The church will bow as usual

January 10, 2013, 3:00 am

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Dear Editor,

Isn't it interesting how history can appear to repeat itself when looked at in general terms? Take the current hot air about the church's acceptance of homosexuality. Those members of the church who think that the church will never bow to the homosexual lifestyle don't know their church very well.

From the start, the church has always been bowing by accepting practices that it would never dream of. The church recently celebrated Christmas. How many church members know that Christmas is based on a pagan ritual that it at first rejected? In the Old Testament, disobedient children were ordered killed. I wonder which brave pastor would preach that today?

Even if we look at more recent times, we see the church bowing. The Mormon church did not allow black people to have leadership roles until fairly recently. Many other churches only started allowing women leaders in recent times.

Even in Jamaica, we see the church bowing. A friend of mine who used to work in the education ministry told me that there was a time our church-controlled schools would never have allowed teachers who had children out of wedlock into the classroom. Indeed, there was a time when the church scorned fornicators.

Now, in every instance, the church has bowed as a result of the sheer force of the new realities. Imagine, for instance, our Jamaican churches turning away all fornicators today. Most of them would be empty.

Churches in societies like ours can afford to maintain their scorn towards homosexuals, thanks to our society's rejection of their lifestyle. However, with all the changes that are taking place around us, the permanency of this scorn is in doubt.

The church may have done a terrible job at proving the existence of God, but it is very good at "re-interpreting" scripture to accept new realities. If and when the majority decides to accept the homosexual lifestyle as normal, the church will bow, as it has always done.

Michael A Dingwall

michael_a_dingwall@hotmail.com

The church will bow as usual

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The reality of Jamaica's debt crisis

January 10, 2013, 3:00 am

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IT was almost a year ago that Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller made the controversial remark: "If they could give (us) a bailout like Greece, Lord have mercy, you would see Jamaica grow and flourish." Yes, we laughed at the time, as clearly she didn't fully grasp the concept of a bailout or what it really meant, but still, her comment wasn't really far off.

A bailout may help the situation, but it comes at a hefty cost. It is like filing for bankruptcy to alleviate the pain of an extreme financial crisis, but credit rating will be downgraded and it may take years to recover and rebuild confidence with lenders, investors, etc. The practice of all those years (even decades) of excessive spending, heavy debt, corruption and mismanagement is finally bearing fruit. It was recently reported that a US paper, The Chicago Tribune, highlighted Jamaica's severe financial situation. The report also stated that Jamaica could actually face a crisis similar to Greece, if not worse. The situation in Greece and elsewhere is not pretty. Unemployment in places like Spain, also suffering a financial crisis, is almost 27 per cent, and it is far worse for young people under the age of 25, where it is currently at a staggering 57% and affecting even the well educated. There was also a recent media report out of Spain where many middle class persons, now out of work, would scout food market dump bins in the evenings after hours, looking for discarded food and produce to take home. This is the reality of these types of crises. Jamaica, be warned!

With debt of over $1.7 trillion, and most of Government spending going towards debt repayment, it is not surprising that the present Government, and those before, have not been able to make much progress in terms of national development. All we have is new highways, it seems, thanks to China. Jamaica has a culture of excessive spending, living well above its means. This is why the Government should have thought twice before appointing a top- heavy Cabinet, with more ministers than the previous Government. It is also why they should have delayed purchasing $60 million worth of new sports utility vehicles for ministers, even when they knew funds were tight. Most, if not all these ministers are politicians first, most are financially secure, they give back to the country through service (for the most part), at least they try. They may not be well paid, but their jobs come with many perks and benefits. In hard times, you require hard measures and setting priorities. Imagine an individual making a salary, and paying as much as 60% of his monthly earnings to repay loans and credit card debts, even as he continues to spend using additional loans. This type of scenario is geared towards bankruptcy and the Jamaican Government must take heed. There will be hardly anything left for other basic necessities. When this Government assumed office, it should have immediately toned down spending, yet we saw millions spent on Jamaica 50 celebrations, over $700 million reported. It was also recently reported that the Golden Jubilee Village at Emancipation Park cost $41 million. There was also $140 million expenditure on Jamaica House during the London Olympics, which hardly produced any viable returns. This is mismanagment at its best, given the current financial crisis. As much as 60% of per capita GDP, (value of domestic income per person) goes towards debt repayment. We cannot blame the IMF for our own shortfalls and inadequacies. The IMF is no different than a commercial bank, lending out other people's money, and setting strict rules and terms to safeguard their interests in loans in order to reduce the risk of default, and ensure that the borrower will be in a position to repay. The difficulty in reaching an agreement with the IMF means one thing --they are now imposing demands on the Government, which everyone knows will be extreme and unpopular. This could mean more public sector layoffs, selling of national assets, higher taxes etc.

