Black Immigrant Daily News

Readers are asked to note that Op-eds do not necessarily reflect the opinions or beliefs of Loop Cayman.

by ‘Freelancer’

I think Minister Sabrina Turner is on the right track with her ministry’s business case to separate Public Health from the Health Services Authority (HSA). In my opinion, other government agencies (and boards) should follow suit and, perhaps, go a step further and completely detach themselves from government. Doing so could lead to better governance and efficiency for these agencies.

How it would work

As a first step, government agencies must have full control over the appointment and removal of their boards of directors (including chairpersons).

Having the government in control of board appointments for agencies, for example, may lead to political appointees on boards carrying out the wishes of politicians rather than the clients of the agencies i.e., “we, the people”. Without this change, the likely outcome is that some of the policies executed by agencies may support the re-election of a politician more than they further the interests of the people.

Second, the boards of directors of government agencies should have the authority to hire and fire employees.

Currently, it is not possible for a board of directors to make suggestions about the hiring and firing of non-performing employees because a board’s powers are limited to the appointment and removal of the chief executive officer.

This restrictive power becomes complicated when chief executive officers know that there are non-performing employees but, for undisclosed reasons, the chief executive officers continue to keep the non-performing employees employed. As a consequence, poor-or-low quality customer service or other services may be delivered to the public, opening the relevant government agency to criticism about efficiency and poor delivery of services.

Third, to achieve real independence, government agencies must have full autonomy in respect of their finances.

Such self-determination will allow the relevant government agency to manage its own revenues and expenses, ensuring that it has sufficient funds available at all times for its operations without being compromised by political threats that less funding will be given if the agency does not comply with politically influenced processes.

To illustrate how politically influenced processes work, when government budgets get approved, some politicians engage in what can be best described as a “card game” where they determine how much each government agency will receive. Politicians with stronger poker faces get more money allocated to agencies falling under their portfolio, while those who may not be liked or who are not in the ruling government get less than what they may have expected to cover the relevant agency’s operations.

Rather than having to depend on allocations from a government budget, therefore, agencies should control their own revenues, including the setting of budgets to meet their operational needs. In other words, customers (i.e., the “people”) will become the priority rather than re-election or politics.

Reaction from public interest groups

The importance of the above has also been highlighted by public interest groups, including Sustainable Cayman.

Commenting on the need for independence, representatives from Sustainable Cayman said:

All to often, the need for all members of boards of government agencies to be seen as truly independent of political influences is subject to regular public scrutiny.

We urge for more transparency on our boards so that the decisions taken are in the public interest and truly reflective of all relevant laws and applying discretion as allowed only in exceptional circumstances, with appropriate checks and balances.

Decisions should not be the result of pressure from any politician or business, but must be fair honest and justly administered to all.

Some authorities follow good governance with televised meetings and documented meetings highlighting how decisions were taken. There is much improvement still that could be achieved together with strides to collaborate and standardise procedures and governance across the bodies.

To make any headway on Sustainable Cayman’s concerns, however, agencies must be willing to make adjustments to existing governance cultures.

Further, this must be supported by legislative changes, which, of course, require “political will” to initiate the process.

Legislative changes

Regarding legislative changes, the following would have to be done:

Amend Public Authorities Act to remove the power of the Cabinet to appoint or remove board members of agencies. Instead, job descriptions for board positions (including the chairperson) should be published and applicants should be interviewed by an independent governance committee for relevant postsRemove the power of the Cabinet to set terms for board member appointments, including remunerationDisallow the power of the Cabinet to allow a minister to directly issue strategic policy directions to government agency boards (this takes politics out of the equation and makes public interest paramount)Give boards full power over all aspects of the administration of agencies (including hiring and firing of employees at all levels and control over their own revenues and budgets)

Conclusion

In my opinion, a complete (or near full) detachment of government agencies from government would reflect true independence and would allow government agencies to act in the best interests of the public.

