`They don't care about the poor'<\/p>\n
Governor Sutiyoso was due to present the 2003 City Budget,
\namounting to Rp 11 trillion, on Tuesday night. However, the
\nallocation of the funds has sparked controversy. Among them is
\nthe allocation of Rp 135 billion for City Public Order officers,
\nwhile the governor is to get Rp 90 million for morning coffee for
\na year. The Jakarta Post interviewed some people on the street
\nabout the issue:<\/p>\n
Mulyono, a mobile vendor who has been selling fresh fruit
\nsalad in Salemba, Central Jakarta for 10 years. He lives in
\nMatraman, East Jakarta. His wife and son live in Central Java.<\/p>\n
I think the budget allocation is normal because the city
\nadministration and the governor can do what they want.<\/p>\n
He should have known that the budget comes from the people,
\nincluding the poor. But I'm sure those in lucrative positions
\nlike him will easily forget the people who used to support him.<\/p>\n
If he once promised to help the poor city residents, it would
\nbe better to forget it. The leaders now are just liars who always
\ntalk and make promises. They don't care about the poor.<\/p>\n
I will not blame Governor Sutiyoso for his deeds because he
\ndoes not know what it is like to live in poverty like us.<\/p>\n
But the Rp 90 million budget for his morning coffee this year
\nis beyond belief. It doesn't make any sense at all. For the poor
\nRp 250,000 a day just for morning coffee is simply fantastic
\nbecause we usually get between Rp 30,000 and Rp 50,000 a day,
\nthrough unbearable hardship sometimes.<\/p>\n
However, the budget would be quite understandable for the
\nwell-off because they are part of the society who always spend
\ntheir money lavishly.<\/p>\n
Personally, I could not understand the idea of the city
\ngovernment budget proposal this year.<\/p>\n
Parti, 52, a vendor selling traditional herbal drinks in the
\nHouse of Representative's building in Central Jakarta. She has
\nbeen faithful to this profession for more that 30 years and lives
\nin Bekasi with her husband and five children:<\/p>\n
Frankly I don't know anything related to the city
\nadministration here. I'm just an uneducated person who never went
\nto school.<\/p>\n
But if it is true, then I don't think I will agree with that
\nbecause it will just hurt the hearts of the poor people if they
\nfind out about it.<\/p>\n
But, I'm afraid to say that whatever I'm saying it would be
\nuseless. We all know that the government never listens to the
\npeople's voices. It will result in nothing.<\/p>\n
So, I guess it would be better to think of our own life, of
\nhow to survive. Otherwise, we won't live longer because we cannot
\neat. Worse, the government will never help us get by, right?<\/p>\n
We have to think that the poor people are always ignored and
\nleft miserable. So why should we care about the government who
\nnever cares about us?<\/p>\n
The most important thing for me is how to support my
\nchildren's education because I never had an education.<\/p>\n
Ramo, 33, a newspaper boy in Kampung Melayu bus station, East
\nJakarta. He lives on Jl. Basuki Rachmat, East Jakarta with his
\nwife:<\/p>\n
What coffee! I cannot imagine what kind of coffee the governor
\nwill drink with that much money.<\/p>\n
I normally drink three glasses of coffee a day which costs me
\nonly Rp 3,000 a day. So, I will only spend around Rp 1 million
\nfor my coffee per year. Worse still, my annual budget is only
\nequal to Sutiyoso's morning coffee allowance for four or five
\nconsecutive days.<\/p>\n
I don't dare imagine that amount of money. I never touched
\nthat much money. It would be better for him to allocate the
\nbudget to the poor like me. The millions could be used for
\ndeveloping businesses for the poor. Or, that can be used for the
\nstreet vendor relocation so as not to taint the city order.<\/p>\n
I'm afraid that the public order officer will be harsher in
\nevicting us later this year with their budget. They will have
\nmore spirit to beat us, I guess.<\/p>\n
Amsi, 60, a sidewalk vendor selling key holders in Jatinegara
\nmarket in East Jakarta. He lives nearby with his wife and three
\nchildren:<\/p>\n
I'm afraid the public order officers will be more active in
\nraiding us.<\/p>\n
Thanks for the information. At least the allocation of the
\ncity budget proposal gives us warning of a serious eviction.<\/p>\n
So, I have to be more watchful to see them coming here.<\/p>\n
Personally I disagree with the kind of allocation. It means
\nthat the City Public Order officers are financially supported to
\nraid us more severely.<\/p>\n
Worse, it means that the poor people are not allowed to make a
\nliving in the city.<\/p>\n
They are freaks, I think.<\/p>\n
-- Leo Wahyudi S<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/they-dont-care-about-the-poor-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }