The Goan voter has ample reason to be disappointed, disgruntled and just plain disillusioned. We have seen a gamut of politicians come and go, each bunch leaving us no better off than we were under the preceding lot. Regardless of ideology, they all seem to have one thing in common - serving their own interests. What really matters to the people - basic infrastructure, costs, having government employees do their jobs without expecting to be paid extra for it - is not addressed at all, except perhaps in the form of election slogans. Ask any Goan about life and he or she will mention things like the price and often the non-availability of fish; the awful and permanent craters on the roads; increasing, and increasingly daring, burglaries; no water supply for days on end.
Ensuring that daily life is relatively safe, not riddled with discomforts; is that such a huge thing to expect? Any government which actually does that would be a genuinely popular one. Alas, the moment power is won, election promises are junked and the main - sometimes, the only - aim appears to be the making of as much money as possible before the chair is lost. Why does the government think of humongous "projects" like an undersea aquarium and an overhead rope bridge? Why doesn't it, for example, think of extending bus timings, routes and frequencies; or ensuring that people get water supply every day and not thrice a week for two hours a day? Because the small stuff doesn't offer the "powers that be" the golden chance to rake in the big bucks. The bigger the "project", the more tax-free money can be made more quickly. We have seen over the years that every breed of government that has occupied the prized chair has shown no interest whatsoever in the small stuff, the things that directly affect people and influence the quality of their life. What choice then does that leave voters? A party that openly cries doom to those who are not stamped with the mark of a certain religion? Or one that doesn't care either way? As it is, whichever party we vote for, life on the ground is going to remain the same, if not get worse. The awful truth is that no one cares about the people they represent. Not, at any rate, while they are in power. The thought is sobering - if the saffron brigade had "performed", i.e. turned out to be a relatively honest government that worked, it just might have been popular yet. On the other hand, the common man is not a fool. Or so we hope. (ends) NOTE: Privileged/Confidential Information may be contained in this message. If you are not the addressee indicated in this message (or responsible for delivery of the message to such person), you may not copy or deliver this message to anyone. In such case, you should destroy this message and kindly notify the sender by reply email. All opinions, conclusions and other information expressed in this message not of an official nature shall not be deemed as given or endorsed by SPH unless otherwise indicated by an authorised representative independent of this message. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-W-E-B---S-I-T-E-=-=-= To Subscribe/Unsubscribe from GoaNet | http://www.goacom.com/goanet =================================================================== For (un)subscribing or for help, Contact: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Dont want so many e=mails? Join GoaNet-Digest instead ! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Help support non-commercial projects in Goa by advertizing!! * * * * Your ad here !!
