Giving thanks for Minister Jordan’s $500

There are occasions when you are quite aggressively upset with a generosity, a gift, even advice offered when you should accept “philosophically” (as in “calmness of temper and judgement”). And even express gratitude for the gesture.

Some of us whose chronological age corresponds, appropriately to maturity can actually murmur “thanks” even though extremely disappointed. That’s my position as I say in writing, to Finance Minister Winston Jordan: “Thank you Minister for the addition of $500.00 (G) to my old age pension. I’m past seventy but that $500.00 increase might still inch me closer to your good life promised during your first 2015 budget. I thank you sincerely on behalf of all Senior Citizens past 65 who receive the national Old Age Pension. Including His Excellency and his GECOM Chairman.

Jordan used to “create” annual national Budgets for Dr Jagdeo and seems good at using numbers for great imagery as Dr Ashni Singh used to do.

After all our current good-life-for-all Finance Minister is not actually deceiving us when he states that the $500 Old Age increase “to $19,500.00 represents an almost 49% increase in just two and a half years”. And just as I respectfully chided the now-disappeared Singh (on March 28, 2014), I remind Honourable Jordan that the cost to the government will impress on paper but it is still only $500.00 more per month at the Bounty, Bourda and New Amsterdam markets.

In giving thanks I also remind the State and nation that there are only about 50,000 of us old folks who receive Old Age Pension. Respect us. Don’t fool us with “stats”.

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Pensions – and growing old here

When I feel compelled to repeat certain views on specific issues of national significance, almost annually, I realise one adage is sustained: The more things change the more they remain the same. Let’s consider my (past) contexts and facts about growing old/”old age” in our Dear Land of Guyana. “Dear”? Not at all to us, the over–fifties to over–eighties!

In his just-presented Budget details, the near SeniorCitizen Minister recognised some “concern” for the “plight” of the elderly and those who find themselves in difficult circumstances. How noble of him to define “plight” and “difficult circumstances” amongst the vulnerable golden-aged working-class Guyanese. Of course, I suspect that moms and dads, moreso grandparents of Ministers are luckier than the more “ordinary” amongst us.