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Jazz and whose?
Jackass seh de worl' no level. Jackass seh Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival jus' dun dung a Bay an Jackass waan know a jazz an' whose.
Dropping the 'Air' from the annual late January mega-music event in Montego Bay, St James, was supposed to indicate more than a change of major sponsor from Air Jamaica. It was supposed to (at least, as far as Jackass sees it) mean that the country as a whole is supporting the festival and this it has done through the Jamaica Tourist Board to the tune of a whopping US$40 million.
But as far as Jackass can see, it is supposed to also mean that Jamaica as a whole should benefit from the festival and he does not quite see that happening.
Sure, there is all this money that the festival generates through increased visitor arrivals and the money they spend getting here and while in Jamaica.
Benefit to the country
<span style="font-weight: bold">But Jackass has the very funny feeling that a lot of this supposed benefit to the country, as a whole, operates on a trickle-down basis. And the funny thing about trickle-down is that by the time it gets down to the bottom, it is mere drops that are left for the 'ordinary' people. Drops? Make that a mirage. </span>
Like Jackass doubts very much that the people working in the hotels where the visitors to Jamaica Jazz and Blues stayed got higher salaries for the period or will be paid a bonus from the windfall. But the people who actually own the hotels, now they are supposed to be sitting pretty. So the world is not level, but it is also unlevel in more ways in the same situation. <span style="font-style: italic">How many Jamaican people who pay taxes out of their incomes could afford to attend the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival for one night, much less two or all? Entry fee, transportation, refreshment (and clothes, if they went all the way, plus hotel stay if they are not up to the drive) come up to a very pretty penny.</span>
Paying taxes
It ends up in a situation where people are paying taxes to support a festival that they cannot attend. It is like a person paying a builder to put up a house and then not being able to go into it.
But at least part of the unlevelness could be addressed in short order, Jackass believes. Yeah man. More Jamaicans could be given the opportunity to go to Jamaica Jazz and Blues, which their tax money helps to put on, by having a reasonable entry fee for Jamaicans (I ain't gonna call two-footers from Jamaica 'locals').
But then that would not work either, would it? Because there are quite a few uppity Jamaicans who would shudder at the thought of being at a party with so many 'commoners'.
Jackass seh de worl' no level. Jackass seh if de sittin sey Jamaica Jazz and Blues, it fe be fe hevrybady.
Jackass seh de worl' no level. Jackass seh Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival jus' dun dung a Bay an Jackass waan know a jazz an' whose.
Dropping the 'Air' from the annual late January mega-music event in Montego Bay, St James, was supposed to indicate more than a change of major sponsor from Air Jamaica. It was supposed to (at least, as far as Jackass sees it) mean that the country as a whole is supporting the festival and this it has done through the Jamaica Tourist Board to the tune of a whopping US$40 million.
But as far as Jackass can see, it is supposed to also mean that Jamaica as a whole should benefit from the festival and he does not quite see that happening.
Sure, there is all this money that the festival generates through increased visitor arrivals and the money they spend getting here and while in Jamaica.
Benefit to the country
<span style="font-weight: bold">But Jackass has the very funny feeling that a lot of this supposed benefit to the country, as a whole, operates on a trickle-down basis. And the funny thing about trickle-down is that by the time it gets down to the bottom, it is mere drops that are left for the 'ordinary' people. Drops? Make that a mirage. </span>
Like Jackass doubts very much that the people working in the hotels where the visitors to Jamaica Jazz and Blues stayed got higher salaries for the period or will be paid a bonus from the windfall. But the people who actually own the hotels, now they are supposed to be sitting pretty. So the world is not level, but it is also unlevel in more ways in the same situation. <span style="font-style: italic">How many Jamaican people who pay taxes out of their incomes could afford to attend the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival for one night, much less two or all? Entry fee, transportation, refreshment (and clothes, if they went all the way, plus hotel stay if they are not up to the drive) come up to a very pretty penny.</span>
Paying taxes
It ends up in a situation where people are paying taxes to support a festival that they cannot attend. It is like a person paying a builder to put up a house and then not being able to go into it.
But at least part of the unlevelness could be addressed in short order, Jackass believes. Yeah man. More Jamaicans could be given the opportunity to go to Jamaica Jazz and Blues, which their tax money helps to put on, by having a reasonable entry fee for Jamaicans (I ain't gonna call two-footers from Jamaica 'locals').
But then that would not work either, would it? Because there are quite a few uppity Jamaicans who would shudder at the thought of being at a party with so many 'commoners'.
Jackass seh de worl' no level. Jackass seh if de sittin sey Jamaica Jazz and Blues, it fe be fe hevrybady.
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