Govt. has no stomach to cooperate with institutions which it perceives it cannot dominate

Sep 22, 2008 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,
The Parrot is true to its character of a parrot — merely repeating faithfully what someone else has been saying of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council.

At best, it is poor journalism to be biased; and worst, to present what is inaccurate for public consumption.
Let us deal with the issues as they appear on page 10 under ‘The Parrot Speaks,’ article headlined: “What? Dump the Council?”

The Council has already expressed its concern and regret to the citizens who live near the La Repentir Dump Site.

Next, the Council has explained on many occasions that the ‘stepping-in’ ever so often by the Government is like someone throwing you overboard in murky waters, and then bringing the whole flotilla of cameras and media personnel while they jump in with a life belt to save you. These are some — not all — of the salient facts the parrot should know:

When the democratically elected Council, led by an evergreen Mayor, took office, they shared the views expressed by the PPP-elected IMC, which was that, in order to effectively manage the City, the municipality needed to broaden its revenue base.

It is a known fact that to manage a Municipality requires money, materials, management and manpower.
The Mayor and his Council put forward numerous proposals to make a reality of the recommendations of the PPP-selected Interim Management Committee (IMC) that were intended to broaden its revenue base.

Not a single proposal was supported or accepted by the Government, including the proposal for the establishment of a lottery. We were told that the PPP/Civic Government would not support any gambling for fear that the religious community would be up in arms.

Interestingly, within a few months, the existing lottery was up and running. The Central Government receives millions daily from this enterprise, but not one cent comes to the Georgetown Mayor and City Council.
The several other proposals made are well known; all were rejected.

The Georgetown Municipality has a large responsibility for:
– 160 miles of roads
– 8oo miles of concrete and earthen drains
– 12 outfall channels
– Bridges
– Parapets
– Collection and disposal of waste – 250 tons per day
– Street Lighting
– Public Parks and open spaces
– Five (5) municipal markets
– Management of the building code
– Maternal and child welfare
– Public Health
– Control of animals
– Maintenance of law and order
– Cemetery

The Parrot needs to be reminded that when the City settled proposals for parking meters, the Minister of Local Government said we should hold, because Government was looking at it. That was nine years ago.

Even where the Council, for the past 17 years, had been earning revenue from the Stabroek Car Park, and had signed a contract with a company to garner additional revenue by leasing the said car park, without consultation, the Government, through its well known ‘Big Bad Bully,’ and we mean no pun on the letter ‘B,’ seized the car park. Not one cent of compensation was paid to the Council, but there was dislocation of its stall holders.

The Parrot talks about management; and here, again, we have given examples already known to the public, and which he ought to have known.

Note that when the Council sought to discipline two koker workers who nearly caused the City to flood, the minister reinstated them. They were the sons of a PPP Councillor. Is this how the Parrot thinks we can manage?

We have pointed out on several occasions that when the Municipality opened the Dump Site in 1983, at the back of the Le Repentir Cemetery, it was intended to last for a period of two years, with an alternative site to be identified for long-term operations. In collaboration with Central Government, a search began and a number of proposals were put to the Government.

All this was explained in a letter sent to the media last week. The Parrot must have missed it. With the cost of fuel, materials and wages increased many times since then, compare the $54 million made available to the IMC for their six-month stint in 1994 with the $15 million given to us a few days before CARIFESTA X. A classic case of different strokes for different folks. The hope is that the Parrot — whether a green or red one we do not know — would have the good sense to speak to the real issue, which is a clear case of Government having no stomach to cooperate with institutions which they perceive they cannot dominate.

Office of His Worship, the Mayor
Mr. Hamilton Green

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