Karl, how yuh nuh post this?

[Lazie]

As Fae said in her article, the people didn't mind it (the SoE). The media houses and some politicians had a problem with it.

.. and Fae is in a position to tell what the people minded? I wonder what that doctor and the patient he was rushing to help affi say bout that? Since when organizations like JFJ and FAST media houses and politicians?

[Karl]

Of course not. But this handing out of fish instead of teaching how to fish is not going to help anybody.

I think in the case of the pensioners the fishing phase of their lives is long gone!

[Exile]

Bob sey:"...when the rain fall, it don't fall on one man housetop....remember that..".

[Willi]

Look Germans didnt mind Hitler at first.

Zimbabweans didnt mind Mugabe at first.
Native Amerindians didnt mind European explorers at first.

I could go on and on.

It is n0t about minding, its about guarding rights.

The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.

[Willi]

Yes,

As the lady Observer columnist said...ITs OUR money and they acting like they giving us something.

IS taxpayer money.

They are just managers and dem acting like owner.

Wi ah di idiot for letting this happen.

Dem work for us not the odda way round.

Politicians are no Santa Claus
Jean Lowrie-Chin
Monday, August 27, 2007

The weary nurse, the gas station operator on the graveyard shift, the security guard patrolling that dark compound should be irritated to hear politicians brag about the roads "we" built or the money "we" are going to distribute.


Jean Lowrie-Chin
But we, the taxpayers, have been so brainwashed that we keep forgetting it is our hard-earned money that they are using to fund their magnanimity.

Small business owners know that at the end of each and every month, the biggest pocket to fill is not that of a hard-working employee - it is the endless pocket of the tax collector. And so after we have signed cheques for PAYE, NIS, NHT, HEART, Education Tax and the whopping GCT, we look at what is left behind and know that many of us are earning far less for ourselves than what is paid out in taxes.

The majority of Jamaicans can only dream of those fat salaries that our members of parliament have awarded themselves. The perks are bordering on the outrageous, and political favourites get to become part of large retinues that go on overseas gigs - both parties have been famous for this.

Jamaicans need to wake up and tell our politicians, so what if you built that hospital or that school, so what if you put water and electricity in that district? That is precisely what we are paying you to do! And guess what, you are doing it with our hard-earned money, the money that we budget so carefully that most of us have no hope of driving the cars you buy with our money, taking the trips you take, wearing the clothes you wear. Gosh, you're pricey!

But wait, there's more! Because not only do you use our money and take the credit, you use it to give credit where none is due. Some of those wonderful contracts are assigned on the basis of party loyalty, not productivity. The middle men have middle men, who also have middle men. By the time our taxpayers' money is sent down that dark, devious tunnel, only small change emerges - so the road gets marl instead of asphalt and only half of the gully is cleaned.

We really have no one to blame but ourselves. The taxpayers of Jamaica, essentially every Jamaican who has ever bought a phone card, could form what could be the most powerful pressure group in the country. Not only would we be demanding that justice be done when there are too many mysteries in the Auditor General's Report, we would also be speaking out against the blatant harassment that some business people endure when they make the effort to live above, not below the tax radar. Yet I am told that many who are being paid handsomely out of our tax dollars are paying little or no tax!

Change can only take place if our so-called decent majority makes a decent effort to monitor our nation's business. None of us should be so naïve to think that a change of government will change all of this. These practices are not party-specific and honest businesspersons can recount negative experiences over the years with corrupt officials on both sides.


TEDDY MCCOOK. newly elected president of the powerful North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletics Association (NACAC).
We were justly proud of several government agencies for their professionalism in the face of Hurricane Dean. The self-effacing nurses, who were faithfully at the side of their patients, our courageous police officers, who were seen chasing looters in downtown Kingston during the driving rain, the well-organised ODPEM and NWA teams. Interestingly, we didn't hear any of them beating their chests or making speeches about their prowess; instead we heard facts and results.

The country should know that our prime minister, cabinet members, Opposition leader and junior ministers are handsomely paid out of our taxes to do a job for us, not a favour.
So please, in these last days leading to the elections, let us be discriminating listeners. If hurricane-ravaged victims are getting relief, it is relief that they themselves, along with fellow Jamaicans, have paid for. Let us not get all star-struck over the houses our money has built and the children our money has sent, and will continue to send, to school. To put it bluntly, every election promise, be it PNP or JLP, will be funded out of taxpayers' pockets.

Let me be clear that I believe it is important to pay our taxes - indeed, the alternatives are illegal. But it is also equally important to remember the direct relationship between those hefty deductions on our pay slips, and those grand openings that our politicians like to indulge in. What a joke therefore, when they tell us, "We are going to give you ..," and reel off their do-gooder list. While there are still honourable politicians, who should be well paid, let us be aware that we are our very own Santa Claus.

Congrats, Hon Teddy!

The matchless Teddy McCook, who headed the JAAA in its most formative years, has reached yet another milestone. Last week in Japan, he was elected president of the powerful North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletics Association (NACAC), succeeding the popular long-standing president Amadeo Francis. This is in addition to his remaining as the Caribbean Head of the International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF).

For those who may not know, Teddy McCook's name is synonymous with character and discipline. In the many years that he has organised the Gibson relays, you can set your watch from the scheduled start of each race - not a minute out.
There are many good stories about Teddy's refusal to play favourites and his insistence on due diligence and due process. It is no coincidence then, that he has gained the respect of his peers and inspired generations of awesome athletes. Long may he reign.

lowriechin@aim.com

[Willi]

Yuh nuh hear you haffi have voter ID to get some????

[Willi]

Why voter's ID or TRN for hurricane relief?

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Dear Editor,
Why is it necessary to be the holder of a voter's identification card and a Tax Registration Number (TRN) to register for hurricane relief?

A lot of people have come to me complaining that they were refused registration because they do not have the two pieces of ID requested for registration.

There were thousands of Jamaicans who have not been enumerated and would not have a voter's identification card, and there are those who lost or misplaced their cards and are not able to obtain replacement until the expiry date of the card. It is not a requirement of the law to be in possession of an ID Card.

To obtain a TRN, one must be in possession of a birth certificate. Several people have applied for birth certificates and will not obtain same before the cut-off date for registration to access Hurricane "Dean" relief.
Every Jamaican man, woman and child who accesses goods and service are taxpayers, whether or not they are in possession of a TRN.

A taxpayer registration number is mandatory to do business with government departments and some private-sector entities. Not being in possession of a voter's ID or TRN should not deny the victims of Hurricane Dean from accessing relief or assistance.
The Ministry of Social Security should look into the matter.

Joseph M Cornwall
tranquillityfh@yahoo.com

[Mosiah]

Because she talks to people. I talk to people, real people on the ground.

[Mosiah]

Perhaps, but their conditions after the hurricane are not all the same. Straight electioneering by Portia, shamelessly done!

[Gamma]

she talks to angels...in the air...

[Exile]

Total nonsense...once someone is identifiable Jamaican and needs help they should get it. Sm form of ID I guess is to preven double collection. As teh article from Chin say, it is OUR money, politicians acting as if they are giving out gifts.