An end to my Portia love affair

Nobody could say anything about Portia Simpson-Miller. She was the only Jamaican woman  I grew up seeing in Parliament and this spoke volumes to me.

Although I was too young to be "keen on politics"  I followed her life closely and ofcourse I was the first one in front of the TV to witness her marriage to the most honourable, Errald Miller. The People's National Party was in power for most of my life and that's the political group I was familiar with. When the most honourable Portia Lucretia Simpson-Miller was named  the first female prime minister of Jamaica in 2006 ofcourse I was ecstatic . Not only did my girl Portia make it to the top of the lower house of Parliament after so many years in politics, but this meant that certain strides would have been made for women.

During her short tenure, she made us believe in a better Jamaica, and despite being under PNP rule (i should say governance) for so  long the nation almost felt as if she breathed new life into their dusty old politics. I recall attending a Christmas party I believe it was, hosted by former prime minister, the most honourable P.J. Patterson and  you wouldn't imagine how surprised I was when clean skin, nice hair, Portia Lucretia Simpson-Miller made her way over to our table, greeting everyone and then paused to give me an affectionate squeeze.

I told you she was like my Jamaican female politician idol, so it did come as a surprise to me when she lost the general election in 2007 (notice I said when she lost, not when the party lost). We're just gonna skip right over JLP's governance and continue with the post, since I'm not really interested in politics that much, as you may have already realized.

We're now at December 2011, I still think this was a terrible time to call an election... just before Christmas. Portia and the PNP are again elected to the top position, and of course I'm happy that Portia is able to really show us what she is made. I am waiting for her to a leader for the people.

Portia had me under her spell. Until something kicked me awake recently... $60 million on 16 vehicles for members of parliament. Quite a number of persons have weighed in on the argument, and if you follow me on Twitter you already know how I feel about spending this money on  brand new SUVs when there are so many social programmes that could use even one-tenth of that money. 

Anyway ... what got me fuming was Portia's comments defending the purchase  of these  high-end vehicles, less than a year into their tenure, amidst a looming public sector wage freeze and  possible job cuts.

This was taken from an RJR News Online article:

Mrs. Simpson Miller insisted that her vehicle needed replacement but she decided to ensure that her ministers needs were addressed ahead of her own:

“The vehicle I am using is the same vehicle that was assigned to the former Prime Ministers. My office kept on saying they have to get me a proper vehicle and I said to them other ministers without vehicles I would prefer if you deal with them. Before I get anything I need to set the example.”

She also insisted that her cabinet members should maintain the same standard of living to which they were accustomed prior to politics:

“Being a politician does not mean that people should not live the life they usually live before. A number of people were professionals before they entered politics were living better than they’re living now and were earning much more in terms of their salaries than they’re earning now. Unlike me who started when I was very young, from a counselor to a member of parliament to a minister of government.”

And then there were reports of her saying that since the previous administration did it, then she does not see a problem... oh Portia, Portia, Portia running a country is not prep school / primary school, it cannot be tit for tat... Look at the state of our economy and you are going to choose now, of all times, to buy vehicles???? Since these MPs were used to more lavish lives BEFORE politics, why can't they drive their own cars then, their own " lavish "  cars they would have been able to afford with the multi-million dollar pay cheques they were  used to before entering politics?   This just does not add up... Perhaps if things weren't already so expensive and times weren't so hard we would have been able to overlook this... But look! Hurricane Sandy has passed and people are still waiting to hear about the recovery plan .... *crickets*...

When this situation opened my eyes, the Portia love spell I was under slowly faded.... then I remembered when former prime minister, the most honourable Bruce Golding had taken a salary cut to show solidarity with the people during the peak of the recession. Other members of parliament were asked to join the leader, and perhaps a handful of them did... but that did not include the lady who paraded herself as the poor people defender. It was just after this little mix-up that I recall she did not cut her salary then, nor proposed to do so now.

You really pulled the wool over my eyes  Mama P, but now I've seen the light. How many times since she has been in power have we been asking "where is portia?" . A friend of mine, who has been a supporter of the JLP says even he found her speeches, as Opposition Leader, quite moving and was almost moved to vote for her ... however since being PM she has lost favour in his eyes (and also in mine).

But let's see how the rest of her term goes ... PS: the LGBT community (or just the "G" part) is also waiting on the buggery law reform.

Signed, 

No longer a Portia fan.

[Blog note: stay tuned for my review of the 50 shades of gray series]