Jack Black

Blaming Raimundo shouldn’t be an easy task: he wasn’t here for 15 years! Still, legislators of different colors somehow find a way to blame Secretary Raimundo do Rosário, demanding solutions for all sorts of problems this city has been suffering over the last decade or so. During the five-hour Q&A (with a 15-minute break), Mr Rosario was “grilled” by lawmakers who raised issues about the delays and cost overruns of the LRT project, idle plots of land, water leaks in residential buildings and the disposal of electronic devices. Lawmakers Antonio Ng Kuok Cheong and Kwan Tsui Hang slammed the government for the hugely delayed and massively over-budget LRT construction in Taipa. “So many” contractors is one of the “big difficulties” that the government-run LRT project is facing, the Transport and Public Works Secretary humbly admitted on Monday at the Legislative Assembly. “We are not here to play the blame game,” but to find solutions and speed up the process, he said.

Sonia Chan has been praised by a voice from unsuspected quarters, Jason Chao, for her “great openness” concerning the revision of legislation that establishes the norms for applications for identification cards. The case recently hit the headlines when Avery, a transsexual, tried in vain to change gender on her resident ID card (BIR). Chao’s Rainbow Association has been helping Avery over at the ID department that, according to the popular activist, handed the case over to Secretary Chan’s office. Unfortunately, it’s not all roses for Ms Chan. On another matter, the top Lawyer Jorge Neto Valente has been blaming Sonia Chan for “inaction” regarding the promised revision of the crucial law pertaining to judicial organization (Lei de Bases da Organização Judiciária). “We have not yet been contacted [by the policy secretary]” concerning this urgent matter, he said.

Angela Leong is battling three fronts now. And none seems pretty to her. One, smoking ban. After taking the anti-smoking campaign lead, she’s had to reconstruct her battlefield when Secretary Alexis Tam showed up at the AL determined to introduce a full smoking ban in casinos, notwithstanding the eventual damage to the bottom line.  Two, Canidrome. We can’t but support veteran animal rights activist-cum-economist Albano Martins’ view that the old, decadent and money-losing greyhound racecourse should be closed for good. Three, illegal inns. Ms Leong may be “a victim”, in this case, as she claims, but she is accountable.