Your Eyewitness is still trying to wrap his head around the TRILLION DOLLARS we’re spending in this year’s budget. He learnt (from Siri) that if we simply counted from 1 to 1 trillion, it’d take 31,709 YEARS to complete the job!! Imagine that!! Well, good thing the Government’s spending in huge chunks on those infrastructure projects and such like, innit?? Or else our Parliamentarians might’ve been locked away for a looooong time!!
After months of preparation, consultation and debate, the budget process will finally be completed this week – when the House transmutes into a “Committee of Supply” to consider each line of spending under the various categories. So, for example, in Health, the cost to build each of those hospitals promised will have to be individually approved. This is the last opportunity for the Opposition to get their licks in and ensure we’re getting the bang for those TRILLION bucks!! As you can imagine, it’s one tedious process – comparable to watching grass grow!! Grown men and women will be struggling to keep their eyes open – and very few would make it to the end!! Ahhh…the sacrifices that gotta be made to enjoy all those perks – starting with the bunjal duck curry on the Parliamentary menu – and continuing outside with throwing their weight around as “Parliamentarians”!!
And then, of course, will come the real spending, as the projects get executed – or not. Take, for example, that Cemetery Road that was supposed to be expanded from two lanes to four lanes as an approved line item in the 2022 Budget. The $484M contract was awarded to one “Avinash Contracting and Scrap Metal Inc”, and was supposed to be completed last July. The Opposition was on the job when there were no signs of completion by then, and asked the subject minister in the National Assembly what was going on??
His answer perfectly illustrated the challenges that can intervene between the cup and the lip on projects. Seems no one had catered for the jumbies who inhabit the cemetery and woulda been disturbed by all the digging and concrete mixing etc!! The contractor complained that his men couldn’t work with all the various and sundry seizures etc these jumbies could inflict on the unwary!! But what bothered your Eyewitness was the Opposition didn’t point out to the Government that if they were gonna work in cemeteries, they should’ve arranged with the religious experts in jaaray, obeah and exorcism to do their thing!!
As it stands, the road still hasn’t been completed, and it’s all because the Opposition didn’t do their job!!
This should remind all that since the gas pipes from Vreed-en-Hoop to Wales pass through several old Dutch plantations, were the proper libations poured??
…or opening war?
Looks like ever since the Big Guy appeared from behind that Burning Bush and promised the Israelites their “Promised Land”, there’s been nothing but strife and fighting in those parts. And we’re talking about something that supposedly happened thousands of years ago!! Well, looks like the strife and fighting are about to be expanded much bigger than simply the genocide(?) of two million or so Palestinians by the Israelis, who’re still fighting over land.
We know there was always the danger of the spark spreading to nearby hot-spots that have been in turmoil for the past decades. Houthis, for example, had started bombing Israeli-linked ships in solidarity with the Palestinians, and the US and Britain bombed their positions in Yemen. But now, with a drone attack on a US base in Jordan near Syria killing three Americans and wounding dozens, the US will now have to respond.
Trouble is, they’re linking the attacks to Iran – which can quickly acquire nuclear weapons. Are we on the verge of WWIII??
…handshakes?
Your Eyewitness feels the Leader of the Opposition (LoO) should issue a definitive Declaration on the PNC’s policy on shaking hands with PPP members in general – and Pres Ali in particular. And suppose Pressie initiates the handshake??
