8707: Re: 8695: On Lavalas corruption; one mo' time (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: IRSCP@aol.com

This post was forwarded to Daniel Simidor before it reaches the list. This explains Simidor's mentioning of it, before you can actually read it.


     I must say this and that will be my last. The corruption issue is a difficult one for most to deal with for two primary reasons. The first one is that many of us are quite uncomfortable to deal with this issue. The second one is because Haiti's opposition, for whatever reason, seems quite uncomfortable to deal with numbers. 

      Many of us like myself are willing to look at the current regime with sympathetic eyes, for the reason that finally the historical voiceless in Haiti seem to have a government they can place their faith in. At the same time, the range of policies that they attack or promise to attack respond to some of the most fundamental needs of the Haitian people as a whole. We should however be very careful and serious about that issue. Corruption if it is as widespread as many contend, will root out all the good that the Government promises. In a democratic system, it is essential that those who are in power, whoever they may be, practice transparency at every level. Worse, for every dollar or gourde that is taken out of the country's budget for private purposes, many things could have come about in terms of sensible public policy. Those who steal may not even realize it. In fact, they only are stealing from themselves. It is indeed sad to see at times, many of those same people wh!
!
o are obliged to reside abroad w
hen, had they done prudently and correctly what they were hired to do as agents of the State, they would have been able to live at their home, quietly, in their own country. They may not have had the millions. They would have at least however, the respect of most, and peace of mind, and the pride of having honestly accomplished what they were called upon to do. After all, as the slogan goes, "lakay se lakay". 

      On the other hand, the opposition is so consumed by electoral politics, that they do not even take the time to look at the numbers published and those that are available, and to search for deficiency if any, in the accounting of the State. They would have done all of us a favor, and themselves in the process, by tackling that issue rationally and truthfully. Until this is done, we will all still be debating this issue by guessing, oftentimes armed with valid suspicion. None of us who truly cares about Haiti should take this issue lightly. 

      I would like to finally add as I am getting out of this particular debate, that in no way was I trying to get disrespectful towards Mr. Simidor. Even though I may disagree with him overall on many issues, I do recognize that he is one of the most intelligent contributors to this list, whose posts I always carefully read. The "se bon ki ra" comment may have been exaggerated, in light of the man's careful management of his words and thoughts, even though at times I may find them too acerbic. None of us on this list I believe, is privy of the truth. This is why we contribute. Nothing else. Nothing more. 

      After all, Mr. Simidor's very first post about that matter of corruption to which I had replied, may have I hope, made each of us aware of the seriousness of this issue. Accountability and transparency are indeed keys to help Haiti's struggling democracy, bring economic success for all in that so poor land of ours. 

Hyppolite Pierre