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Can we afford this ‘Luxury’ Chief?

So many things are going bad in poor little Jamaica right now and all I can see all over social media are pictures of Mr, Holness posing and preening, in situations totally unrelated to the nation’s problems and the uphill task at hand to get a grasp on them and put them in check.Yet he can’t find time to timely attend to and make good on the pie in the sky promises he made to the people on the eve of the elections. Did he really say he “needs more time?”

Seems this fellow has a whole lot of time,….. enough to ‘flaunt it.’

What will he do with more time?

More of the same?

  

What about those pre-election promises the people were banking on that are so badly behind in schedule?

What about that promise that as soon as the elections were over he would be getting right down to business? Is this the business he had in mind?

That’s how negligible the people’s business is to you Mr. Holness?

 If it is not, then why has it been put on the back burner while you frolic?

Image Source: nationwideradiojm.com
Image Source: nationwideradiojm.com

All we see are pictures of you sunbathing on the mountainside, or jogging, or some other meaningless activity that helps no one but your own self image. Our last prime minister was accused of not being in public view often enough, and now Mr. Holness  is giving us an overdose of himself so that “surfeiting the appetite” has sickened and is fast dying.

Everyone criticized Miss Hanna for the flaunting of her flawless appearances in an area where it is least justifiable, POLITICS, and even I myself have done so, but Miss Hanna has at least an excuse, being a crowned former World beauty. What is your excuse Mr. Holness?

 Are you aspiring to be Mr. World Prince Charming or something like that… something we ‘The People’ don’t know about?

  

Miss Hanna does not lead our nation and never has. But you Sir, on the other hand are the Chief, twice over, and should know better.

How will all this help us pass the impending 12th  IMF test?

You won by too narrow a margin to be complacent and comfortable with ‘sitting pretty.’

The people are still watching keenly and even more so because they have not gotten any early ease from their tax burden as promised by you, and are now standing like lambs to the slaughter waiting for the announced GCT axe to fall upon their heads.

I remember our last Prime Minister’s answer when asked why it was that she was not in evidence among her people as she used to be. Her answer was that she was busy working, working, working for her people. That work produced, and even gave this regime a head start. The rest of the world acknowledged it by showing their confidence in her and her government through manifestations of investment and the promise of much more to come.

The people gave you the opportunity to do more on their behalf.

 It is no secret that Portia Simpson Miller is and has always been greatly loved by the Jamaican people. YET THEY GAVE YOU THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY THAT YOU ASKED THEM FOR IN ORDER TO PROVE YOURSELF!…..

And what are you doing with it?

Looking for more and more photo opportunities., while the plight they asked you to relieve them of is worsening. It will be over for us if we can’t pass the next IMF Test. The last PNP regime gave you more than just a nudge in the right direction, with an unprecedented eleven consecutive passes.

  

The people will obviously see the difference if you fail the first one you are responsible for. Your party already has a history of failing them, taking a pass on them and then abdicating our national responsibility to pay back our debts. You are being more closely watched because they already do not trust you and your financial ‘shaman.’

In my mind I am thinking…shouldn’t he be poring over some serious papers with Audley Shaw in order to make sure Audley gets things right for the first time ever?

You have a history!

And while we are on this subject, maybe Mr. Holness can explain to the people why he is seemingly parading all over Jamaica House and just about everywhere out there, followed by a cameraman and another individual with some sort of video tape recorder?

Who is paying them for all this Mr. Holness?

This at face value seems to be quite an unnecessary expense, so explain to us the virtues of this expense.

 Is it the people’s money being thus squandered when we don’t seem to have any, and if so why is such expenditure necessary when you can’t even give them the tax relief you promised them? You promised to take them from poverty to prosperity, yet it seems to be all about you and your image.

Kind of the proverbial ‘rags to riches’ story, which brings to mind the “ostentatious ‘otel”(as pronounced by some Jamaicans.). But we won’t even go there this time, since you obviously don’t intend to enlighten us.

 Wouldn’t such an expense be better put to use as a subsidy of the rice you just significantly raised to make their plight even worse? You made an international pre election stink about them having things so bad that they had to be eating a mythical “fish back” and now you have made it worse by making sure that even little “rice and butter” is a luxury. They may now have to eat “soso butter.”

Maybe you need to explain to the people if the persons who are running behind you like passive puppies and docile duppies are in fact staff members of the JIS or employees of the Office of The Prime Minister. The JLP ran out of money long before the elections so I don’t think this is a JLP expense and I don’t think the PSOJ gives money for the PM’s private profile, so who is covering their compensation?

  

If it is in fact the former, don’t you think that expense would be better justified focusing on the development of the country instead of Photo Ops for the PM? Does this not constitute a conflict between the OPM and government and blatant party politics?

If they are in fact “employees” of the OPM, what posts are these persons employed in and/or to what unit?

Some may say I am too early with my concern and should give you what you asked for…time.

But you don’t seem to be making good use of it in the nation’s favour. The people need more than Nicodemus manoeuvres Mr. Holness.

Tell us what is really going down and now, because from where I am standing, things are beginning to look mighty dim and grim.

The light of hope that you sold to us, seems to be fast disappearing and giving way to the horror of hopelessness.

You have already taken close to two months just to primp and “parade, now for God’s sake.. please get down to the peoples’ business!

Ava Ramdeen is a former staff writer and subeditor of The Daily Gleaner, The Jamaica Daily News. And the Caribbean Life News NY – [email protected]

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