In Guyana today, the Opposition – more specifically the geriatric rump WPA sect – is consumed by an infantile schoolyard urge to prove that the PPP’s latest cash grant proposal is copied from their “Universal Basic Income” (UBI) suggestion from back in 2018. The “Buxton Proposal” they called it. From their frenzied rhetoric, you’d think they’re the copyrighted originators of that concept!! Fact of the matter, UBI’s a proposal for addressing poverty that’s been around for decades – and tried by a host of private charitable organizations mainly in Africa – but no country!!
Typical is the U.S.-based charity GiveDirectly which since 2017 has been providing some villagers in Kenya a monthly cash grant of about $50, with the commitment to keep the payments coming for 12 years. The largest entity using the model is the State of Alaska which has been cutting citizens a check annually since 1982. These come from funds collected from a mandatory deposit of 25% of royalties collected from their oil and mineral exploitation – into a Permanent Fund. The money is in turn invested by the Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation in domestic and global stock, bonds, private equity, and more, and interest earnings are then distributed to Alaska residents every September. But their experience is a salutary one for us.
In 2015, plunging oil prices created major shortfalls in the state’s budget and the governor reduced the amount doled out to the citizenry. And this is when the sh*t hit the fan. The governor’s opponent ran on a platform that TRIPLED what was preently being paid out – even exceeding the amounts from the boom days. The opponent won the elections in 2018 but has had to cut funding from every social welfare program – like Medicaid and grants to the University!!
And this is what the PPP government’s been trying to prevent by not committing to any guaranteed UBI program – which will certainly be unsustainable after oil runs out in a couple of decades!! Not to mention that our country – not being part of the USA like Alaska – is underdeveloped and dirt poor to begin with. We need to use or oil funds to develop infrastructure that’s gonna provide sustainable incomes to all in the future!!
But the wankers in the geriatric party ain’t concerned about fiscal responsibilities and Guyana’s future – they just want to survive. They’re counting on the fact that everybody want mo’ money…even the rich – who may vote for them as Alaskans did for the Governor who now has his state in a pickle!! And the experiments at the village level in Kenya?? Hasn’t made much difference excepting for stimulating the formation of what we use “su su” or “box hand” here in Guyana.
Gwan da side, snake oil salesmen!!
…and kickback
With elections due tomorrow, the dramatic shift of American opinion continues to move rightwards and ensuring a Trump victory. Kamala’s travails are exposed in her vacillation on their Supreme Court’s reversal of women’s right to abortion in the first trimester of pregnancy!! Roe v Wade was a landmark case since 1973 –signalling liberal ascendancy in social, cultural and political matters.
She face renewed attacks from a reinvigorated Republican base and party on all their favourite issues – gun control – or lack thereof (which the Supremes also expanded); anti-immigrant legislation; more policing of minorities, etc…etc. And since the dictum that “all politics is local” holds, Kamala has had to continue supporting adventurism in Ukraine and genocide in Israel in wars that are not just of catering to bygone fears, but draining funds from even assisting their hurricane victims in the South!!
For us in Guyana, Kamala will continue cosying up to the dictator next door – Maduro – and not insist he joins the democratic club – like Trump!!
…from ganja
The unabated reports of police action against ganja at all levels – production, transportation and consumption – reminds your Eyewitness that we clearly already have the people, land and technology for cultivating the crop, what’s stopping us from producing its legal cousin Hemp??
