By Man from Baker Hill
Financial crisis Ahoy! 2010 had been the most financially disastrous year ever for many Montserratians. And 2011 will be even more disastrous!
Last year Montserrat had been mismanaged financially and misguided politically and economically as never before in our history.
And why? It is because our leader is a political ‘non-understander’. He does not understand divine political guidance which accompanies love, mercy, and fellow feeling for people and country.
Our leader is gifted with a leader’s voice, but no leadership substance. Just as the Storm said, all talk. He returned to power with so much talk in 2009 but as early as January, 2011 the people on the poor list cannot get their monthly subsistence. And in February 20% of the civil servants are on the list for retrenchment.
Governance is political management, maintaining an economic environment, tax collection and redistribution of income. Governance requires astute fiscal management; but our leader is ‘clearly’ a fiscal meddler. He does not appreciate the economic consequences of meddling with proven principles. And he is an ‘economist’.
What has he done? Get in power, big talk; government will give 3% and 4% mortgages. Government will be the implementing principal and the contractor to build houses.
Our leader is an economic ‘mis-understander’; he is a fiscal confusion monger. When government gives mortgage at 4% the banks are dead. The banks make no profit so the government collects no taxes. When the government implements all the contracts with kickbacks, the contractors cannot make a profit, so the government collects even less tax.
When the banks and the contractors make profits the government collects taxes to pay civil servants and welfare recipients. These poor lists’ people spend all their money at the shops that will import and pay customs duties to pay civil servants who will shop…merchants make profits and pay taxes, the cycle continues, that the economy, especially ours.
A fiscal meddler or an economic non-understander will never accept that the role of the politician is to set policies. Why can’t he accept that a politician must not try to administer policies? He will forever confuse the civil servants with scare tactics.
Oh God, job crises ahoy! Retrenchment and cut throatism looms ahead.
Wanted! A leader with a leader’s voice and political substance who will take to the ZJB and PTV airwaves, and The Montserrat Reporter with a program to lead Montserrat out of this economic disaster.
Come on Brother Meade you are the leader of Montserrat! It must be your political destiny. Please reconnect to the socket of your divine destiny. If you do not know how, seek help from the Christian Council. Besides, you have had the benefit of economic education and political experience. You can lead. So get with the program
Montserrat is hurting and it is bleaky on the horizon. Get your programs in to the media.
Talk realistically about outsourcing and job creation.
Explain to Montserrat the meaning and importance of a fair system of tax laws.
Empower Montserratians. Show and tell them that they are as good as any.
Tell us about Montserratanization.
Tell Montserratians that in two years the Bank of Montserrat and the Credit Union must have Montserratian managers. Promote Ken and Jack to be the top managers of MUL.
Talk about belt tightening; but stop run, up and dung every week a waste taxpayers money.
Talk to Montserrat people; but do not talk down to them.
Never belittle Montserrat, its people or its enterprises, by attempting to sell them out.
If you do we will never get them back…we cannot negotiate in patois.
Mr. CM, your time is now, you have within you much more than a leader’s voice; become a leader of substance.
