In search of an issue (B)

Tue, Nov 6, 2012

Editor: Any objective observer with the fortitude to listen to the voices of the New New Democratic Party (NNDP) would agree that it is a party in search of an issue – anything, it seems – that might energize its base; anything that would make it appear relevant – “a fighting force”. You disagree? What do understand this concluding paragraph of an editorial to be saying: Prime Minister Dr Gonsalves, smart politician that he is, should be aware though, that regardless of the initial reason for this issue, if the public becomes sympathetic, it can become the platform on which the opposition, NDP, revives itself and becomes a fighting force (Not this paper, November 2, 2012).{{more}}

But the same editorial stated, “…what is the involvement of the opposition NDP in solving this problem. As far as we understand, the legal case or cases arose from the NDP sponsored (Do they sponsor or own the program?) program, New Times, on Nice Radio. So, did NDP take responsibility from day one when the legal problem arose? If not, have they since taken on that responsibility or are they not in a position to do so?” If the author of that editorial could answer the questions asked, he would conclude that “NICE Jeopardy” (see this paper, this coming Friday) is a direct result of the hands-off, don’t-care attitude of the leadership of the NDP. What irony, what dishonesty, what barefaced disingenuousness that the party in search of an issue sees this as one or tries to use it to their advantage? Which they are doing, as they add “NICE Jeopardy” to list of issues for the nocturnal (not sure of the bat/manicou residents in the area) protest on Thursday.

NNDP Broke

The party in search has raised the issue of government debt to the private sector, but does the NNDP owe anyone in the private sector? An old lady calls me regularly (she is real). In one recent call, she wanted to know whether the NNDP was doing the right thing with its mantra that the government is broke. She wanted to know how could they in one breath say they are broke, yet demand they do stuff? Were they providing an excuse for the government? The editorial quoted above asked a loaded question with regard to the settlement of the court award to Ralph Gonsalves: Or are they not in a position to do so? More than a year ago, a gentleman told me he was owed $23,000 by the NNDP for a job he did during the 2010 election. Two weeks ago, I met him – he is still owed the entire sum two years later. According to the gentleman, if he did the job for anyone else his charge would have been $35,000.

We have been told the nation’s debt is killing us and will enslave future generations. We agree. But how will the promise of paid examination fees for students taking CSEC and CAPE add to the debt? Could the NNDP tell us the annual cost and source of the funds? To that we must, of course, add “free” wireless internet.

Distortion and Lie

Speaking of debt, the NNDP has been making an issue of a statement by Julian Francis that upon completion of the Argyle airport, we will not have a debt. Mr Francis did make the statement, but a debate arose when Ralph Gonsalves denied that Mr Francis did. Someone produced an audio which proved that Gonsalves was incorrect. And so arose a life and death issue that must be resolved by The Speaker. Problem it is my audio – meant to mock Mr Francis’ arithmetic. It had nothing to do with funds from any coalition, but rather with the sale of lands at Arnos Vale. There is a difference between spin, distortion, misleading and lie. The way I have heard Mr Francis’ statement being used, the latter three apply. (My audio has been supplied to The Speaker.) What an issue?

On the issue of the Canadian visa requirement, we have heard nothing but distortion (or is that contortion, Daniel Cummings) misleading and lies. Three NNDP big shots have aided and abetted Vincentians in their abuse of Canada’s immigration and refugee laws. Arnhim Eustace said he wrote five or six, we do have the numbers for “Fresh Pair Legs” Leacock and Jeannie Ollivierre. Estimates are that the average refugee filer cost the Canadians $50,000 and according to Eustace, there were over 4,000 filers, do you wonder why the Canadians had to do something? Yet you have all of the NNDPers following a party line, proffering the lie that this came about because of faulty passport and outlandish links to diplomatic relations with Iran. And the reckless, slanderous declaration by Daniel Cummings of the omission “…it was a no accident…it was a deliberate action, so that you have an excuse to issue passports to persons who do not qualify.”

In 2004, Daniel Cummings gave us this: “We are seeing a society where people because they support a political party tend to go along with anything the party comes up with and this is so unhealthy for our development….” Surely not so mind-blogging a transformation, but rather the epitome of empty rhetoric.

The NNDP has been seeking to clam on to the Public Service Union demand for the three per cent pay increase due them since January 2011. The government says it cannot pay the full amount at this time, which confirms the NNDP mantra of hard times, but they say that the unions should stick to their guns because the Unity Labour Party did the same in 1998. One wonders what the NNDP would do if it got into office tomorrow? Would they raise taxes to pay the increase? Which group of workers would be required to pay the increased taxes? Would workers be terminated? Some union workers should caution their leaders about their demands. Is this a case of an employee demanding a pay increase from himself?

Keep throwing mud, something could stick!

Frank E da Silva