Dear Editor,
It is bad enough that in the midst of a debt crisis, when the Government has insisted that they have no money to help the poor and dispossessed to survive, the prime minister of Jamaica stubbornly maintains a Cabinet of over 20 ministers to administer the affairs of a mere 2.7 million people.
When the economic crisis first threatened to totally devastate the nation, concerned people called on the Government to take a symbolic salary cut to demonstrate to the hurting nation that they, too, were prepared to make sacrifices, but even this symbolism was resisted by the prime minster. And, despite the cutbacks in education, health, security, and other areas critical to the welfare of the nation, the Government has done nothing to curb the voracious appetite of the petty politicians who deem themselves the gods of our universe as they strut around in high-end vehicles supplied by taxpayers and flaunt all the expensive perks of power.
We should therefore not be overly surprised that members of a government like this have also been abusing the public purse in how they use the taxpayer-provided cellphones, as they, no doubt, individually set out to impress god knows whom. So, here we have Arnaldo Brown, a junior minister to boot, racking up a cellphone bill of $1.09 million for one year, according to the excellent investigative reporting done by RJR. And his is just the most obscene of the revelations so far, as only half of the Cabinet has supplied the information requested and that half alone has racked up a total bill in excess of $5 million for chatting for one year. What is enlightening, too, is the appearance that those who have been the most expensive in this exercise have been the least productive. For what has Arnaldo Brown been doing that is a real asset to the country? On the other hand, we see where Justice Minister Mark Golding, who has been doing a reasonable job, has not cost the taxpayer one red cent for unnecessary chatting. That tells quite a story, doesn't it?
Of course my advice to all who are expecting the prime minister to do anything about this latest national disgrace is, please do not hold your breath.
Hello... national disgrace calling
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It is bad enough that in the midst of a debt crisis, when the Government has insisted that they have no money to help the poor and dispossessed to survive, the prime minister of Jamaica stubbornly maintains a Cabinet of over 20 ministers to administer the affairs of a mere 2.7 million people.
When the economic crisis first threatened to totally devastate the nation, concerned people called on the Government to take a symbolic salary cut to demonstrate to the hurting nation that they, too, were prepared to make sacrifices, but even this symbolism was resisted by the prime minster. And, despite the cutbacks in education, health, security, and other areas critical to the welfare of the nation, the Government has done nothing to curb the voracious appetite of the petty politicians who deem themselves the gods of our universe as they strut around in high-end vehicles supplied by taxpayers and flaunt all the expensive perks of power.
We should therefore not be overly surprised that members of a government like this have also been abusing the public purse in how they use the taxpayer-provided cellphones, as they, no doubt, individually set out to impress god knows whom. So, here we have Arnaldo Brown, a junior minister to boot, racking up a cellphone bill of $1.09 million for one year, according to the excellent investigative reporting done by RJR. And his is just the most obscene of the revelations so far, as only half of the Cabinet has supplied the information requested and that half alone has racked up a total bill in excess of $5 million for chatting for one year. What is enlightening, too, is the appearance that those who have been the most expensive in this exercise have been the least productive. For what has Arnaldo Brown been doing that is a real asset to the country? On the other hand, we see where Justice Minister Mark Golding, who has been doing a reasonable job, has not cost the taxpayer one red cent for unnecessary chatting. That tells quite a story, doesn't it?
Of course my advice to all who are expecting the prime minister to do anything about this latest national disgrace is, please do not hold your breath.
Hello... national disgrace calling
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