Is It Really March Already? Sunday: March 3, 2013

Not the best of Sundays. The prevailing mood in our household is bitter, after Tottenham Hotspurs Football Club defeated Arsenal Football Club in the North London derby. So, our pathetic season is basically over. I am sorry to inflict my football passions on you, dear readers. But it hurts as much as being stabbed in the arm. Well, probably not quite as much. Over in London, our son is probably drowning his sorrows in a pint of …bitter. I am drinking coffee, and wishing it was something stronger.

Me paying homage to Arsenal legend Thierry Henry last October at the Emirates Stadium in North London (which still belongs to Arsenal Football Club). (Photo: Sam Lewis)

Putting that aside. More bitterness, this time a bitter smell. On Thursday morning downtown Kingston was once again afflicted by what the media calls “noxious odors” – this time at the Central Sorting Office of Jamaica Post. Hundreds of students poured onto the streets after several large nearby schools suspended classes and sent them home. Over 600 workers were evacuated. Approximately sixty people sought medical treatment. Roads were cordoned off. In other words, chaos. Representatives of various government agencies bustled about the place. But so far as I know, no one has yet discovered the source of the fumes. This is not the first time we have had mystery fumes in Kingston. And probably it will not be the last.

The head of the National Solid Waste Management Agency Jennifer Edwards spoke with journalist Dionne Jackson Miller on the TV program “All Angles”  – and it seems there is really no plan for solid waste or appropriate legislation. But Ms. Edwards seems to be trying to do bits and pieces here and there. But will noxious fumes from the Riverton City dump (est. 1964) waft over the city once more? Has anything changed since the huge fire there a year ago? What is the quality of the air that we city-dwellers are breathing in? See the link to the program below.

One of several major fires that have occurred at the Riverton City dump (it’s NOT a landfill) over the years. This is from 2006. (Photo: CaribYard.com)

Talking of bitterness, the Simpson Miller administration’s new taxation package remains a bad taste in the mouth. A fellow-tweeter commented that Skype, FaceTime and other free methods will be widely in use, replacing highly-taxed phone calls. A noted cleric wrote to the Gleaner pointing out that there is a tax on the tax on phone calls, now. Is that even legal? I believe there is a growing “working poor” in Jamaica, who have to juggle competing bills and cut back on non-essentials (if they can). I know a few of them personally.

But how much further can we cut back? How much more can we tighten our belts or “band our belly,” as Jamaicans would say? “Sacrifice” has been a word on many lips recently. I think our politicians had better be very circumspect when using that word in the future. What are they sacrificing, many are asking? Certainly not those nice shiny new Toyota Prados. As columnist Lawrence Powell notes today, symbolic sacrifice is good. Former Prime Minister Bruce Golding, to his credit, saw that this was a good thing to do when he and his Cabinet colleagues took a pay cut, a few years back. If we are to all pull together for the sake of the country, let’s make it all of us!

There is a Jamaican expression I love: “Hol’ dung tek weh”  – basically meaning holding someone down and robbing them by force. Now our political leaders are again digging around in our pockets. But they are only finding pieces of fluff, sweetie papers and the occasional Jamaican cent (which is practically worthless). Nothing left; empty pockets, bare cupboards. As Mr. Gordon Robinson said acerbically in his Sunday Gleaner column, many of us have nothing – nothing – left to give up!

The issue of the NHTHol’DungTekWeh (I should put a hashtag in front of that!) took some twists and turns last week, too (NHT = National Housing Trust). The lawsuit filed by the pressure group Citizens Action for Principle and Integrity (CAPI) has hit a snag, due to some problems with documents – and was postponed in court. Meanwhile, the government will be pushing through some legislation to amend the NHT Act and make it perfectly OK for them to withdraw the funds – to plug what commentator Claude Clarke calls the “hole in the bucket” that urgently needs to be filled. It is possible that the lawsuit will fizzle out; we shall see. In a thoughtful piece, former Prime Minister Bruce Golding (who has been very quiet for a long time until recently) suggests that the J$44 billion could have taken the form of a loan, or in exchange for land. See the link to his Gleaner article below.

