Top ranking officials from the government in Haiti, including its president, showed up in North Miami yesterday to hold the “traveling government” town hall meeting in the high school’s auditorium.

Traveling government?  I’m not exactly sure what that means, but after reading the Miami Herald article, Haitian president, prime minister meet diaspora in North Miami, I am so full of questions for which I cannot come up with logical answers.  Maybe some of my readers can help me out here.

According to the article, Haiti’s Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe “wanted to bring key government ministers and directors to South Florida” so they could “hear directly from the people … a very important constituency in Haitian economic affairs, a group that has been abandoned and neglected.  It gives them the opportunity to speak to their government in a direct way: cutting the clutter, cutting the red tape and the bureaucracy, having access directly to expose the problems. That’s the goal.”

Question Number One:  Lamothe is addressing the Haitian community in South Florida, most of whom are already American citizens who vote here, affording them “the opportunity to speak to their government.”  Isn’t “their” government the United States of America, or am I missing something?

The article also noted that the “gathering brought Haiti’s ministers of commerce, education, justice, tourism, communications and diaspora to South Florida, as well as the head of customs, the Haitian Internal Revenue Service, the police chief and the director of the government’s social food assistance program.”

Question Number Two:  If all of the Haiti’s government officials are here, who’s running the government back there?

The Haitian president and prime minister spoke “for three hours” about the “changes that had been made” in their country.  The article also mentioned that “Lamothe met with members of the Haitian-American Grassroots Coalition, who sought his support on lobbying the Obama administration for the Haitian Family Reunification Parole Program. The program would reunite Haitian families who have already been approved for legal status in the United States but linger in Haiti.”

Question Number Three:  If Haiti’s current administration has made great improvements in their country, why are they pushing for a program that would help Haitians who still “linger in Haiti” to GTFO of their own country?

The Herald article also reported that “before today, the town hall, called Gouvènman Lakay Ou, took place in regions around Haiti. But for the ninth edition, Lamothe decided to come north, a move that has been heavily criticized in Haiti, where the country is struggling financially.”  Yet, President Martelly “defended the decision,” stating, “Even if we had spent $50,000 to see people who are sending $2 billion to Haiti, we have not spent a lot of money. On the contrary, we know that with you we can do a lot of things in Haiti … with the power you have, the financial power and the expertise.”  He was referring to the “$2 billion in remittances” that the Haitian diaspora contributes “to the Martelly government’s free education program through taxes of their phone calls and money transfers to Haiti.”

Question Number Four:  Was this a “town hall meeting” of the Haitian government, or a fundraiser?

Judging by the fact that so many Haitians have migrated to South Florida, it’s quite obvious that “there are doubts about the [Haitian] government’s progress in a country where unemployment remains high and poverty vast,” or they wouldn’t be here in the first place.

It’s also quite obvious that the Haitians who have settled here and become productive citizens of this country have no intention of going back to Haiti on a permanent basis.  The sheer force of their political power here in South Florida, and especially in North Miami, has proven that they are more than capable and have the ability to improve their local government and the community which it serves.  There is more than enough work for local officials to attend to right here at home.

Question Number Five:  Why isn’t South Florida’s Haitian community sending the message to the Haitian government to stop “traveling” and direct its focus on the problems of its own country and the people who live there?

As you know, I’ve been extremely critical about the dubious spending habits of North Miami Beach’s Councilman Frantz Pierre on our dime.  I will assume that this event, which was held in the North Miami Senior High School auditorium, cost the residents of North Miami quite a few dimes.

Question Number Six:  How much did North Miami taxpayers pay for the “Haitian traveling government’s town hall,” and how did this expense benefit the taxpaying residents of North Miami?

But the most puzzling question that I know must be on everyone’s mind is this:

Question Number Seven:  WTF IS A TRAVELING GOVERNMENT ANYWAY?

Stephanie Kienzle
“Spreading the Wealth”