a275 Re: a261: Re:a254 Documenting Misery (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Benjamin J. Hebblethwaite <bhebblet@indiana.edu>


After sending my message yesterday, I received the latest issue of Haiti
Progress in the mail (2-8 January, 2002, volume 19 # 42).  There is an
interesting article in Creole on page 5 about the garbage problem.  The
following points are made:

Employees of the SMCRS are asking for several months of unpaid salary
before they start picking up trash again.

In "ri di Sant, ri dè Mirak, Fò Nasyonal, ri Timas Pwolonje" the
population has stacked trash to show "yo pa kontan," i.e. "they're not
happy."

Corruption is said to be the cause of unpaid trash collectors.  One
employee in Port-au-Prince states that he has not been paid for 4 months.
Employees who sweep up dead dogs have not been paid.  Nancy Alexandre of
the town hall claims that 3 months back-pay are owed.

In Delmas 6 months are owed.  In Carrefour 11 months are owed.

The minister Ernst Laraque of Public Works claims that "Fatra a se yon
bagay politik li ye," i.e. "Trash is a just a political thing."  He adds,
"nan semenn nan mwen ap fè yon konstatasyon, mwen pase nan lannwit mwen wè
fatra ap ranmase, demen maten li plen pi rèd," i.e. "during the week I'm
making an observation, I go by in the evening [and] I see the trash is
collected, tomorrow morning its even more piled up."

Sounds like people aren't getting paid.  Also sounds like angry groups are
piling (some) trash up in protest.

Before I say bye-bye, I must also correct my statement about our neatly
organized radioactive trash here in the USA: it isn't deadly for 200,000
years, only 10,000.  Phew! what a relief!

Thanks to Haiti Progress for keeping us informed!  Please keep tracking
the people who munch the trash collectors' pay.

Ben H