by Man from Baker Hill
Leaders, politicians and civil servants, please walk the straight and the narrow; because I am going to be in ‘Yourarce’ like a dose of Epson salts. I am back, and on de attack!
So take me out if you can, or take me on!
If you wear the political crown, a Statutory Department badge or a civil servant’s gown, perform your duties with compassion, fairness and transparency.
Because as long as your salary or income flows from the public purse, you are on the battlefield and within shooting range; so beware, uneasy can be your sleep time as well as your awake time.
I expected great things from 21st century Montserrat. I expected fairness. I expected that our many trained technicians coupled with enlightened politicians would understand how to expand an economy with projects money.
I did not expect after 15 years of volcano struggle together, that in 2010 our guv men policies would be ‘a few before the many’. Such barefaced unfairness, but I say No More; the time has come for social and economic balance among all of us. And I say, no more unfairness. No more blatant cheating and grabbing.
Some how it seems as if the politicians are ‘Turks and Caicus Islanding’ Montserrat. DFID please protect us; and HELP us! Please take a closer look at your project money at little Bay.
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I know that project money creates unexpected economic activity when that money is properly disbursed and ‘project-specific’ managed. I also know that compassion, fairness and transparency can go a long way in creating a satisfied people.
I recall the Port Jetty projects managed by Higgs and Hill and Interbetton. And I recall the projects managed by Brown and Root of Look Out fame, and Lagan the airport contractor. Things were transparent then; so transparent that a Port Manager lost his job during one of those jetty projects. Thanks to the Montserrat Reporter and the quick reaction of the Governor.
Projects stirred up commerce and competition. Business places like Equipment and Supplies, Emerald Building and Romeos were motivated to compete with Osborne’s to provide cement, steel and lumber. Look Out Project #1 was a masterpiece.
Lookout project #1 which was undertaken not so long ago brought economic and social changes, as I had never seen before. Every subcontractor got a chance. Any woman could have joined a landscaping crew. Truckers and equipment owners had a hey day. Bus owners were in their element picking up passengers by the hour and on the hour. It was a great time for Montserrat. We can do it again!
Unlike the Rubenomics policy of today, projects used to hit the ground after transparent tendering. And THE GOVERNMENT OF THE DAY insisted that the project managers involve the local merchants in the supply of materials and equipment. They avoided confusion and favoritism.
But these days ‘it is all about confusion and favoritism’ with one project running into three projects, no transparency; that is how things are now done in Montserrat and especially at Little Bay. And this is done under the guise the unknown Implementation Agency, which is run from the Ministry of Finance.
Imagine $4.5 million was saved on the Galloway cum PWD project. And where did the money go? Gone! It is all gone into cutting roads into Cliffside. Roads to create more cliffs that will require more roads to access inaccessible land.
Roads that will need high walls to look like ugly back walls. I see walls everywhere. And mostly I see equipment with walls cutting more walls. Soon the landowners will need helicopters to fly over walls to access the land that are supposed to be made accessible. That is called the Interim Works Project.
Worst than the favoritism at Little Bay, is the noticeable vendetta against Galloways. Their equipment is parked up there untouched as if they carry the HIV positive virus. True it is about AIDS, aid money for projects; but if there was a profit on Galloway’s project, they should get some. All should not be used to build cliffs and walls in hillside. And if they are not entitled to any of it, then hire their equipment on the other projects. Just treat them fairly and with compassion!
Is this a case of Rubenomics gone wild? Is the order of this political day vindictiveness?
Who the hell is in control at Little Bay anyway? Is it MHL?
Yesterday I heard on the ZJB local government news that MHL is doing the work on the Little Bay Port Project. Yet I cannot recall any tendering being undertaken. So how did they get the job ahead of our local engineers and contactors? Is this truly a $15 million project?
MHL WHO AND OR WHAT? What special skills do MHL bring to Montserrat?
They seem to be our pet project managers at little bay. And if so, they are on our battlefield of sandy gold; therefore it is pertinent to put them under the sights too. Again who is MHL? Are they super special engineers or great building contractors? What is their tract record? Where else in the world have they worked? Is MHL a registered company on Montserrat or elsewhere? Have they ever paid company or income taxes anywhere? How did they get here among us Montserratians? They have begun to infiltrate the minds of the schoolchildren with British taxpayers money. DFID Beware!
Is MHL the offspring of the cat seen jumping a wall in the silver hills at the turn of the century? Are they the grown kittens of the mountain lion and puma of silver hills fame? What other wall did they climb to get into our Little Bay sands of gold?
Are they really cats? Oh my God, then catch the cat for me. Could you catch the cat for me? Are they females? Yes, catch the cat before it kills our golden Monster Rat. Do they have rabies? Did they contract Rubenomics? Yes catch the cats before they crucify and bury Montserrat’s limited commerce.
And if MHL is de ki-at, let us run dem outa Montserrat now.
And by the way, what is the Little Bay Port project? Although the Port Manager mentioned bridges, reclamation of land and stabits in his radio talk, I must be very stupid because I do not see what the British Taxpayers money is building in the sea or on the sand.
But let us suppose that the project was urgent and that the Monster Rat’s economy really needed an injection of millions of dollars. Then we must advertise and tender, as we are accustomed. We have been there before; in recent times the very Little Bay Town Centre Development and the Look out #2 projects underwent strict tendering procedures.
As I have mentioned earlier in this article, projects should impact the local economy in a transparent manner that is satisfactory to the most residents; so Mr. Port Manager tell me who are the subcontractors involved in your million dollar Port Project. Who are the equipment owners that are being left out? Mr. Port Manager which of the merchants are being asked to tender for the supply of building materials like steel, PVC and plastic pipes for the drainage works.
Honestly, I hate to do this, but I equate Montserrat and its Rubenomics style to the situation of the Turks and Caicus Islands, which caused the British Government to intervene. This island of green hills needs serious help. I appeal to the new government of the UK for help in the fair distribution of their project monies NOW.
I once heard of a green hill far away out side the city walls where the dear Lord was crucified. Today millions of British taxpayers money and Little Bay City gold has gone into walls and cliffs underneath green hills in the name of projects.
I wonder if a crucifixion is imminent at Little Bay. If so, dear Lord let it be Rubenomics. Yes dear Lord I pray let it be Rubenomics. And dear Lord, let it be that the heads of all who wear the crown be forever uneasy day and night.
Let it shall be so in the name of Jesus!
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