Broken Promise No. 1

[Lazie]

Den how him name Spencer?!

well there is an old track ..." yuh daddy ain't yuh daddy but yuh daddy don't know!"

[Mosiah]

well there is an old track ..." yuh daddy ain't yuh daddy but yuh daddy don't know!"

[TDowl]

He is Hugh Shearer's son.

I also met the man who he grew up with in Grange Hill, he used to play domino at e.54th St in Brooklyn, I also knew Rudy while he was in Lucea.

Oh Ben and Lazie hold out on yu, memba yu nuh, all dem people come out a de West, even the late Donald Sangster have dem connections deh to.

Eh Lazie a see yu deh du VJ/DJ spin, can't wait fe yu discredit mi.

[Lazie]

Discredit yuh? No general. Anyway .. welcome back. Wait .. isn't that another song?

[Willi]

The largest cabinet in Jamaica's history even as he preached against govt. size, waste and fluff.

I like some of the choices, however. Dorothy Lightbourne as justice minister and atty general is interesting. Can't see her behaving with the kind of AJ arrogance that we all hated. Can't see her putting up with police abuse and the like. But politics has a way of corrupting and contaminating people. I hope she remains untouched at least for a while.

Shaw as finance minister is a joke. The real brains in that ministry will be Don Wehby.

And then we flashback to the 80s - Babsy, Samuda, Baugh, Pearnel, Bartlett, Mike Henry -

And where is the mix that we were promised? Where are the women in this cabinet?

Ministry size is still the same. Extra people in the cabinet may be short term.

Wehby is on loan for 2 years. Nelson may be the same.

The Office of the PM may also be slimmed down in the medium term.

This seems like a rescue mission cabinet for 2 years or so till the put their stamp on.

I can live with it for 2 years.

[Assasin]

It better them make the cabinet big and get rid of so many damn consultants who the PNP had getting money for nothing especially the ones who double up as board members.

The Cabinet is fine as long as they can get their money business in order. It is better to get a few qualified persons than just to pick from the JLP inner circle.

I want to see the changes in the Minister of Finance and how Miss Lightbourne going to function, along with Derrick Smith. Smith had all the time in the world to put his plan togahter so I hope it means a reduction in crime.

[Karl]

and the depleted coffers? NOT mismanagement? the fact that the underground economy and remittances have propped up the economy otherwise it would be worse?

in 1989 the $J was 6-1 as per the US$ and today ...70+ to one...and you call that good management?

Ask yourself how could we have attained...scratch that - what is it we have to do to have surplusses where-in the 'goodies' go throughout the entire society? What has to be done to make all of the people enjoy the 'goodies'?

After you arrive at that answer you will have a different perspective of what difference that ellusive, epheremal 'di government' can make...what is within 'the possible' of that 'di government'?

Your problem, and many more like you is you think of 'di government' as a stand alone entity! That I respectfully put to you is not the way I view any government. One thing that must be taken into the equation is - What has our private sector ever done to get us this 'expected surplus'? Have we ever had that 'expected surplus'?

Where are we coming from? What %age of the population has ever enjoyed what we consider to be a 'good standard of living'? Are we looking towards, say 75%+ of our people enjoying this 'good standard of living'? What is the cost of maintaining the 75%+ 'good standard of living'? What are the things/conditions and services/etc. that such a 'good standard of living' require to be around?

If we say less than 20% of our people enjoy this 'good standard of living'...again, what can that 'di government' do to get us to that 75%+ enjoying that 'good standard of living'? ...and, can any government move Jamaica to such a position?

If 'di government' can...what time frame are you thinking of within which it cn be accomplished? ...taking into consideration increasingly higher and higher accepted mores of what is 'good standard of living'...population growth, longer life expectancy, introduction of newer and more advanced 'gadgets'...etc., etc...

Frankly - I do not think any 'di government' can deliver to us that 'good standard of living'. Only we can...it is all in what mindset we - the people - have!

We are where we are! Advances have been made! We are where we are as a direct result of our mindset!

The underground economy will continue to expand. ...and, remittances will grow...and, you can always dispair on that. ...but, they both shall remain important to our economy. Anyone who thinks they are not important to other economies are dreaming! Anyone who wishes the disappearance of both of...or, either of these, is living in own dream world!

btw - On the matter of the rate of exchange of the J$ to the U$...what have we really lost in the movement of our dollar? let us go further backwards, would that U$4.00 being equivalent to J$1 mean we could own and buy...live better...be now having that 'good standard of living'? Would it mean our paychecks could buy us - more? I doubt it...as the figures on the paychecks in those great days was pitiful...and could only purchase pitiful volume of goods and services!

...let's do better than that - For those of us who were alive in those good old days - Take a look back at what the family owned and what the family could afford to 'live'?

For those of us who were not born then - speak to the 'old people' on what gave then? ...take a ride to the 'old home' and 'look' at the foundations of the 'old homes'...you'll wonder how on God's earth the 2 adults and the 3 or more children could live in such a 'prison'? ...take a look at various other things that held then...and then tell me the PNP took us back in time...mismanaged the country?

We rightfully are impatient with 'rate of progress'...and, no one can disagree with the observation that opportunities where lost...potential not anywhere near being maximised...but, this 'broad brush' mismanaged? Which Jamaica were these people living in...and, when?

[Mosiah]

Willi and assasin, both of you just seem to be hoping for the best. One is saying it is short term, a 2 year thing, the other is hoping he gets rid of consultants.

The only reality in front of us is an expanded cabinet, with all the waste that naturally comes with it. Is Bruce going to cut out Prados and replace them with Camrys? And car allowance is di least of our problems when it comes to an expanded cabinet.

[Gamma]

18 years of downward decline and you call us impatien? yet yuh only want to give bruce 5 years? ...got it.

[Karl]

18 years of downward decline and you call us impatien? yet yuh only want to give bruce 5 years? ...got it.

The reality is that is what he has 5 years!
We need to shut this down - as we'll never agree. We'll see what we shall see - i.e. Bruce's performance(s)!
Peace out!

[Muadib]

The reality is that is what he has 5 years!
We need to shut this down - as we'll never agree. We'll see what we shall see - i.e. Bruce's performance(s)!
Peace out!

You cannot act like a cultist and be expected to be treated as an objective, rational thinkier.

Sorry Karl.. cannot have it both ways.

You have giving the last Govt a failing grade.. it took 18 years for you to admit that..

Your eagerness to see the back of the new Govt before it even took office put you in the category that you have always been.. part of the problem..

[Willi]

He MAY.

There is no reality yet. You are SUPPOSING.

Wehby is a free Minister, for example.

Its about size of the public service, not the cabinet.

Save you powder for serious issues. You will need it. We are on the watchout for serious missteps, not these irrelevancies.

Given the last 18 years, I am wary and dont give out absolute trust to anyone. However, I am not looking for quick fix for everthing, as that is unreasonable.

You know if and when things go seriously awry, I will back you on those criticisms. The petty stuff is pedestrian though.

[Assasin]

exactly Willi.
When Bruce name his who slate and directors of public companies and ambassadors we will know if him serious.