Political views - Expensive Cars & Salary Raises

My take on the happenings in politics this week.

I'm one of those people who scans through the newspaper when they can - what I mean is, I don't go out of my way to buy a paper every morning like some people (yes you Dad) do. If I can find one at work, I'll skim through for interesting pics - preferrably wedding pics so I can place bets about when THAT marriage will end. And sometimes to read the Garfield cartoon clip or see what my sign has in store for me even if I think it's bullshit but I'm a loser like that. And if there's news about who the PM is having a verbal spat with this week, I'm turning the page. That's how interested I am in current affairs. This is coming from the offspring of people who live and thrive on current events, and keep stacks of old Time magazines dating back to 1983.

So this week, from what the bits and pieces I've heard over the news while switching channels looking for Star FM, the talk of the town is the Speaker of the House's new car. New right hand drive. No wait. New right hand drive SECOND HAND car. That cost $175k. So. What's the big deal? It's just another $175k of taxpayer's money being exploited by government officials. Let's push it under the mat like every other corrupt activity that ever went on in government, and move on to more interesting issues like what's the deal with Filipaina getting out of jail to get a fofo. So here's how it went. Speaker of the House bought a new car which he claims went through correct procedures and got cabinet approval etc etc. Instead of purchasing the vehicle from Asco - the preferred toyota car dealer for govt, he bought it from Napro - a new second-hand car dealership a stone's throw away from my house in Siusega. Napro is owned by Deputy Speaker of the House - so clear conflict of interest. In the paper and on tv, the Deputy adamantly denies it's his, and says Napro owners are just renting his place to do their business. A few days later, after Samoa Observer probe a little more, headlines are that Napro IS partially owned by the Deputy Speaker, and now the Speaker adamantly denies that he KNEW anything about the Deputy owning Napro. Jesus. So typical. When put on the spot, find a scapegoat. Anyway that was yesterday's news - tomorrow it'll be something about a man who's raped his own daughter.

Last night while half watching tv news, and half playing sudoku on my phone (while the babysitter put Elita to sleep because I'm lazy like that), there was a story on govt planning to raise salaries for all civil servants. It's been a hot issue for a while, with private sector championed by Sina Lima president of Chamber of Commernce raising concern over how this will affect private sector employees - and the struggle private sector employers will have funding such a salary raise for their employees and trying to remain sustainable. I'm like "Sina I love you cos you're married to the chiropractor and you're the first woman to preside over Chamber and you just ROCK like that, but please - as a private sector employee, let me tell you WE NEED THE FUKIN RAISE". Anyway, last night's story was about that bald beefy looking fella who scams on chicks at his brother's night club while his wife is looking the other way. Oh and he heads the Tautua Party - Rimoni something or other. His genius idea was to raise salaries for those on the bottom half of the salary scale, and those in managerial positions to remain at current salary. Bet he wouldn't have thought of THAT if he was still CEO for AA. Ha! Then Tuilaepa comes back and says it's rubbish - did we expect him to say otherwise? Maybe call him names? Compare him to something an avaava would eat? The way Tuilaepa put it, if you have two people - one on $3/hr and one on $4/hr - you raise the guy with $3 to $5, while $4 remains as is. But $4 is still in a more senior position. He asks $3-turned-$5 to do a task for him and $3-$5 says you do it, I'm getting paid more than you are. Lol. Interesting logic - but logical nonetheless. Then American Idol came on, and salary raises was but a memory while I ogled Lee Dewyze.