Stop recycling political retirees
Published:Friday | May 9, 2014 | 12:00 AM
THE EDITOR, Sir:
It is troubling that both the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and the People's National Party (PNP) seem to think that there are only about 20 or so persons on each side who are qualified to run anything in this country. They sit on every board and manage all the public enterprises and bodies in Jamaica.
This is taking place in a country with excess, and yes, highly qualified human capital all around. Many have to resort to hustling in order just to survive, while others are forced to seek meaningful engagement abroad. Why do we continue to spend billions of tax dollars preparing our people, when we have no plan to use their expertise?
The recent resurrection of Dr Vin Lawrence is a case in point, and I could list dozens of others who are in the public sector, with no special talent, straddling significant portfolios. Some are moved from one failed tenure to the next. We have to do better than that. Our persistent resource constraints demand that we use what we have more efficiently.
The real issue, I believe, is that both political parties are so closed at the top that they only allow themselves to be exposed to the political hangers-on, whose main skill set is their ability to strategically position themselves at appropriate times.
Reaching into the retiree file for Dr Vin Lawrence displays a level of bankruptcy within the Government that is frightening. Are there no fresh minds among our 2.7 million people in Jamaica, not to mention the other 2.5 million abroad? I really can't accept that. Governments are just too lazy to look out. This is why we continue to see this incestuous display in the way they staff the public sector. Then we wonder why we are not progressing.
It is past time for us to get all Jamaican hands on deck in order to rescue this country. It is not, and has never been, JLP country or PNP country.
And by the way, if we have no plans to use the skills of our people, ALL our people, then probably we should stop wasting limited resources preparing them.
CARL BLISS