`We're powerless to do anything about it'<\/p>\n
The closed-door meeting for the 2003 city budget has sparked
\npublic criticism. The City Council, however, approved the budget
\nof almost Rp 11 trillion regardless of the absence of public
\nscrutiny and reasonable allocations. The Jakarta Post talked to
\nseveral urban residents in response to the lack of transparency
\nfrom city councillors and the administration.<\/p>\n
Oding, 49, is a vendor of soft drinks at Senayan sports
\nstadium, Central Jakarta. He lives at Juraganan, South Jakarta,
\nwith his wife and three children:<\/p>\n
High-ranking officials are showing openly to the public their
\ngreed and lack of transparency in dealing with the city budget so
\nfar.<\/p>\n
Low-income people are not so stupid that they fail to
\nrecognize the irregularities perpetrated by these officials. We
\nrealize it but don't have the power to do anything about it.<\/p>\n
The city budget allocation is totally unrealistic, as public
\nwelfare received a far smaller allocation than the councillors
\nthemselves.<\/p>\n
They have set a bad example of how to be greedy by abusing
\ntheir position. I'm sure this will lead to people fighting for
\nthe chance to fill the positions so as to grab the greatest
\namount of money.<\/p>\n
All leaders are now becoming crazy about power and money. So
\nhow can we expect them to side with us? I had to work for eight
\nyears to accumulate the equivalent of the current monthly salary
\nof city councillors. Sounds crazy, doesn't it?<\/p>\n
Such bad leaders should be eliminated from the country,
\notherwise subsequent generations will simply follow their bad
\nexample.<\/p>\n
Vivin, 32, is a computer technician from West Jakarta who
\nlives in Tanjung Duren, West Jakarta, with his wife:<\/p>\n
The lack of transparency in the city budget has proved how the
\ncountry has seriously deteriorated due to unaccountable leaders.
\nIt's just like a computer that has been infected by an acute
\nvirus in such a way that it has damaged the program.<\/p>\n
The mentality of all high-ranking officials has degenerated, I
\nguess. The city administration and the governor are merely a
\nreflection of the unaccountability of the central government. The
\ncity budget meeting was not transparent because they are just
\ndishonest officials who have an interest in securing their own
\npositions. If they were sincere they would open the entire
\nprocess of the city budget allocation to the public.<\/p>\n
I wonder how we can expect them to side with less-fortunate
\npeople, particularly in the city. If the city budget allocations
\nare not transparent and reasonable at all, what should we expect
\nfrom such white-collar crooks?<\/p>\n
I'm sure we need a revolution to get rid of these corrupt
\nleaders. Otherwise, such irregularities will just continue
\nunchecked.<\/p>\n
Kurniawan, 28, is a teacher at the Lab School senior high
\nschool (SMU Lab School) in Kebayoran, South Jakarta. He lives in
\nRawamangun, East Jakarta with his wife:<\/p>\n
It's so obvious that the city administration does not side
\nwith low-income people at all. The lack of transparency in the
\ncity budget has proved to the public that the city administration
\nplays dirty games for its own benefit.<\/p>\n
The city administration and governor have played the game in
\nsuch a way that it is obvious they are afraid of public control.<\/p>\n
Due to their dishonesty they preferred the city budget meeting
\nbe closed to anyone who might expose their dishonorable
\nintentions.<\/p>\n
This is just part of a scenario designed for their own
\nbenefit. They probably want to force their own ideas on a general
\npublic that is deemed powerless to stop them. They thought people
\nwould just accept the city budget allocation as a foregone
\nconclusion.<\/p>\n
I think the unreasonable city budget allocation will worsen
\nthe quality of education for city residents. It will inevitably
\ncause more ignorance and poverty.<\/p>\n
Worse still, I'm now becoming apathetic toward the corrupt
\ngovernment. It doesn't have any sense of crisis at all.<\/p>\n
The lack of transparency here has led to irregularities that
\nwill later spark public resentment.<\/p>\n
-- Leo Wahyudi S<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/were-powerless-to-do-anything-about-it-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }