Dawn Ritch Dawn Ritch
THIS IS a Government without pity. By accident Nicole Webb was shot by police in her back while sitting in the back of a taxi-cab. The Court ruled that she should receive $12 million as compensation two years ago. She still hasn't got it. Miss Webb was made a cripple by a police bullet. She is therefore unable to resume her gainful employment. She now has a catheter, sits in a wheelchair, and uses adult pampers. Evicted from her apartment because she was unable to continue paying rent, Miss Webb now lives in a board room beside her mother. Her care and medical expenses, aggravated by repeated internal infections caused by the catheter, are a tremendous and deeply unjust burden.
BUDGETARY CONSTRAINTS
To my astonishment the claim has not yet been settled because of Government's 'budgetary constraints'. Even more unfeelingly, they refuse to say when in the future payment might be received. None of this crass parsimony was anywhere in evidence when Danhai Williams, now before the courts for cost-overruns, was receiving public money for housing. It wasn't anywhere in sight either when tens of millions of U.S. dollars was handed out to foreign companies investing in telecommunications which disappeared before providing the promised employment. Dr. Omar Davies, the Finance Minister, is now on what is described as "an extended European tour" to capital markets. No parsimony there for him and his entourage, including the Governor of the Bank of Jamaica (BoJ) and the Financial Secretary. Indeed the Governor himself was provided with a BoJ house in which he didn't bother to live, while luxury features kept on being added. And he was paid a housing allowance for living in his own house. Then of course there is the Government's largesse to Haitians, a fact not lost by Miss Webb herself. Refugees here get medical attention, housing, training, three square meals a day and clothes. Those who have already returned to Haiti were described in a newspaper as being 'nattily dressed' on their departure. But she, a Jamaican made destitute by her own Government, must go without.
The treatment of Nicole Webb is quite immoral. This is another blot upon the already dismal record of the Patterson administration in respecting human rights. Another example of wilful abuse of poor people by the state, whose officials fly about the world, and drive in limousines. Cut out a few of those world tours, and the poor woman could get her money many times over. The Minister of Finance has travelled about three times already for the year. Now his team, say about four, is travelling to 10 European cities in, let's say, two weeks. Hotel alone at US$500 a night is US$28,000 or J$1.7 million. They're travelling first class at about US$10,000 per person which is J$2.5 million. Food and functions will cost at least another J$2 million. So that's roughly J$6 million for the trip. Bear in mind that Dr. Davies has said that he's not raising any loans in Europe, he's just paying courtesy calls and feeling out the market. One has to wonder therefore, whether or not a $6 million trip was at all necessary in the circumstances. In this age of telecommunications the purported purpose of the minister's trip could easily have been achieved at a significantly lower cost to the country, and to us tax-payers. One minister alone therefore, with at least three trips so far for this year at $6 million each, accounts for about $18 million. Had Dr. Davies just talked on the telephone instead, the Nicole Webb matter could have been settled with plenty of money to spare.
This is indeed a town without pity. Let's not forget the Government plans to add another five more M.P.s to our already burdensome load of 60. The country doesn't need them. It needs one less M.P., not five more. Each has a driver and security guard paid for separately by Parliament, and on top of the M.P.s salary for just turning up to the House of Representatives. I hear they now want a nicer and more commodious room there where they can get together when they're off duty. Which seems like all the time to me. This is tens of millions of dollars for absolute foolishness, while Nicole Webb is demeaned by excuses about budgetary constraints. Just refrain from updating two SUVs, and she'd have her money in an instant. But no, everybody has to have the newest, the biggest and the best. These days you can tell when a Government function is going on somewhere, because there's always $100 million worth of SUVs parked outside. But "budgetary constraints" prevent them from giving Nicole Webb her money.
AMBITIOUS PARTY
I just don't know how such unfeelingness could have come to mark the heart of a political party better known for having provided the Jamaican people with a sense of themselves. More so than the JLP, the PNP has nurtured its image as the caring and ambitious party for Jamaicans. Yet here we have a PNP administration that has shown neither care nor ambition for the people. Only for themselves it seems. The Most Honourable is either unwilling or unable to find sources from which Miss Webb's award can be paid. So may I suggest that any of the following could be explored?
Freeze the tax exemption on motor cars to politicians and public servants and pay Miss Webb the paltry reward.
Borrow the funds from the NIS, instead of using them in speculative projects.
Borrow the funds from the NHT, instead of pumping it in speculative tourism and community projects.
Use some of the money in the Capital Development Fund, instead of squandering it on half-baked IT projects.
Invest it in Government Paper and give her the interest until you can afford to pay out the capital.
In the meantime Miss Webb should be provided with the medical insurance available to politicians and civil servants to enable her to get the medical attention and things she needs. None of this requires the Most Honourable to get rid of any of his many overpaid and underworked ex-politician consultants, who are swelling the already bloated public sector. Out of a sense of simple human decency the Government should settle with this woman. And further, compensate her for the cruel and unreasonable delay.
