Jamaica Observer

Dear Editor,

Henley Morgan contributed an article entitled "Why brand Jamaica won't work for us" to the Jamaica Observer of February 6, 2013. In the course of reaching his conclusion, he stated that United Way's brand value is estimated to be US$34.7 billion, but despite that, in the year of the valuation (my emphasis), United Way raised only US$13 billion. He then states: "The thing to notice here is the gap between the value of the brand and the economic results the organisation was able to produce." If Henley is suggesting that the annual amount raised by United Way should approximate United Way's brand value, then I humbly suggest that he is mistaken.

This brings me, with some trepidation, to the threshold of the murky world of the valuation of intangible assets such as Brands and Goodwill. Let me say first before I receive a call from my learned friends Colin Maxwell, Tarun Handa or Paul Williams, that I am aware that the following is stated simplistically. When company X acquires company Y, International Financial Reporting Standards require that (a) in the books of company X, the value of company Y's brand be amortised over the brand's estimated residual useful life, and (b) additionally, company Y's brand value is tested for impairment annually, and adjusted accordingly should an impairment arise. Phew!

Returning to Henley's article, and acknowledging that my following suggestion is not strictly in accordance with IFRS standards, his conclusion in respect of this particular point would have been entirely different had he compared the economic results of United Way for that one year with the value of the United Way brand divided by that brand's estimated useful life. If, for example, United Way's estimated residual useful life is say 30 years, then the comparison should more accurately be between the $13 billion raised in one year, and $1.16 billion ($34.7 billion divided by 30 years), and not between $13 billion and $34.7 billion as in Henley's article. Further, in my opinion, unless the annual amounts raised by United Way decline catastrophically, a realistic estimate of the useful life of that entity's brand would far exceed 30 years, and thus my point is strengthened.

While I do agree with Henley's general proposition that brand recognition does not automatically translate to brand effectiveness, I do not agree with the illustrative point he tried to make in his United Way example. If I have misunderstood Henley's intended point, then I apologise and will buy him lunch.

Jeffrey Cobham

jeffreycobham@yahoo.com

Not so, Henley!

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Dear Editor,

The bigger they are, the harder they fall. I disagree with those who believe celebrity football star Dan Marino should not receive a backlash from the media for his part in fathering a love child back in 2005.

As with any celebrity, the price they pay for their faux pas should be commensurate with the fame they have achieved. Dan Marino may have never claimed to be above other people, but he also never shied away from all the trappings that come with being a big sports star. He collected hefty pay cheques for lame endorsements of products like Papa John's Pizza, Hooters, Maroone Automobiles, AARP, FirstPlus Mortgage, Isotoner Gloves and Levinson Jewelers, to name but a few. He also parlayed his football career into an acting career making appearances in movies like Little Nicky, Holy Man, Bad Boys II and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. In addition, Marino was known to charge as much as US$50,000-US$100,000 for various appearances, motivational speaking engagements and autograph signings.

Yet Marino, while publically endorsing himself and touting his so-called "leadership skills" to the world, was using his money to hide the fact that he was secretly engaging in non-leadership, sexual infidelities. And now that he has been found out, he wants all the bad publicity to go away so that he can continue on just as before — keeping his "arrangement private to protect all parties involved". Is such a phony truly beyond our moral reproach? Is he really beyond public scrutiny? I think not. Celebrities who want it all should be ready to take the fall.

Paul Kokoski

Ontario, Canada

Dan Marino and his love child

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Dear Editor,

I am saddened by the state of our economy. Our leaders are telling us one thing and behind closed doors they are engaging in self-gained hypocrisy. Before someone turns a state official he/she had a private life, in some cases was making millions in their private business. The problem comes when that public office is use for gains only for their supporters and family members.

It's a requirement of a government minister to step aside from his/her private businesses before taking up such office. In some cases, that person signs it over to a family member or a close business partner (nothing is wrong with that), but what is wrong and disgracefully inappropriate, is when the said minister uses his/her influence for the granting of waivers for the same business which he once owned, or run one by his/her family members, on supporter of the same political party or members of their executive.

