Peter to pay for Paul?

Rebuilding Linden
In the (most likely temporary) lull in the Linden protests and arson-frenzy, maybe we can look ahead. Not too far ahead, mind you – just a step ahead. Who’s going to pay for replacing all the damage wrought by the protestors and their cohorts? We’re not going to dwell too long; all the hundreds of millions already expended (and counting…) toward keeping a lid on the lawlessness that’s now totally out of control. You, the taxpayers, are already footing that bill.
But don’t be surprised when the minister of finance goes later to Parliament with a supplementary bill to cover these unseen expenses – and is refused by the opposition! The greatest irony is the opposition – especially the AFC – knew fully well about these expenses when they ‘cranked’ up the people of Linden to protest the gradual equalisation of electricity tariffs with the rest of the country.
There will always be security at protests.
What we’ll like to delve into is the damage to all the buildings, roads and other infrastructure from the wave of arson that has made fire-gazing the most popular spectator in Region 10. Torched private businesses, if they are so inclined to remain in Linden, would’ve been covered by insurance. They’ll be reimbursed for their rebuilding expenses – unless they didn’t have a clause that included riots and arson.
Not too incidentally, such coverage is more expensive and all businesses in Linden should expect their insurance policies to escalate.
But the greatest damage was done to government buildings – such as the One Mile Primary School, GRA, the Institute of Distance and Continuing Education (IDCE) buildings etc. Take one guess who’s going to pay for this type of damage. That’s right; take a bow – you!! Governments, you see, don’t take out insurance – they therefore have to pay in full for replacement costs. The school was the largest in the region and easily cost hundreds of millions – and the replacement will certainly be double.
Our old folks changed the old English proverb “rob Peter to pay Paul” into “Peter pay for Paul and Paul pay for all”. We the taxpayers will be ‘paying’ for all – for the free electricity for Linden as well as replacing all the buildings they burnt down. Billions and billions and counting.
In-Human Rights Association The one-man show calling itself the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) is so predictable.
True to form, it came out swinging against the government in the current outbreak of lawlessness in Linden, into which the initial protest against the equalisation of electricity rates has descended. It doesn’t matter what’s the issue – once the government is involved – GHRA blames the government!!!
Police arrests man for killing bandits in the act of committing a robbery – blame the government. For whatever. Maybe the police didn’t allow the bandits to kill one of them before opening fire? The GHRA also screamed: “there is no evidence that national security interests were threatened, the justification for a Joint Services intervention needs to be explained.”
So the protestors blocked the one bridge that controls all traffic into the interior; refuse to move, and “national security interests” were not threatened?? What the he**? The continued blockade which has precipitated widespread hardships and massive losses for interior residents has not confirmed the “national security interest”? Jeez!! The Rip van Winkle organisation also declared: “The military operation, once it began, was always predictable”. Yet the fortune teller GHRA maximum leader didn’t think violence was predictable when the AFC riled up Lindeners by telling them the PPP was ‘spiteful’ and racist and APNU had sold them down the river? There are none so blind… Swearing Opposition elements are swearing Linden protestors wouldn’t burn down the school. Did they ever hear of ‘mob psychology”? It is also what’s driving all of them to ignore all the evidence that’s staring them in the face. So who set fire to the bridge?