Former Prime Minister Bruce Golding has had health issues since last year. (Photo: Jamaica Observer)

The issue of corruption has raised its ugly head (of course, it has never gone anywhere). We have seen a series of reports on incidents involving the Jamaica Constabulary Force that seem to be corruption, or sheer criminality. A policewoman was found to have been sheltering a man who had escaped from a police lock-up – in her home. Two policemen (one from the Anti-Corruption Branch, no less) were allegedly involved in an armed robbery in Negril and have been arrested. Another policemen, who has just been convicted and sentenced to life for the horrendous murder of a schoolgirl, is now suspected of fathering a child while awaiting trial in a police lock-up (and one local lawyer has said it’s a waste of time investigating. Sorry??)

Meanwhile, our Prime Minister happily cut some ribbons and broke some ground last week, which is very nice… But less happily she faced some TV reporters. TVJ’s excellent Kirk Wright and others waylaid her one day last week. They pointed out to her that while in Opposition she herself had (on January 8, 2010 to be precise) vehemently protested at the possibility of the Golding administration obtaining funds from the NHT. Ms. Simpson Miller backed away from the microphones. “I don’t know if I objected then,” she said. How could she forget, I wonder? I remember, and TVJ played the clip. When the reporters pressed her further, our Prime Minister became really flustered. “I’m not going to answer any more of your questions!” she cried, arms flapping, moving rapidly away from the cameras. Oh dear.

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller (fourth left) on Wednesday, February 27, broke ground for the construction of a Cardiac Wing at the Bustamante Hospital for Children. Other persons participating in the ground breaking are: (from left) Executive Director of Chain of Hope, Emma Scanlan; Chairman of the South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA), Lyttleton Shirley; CEO, Digicel Jamaica, Andy Thorburn; Her Excellency the Most Hon. Lady Allen; Minister of Health, Dr. Fenton Ferguson; artiste and philanthropist, Orville ‘Shaggy’ Burrell and Vice President, Sales and Investment Services, Sagicor Investments Ltd. Ms. Tar Nunes. (Photo: Jamaica Information Service)

Can’t be bothered section: I know the flogging legislation is an awful colonial vestige and an abuse of human rights, so can we just get rid of it, please. No need to waste parliamentary time on debating it is there, when there are so many other pressing issues? Those who want to retain it are, presumably, seeking to heighten the already unbearably high level of violence in society, and to perpetuate it. The debate seems a big distraction from the elephants in the room (remember those elephants?)

A few of my favorite things last week, though…

UNICEF’s Deputy Executive Director, Ms. Geeta Rao Gupta, visited the offices of Eve for Life last week with UNICEF Representative for Jamaica Robert Fuderich and representatives of the Ministry of Health. Ms. Gupta sat down and spoke quietly with a group of our young women and girls. It was such a pleasure to meet her. Eve for Life, which supports and empowers young mothers with HIV/AIDS, recently moved into new offices. You can find them on Facebook (Eve Jamaica) and on Twitter at @EveforLife.

The Jamaica Civil Society Coalition (JCSC, which includes the sharp-witted and articulate Carol Narcisse) has been busy recently. A series of public meetings on the budget process has been very fruitful. The JCSC is also angry with the operators of the fore-mentioned Riverton City dump and has withdrawn from the oversight committee, complaining that the authorities have not complied with their own standards and regulations (the dump still does not have a permit from the National Environment and Planning Agency! But “it is now being reviewed,” says the agency head). And what happened to funding offered by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to fix the dump? Well, guess what – Jamaica was not able to provide matching funds. In fact, the JCSC contends, billions of dollars’ worth of aid from multi-laterals has not been taken up by successive administrations every year, due to delays, red tape and sheer incompetence it seems…

Ms. Carol Narcisse of the Jamaica Civil Society Coalition (Photo: Gleaner)

Executive Director of Eve for Life Ms. Patricia Watson (left) escorts Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF Ms. Geeta Rao Gupta into Eve for Life’s new offices. (My photo)

Congratulations to the 51% Coalition on the highly successful launch of their media campaign to raise awareness of the need for greater gender balance and equity on public sector boards – and of the need for greater integrity and accountability in governance. Listen out for the public service announcements on Power 106 FM, KOOL FM and RJR (and huge thanks to them and all media and other supporters). Politician-turned-talk-show-host Sharon Hay Webster conducted an excellent interview with Judith Wedderburn of the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung on Newstalk 93 FM.