It is grossly dishonouring to other members of the business community who are taxed daily for imports and exports. While those, who are politically alien, benefit off the back of others. It's by law that a vehicle should be six years or under to enter the country. But the political beneficiaries are importing vehicles in great numbers, some up to 1997 trucks. That's the reason Jamaica is in the state that it is in currently. The poor pays the bills, while the rich and the political hooligans walk free.

The prime minister speaks daily about the poor, but yet she doesn't care. It's just cheap political socialist rhetoric to evangelise her political gospel to her supporters. General Consumption Tax is killing the average unemployed Jamaican and the working poor, while supporters of some political parties are getting tax waivers on imports for construction, and material for the building of their private house.

Mr Editor, I am using this forum to question recent moves by the PNP Administration

(1) To give a total cost by dollar how many waivers have been granted since the administration took office

(2) The list of the names of those business which have made requests for waivers

(3) How many members of the Government, who once had businesses registered in their names or spouse's names, received tax waivers on imports.

(4) Why some trucks/cars which are above the import age limit are exempt.

Ziggy Effion Lewis

effionlewis@ymail.com

Saddened by state of the economy

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Dear Editor,

This letter is in response to the suggestion by Dr Mark Harris at the Northern Caribbean University, of using gypsum and other substances in combination to vegitate the bauxite waste deposits.

The suggestion is a laudable one. However in light of other options that are currently on the table, I do not think it is the appropriate way to go. If all we were looking at was a nuisance, potentially polluting aquifers and sending toxic dust into the surrounding communities, then this may have been a viable option. However there are alternatives on the table.

First the gypsum to be used is not just sitting idle waiting to be used. We do have deposits in the hills north of Bull Bay and elsewhere. However, these have to be mined/quarried, with all the negative effects associated with this. You only have to ask the folks just south of the current gypsum operations, of the effects it has on their communities.

In addition, the gypsum is currently used by both the cement plant at Rockfort in the production of cement and for export. If portions will need to be diverted to the bauxite waste, then we have to consider the effects on the current users.

The second obstacle relates to the possibility of reprocessing the waste to extract commercially viable minerals. At the moment we have the pilot project to extract rare earth elements from the waste. However, there are also significant quantities of other minerals/metals including iron and titanium. By reprocessing the waste to remove all these other minerals, we will not only be able to deal with a significant hazard, but we will also be able to earn desperately needed revenue and reduce the volume of waste that is left behind.

In the end, I think that there are other (perhaps even more benign) ways of dealing with the bauxite waste than potentially inconveniencing even more the folks in eastern St Andrew to remedy the nuisance we have created in the central portions of the island.

Ricardo Smalling

smalling@queensu.ca

Not the best way to go

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Dear Editor,

The role of the Government is to demonstrate that it has the aptitude, skill, and competence of creating policies and laws that are devoid of corruption, immorality, and party/self-gratification, but well seasoned and marinated in morality, accountability, transparency, Honesty and sincerity for the growth and development for all the people of the country.

It should not be tempted at any time to use its powers to arbitrarily impose policies and laws on the citizens of the country, but should always effectively communicate its intent and purpose for the creation of such policies and laws to the people via the members of Parliament and the media. However, in special cases, where it honestly believes that certain policies and laws are necessary for the growth and development of the people and country, but were rejected by the people after detailed and effective communication, then it should not be afraid to use its powers, at that time, to pass those laws or implement those policies.

It should always be more than willing and comfortable to listen to any issues and viable alternatives that the Opposition puts on the table, since no one government will ever be able to have all the answers to governance; and then expeditiously implement and/or amend the respective laws and policies with those viable alternatives.

It should not allow its intended sincerity of serving the people — who elected its members, and who are its members' boss — to be tainted or eroded by its innate sinful desire to put 'party over people' and 'politics over nation building'; but instead, consistently find the political will of creating and implementing policies and laws that have the teeth of sending its members to prison or punishing them accordingly if any such member decides to trod the highway of immorality and corruption.

