advice for the Prime Minister

[remo]

look here

[johnnycakes]

Re: advice for the Prime Minister

Good one Remo,
Another good idea would be to have the elected local representatives hold regular public meetings with their constituents so they could let them know what issues are important to them and not just let the JLP or PNP tell the representative what his/her priorities are.

[j-can]

Re: advice for the Prime Minister

[quote=johnnycakes]Good one Remo,
Another good idea would be to have the elected local representatives hold regular public meetings with their constituents so they could let them know what issues are important to them and not just let the JLP or PNP tell the representative what his/her priorities are.
[/quotE}]

There you go Cakes,yuh beginning to dream just like us [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/70409-waytogo.gif[/img]
These are excellent ideas but will they become reality?
one can only hope

[Wardob]

Re: advice for the Prime Minister

Like the writer you guys are out of touch, let me fill you in.

There is a desk in Jamaica House (also Kings House)regardless of who sits as PM, or GG where thousands of letters are received daily from Citizens with all sort of complaint and recommendations. Just as how he/she wrote to the Gleaner nothing stop him/her from doing the same to Jamaica House and or Kings House
All 60 MP has a Constituency office and a Secretary paid for by them the tax payer therefore nothing should stop a citizen from visiting or writing to his or her MP Office for whatever reason there is.
Some do write but most wrote seeking personal help and believe it or not those are the type of letters (help seekers) MPs do reply to, and in most case does help.

If I can say one good thing about the former PM Patterson he did have his regular meetings (Can’t remember what he called it) across the Island.
Bruce I think will continue that, and former PM Portia Simpson always encourages all Citizens to write to her at Jamaica House. It’s up to the Citizen, nothing stop them.

From the Political side of it, both political parties have established areas at their HQ for citizen’s complaint and or recommendations, and again most of those received are from individuals seeking some sort of assistance


Under the new Constituency Development Fun, a sum of $150Mil will be allocated this year (up 10% next budget) to all MP, PNP and JLP. I believe allocations for Councilors are been worked out.
They (MP) is require to meet with the Citizens of their Constituency , discuss with them areas of development or any recommendations they might have with regards to the Constituency.
The MP will take their (The Citizens) recommendations, sit with a Permanent secretary and develop a plan. Whatever is approved will be carried out under the watchful eyes of the Permanent secretary so assigned. During the course of work been done, it will be regularly audited to ensure that the funds so allocated or spend in areas that were approved and in fact been spent. This is a new and different approach to community development. I could elaborate a bit further but I guess you got the picture Now how is that for a starter?

[Wardob]

Re: advice for the Prime Minister

By the way Johnny, for who does the term local representatives apply? I am just asking, as you may have a different definition of local representatives than I do.

[johnnycakes]

Re: advice for the Prime Minister

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Wardob</div><div class="ubbcode-body">By the way Johnny, for who does the term local representatives apply? I am just asking, as you may have a different definition of local representatives than I do. </div></div>

Wardob,
To me the local representative would be the lowest level representative in a municipal/city body who is elected to represent a group of people in a district.
It would be any person's first contact in the government, the person who represents him/her at the first level
In the Cuban system it is the person whom a district nominates and elects to the Municipal Assembly-the lowest ranking governmental body , that is to say the smallest governmental body that deals with local affairs and which elects those who will serve in the next body up which, in Jamaica ,I believe would be Parish Council.

[johnnycakes]

Re: advice for the Prime Minister

[quote=Wardob]Like the writer you guys are out of touch, let me fill you in.

Under the new Constituency Development Fun, a sum of $150Mil will be allocated this year (up 10% next budget) to all MP, PNP and JLP. I believe allocations for Councilors are been worked out.
They (MP) is require to meet with the Citizens of their Constituency , discuss with them areas of development or any recommendations they might have with regards to the Constituency.
The MP will take their (The Citizens) recommendations, sit with a Permanent secretary and develop a plan. Whatever is approved will be carried out under the watchful eyes of the Permanent secretary so assigned. During the course of work been done, it will be regularly audited to ensure that the funds so allocated or spend in areas that were approved and in fact been spent. This is a new and different approach to community development. I could elaborate a bit further but I guess you got the picture Now how is that for a starter?

Wardob,
This sounds like a very good idea and a very democratic one IF the people are heard and their wishes given serious consideration AND a deep explanation if their representative tells them it cannot be done .
Please fill us all in on how it works out as you hear of things of interest.
This is good and hopeful news
And you SHOULD elaborate as this good idea needs support and any additional info is quite important to an understanding of the process .

Thanks

[Wardob]

Re: advice for the Prime Minister

Okay, I got you, similar to our Parish Councilors, okay, I was just asking. Well, no I will be frank with you this does not happen. The MPs (Central Gov.Rep) are those that carry out such functions. I will agree with you also it should be the local rep. (Councilors) who should be empowered to carry out this function.
Sad to say but the facts are our local representative function only as a side kick to the MP, they have no imaginary or real power, and they are at the whims and fancy of the MP. But change is coming in this regards.

As I said Johnny you have written many things that are food for thoughts, some of which if you remove the ideology factor can work in Jamaica.
You must also know that some of what you propose was even tried and failed.
For example Michael Manley had what was known as the Community Council, I was a member of one such council I found the idea was good, I would say brilliant, but then it becomes too political, people would not attend meetings unless pork was been issued, the pork been issued must only go to their party members, the poor MP who was a PNP, would be afraid to attend meetings unless he have something to give individual members, if it’s a community project it often end up in cost over run. So what happen? Like many he tried they all failed along similar lines.

Johnny what happen brethren, the truth be told many Jamaicans have very little or no idea how their Government is made up and how it work, they are not even aware of their rights as a citizen .The letter posted above and the poster serves as an example.

Hail Tuffy…

[Wardob]

Re: advice for the Prime Minister

An Office managed by MP Ms. Shahine Robinson, have been established in the Office of the Prime Minster that have began putting in place all the necessaries for the MPs to begin consulting with their constituents to look at the constituency with regards to the need. They will have everything at their disposals, everything and anyone whose services are require to make things work will be provided

Johnny It’s not a question of. “If the people are heard”, all MPs are fully aware it’s a people program therefore he or she has no other alternative but to listen and act upon their (the people) recommendation. It will not go the way how Mr. Seaga’s and Michael Manley’s allocations to MPs went, should they fail to act upon the citizens recommendations, with new laws pending and when in place the people will have the power to recall them, and all MP (Especially JLP MPs)knows that this Prime Minister have all the intention to listen to and will act immediately,upon any and all complaint from the people.
This PM is giving to the people what the PNP as long promise to them but instead of deliver rob them of it, which is power to the people.

The allocations will be increased year by an estimated 10%. Its also a roll over program, by that I mean that which was not accomplished during the first year will be forward to the next, therefore by the end of the five year term, the people would have seen what they voted for. .If I might add this is not just a program that leaves out the individual needs, it’s not just a program for lights, water, roads, and other infrastructure etc, etc, it take into consideration for example the entrepreneurs who as the project or projects, the idea and the ability to carry it out, but just need a little push, the MP is obligated after verification to give that push. The PM during is campaigns uses one such example as a Hair Dresser, who needed just a little help ,a little push to get her over the hump.

Bruce Golding is a visionary, a man who took the best of ideas and programs from of all our Prime Ministers in particular, Alexander Bustamante, Michael Manley and Edward Seaga couple it with his own and his dreams for Jamaica he is in the making of a good Prime Minister

More to come ….. One love.