With this in place, board members of government agencies could act and decide on matters without fear of political repercussions for not carrying out the wishes of a particular politician or the Cabinet. Whether or not the government will actually consider such a theory, however, will be the most telling about the true position on the current mantra of independence and transparency.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

Chairman of the Jamaica Police Federation, Corporal Rohan James, is taking both the present and past governments to task over their failure to rectify the inefficiencies and lack of resources that have long been plaguing the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF).

James also slammed the electorate for not holding both the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and the People’s National Party (PNP) administrations accountable for the perceived failures to provide rank-and-file members the JCF with adequate resources to effectively protect the citizenry.

He also argued that it is time to end what he said is the practice of making crime, criminality and corruption the norm in the society.

“It is time we stop treating crime, criminality and corruption as if is the norm in our society. That is not our forefathers’ vision,” James said to loud applauses from those who were gathered at the funeral service of slain cop Jermaine Brown.

“It is time we start to say to those who we elect to protect us, ‘Stir response to duties call. Do what is required of you by the citizenry of this country so that Jamaica can advance in beauty, fellowship and prosperity’,” he added.

James was speaking at Waterford Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Portmore, St Catherine at the funeral service.

Brown, who was assigned to the Spanish Town Police Station, was shot and killed by gunmen while he was in his private motorcar along St John’s Road in the St Catherine capital on July 19 this year. Two men have since been arrested and charged with the murder.

While expressing condolences to the family of the slain police officer, James said it is also important for him to address “a few things that are in the public domain, where people believe they can ascribe failure to the Jamaica Constabulary Force Force (JCF).”

According to the police federation chairman, it is the failure of those who have been elected to properly position the JCF to administer the sort of services that are desired by the citizens.

“For the very first time I’m going to be frank with the country, because the truth must come to light, and the lies come to die. For years, the Jamaica Constabulary Force, in its existence, has been grappling with inefficiencies, lack of resources to police the citizens of this country,” James declared.

“… And those who the electorate – you the citizens of this country – elect, have failed to hold those incompetence accountable.

“I state without any fear of contradiction – enough is enough!” thundered James.

He said with the number of murders that are being committed, rank-and-file JCF members are “crying out for the resources to protect the citizenry”.

However, James claimed that “our so-called employers and representatives” are not leading the charge in that regard to provide the desired resources….

Added the police federation head on that point: “You cannot blame a pandemic for providing the force (JCF) of resources.

“It is happening long before pandemic, and it is clear that we need to tell the truth. Where the lies are, we need to dismantle it!”

To the credit of the Government, Prime Minister Andrew Holness has insisted that his Administration has done more than previous governments to significantly improve the resources and infrastructure of the police force.

Over the stint of the current Administration – essentially since 2016 – there has been a significant thrust to build and refurbish police stations, purchase new vehicles, and recruit more personnel to increase the force’s overall complement.

In returning to the crime situation, James told those at the funeral service that the country should not be experiencing a significant spike in murders.

Up to August 29, an estimated 1,003 persons were killed since the start of the year.

“We are a small country, a small nation. We should not be losing so many of our citizenry and servicemen to crime, criminality and corruption. Enough is enough!” James asserted.

For the police federation chairman, Brown did not deserve his untimely death.

To that end, he called on citizens and other stakeholders who have not partnered with the police, to “recommit, refocus and commit to starting that partnership” that law enforcers are desirous of.

“My charge to you the citizens is for you to partner with us… Those who seek to commit crime must understand that apprehension is the first deterrence. When you commit a crime, you must be prepared to pay the time,” said James.

“Resource us so that we can go full-fledged in support of the citizenry of this country. The citizens cannot call Guardsman or any other security company.

“For those of you who believe that you can stay in the naysayer corner and say, ‘Police cannot be trusted’, go trust criminals! Go trust them!” he stated in a resolute manner.

