‘Blood From Stone’

Author : teriann

I have always heard the expression ‘you can’t get blood from stone’.
Recently it has been used to describe the Government stance on its inability to pay outstanding amounts to the country’s public sector workers.

So when the announcement was made that the nurses will be paid, I wondered if we the consumers will suffer. The coffers of the government are filled by the tax payers, so when they have to pay we too have to dig deeper in our pockets.

While I do not begrudge the nurses their well deserved reward, I wonder if we will become the ‘stone’ that will be squeezed so that they will be paid.
What do you think about it?

Teri Ann Renee Paisley (Gleaner on-line writer)

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3 Responses to “‘Blood From Stone’”

  1. jo bent says:
    September 15, 2010 at 9:36 pm

    All these politicians have to do is go into their overseas account and wherever else Jamaica’s stolen money is hidden by them, there is enough is the coffers of these crooks thats in parliament on both sides, look at Dudus loot, millions from UDC; that money is only what we heard about there’s more.

    We cant begrudge our politicians to send their children to the best schools here and abroad,
    because we wants the best for our children, but while they do that on top of taxpayers heads ppl will begin to feel like their children lives in abject poverty even though they work hard & some gets hateful. For 20 years Jamaica has been on a downhill spiral
    we have gone backwards in many ways due to
    political manupilations by these politicians,
    where’s the aid money from so many countries’
    Is it spent on mini-mansions in Queen Hill,
    Kirkland Hts and Sterling Hts among the many
    areas these crooks go build their castles, or did they just use up whats in the coffers to purchase them and their kids SUVs and expensive vehicle to ride around Jamaica splashing dirty water on the poor?

    They have the money, they dont have to squeeze blood out of no stones, they got millions of plasma bag (money bags) hidden. They should pay
    the ppl, this too will help cut crimes and
    have essential workers in place, what kind of civilzed developing country hospitals ER has one or no doctor in place at times, no wonder the rich friends of politicians takes their children to the doctor in Miami when they get ill also our leaders, while working class ppl wait dayyyys for a doctor to stitch their arm,
    the nurses (even though some treat patients real bad) are overworked and underpaid doing theirs and the doctors jobs especially at nights.check out (youtubeJamaicahospitalER)

    Its time minimum wages go to at least $5000 WK

  2. Uforatie says:
    September 16, 2010 at 3:58 pm

    I do not blame the other public sector workers from being mad and demanding their money. The government first said they could not afford to pay, then the nurses raised a stink and the government relented and paid them. It is then logical for the other public sectors workers to think that if they go on bad they too will get their money.

    I think the government made a mess of things. If they did’nt have the means to pay all public sector workers, they should not single out one group and pay them – after they went on bad at that. It shows the government to be weak and possibly dishonest.

    I think what they needed to do was to have dialogue with all concerned, assure them that they would get their money when they (the government) could afford it, stick to their gun and make sure these people are paid, with interest, in due course. Instead, the government, behaving true to form, decided to “manattized” the issue.

    I hope they can perform a miracle and get blood out of stone.

  3. teriann says:
    September 16, 2010 at 9:21 pm

    Miracles are in short supply these days!

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