Garth Rattray | Some things will not change after the election

The date for the upcoming general election, Wednesday September 3, is almost upon us. As usual, expensive and furious competition ensued. At the end of all the excitement, there will be a victor; either the incumbent [Jamaica labour Party, JLP] will remain in control of the government, or the Opposition [People’s National Party, PNP] will take over the helm.

If the JLP remains in power, they will continue the same path of policies and projects, with a few [campaign] promises thrown in for good measure. Additionally, they will be capable of designing and initiating long-term undertakings to solidify their political legacy. The people who invested in them will merrily continue to benefit from their association with that administration. The feeding trough will remain open and accessible to the usual individuals and organisations.

If the PNP dethrones the JLP, they will continue the projects that they find beneficial to their policies and they will initiate projects of their own as promised during campaigning. However, the feeding trough will slam shut for some JLP associates and open wide for some PNP followers.

There will be ‘seismic’ shifts at many levels and in all government institutions. The décor, including furniture, may be changed (at the taxpayer’s expense). Some jobs and positions may also be changed. Political appointees will be booted out. I recall a very good family friend who had a post at the University of Technology (UTech). She remarked that, with the change of government, she lost her job. She quipped that, to her, UTech meant, “You tek whey yuself”.

I vividly recall that, many years ago, the government had changed hands and, while a patient was sitting right in front of me, he received a telephone call from a well-placed, politically affiliated relative. I overheard the relative tell the patient to ready his trucks because he was going to send a contract for hauling aggregate his way. I noted that there was no mention of any procurement process, and no tendering for consideration. The haulage contract was a fait accompli.

RABID

That is why an indeterminate number of people are so rabid about politics. For them, it’s all about enlightened self-interest. For them, voting has nothing to do with the good of the country, it only has to do with what is good for them. This mentality bridges the social divide. That sort of thinking occurs in the very poor and needy and in the very rich and greedy. Those people retrofit their reasons for voting one way or the other to suit their ultimate goal … what they can get out of politics.

There is no mystery about the things that will not change after this general election. Whether the JLP or the PNP is in power, certain bad habits and corrupt practices will continue. The pervasive and harmful corruption, inefficiency, and unaccountability that are rooted everywhere and always lurk in the shadows of the operations of government institutions will persist.

Several years ago, a certain, huge, international entity identified lands and sought to establish itself on Jamaican soil. The company saw us as the ideal [geographically] located place for their operations. This company would construct huge edifices, directly and indirectly employ many people and, most of all, bring in many millions of US dollars annually. This company was discouraged by government red tape, stumbling blocks, and hoops.

The problems would magically disappear if the company cooperated by providing monetary incentives to certain public service operatives. Naturally, that company settled elsewhere in the Caribbean and has been spreading its wings and continues to provide an economic boon to their present location.

A similar fate befell another international entity. That company also redirected its investment to another [nearby] territory and has been a major attraction and an altruistic source of considerable infrastructure expansion there for many years. Some public servants use their position to make phenomenal personal economic gains whenever they can, to the detriment of our citizens. Since terms like “graft” and “kickback” are taboo, ‘cash and kind’ collected under the table are often euphemistically called a “finder’s fee”.

GOOD LUCK

If your constitutional right to a peaceful and comfortable home is being shattered by individuals who [selfishly] decide to commercialise the property next door to you – good luck trying to stop the process. If your next-door neighbour decides to ignore the covenants building and/or zoning laws – good luck to you if you attempt to stop him/her. And if your neighbour decides to set up a garage, or entertainment centre, or bar, or nightclub and become a disturbance ad infinitum – good luck trying to get the relevant municipality to uphold the law.

It does not matter whether the JLP or the PNP oversees the government, there will be continued problems with those within the municipalities who augment their income by being corrupt. As long as someone has deep pockets or ‘links’ (connections within the government body), ostensibly, he or she will be able to get away with ignoring or breaking the building regulations and/or zoning laws.

Systemic corruption, especially within government institutions, has become ubiquitous on our little island. Normalised corruption allows for inefficiency, unaccountability, and eventually, like purulent drainage, it percolates into every aspect of our lives.

Until and unless an administration is brave and bold enough to appoint an anti-corruption tzar with sharp and effective ‘teeth’, some things will never change. This is one of the reasons why many people view the main political parties as six of one and half-a-dozen of the other.

Garth Rattray is a medical doctor with a family practice, and author of ‘The Long and Short of Thick and Thin’. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and garthrattray@gmail.com