Divided NDP Gov’t: Too many secrets- John I. Cline
Cline who lit up the airwaves and dominated headlines recently when he revealed that he was forced to resign from the “voluntary” post that only paid him a “stipend” of $1,000 a month, following his remarks on how he felt on the territory’s financial standing and its decision to take on a multimillion dollar project at Beef Island’s Terrance. B. Lettsome International Airport.
However using his turn at the microphone on the programme ‘Speak your mind’ show on JTV Channel 51 with host John Lewis, the former BVIHSA Chairman and strong support of the NDP, spoke his mind.
Disunity in government
“My biggest concern for the country is that our government unite because we have a divided government,” he stated. “I don’t want to see the government break up because it means to the international community that we have failed in some way or the other, because if the government succeed we all succeed.”
When asked by Lewis if more open discussion would help that process, Cline responded “absolutely,” adding that he is of the view that “one of the reasons why the divide is there, is because Nature's Little Secret is living up to its name, there are too many secrets! When you elect 13 persons and three or four gets to make the decisions and know what is going on is going to create some dissent, and I believe that’s what’s happening.”
National Democratic Party turns National Dictatorship Party!
“I am concerned about what is happening with the elected government now. I am also concerned with what I raised, we don’t need any government that is going to somehow trample on the democratic rights of its citizens, whether they work for government or not. If it is an election period, we know that they can’t participate in elections because that’s the bylaws and that’s what they signed up for, fine. But come on man you are going to tell me because the person works for government they are afraid to speak they don’t have a voice? It’s not right.”
He said his fear is if the territory allows this, there is nothing stopping future governments from coming and doing the same thing because one was allowed to get away with it.
He vowed that this will not happen to him.
UK’s direct rule due to indebtedness
“I am concerned that we do not end up and indebted nation, where we can’t afford to pay our bills, we are not like the US who can print money and we must be prudent with our financial stewardship and ensure whatever we put out or commit ourselves to, we are able to manage, because the truth is we are not our own. We belong to the queen, and the queen can send her subjects down to take care of our nation and to take control, if we prove that we cannot self-govern and then we end up with what they are calling in the UK direct rule,” Cline said.
He pointed out that the VI (UK) should not put the country in that path of indebtedness where it goes back 50 years, where the colonisers and former slave masters have to come and govern the people again.
Lewis asked if he was also worried about the territory giving the Chinese $150 million plus who are more than likely not prepared to pay income taxes, social security, NHI, and are just willing to take and not leave anything to circulate in our economy, referring to the airport project, he had this to say.
While admitting that it is worrisome, “you cannot blame the Chinese for putting forward what they feel they can get away with. It is upon our legislators and our decision makers to ensure that in the process you don’t disenfranchise your people nor put a drain on your treasury.”
Cline continued, “All we want our leaders to do is to uphold our free and democratic society, we want them to build a country where the infrastructure is in place where we have proper and stable electricity, where we have a world class telecommunication system, where our education system is working towards becoming second to none, where we become the leader of health care in the region, that we begin to focus on growing our own food… and let us build a wealthy, strong nation by its people for its people.”
He said he is not against foreign investment when it contributes in a proper way.
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37 Responses to “Divided NDP Gov’t: Too many secrets- John I. Cline”
Under a TRUE democracy, every person has the right to free speech. While I am not a fan of Pastor Cline, I will fight tooth and nail to defend his right to speak freely on any topic he chooses. If he is not being totally rude, abusive, intolerant of others, and is not breaking the law, LET HIM SAY HIS PIECE! Even if he chooses to refer to today’s UK government as colonisers and former slave masters, let him! We all know likes to be overly dramatic at times. The fact that there have been no colonizers or slave masters here for nearly 200 years, is apparently irrelevant to him. Who cares? It’s not important.
Under a TRUE democracy, government ministers serve at the pleasure of the electorate. In a TRUE democracy, the voters are (in practice) “the Government”.
Under a TRUE democracy, voting districts are identified and quantified by the number of eligible voters who have reached the age of majority. The voters from each district elect a person who resides in their district to “represent” their wants and needs, during all central government meetings.
Votes cast by representatives from each district within the house, should reflect the wishes of the MAJORITY of voters within each district. For instance, if ¼ of the people in your district (including your representative) are against something and ¾ of the people are for it, then your representative (despite his or her own personal preferences) should vote affirmatively when the final votes are cast in the house.
Where democracy falls apart is when voters do not stay abreast of what is happening in their government. If you do not read the newspapers, go to community political meetings, or bother to stay informed as to what YOUR representative is doing, then he or she will often vote the way he or she (or their party) wants them to vote.
It is incumbent upon all voters to stay involved in political matters, particularly in times when money is tight and capital expenditures are on the rise. All capital expenditures will have an impact on what you (as a private citizen) will have to pay in various taxes and fees. If you are not willing or are unable to pay one penny more than you already are, then you should be against any major capital expenditures your government is presenting, provided that capital expenditure is not self-sustaining.
A self-sustaining capital expenditure is one which pays for itself over a reasonable period of time, without much or any effect on YOUR personal bank balance. A reasonable period of time for this type of expenditure is usually 5 to 10 years. However, before buying into any proposal, it is your responsibility (as a voter) to find out if the proposal really is as presented. If I tell you that a new basketball court will pay for itself in under 5 years, then it is your responsibility to satisfy your doubts by asking me for the proof of my claim. How many signed contracts do I have, what are the projected sales based on those contracts, etc.
If you do not make your stance on any major capital project clear understood to your representative, then you have (by default) agreed to accept whatever all other (interested) members of your community decide THEY want.
In a TRUE democracy, VOTERS CANNOT REMAIN UNINVOLVED. If you do, you leave your representative and your government no choice but to make decisions for you. Then we end up with an oligarchy and not a democracy!
An oligarchy is a government controlled by a handful of interested (and usually self-interested) people.
For democracy to survive, GET INVOLVED, go to your community meetings, read the newspapers, find out what your representative is doing and insist that your representative holds regular town hall meetings so that he or she can report to you what your government is up to and what major undertakings are being considered!
In a TRUE democracy, WE (the voters) ARE THE BOSS, not those we elect to represent us! Let your voice be heard and DO NOT ACCEPT others telling you to go sit down! You have rights, you have voices, EXCERCISE BOTH OF THEM!
About fear,and being afraid to talk because of scared to be victimized.
You engineered your own unceremonious exit by running your yap and embarrassing the Premier. Poor judgment and poor discipline. As the street hip folks would say, you dissed the Premier. You thought the Premier was in a slumber but he was quite awake to hear you and Ms. P. You think the First Lady would have let you dissed her Doc like that. Take a seat or two. Go lead and comfort your flock. You are either in politics or religion. You cannot be both fish or fowl; it is one or the other. Fish or cut bait.Sh....t or get off the Poe.
Keep the pressure on Sir. Some people won't understand this until later on.