Why was Easton Douglas fired by PJ Patterson in 2000 ?

If one look at a series of events, one can see that Easton Douglas may not have been the brighest bulb on the shelf when it comes unto land development and was one reason he was fired from the PJ Patterson cabinet in 2000.

PRIME MINISTER P. J. Patterson announced a reshuffle of his Cabinet yesterday with Minister of Environment and Housing, Easton Douglas being the biggest casualty. Mr. Douglas has returned to private business. The changes become effective Monday, February 21.

The embattled Minister has presided over some of the most embarrassing moments for the governing People’s National Party (PNP). These include the abandoned housing development that was proposed for lands belonging to the Hope Gardens attraction, and problems with Operation PRIDE. Mr. Douglas has served as a Minister since the PNP returned to power in 1989.

Fast foward to 2005 and Easton Douglas was once again in the news and check out his attitude.

On Friday, Douglas, the former housing minister under whose watch the project was executed, told the Sunday Observer that he did nothing wrong, and that his handling of the project had been “impeccable.”

Douglas said the scheme had got the required comments from all the relevant agencies, but did not say whether in the execution of the project, the agencies stipulations were adhered to.

But at least one of those agencies has denied being consulted on whether the area posed flood risk, even though such advice forms part of its standard service, on request.

Before it is approved under the Housing Act you get all the response from those agencies with no objections, but with conditions for the approval,” said Douglas.

“As far as I am concerned I carried out my duties impeccably…. There was nothing more I could do,” he said. The development could not have gotten approval without technical advice given by the six agencies.”

But in a release issued Friday evening, WRA managing director Basil Fernandez said his agency was “neither requested to comment on the flood risk potential nor on the proposed sewage system.”

The WRA was asked by NEPA to verify the construction of a well to meet the water demand of the development, which it gave on August 29, 1997, but the agency did not say what its technical advice was.

NEPA chief executive Hopeton Heron did not respond to requests for comment.

Kennedy Grove, a community near Farmers Cross is located in a natural runoff zone, which means the area is prone to flooding during periods of heavy rainfall.

Winston Kelly, superintendent of road and works at the Clarendon Parish Council said the local authority was only asked to examine and give comments on the plans.

Its approval, he said, was not sought.

He also quickly pointed out that under the Housing Act the government was not compelled to adhere to the recommendations.

“We can give them the recommendations, but they don’t have to accept it,” he said, adding that the parish council was not closely involved with the development.

“We were not asked to inspect the housing,” Kelly told the Sunday Observer.

“We don’t even know the terms and conditions of the contract, and all those things, and we never even saw the plans for the houses.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/91416_Kennedy-Grove-plan–impeccable-

For more information read here

http://johnmaxwellshouse-1999.blogspot.com/2006_02_01_archive.html

So the man that PJ Patterson fired for wanting to do as he pleases is placed at the NHT by the weak Portia Simpson Miller and he in turns is calling the shots as it relates to land development, when he was fired for wanting to convert hope gardens into housing having been advised by then Prime Minister PJ Patterson to halt such plans.

Seems like Jamaicans have very short memories, but there is enough here to suggest that Easton Douglas should never have been placed as the Chairman of the Board of the NHT given his ridiculous decisions on housing in the past and the fact that he had been previously fired for such bad decisions.