60 Plus Years of Mediocrity

[R_C]

Bruce Golding became an MP at 24 and has been an MP for the last 39 years. Portia for the last 25 years. Can someone please tell me what, of any substance, either of them has accomplished in their combined 64 years in Gordon House ?

Why did we elect leaders with such an abysmal track record over such an extended period of time ?

[Blackstar*]

Re: 60 Plus Years of Mediocrity

I was in JA during elections and most of the people I've spoken to feel that quality of life and economic conditions have greatly improved over the past 40 years. I didn't get where they were coming from to be honest and I'm not sure what improvements they were seeing.

[Magician]

Re: 60 Plus Years of Mediocrity

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: R_C</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Why did we elect leaders with such an abysmal track record over such an extended period of time ? </div></div>

Because we got accustomed to said mediocrity and have lowered our standards.

It's like living near a train line for 60 years. You won't be moving in the 61st year because of train noise start bodda you.

[missus_vegas]

Re: 60 Plus Years of Mediocrity

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BlackStar</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I was in JA during elections and most of the people I've spoken to feel that quality of life and economic conditions have greatly improved over the past 40 years. I didn't get where they were coming from to be honest and I'm not sure what improvements they were seeing. </div></div>

I see some improvements but its not spread out. Its mainly in the urban areas. They need to do more in the rural areas.

I love portia but i feel andrew would have done a better job. Pnp strikes me as very old school in their economic thinking. When she talks about job creation it sound as if she intends to give out some &quot;welfare&quot;jobs. Ie create ineffecient/redundant positions for the sake of doind so. Pnp seems to be stuck in the days wen u gi out one file and one machette and get ppl fi chop road. Those days are over man.

For the life of me i cant understand y tthese big edumacated ppl ccant see that job creation for this country means opening up some factories, promoting agriculture and farming. We r such consumers its sickening. Too many unemployed ppl in this country. And everybody so dam own way them no want to work for nebody dem wanna be entrepreneurs an no know a from bullfoot bout the trade

I see a great improvement in the number of youth getting tertiary education but what good is it if there are no jobs. Dem siddung pan dem big degrees a ketch man an a breed dung the place.

Dat said...a pure hotness me see an name brand clothes and criss car an some rhatid mansions so dem seem to be getting by some how. Some a di house dem even bigger than the land dem deh pon

[Cultcha]

Re: 60 Plus Years of Mediocrity

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Vegas</div><div class="ubbcode-body">... Pnp seems to be stuck in the days wen u gi out one file and one machette and get ppl fi chop road. Those days are over man.... </div></div>

I agree with this.

I takes more effort to change direction than it does to just keep things the way they are and always have been. The brief experiment with the JLP was as much as the populous could stomach. So it was back to the same old same old policies that did not work back then and will still not work now.

As xks always says.... Jamaica has the government it deserves. That's how I see things too.

[Magician]

Re: 60 Plus Years of Mediocrity

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Vegas</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
I see a great improvement in the number of youth getting tertiary education but what good is it if there are no jobs.</div></div>

a dat mi a seh too!

[Magician]

Re: 60 Plus Years of Mediocrity

How come it always seems that de artiste dem always know what's wrong with the country and the politicians are clueless?

Bigup Romain Virgo

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[R_C]

Re: 60 Plus Years of Mediocrity

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Vegas</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I see a great improvement in the number of youth getting tertiary education but what good is it if there are no jobs. Dem siddung pan dem big degrees a ketch man an a breed dung the place. </div></div>

Vegas, I'm glad you brought up education. Look at this site for a moment:

http://www.educatechild.org/jamaica-challenges.php

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">40-50% of students in the system are below their grade level. Only 20% of secondary graduates are qualified for meaningful employment and/or entry into post secondary programs.</div></div>

Furthermore,

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Sixty-seven per cent of primary and all-age school students who sat the (Grade 4 Literacy) test in June achieved mastery, a drop of four percentage points from the 71 per cent last year, when compared with June 2009, according to the latest figures from the Ministry of Education. The literacy test is written by all grade four students in primary, all-age and independent (preparatory) schools throughout Jamaica.

