Wednesday 31 August 2011

Homeless Politicians


Government out of Gordon House for the First Time in 49 Years

While the rest of us went about our daily businesses yesterday, most of us from our homes; where our earthly comforts made starting the day easier, knowing that at the end of the day we had the ability to return, while others who are unfortunately not so lucky to own homes or a comfortable place to rest, didn’t feel so lonely in that regard yesterday because for the first time in 49 years after independence our parliament met in another building other than Gordon House, making them; yes!Homeless.

Homeless you say, this cannot be they are still in a building; but as much as it is unbelievable it is true to the fact that a House of Parliament or Congress (in case of the U.S.A), is the unofficial residence of a politician because most of their political life is spent representing the ‘people’ in parliament hence the term Member of Parliament (M.P.). You may not be convinced yet, so in my attempt to bring you to the “Homeless Politician” side, I will use numbers: a senator may work 60 hours a week (thats double the normal work week in a normal economy) and Politicians only get 5.2 hours of sleep.

But what stood out yesterday was the apparent politicking concerning the need of incorporating the public into the temporary space at the Jamaica Conference Center, members fired rhetoric    
Across the room proclaiming “This is the peoples Government” said Andrew Holness leader of Government business; ‘You can take the Politician out of Parliament, but you can’t take the Parliament out of the Politician’. I for one truly believe that they have really become the people’s government even more so than the Peoples National Party, the semi-glorified party of poverty, The Jamaica Labour Party has finally found their demographic, the 'Homeless'; back in 2010 the number of ‘Homeless Jamaicans’ was at 650 Jamaican adults and 800 or so children and adolescents without a permanent roof over their heads, total 1500 Jamaicans, going at this rate we will reach almost 3000 'People' on the streets by 2012. Which Happens to be the next General Election where the 'People' vote. Yeah! Look at that 3000 votes on the backs of the Jamaican people.

And, if comparing the position of Politicians to the real ‘Homeless Jamaicans’ is insensitive to you, then I apologize for shinning some amount of light on our politicians obsession with the people, at least the people that are able to vote, in the words of Hon. Andrew Holness “This is the Peoples Government”, so let in the people even those who aren’t as fortunate to have a homes; they still are Jamaicans but without a doubt as our politicians bravely cope the harsh times outside of their shelter of Gordon House in a similar building as furnished, I hope they remember the true Homeless and take this time to be Anti-Gordon House and more Pro-Jamaicans.

Question to the People: Is This Government Truly,"The People's Government"?