Meanwhile, the police federation chairman lauded Brown for his stint in the JCF.

“Jermaine has touched lives in his short sojourn in the Jamaica Constabulary Force, and you must be proud of him,” James told his family members.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

Spencer Elden, el hombre que apareció en la portada del álbum ‘Nevermind’ de Nirvana cuando era un bebé, ha perdido el litigio que inició en agosto de 2021 con la demanda contra el grupo por el uso de su imagen desnuda.

El juez de Los Ángeles Fernando Olguin desestimó las acusaciones del hombre, argumentando que esperó demasiado para denunciar que la banda de grunge lo había explotado sexualmente. Presentó su demanda más de 10 años después de percatarse de que protagonizaba aquella portada.

“En resumen, el demandante no aduce que haya tenido conocimiento de una violación ocurrida mientras era menor de edad o de una lesión que constituya la base de la demanda dentro de los 10 años siguientes a la presentación de esta acción”, escribió el juez, cuyas declaraciones recoge Reuters.

“Pérdida del goce de la vida”

Elden insistía en que sus lesiones, que incluyeron sufrimiento emocional, pérdida de la capacidad para obtener ingresos y “pérdida del goce de la vida”, continuaron cuando ya llegó a ser adulto, y por lo tanto cumplía con el estatuto de limitaciones, que establece el plazo máximo a partir de la fecha del presunto delito en el que se permite iniciar procedimientos legales.

Sin embargo, Olguin rechazó su argumento, concluyendo que de ser así, esto le permitiría a Elden demandar a Nirvana indefinidamente. Ahora el hombre, que hasta el momento presentó tres versiones de su demanda, no podrá proseguir con sus iniciativas legales contra el grupo musical, ya que el fallo judicial le impide presentar una nueva, que sería la cuarta.

La parte demandada del litigio incluyó a los miembros de Nirvana Dave Grohl y Krist Novoselic, el fotógrafo Kirk Weddle, quien tomó la foto de la portada, la viuda de Kurt Cobain Courtney Love y varios sellos discográficos.

En 2016, Elden recreó la imagen de la icónica portada de ‘Nevermind’ ya como adulto. En una entrevista con Rolling Stone en 2003, cuando tenía 12 años, dijo que “probablemente iba a sacar dinero de ello”, refiriéndose a su foto de bebé utilizada por la agrupación.

Noticia original de RT en Español

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Black Immigrant Daily News

Según el boletín de las 11:00 de la mañana del domingo, el Centro Nacional de Huracanes (CNH), ubicó el centro de la tormenta tropical Earl cerca de la latitud 19.5 Norte, longitud 64.4 Oeste y mantiene un movimiento serpenteante hacia el noroeste cerca de 3 millas por hora (mph).

Se espera un giro lento hacia el norte-noroeste para comenzar mañana seguido de un giro hacia el norte a finales de esta semana.

Los vientos máximos sostenidos están cerca de 50 mph (85 km/h) con mayores ráfagas Se pronostica un fortalecimiento lento en los próximos días, y Earl podría convertirse en huracán en un par de días. Los vientos con fuerza de tormenta tropical se extienden hacia afuera hasta 105 millas (165 km) desde el centro. La presión central mínima estimada es de 999 mb (29,50 pulgadas).

Se espera que Earl produzca cantidades totales de lluvia de 2 a 4 pulgadas, con totales aislados de 6 pulgadas, a través del Sotavento Islas Vírgenes Británicas y de los Estados Unidos y Puerto Rico.

Los impactos limitados de inundaciones repentinas, urbanas y de pequeños arroyos son posibles. Crecientes rápidos en los ríos y deslizamientos de lodo en áreas de empinadas de terreno también es posible, especialmente en el interior central de la región de Puerto Rico.

Las ráfagas de viento, especialmente en chubascos, son posibles a través del norte de las Islas de Sotavento, las Islas Vírgenes y Puerto Rico a través de esta noche.

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