SOME people, it seems, were expecting too much from the Opposition People’s National Party’s Progressive Agenda. The word Agenda in its common usage means matters to be discussed.

However, the document gives the impression that it is a declaration of the party’s plan of action on certain programmes and policies, if and when it becomes the government. The Progressive Agenda was not entirely presented as a document for discussion.

However, the party has declared, in no uncertain terms, that it is not a manifesto. Its manifesto is to be published later this year. The chairman of the PNP Policy Commission, Anthony Hylton, chief architect of the Agenda, says it is not a manifesto. He declares that “the Progressive Agenda in its principles, policies and pathways has deliberately stopped short of addressing the detailed plans, programmes and projects which are the concerns of the party’s manifesto.”

If not exactly a manifesto, the Progressive Agenda comes close to being one. One wonders whether it was necessary at this time or whether all efforts should not have been made in producing a classic manifesto well before the elections. What the public now wants is not so much a Progressive Agenda, but a manifesto. A great deal of the blame for the confusion lies with the PNP which did not promote the Progressive Agenda well.

The Progressive Agenda had its fair share of propaganda, and note I did not state false.

For example, it traces Jamaica’s poverty rate from 2007 (when the Jamaica Labour Party came to office) to 2010 which showed an increase in poverty. It also points to the fall of the country’s Gross Domestic Product from $510.0 in 2007 to $484.0 in 2010 and listed the achievements of the PNP when it formed the government.

The document also has two matters covered in neat propaganda. First, it states “the analysis on unemployment would not be complete if we in the PNP did not honestly indicate that there were unmet expectations during our last tenure which have provided important lessons to us. We lowered the rate of employment to 9.6 per cent (the lowest level since slavery), but we were not satisfied, as we had sought to have an even lower rate.”

Second, on crime and violence it says “in spite of significant inroads, serious crimes, particularly murders, were not reduced to the level we required. The recent events in Tivoli Gardens clearly showed what we were up against.”

E-mail scam smashed

Last week I received an e-mail purportedly from an outstanding educator asking for help. It said, “Sorry to bother you about this. I am presently in Spain and am facing some difficulties here because i misplaced my wallet where my money and credit card were kept. Presently, my passport and belongings have been seized by the hotel management pending when I settle my bills.

I need you to lend me 2,450 Euros ($289,000) to settle my hotel bills and get myself back home. I’ve been to the embassy and the police but they haven’t been helpful.

I will reimburse the money as soon as I return. Please come to my rescue.

AWS.”

I became suspicious mostly because the educator who holds the PhD would not have used a common “i” in his e-mail and Jamaica does not have an embassy in Spain.

I also telephoned the educator’s home to find out whether he was in Spain. The response was he is in Jamaica and that some of his friends had received similar e-mails.

People on the internet should be careful about such scams.

Bolt’s fault, not rule

Anyone who has ever competed in a 100-metre dash knows that a good start is essential to victory. There is hardly any time to recover from a bad start. One slow starter is Jamaica’s world record holder Usain Bolt.

In the final of the 100 metres at the IAAF World Championships in Daegu, South Korea, last week there was no doubt that Bolt “jumped the gun”, or false-started and was rightly disqualified.

Facing the starter in the 100 metres, a sprinter requires absolute focus and maximum concentration. Bolt apparently had a momentary lapse and false-started. The rule says if you false start once, you are out of the race. One strike and you are out. Many coaches are against the rule which they consider harsh. Over many years the false start rule has been discussed throughout the athletic world and in my opinion the present one is the best and most equitable.

In the 200-metre final Bolt confirmed super sprinter status. His start was slow. He appeared to be last out of his blocks, but he picked up speed quickly and won. His time of 19.40 seconds was the fourth fastest in history. Only Bolt – twice — and the American great, Michael Johnson, have run faster.