Dear Editor,
I am still hopping mad since hearing a media report of the tens of millions of dollars being spent on this Tivoli Commission of Enquiry. I am even more upset that two lawyers said the amount being paid is reasonable. One even claimed that we were getting "value for money".
You know, if there is one thing that I cannot stand it is hypocrisy. What on earth is the lead commissioner going to do with all of that money? Buy his island when he goes home? Many of the other members are getting millions. And for what? I don't understand it.
It is being said that these people are being paid what they are worth in United States dollars. How is it that these same lawyers who are making this claim don't also pay their helpers, gardeners and maids what they are worth in United States dollars? Did you know that some household staff in the United States earn more than an information technology professional in Jamaica?
As it is the Government that has the final say in the remuneration of the members of this commission, they too are exposing their hypocrisy. How is it that they consider the salaries of these commissioners reasonable, but can't see the same for their own workers? Is it that these civil servants aren't worth it?
I know that it will be said that our civil servants are being paid based on the laws of supply and demand. Our lower-level civil servants get their chicken-feed salaries because there are too many of them, and as such the State can always pay what it will as an dissatisfied worker can always be replaced.How then it is that this same law of supply and demand doesn't work for lawyers too? Our island is bursting at the seams with lawyers. If you don't believe me, just knock on every door on Duke Street. You will find 10 lawyers behind most of them. How then could we not have found competent lawyers for this commission at much cheaper costs?
It is being said that this commission may compensate the people of Tivoli for what happened to them. This, however, is not certain. At the end of it all, the victims may not get anything. Even if they do, it is unlikely that they will get anything near what these commissioners have earned.
Just think of how much improvement could be effected in Tivoli if the money paid for the inquiry was directed there. We have already had two commissions of enquiry that enriched some well-connected people and achieved very little, all at great cost to taxpayers. Why can't we ever learn?
I am tired of these spin doctors taking us for fools. Enough of the hypocrisy!
Michael A Dingwall
michael_a_dingwall@hotmail.com
Tivoli commission exposing our hypocrisy
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I am still hopping mad since hearing a media report of the tens of millions of dollars being spent on this Tivoli Commission of Enquiry. I am even more upset that two lawyers said the amount being paid is reasonable. One even claimed that we were getting "value for money".
You know, if there is one thing that I cannot stand it is hypocrisy. What on earth is the lead commissioner going to do with all of that money? Buy his island when he goes home? Many of the other members are getting millions. And for what? I don't understand it.
It is being said that these people are being paid what they are worth in United States dollars. How is it that these same lawyers who are making this claim don't also pay their helpers, gardeners and maids what they are worth in United States dollars? Did you know that some household staff in the United States earn more than an information technology professional in Jamaica?
As it is the Government that has the final say in the remuneration of the members of this commission, they too are exposing their hypocrisy. How is it that they consider the salaries of these commissioners reasonable, but can't see the same for their own workers? Is it that these civil servants aren't worth it?
I know that it will be said that our civil servants are being paid based on the laws of supply and demand. Our lower-level civil servants get their chicken-feed salaries because there are too many of them, and as such the State can always pay what it will as an dissatisfied worker can always be replaced.How then it is that this same law of supply and demand doesn't work for lawyers too? Our island is bursting at the seams with lawyers. If you don't believe me, just knock on every door on Duke Street. You will find 10 lawyers behind most of them. How then could we not have found competent lawyers for this commission at much cheaper costs?
It is being said that this commission may compensate the people of Tivoli for what happened to them. This, however, is not certain. At the end of it all, the victims may not get anything. Even if they do, it is unlikely that they will get anything near what these commissioners have earned.
Just think of how much improvement could be effected in Tivoli if the money paid for the inquiry was directed there. We have already had two commissions of enquiry that enriched some well-connected people and achieved very little, all at great cost to taxpayers. Why can't we ever learn?
I am tired of these spin doctors taking us for fools. Enough of the hypocrisy!
Michael A Dingwall
michael_a_dingwall@hotmail.com
Tivoli commission exposing our hypocrisy
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