And while they attended, by the time they got there many of the Opposition members wished they had decided against it. That's because they found out this morning that their divisional office allowance had been cut by 40% - from $2,700 to $1,500 dollars without notice. It's part of government's across the board cost cutting measures but those representatives we spoke to said it is cutting to the bone.
Anthony "Boots" Martinez, Port Loyola Area Rep.
"We have never been written and told things bad so we are going to drop it off or whatever so ever the case may be. In a constituency like Port Loyola it hurts, no two ways about it, because beside that the government doesn't give us a community vote so it definitely hurts."
Jules Vasquez,
Now I understand that not only did you all receive a cut in what the government gave you but you knew nothing of it until you went to pick up the check?
Anthony "Boots" Martinez,
"We knew not of it until we went to pick up the check and furthermore they already cut our earlier this year so our salary was cut, the office is cut, so I don't what else they will cut, they probably will cut us off after this."
Patrick Faber, Collet Area Rep.
"The sad thing about the whole thing is that the government has not even put it forward to us or warned us beforehand and so we're going to be in trouble in meeting our expenses this month. What's going to come in the future with the office and so on we can't tell you because that amount of money is certainly not going to be enough to open an office."
Jules Vasquez,
Its not only the UDP who got cut, the PUP representatives also got their amount cut.
Anthony "Boots" Martinez,
"Well I don't know about that because everytime you hear about cut and cut, and they get nothing cut. They got cut here and then they get big thing underneath so they can't fool me with those kind of hypocrisy."
Michael Finnegan, Mesopotamia Area Rep.
"They receive the community vote allowance which we as the representatives of the people don't receive, and remember they also have available ministerial budgets and those who are not Ministers are privy to their colleagues' ministerial budgets. We are not. So if you reach the stage when you will take away the representatives' allowance for his office, then it's best you don't have no office. And when you take away the allowance for the office for the representative, you are taking it away from those who you represent, the ordinary small man and woman out there."
Jules Vasquez,
But Michael Finnegan you've been in office before, you all never gave a subvention when the PUP were in Opposition.
Michael Finnegan,
"That is neither here nor there. That is water under the bridge. We are now walking a new plank so don't ask foolishness Jules, that is neither here nor there. Everyday I cook food for those poor people in that division, especially the young ones; every single day. Now if they take away that little money from me how will I feed the people mi cousin? When they take away the money its not me they hurt you know, it is those who I provide basic grub for so that they could go to school with their belly full so they could learn because if your stomach empty, you can't learn."
J_ules Vasquez,
But at the end of the day we are in a austere time. The government has to save money, the government has to meet fiscal targets. You can't be unreasonable and say don't cut me.
Michael Finnegan,
"Because they were abusive to the finances of the country for the last 7 years it means the ordinary man who sits down on West Street and the ordinary lady behind the bowl on George Street must suffer because of their abuse? No man."
Anthony "Boots" Martinez,
"And here you have these people with this grand charade with the President of Mexico here and a good impression like things is happening. Sometimes I wonder even why, the reason, we are here today."