The irony is, there always seem to be two Jamaicas -- one that's real and one that's not. We read the papers almost daily, and see lavish VIP parties being hosted, with socialites and jet-setters out in large numbers wearing the finest couture & nibbling the finest array of gourmet delights. We see events on the North Coast promoting the finest luxury champagne, like Moet and Chandon, (retail price US$60 a bottle). Fine life and living is an art if you can adequately afford it, but flaunting wealth is not healthy, especially to those who cannot afford it. We seem to thrive on a culture of luxury which is very pretentious in many ways. The media should be more responsible in feeding into this also, especially in difficult times. When does a private house dinner party, for instance, become news, just because it's the epitome of luxury? This same excessive behaviour creates excessive demand on scarce US$ forcing up demand, forcing up its value relative to JA$. We import far more than we export, or what we can really afford. The excess carries through to the Government spending. In First World countries, personal wealth is hardly flaunted. No one cares really about personal wealth; it's trivial and you mostly see this type of news reported in gossip-type tabloids. Jamaica has some of the finest mansions and luxury cars in the entire Caribbean, yet it trails far behind most of its Caricom counterparts in terms of national development and per capita income. Some Caribbean countries like Trinidad, Bahamas and Barbados not only enjoy higher standards of living, but have as much as twice our GDP. Until our people can realise that we must balance out our culture of excess, capitalise on our assets and strengths, and live within our means, the problem could actually become catastrophic.

The irony is, there always seem to be two Jamaicas -- one that's real and one that's not. We read the papers almost daily, and see lavish VIP parties being hosted, with socialites and jet-setters out in large numbers wearing the finest couture & nibbling the finest array of gourmet delights. We see events on the North Coast promoting the finest luxury champagne, like Moet and Chandon, (retail price US$60 a bottle). Fine life and living is an art if you can adequately afford it, but flaunting wealth is not healthy, especially to those who cannot afford it. We seem to thrive on a culture of luxury which is very pretentious in many ways. The media should be more responsible in feeding into this also, especially in difficult times. When does a private house dinner party, for instance, become news, just because it's the epitome of luxury? This same excessive behaviour creates excessive demand on scarce US$ forcing up demand, forcing up its value relative to JA$. We import far more than we export, or what we can really afford. The excess carries through to the Government spending. In First World countries, personal wealth is hardly flaunted. No one cares really about personal wealth; it's trivial and you mostly see this type of news reported in gossip-type tabloids. Jamaica has some of the finest mansions and luxury cars in the entire Caribbean, yet it trails far behind most of its Caricom counterparts in terms of national development and per capita income. Some Caribbean countries like Trinidad, Bahamas and Barbados not only enjoy higher standards of living, but have as much as twice our GDP. Until our people can realise that we must balance out our culture of excess, capitalise on our assets and strengths, and live within our means, the problem could actually become catastrophic.

The Government must therefore present a vision, a strategic plan with definable goals and plans to help boost earnings, employment, investment, and cut spending. Tax collection needs to be enhanced to broaden the net. My advice to the PM is to come clean with the Jamaican public, and deal with the situation head-on. Honesty and transparency must be the basis going forward, to gain any form of confidence. This grandeur and illusion of accomplishments in year one is just that, a mere illusion.

P Chin

chin_p@yahoo.com

The reality of Jamaica's debt crisis

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People power indeed

January 11, 2013, 3:00 am

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Dear Editor,

The slogan of the PNP during their election campaign 13 months ago was ‘People Power’ — a very good approach as it reminded the public they had the power to remove those they deemed unfit and replace them with more competent persons.

One year into the rule of the PNP, the people are again reminded that election slogans are just that — slogans. Whilst the people’s power was sought to gain an election victory, the PNP has ensured that they are powerless to impact the direction of their society.

AJ Nicholson declared there doesn’t need to be a referendum to change the final court of appeal for Jamaicans. This as the election results were a referendum for the PNP to effectively ‘run the country’ as they deemed appropriate. Guess the people handed over all their powers on December 29, 2011.

Portia Simpson Miller informed us she will not talk her way out of power, hence she refuses to speak to the population on matters of national importance. The people don’t even have the power to gain the prime minister’s attention. However, she was quick to chide Mugabe and send condolences immediately to victims in the USA. At least she said thanks for the election victory. Guess she will begin to speak again in 2016.

Bobby Pickersgill, ironically PNP chairman for life, says the Cabinet is comfortable and has performed well. This despite even the staunchest Comrade expressing dissatisfaction with the state of affairs. Guess the people are not only powerless but their opinions don’t count.

Lisa Hanna promised a national broadcast on the Jamaica 50 celebrations twice and failed to show. This without a proper explanation of the circumstances surrounding her cancellation. A grand opportunity to unite the nation was lost in finger-pointing and poor planning.

Phillip Paulwell started with a bang and got phone rates down to the delight of the masses. However, when the ‘powerful people’ got the JPS monopoly overthrown, his Cabinet took the people to court. Guess the people cannot get away with any display of power after all.

Peter Phillips, well, his leader promised an IMF agreement in two weeks. Fifty-two weeks later the people are still waiting. A budget that was over a month late with taxes aimed squarely at the patty-eating power, a dollar that’s moved from being a rock to a rolling stone, and unions asking for their pound of flesh would move anyone to tears. I feel your pain, sir.

While ministers drive in new luxury SUVs (some because 2007 vehicles were too old), the powerful people will now be paying more for bus fare. This whilst the Honourable Minister Omar Davies challenges the powers of the OCG as that office is impeding the Government’s progress by asking for transparency.

The power of the people has vanished only to be replaced with egos and incompetence of the highest order. Onethird of the nation remains poor, and are subjected to salary freezes and rising prices. Elections are not the only time we the people have power, and until we realise that we will continue to endure hard time and poor leadership.

The media, the church and the middle class owe it to the less intellectual among us to ask hard questions and demand transparency and accountability from those who lead us.

People power needs to move from a slogan to action. The Government works for us, not the other way around.

