Saturday, June 14, 2014

P.M. Must Pay The Price Of His Folly

30 comments:

Anonymous said...

A manager is a copy-cat. Our pathetic poor manager with no managerial skills, and not knowing one fart about economics other than what is in a typical secondary school text book, if that much, is on a minstrel show, singing for his supper, after the folly of outliving his usefulness as Minister of Finance. This dog in the manger approach is now taking a toll. Therefore we are fed ample displays of immaturity, ignorance and jackass politics making the rounds. Meanwhile, SNO is busy blocking comments and responses to their serial press releases, that are not flattering to their born in the flesh Massa god. This island stubbornly refuses to learn anything, to grow up, and to distance itself from its shameful slave past.

Anonymous said...

In 2008 King took $10M from IMF, has St. Lucia paid back that loan?

LLL said...

Unfortunately the "no-name" contributor to this article is without sense and as empty-headed or shallow minded as one who simply can't understand the rationale in politics and economics.
Lets put it for the simple minded. The 'stock market' has to correct itself every so often. It's virtually impractical for commodities to be guaranteed an increase every single transaction day. Your investment or stocks cannot always return positive results. No country in the region has that kind of security in Tourism or in any of their prime earning portfolios. Bananas (easy picking green gold) is gone. Any government of the day (SLP or UWP) would have had to execute this correctiveness at some point. Errors such as the 14% and mismanagement of Taiwanese fund, among other things, were the many formulas leading to a time bomb. Disarmament is the hard reality.

Anonymous said...

14.5% increase in wages was supported by that boring country bookey, lacking any political foresight. That injected a nearly 14.5% increase in the payroll costs plus inflation in the economy. Without much numerical and even much less economic literacy, that was not obvious. That has boomeranged like a guided missile. Today, it is hitting us where the hairs are quite very short. But they want to balance their political indiscretions on the backs of the public service. Yet, SLP is still protecting its political bases, with borrowed money, transferred to supporters and party hacks, granted sinecures in embassies, paying them in advance for their votes with obvious tricks like STEP.

Anonymous said...

The clearly partisan approach to the article as well as the responses is disheartening and offers no solutions; only recriminations and threats. Based on these comments:
1) I would agree that the introduction of VAT may have exacerbated the problem but I am not sure that St.Lucia could have held out any longer.
2)the financial institutions (they are also business entities)are reflecting the downturn in the economy , which is a global and , consequently , a Regional phenomenon. Additionally, successive governments have failed to address the issue of the power of sale in mortgages with negative effect on banks' liquidity.
3)It is foolish for supporters of any political party to bring the skin colour of current politicians into the debate. The stark reality is that the Prime Minister issued from a woman who could only be described as black. The leader of the opposition is 'white' only because 'we' make him so! It is all nonsensical.
4) the funding of social programmes is not ipso facto bad and ought not to be criticized except on grounds of administration and effectiveness.
We should be offering SOLUTIONS.

Anonymous said...

Let's put it for all our simpletons and damn boring morons. Analogy is NOT proof! Secondly, the economy is NOT a stock market. Got that?

Anonymous said...

@7:57 AM, aren't you embarrassed that you too, are one just like George "Excreta" hoODUM, who was been fooled into believing that this other MASSA plantation hold-over is fighting for black people's welfare? Look at the history of how many have been used, and their heads stepped over to get where he is today. Having got there, he can see no other person suitable to lead. Therefore, he CHANGES the SLP rules, and dumps the ideals people thought that he stood for. He secured himself the role of MAXIMUM LEADER, for life.
He knows full well, that he cannot do the job in the financial areas. He has no suitable background. The financial disasters of the Frenwell Caribbean joke, the Black Bay investment, the Grynberg Affair more than bear ample testimony. He even oversteps his boundaries, when he is supposed to be conversant with but ignored the constitution in the Grynberg case. As ice cream on the cake, see who he finally chose to ride into the sunset with, and who he dumped!!! He arbitrarily gave 4% and wants to cut back 5%. He increased the cost of living by with the VAT by 15%. Yet, he backed an the 14.5% when he was in opposition, saying promises have to be kept. It is just all Karma. Just karma.

Anonymous said...

@12.45 enough with the partisan talking points. You appear to have a personal axe to grind which does not enlighten.

