$113 for each voter | Analysing the $2M COVID lockdown stimulus

In anticipation of tighter curfew measures to be enacted over the next three upcoming weekends, Dr Clarke told the parliament that the funds allotted for each 63 constituency will be made available as at April 1 via the Constituency Development Fund (CDF).

Members of parliament will then disburse the moneys upon request made by constituents in need of financial assistance.

For optics, it is a political ploy that may somewhat appease the voting masses as they are about to enter into a period of very limited movement and on some days total confinement except in exceptional circumstances.

Whether this will help guarantee another term in power is way too early to determine, hence it’s worth assessing the effects of this stimulus.

For argument say, let us use the constituency of St Catherine South West and see how much person could legitimately qualify for a payout from this seven-figure incentive.

First of all, Member of Parliament Everald Warmington’s philosophy of “if you don’t vote, you don’t count” will most certainly be a criterion to qualify in the first instance.

Mr. Warmington has been ruling by this self-imposed creed for perhaps all of his 50 years in representational politics, it is safe to say that he will not go against such established principle.

Importantly, data from the last general election – held last September – makes also interesting reading when the numbers are crunched and added to the conversation.

In the case of St Catherine South West only 17,577 from 39,554 eligible voters participated in the democratic exercise which saw Warmington receiving 11,177 votes compared to his People’s National Party (PNP) challenger Dr Kurt Waul, who had 6,106 ballots cast in his favour.

Therefore if all 17,577 voters should submit a request to the MP’s office each person would only be guaranteed $113.78 under Dr Clarke’s lockdown stimulus declared during

Tuesday’s his closing budget presentation. But it is safe to say as well, that not all and in fact the majority will not seek any financial aid through this programme. Therefore, a more realistic scenario is to assume what would be a ‘reasonable’ payment under this scheme.

After much deliberation with a few colleagues and using similar programmes in the past, it was agreed that $10,000 would be reasonable all things considered. But a payout of $10,000 per person would mean that only 200 voters or 1.13 percent of the 17,577 electors who got their index finger inked on September 3, 2020 will benefit under this programme. And when applied to the other constituencies, the outcome is not too dissimilar.

It’s better than getting nothing some will argue, but to others that’s not even a drop in the proverbial bucket and frankly sees nothing to celebrate.