Dear Editor,
Since Jamaicans have a propensity for being flippant, then they must be among the more frivolous people in the world. It is quite surprising that people who claim to abhor corruption have no actual interest in reducing or publicising corruption because they are so fixated on trivial matters.
Very few people are discussing the auditor general's most recent report which highlighted irregularities at agencies like the Agri-Investment Corporation and the Jamaica Customs Agency, but most persons have a vested interested in the Jamaica Tourist Board's (JTB) decision to fund last year's version of Sting.
The issue of contention is that Sting is a private event that should not be subsidised by the government. This argument is a valid, but JTB has financed other entertainment events in the past and there was no backlash.
The issue of contention is that Sting is a private event that should not be subsidised by the government. This argument is a valid, but JTB has financed other entertainment events in the past and there was no backlash.
Public financing of private events must not be encouraged, and even more public bodies must be privatised because it's not the Government's role to operate any business. But it is the JTB's duty to market the industry and collaborate with local entertainment executives. Therefore, the organisation's support for Sting may be seen as a public-private partnership.
Furthermore, Jamaica has a comparative advantage in entertainment, so the Government may want to play a role in improving the product. The Government's decision to fund Sting, through the JTB, was not far-fetched, and the opposition that it received was due to the perception that Sting is a vulgar event for viragos. This is a classic example of majoring in the minor.
The funds of the JTB can be used to finance any tourism project, whether it is a public investment or a partnership with the private sector. If funds of the JTB were being diverted to finance to non-tourism-related activities this would be a cause for concern, it does not matter if the activity is a public one.
So, instead of holding elected representatives accountable in light of the auditor general's damning reports, citizens are paying greater attention to matters of lesser importance.
Sting is a playground for outrageous personalities and entertainers are expected to deliver a very slack product for their audience, so the unsavoury behaviour of two female performers at Sting should not be a surprise to anyone because Sting is a rowdy event and these female performers have a long history of coarseness.
When simplistic members of the public major in the minor they provide an incentive for politicians to be corrupt. So, in 2014, the citizens of this country should not allow themselves to be distracted by nonsensical issues.
Lipton Matthews
lo_matthews@yahoo.com
Distractions and corruption
-->
Since Jamaicans have a propensity for being flippant, then they must be among the more frivolous people in the world. It is quite surprising that people who claim to abhor corruption have no actual interest in reducing or publicising corruption because they are so fixated on trivial matters.
Very few people are discussing the auditor general's most recent report which highlighted irregularities at agencies like the Agri-Investment Corporation and the Jamaica Customs Agency, but most persons have a vested interested in the Jamaica Tourist Board's (JTB) decision to fund last year's version of Sting.
The issue of contention is that Sting is a private event that should not be subsidised by the government. This argument is a valid, but JTB has financed other entertainment events in the past and there was no backlash.
The issue of contention is that Sting is a private event that should not be subsidised by the government. This argument is a valid, but JTB has financed other entertainment events in the past and there was no backlash.
Public financing of private events must not be encouraged, and even more public bodies must be privatised because it's not the Government's role to operate any business. But it is the JTB's duty to market the industry and collaborate with local entertainment executives. Therefore, the organisation's support for Sting may be seen as a public-private partnership.
Furthermore, Jamaica has a comparative advantage in entertainment, so the Government may want to play a role in improving the product. The Government's decision to fund Sting, through the JTB, was not far-fetched, and the opposition that it received was due to the perception that Sting is a vulgar event for viragos. This is a classic example of majoring in the minor.
The funds of the JTB can be used to finance any tourism project, whether it is a public investment or a partnership with the private sector. If funds of the JTB were being diverted to finance to non-tourism-related activities this would be a cause for concern, it does not matter if the activity is a public one.
So, instead of holding elected representatives accountable in light of the auditor general's damning reports, citizens are paying greater attention to matters of lesser importance.
Sting is a playground for outrageous personalities and entertainers are expected to deliver a very slack product for their audience, so the unsavoury behaviour of two female performers at Sting should not be a surprise to anyone because Sting is a rowdy event and these female performers have a long history of coarseness.
When simplistic members of the public major in the minor they provide an incentive for politicians to be corrupt. So, in 2014, the citizens of this country should not allow themselves to be distracted by nonsensical issues.
Lipton Matthews
lo_matthews@yahoo.com
Distractions and corruption
-->