Anonymous said...

Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it. St. Lucians will never learn.

Anonymous said...

The St. Lucian psyche is too saturated with politics and hence, the downfall of the St. Lucian society. Reasoning and common sense no longer exist. It's just politics poisoning the fabric of our very existence. SAD! SAD! SAD!

LLL said...

@2:44pm. You are just about correct on your analysis. Saint Lucians are so engrossed and consumed in the politics ( & politicians) of the day that they are unable to think beyond the real issues that tend to resolve the problems confronting the country, economically. What has been done, in most cases, cannot be undone. The promises of yesterday have to be converted to the sacrifices for tomorrow. We can quarrel with each other on script as much as we want, the Prime Minister & his cabinet have to put the corrective measures in place in order to reverse the state of affairs. THIS IS NOT A POLITICAL GAME OR POLITICAL CHOICE for those who wish to provide that circumstance.

Anonymous said...

The preceding commentaries support the long held observation that a people get the Government they deserve. Why therefore complain?

Anonymous said...

@ 6:50 am , It mentioned that Kenny wants to assert his political indiscretions ( ie. is the 14.5% increase in public servants wages ) on the backs of public servants. The argument is very contradictory because it is reasonable to assume that they ( public servants )are the rightful ones on whose back he should jump since they were the ones who benefitted from the incessant increase of wages.

Anonymous said...

LLL How does the Taiwanese Funds come into the ecnonmica argument. Kenny and his gons gave us 9 years of hardship with the Chinese. The best you should do is say thanks to the people who were smart enough to sign with the Taiwanese. Kenny and his goons have not generated any money in the economy other than the handouts from the Taiwanese.

Anonymous said...

There is a lot of singing and dancing out there. But, when you agree a pay increase and the employee has been paid, the employer cannot subsequently, arbitrarily, and unilaterally cut the property of the employee. The employer has to renegotiate the acceptance of the cut, however clumsily this may have to done. Some people are aware of the rule of law. That is one of the reasons why the CSA never bothered with Kenny. Some of us know that it's the law.

Anonymous said...

The days of block salary increases should end. 14.5% !? Who gets those kind of increases, let alone entire workforces.

Deep down you all knew it wasn't affordable yet you took it. Now the salary or staff cuts need to come and they can't come quick enough.

There's so much unproductivity within the civil service. Pick one institution that is running things properly? 50% of them could go without any loss.

I pray for st lucia.

Anonymous said...

"... the Prime Minister & his cabinet have to put the corrective measures in place in order to reverse the state of affairs...."
-----------------------------------------------------------
So, should all St.Lucians, and visitors alike, pay for his obstinacy?
Most leaders rely on advisors to effectuate good policy; not Kenny. He is judge, jury and executioner.

Anonymous said...

With no business or economics background and questionable numerical literacy and proficiency beyond secondary school level, the Minister of Finance cannot see the forest for the trees. He relies on a few and regurgitates without sound grasp of what he is saying. Little wonder he on a PR trip around the country, trying to be a salesman for what he basically has not yet fully mastered or understood. His continual mistakes are clear evidence of this.

Anonymous said...

With no business or economics background and questionable numerical literacy and proficiency beyond secondary school level, the Minister of Finance cannot see the forest for the trees. He relies on a few and regurgitates without sound grasp of what he is saying. Little wonder he on a PR trip around the country, trying to be a salesman for what he basically has not yet fully mastered or understood. His continual mistakes are clear evidence of this.

Anonymous said...

@ 6:50 am , It mentioned that Kenny wants to assert his political indiscretions ( ie. is the 14.5% increase in public servants wages ) on the backs of public servants. The argument is very contradictory because it is reasonable to assume that they ( public servants )are the rightful ones on whose back he should jump since they were the ones who benefitted from the incessant increase of wages.

June 15, 2014 at 7:19 PM

++++++++++++++++++
You are tying yourself up in knots here. Step back a little.
Take a deep breath.

Answer as honestly as you could the following question.

Who agreed that the 14.5% increase was justified whilst in opposition? Little did he give any thought to the idea that this level of personal immaturity would today have him hanging on his own petard.

