We all want it, no one wants to pay for it.
The way it works is the following: Groups privately organized, come together to form Carnival, For overall logistics and planning their rely on a foundation, SMAC, that answers to a board of directors, with GOA, and ATA representatives, maybe Police, too.
SMAC is a not-for-profit, yet organizing 7 weeks of public activities carries many expenses. Example? The Red Cross, medical support for all events.
These SMAC expenses are partly covered by GOA, from the CULTURA budget. For more funds SMAC needs to fundraise, solicit money from local businesses and organizations, partnering for the sake of promotion.
Carnival’s public music festivals are organized by the musician association as their own fundraisers, and serve to foot their own bills — equipment, lyrics, arrangements, etc.
In the case of the Red Cross, it uses Carnival as a fundraiser for its own activities. It sends its highly trained volunteers out, but charged SMAC for the service.
SMAC found the price tag excessive and decided to ‘try’ another solution, EMS Aruba, also a foundation, Emergency Medical Services, Aruba. They don’t care about the Red Cross fundraising effeorts.
They will ‘try it out,’ tonight at the Torch Parade.
Then next week they have a meeting with the Red Cross, to try iron things out.
SMAC probably hopes that by proving the Red Cross dispensable, the price tag would come down.
And we wonder how come they did not solicit quotes, in advance? Compare prices, bargain a bit. They are a publicly funded organization and MUST BE TRANSPARENT.
Where is GOA in all that.
Carnival is important as part of our culture BUT famously broke GOA is always late in meeting its obligations.
In November, SMAC finalized the Carnival program listing a few dozen fun events. There was no budget, as such, so they felt free to schedule a hearty program.
(We haven’t had Carnival for three years and the public is living to party.)
In December, a letter informed SMAC they should economize because GOA cannot afford to pay for Police services during the Carnival season, among other things, such as cleaning, or barricades.
Cut back on parades and events, we have no money, said GOA.
But we already published a schedule, bands were hired, supplies ordered, costumes designed, why are you telling us now to downsize?!
No answer.
While some of the Carnival groups make lots of money, some don’t. Experience and good business sense are needed in order to make a go of it, passion is not enough.
The groups also try to cut their expenses, buying in bulk, soliciting sponsorships. They charge their group-members a participation fee, and pay for bands, drinks, food, port-a-potty rentals.
But they do not fund SMAC. They receive services, free of charge.
Thus, GOA allocates little, and pays late, and the groups would be outraged if they had to put their hand in their pocket to fund SMAC, yet SMAC is supposed to work miracles on a shoe-string budget.
Who makes money? Makeup artists, hair dressers, seamstresses, all in the shadow economy, alcohol purveyors, feather, rhinestone and spanks shapeware retailers, in the formal economy.
We usually have a wave of darling babies born in October, November.
Is Carnival in its present format sustainable, if no one can afford it?!