Participants at the launch of the 51% Coalition’s media campaign launch on Thursday. And yes, a number of male supporters joined us! It’s all about balance… (My photo)

CVM Television’s Live at Seven did a great job again last week with thought-provoking reports and interviews on challenging topics. Host Simon Crosskill’s interviewing style is direct and unflinching. One discussion I enjoyed was on whether prostitution should be legalized; it was good to see Ian McKnight of Caribbean Vulnerable Communities making some important points.

And on the arts and culture scene… Special, special congratulations to young Jamaican Ann Margaret Lim, who has received a Special Mention in the poetry section longlist of the 2013 OCM Bocas Prize. I wrote about the launch of her delicious collection “The Festival of Wild Orchid” last year. Overseas-based Jamaican novelist Anthony Winkler is also on the list; as well as Jamaican historian Dave St Aubyn Gosse for his book “Abolition and Plantation Management in Jamaica, 1807–1838″ – another Special Mention. Congratulations and good luck to all!

Jamaican poet Ann Margaret Lim. (My photo)

The Kingston Book Festival organized by the Book Industry Association of Jamaica kicked off today and we look forward to the next week’s vibrant events. Do support! You can find details on their Facebook page and from @kgnbookfest on Twitter.

Awesome to see our recent Grammy Award winner Jimmy Cliff at the U.S. Embassy’s “Blues on the Green” concert, an always wondrous musical event rounding off Black History Month, in Kingston’s Emancipation Park. Although I wasn’t able to attend myself, it was good to see Mr. Cliff enjoying the music of the young American jazz singing group Traces of Blue alongside U.S. Ambassador to Jamaica Pamela Bridgewater. Check out the U.S. Embassy Jamaica Facebook page for great photographs…

Opposition Leader Andrew Holness, U.S. Ambassador to Jamaica Pamela Bridgewater and reggae singer Jimmy Cliff at last week’s “Blues on the Green” concert organized by the U.S. Embassy. (Photo: U.S. Embassy Facebook page)

And finally, congratulations to Margaret and Michael Stanley on their brilliant (and literally brilliant) exhibition “Red…and other Colors” which continues at the Grosvenor Gallery in Manor Park, Kingston, until March 9. And if you haven’t caught it yet, the National Biennial continues at the National Gallery of Jamaica until the same date! Do not miss these!

Margaret and Mike Stanley’s brilliant “Red…and other Colors” exhibition is open until March 9. (My photo)

 

Alpha High students on their way home after classes were suspended because of noxious fumes coming from a building in Kingston – (Photo: Norman Grindley/Gleaner)

On women’s leadership, I will end with a quote from one of my “tweeps”: “Oh God! All these disastrous women in Jamaican politics. Where are the women who actually reflect our innate strength and wisdom?”

Where, indeed?

It has been another tragic week. A young woman severely injured by her ex-husband died one week after the man had killed her mother. And there was the appalling murder/suicide by a man who killed his two young children and then himself. The mother was reportedly trying to end the relationship. These occurrences are more than “crimes of passion.” I am grieving with the families of all those who died. And I wish the men would understand that women, too, have freedom of choice in whom they love or choose not to love. Men, you need to let go. Just let go.

“Grung Gad,” 26, Standpipe, Kingston 6

Maxine Fearon, 45, Ballard’s River, Clarendon

Tamara Fearon, 27, Ballard’s River, Clarendon

Kenrick Tyndale, 26, Palmetto Pen, Clarendon

Tashina Lewin, 17, Woodside, Clarendon

K-Lee Mullings, two, Wait-a-Bit, Trelawny

Kimocoya Mullings, four,Wait-a-Bit, Trelawny

Courtney Ellis, 34, Retreat, St. Mary

Howard Hull, 40, Old Harbour Bay, St. Catherine

Ava Grant, 29, Portmore, St. Catherine (from Pembroke Pines, FL)

By the police:

“Dennis,” 20, Sevens Road, Clarendon

Kemar Witter, 26, Cambridge, St. James

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