Freddie!!! Friend or foe? Strong support for 2023 budget

Dear Editor,

There is an awful lot of stuff being written about Freddie Kissoon since he has changed course in speaking in progressive tones about the PPP/C Party. They are at odds with him for changing his position of being overly critical of the ruling party in Government, to one who now embraces them in their thrust to develop and modernise Guyana. From the moment that he became a commentator for things PPP/C, the Opposition became agitated and hostile towards Freddie. In their book, Freddie should be a mouthpiece for them only, to do the about-turn thing was tantamount to committing the unpardonable sin, but Freddie would not flag nor flinch.

What I do like about Freddie is that he was very devout to his cause of denigrating the PPP/C when his views were on that side of the fence. He expressed his opinion in the no-nonsense way he saw fit, after all a man is entitled to his opinion. He spoke his mind, he stated emphatically at one time that he is ashamed to be called Indian. He spoke up for "Black People," something the PNC and the WPA cheerleading mob em- braced him with welcoming arms. He even campaigned for the PNC.

Now that he is on the other side of the fence, speaking up for the PPP/C, the powers that be in the PNC and their acolytes are grossly annoyed, calling him a snitch, a Judas, a drifter, and a soup drinker. They now see him in a different light, they see him through the lens of hate and scorn.

They have forgotten about the "good times" they had together when they ganged up against the PPP/C and the way he aggressively spoke out against the regime. During those times they fondly embraced him! Now, they are hounding Freddie, asking for the print and electronic media houses to "get this man off the scene," we don't want to hear or see him, shut him up, please!

Well, that request is easier said than done, because Freddie is not going anywhere, and neither is he going to fade away into the shadows. Ever since that time, he has been very visible and popular with all. We love you, Freddie!

But I know Freddie, he is not going down, he is holding out valiantly and courageously. The Feisty Freddie is standing his ground. It reminds me of one of the episodes on The Leonard Gildarie show when the producer himself tried to place a gag order on Freddie. Well, that episode did not go down too well on Freddie's part, because he stoutly defended his position. That's the Freddie we have come to love, a man who is entitled to his opinion and steadfastly defends it.

But more importantly, I would like the Opposition forces to ease their criticism of Freddie and focus on what is about to come upon them. The Opposition needs to be cognisant of the fact that their support base is greatly eroded and many have now abandoned their ship and are now on the side of the PPP/C, the reasons being the PPP/ C's side of a One Guyana makes perfect sense, something we have been searching for a long time now.

Freddie is just one of those persons who have had a renaissance of the mind and realised that the prior position he had taken was one that went against his conscience and that jarred his inner thoughts. In that regard, he had to do the right thing and make a change.

Respectfully, Neil

Adams

Dear Editor,

An ongoing opinion survey conducted by this writer for the North American Caribbean Teachers Association (NACTA) has found strong support for the 2023 budget that was unveiled in, debated by, and approved in Parliament.

The budget was presented in mid-January and approved on February 2 after continuous daily (late hour) debates by all MPs and Opposition queries about planned Government (ministerial) spending. There was virtually no opposition to the budget among the public although almost everyone polled did express concerns about price increases and the inflationary impact of the proposed huge spending.

The budget, based on the latest opinion poll, found widespread approval among all sections of society including those who traditionally support the Opposition PNC (APNU) and who voted for AFC. The budget found disfavour with only 5% of some 550 respondents polled (representing the demographics of the population); 7% did not give an opinion on the budget. The high approval rating (88%) of the latest budget bolsters public confidence in the Government’s handling of the economy. The strong approval rating of the budget may well have the effect of boosting the popularity ratings of the Government, President, Prime Minister, Vice President, and other office holders and increasing the electoral prospects of the incumbent party (PPP) in Local Government Elections to be held later this year.

Every respondent in the poll expressed support for increases for pensioners, various child and adult grants, poverty alleviation, salaries for public servants, educational scholarships, part-time employment, healthcare, infrastructure, and other public works, among other programmes.

They praised the planned investment in community projects and services, expansion of housing, tertiary educational access, developmental projects, and safety programmes. They are hopeful that the budget will lead to a more affordable and liveable environment, but they complain about neighbourhood security from criminal elements. Almost everyone said not enough is being done by the security forces to combat crime.

While praising the Government for all the positives in the budget and welcoming the increases in spending and the vari- ous handouts, half of the respondents say these may not be enough to raise the standard of living because of rising prices. Almost everyone complains about rising prices (inflation) on almost every item, triggering concerns about the potential inflationary impact of the humongous budget. They appeal to the Government to find means and ways to address inflation (rising prices) to shield those who are living at or below the poverty line and those on a fixed income who can barely make ends meet.

In spite of their concerns about inflation and poverty reduction, the public feels very good and optimistic about the future of the country. Overall, the public feels that the budget and planned policies are very good for the economy, describing it as progressive that will lead to stronger economic growth in the coming years.

(The poll interviewed 550 individuals – 40% Indians, 30% Africans, 19% Mixed, 10% Amerindians, 1% others – reflecting the demographic composition of the population. It was analysed at a 95% confidence Level. There is a margin of error of +/- 5%).

Yours truly, Vishnu

Bisram