When is too much too much?

Jan 27, 2013 Features / Columnists, My Column

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By Adam Harris

Many years ago I read a short story entitled ‘How much land does a man need?’ It was during the days when I was in training to become a Science teacher.
Thus began my relationship with the famed Russian writer, Leo Tolstoy.
These days when certain things happen that story comes to mind. For example, I would ask myself ‘How much money does someone need?’ American business magnate Bill Gates and his wife found that they had way too much money. What did they do?
They gave away the bulk but left enough for each child to be comfortable.
They began to spend their money to help the world’s poor and sick; they funded research into cures for some Third World diseases and things like that.
They were not the only people to do the giveaway thing. Perhaps there are those who do the same thing but do not seek publicity.
On Friday, the National Assembly met to discuss the benefits to former Presidents. They found that a Bill passed in 2009 actually gave the former presidents so much money that surely they could not spend most of it, even if they tried. The political opposition, during the debate on that Bill, voiced objections to some of the clauses, but the government with its majority passed the Bill despite objections.
I am a firm believer that no President or Minister of the Government in this country should spend their last days as paupers. Indeed, during the days of the Forbes Burnham presidency or even during the Desmond Hoyte presidency, no Minister became rich.
The argument by these leaders was that they were there to serve the people and not to enrich themselves at the expense of these people.
Dr Cheddi Jagan and his wife held the same view. During their tenure the Ministers got comfortable by saving and by doing other things, including those things that they did before they became Ministers.
By no stretch of imagination would someone consider Sam Hinds, or Robeson Benn or Harripersaud Nokta rich. Clinton Collymore is certainly not rich.
But the same cannot be said for some of those now serving. They became filthy rich merely by being Ministers of the government.
This is being extended to the presidency. The Bill stipulated that the president be paid seven-eighths of what a serving president would get. Then there are the allowances which the opposition members feel should be capped.
In the case of President Jagdeo these are open-ended. The opposition parties claim that they exceed what could be considered reasonable. That is why this new Bill moved to cap those benefits.
The government side spoke of spite and all manner of things. But there was one member who told me that he agreed that there should have been a cap on the benefits.
In fact, he said that most of his colleagues believe that there should be a cap, but they all put up their backs because there was an amendment before the Parliament Select Committee.
I found this strange and I do agree with Moses Nagamootoo when he said that a country with a bicycle economy was paying money befitting a Mercedes economy.
Barack Obama will go down as one of the poorest presidents in United States history. While some of the others had millions of dollars Obama probably has no more than US$5 million.
There are Guyanese with much more money than that. Some of them are Government Ministers.
Obama publicly declared his income and assets, but he did something more. He gave away some of that money because he recognised that the people were paying him to serve them. In Guyana, no one has even attempted to publicly declare his assets.
When Burnham died it was found that he had something like $800,000. People scoffed but the truth still stands.
How many security guards does a former president need? The last time a newspaper reported on the number around President Jagdeo, the Guyana Times claimed that the newspaper had placed President Jagdeo’s life under threat.
I watched Hoyte walking in the mornings after he had demitted the presidency. He had one fellow behind him.
He was never attacked although he walked on his own along a public thoroughfare—Homestretch Avenue.
Janet Jagan and Cheddi did not have much money. Such was the case that their daughter came out publicly to criticize the present crop in power. If Gail Teixeira should face reality, she would recognize that as a long-serving member of the People’s Progressive Party and a Minister who served this country well, her pay is less that Jagdeo’s pension. She earns $800,000 a month; Jagdeo’s pension is about $1 million. Many others are in the same boat and I am certain that they cannot be too happy knowing that they still have to work.
The truth, though, is that Jagdeo’s pension and benefits will not be affected by this new Bill if assented to by President Ramotar. The laws are never applied retroactively. So why the anger? It must be a case of people not knowing how much money a person needs and of being greedy.
I wish I could get $300,000 a month and no other benefits just to stay home.

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