We read and listen the news that brings to us a daily
diet of crime and violence while looking to the police, courts and prisons for
a solution. I have come to the conclusion that we need to find ways to deepen
the economic and democratic process engaging more people from all corners of
Jamaica that they too can feel and eat their food legitimately. We cannot
continue to lock down the economic system in the hands of a few while poverty
increases rapidly increasing the likelihood of a people committing crimes and
violence against their Jamaican brothers and sisters. In other words if you can
allow a man/woman to provide his/her own sustenance you are likely to take away
his/her propensity to engage in crime and violence. Special focus must also be
placed in the direction of the youth population 15 to 35 years old.27/06/15
Most Jamaicans had their brand of number portability one
phone in the back pocket to call Digicel friends and one in another pocket to
call Lime people problem solved. Now with official number portability you may
not know which number is for which company so you have to ask "wah kind a
phone you a use" before the call gets underway you may have
to "switch pants or bag pocket" to get the right phone that takes one
minute or less to switch carriers. Why bother to go fill out forms,
join lines and get into any bureaucracy to switch carriers because
"wi deh pon a fast move my yute'. The official switching back takes 90
days my switching takes 90 seconds or less. Do not expect any wholesale switching
officially because the people have their mode of switching well figured out for
years and the companies just playing catch up. They want real
switching lets see who will make rates of 10 or 5 cents per minute
then you see switching. We just leave the more expensive call rate phone in the
bottom draw of the dresser just in case we have to draw for it again. Remember
during a hurricane you can't have one phone either just in case you know
what. The truth is number portability is neither here nor there when it comes
to practicality among the masses.27/06/15
Then how do you explain the fact that the most educated
persons in this country are among the most parasitic unproductive in the
population incapable of innovation, job creation and wealth creation .In
other words they seem not to be equipped with the knowledge, skills,
values and attitudes to become real productive wealth
creating citizens. Is it that they were mis-educated? Show me some
really wealthy and highly educated people in Jamaica. It seems that the
curriculum and what is taught in our schools and universities needs urgent
realignment. Even if you look at governance with an abundance of highly
educated they constantly wrong the country instead of run the country27/06/15
Jamaica’s Verene
Shepherd, Professor of Social History at the University of the West Indies, was
yesterday elected to the United Nations Committee for the Elimination of Racial
Discrimination (CERD). Well deserved Verene Shepherd, I never come across another
person who know black people history so well especially Caribbean people
history and always willing to share. I know of her through this radio station
first during a cook off as part of your team “Sankofa”which I recall won Mr.
Derby and anytime I hear her talking I know I will gain new knowledge so I
always stop to listen. She is a great woman so I am not surprised that she
would be elected to that UN committee or any related committee. Congratulations
my dear sister all the best "big Up" on behalf of all your listeners
and followers. Before I forget what does Sankofa mean.26/06/15
I am no fan
of indiscipline among motorists of any kind including taxi and bus operators but
see an impending danger as the Taxi, bus and robot operators who are sufficiently
integrated nationally to ignite spontaneous national chaos which
would be an undesirable consequence of hard times compounded by draconian,
undemocratic bad management of transport matters nationally. The corporate Area taxi operators
withdrew their service recently as they protested the Transport Authority’s
insistence that hackney carriages carry no more than three passengers. The Transport Authority (TA) should be
immediately advised that they must always be directed by the law of the land
and when in doubt back off and depend on the interpretation by a competent
authority. If they cannot abide by that it should be immediately closed down,
reorganized and staffed with competent people because they have been too often
been an embarrassment to the government and the Minister who has had to
intervene on too many occasions. This organization occupies an incestuous
position seeming always to act in the interest of the Government owned JUTC in
consort with the police and therefore acting to protect passenger loads. This
is the action of a corrupt dictatorship which has no place even in a
semi-modern democracy. Four passengers plus the driver allowed in a hackney
carriage taxi Is reasonable and I am sure that our lawmakers and
parliamentarians are not all idiotic, unconscionable and unreasonable people.
Mr. Omar Davis should seek to deepen the democratic process while getting
the GSAT math right regarding seating capacities. The TA and the police are
pushing harder but not smarter it seems. 26/06/15
Mr. Moreno the United
States ambassador recently in a presentation has pointed out mangoes and beef patties as two items from
Jamaica that could do well in the US market. Most of us are aware of that for a long time but there are
some visible and invisible trade barriers that need to be removed or adjusted.
The case for patties I believe is being ironed out and at least some is
entering for example we have to make sure that monosodium glutamate among other
things must not be present in patties going to the USA.Mangoes are
not being exported and cannot be without being "hot water dipped” a
process during which the mangoes are submerged in water for about 5-20 minutes
at temperatures ranging from 104 degrees Fahrenheit to as high as 122 degrees
or as approved by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) they
cannot enter the United States.One should recall that boiling point of water is
212 degrees Fahrenheit to have a better perspective of the process. People
should not go away with the impression that you can just export mangoes like
you export yellow yams or pumpkins. Hot water dip facilities for
mangoes would have to be established and approved under the supervision and
guidance by the USDA. This process is however a phyto-sanitary provision to
control fruit flies, weevils and other fruit borne insects. One wonders if
there is any other cost effective, simpler, less cumbersome and similarly
effective method that could be explored and employed to fast track the export
of mangoes into the United States, but then, if Haiti can export
mangoes why can’t we? 25/06/15
Corruption is an
endemic part of the landscape and if you check out the "holier than
thou" me and you sometimes more corruption can be found..The top, middle
and bottom of the society are corrupt so all we will have is talk ,talk and
more talk. The truth is most of us love corruption with or without the Office
of the Contractor General(OCG) as long as we can eat a good food out of it
"no problem" "a just the running's”. If we are serious
about stemming corruption we have to Start at the top of the society. Are
they willing to rock the boat? 25/06/15
I don't know what to
say these heinous crimes in deep rural St Ann is cause for concern because
there have been a series of guerilla type attacks on citizens and perpetrators
seem to have disappeared into thin air. I know these places and these days when
I hear people say country crime free I tell them to think again. Chances are I
know these people but not their names it traumatizes me much less the direct
family members and associates in the respective districts. I don't know what to
say and the police are having difficulty catching the culprits this recent one
and others. The police needs to have a rapid response helicopter
for each parish in their arsenal because many of these places are like
desolate jungles with entrances and exits to everywhere a perfect environment
for criminal guerilla type attacks. To be effective night or day air support is
needed.25/06/15
Michael Spence
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