JTA President Nadine Molloy acknowledged that <span style="font-weight: bold">the teachers' union was against the publication of the results</span>, saying that it demoralised some teachers and that weaknesses could be addressed without making the results public.</div></div>

Successive governments have failed and continue to fail the children of Jamaica. Edwin Allen must be turning in his grave.

But back to the main idea here. So PJ has a few showpiece items in his legacy apparently earning him the name, the &quot; Mr. Infrastructure&quot;. We can argue the merits or demerits of that one, but the fact of the matter is that since the the Bustamante/ Norman Manley and the Michael Manley/Seaga/Hugh Shearer years, what we have had is the longest stretch of mediocre and under performing politicians in the history of Jamaica.

Happy 50th !

[queenb]

Re: 60 Plus Years of Mediocrity

The quality of education for the average secondary school is abyssmal. I had a student justify the high school she was attending by saying that they &quot;have better teachment&quot; at her school. That being said, access to adequate secondary education should be universal, with required degree programs access available for teachers; so they can keep their job while completing a degree program or getting an advanced degree. Transportation should be available to all students; getting to school should not be what keeps a child from getting a decent education.

Also, a vocational system should be available, something which is declining also in the U.S. The schools seem to feel that they are not successful if a large majority of their graduates do not go on to college; so that is the current thrust of education. Meanwhile the US schools are producing a plethora of graduates who are inadequately educated and who have no skills to maintain themselves as adults. The current state of American politics show one the depth of ignorance of the genteral American citizen.

BTW, I've been going to Jamaica since '97, and the roads seem much better to me, even up in the hills away from the tourist areas.

[R_C]

Re: 60 Plus Years of Mediocrity

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: queenb</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The quality of education for the average secondary school is abyssmal.
</div></div>

And our performance in the CXC, save for a handful of exceptional children, is poor overall and especially so in relation to the other Caribbean islands.

The future of our country is wasting away. Ignored by those that we keep electing to office.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: queenb</div><div class="ubbcode-body">BTW, I've been going to Jamaica since '97, and the roads seem much better to me, even up in the hills away from the tourist areas. </div></div>

Part of the &quot;Infrastructure Prime Minister&quot;'s legacy.

[Blackstar*]

Re: 60 Plus Years of Mediocrity

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Vegas</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I see some improvements but its not spread out. Its mainly in the urban areas. <span style="font-weight: bold">They need to do more in the rural areas.</span>

I love portia but i feel andrew would have done a better job. <span style="font-weight: bold">Pnp strikes me as very old school in their economic thinking. When she talks about job creation it sound as if she intends to give out some &quot;welfare&quot;jobs. Ie create ineffecient/redundant positions for the sake of doind so. Pnp seems to be stuck in the days wen u gi out one file and one machette and get ppl fi chop road. Those days are over man.

For the life of me i cant understand y tthese big edumacated ppl ccant see that job creation for this country means opening up some factories, promoting agriculture and farming. We r such consumers its sickening. Too many unemployed ppl in this country. And everybody so dam own way them no want to work for nebody dem wanna be entrepreneurs an no know a from bullfoot bout the trade</span>

I see a great improvement in the number of youth getting tertiary education but what good is it if there are no jobs. <span style="font-weight: bold">Dem siddung pan dem big degrees a ketch man an a breed dung the place. </span>

<span style="font-weight: bold">Dat said...a pure hotness me see an name brand clothes and criss car an some rhatid mansions so dem seem to be getting by some how. Some a di house dem even bigger than the land dem deh pon</span> </div></div>Everything in bold is what I see each time I go to JA.

I don't know about the tertiary eduction though as I meet plenty people - especially young men - who can barely read even the simplest little text. It breaks my heart.

[Blackstar*]

Re: 60 Plus Years of Mediocrity