Using public money to pay campaign circus acts for their party work
Frederick Testa – a man who turned himself into an electoral campaign circus act in return for a salary
Key note electoral campaign testimonials are, in developed democracies, given by stand-out individuals and high-achievers, by those who have actually done something admirable with their lives.
The idea is that those who are listening to them will say, “I admire that man/woman. He/She has really achieved a lot that is good. I respect his/her choices, and think they have been wise. If he/she is voting Labour, then perhaps I should consider doing the same, because obviously, he/she has thought about it and that’s the kind of person whose decisions you don’t dismiss out of hand.”
But Malta’s serious problems with critical thinking and analysis meant that the Labour Party didn’t have to do that. It just rounded up some assorted detritus – for with just a couple of exceptions, its testimonials were given by people who were are notable for not having done much with their lives, if anything at all – and ran with them.
People who can think critically said to themselves that if Labour had resorted to using low-achievers – life’s failures, actually – then it was because it couldn’t persuade any true achievers to speak at their meetings or be plastered on their billboards. This doesn’t mean that no true achievers were going to vote Labour (they must have done), but that they didn’t want to be associated with that decision in public. And that says a great deal.
But in any case, this is about Frederick Testa, a man a year away from his pension, who has dredged about all his life doing nothing in particular. He was presented to us by the Labour Party as an ‘attur’ – because you can really make a living out of that in a population of around 450,000, and I don’t think he even made the effort to ever try his luck elsewhere, which requires guts, bravery and steely determination.
We were told some weeks ago that Testa had been engaged by the state broadcasting as a consultant on televised drama. I had written at the time that I can’t believe they’re actually paying somebody to help them pick the season’s soap opera or teledramm. Is that a real job, or what? What does somebody like that do all that for a full-time salary?
It was so obviously a way of giving Testa state money and finding a justification for doing so.
No details were forthcoming until Nationalist MP Ryan Callus asked a question in parliament and got the answer last night. The Malta Independent is running the story.
The Minister of Police, Army, Justice and Broadcasting (whose wife sends the household skivvies to the Mainguard fountain with jerry-cans to load up on public water for the Mallia household baths) said in reply that Testa has been given a 12-month contract “for specific projects connected with the Public Broadcasting Services”, for which he is being paid Eur 2,350 a month.
That should take him right up to his state pension, then, as Testa is 60.
Do you know what I find most fascinating about this story, other than the quite obvious bumming and repaying of party servants with public money? That these Luddites, so modern and liberal and progressive, still think in terms of old money. Eur 2,350 is quite literally ‘elf lira fix-xahar’.
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Great. I wonder if this makes Testa the first ever state-funded scatologist.
This explains why Joe Demicoli is angry.
He does a good freshly scrubbed clochard.
Who’s next? Willie Mangion must really be cursing his luck seeing that Freddy The Head got more than he did for doing the same thing.
Then we have Mrs Neil Harrison. She still has not got her reward.
There is that other guy Ray Pitre’. He too expects a slice. Well the circle is closing and then we will start seeing the same faces getting more and more.
Viva Malta taghhom kollha. Gawdi Malti, Gawdi Malta.
Joseph Muscat is happy in squandering our money like that but he doesn’t have money for new schools.
€28200 a year? That sounds a bit much for picking the season’s soap opera.
U mela… ghax Malta Tieghu Ukoll.
X’tahseb li ser ihalluh ikompli jmut bil-guh? Hallieh ha jahtaf fit ukoll ux.
Aħleb Ġus
It is amazing how unashamedly the PL in government rewards those who helped it get there, out of the public coffers, of course.
What is even more amazing is how those who were the first to criticise the previous government when they perceived a wrong-doing are suddenly blind, mute and deaf on hearing the daily news.
I recall that a power outage would cause public outrage on facebook. A few days back, most of Malta experienced a power cut and not a word was written or uttered.
Similarly, when the local postage rate was recently increased by 6 cents (I know that the present day government has nothing to do with it), nobody commented about it. When a 1 cent increase had been announced during the previous government’s tenure, everybody was grumbling and blaming the government.
Now I try to be objective and criticise what I think is wrong and praise what is right irrespective of who’s in government, and I cannot understand these people who apply two weights two measures to daily happenings, according to which party is in government.
What’s next? Espert dwar il-programmi tat-tisjir? Espert dwar il-kwalita tal-karti fil-fotokopijers ta’ Kastilja?
Malajr ser ibattluha l-kaxxa ta’ Malta. Ahleb Guz!
I always hated clowns.
He’s also been appointed to the arts council board. That’s some extra pocket money for sweets.
And they find no money to build schools for our children.
When I heard that little excuse, I immediately thought the funds were going to be diverted to give out prizes for Labourites and Labour switchers. Plus less investment in education makes for a less educated population, which can only be in Labour’s favour.
Eur28,200 a year for a TESTA di caz*o.
“biex minn attur insir kummidjant”…. pity the only thing he’s making fun of is our tax money.
If I voted Labour, I would have been offended.
Thirty pieces of silver?
http://zekzik.com/2013/04/14/frederick-testa-payback-time-3/
When are the bloody teachers going to start complaining for the miserable 20K they’re getting for their specialized work.
I hope Bencini did not muzzle the MUT before he left.
I mean some of the chairpersons being imposed on institutions are hardly literate, let alone knowledgeable in running a sizeable company and getting 80K p.a.
So this Testa is getting more or less what Frankie Tabone is getting as law commissioner. On second thoughts that’s fair. Aren’t they both performers?
unbelievable!
Eur 2350 is approximately the annual remuneration for serving as a director on a government board or entity . And Fredrick Testa will get that amount every month . Malta taghna lkoll
http://zekzik.com/2013/05/21/kastilja-bil-kju/
What exactly is he going to do? Sit there are go eene meeney miny mo?
He was the first person to sing in the Labour Party election song the following words “JIEN NIXTIEQ IL-GID F’DAN IL-PAJJIZ JINQASAM AHJAR BEJN IL-HAFNA ” shame on you Fredrick and all the Labour Party.
I am not impressed at these appointments. But we were all warned. And now we have minimum of 5 years of squandering not only state funds but state dignity.
I am probably being naive, but since PBS is a public entity, shouldn’t there have been a call for applications?
Perhaps not, in the case of onsultants? Then why is his remuneration cited as a monthly salary?
Ajma, it’s called a retainer. You know, to make sure he will be there at their beck and call. You know, in case he is too busy directing a panto or a play…Not.
Se potessi averej, millej lirej al mesej…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amK4GBT7DGA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFAFHXyOw1U
U l-iehor, Mangion, to promote local bands.
Some local bands already have all the promotion they need to work here and abroad. They did not need the push of some guy in charge to promote them.
And those who did not make it in the local music world, mean they did not work hard enough, or they are not good enough, so one can classify their bands, music and sounds as ta’ l’imbarazz’.
This apart, I find these appointments to be nothing but another ‘Huge’ waste of our money.
If people choose to play the guitar and make a living out of it, it is their duty, not the person appointed ‘in charge’, to get the work and contacts for themselves because you see when one is a professional, and good at what they do, people look you up, find you, whether you are here or in a different corner somewhere in the world.
These people ‘promoted’ ‘in charge’ of promoting people are sending this message out: ‘kellem lili u nipprova naqdik’.
Labour Style, nothing more.
A year? That’s what William Mangion was promised. The fools have been misled. They might be getting a lot of money for doing very little, but it’s personal glory and recognition they’re after and a year’s contract with government won’t earn them any.
One year later, they’ll be back where they started, having achieved nothing. The money won’t even be worth much by then.