Richard Boswell

jamaicasfinest969@gmail.com

The courts have authority in OCG matter

January 11, 2013, 3:00 am

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Dear Editor,

It is now fashionable to use the term “creature of Parliament” in describing the watchdog function of the OCG, particularly in reference to the impasse between that office and the Government, which is now before the courts.

This term suggests that the court should not be involved in the resolution of the impasse. Sure, the fathers and mothers in 1986 did their thing and created the Contractor General Act which spawned the OCG. Those parents knew exactly what they wanted their creature and offspring, the OCG, to do!

Unfortunately, the OCG is now barking and growling — left, right and centre — at almost everybody, and seemingly creating havoc for development, according to Minister Davies, et al.

Now, it must be reminded that once created, with all or any warts, it is a law like any other! Until a ‘rebirth’ is proven to be necessary, it is an orphan, under the guidance of the court. While on active duty, it is the courts which look into the DNA of the Act and pronounce which fence and who the “dog” is authorised to bark, bite or growl at.

In other words, how long is the chain? Under the present circumstances, the “attacked” has asked the guardian for a review and to make a determination.

It is only after the courts reviews, which may or may not provide the proof required for a rebirth, can the DNA be properly altered in Parliament and produce a new Contractor General Act, incorporating the court’s final rulings on the chain length of the OCG.

Norman Lee

Brampton, Ontario

Preserve our natural beauty

January 11, 2013, 3:00 am

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Dear Editor,

As we near the end of the Palisadoes "beautification" project and anticipate the beginning of the eerily similar proposed Negril beach development, we must ask ourselves if the roof is leaking, do we really need to build another house on top of it to fix the leak?

Surely there must be a more elegant and equally effective solution. Or is this the path of development (down-velopment) that we have embarked upon?

Do we sell our birthright to the first bidder who waves some cash in front of our noses?

Jamaica's claim to fame lies in the natural beauty of the land and people. We cannot improve on the sunsets or the vistas of rivers, mountains and sea. Our duty is to preserve them.

While the latest high heels may enable us to walk through knee-deep garbage, this is not the solution.

Cleanliness is next to godliness, and a nation without either is nowhere at all! Clean up the place!

Let not the remembrance of our heritage be as an eloquently delivered eulogy, reminiscing about the virtues of those we once took for granted.

Long live Jamaica, land we love!

Pierre Diaz

Director, Sea Control Oceanographic Consultants

2 Seymour Ave

Kingston 10

Preserve our natural beauty

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Jamaica's track & field owes 'Youngster' Goldsmith a debt of gratitude

January 11, 2013, 3:00 am

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Dear Editor,

A few months ago when I saw the small, frail, stooped figure of Mr William 'Youngster' Goldsmith slowly ambling along in the Liguanea Mall, I reflected on the profound impact for good that he has had on the development of Jamaica's premier sport — track and field athletics.

At that time too, I remembered feeling somewhat sad upon realising that, perhaps, no one else who saw him had even an inkling that he is, in large part, responsible for the great joy we Jamaicans experience from the successes of our track and field athletes.

Mr Goldsmith, a former Jamaica weightlifting champion, was appointed weight training instructor at Kingston College (KC) at a time (1961) when conventional wisdom held that weight training would make track athletes "muscle bound" and therefore sluggish. His appointment was the first such in any high school, making him the pioneer.

KC won the Boys' Champs for 14 consecutive years, beginning in 1962, just one year after his appointment. KC athletes were simply stronger, faster.

In 1964, three years into the programme, three athletes (Rupert Hoilette — still a schoolboy, Lindy Headley, and myself) all products of 'Mr G', as he was affectionately called, were among the small contingent of the 12 male athletes who competed in the Tokyo Olympics — three out 12 or 25 per cent.

Mr G's profound impact on the development of the sport of track and field in Jamaica stems from the fact that his successes at KC were instrumental in driving other schools to follow suit, resulting over time in the propagation of weight training programmes across the length and breadth of the country.

Today, it is virtually impossible to be an Olympic or world champion in the sprints without years of weight training, starting from school days.

Unbeknown to superstars like Usain Bolt and Veronica Campbell-Brown, they owe a debt of gratitude to Mr G, whom they have probably never met.

Today, weight training is taken for granted, but the older heads remember that it didn't always exist.

The young in the sport should know that it was started 52 years ago, by a man who on Sunday will be laid to rest — a true giant of the track and field fraternity — Mr 'Youngster' Goldsmith.

May his soul rest in peace.

Dr Patrick D Robinson

Olympian

pdougrobins@gmail.com

William 'Youngster' Goldsmith

Jamaica's track & field owes 'Youngster' Goldsmith a debt of gratitude

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What did you really expect from the PM?

January 11, 2013, 3:00 am

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Dear Editor,

Ever since the prime minister's speech was broadcast on Sunday, it has become apparent that the nation is waiting to exhale.

It is paradoxical that so many were waiting for her to broadcast the Government's plans to lift the country out of its financial rut; what, if any contingency plan it has, should there not be an IMF deal; what safety net will be cast to check the devaluation of the dollar; how the Government proposes to create employment for the desperate populace.

We also wanted to know when members of the public sector, who have not received a salary for months, will be paid; how the justice and security ministries could make such a diabolic mess of the traffic ticket amnesty; how her Government in one instance could promise relief from the monopolisation of the JPS, yet it is opposing the decision of the Supreme Court against the very same JPS; why her Government has promised transparency in its administration yet it seeks to circumvent the ambit of the OCG.

