The diaspora has good people who decided to live, work and contribute abroad – not in their birthland. We rejoice that they “made it” but they must not burden us with duty waivers, conferences or be self-serving dictators in our lives. They can serve their birthland by using their leverage to get Cabinet to do things to benefit poor people, as locals are often ignored. The diaspora must not pursue their own agenda, ego trips or empowerment, but the agendas of us natives who suffer without respite. Their views on our Commonwealth, dual citizens’ vote and Senate seats are poorly researched. Their homelands are the US, UK and Canada and we expect them to use the First-World tools, methods – a Stone poll to check the views of locals then an expert study on the issues – as done abroad. But they “shoot from the lip” just like “quashie” who never saw May Pen clock. When Harold Macmillan went to negotiate UK entry to the Common Market, President De Gaulle made two demands – they must end special relations with the US and abandon the Commonwealth – and he refused. Principled!

As a Jamaican, I voted in Canada and the UK and was asked to run for elected office, all based on Commonwealth status. We don’t have this privilege in the US. Our athletes work in Europe under the Commonwealth banner as do our peacekeeping forces abroad. This brand has meaning. Their take on Air Jamaica is unworthy of people who live and work in cutting-edge nations. Do their analyses show that the airline’s 40-year losses could have eradicated poverty here? Do they take expert advice which abound in their homelands? If they want to help the Jamaica Airline Pilots’ Association, they must join in a consortium, match the Trinidad and Tobago bid and with the local know-how they will win. Anything less is “ginnalship” hiding behind our flag. To be useful, the diaspora must address our priorities, not their jobs and concessions. We suffer victimisation and die. They live abroad beyond the reach of “evil powers” and they must be our voice to Cabinet or butt out! Here are priorities they should put before the Cabinet:

*Party reform, to recruit the brightest and best people as prospective MPs.

*End political victimisation and delink benefits and jobs from party. Your birthland should vote, live and work as freely as you do in your comfy homeland. Agree?

*Ask Cabinet for targets for economic growth and poverty reduction and monitor them.

*Curbing crime and violence is job one, so we can live, settle down and build the country.

Mr Golding has the power to do the first three items by himself and the diaspora must see that he does so. Be warned: to jockey for a senator’s post can divide the diaspora and damage your reputation in your birthland. Be careful what you wish for!

Minister Samuda is to spend $1.6b to build factory space and add to our debt burden. Cabinet must not be a developer and landlord as this is a gateway to corruption. He must use BOOT (Build Own Operate Transfer), local investors and developers. He may then offer flexible rental and other incentives to new industries. Real estate is an inflexible asset, so let’s not dig the national debt hole any deeper. Cabinet can’t manage its load, so let the private sector do this.

University graduates can’t find jobs and they must now pressure Cabinet to get the Planning Institute of Jamaica to publish annual labour/job market projections by occupation and sector. Students will then have data to guide them in choosing courses which lead to jobs. The trend for universities to offer courses students want, like or those that use existing staff, with no link to the job market, must stop. Students also protest against the freeze of subsidy and funds shortage for the Students’ Loan Bureau. I suggested that Cabinet/SLB leave the loans business and I hope Cabinet did a study on a model in which banks make loans to all who secure places in a state-funded tertiary institution. By this means, the $14b subsidy last year would be cut as most of it would be insured bank loans to students, not government debt. The SLB would deal with interest top-up or subsidy to banks for moratorium on principal, etc; grants and scholarships to top students, those for jobs in the civil service and scarce skills. Fees would be the main income of the universities, some subsidy and some income. Government must develop a finance model for tertiary institutions and students. The world has moved on. So must we.

The Finsac Enquiry continues to disgrace itself. Will we get the three answers of value to the nation? What caused the crisis? Were the measures taken correct, given international best practice at the time? And what are the lessons for us going forward? I fear none, as the eminent jurist is not distinguished in banking or finance. If they impugn anyone by this shoddy process, the troika will face defamation cases which will make their fees seem small. The Opposition must ask for a peer review of the enquiry, its process and report, by a Bank of England or Harvard economist. This will end badly!

Minister Tufton wields a mean hoe, but he must innovate; ask the Jamaica Agricultural Society to launch a formal Urban Food Farm (UFF) project; invite owners to liberate open lots to one year of rental for cash crops. Liguanea Plain is our most fertile delta and this project must cover the entire KSAC domain or thieves will prey on the crops of the few. Every flat roof needs a beehive with potted plants and wild flowers around it. The roof of a school, campus, church, office might have many hives and a potted plant forest, fed by water from the AC units. JAS must get us a manual on UFF plant care and urban apiculture, an extension officer for the KSAC domain and host urban crop, farm queen, school farm competitions in the city limits. I bet you Vineyard Town would win!

Haiti

Instead of criminalising our Haitian friends, chasing them as animals in the bush, let’s open reception centres on the coast so people can direct them to register. We don’t need tent cities as we have 10,000 families that can take in one registered refugee to be monitored by a welfare officer. Give families the allowance we would use for each person in camp. We avoid crowding by humane rather than cruel tactics. Stay conscious!

Dr Franklin Johnston is an international project manager with Teape-Johnston Consultants, currently on assignment in the UK.

franklinjohnston@hotmail.com