Councillors uncaring of people's welfare

Councillors uncaring of people's welfare

From Warta Kota

Thumbs up to the City Council's regional legislative assembly.
After creating controversy with "Ancolgate", allegedly a money
scandal involving some members of Ancol Dreamland's management,
it has now sparked another, no-less sensational controversy. City
Council Speaker Edy Waluyo has urged Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso to
immediately provide councillors with vehicles, professed to be
used for their official activities.

Any sensible Jakarta resident will be able to see that this
request is against common sense, especially considering that the
majority of the people that these councillors are supposed to
represent live an increasingly poor conditions as a result of an
economic crisis caused for the greater part by the previous
regime. It is really insensible that these councillors are more
interested in their own welfare rather than in the welfare of the
people.

One gets the impression that by urging the governor to
distribute cars to councillors, Edy Waluyo is fighting for the
welfare of his members. This may be more sensible if Edy worked
in a cooperative because the goal of a cooperative is to bring
about common welfare for its members.

Edy must remember that he works in a council -- the main
purpose of which is to worry about the welfare of the community.
A Jakarta councillor sits in the City Council because he or she
is elected by Jakartans. Or, perhaps, Edy does not know what to
do for the people because he belongs to the military and is,
therefore, not elected by the people?

Worse, still, the councillors seem pleased to be getting the
cars. Warta Kota of Feb. 22 quoted them as saying that the gift
was natural because it was included in the regional budget of
Jakarta's administration. It has not occurred to them to refuse
or return the vehicles and let them be used in the interest of
the community.

ALI TJOKROWERDOYO

Jakarta