I could easily go on listing failings of the Government, based on targets it has set for itself, yet has dismally failed to live up to its own projections. Should we really have been expecting the PM to say anything more than what she delivered on Sunday?

Did she perform below her capabilities?

If we truly expected more from this PM, then our expectations speak volumes about how much we are in denial. How much we have been ignoring the writings on the wall.

The president of the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce was heard on a radio broadcast asking for the PM to bring more substance to the people, particularly as it relates to the IMF deal, but what can we really expect? Other key members of the private sector and civil society have voiced their disappointment in the quality of her presentation (or the lack thereof). However, if the PM or even the finance minister had come forward and for once, spoken honestly to the people, that would be the final nail in the fulfilment of the PM's proclamation that she doesn't want to talk herself out of power.

All that the PM failed to present in her first anniversary speech is nothing more than confirmation of how dismal our future really is. The truth of the matter is, even 12 months after its victory, the PNP still cannot believe its victory — a victory that it is still not prepared to utilise.

What the PM failed to say in her speech also brought to the fore the disunity and incompetence within her Cabinet. It is an open secret that the only person who could have secured a victory for the PNP was none other than PSM. This victory, however, in no way speaks to her suitability to govern.

What is even more alarming is that, as much as some of her Cabinet members would like to see the back of her, there is not one member within the current Cabinet who can garner the respect and confidence of the Jamaican populace and the international business sector to take on the role of prime minister.

The sad fact is, the voting population made a decision on December 29, 2011, and they now have to live with the consequences as their crop is coming to maturity.

Mistyblue

Yorkshire, England

Dor.beta2005@gmail.com

What did you really expect from the PM?

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A major salute to Christopher Martin-Jenkins

January 14, 2013, 3:00 am

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Dear Editor,

When Sir Vivian Richards was being readied to take over as captain of the West Indies cricket team from Clive Lloyd, there were rumblings about him being neither ready nor worthy.

I sprung to his defence. I wanted my support to be ventilated at the then highest level, and so I sounded out The Cricketer international magazine, edited then by Christopher Martin-Jenkins (CMJ).

In a short turnaround, a red and blue airmail envelope arrived from England, not only accepting my draft, but offering to pay me for using it. The proposal was made by no other than 'The Major' himself. The piece, titled 'Life After Lloyd', appeared — much to my delight and virtually unedited — in the February 1986 issue of Chris's magazine. It was my first foray into cricket writing. Four years later, in January 1990, the same thing, albeit with another West Indies cricketer, occurred.

Before we had joined forces at Kingston College, Michael Holding was my adversary, and I, his. My cricket team from Gore Terrace on the east or right side of Constant Spring Road would, in the summer months, go across the divide to play his at the Red Hills Oval.

In matches, I used to feel his pace as he had a penchant for seeking out my unpadded back foot. You see, in those days, my team could only afford one pair of pads — to be shared by both batsmen.

When our paths crossed again at Kingston College, we played Junior Colts, Colts, Second XI and ultimately Sunlight Cup cricket, up to when I left in June 1970.

It was fitting, therefore, that when he retired from international cricket after taking 249 wickets in 60 Tests, I would write a few words on his behalf. Those I again boldly sent to The Cricketer international magazine for their perusal. Voila! There came the same old-fashioned red-and-blue airmail envelope offering me a fee to publish the same. That following month, January 1990, 'Farewell to Whispering Death' appeared.

And so one can only imagine how grief-stricken I was when I learnt of The Major's death on New Year's Day. This must be a joke, I thought, especially coming so swiftly on the heels of the passing of the other great cricket luminary — Tony Greig. But the calendar read January; not April.

I did not need to read the volumes of glowing tributes that scribes worldwide would pen in Chris's memory. By him having written 25 books on cricket, I knew how steeped he was. With a frame so wiry, his ability to churn out books showed that a man's stature isn't to be measured by the size of his girth, but by the depth of his heart.

In the last few months, I have been struggling through his book, The Spirit of Cricket - A Personal Anthology. Just like his writing, Chris's commentary also had a regality and a stateliness about it -- not unlike the departure of a British Airways 777.

Funnily, the poet Jeff Cloves recently wrote of a similar kindness CMJ extended to him — getting his work into Wisden.

Known in the press box as 'The Major'— a name I suspect stuck because of his carriage — Chris and I were on speaking terms from that time in 1986 up until the last time I last saw him at the Fifth England-West Indies Test match at Queen's Park Oval in March 2009.

But whether it was at Queen's Park, Sabina Park, Kensington Oval, The Oval, Headingly, Old Trafford, the Gabba, or the SCG, his icebreaker was the same: "Hi Ray, are you still in the States?" he would ask, as his face slowly transformed, drawn back like a curtain into a Cheshire cat-like grin.

Over time, I often wondered why the question was so consistent. Was it just that he was bemused that I wrote from such a distance away from the action? Or was it more? Could it be that he empathised with my voluntary exile from the Caribbean, like so many others? I never asked.

Chris also had a wry sense of humour too. Back in the summer of 2007, when England were engaging the West Indies in the third Test match at Old Trafford, the West Indies batsman Runako Morton scored a 50 in his second innings. The next day in his copy, Chris described the late batsman as having in his stroke play "A touch of Lawrence Rowe".

"Chris," I whispered, after having read it, "that's sacrilege".

He paused, thought, grinned and said: "Well, I had to get a Jamaican in there somewhere."

