Politics is about who get Cuban bulbs

[Tuff Gong]

Gov't, Opposition in rift over energy-saving bulbs
published: Saturday | July 8, 2006

Dionne Rose & Yahneake Sterling, Staff Reporters

A ROW has developed between the Opposition and the Government over the distribution of energy-saving light bulbs from Cuba.

Addressing Senator Kern Spencer's responses to questions tabled in the Senate, Opposition Senator Dr. Christopher Tufton yesterday accused the Government of distributing the bulbs on a political basis.

He said that, in the governing People's National Party's (PNP) North East St. Elizabeth constituency the current candidate, Senator Spencer, who is also the State Minister for Energy, had distributed brochures on the programme which also depict his photograph.

"I want to know how the method of distribution is going to be dealt with to ensure that it is not dealt with in a way that is partisan, that is the only question I am asking," Dr. Tufton said.

NO POLITICAL MOTIVATION

But Senator Spencer rejected suggestions that the distribution of the bulbs might have been politically motivated.

"You are going to see some more pictures, Chris, in the other constituencies setting out and explaining the programme from the Minister of State in-charge of the programme (myself) as well," he said. "This is a programme that we are not going to yield on, it is going to mean significant benefits for the poor people, especially of this country, and we are going to implement it without any sort of political interference."

He further disclosed that a team of volunteers and Cuban social workers were distributing the four million energy-saving fluorescent bulbs.

According to Senator Spencer, so far 40,000 fluorescent bulbs have been distributed in the constituencies of East Kingston and Port Royal and another 43,446 in East Rural St. Andrew.

On Thursday the junior energy minister told The Gleaner bulbs would be distributed to some 7,000 homes in four constituencies early next week.

The constituencies include South West St. Elizabeth, North East St. Elizabeth, South West St. Andrew and Eastern Portland.

Senator Spencer said the 250,000 energy-saving light bulbs would be transported to the constituencies over the weekend in preparation for the arrival of 100 Cuban technicians.

The four million bulbs are valued at $2 billion.

Gov't, Opposition in rift over energy-saving bulbs

[Wardob]

Re: Politics is about who get Cuban bulbs


Now someone please tell me why we need 100 Cubans or any Cuban at all to tell us how to screw in a light bulb?

Let me predict also, shortly after the distribution the bulbs, just like the Zinc will be for sale on the Streets mainly by PNP activists.

“It is going to mean significant benefits for the poor people, especially of this country”

Here we go again, politicians are using poor people, poor people and Country as scapegoats.

[RichD]

Re: Politics is about who get Cuban bulbs

i think i heard somewhere that the Cuban light bulb technicians were among the best in the world.....most of them are double jointed and left handed enableing them to screw in light bulbs quickly and acurately... incidence of bulb crossthreadng is is less than 0.001%

[Tuff Gong]

Re: Politics is about who get Cuban bulbs

[ QUOTE ]
i think i heard somewhere that the Cuban light bulb technicians were among the best in the world.....most of them are double jointed and left handed enableing them to screw in light bulbs quickly and acurately... incidence of bulb crossthreadng is is less than 0.001%

[/ QUOTE ]

DWL!

[Tuff Gong]

Re: Politics is about who get Cuban bulbs

[ QUOTE ]

Now someone please tell me why we need 100 Cubans or any Cuban at all to tell us how to screw in a light bulb?

Let me predict also, shortly after the distribution the bulbs, just like the Zinc will be for sale on the Streets mainly by PNP activists.

“It is going to mean significant benefits for the poor people, especially of this country”

Here we go again, politicians are using poor people, poor people and Country as scapegoats.

[/ QUOTE ]

Again as I said before the PNP will as Booby Pickerskill said...."anything that may lead us or cause us to be in power". Ralph (The Whaler) Gonsalves will put in his usual appearance.

[Wardob]

Re: Politics is about who get Cuban bulbs

Ah, RichD, you have me cracking up. Fear of a reoccurrence of Cuba’s attempt to hijack our politics, I am calling upon the JLP to immediately arrange for 100 CIA to balance the system. (Did someone say they are there already? Okay then I have nothing to worry about)

Lets hope anyhow they (The Cuban light bulb specialists) have better training than those that came to fix up dem tracta a Jose Marti, or those Dr, (claimed by many as the greatest in the world,) who promise to restore full vision of every poor Jamaicans then leave them blind.

Why Jamaicans are only poor for the politicians only come election time?
Why are Jamaicans only poor for Cuba when the PNP is in power?
Why does Cuba’s gifts (to poor Jamaicans) always come only at election time?

I thought Portia was a sure bet, did not know he need the help of the Beard One. It’s a good sign for the JLP anyhow. The last time comrade Fidel try to influence our politics with all sort of gifts, and his storm troopers the PNP got a sound you know what after which with their tails between their legs we bid the Cubans by-by.

[evanovitch]

Re: Politics is about who get Cuban bulbs

don't di light company owned and operated by an American company?

will Cuban lightbulbs work wid American electricity ? [img]/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

bwoy mi country full a poppyshow fi real

[Tuff Gong]

Re: Politics is about who get Cuban bulbs

[ QUOTE ]
don't di light company owned and operated by an American company?

will Cuban lightbulbs work wid American electricity ? [img]/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

bwoy mi country full a poppyshow fi real

[/ QUOTE ]

Well Mirant is leaving so Venezuela/Cuba might purchase Mirant/JPS-Jamaica, so the bulbs will eventually work.

