I’m signing up to be a (dubious) fan of Finance Minister Jordan. Occasionally he comes off as unapologetically blunt as his officer colleague, occasional spokesman Harmon.
Through his whirlwind National Budgets, Minister Jordan has promised us all the APNU+AFC “Good Life” (in a “green economy”.) It is distinctly possible that Mr Jordan means sincerely what his Boss the President also promises – this “Good Life”. After all Mr Jordan also helped an earlier boss with national budgets – Mr Bharrat Jagdeo. So we must listen carefully to Minister Jordan, evidently also a taxation expert like Mr Statia, when he speaks and promises.
Incidentally, I was also a (dubious) fan of Dr Ashni Singh before he was seemingly debased by the same Mr Jagdeo. I rated Dr Ashni as the best PPP English language speaker of recent vintage.
But back to Finance Minister Jordan. Recall that just recently within these same spaces, I had reminded about the definition “good” as in “the good life”. Then, I had begged the President, his Rear Admiral and Mr Jordan to help us help them in the delivery of “the good life in a green economy” for all. Because I usually leave the more cerebral, the intellectual, the philosophical to others, I’ll now merely add to my basics of a reasonable life in a viable economy, started two weeks ago.
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The reasonable life, hopes, wishes
Despite his numerous new taxes and fees, I hope Minister Jordan finances some subsidies for over-70 pensioners – not many around – in respect of water, lights and telephone land-lines; provides 25-seater buses for seniors and students to be managed by some co-op societies; improves drastically the conveniences and operations at/of stellings and speed-boats; tells municipalities/NDC’s to provide sanitary markets, finance better roadways and lighting in all villages; assist relevant agencies to access ambulances.
Taxation Minister Jordan experiences and enjoys, the good/reasonable life when he visits the smallest Caribbean islands – Antigua, St Vincent – or Atlanta, Florida or Ottawa. It is not always about millions of dollars worth of funding. It’s often about culture and attitude. Pleasant efficient service to citizens even during “lunch time”; simple, practical infrastructure for the handicapped; clean sanitary conveniences; clean, fenced cemeteries and lovely public gardens.
And Minister Winston, remember my other anti-crime hopes and list – until Cabinet’s latest strategic plan is implemented: two working vehicles at all police stations; five-six cops minimum at all stations, especially between 9.00 pm and 6.00 am; computers and maps at village stations to construct and use geographical profiles of related communities; funding for police upkeep of youth clubs etc. etc.
Agreed Minister Jordan? Please assist all Cabinet colleagues to assist us to assist them in these community and national endeavours. In time you’ll help your President to make us all good-and-green.
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“Black” US presidents? Bye Barack
Today Barack Hussein Obama demits his historic American Presidency. America – and the wider world – enter a challenging unknown under the most non-political President the USA has known in a long while.
I choose to be oblique, light-hearted, even repetitive on this American occasion.
It is my long-felt, near-end-of-life (personal) conviction that for much too long the “non-white world” has allowed Caucasian folks to define its inhabitants. I refer especially to African/European racial categorisations. From my teens I would wonder why mixed-race persons would be deemed and defined (only) as “black” or African. Soon I realized that the authoritarian status of the Caucasian/European was allowed to even define race and ethnicity, as they wished.
A drop of “Black blood”, a “touch of the tarbrush” made the mixed race Black only. I reject that; preferring to respect both parents and races which produced mixed-race progeny, Okay, I know I’ll probably not prevail with that view.
Elementary research will reveal that amateur biographers and some American historians have long upset the more scholarly, scientific experts by alleging that about five/six “white” U.S. Presidents were of mixed/Afro white ancestry.
It is both interesting and fun to read these accounts. From the swarthy-looking Abraham Lincoln to Thomas Jefferson (who definitely fathered mixed race children), to Jackson, Coolidge and Harding the amateurs speculated. But what was/is factual is how the early Southern States did classify whites and blacks according to the proportion of parental “blood!”
Barack Obama made American non-whites proud. Non-whites made his Presidency possible. I became more of a fan of Michelle Obama a little more Afro than Barack (?). I leave the assessments of the Obama Presidency to our local experts and analysts. They are aplenty!
For the record though, I grew to dislike Obama’s foreign policy and I regret the current unprecedented opposition to and destabilisation of Mr Trump’s inauguration today. The Russians couldn’t make Americans vote as they did- and are the Democrats afraid that Trump will succeed? Discuss.
Ponder, please…
I cared little for both American Presidential Candidates this year, but what exactly do the disgruntled Democrats intend to gain by undermining Trump’s presidency? To fail the Donald? To prefer VP Pence? New elections?
Could Barack Obama really claim to be descended from Afro-American slaves?
Who now owns the abandoned co-op Bank Building in Stabroek that could become a modern Vendors Mall?
Til next week