And so I salute Christopher Martin-Jenkins for giving me encouragement, by way of a couple of breaks. I hope modern-day stalwarts in the print medium will not only remember, but emulate his generosity.

Ray Ford

East Lansing,

Michigan, USA

fordraye1@aol.com

A major salute to Christopher Martin-Jenkins

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Direction and action needed now

January 14, 2013, 3:00 am

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Dear Editor,

An increasing number of Jamaicans have lost faith in the capacity of the Jamaican body politic to enhance our social and economic development. The performances of our politicians, especially their daily utterances, often lack the ingredient of rigorous political debate and assessment, and thus credibility.

The proliferation of repeated announcements followed by total inaction is an example of empty tactics to escape the embarrassment of non-performance.

The efforts spent on being contentious and scoring political points is indeed alarming. The Administration, in its performance to date, clearly demonstrates a lack of readiness and preparation for assuming the mantle of national leadership. It is remarkable that some ministers have been unable to develop and implement clear policy directions pertinent to the public welfare.

In many instances internecine warfare is rife within most ministries and the political directorate seems incapable of addressing the problem.

It is reported that some agencies during the last Administration became outreaches of the JLP and were packed with many political activists with no regard for the efficient conduct of those agencies.

One year after a new Administration, this status quo is intact. This results in alarming inertia in these agencies due to incompatibility of political intent and administrative laziness.

There is urgent need for leadership to find the wherewithal to enable the State machinery to operate in a manner that ensures the welfare of our people. It may well require that some ministers be removed. They have demonstrated little or no ability to effectively manage their portfolio responsibilities, (refreshing exceptions being ministers Paulwell, Arscott, Thwaites, and Clarke).

On the other hand, the daily utterances of the Opposition clearly indicate their inability to understand their role and function. It would seem that they interpret this role as one of being reactive and quarrelsome on every little issue, rather than developing alternative policies for presentation to the general public.

All the energies expended on the purchase of motor vehicles for public servants, including ministers, amount to nothing but political posturing. If there were insufficient vehicles to conduct the roles in the public service, then it follows that vehicles have to be purchased.

If you accept that such vehicles are essential for the execution of their duties, it would have been more meaningful on the part of the Opposition spokesperson to develop an alternative strategy with respect to the provision of transportation for public officers, including the sale of such vehicles to departing ministers and civil servants.

This could result in the development of a car pool for each ministry or agency with drivers and all the necessary infrastructure. It is this kind of alternative analysis that should attend the public utterances emanating from our political practitioners.

It is clear that our politicians believe that the public is impressed by their nonsensical utterances. If the conduct of our politics continues in this manner, without an infusion of enhanced intellectual input, then the hopelessness of the Jamaican people will increase exponentially.

Our economic and social malaise is not without solution if we can find an inclusive and unified approach to the problems. The posturing of the political parties has clearly demonstrated an inability to come to grips with our problems.

Errol Ennis

Former minister of state

Ministry of Agriculture

Direction and action needed now

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Why not try professional juries?

January 14, 2013, 3:00 am

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Dear Editor,

The country is faced with a backlog of court cases dating back many years and it appears there is a dearth of ideas as to how to substantially reduce the figures any time soon.

I make no claim to being knowledgeable on the subject of Jamaican law, but to my untrained mind, perhaps professional juries would provide temporary relief. This would afford employment to many currently unemployed and underemployed Jamaicans, while addressing the issue of difficulty in impanelling jurors for cases.

The jury pool would be large and would be subjected to background checks and training so thorough as to limit the cons attendant with such a system.

It is time Jamaica once again leads the way, and not merely follow other jurisdictions like mindless sheep.

On the subject of mindless sheep, back in the day when Jamaica was Jamaica, others sought to follow and be like us. Practically everything Jamaican, whether it was good or bad, was being lapped up worldwide. Everywhere people started growing dreadlocks and speaking patois.

It would seem even in financial matters we were trendsetters, because when people like Bernie Madoff were meeting their waterloo in the United States didn't we already experience David Smith and Carlos Hill? And when the United States had its devastating recession, didn't we already go through Finsac?

We were getting some things right, however, so much so that Lee Kuan Yew heard about us and came in person to see what the devil we were down here doing. Yes, we were true leaders back then, and our visibility in the forefront championing the cause of the abolition of apartheid in South Africa comes readily to mind.

Today, Jamaica goes where the wind blows, and as a friend of mine would say, "we stand for nothing and fall for everything". We see now where even former dependencies of Jamaica are imposing visa restrictions on us and the International Monetary Fund is standing in line to get its kicks in.

How would the world view us today had we gone ahead and implemented the recommendations of the Ganja Commission to decriminalise marijuana years ago? Should we go that route today, we will be seen as copycats, aping the American states that have gone ahead and done what we did not have the cojones to do.

And I am still trying to figure out why is it that in our country, where Government is severely strapped for cash, the occupants of our penal institutions are not being utilised to clean drains and gullies, bush roads, farmlands, paint government buildings, etc.

Is it that the people in charge only have the ability to sign time sheets and cheques? If so, how difficult is it to put out a tender, inviting local and overseas applicants, to work out the logistics from start to finish of having our prisoners earn their keep, while saving the country some money?

Some claim Marcus Garvey, our first national hero, was ahead of his time; I wish that were true and that he would start doing his thing tomorrow morning.

Robert Mitchell

Box 191

Christiana PO

Manchester

mitcib@yahoo.ca

Why not try professional juries?

