The Native Iowan

I wish to comment directly per the recent provincial election in the Western Province and specifically about the contested seat for the Gizo constituency.

A Gizo Voter passed to me a well-worn sheet of paper that clearly listed All The Good Works and All The Great Projects the incumbent Provincial Member had initiated in the past four years. The heading of this list is “SERVING OUR COMMUNITY FOR 4 YEARS’.

The person that gave me this asked me… “Tru one, member hem payem and maken every project lo here?”

The paper lists thirty projects worth 1.28 million SBD. As I peruse the list I see four projects that are clearly listed as “Rotary Project”. I note three projects that are listed as being funded by Oxfam. I note a number of British and New Zealand High Commission projects. With the largest project listed (SBD $ 750,000.00) coming from NZAid.

I commend the Provincial Member for being astute enough and even active enough to list so many projects. Projects others are doing or have done. Yet I fail to see how these projects can legitimately be claimed as being positive evidence of your personal hard work.

I feel that your use of these projects as a “Campaign Tool” is wrong, misleading and perhaps, if not unfair, then definitely unethical.

I feel that the same thing happens every election… A Member wishing to retain his seat uses every device in his arsenal to claim, proclaim and exclaim HIS good works achieved over the past four years. Now it may only be academic that an outside/ overseas entity funded any given project, carried out the works and successfully completed the “project”. I have no doubt that you, Mr. Member, were there for the dedication of the project. I have no doubt that you smiled wide for the prerequisite photo-op at the “official ceremony”. As I have no doubt that you did assist during the project….  As many, many others assisted during the project.

I don’t really have a problem that politicians in general often claim the good works of the “community at large” as their own. Sure, there needs to be some form of paternalistic feeling between any member and his constituency. But, I do take exception, when a long list of projects, carried out by no less than 12 separate funding and implementing entities, is gratuitously claimed as a singular success for yourself.

Such success belongs to the Community as a whole. No single person, not even the “Big Man” can claim the success as His own. Yet, this well-worn sheet of paper tells us otherwise. And this bothers me… the bottom of this well-worn sheet of paper states… “Due to lack of Government Funds Hon. Danny Kennedy wrote project proposals, secured finance, sourced materials and implemented most of these projects.”

Now, of course, this line in itself acts as a disclaimer. The “implemented most of these projects” part of the last line shows the member admitting that he is using the good works of others to mislead the general electorate.

I guess this is nothing new. What I perhaps find disturbing is that after 31 years of Independence our general voting Citizenry is still open to cheap tricks, outright lies and chicanery. As we move into 2010 and the upcoming National Election I would warn Voters to be on your guard. Please do not let quick talking, hand shaking, back patting, big smiling Candidates lie to you. Ask them hard questions. Make them work for your vote.

Your vote is valuable and does make a difference.