Dear Editor,
The Councillors who have been expressing concern about the most recent jaunt of the Mayor of Georgetown and a substantial delegation from the Council to the Far East for no obvious beneficial reasons and without their fiat, may be missing the forest for the trees.
If their principal concern is the huge sums of money paid to each of the five members of the touring party as per diem for hotel accommodation, meal allowances and out-of-pocket allowances from the City Treasury, and for the fact that they were not consulted regarding this Far East and the many other trips overseas, then they should be equally concerned about the trip that was made to a South American country by the same Mayor and another outsized delegation just before the China junket. And more importantly, they should be even more anxious about the upcoming European retreat.
It is unbelievable, reprehensible and unconscionable for the Mayor of Georgetown and her delegation of senior operatives to embark on another luxury trip, all-expenses-paid by the citizens of Georgetown, in another few days all the way to the Mediterranean.
How could they be allowed to do this whilst their workers are starving? Whilst they don’t know when and how they will pay their workers for the months of November and December? Whilst the garbage is piling up around the city? Whilst they owe NIS, GRA, GPL, the credit unions, the contractors, GWI and the commercial banks etc?
It is simply shocking that the powers-that-be would allow such reckless behaviour at the Council for the last two years; that they would allow this Mayor to do nothing else but travel recurrently over the last two years first class to every corner of the globe with an entourage in tow, whilst the municipality remains totally bankrupt and indebted to all and sundry. And worse, agree to bail them out again.
But apart from the enormous wastage of scarce financial resources, it is also highly irresponsible for the Mayor and a delegation of senior operatives from the Council to take off once again after two recent trips in the last few weeks, and in the throes of a major crisis at City Hall; and when the City should be preparing for the increased activity for the Christmas season, and having all hands-on deck.
How could they expect the citizens to heed their calls to rush in and pay up their property rates when the citizens are aware that it will be used to fly the Mayor and her delegation of senior operatives around the world on luxury trips?
Sincerely,
Sean Levius