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Time come, prime minister

January 15, 2013, 2:00 am

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Dear Editor,

I am reminded of the quote, "Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown," from one of William Shakespeare's plays.

The late journalist Wilmot Perkins described criticisms as either true or untrue, not constructive or destructive. If it is untrue, allow it to run off your back like water, but if it is true then you need to address it.

Our prime minister needs to adopt such a stance and not have her husband surf the television channels seeking out criticisms of her. We have always had an alternating relationship with the IMF, what we need is an alternative to the IMF.

The IMF is demanding that we address the issues of waivers and inducements and steeply reduce the debt, which is 140 per cent of GDP. If we decide to reduce it to 100 per cent in three years it will require around $300 billion, the experts tell us.

The IMF is demanding that we address the issues of waivers and inducements and steeply reduce the debt, which is 140 per cent of GDP. If we decide to reduce it to 100 per cent in three years it will require around $300 billion, the experts tell us.

Long before the Chicago Tribune, the Economist of July 21, 2012 told us the same thing; they made similar statements. They told us that Jamaicans are no richer today than they were in the early 1970s, and that most of our enduring problems are home-made.

Jamaica has run fiscal deficits in 44 of its 50 years of Independence. Few people pay taxes: the middle class is small, the informal economy big, and enforcement chilled-out. Only about 3,000 of the country's 65,000 registered firms are thought to contribute. The Government has steadily dished out waivers to favoured industries; tourism pays an effective tax rate of five per cent.

Lacking sufficient revenue, Jamaica has financed public spending by borrowing. Years of accumulated deficits, a bank bailout in 1995, and punishing interest rates have swollen the national debt to a Greek-style 140 per cent of GDP. Servicing this burden now accounts for over half the budget.

These are the same things that local newspapers, the electronic media, financial experts and commentators have all been telling us. It is either true or untrue, not constructive or destructive. Let us face the truth and don't make excuses.

Never have so many promises been made, by so few, to so many for so long. Come on, prime minister, "time come". We cannot afford an Arab spring, our police force is too deadly, right Dr Gomes?

Mark Clarke

Siloah PO, St Elizabeth

Time come, prime minister

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No to bus preachers

January 15, 2013, 2:00 am

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Dear Editor,

The issue of allowing persons to preach the gospel on the state-run Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) buses has resurfaced with last week's urging by Christian Brethren Assemblies of Jamaica (CBAJ) for the lifting of the ban.

The CBAJ put up frivolous arguments about freedom of speech, Jamaicans to resist foreign influences, and "Jamaica should continue in this Christian tradition". The group seems to have little clue that bus preaching was an industry where people utilised their skills for money, while disturbing others who paid to travel on the public transportation system.

During the debate last year over the ban imposed by JUTC head, Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin, the Reverend Peter Gath advanced an argument that most of the bus preachers do more harm than good to the gospel. I agree with him and all who have experienced these people on the busses.

With the exception of those who, for different reasons, believe that once you call on the name of the Lord you are on a ecclesial mission, bus preaching is all about money, and it is practised, on occasions, with vulgar overtones.

I will never forget one morning while travelling from Spanish Town to Kingston, on a bus, a man came singing "yuh better get right with God, come and do it now. B.... man, yuh better get right with God. Dash whey belly, yuh better get right with God."

A number of persons on the bus, including elderly females, objected to words he was using to show his opposition to homosexuality and abortion.

When one man told him that he was mocking God, the preacher -- with his finger pointing in the man's face -- declared "Mr b.... man, you don't want me to preach, but I am going to preach."

Everyone knows the likely consequence of calling a Jamaican male that name. Persons of goodwill had to calm the man and prevent him from doing violence to the preacher.

For most of my life I have used the public transportation system, and there are many evils that occur on the busses that could be recounted. The banning of preachers should be welcomed by all who believe in peace and tolerance. Overzealous Christian people would not tolerate a Rastafarian, Muslim, or persons of other religious faiths shouting out their beliefs to them.

I say to the authorities, make the public transportation system one which provides relief from any form of noise while passengers are travelling.

The CBAJ needs to take the wise counsel of head of the Anglican Church in Jamaica, Bishop Howard Gregory, that persons have misunderstood Jesus' command in Matthew 28:18-20, that His apostles should go and make disciples of all nations.

"These are sad chapters in the life of the church and to which the church in this age should not lend its support. This kind of approach to the exercise of the mission of the church is inconsistent with the way in which Jesus exercised His ministry and how the early church of the New Testament exercised its mission as recorded in the book of the Acts of the Apostles," the bishop said in a recent Sunday Observer column.

Two questions that continue to be asked are, why the bus preachers don't preach on National Transport Co-operative Society (NTCS) buses, and if they are on divine missions, why collect money to impart the word of God?

One should remember that the NTCS buses are constantly accused that they observe their own rules and play the worst "music". These righteous servants would do well for the society if they can straighten out things with the NTCS buses.

Garfield L Angus

Mandeville PO

Manchester

garigus@yahoo.co.uk

No to bus preachers

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Commendations for the Port Antonio police

January 15, 2013, 2:00 am

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Dear Editor,

Recently, burglars entered my home in Port Antonio, Portland. I contacted the police to report the break-in but, to be honest, I was not very hopeful and expected them to ignore the report.

But I couldn't have been more wrong. The police immediately began to investigate and, very quickly, found the thief and the stolen items.

Not only did they do their job and do it extremely well, they took the time to call me to let me know they had resolved the case.

