Readers’ reactions – EOJ requests $1b for local gov’t polls

With local government elections on the horizon, Director of Elections Glasspole Brown says the Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) has sent a budget of more than $1 billion to the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service for approval. Here are some readers’ reactions from The Gleaner’s social media pages:

Twitter

I can’t stop laughing. Why not make it 12 billion or 120 billion, because money has no value in Jamaica. Money fi spend, and the bigger the figure, the nicer it looks!

– @OwenBar26940449

Time for a fixed election date and the merging of the general and local government elections.

– @likle_wiked

Facebook

Cancel elections. Nobody keep it! Dat a tuh much spending in a time when ppl need money. Dem fool fool if dem gi dem .

– Marshawn Young

This is criminal and ludicrous madness robbery all in broad daylight ... no way waste of taxpayers’ money.

– Rayon Gordon

Yuh serious? All now, every pickney nuh have tablet yet enuh. Bredda, use di money pay the civil workers dem better yaw.

– Amina Makeda

Give that money to struggling Jamaica so they can start a business and that would help to reduce crime … elections and politicians becoming irrelevant and outdated, people struggling regardless of who is in power. The system is too corrupt, the most vulnerable don’t benefit, only the rich.

– Lovely Lele

OMG. We don’t need a red cent for election. Close one school for the day and let the teachers work for the election. Police will be on duty at polling stations. Only a small percentage of the population will be voting anyway. Send JUTC to transport the disabled. Use up the government workers. Leave our tax money alone.

– Estella Williams

Instagram

Wow!! Can you send a copy of this budget to The Gleaner. Jamaica would love to see how you allocate the funds for spending. I’m sure we could have a competition with some of our young accounting minds to do some cost savings on this budget. I’m sure it’s filled with a lot of pork chops and lobster

– charlene.simpson94

So weh them get this for voting and can’t find it for more important issues i.e. KPH bathrooms? To send the Jamaicans in Cuba the care package, to pay civil servants teachers and nurses, not the police cuz they corrupt as hell, to provide adequate breakfast programmes for kids in school, as well as tablets. This Government a wickid bro g. Jah know, all now a lot a Jamaicans no benefit from the so-called COVID financial aid package, them cyah fix most a di south coast roads adequately but they can find it to allow voting. You people are radically shady.

– reliableicntsolutions

Compiled by Sandena James