When I read somewhere that Micky Pacheco wears rings on his fingers and thick gold chains, I was reminded of Franciso Branco. When I first met him on his victory as Panaji mayor, I was stunned by the jewelry he was wearing. If I remember correctly, he was short and portly. With that physical stature and the jewellery he looked like a mobster. I forget what profession he held before becoming the mayor. I saw pics of Pacheco during the rally in the Goan Observer. Can't believe that elections in Goa are much bigger than the famed carnival. Seems like all this is sizzle but no substance. Nowadays it matters little who wins and who loses. All are painted with the same brush of being corrupt and arrogant. The GO story on Monte Cruz is illustrative of how deep corruption is in Goa. No politician is above board. The people have become complacent. Probably so because there's no alternative. Even a promising party such as UGP has to fall back on Monte Cruz is surprising. If Benaulim projects such a poor picture, Taleigao is not far behind. Or perhaps worse. Floriano Lobo's jumping into the fray maybe akin to committing political harakiri. Good intentions apart, it seems to be from this distance and from reading newspaper reports that Lobo is a non-starter. If he can be a giant-killer, than Lobo would be a political miracle. And miracles is what we need in dear old Goa. Come June 2, we will know.
Eugene Correia __________________________________ Discover Yahoo! Use Yahoo! to plan a weekend, have fun online and more. Check it out! http://discover.yahoo.com/