I felt compelled to write this letter to help dispel the perceptions that our police are ineffectual and uninterested — perceptions I had previously held.

After my experience, I have renewed respect for our police force and want to thank them for the hard work they do for us every day.

I particularly want to thank Detectives Palmer and Bell of the Port Antonio Police Station for their professionalism and support.

Paula Bunting

Port Antonio, Portland

paulabunting@yahoo.co.uk

Commendations for the Port Antonio police

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Right to bear arms needs to be redefined

January 15, 2013, 3:00 am

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Dear Editor,

The second amendment to the United States Constitution needs to be redefined for the modern times.

It is my notion that the right to bear arms is very similar to the right to smoke; they both have a cancerous effect that contributes to the decay of modern society. We, as a society, can continue to look the other way and apply temporary fixes that give the appearance of seriousness. However, the reality is, there are too many guns in America, and those too-many-guns are being turned on Americans.

I believe all the suggested legislation on the table as of now might make it difficult to sell certain weapons; yet, it does not address the ability to steal weapons and really determine what type of individual will snap and commit violence.

Unless the second amendment is redefined for these modern times, all legislative attempts to reduce violence may be futile.

Alfred Waddell

70 Fisk Street

West Dennis, MA, 02670

raywaddell@gmail.com

Right to bear arms needs to be redefined

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When we pray...

January 15, 2013, 2:00 am

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Dear Editor,

Many persons are questioning the purpose of the National Prayer Breakfast held each year. They may well ask since our nation seems to be on a downward spiral socially, morally, economically, even though "we have more churches per square mile than anywhere else on earth".

I am not claiming to be John the Revelator, but I would like to share some aspects of prayer with the church (the body of The Messiah). Perhaps we are not making a difference because we are not aware of the reasons for failure in having our prayers answered. The verses quoted should be read in context.

1. Disobedience — Deuteronomy 1:45,

1 Samuel 14:37, 1 Samuel 28:6

2. Secret Sin — Psalm 66:18

3. Indifference — Proverbs 1:28

4. Neglect of Mercy — Proverbs 21:13

5. Despising the Law (Torah or Instructions) — Proverbs 28:9

6. Bloodguiltiness — Isaiah 1:15

7. Iniquity — Isaiah 59:2, Micah 3:4

8. Stubborness — Zechariah 7:13

9. Instability — James 1:6,7

10. Self-indulgence — James 4:3

Most church leaders and members may not have considered Number 5 above. Yahweh is not pleased when we ignore His instructions and hold to the traditions of men.

Shalom.

Fay Bangerter

cfbjewel@hotmail.com

When we pray...

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Tell us, Dr Phillips

January 16, 2013, 3:00 am

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Dear Editor,

Here are some questions for Finance Minister Dr Peter Phillips.

1. Should countries like Jamaica build their development strategies around growth or should they focus on jobs?

2. Can entrepreneurship be fostered, especially among the many microenterprises in developing countries like Jamaica, or are entrepreneurs born?

3. While jobs can contribute to social cohesion in Jamaica, is there anything governments can do about it, apart from trying to support job creation?

4. Are greater investments in Jamaica in education and training prerequisites for employability, or can skills be built through jobs?

5. Should efforts to improve the investment climate in Jamaica target the areas, activities, or firms with greater potential for job creation?

6. What is the risk that policies to foster job creation in one country will come at the expense of jobs in other countries?

7. When confronted with large shocks and major restructuring, is it advisable to protect jobs and not just people?

8. How can the reallocation of workers be accelerated from areas and activities with low productivity in Jamaica to those with greater potential?

Somethings to think about Dr Peter Phillips?

Dr Charles Demontaque

Stafford University

c/o 101 Weybrige Road

Addlestone Road, Surrey

United Kingdom

KT152QS

charlesdemontaque@yahoo.co.uk

Tell us, Dr Phillips

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Float an Ian Fleming Airport Development Bond

January 16, 2013, 3:00 am

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Dear Editor,

Your report of Butch Stewart's recommendation to Government, with more to come, regarding the Ian Fleming Airport is exactly in keeping with why, as transport minister, I led the development charge of the airport against much on-the-ground political opposition and less than fulsome support from the wider visitor (tourism) stakeholders and investors, except for Golden Eye and the board of the Airports Authority.

The plan, which led to discussions with private jet owners and American Airlines, which I led, was meant to be part of this thrust. If the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) was still the Government, this would have been a centrepiece of our development plans for three parishes, and a part of the Multi-Modal Transport Plan using open skies and low-cost economy airlines as a base. Indeed, it must be evident that the whole Caribbean needs such a hub.

What is missing from Butch's proposal is what else I would have been pursuing along the same line, which is a public/private investment policy for the Ian Fleming Airport, which formed part of the transport ministry's and JLP's corporatised (privatisation) plan.

It is especially interesting, as Butch also pointed out, that in the scheme of things, US$3 million is really small capital, considering what development growth it would produce; and as time is money, more so in the travel market, all the observations he made were salient.

I now await Butch's thoughts and proposals on expanding aerodromes like Vernamfield so we can move to accommodate the dream liners and, using open skies, rely less on travel routes to the Caribbean via Europe and the USA, and more directly from the Far and Middle East, Africa and, in reverse, via South and Central America to the world at large. Indeed, we had such an interest from a South American airport operator.

