Clouded reasoning and tunnel vision

Feb 02, 2011 Letters

Dear Editor,
I read a letter in your Tuesday February 01, 2010 edition entitled, AFC’s lofty ideas lack real substance, where the writer highlighted a general disapproval of that party’s intention to rely on scientific studies before deciding on the feasibility of any project it chooses to conduct.
The writer seems almost prejudiced to the irrefutable evidence that scientific studies produce. He begins by using a very weak example of the US Republican politicians who are now in control of the House of Representatives when he writes, “…the US Republication Party, who, now that they control the House of Representatives, are finding it arduous to actually get something meaningful done, since they can no longer hide behind the curtain criticizing the Democrats, but are actually in a position where they have no choice but to perform.”
It is quite interesting that the writer chooses this shallow example to make his point.
What he should know is that the Republicans have an agenda of curtailing government spending which they intend to follow. However, by March 4,the federal government will be out of money unless Congress first passes a bill voting more; a few weeks after that, it will bump up against the federal debt ceiling, now set at an apparently insufficient $14.3 trillion, unless, again, Congress votes to increase it.
Both of these measures need to pass the House of Representatives now firmly in the grip of the Republicans. It also needs the support of seven or more Republican senators. And like I said earlier, the Republicans have vowed to exact deep spending cuts in return for their assent. President Obama will not accept these so one can clearly see that the stage is set for a harsh spring of combative White House politics.
Returning to the writer’s snobbery of the AFC’s stated intentions regarding the conducting of ethic impact studies and others before choosing to spend taxpayers’ money on projects he writes, “at this rate, an AFC government will halt the development and progress of this country while conducting ‘studies’ nationwide.”
I cannot help but wonder why such clouded reasoning and extreme tunnel vision is being spread through society in this shocking missive.
Before any project is done there must be a number of studies that must be conducted before deciding on whether or not a project goes live. If that writer looks around Guyana, he will see the glaring evidence of work being engaged upon without properly assessing or accepting the needs, risks, cost, maintenance, sustainability and overall benefits of ‘projects’ completed.
Some immediate examples are the Georgetown traffic lights, all the roads in Guyana, sinking and floating stellings, the location of the Berbice Bridge, Skeldon Sugar Modernization Project (SSMP), landfill projects, and the list is endless!
Any government that will rely on the findings of properly constructed and executed studies before dipping in the nation’s purse or borrowing huge sums that burdens the society deserves to be voted for. Any government that clearly engages in SWOT analyses, feasibility studies and various forms of GAP analyses before spending on projects will be a government that can go into Parliament and show hard evidence and justify spending with ease.
The AFC may not have stated in fine detail how it will get about its due diligence before embarking on projects, but is that necessary at this point of the discussion?
If there is nothing else that writer wrote to be true it is the first few words of his last sentence where he stated that “Guyanese need a competent and proactive government…”Guyanese need a government that will do its research properly, accept the findings of the studies conducted and spend our money wisely.
Change is here. And if Guyanese value their sweat and hard labour then they must vote for change. The content of false prophets like the letter writer I have addressed need to be raced to the farthest oblivion of the mind.
Richard Francois, Dubai – UAE

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