[Tuff Gong]

Re: Politics is about who get Cuban bulbs

[ QUOTE ]
Why Jamaicans are only poor for the politicians only come election time?
Why are Jamaicans only poor for Cuba when the PNP is in power?
Why does Cuba’s gifts (to poor Jamaicans) always come only at election time?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes good questions, at others times everyone and their mother connected to the PNP claim there is no poor people in Jamaica.

[ QUOTE ]
I thought Portia was a sure bet, did not know he need the help of the Beard One. It’s a good sign for the JLP anyhow. The last time comrade Fidel try to influence our politics with all sort of gifts, and his storm troopers the PNP got a sound you know what after which with their tails between their legs we bid the Cubans by-by.

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh BTW it is not free Jamaica has to shell out USA$3Mil to support the program.

[RichD]

Re: Politics is about who get Cuban bulbs

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Why Jamaicans are only poor for the politicians only come election time?
Why are Jamaicans only poor for Cuba when the PNP is in power?
Why does Cuba’s gifts (to poor Jamaicans) always come only at election time?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes good questions, at others times everyone and their mother connected to the PNP claim there is no poor people in Jamaica.

[ QUOTE ]
I thought Portia was a sure bet, did not know he need the help of the Beard One. It’s a good sign for the JLP anyhow. The last time comrade Fidel try to influence our politics with all sort of gifts, and his storm troopers the PNP got a sound you know what after which with their tails between their legs we bid the Cubans by-by.

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh BTW it is not free Jamaica has to shell out USA$3Mil to support the program.

[/ QUOTE ]

US $3 Million..fi 40,000 Bulbs!!
devide by 4 carry di zero...

day is US $75 per bulb for bulbs that retail for about $4US

must be $3,000,000 JAD please tell me that.

[evanovitch]

Re: Politics is about who get Cuban bulbs

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Why Jamaicans are only poor for the politicians only come election time?
Why are Jamaicans only poor for Cuba when the PNP is in power?
Why does Cuba’s gifts (to poor Jamaicans) always come only at election time?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes good questions, at others times everyone and their mother connected to the PNP claim there is no poor people in Jamaica.

[ QUOTE ]
I thought Portia was a sure bet, did not know he need the help of the Beard One. It’s a good sign for the JLP anyhow. The last time comrade Fidel try to influence our politics with all sort of gifts, and his storm troopers the PNP got a sound you know what after which with their tails between their legs we bid the Cubans by-by.

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh BTW it is not free Jamaica has to shell out USA$3Mil to support the program.

[/ QUOTE ]

US $3 Million..fi 40,000 Bulbs!!
devide by 4 carry di zero...

day is US $75 per bulb for bulbs that retail for about $4US

must be $3,000,000 JAD please tell me that.

[/ QUOTE ]

dat 90 mile journey from Cuba expensive now dat ile price so high plus dem bulb may ha ideology eena dem

[RichD]

Re: Politics is about who get Cuban bulbs

oh mi jus si sey is 4 million bulbs..i feel a bit better now

[niceniss]

Re: Politics is about who get Cuban bulbs

u re calculate?

[Dr.Dudd]

Re: Politics is about who get Cuban bulbs

[ QUOTE ]
u re calculate?

[/ QUOTE ]
US 75 cents per bulb??

[Tuff Gong]

Re: Politics is about who get Cuban bulbs

Shed some light, Senator Spencer

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Senator Kern Spencer, the junior minister for industry, technology, energy and commerce, apparently believes that the Jamaican people are idiots.

For how else can we explain his ridiculous attempt in the Senate last week to defend the importation of Cuban social workers to help distribute fluorescent light bulbs to Jamaican households?

According to Senator Spencer, more than 1,500 Cubans - 25 per constituency - will be involved in distributing more than four million fluorescent bulbs donated by the Cuban government under an energy-saving project being implemented by his ministry and the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica.

These Cubans, who will work alongside Jamaican social workers, are here as "part of the package that was negotiated with Cuba", Senator Spencer told his colleagues.
Why?

Because, said the junior minister, every single bulb needs to be accounted for, and the Cubans have experience in implementing this kind of programme.

Frankly, we are unable to see why Cubans are needed to help distribute fluorescent bulbs here and, like Senator Chris Tufton, we are curious as to why the services of civic and community-based organisations were not engaged for this project.

Senator Spencer therefore needs to inform the country of the bona fides of these Jamaican social workers he has on this project. For he has implied in his justification for the presence of the Cubans that the Jamaicans working with them need to be monitored. If, therefore, Senator Spencer is saying that these Jamaican social workers cannot be trusted to distribute the bulbs to the people for whom they have been imported, why employ them?

We note too that the junior minister did not, in that Senate debate, deny that his image appears on the brochures informing residents about the programme. If that accusation is true, it raises the question of whether this programme is being utilised for political purposes in what is expected to be an election year.

Our other major concern with this programme is its cost to taxpayers. According to Senator Spencer, the total bill is US$5.7 million. However, because the bulbs are free, the spend is US$3.4 million.

Senator Spencer now needs to say on what are we spending this US$3.4 million. He should include that in the "fulsome document" he has promised the country.

Shed some light, Senator Spencer