Next question. Who did not have the foresight nor the academic substrate to understand that economically, this was inflationary and besides that ripple effect, would further put greater pressure on servicing the country's debt burden? They don't teach that in Law School.

Another interesting question follows. Who indiscreetly handed over a 4% increase when part of the workforce was prepared to accept 0%? Was that a smart or an arrogantly stupid move?

Ladies and gentlemen, now for a very amusing question. Who, like a magical act gave 4% and is threatening to take back 5? Kenny's economics equates with a comedy of errors, and belongs to a veritable clown act in a circus.

Anonymous said...

This man in this picture looks like a DEVIL.

Anonymous said...

There is no need for discussion about Kenny's incompetence, lack of financial acumen or two faced character. It is and has been as clear as day to those who really wish to see.
But it is not about Kenny. It is about Lucians who have lost their Christian value system. Many of our Our youth are a drug fueled, sexually perverted misguided lot. Our leaders only concerned with salaries, perks and fees as they condone all the political scampishness.
We have become a loutish people lacking the manners of a civilized people. Just go amongst any crowd today to see the mode of dress and language. Our so called upper class no longer respect marriage and the stability it brings to society and we have the highest out of wedlock birthrate in the world.

The political class have legislated theft and our so called economists and businessmen stayed silent as $2 billion in debt was incurred over 15 years. A lazy civil service providing no service was ramped up from a few thousand to 10,000 or more and were quit happy to draw salaries while doing nothing in many cases.

We are an immoral lazy non productive society with corruption at every level and with no value system.
So are you surprised at the political leaders we have?

Anonymous said...

June 17, 2014 at 4:58 AM

That's amazing! There are still some sane people left.

Your comment is so true! I cannot fault it in any way! What a nasty lot of losers we've become, raising bronze statues to the gods of Perfidy.

Anonymous said...

Amen, Amen Amen, blogger above.
I could not have said it better.

Anonymous said...

@ 4:58 I have copied your post. It bears repetition. I just could not have said it better. Every now and then someone gives you hope that we will one day come out this national morass of the learned acceptance of mediocrity.

Anonymous said...

This man in the picture does not only look like a devil. He is a devil; based on what we have been reading and hearing about him.

Anonymous said...

With or without VAT Saint Lucia was going to suffer from the recession as everywhere has. Once your banana's were blocked as a main import the rot was setting in. If anything no government has successfully used your resources as a currency to export, tax was only paid by a few, hence the levy of VAT. There are too many people wanting the status quo without paying for it. I believe now is the time to be creative, and start harnessing what you are good at rather than importing things at such a high price. More than other islands it seems Saint Lucia is lucky to have had monies given by other countries to provide facilities, e.g. the 'Wellness Centre', the new general hospital paid for by the European union, of course still not being used as usual. If people worked together to try and resolve the problems rather than attack all the time the country would prosper and have a brighter mentality. Stop being crab like and use the energy your using to complain for a better purpose.

Anonymous said...

correction for above I meant EXPORT.

Anonymous said...

The Ministry of Finance and its entourage of useless overpaid consultants have the PM talking mere bilge. They are protecting their posteriors and jobs whilst inflicting on the rest of the population hardships arising from their self-serving advice.

The patchwork quilt of measures in the last budget, if the revenues are realized will only serve for one year. Those idiot advisors have not yet tackled the debt nor its payment. What they are trying to do is to make the ratio look better, to make additional borrowing easier.

They are setting the country up for more failure. Watch it.

The moral outrage is this. The past financial blunders and the borrowings have gone out to fund and pay the SLP's and the PM's core supporters holidaying in the embassies with educational scholarships and shopping sprees. That is part of the SLP's voting bloc. So this bloc of voters are being paid in advance for their votes come next election. But the entire country is being persuaded that it should be funding and making sacrifices for all this routinized political corruption, like STEP.

Some believe that the country would be worse off if Kenny were not at the helm. I don't think so.

If Kenny were so bright, an international organization would long ago have taken him up. Then we would not have to suffer the pain of paying for such ridiculous egregious blunderings and expenses like Frenwell, the Black Bay repurchase of our own national asset, and the asinine Grynberg Affair plus its looming legal costs.

The Emperor has no damn clothes!

Anonymous said...

Brother George: I told you'll so!