Who is popular today?

Stop the delay - time for local electionThe position taken by Prime Minister Holness that no local government election will be held this year is wrong, and unconstitutional.But then, it tells you about the importance that is placed on local government by the Administration of the day.For clarity, a local government election, by law, is to be held every three years. Postponement can be accommodated, yes, but it must not seem to appear as if the matter is being used as a bouncing ball.The last time a local government election was held was November 28, 2016, which means that one is past due by close to two and a half years. In that period of overtime, lots have happened - some councillors have died, or have been pushed out of their positions, others have dropped their hands in frustration of wanting to leave the system; while in at least one case, there is doubling up of efforts, with elected members of the Jamaican Parliament still on the books as councillors too.Now would be a good time to test the political climate, when COVID-19 measures have been relaxed, and it would be a nice indicator for those who participate in municipal polls, to have a say about all that has transpired since Jamaicans voted in 2020, that being in a general election.Even if it is a quarter of the eligible voting population that will enter polling booths, it should be done still.So, the prime minister, notwithstanding his stance against having an election during Jamaica's 60th year of Independence, should rethink. If fact, as far as milestones go, it would be better for Jamaica to go on that road.Unlike 2020 when the holding of the general election was ill-advised, COVID-19 cases have fallen drastically, so that should better facilitate the holding of a national poll.What the current Administration is doing is actually pushing my point that there is little need for local government. I feel strongly that the role of municipal corporations, as they are fancily called these days, should be redefined, reduced, and in some cases, become redundant. On the other hand, I do propose that the number of MPs should be increased to 91, to cut down on the pressure that rural reps in particular, face in their daily quest to care for their people.In the meantime though, we have a system in place that must be not only respected, but honoured, until it is time to make those fundamental changes.American Airlines, Montague and St MaryIt is now official. American Airlines will make two weekly scheduled stops at Ian Fleming International Airport, Boscobel, St Mary, come November. That's great news, and not only for Jamaica, but the north-eastern parish that is regarded as one of Jamaica's poorest.Naturally, the parish's economy must benefit, so too businesses in the adjoining St Ann, which has a far greater roll-out of tourism offerings. In all of this, one man - the embattled Member of Parliament for St Mary Western, Robert "Bobby" Montague, must be given some credit for the welcome traffic that is seven months away.It was Bobby who insisted that St Mary deserved an international airport, and worked feverishly to see to the improvement of the Boscobel airstrip, despite the lashings of critics, including myself, who felt that air traffic that side of the island could not be sustained, and it would be a waste of money to improve what was there.At a time when Montague is hurting, naturally, from his stepping down as a Cabinet minister, this should serve as his fillip. My understanding is that each flight will be able to accommodate around 75 passengers, which means, if business is good, then we can look at anything over 140 passengers per week, which translates to more tourism dollars for the areas close by. That's a nice touch.Harsher punishment for weapons in schoolsThe regular use of implements by secondary school students to inflict bodily harm on fellow students is such a sad occurrence.Never even mind the guard ring syndrome which seems to have caught on, and which is being suggested is the cause of the demise of a lad who attended William Knibb High School in Trelawny. The bigger picture is that too many weapons are being taken into schools, despite the efforts of some school administrators to keep them out. It is a serious matter that is deeper than most of us seem to think.On the one hand, Jamaica's younger generation is being held hostage by what passes for music these days - the noise that, for the most part, has no bassline, and all sound alike.On the other hand, the pent-up energy over the last two years used to dodge COVID-19 seemed to have let loose a batch of criminals who, if not tamed in short order, may trigger a round of trauma that could prove more difficult to end than the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, both former Soviet republics.I strongly believe that one of the ways to ensure a more disciplined approach among students is to punish the parents or guardians of offending children, as well as the young men and women who commit the acts.If parents are held accountable for the actions of their children, we are bound to see less of the violent acts that we are observing these days. It would mean that there would be greater vigilance of the younger ones by their elders. Now, one could argue that in many cases, the students do not load up on implements from home, but even then, students who are inclined to commit brutal acts, like the stabbing incident at Petersfield High last week, may think twice about packing their bags with offensive weapons, out of fear of letting down those who put food on their tables.Mind you too, but a recent article in the Sunday Observer quoted parents as saying that they give items to their children to take to school as protection.Call it brutal if you wish, but I also believe that once a search of a student's bag is conducted, and anything offensive is found, then that student should be thrown in lockup immediately, charged, and if found guilty, not only forced to do time at either a juvenile facility or adult prison, but placed in an institution of learning, upon release, for offenders only. It would be only after a thorough assessment that such students should be reintegrated with the 'ordinary' school population.So, just like how a man is held with a firearm that he borrowed, and faces countless years in prison, so too should the carrying around of offensive weapons be treated by those in charge of law and order in this land.Hall should leave coaching aloneOkay, so what is the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) waiting for to tell Paul Hall, whom it called its interim head coach, to do the honourable thing - pack his bags and head back to England.With so many countries either ditching the monarchy, or serving notice that such an action will materialise before the devil can finish eating his dinner, now is the time to also get rid of an Englishman who knows nothing about coaching.I have never seen anything like this - the JFF fires Theodore Whitmore, then proceeds to appoint a successor who is twice as bad. Amazing!Even if you include Jamaica's lucky 2-1 win over Honduras, who failed to win a single match in the World Cup play-offs, just take a close look at Hall's performance. For all the intended flowery, yet in reality, drab English accent, all he can come up with is brainless football most of the way. He, at this stage, must rank as Jamaica's worst coach ever.The JFF personnel, as incompetent as they have proven to be, must have invested in the view that good players make better coaches. Well, for Hall, he is in the middle of nowhere, for although he was a member of Jamaica's squad which participated in the World Cup for the only time in 1998, and featured prominently in preparations leading to that feat, he was just a basic player. So if anyone was expecting more from him as a coach, then disappointment would reign, as is the present case.Now that the World Cup in Qatar campaign is over, it is time for the JFF to flush itself. For there to be better days, there must be fundamental changes in personnel at the administrative level first, followed by a brand new technical staff, which must involve adjustments in the coaching staff...even down to the medical doctor.The JFF must realise that without the support of ordinary Jamaicans, and if the Government does not come up with an average $3 million per month in financial support, it is only a shell. Fifa rules prohibit political administrations from what it considers "interfering" in the management of the sport in the various territories. But I am willing to bet that if the Government was in charge of football here, there is no way that we would see so much rubbish being churned out.Maybe the Government will want to look to spend its money elsewhere, if this sorry lot of administrators and coaches insist that they want to remain in business for much longer.