Finally, it should consistently let its light so shine in the way it collects, budgets, and spends taxpayers' dollars, in order for the people to be comfortable and confident in doing or not doing whatever the Government asks of them in an effort to grow the economy, provide opportunities, enhance the lives of its citizens, and steer the country to a path of First World status.

I am confident that if what I stated above is accepted and practised in Jamaica and the world, then we would no longer see the need to be dwelling on the negatives and ills (which would be so minuscule at that time) of the country and its people.

Garth 'Sub-Zero' Allen

excellentsub@hotmail.com

The role of government

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Dear Editor,

While most Catholics were taken by surprise that the Pope has called it a day due to his failing health, no one should be surprised that after the new pope has been installed, the Roman Catholic Church will remain the same.

Pope Benedict XVI should be commended for realising that both the papacy and the church would suffer if he remained in the position and not really in command. Not wanting to be a vegetable or puppet pope, I think he did the right thing to leave office.

Now, those of us, including atheists like myself, who would like the Roman Catholic Church to experience some sort of reformation with the new Pope, must by now realise that this will not happen.

The new Pope will be elected by very senior cardinals who are very seasoned Roman Catholics. While not impossible, it is highly unlikely that there will be many senior cardinals who will be reformed enough to get a new pope with a much more liberal world view. As such, a very conservative Roman Catholic Church is expected to continue with the new Pope.

Senior Catholics have claimed that the longevity of their church is due in large part their resistance to change. So those priests who want to marry, those homosexuals who want to be treated as equals, and those women who want to be Catholic leaders, and many others, can simply forget it.

In recent times, the number of people remaining in Catholic Churches has been declining rapidly. Many Catholics have been turned off from the church due to its strict conservatism -- and not to mention the many child-abuse sex scandals. I cannot see how any new "old-style" Pope will change any of this, as the past ones have done very little.

So, as far as can be seen, whether its senior cardinals elect an old or young pope, the Roman Catholic Church will maintain its conservatism for a very long time to come.

Michael A Dingwall

michael_a_dingwall@hotmail.com

No new church with new Pope

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When given a bad hand in a game of cards or dominoes, one has to do the best with the hand given until the next cycle of the game comes around. This bad hand will — if we allow it to — teach us how to strategise and work the game in the favour of our hand.

Let us think of Jamaica and our present predicament as a game in which we have been dealt a bad hand. Just like in a game, we cannot just roll over and play dead. We must play with the hand we have been given -- or in our case the hand we chose -- until the cycle comes around again.

The IMF will not solve our problems, Jamaicans know this and now the prime minister and the finance minister know as well. In order for our problems to be solved, we must use the pressure that we are under now with the bad hand to strategise and force ourselves to perform.

What happened to the talented people of the Caribbean? We have lost our way and we need to find our way back home. Policies (and the lack thereof) will not push the country into success. We, the people need, to find our creative souls and twist the game in our favour. We need to make more positive movies. There is a demand for them. We need to become inventors and not just remain extractors of products used to invent. Jamaica needs a new deal, but for now let us make the best of the hand we have been dealt.

Okeino Robinson

Greater Portmore

kingenglish97@gmail.com

Let's make use of the hand

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It is indeed a pity that a seasoned columnist like Mr Mark Wignall seems to have no understanding of the issues surrounding the buggery law.

Suggesting, as he did in your publication of Sunday, February 10, that repeal of the law is about "peeping into people's bedrooms" is to be either careless about an important social debate or unforgivably ignorant.

Mr Wignall fails to grasp the fundamental reordering of society, which will inevitably follow the removal of Jamaica's buggery law.

The process has already started in countries like the USA, Canada and the UK.

The present Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) lobby is an aggressive political force which is seeking more than same-sex marriage but rather a re-definition of marriage, sex and sexuality with restrictions on criticisms and support from the education sector.

The buggery law is the main instrument preventing this re-ordering of society.

It indicates that Jamaican lawmakers do not regard sexual orientation as a minority status and concomitantly do not regard all intimate behaviours as "normal and positive".

