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/colum...d-luck_7721763
JAMES MOSS-SOLOMON
Sunday, June 20, 2010
THE Jamaican proverbial warning rings true, and lest we forget, many of its aspects concern the relationships between nations. In the case of Africa, several conflicts have arisen from the insensitivity of dividing, merging, and confiscating tribally divided areas. This has carried over into the Middle East, Greece, Spain, and all of the former Soviet Union countries. So tribal strife is not only the province of Jamaican politics, it seems to have a life of its own after certain critical pressures have been reached.
It is also manifested in the relationships and pressures imposed on developing nations by the developed world. The world trading systems seem to be variable, or as in the case of the WTO, sometimes expediently manipulated. I am therefore concerned with future negotiations and the ability to access the remedies contained in those agreements at affordable costs.
The recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico which continues to pump millions of gallons of oil into the sea has the potential for massive degradation in sea life, and not only in the immediate vicinity. The leak continues unabated and is one of the major concerns of President Obama, who received the accolades of all the countries of the Caribbean at the time of his election.
But in a typical American "big stick" approach, he has forced BP to provide an interim fund of US$20 billion, even before the legal issues have been resolved under the law. But what of the implication of US-owned Halliburton who were the ones engaged in the engineering which failed and contributed to the disaster, have they contributed in advance?
It seems to smack of an exercise in power politics on a foreign company, but not on a US company, which enjoys certain rights under their Constitution, namely the burden of proof of guilt, and the right to a fair trial.
President Obama has disappointed me, as this was not one of the ways he portrayed himself in his quest for power. Particularly as the incident has caused loss of life, isn't this a possible criminal negligence matter going beyond the oil spill and BP? But puss an' dawg...
In a related matter, the $20 billion is to alleviate the loss of jobs and total destruction of the seafood industry. It is fair to say that some 50-60 per cent of shrimp consumed in the USA comes directly from Louisiana and the Gulf.
Prices have already gone up by 30 per cent as the market responds to the shortage. It is my considered opinion that any disputes at the WTO concerning low-wage accusations, and phyto-sanitary measures, which currently exist between the USA, Peru, and Vietnam will be quickly withdrawn or "settled" in the interest of US businesses and consumers.
On our side, if tourism and related industries are threatened by globs of oil coming onto our beaches, or for that matter, Cuba or the Bahamas, who will give us our "pound of flesh"? So Middle Quarters and Portland, prepare yourselves for an onslaught of desperate addicts who need pepper shrimps and Janga. Please don't expect shrimp fried rice, just "hold the chicken" at two per cent price reduction, and satisfy yourselves in Miami (if you have a visa). But puss an' dawg...
Coronation Market has been shot up, burnt, and generally destroyed. The generosity of Digicel in pledging J$100 million towards the rebuilding is laudable. It represents about 10 per cent of the total cost of restoring this important trade centre to proper operating conditions.
Please note that over the years, under the gangs, the infrastructure had deteriorated to below the standards of public health. So perhaps the reconstruction will provide a new and satisfactory environment for the hard-working vendors, with proper sanitation and facilities.
So as we say hurrah, all the other markets islandwide that are in deplorable conditions, do not shoot them up or burn them down, and hope to gain from those actions. Puss an' dawg...
In similar ways, Tivoli Gardens will be rebuilt, but not as an enclave. Some talk-show participants laughingly disparage the sentiment of Tivoli as a middle-class area. I have found their lack of knowledge and imagination to be a limiting factor. Would someone tell me of any progressive city that allocates its downtown real estate as other than premium value residential, and wasn't that the original reason for the development of Ocean Towers?
Having said that, poor people must be given space to develop as their financial means improve, and their children get older. The days of crowding poor people together in confined spaces and expecting them to uplift themselves died with the end of slavery.
Progressive improvement, decent behaviour, and conformity with the rule of law require an unwavering attitude of respect. This includes the respect of the law enforcement personnel, the judicial systems, the political leaders, and the rest of society who have "made it", and who now reside uptown.
My recommendation would be to transform and upgrade Tivoli into an open community of persons willing to be other than slavish tribalists, and who could expect increases in their property values. For those of lesser means, I would offer them new spaces in new areas where they can gradually grow and expand in their journey towards upward social mobility based on honest work, education, and abiding by consistent values.
I would be prepared to allow that persons can contribute to their home cost reduction by their own labour. The NHT should gather those persons into their network for future benefits as they are encouraged to take responsibility for their own development. We should never again allow thousands of persons to be held captive on the pretext of providing their votes in a manner consistent with the demands of an overlord. But Puss and Dawg...
That now brings me to the role of the NHT and its focus on the provision of houses to its contributors. A story in the Financial Gleaner of June 11 entitled '$7b for upmarket St Ann houses' caught my eye. What surprised me was the possible inclusion of the NHT in this project. The houses will range from $30.7 million to $35 million, and this certainly does not benefit first-home buyers, or lower-income persons, or the PAYE taxpayers who fund the NHT.
It seems that a development of this nature should qualify for its own funding through advance sales discounts or commercial credit. These are not the homes of average Jamaicans, and will likely be sold to persons overseas, and so we should not commit scarce housing funds to assist other than fund contributors. But puss an' dawg...
These things merit consideration and comment from every citizen of this little nation, Jamaica. We need to take responsibility for our own fortunes. Intelligent planning is a requirement for orderly and sustainable development. After all, we are not just Puss and Dawg waiting for lotto wins.
Happy Fathers' Day.
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/colum...d-luck_7721763