Mark Wignall | Getting real on politicians’ job description

The last time I had reason to visually scan a job description was in the 1970s when I stopped off briefly at the eight-to-four bus stop. My job description came in two parts. The first part bullet-pointed the specific duties. The second part was a document that listed the expected standards in executing the duties. All fair, so far.

The last item on the job description was, “ ... and any other duties required of you by your supervisor”. That was plainly a scam designed to steal one’s Friday evening gathering with one’s small family. While middle and upper management recognised that it was expected of them to design their own time allocations for specific duties.

The Government is trying to sell most of us that it is not the duty of our political representatives to read us bedtime stories, fluff our pillows while we sleep, and brew Jamaican coffee for us as we sit on the edge of the bed at 7 a.m. The representative has his house and it has a roof. The representative has absolutely no duty to scavenge a part of his roof to settle your ‘zinc’ problem.

If there is a creature known as the typical Jamaican politician then the more he survives elections, the more of a hustler he becomes. He knows that the only job description of an MP is that last item, “... and any other duties required of you by your supervisor”.

In this case ‘your supervisor’ is that gear that automatically kicks in when an opportunity knocks and a keen understanding of the least number of votes needed in each division. The expert political hustler, through years spent in the trenches, knows how to sedate the electorate and the best time to rev up the machine and re-energise the automatons.

Almost three decades ago, I was invited into the constituency office of a well-known MP. One part of it was a veritable pharmacy. “My constituents are mostly poor, small- scale farmers, many young men in the artisan trades like mason, welder, tiler, plumber. The problem is few if any are certified. That reduces their movement and their earning power.

“The other pressing matter is as poor as they are, many of them are living way into old age. Basic over-the-counter medication for pressure, diabetes, and for the young women, hygiene products are expensive. There are times when they cannot find the money to buy four panadol. I just have to be there for them.”

JOB DESCRIPTION FOR THE POWER HUNGRY

Whenever a politician develops a metaphysical idea of himself that is not exactly an even match for his real self, his brain is likely to shift into believing that his present post and previous attainments are worn and can no longer drive him.

Let’s say he wants to challenge for leadership of the party just in case Mr Andrew Holness loses the election. Such a person would need to identify as the first item on his personal job description the fact that the PM’s name and title are sacred. If the stakes are considered high in that they occupy existential space politically and a man dares say that he has secrets for the PM, how does that unwise noise get him closer to the desired prize?

And, could the PM not also join the job description item, which states that it is the duty of the PM to gather all of the suspected saintly works of those of high aspirations. But especially a fat dossier of the seedier side embracing those aspiring for his office.

The second item would prompt the power-hungry man to identify his competitors and begin the task of developing ‘unflattering matters’ that could be skilfully released to the media, especially if handshakes and deals made are not adhered to.

In the broader term, this is known as opposition research. A politician in the heated rut of seeking out higher office is a dangerous man. Often, he knows that he has only one chance. If he fails, his efforts, and eventually, his name, will fade into oblivion.

BRUTALITY AND CLEAN CLARKS

Like most Jamaicans, I was sickened at reports that a grade 11 student at a rural school had brutally battered a slight-bodied 14-year-old boy from the same school. The boy had to be speedily moved to special medical machinery in intensive care.

I know nothing of the families of the youngsters involved. What I do know is that social media have driven the values of social grace, basic courtesy, and human interaction off a cliff. In the geographical areas of this country where public neglect is the norm, many people in those communities use the public spaces to air their conflicts. Such stances are ripe for violence.

No home in Jamaica is well regulated to the point that it is free of conflict. The thing is, these conflicts are solved inside the house even though they, too, can get ‘spirited.’

SENTENCING MURDEROUS GANG LEADER

Early last week, as I keenly watched Chief Justice Sykes’ facial expressions and an occasional hand with fingers to his face, at times he reminded me of a top student in primary school with the principal standing over him and glaring down at the worksheet in front of him. The principal was expecting nothing less than 100 per cent.

And Justice Sykes was reasoning legally and adding up like a timekeeper of old. He knew he had to get it right. For Justice, for the nation. The day before I told my big sister that the top criminal was likely to get between 25 years and life. Thirty nine and a half will do it.

Our policymakers have been seeking various magic wands since the mid-1970s to wave over us and wish away our criminality. Hasn’t worked so far.

At a time in the 1960s when Jamaica was enjoying the bauxite inputs and growth of small manufacture, Uruguay was into highly tense social conflict, coup d’etats, and political incursion from other states. The country can now look back at that and be glad for where they are now.

We are about the same size in population. Their magic wand? A whopping 97 per cent of their energy requirements are from renewables, specifically wind power. It took them 10 years to work that miracle. So, are we made of lesser stuff?

Mark Wignall is a political and public affairs analyst. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and mawigsr@gmail.com.