New Road Traffic Act
The government of Jamaica is
anxious to pass new Road Traffic Bill and Dr Morais Guy, minister without
portfolio in the transport ministry, is pushing lawmakers in the Upper House to
swiftly pass the new road traffic bill that provides tougher sanctions for
several categories of road users. Look at the UK with a population of 62
million has an accident death rate of 3 per 100000, that figure for Jamaica is
13,among the lowest in the world is Sweden at 2,USA is10,china 18 and our
CARICOM sister Trinidad it is 17. The challenges of keeping road deaths down
cannot be solved by draconian laws and fines but the safety of the roads and
that is a government’s role must be met. More mass transportation would reduce
the average number miles per day traveled by vehicles, along with more public
education and safety measures being implemented can go a far way. We need to
figure out why some countries have such low rates and emulate where we can.For
sure it is not the constant increase of fines and especially in this Jamaican
economy where many find it difficult to provide food. A question that needs to
be asked is what percentage of fines are actually collected, I bet it is not
much as 50% so then why increase fines?09/01/16
Who Slashed The Tyres
A newspaper headline screamed “Comrades slash John
Paul White’s tyres”. The way politics operate in this country even I
could slash my own tires to prove a point so no rush to judgment is appropriate
without the facts and that headline remains an allegation. Whatever the case is
Paul White must "stand firm”, democracy has spoken and must remain
that way. In cases where democracy has been overthrown and dictatorship took
over like in Portland Moore vs. Bloomfield. Moore won and Bloomfield was given
the opportunity to represent the people. I have a problem with that can’t be democracy
some times and dictatorship other times so Comrades must make up their minds. ?
08/01/15
Hugo Chavez
Hugo Chavez was good for Venezuela and Jamaica(Petro Caribe
deal) while it lasted but he eventually brought disaster to Venezuelan economy
and leaders must know when to quit and do something based on today’s reality. “Socialism
is dead”I heard Professor Trevor Munroe say many years ago but Chavez seemed to
have had the illusion like a few of us that it was alive and well apparently
only in he and his followers minds. Most former socialist countries now realize
that to date "capitalism has been the most productive social and economic
system known to man and only a fool would oppose it" Says Hon Marcus
Mosiah Garvey a Jamaican national hero and humanist. China, Russia and I
suspect Cuba realizes that. Have we in Jamaica come to that full realization
and the need to make the most of it for our country’s sake? 08/01/15
El Chapo
Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman who
escaped from prison six months ago not the first time has been recaptured.
His story will be the subject for many movies to come. I ask the
question though, when will he escape again or did he negotiate his
recapture to save the continued embarrassment to the Mexican Government and
perhaps engineer an even more technologically advanced method of a pre planned
escape ? 08/01/15
"Give them a sentence that will bury them before freedom
come their way" says one writer after two women were charged with
possession of cocaine, dealing in cocaine, taking steps to export cocaine and
conspiracy to export cocaine to Canada recently. That's harsh
because in years to come these things called drugs will be regular commodities
like most are in the kingdom of The Netherlands. Jamaica will catch up in time
to come and what you call "drug smuggling terrorists" may well be
honorable upstanding citizens in the future. Do you remember slavery one of the
greatest atrocities on mankind now today those families are among the
wealthiest and most honorable on the planet. Within the present laws you break
the law punishment is expected if caught so the principle of punishment and
rehabilitation must apply and no reason to invent extra draconian punishment.
08/01/15
The Democratic Process
While Mr.Paul Burke General Secretary of the People's
National Party can share some blame most people are missing the real
point as many of us want dictatorship instead of deepening the democratic
process. People have now become more assertive and feel they have a stake in
determining the democratic process so they make their voices heard. I say good
democracy at work and should be guided and nurtured. No candidate should be
imposed on the people and if that is what even some comrades want Mr. Burke to
do he must stand his ground and do not comply "the democratic process must
be respected" for better or for worse. 08/01/15
Michael Spence
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