In closing, I appeal to Mr 'Butch' Stewart, Mr Michael Lee-Chin and Mr Chris Blackwell, to name but a few stakeholders, to float an Ian Fleming Airport Development Bond; and have others, including the public, subscribe, including the Roman Catholic Archdiocese, which owns some of the land that is needed for the expansion of the airport's runway.

It is also important to seek an airport operator to participate with the contractor who will do the extension. In the interest of Jamaica's immediate need, we should do all this on a long-term return on investment on a 20-50-year basis. I think it can be done in 15 years.

Let me hope that this helps in showing how farsighted and long-term planning is key, and I commend Mr Stewart on grasping the original plans and intention of the development, which would be at a not insignificant cost to the taxpayers of the country, who now need the private sector inputs in hard currency.

L Michael Henry

Member of Parliament

Central Clarendon

Float an Ian Fleming Airport Development Bond

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Let the sacrifices be shared by all

January 16, 2013, 3:00 am

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Dear Editor,

The motor vehicle policy that allows government workers and ministers to purchase State-owned vehicles is counter-intuitive to austerity measures.

The transfer of these vehicles at a beneficial book value rate, which was already at a preferential duty rate (20 per cent or less), forces the Government to have to outlay funds to replace the vehicle, if acquired, after four years of assignment.

Many times this is for the very person who just purchased the vehicle.

The sheltering of politicians from our reality allows them to escape the shared sacrifice they so glibly say we must be prepared to bear.

The motor vehicle policy that is enjoyed by parliamentarians, senators and public servants needs to be reviewed. Let the sacrifices be shared by all, and the Government must lead by example.

The same applies to tax on fuel, all ministers get fully maintained motor vehicles, inclusive of fuel. This shelters them from the policy choice of increasing taxes on fuel.

Don't raise our taxes and not raise your own!

Eliot Penn

Kingston 5

Let the sacrifices be shared by all

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Development at what cost?

January 16, 2013, 3:00 am

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Dear Editor,

The Government is chasing the IMF as the last resort to avoid national bankruptcy. In 1995 PJ Patterson said "ta-ta" to the fund, considered to be the devil for the draconian conditions it attaches to its loans to poor countries. Now it is the saviour and it is calling the shots, one year after the election and no agreement, which Portia Simpson Miller promised in two weeks.

With its back against the wall, the Government is now grovelling at the feet of communist China. In the mad rush to give away land, sovereignty and self-respect to the Chinese for their money, the Government is embarrassing itself by taking court action against the Office of the Contractor General (OCG) which it created to stem corruption in Jamaica.

With the sugar lands and factories gone to Complant, the Government is fighting the OCG in a bid to bulldoze people's houses, farms, heritage sites, disrupt centuries-old artefacts and give away Jamaica's land for superhighways and ports and God knows what else.

God knows we need the money, the infrastructure and the development, but at what cost? Must we sell our soul and trample national institutions like the OCG?

Mark Pinnock

USA

pinocchiofred@hotmail.com

Development at what cost?

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Gov't should show that it really loves the poor

January 16, 2013, 3:00 am

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Dear Editor,

As opposition leader, Mrs Portia Simpson Miller was highly critical of the bloated Cabinet appointed by Prime Minister Bruce Golding, which she claimed the country could not afford, even with Mr Golding and his Cabinet voluntarily taking a pay cut as part of the shared sacrifice for the betterment of the country.

Upon being elected prime minister in December 2011, and with the country's economy even more precariously poised, Mrs Simpson Miller proceeded unjustifiably to appoint a Cabinet bigger than Mr Golding's and with flashy new rides.

Her Cabinet is complemented with hordes of advisors, several of whom are political retirees and/or rejects, with seemingly very little to contribute, causing greater strain on the already meagre public purse.

Coming out of the recent Cabinet retreat, the Government advised the Jamaican people to prepare for more sacrifices, including wage restraint and tax increases on an already meagrely paid and overtaxed people.

I submit that the Government formed by the People's National Party, which likes to trumpet its love for the poor, must put action to that now nauseating rhetoric by demonstrating its empathy with the people in cutting the size of the Cabinet and reducing significantly the number of advisors/consultants to the Government. A Cabinet pay cut, however symbolic, should also be taken.

Were I the prime minister, I would consider a 15-member Cabinet along these lines, recognising the challenge posed in not having the best pool from which to form the ideal executive.

* Cabinet Office — Fitz Jackson as minister without portfolio with responsibility for the public service and information.

* Office of the Prime Minister (Defence, Environment, Land, Planning, Development, Local Government) — Dr Omar Davies and Noel Arscot as ministers without portfolio.

* Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade & Tourism — Anthony Hylton and Sharon Ffolkes-Abrahams as deputy.

* Finance — Peter Bunting.

* Commerce & Industry (including sports and culture as industries) — Phillip Paulwell and Damian Crawford as deputy.

* Labour & Employment (including social security) — Horace Dalley.

* National Security — Dr Peter Phillips.

* Health & Family Welfare (including youth and children's affairs) — Dr Fenton Ferguson.

* Education — Ronald Thwaites.

* Justice — Mark Golding.

* Mining, Energy, Agriculture & Technology — Julian Robinson and Ian Hayles as deputy.

* Transport & Infrastructure — Dr Wykeham McNeil and Richard Azan as deputy.

* Water & Housing — Dr Morais Guy and Natalie Neita-Headley as deputy.

Kevin KO Sangster

sangstek@msn.com

Gov't should show that it really loves the poor

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