`It's hard to fathom the govt's thinking'
In the Rp 11 trillion 2003 draft city budget, the administration allocates Rp 135 billion for City Public Order officers and only Rp 26 billion to help the poor. The city governor gets some Rp 90 million for his morning coffee and another Rp 100 million for his health allowance. The Jakarta Post spoke with some city residents about this proposed budget.
Fasdion, 32, is a street vendor who has been selling household items since 1987 along Jl. Bekasi Barat in East Jakarta. He lives in Pisangan, East Jakarta, with his wife and daughter:
The amount of money allotted for the City Public Order officers means they will have the motivation to evict more street vendors like myself this year.
The poor will really be hounded. Why are we victimized? We are just working to survive as normal human beings. We are a lot better than the crooks, thugs and high-profile corruptors. But the government sets them free and lets them operate and it oppresses us, and we are only creating work for ourselves.
I guess it's hard to comprehend the thinking of the government, like allocating some Rp 90 million a year for the governor's morning coffee.
As far as I know, a cup of coffee for a poor person like me costs Rp 1,500. What's the difference between the governor's coffee and the poor's coffee? I think we are all the same despite our social statuses.
I'm afraid if the governor's coffee is too special he might die from a heart attack.
Oding, 49, sells soft drinks in Senayan, Central Jakarta. His wife and three children live in Juraganan, West Jakarta:
I assume that with all the money for the City Public Order Office, it will be another year of tough and ruthless evictions.
The whole thing is crazy and unreasonable. How could such a large portion of the budget be spent to attack the powerless and the poor? Worse still, there is that much less left to help the poor.
I imagine that there will be more and more poor people scattered throughout the city. It means that we will face even more hardship and tougher competition among the vendors here. I can already feel it. It's getting harder just to earn about Rp 30,000 a day.
It's difficult to compare the governor's budget to my budget. It takes me a year to save up to buy new underwear. But high- ranking officials can buy a new car every month.
It would be better to reject the proposed budget. Otherwise the poor people will get fed up. I swear it doesn't make any sense.
Diki, 31, works as a food vendor in West Jakarta. He lives in Petamburan, West Jakarta, with friends. His wife and daughter live in Cirebon, West Java:
The amount of money budgeted for the governor and the City Public Order Office is unreasonable, I think.
I cannot imagine that the government will spend about Rp 250,000 a day just for (Sutiyoso's) morning coffee. So much money for one day! How many days do I have to work to earn that much money? I'm lucky to make Rp 30,000 a day, but it's not always that good.
It must be nice to be rich like him. I had to leave my home to earn some money here because life is even harder in the village.
I don't think poor people like me can understand the allocations in the city budget.
Rokhim, 43, sells fish in Muara Angke, North Jakarta, where he also lives with his wife and two children:
I have no comment. I could never imagine so much money would be spent for the governor's morning coffee. I don't know anything about the government's budget.
If it is true Rp 250,000 per day has been budgeted for the governor's morning coffee, then I just can't understand it. It's absurd. How could that be?
If he was kind he would donate the money to poor people like me. At least the governor could lend us some money to start up and improve our businesses.
But do you think a poor person's opinion will be heard by the government? I don't think so.
-- Leo Wahyudi S