$340M POLITICAL PORK BARREL !!

Just when we were all led to believe we were turning the corner in accountability, transparency and getting rid of the political pork barrel phenomena, the government has embarked on probably the largest political pork barrel that has ever been conceived in this country.

I was truly embarassed today when I read the selection criteria to be used to select persons to eat from the trough.

Read this taken from the Gleaner.

In the meantime, the junior minister, in the earlier interview, sought to explain how the JEEP would work.

“The selection of the workers is done through the members of parliament from both political parties along with the National Solid Waste Management Authority,” Azan said.

“The MPs have about 640 picks,” he added.

Jolyan Silvera, the MP for West St Mary, said he has included the names of people from all political sides.

“I have always spoken about the inequality that was taking place. There was no proper balance, it was just leaning to one side. I have gotten my quota and I have struck a balance and I think it will work,” Silvera toldThe Gleaner.

50-worker quota

The PNP MP said his quota was 50 workers and, based on consultations with councillors in his constituency, 10 of the people selected are supporters of the JLP, five did not vote in the last election and 35 were PNP supporters.

Wow, I honestly thought we were pass this, but sadly I was wrong !

This is a national disgrace to put it mildly,  I never imagined we would see such blatant  display of  political victimization, which does nothing but open the divide between Jamaicans and in so doing creating a polarized society in the process.

I honestly thought the program would be based on the needs of persons ie the poor and destitute who would be getting jobs, now it turns out that all you need to be is a party supporter and ” you gone clear”.

JLP says JEEP is not new, its a stolen JLP initiative ?

In a release last evening , shadow spokesman on Transport and Works , Karl Samuda has lashed the PNP for misleading the people into believing that the 7 x 7  ( 700 jobs in 7 parishes) is new. In fact Mr Samuda has indicated that all the financing had already been secured under the previous administration for this very work that the PM has announced as part of her JEEP initiative.

I have a question for Karl, ” if this was true , why would’nt the JLP make a big deal out of this leading up to the election”?  The PNP announced JEEP was going to allow people to ” eat a food” and Karl and his team sat on $350m for this exact type of work and said nothing. Why are we only now hearing about this Mr Samuda, were there other plans for the money other than its intended purpose?

If you are correct, why would the PM suggest that JEEP was a crash program, Karl its just not adding up.