Work with the programme, Mr Edwards

[Dr.Dudd]

Work with the programme, Mr Edwards



Friday, April 03, 2009

Poor Mr Easton Edwards.

As the Jamaica Labour Party's (JLP) councillor for Hanover's Lucea division, he wants to see the town cleaned up.

However, according to the lead story in yesterday's edition of our sister title, the Observer West, his repeated pleas to the People's National Party-controlled Hanover Parish Council for funding to effect the necessary action have been simply ignored.

So in what would appear to be an act of desperation and frustration, he decided on Wednesday to approach the business community of that parish for funds to get the job done himself.

This, according to Lucea Mayor Lloyd Hill who chairs the municipal authority, is an attempt on Mr Edwards' part to undermine the efforts of the council.

"He is trying to jump the gun and is seeking advantage outside of the normal arrangement of the council," yesterday's edition quotes Mayor Hill.

Maybe he's right.

But surely, the bigger issue must be why Lucea, an idyllic location with the potential to establish itself as a premier tourist destination, can't get its act together as far as cleanliness is concerned.

For years the residents of this town have been undermining its potential for greatness by dumping garbage in its harbour.

Several efforts to discourage this practice and educate the residents about the environmental hazards it poses have met with a small measure of success, suggesting that with persistence, said efforts should pay off in the long run.

So the big challenge facing the council is how to mobilise the scarce resources to effect the necessary remedial work as well as the ongoing educational programmes. We are sure that at the end of the day, this is what everybody wants.

How is it then, that such an obvious goal, which should be unanimous, becomes an opportunity for petty politicking?

Obviously, the council's efforts are simply not good enough.

Yet, as long as Mr Edwards is still a member of that council, he must stand responsibility for its performance and find a way to work with its programme to make it effective.

Alienating it in the way he has chosen is not the answer.

If it is that he feels that he can no longer work with the programme, he should resign so that someone else who is able to, can fill the spot.

For Labour Day is but a day.

And the answer to Lucea's problems, which are the result of years of moral, social and economic decay, lay way beyond that.

[Dr.Dudd]

Re: Work with the programme, Mr Edwards

Knowing the usual attitude of the talking heads in Jamaica, My question is this, Is thwew adwquate disoisal servises accessabel to these citizens that persist in dumping in the ocean? I will wager yhat it is nit. I will further ussime that if it was afailable Mr Edwardfs would not be solociting finds to do it/
. It se to me that ther is not suffuicient funds to afford the services.
Now why would educated and well paid people in the media attempt to assail the people without services to aproproately perform the task of disposal of garbahe??
Why does it seem that as soon as any services that require additional funding to be effected, the people are always blamed instead of dealing with the problem of funding it?
Why is it that any instance where requires those who benefits most from the services,like the business people,atr always th efirst to suggest that others are to be blamed for it's need?
Why does it seem that anymove to aquire better servioces are always derailed, by argumanets by blaming others?
One of these days those people will see what is being done, and soon we will have a real democracy in the country.

[Wardob]

Re: Work with the programme, Mr Edwards

What I hope the people will see is how ineffective their council is, so ineffective that it forced one of it's members to seek outside help to remedy the situation. One member who is actually doing what mayor Hill as head of the council should be doing or at least he should be joining Edwards in seeking private help to have the necessary facilities put in place.

But in lue of these facilities am I to understand civic pride is dead in this Town? and these informal traders who ply their trades, as a source of income bears no responsibility? and its okay for them to litter as they please , dump the garbage created by them in the sea? I don’t know but I believe they should and must shear in the responsibility, if it is even to keep the area in which they earn their livelihood clean by properly disposed of their garbage.
Hey maybe I am wrong, civic pride maybe indeed dead.