VTMBH Article: Body
Was it a Freudian slip or was Prime Minister PJ Patterson predicting the future in the upcoming elections to be held in Jamaica later this year?
Mr. Patterson, the longest continuous serving Prime Minister in office, was outlining the countrys progress since independence 40 years ago at the Live and Direct at the Town Hall meeting last Thursday night at the Brooklyn Marriott, downtown Brooklyn. However, instead of saying 40, he said four. Someone corrected him the audience, who joked that he was referring to his fourth consecutive term in office. Elections will be held certainly before the year ends and he predicted it would be the most peaceful election in recent times.
However, while the system is being fine-tuned to make sure its fair and free he appealed to the overseas connection to stop sending the weapons in the barrels. The weapons come in the fridge and barrels. Its destroying the country, your friends, you relatives, your mothers, sisters, brothers, schoolmates.
The progress report from the Prime Minister outlined a decade of positive developments to ensure competition in the global marketplace; the development of human capital; the improvement in physical infrastructure; the advent of the Caribbean Court of Justice; the stability of the Jamaican dollar; the National Health Insurance.
This does not mean that we are not fraught with obstacles, but we are ready for challenges, he said.
For the 40th independence anniversary, major celebrations are being planned. One such to kick of the activities will be the hosting of the 9th IAAF World Junior championship in track and field athletics at the National Stadium, July 16 21. Over 159 countries have already agreed to participate in the games.
During the question and answer session, the Prime Minister seemingly got a little flustered when he was accused by at least two participants of selling out the country.
I feel let down, Mr. Prime Minister as you sell us you sell off JPS [Jamaica Public Service, an electric company] and Mutual [insurance company]. You sold us out, one man, Moses Rodriquez, repeatedly seemingly to drive home his point.
Another questioned whether or not selling off our assets is a blueprint for disaster.
The Prime Minister, calmly and calculatedly, explained that the government had to get several private companies help to modernize the plant.
I invited proposals from everywhere and from everybody to come forward, and not one Jamaican group at home or abroad stepped to the plate. If no Jamaican Company or a group of Jamaicans abroad had said they wanted to come home and run it, that would have been good.
But not one, not one, he gesticulated, raising that first finger, accepted the offer, he said to applause from sections of the audience, and with shouts of tell him sah from the staunch PNP supporter sitting near to me.
With regards to Mutual, there was a big problem .Everybody was in control and there was confusion. We pumped in billions of dollars, but the more we pumped, the bigger the sinkhole. While I revere the memory of George William Gordon (who founded Mutual Life), we still had other pressing matters. Mr. (Michael Lee) Chin from Canada came back no with mouth but with money to invest. He came with proposals and we welcomed him. He was willing to invest, so dont come here and tell me about sell out. Just come back home and see what we have done and you will see a better country, the Prime Minister said.
Other questions touched on the exporting of teachers and its impact on the development of the country; deportees; how the Social Sciences department at UWI analyzing the crime situation; globalization, the development of the Rockfort community by companies in the area, AIDS, and solid wastes in the environment.
The Prime Minister was welcomed by Deputy Borough President Jamaican Yvonne Graham, on behalf of the president Marty Markowitz. Prayers were offered by Bishop Riley, of the Freedom Hall Church of God. The Prime Minister was accompanied by Fitz Jackosn and Marjorie Taylor.
Mr. Patterson, the longest continuous serving Prime Minister in office, was outlining the countrys progress since independence 40 years ago at the Live and Direct at the Town Hall meeting last Thursday night at the Brooklyn Marriott, downtown Brooklyn. However, instead of saying 40, he said four. Someone corrected him the audience, who joked that he was referring to his fourth consecutive term in office. Elections will be held certainly before the year ends and he predicted it would be the most peaceful election in recent times.
However, while the system is being fine-tuned to make sure its fair and free he appealed to the overseas connection to stop sending the weapons in the barrels. The weapons come in the fridge and barrels. Its destroying the country, your friends, you relatives, your mothers, sisters, brothers, schoolmates.
The progress report from the Prime Minister outlined a decade of positive developments to ensure competition in the global marketplace; the development of human capital; the improvement in physical infrastructure; the advent of the Caribbean Court of Justice; the stability of the Jamaican dollar; the National Health Insurance.
This does not mean that we are not fraught with obstacles, but we are ready for challenges, he said.
For the 40th independence anniversary, major celebrations are being planned. One such to kick of the activities will be the hosting of the 9th IAAF World Junior championship in track and field athletics at the National Stadium, July 16 21. Over 159 countries have already agreed to participate in the games.
During the question and answer session, the Prime Minister seemingly got a little flustered when he was accused by at least two participants of selling out the country.
I feel let down, Mr. Prime Minister as you sell us you sell off JPS [Jamaica Public Service, an electric company] and Mutual [insurance company]. You sold us out, one man, Moses Rodriquez, repeatedly seemingly to drive home his point.
Another questioned whether or not selling off our assets is a blueprint for disaster.
The Prime Minister, calmly and calculatedly, explained that the government had to get several private companies help to modernize the plant.
I invited proposals from everywhere and from everybody to come forward, and not one Jamaican group at home or abroad stepped to the plate. If no Jamaican Company or a group of Jamaicans abroad had said they wanted to come home and run it, that would have been good.
But not one, not one, he gesticulated, raising that first finger, accepted the offer, he said to applause from sections of the audience, and with shouts of tell him sah from the staunch PNP supporter sitting near to me.
With regards to Mutual, there was a big problem .Everybody was in control and there was confusion. We pumped in billions of dollars, but the more we pumped, the bigger the sinkhole. While I revere the memory of George William Gordon (who founded Mutual Life), we still had other pressing matters. Mr. (Michael Lee) Chin from Canada came back no with mouth but with money to invest. He came with proposals and we welcomed him. He was willing to invest, so dont come here and tell me about sell out. Just come back home and see what we have done and you will see a better country, the Prime Minister said.
Other questions touched on the exporting of teachers and its impact on the development of the country; deportees; how the Social Sciences department at UWI analyzing the crime situation; globalization, the development of the Rockfort community by companies in the area, AIDS, and solid wastes in the environment.
The Prime Minister was welcomed by Deputy Borough President Jamaican Yvonne Graham, on behalf of the president Marty Markowitz. Prayers were offered by Bishop Riley, of the Freedom Hall Church of God. The Prime Minister was accompanied by Fitz Jackosn and Marjorie Taylor.