Dear Editor,

Until that long off day when there is full employment in Jamaica, the Government of the day will always come up with a scheme (Christmas work, crash programme, Jamaica Emergency Employment Programme, de-bushing project) ostensibly for the purpose of helping the unemployed poor and needy.

Few would protest giving the chronically unemployed some temporary work from time to time, though there could be some arguments regarding the nature and type of work and the productivity yields or lack thereof.

The perception or fact that the work is distributed in a manner to secure political advantage for the party which forms the Government, elicits howls of protest from the Opposition party which, whenever it forms the Government does the exact same thing.

While we await the day of full employment, can we devise a method for distributing the temporary work which is both fair and transparent.

Make it a requirement that anyone seeking such work present a Government-issued ID card and proof of residence in the constituency where the work is to be done, using the voters’ list or other documentary proof. After appropriate verification by an official, each applicant’s name is placed in a transparent box, with the contents stirred. The official, with blindfolds on, takes from the box the required number, one at a time. The official must not be a Member or Parliament or parish councillor, caretaker or political activist; instead, he/she should preferably be someone approved by Professor Trevor Munroe’s National Integrity Action. All this is to be transacted in full view of the hopeful aspirants, the public and the media. How is that for fairness and transparency?

Fairness eliminates political advantage in the way light eliminates darkness. Will a Government ever adopt a fair selection process and thereby forego political advantage, or will the status quo always stand? That’s the question.

Patrick D Robinson

Stony Hill, St Andrew

pdougrobins@gmail.com