Dear Editor,
With election for the Mayor of Georgetown looming large, I feel compelled to issue a report card on the current mayor’s performance for the last two years, based on feedback I gathered from many quarters of the capital city.
Ability to travel very frequently in luxury and style, with large entourages to the most exotic and distant places in the world off of the backs of the ratepayers. Grade A+
(Has shown a considerable knack for wasting the city’s scarce financial resources: wining and dining at posh restaurants, flying first class, staying at five star hotels whilst on useless trips to the farthest reaches of the globe, which have reaped nothing for the city.)
Adherence to the Child Protection Laws of Guyana and the protection of ‘whistleblowers’ within City Hall from persecution, discrimination and injustice. Grade F
(In collaboration with her sidekick the ‘King,’ she has not only protected the alleged assaulter time and again, but has ensured that whistleblowing at the Council is deterred)
Implementation of the most draconian taxation on the citizenry, including unreasonable increases in property taxes. Implementation of an inflated compliance fee on persons wishing to sell their properties; implementation of a fine on shipping containers coming into the city; steep increases on all licences issued by the Council, adding more financial burden on the citizens.
Grade A
(Is effective in wringing the citizens and businesses dry of all of their finances and savings, whilst providing little or no service)
Maintenance of heritage buildings and other municipal properties in the city, such as City Hall, the Kitty Market, the Municipal Abattoir, the City Police Training School, etc.
Grade F
(Has done very little maintenance work on municipal properties for years, leaving them to fall into rot and ruin; preferring instead to visit other countries and admire their well-maintained heritage buildings)
Endearment of new businesses into the city, including dog food vendors, plantain chip sellers, bottled water itinerant vendors, roadside cook-up rice vendors, and ‘touts’ at the minibus parks.
Grade A+
(Whilst other mayors from around the world are wooing large companies to set up their headquarters in their cities to have international conferences, award ceremonies and mega sport events held there, our city is happy to encourage more illegal vending)
Financial management of City Hall.
Grade F
(Is responsible for carrying up the Council’s overdraft with its bankers to the highest ever with innumerable foreign trips, and with the doling out of contracts allegedly with no adherence to tender or procurement procedures, and hiring of almost 200 friends and family members to super-salaried jobs)
Creation of the largest group of junkies, vagrants, beggars and other social rejects in the city, with some of them even bathing nightly on the pavement in front of the Bourda Cemetery
Grade A+
(Has ensured that the citizens continuously face economic and financial challenges by over-taxation and the implementation of no social programmes)
With thanks,
Riley Matthews
