…and temptation An interesting rationale was added to the previous one proffered by Pressie (“rationalising pay scales&rdquo for the Executive pay hike that has scandalised the nation. This rationale actually exculpates officials of the previous People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Administration for any dipping of hands into the till they might’ve engaged in. With a straight face, the Minister of State claimed that the increase was to remove the temptation to steal.

The theory, we suspect, is that these fellas who swore up and down the country they just wanted to serve the nation, might be less inclined to succumb to the wiles of filthy lucre if they’re getting a steady stream of the stuff. But if what the PPP fellas (and felines) were getting paid led them into temptation and it needed to be bumped up by 50 per cent to stop this lot from “thiefing”, then the Government owes the PPP an abject apology.

The Government after all, is now admitting that while the spirit of their Executive Ministers, Vice Presidents, Prime Ministers and MP’s may be willing (their promises on the hustings) their flesh is weak. If the Government doesn’t raise their salaries then these poor slobs may also go the way of all flesh. But there a fly in the ointment with this explanation… and it has to do with “how much is enough”? What all studies have shown is that when it comes to money, the old folk wisdom holds like an iron law: “De more yuh get; de more yuh want!” Especially when it’s free!

Who’s to say these worthies won’t want more? So is the Government going to raise salaries every four months? But what about the poor public servants who couldn’t get their “significant” raises – either for themselves or their “significant others”? Don’t they face temptation every day? So they walk out of the workplace with toilet paper and pens, without compunction. Worse still, they either don’t do their jobs or do it so sullenly that as soon as you come into their orbit, you end up doing a slow burn. “Isn’t that a rom of thiefing?”

So shouldn’t the working stiffs be also “led out of temptation”? After all, what’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander, no? And there is a whole lotta sauce being shared out right now that ordinary folks would like to sample. This Eyewitness has no problem with the thesis that Ministers (especially PRIME Ministers) must be paid well. But everything has a context, no? And the context of this pay raise is a country being told to hunker down and ride out a storm – while the leaders are feathering their nests.

…but none for jobs In news that’s certainly going to be of great comfort to all Guyanese, Minister of Governance Raphael Troman jetted off to Switzerland to assure the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) “Government has made every effort to address challenges such as violent crime, high rates of unemployment, prolonged ethnic divisions and corruption.”

Now last time this Eyewitness looked (at the newspapers) the Police had announced that “violent crimes” had risen ever month since May 11. He hadn’t realised the 2am curfew on bars and the “gun amnesty” (which resulted in mostly hunting shotguns turned in by hinterland dwellers) had killed crime. High rates of unemployment? Well there was that firing of 1972 Amerindians, presumably based on the theory that things have to get worse before they get better? The “prolonged ethnic divisions” must’ve been resolved with the corralling of the 11 per cent Man, Nagamootoo. And finally, corruption (at least at the governmental level – see above) is now a thing of the past with the salary hike. Happy days are here again!

…and how it feels The old folks from the Palms were taken to Parliament and allowed to sit in the Government MP’s seats. So they could “feel” what it’s like to be filthy rich!

Couldn’t they have at least shared one of those sumptuous Parliamentary meals?