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What? Dump the Council?

Sep 19, 2008 Features / Columnists

The Parrot is in sympathy with those residents, who were affected, again, by the smoke from the Mandela Avenue dumpsite. The discomfort is unimaginable. Wouldn’t want to be in their shoes. The dumpsite saga is yet another “forum” where government and the shhhhh…CCCCity Council “spar”. Now, what else is left for them to “spar” on?
It seems as if government has to “step in” ever so often in almost every aspect of the council’s official mandate to ensure that work is done and that residents are satisfied. If we go back to the hosting of Cricket World Cup in 2007, government had to not only provide money for the sprucing up of the city, but to actually do some of the work. The same scenario played out for the Commonwealth Finance Ministers Meeting and Carifesta X. Even in “normal” times when nothing is being hosted, the council can’t pay their workers; government paid them.
It begs the questions: what exactly is the council supposed to do? What do they do with the revenue collected? Why is it we don’t hear of similar problems with other municipalities? Georgetown is the largest town, most commercial, with the largest revenue base, with the largest population and, obviously, if these things are taken into consideration, the largest producer of garbage. Any prudent manager of such a city would know what the demands are, the challenges, if any, posed by revenue collection and how to deal with these issues efficiently and effectively, taking the citizens into consideration. Not to be making excuses and trying to blame the government.
The government was forced to come to the rescue of the residents in Georgetown on numerous occasions after the council failed to execute their duty. Let’s be reminded that the government didn’t put the over-ripe Mayor and the rest of the council there; they were democratically elected. They knew the task whilst campaigning in 1994. Given what has happened over the years, it seems that the priority on the council’s meeting agenda is: 1. Blame the government. 2. Blame the government, 3. Blame the government, and so on until 10. What happened to just do the work?
The council’s ineptitude has caused residents to suffer. Very often garbage piles up, drains and canals clog up, the dumpsite flares up, and markets are broken into, causing affected vendors to wail up. When these things happen the over-ripe Mayor and the Tongue Clark (TC) ‘buse up. Sometimes it happens when the over-ripe Mayor is way up to find peace. While he is looking and the TC is scripting the next “tongue lashing” to give him, the residents who are the taxpayers, are left to seek help elsewhere; from the government.
Some residents are not aware that government is not responsible for the city. This lends itself to the administration being blamed when the council messes up. And don’t they mess up! The dumpsite has its genesis in the eighties, when the over-ripe Mayor was in government. Did they consider the consequences then? The city has grown tenfold since and by extension its revenue base. Where is the money going? Tell me. Where?
An inquisition is currently on. The findings would be interesting. Whilst we wait, it would be worthwhile to consider retiring the council, for the betterment of the residents, to the good ‘ole dumpsite after. What? The site would be contaminated? I gone. Squawk! Squawk!

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