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He did one little thing with a big symbolism and the nation, never ever fully sold on the JLP and Golding, gave him little or absolutely no credit for what he did.
Earning about $3 million less than what the present prime minister earns, Golding imposed on himself a 15-per cent pay cut and convinced his MPs to accept a 10-per cent pay cut. While he knew that the savings were relatively minimal in the bigger scheme of things, for a leader who wanted to demonstrate empathy to a nation of shell-shocked people, significant numbers of whom were joining the unemployment line, the symbolism was just, and the proper thing to do.
Golding then sought from the PNP leader and her MPs the same 10-per cent pay cut that he had imposed on his JLP MPs. The leader of the PNP (who has never spoken for 10 minutes without commending herself for love for the poor) and the rest of the PNP MPs rejected the offer. So much for the love, the caring and the concerns of broad leadership in the PNP.
Prior to the last election campaign, for the first time in about 20 years, the payback on domestic debt was made more manageable, the exchange rate was stable, inflation was kept in check, foreign money supply was adequate and lending rates were trending down. However, there was a big, nasty fly in the ointment.
An IMF deal that was pending for too long.
In the campaign, the PNP ridiculed the JLP government on its failure to seal the new IMF agreement, and the nation, largely packed with low-information voters, bought it hook, line and sinker. Incredibly, the PNP leader sold the nation a bill of goods by convincing the same low-information voters that the PNP could seal an IMF deal two weeks after a PNP win! Along with other negatives against the JLP, especially the fallout over the Dudus/Manatt matter, it was always going to be problematic for the JLP to win.
The deal against the JLP was probably sealed when Prime Minister Andrew Holness told the nation from the JLP conference podium in November 2011 that the way ahead would be tough. Madness, this telling of the truth. At the same time, the PNP in ads were telling the nation and the PNP base of low-information voters that a vote for the PNP would be one to guarantee that "nice times would come back again".
It has been close to one year and the PNP, highly discordant at times and with a leader who has opted for globetrotting and has put forward Finance Minister Peter Phillips in the fiery hot seat, they all cannot seem to deal with the fact that their last election campaign was filled with "pathologically mendacious" promises.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/colum...#ixzz27fvbbtQi
Earning about $3 million less than what the present prime minister earns, Golding imposed on himself a 15-per cent pay cut and convinced his MPs to accept a 10-per cent pay cut. While he knew that the savings were relatively minimal in the bigger scheme of things, for a leader who wanted to demonstrate empathy to a nation of shell-shocked people, significant numbers of whom were joining the unemployment line, the symbolism was just, and the proper thing to do.
Golding then sought from the PNP leader and her MPs the same 10-per cent pay cut that he had imposed on his JLP MPs. The leader of the PNP (who has never spoken for 10 minutes without commending herself for love for the poor) and the rest of the PNP MPs rejected the offer. So much for the love, the caring and the concerns of broad leadership in the PNP.
Prior to the last election campaign, for the first time in about 20 years, the payback on domestic debt was made more manageable, the exchange rate was stable, inflation was kept in check, foreign money supply was adequate and lending rates were trending down. However, there was a big, nasty fly in the ointment.
An IMF deal that was pending for too long.
In the campaign, the PNP ridiculed the JLP government on its failure to seal the new IMF agreement, and the nation, largely packed with low-information voters, bought it hook, line and sinker. Incredibly, the PNP leader sold the nation a bill of goods by convincing the same low-information voters that the PNP could seal an IMF deal two weeks after a PNP win! Along with other negatives against the JLP, especially the fallout over the Dudus/Manatt matter, it was always going to be problematic for the JLP to win.
The deal against the JLP was probably sealed when Prime Minister Andrew Holness told the nation from the JLP conference podium in November 2011 that the way ahead would be tough. Madness, this telling of the truth. At the same time, the PNP in ads were telling the nation and the PNP base of low-information voters that a vote for the PNP would be one to guarantee that "nice times would come back again".
It has been close to one year and the PNP, highly discordant at times and with a leader who has opted for globetrotting and has put forward Finance Minister Peter Phillips in the fiery hot seat, they all cannot seem to deal with the fact that their last election campaign was filled with "pathologically mendacious" promises.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/colum...#ixzz27fvbbtQi
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