Feeding the beast
In 2005, the first year murders averaged one a day, the Government planned to spend $8 million a day on national security and $5 million a day on social programmes. It actually spent $8 million a day on national security but more than $11 million a day on social programmes.
One year later, the spending on national security was about the same but social spending increased to $13 million a day. In other words, from 2005 to 2006 the Government more than doubled its spending on social programmes in an attempt to fight a list of woes, crime mainly. The lack of results is obvious. But even worse, the PNM MPs have condemned the $300 million plan, deeming it an insulting handout. The PNM criticises handouts?
Just over a decade ago then UNC Minister of Finance Brian Kuei Tung shared the same idea of using job creation to deal with crime. In his 2000 budget presentation Mr Kuei Tung promised that his Government would do everything possible to fight crime: "Our crime-fighting programme depends on the creation of jobs, providing better quality education and investing in law enforcement."
Neither Mr Kuei Tung nor the rest of the country could see into the future. With all the optimism and promises, in less than a decade the annual murder toll exceeded all the murders for the five years which preceded Kuei Tung's statement. And the year preceding Kuei Tung's promise would be the last time murders would be less than 100 for the year. In fact, despite the political optimism, increased spending and the creation of more and more ways to pipe funds into the crime hotspots, the annual murder rate would quadruple in less than five years.
The country is now spending over $13 million a day on national security and social spending is all over the place. One out of every five dollars earned by the country goes into the fight against crime and social decay. We are about to hand out even more, with the usual optimism and promise of positive results. Except that we have a decade of experience to learn from, if we needed to and that $300 million is seed-money for criminal enterprise.
In 2005, the first year murders averaged one a day, the Government planned to spend $8 million a day on national security and $5 million a day on social programmes. It actually spent $8 million a day on national security but more than $11 million a day on social programmes.
One year later, the spending on national security was about the same but social spending increased to $13 million a day. In other words, from 2005 to 2006 the Government more than doubled its spending on social programmes in an attempt to fight a list of woes, crime mainly. The lack of results is obvious. But even worse, the PNM MPs have condemned the $300 million plan, deeming it an insulting handout. The PNM criticises handouts?
Just over a decade ago then UNC Minister of Finance Brian Kuei Tung shared the same idea of using job creation to deal with crime. In his 2000 budget presentation Mr Kuei Tung promised that his Government would do everything possible to fight crime: "Our crime-fighting programme depends on the creation of jobs, providing better quality education and investing in law enforcement."
Neither Mr Kuei Tung nor the rest of the country could see into the future. With all the optimism and promises, in less than a decade the annual murder toll exceeded all the murders for the five years which preceded Kuei Tung's statement. And the year preceding Kuei Tung's promise would be the last time murders would be less than 100 for the year. In fact, despite the political optimism, increased spending and the creation of more and more ways to pipe funds into the crime hotspots, the annual murder rate would quadruple in less than five years.
The country is now spending over $13 million a day on national security and social spending is all over the place. One out of every five dollars earned by the country goes into the fight against crime and social decay. We are about to hand out even more, with the usual optimism and promise of positive results. Except that we have a decade of experience to learn from, if we needed to and that $300 million is seed-money for criminal enterprise.
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