SOP (sustenance of parties)

A couple of weeks ago, an article in the local dailies showed everyone how empty the campaign coffers of political parties are. The article stated that there were numerous projects that were scheduled to be done by the public works department which were also reflected in the projects lined up by the local government. Thankfully, this was noticed by the bug-eyed watchers of the public works department two months before the actual election. Just for clarification, bugs have eyesight so terrible that they can’t avoid slamming into your windshield for being too near-sighted.

Had these people been born with eagle eyes, they would’ve spotted this duplication long before the horrible road repairs were done all over the province. Now, nobody has any idea who to blame for these sub-standard road repairs. One may point a finger at the public works department, only to find out that this was one of the duplicate city projects where the political parties allegedly get their twenty percent sop’s. Logically, the public then shifts its blame finger towards the local government, who in turn will claim that this is the public works’ project. While all this is going on, twenty percent from the city budget and twenty percent from the national budget allegedly all go to the coffers of the political party. Now you know where they get the budget to hire the artists who grace their rallies.

Regardless of who is to blame, one thing is certain. These people have no idea how to do road repairs. Remember when the road at the reclamation area was being repaved? And repaired and repaved again? And to this day is still being repaired and repaved? How about the repaving of the bridges that connect the kapitolyo city to the island city? Not to mention all the scraping and reasphalting or concreting of good-conditioned roads all over the province? Ever notice that all these projects share the same characteristics?

First, there’s the absence of early warning devices. These devices include road work information that is visible at least half a kilometre before the actual repair area, reflective and visible signages that inform and warn motorists about possible reroutes and detours and the possibility of heavy traffic, and visible and reflective warning signages. Sure, they will argue that they have large size tarpaulins on the side of the road to inform the public of the oncoming inconvenience. But do they realize that by having drivers move their heads to the side to read the info, they place the motorists at risk of letting their vision stray from the traffic in front of them? I guess not. Else they would have erected overhead signages that are visible from at least one hundred meters away. Thus allowing them to keep their eyes on the road in front. Then again, this may eat into the twenty percent.

Second is the absence of proper safety apparel and work tools for all the workers. I had pointed this out previously that you would see a one shovel and pick to ten people ratio. And you’d only see a couple of reflective vests and maybe two or three work boots for the entire lot. I wonder if this has anything to do with the twenty percent.

Third, using loose dirt to patch up potholes or to level roads during the rainy season. I presume the initial budget was for asphalt or cement. But with twenty percent being slashed from the approved budget, they’ll have to settle for dirt.

Lastly, they project descriptions are so vague they don’t fully inform the public if the project is for both sides of the road. There are many projects that claim full road rehabilitation but repair only sections of one side of the road. Makes you wonder if someone bit off more than twenty percent.

The coffers of these parties must really be empty for them to resort to multiple double projects. Even to this day, there are still projects being started three weeks before the popularity contest. The question is, what happens to these unfinished projects if the incumbents don’t win?