Huge cost of migration; Ronstadt; and Tessanne

Egerton Chang

Tessanne Chin was the standout contestant a few weeks ago. As far as HollywoodLife.com is concerned, the Jamaican songstress absolutely stole the show with her mind-blowingly soulful rendition of Jimmy Cliff's Many Rivers to Cross."Is it any wonder why she was crying tears of joy at the end of the episode? Seriously, she's in it to win it." - Andy Swiftly, 4.11.13.

But more on Tessanne later.

High Cost of Rearing Children

Don't have kids. That's the sure fire way to save a whole heap of money. Unless her name is Tessanne (lol).

Average costs to raise a kid: US$241,080.

According to a recent report by the US Department of Agriculture, having a child will cost you roughly one-quarter of a million US dollars before he/she turns 18. Further, if you send him/her to college, you could spend twice as much.

The agency found that on an inflation-adjusted basis, kids of my generation cost approximately one quarter less than kids of today and that there is some economy of scale (however small) in having more than one child, said the agency.

What it also found is that, of course, what one spends on a child correlates to what one earns. So that a low-income household spends less on rearing a child than a high-income one. The lowest-income household will spend an average of $216,910 on their child by the time he or she reaches the age of 18. Those earning the most - $105,000 or more per annum - will spend upwards of $500,000.

By and large, therefore, for every child over 18 years of age who migrates to the United States with an average education (vis-á-vis the US), that country gains upwards of $217,000 in human capital. Or conversely, Jamaica loses a minimum of US$217,000.

That would only be good for Jamaica if the country as a whole would benefit through remittances, etc., to the tune of $217,000 throughout the ensuing years.

Assuming a rate of inflation (in US dollars) of, say, three per cent per annum and assuming a payback of 25 years, that migrant would have to remit some $1,029.04 every month for the full 25 years to fully repay the cost of raising him/her.

What's the likelihood of that happening? Next to nil?

Huge cost of Migration

The Statistical Institute of Jamaica lists Jamaica's net migration for 2012 as 15,000. That means that there was a net outflow of 15,000 people.

Assuming only one quarter, or 3,750 met the criteria, of average US equivalent high-school education, while the other three-quarters, 11,250, made up the equivalent of another 3,750 (or 3 made up 1), that means that Jamaica lost the equivalent of 7,500 x US$217,000 or US$1,627,500,000 in human capital for 2012.

That's US$1.6 billion. That's a lot. Even half of that would be plenty.

Am I mad, or is there some method in my madness?

Ronstadt/Parkinson's

A few weeks aback, as some people say, I read an obituary in this newspaper and was surprised to see that the cause of death was stated as Parkinson's. I, having been a mild sufferer of Parkinson's disease for quite a few years, had known that it leads (through its effects) to early death. But I had never been aware that it could kill. It certainly made me think of my mortality and how long I might have. And of the progressively debilitating effects, which, thank God, have not affected me much so far.

More recently, in an article headed 'Linda Ronstadt: Parkinson's disease took my singing voice away', Ronstadt disclosed that Parkinson's disease had robbed her ability to sing. The article continues:

"The 67-year-old music legend tells AARP magazine that she was diagnosed eight months ago and 'can't sing a note'. Ronstadt says she began to show symptoms as far as eight years ago, but attributed her inability to sing then to a tick disease.

When her hands began to tremble, Ronstadt said she thought the shaking was the result of a shoulder operation. She said she was "completely shocked" when she finally saw a neurologist and was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. "I wouldn't have suspected that in a million, billion years.

"No one can sing with Parkinson's disease," Ronstadt told AARP music writer Alanna Nash. "No matter how hard you try."

Ronstadt sold tens of millions of records starting in the 1970s with pop hits like You're No Good and When Will I Be Loved. But she also segued into country, pop standards and Mariachi music, among other genres, and has won a number of Grammys.

Ronstadt now uses poles to walk on uneven ground and a wheelchair when travelling, the AARP story said.

Symptoms

The Mayo Clinic staff says symptoms and signs may vary from person to person. Early signs may be mild and may go unnoticed. Symptoms often begin on one side of your body and usually remain worse on that side, even after symptoms begin to affect both sides. Parkinson's signs and symptoms may include:

• Tremor or shaking. One characteristic of Parkinson's disease is tremor of your hand when it is relaxed (at rest).

• Slowed movement (bradykinesia). Over time, Parkinson's disease may reduce your ability to move and slow your movement. Your steps may become shorter when you walk.

• Rigid muscles. Muscle stiffness may occur in any part of your body.

• Impaired posture and balance. Your posture may have become stooped, or you may have balance problems.

• Loss of automatic movements. You may have decreased ability to perform unconscious movements, including blinking, smiling or swinging your arms when you walk.

• Speech changes. You may speak softly, quickly, slur or hesitate before talking.

• Writing changes. Writing may appear small and become difficult.

If you or your family or associates notice any of these symptoms in you, consult a doctor.

Tessanne Chin

Readers will recall that in an article published October 20, 2013, I had to 'big up' Tessanne Chin. That column ended: "While she has far more battles to win, she has improved her stock significantly thus far.

Tessanne, wi proud o' you!"

Recently, she performed My Kind of Love (Adele Emeli Gouraguine, better known as Emeli Sandé), which she dedicated to her husband.

While the song selection and her performance were not her best (in my opinion), it was good enough to ensure she was the first contestant of Team Adam and fourth overall to go through.

She is, by far, consistently the best singer and is sure to make the semi-finals.

As I expected, Tessanne made it through to the final eight, by singing Gladys Knight's If I Were Your Woman. Again, while Tessanne's power and command were enough to carry her through (being the last of Team Adam to make it), her song selection was not the best.

Quite a few former contestants have recommended that contestants should not succumb to pressure from their coach to perform songs that they are not completely comfortable with or that they feel does not showcase their talent to the fullest. Let's hope her future song selections will be more suitable.

Hao yùn (good luck), Tessanne.

I am looking for her to make the finals and to win, but I am also mindful of a number of factors that might make this extremely difficult. Chief of which is being 'un'-American - meaning, not from America. And there is a lot of underlying bias against this.

The positives, however, far outweigh the negatives. These include:

• The high regard all the judges have for her talent and performance.

• The strong backing she is receiving from her fellow Jamaicans both here and in the diaspora. Why the latter is ultra important is the voting power she will need from this bloc as we here in Jamaica are blocked from casting certain types of voting, including calling and texting.

• The widespread upbeat press she has been receiving.

"Some of these positive press include the following:

"From the beginning, Tessanne Chin has blown us away with her power ballads, charming personality, and that delicious Jamaican accent - she's definitely the "bread and butter" of Adam's team." - Entertainment Weekly - Jennifer Arellano 4.11.13.

"Tessanne Chin: You're going to win The Voice. Tessanne, it will be an absolute travesty if you don't walk away as the winner of The Voice this season." - Hollywood Life - Ivy Jacobson - 5.11.13.

"The Voice: Tessanne Chin towers above the competition." - Examiner.com - Joey Guerra - 4.11.13.

Nuff said!

Egerton Chang is a businessman. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and e_rider69@hotmail.com.