The following quotes by LGBT ideologues put the issue in context:

"A middle ground might be to fight for same-sex marriage and its benefits, and then, once granted, redefine the institution of marriage completely, to demand the right to marry not as a way of adhering to society's moral codes, but rather to debunk a myth and radically alter an archaic institution."

— Michelangelo Signorile, "Bridal Wave," OUT magazine, December/January 1994, p. 161

"Being queer is more than setting up house, sleeping with a person of the same gender, and seeking state approval for doing so... Being queer means pushing the parameters of sex, sexuality, and family, and in the process, transforming the very fabric of society... We must keep our eyes on the goals of providing true alternatives to marriage and radically reordering society's view of reality."

— Paula Ettelbrick, renowned lesbian lawyer and Chair of International Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Commission.)

If Mr Wignall is going to comment on important issues he should at least seek to inform himself on the matter.

Wayne West

wayne_west@hotmail.com

Wignall misses the mark on buggery law

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Social welfare was originally designed by governments within various countries to provide some form of financial assistance or bridge to the less fortunate citizens, in order to allow them to be able to have access to fundamental and essential services such as health care and education.

However, unscrupulous wealthy and bourgeois persons -- such as those in Jamaica -- have been bombarding these social welfares for decades, in an effort to satisfy their insatiable appetite of stocking up their wealth at the expense of the poor and vulnerable. This simultaneously defeats the true purpose of those social welfare programmes, which is to locate and assist the poor and vulnerable of society; since those who can more than afford to pay are continually taking up the limited space available for the less fortunate.

After reading someone's Facebook post on "user fee", a thought suddenly came to my head about how we can alleviate the problem of this Government not being able to pay for the free health care and tuition fee for the less fortunate. Since every citizen in Jamaica has a national ID/passport/driver's licence and a Taxpayer Registration Number (TRN), then the Government should enact a law to facilitate the creation of a 'Citizens Who Can or Cannot Pay (CWCCP)' database to collect and securely store wealth information on every citizen in Jamaica.

The enactment of the CWCCP Act would make it mandatory for ALL financial institutions and the Tax Administration Department to provide an automatic computer generated label on every citizen via his/her TRN AND Government ID to the CWCCP database -- which would be managed by an external entity called the CWCCP Authority. The label of the citizens' wealth or lack of wealth to the database would be in the form of 'Can Pay' or 'Cannot Pay'. This kind of labelling is extremely important in order to prevent financial institutions from having to provide the CWCCP database with dollar figure information on account holders. Financial institutions' role in the CWCCP Act would be to keep track of the affordability of citizens who are not paying taxes, while the Tax Administration Department's role would be to keep track of the affordability of citizens who are paying business and employee taxes.

Now, as soon as the CWCCP Act and Authority have been established, and all the relevant information on citizens collected and stored in the database, then the system would function as follows:

(1) Every citizen is required to take his/her TRN and Government ID with him/her when attending school, hospital, etc to do business. Those who forget or refuse to bring the required documents would be denied access to the social welfare benefits, and thus required to pay upfront.

(2) The staff of the institution attending to that citizen will ask for the citizen's required documents, and enter the TRN into the CWCCP shared database, after examining the Government ID to ensure that the person presenting the ID is in fact the person on that ID.

(3) Based on the label -- Can Pay or Cannot Pay --that is displaced on the CWCCP database for that citizen after his/her TRN is entered, then that citizen would be made to either pay or enjoy the social welfare benefits for the service he/she seeks. If the citizen requiring the service is a minor, then the parents or guardian for the minor would have to provide their TRN AND Government ID instead.

With all the above said, this CWCCP database can also play a significant role in getting every qualified citizen to be a part of the tax net by aggressively going after and penalising those citizens who have a 'Can Pay' label in the CWCCP database but are not found paying their taxes on the Tax Administration Department system.

I am confident that if my proposed system is given some thought and implemented, we will be able to put a serious and effective dent in the decade-long issues of tax compliance and social welfare abuse.

Garth 'Sub-Zero' Allen

excellentsub@hotmail.com

Set up 'Citizens Who Can Pay' database

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"Through Christ, our Lord and Saviour, Amen"— a phrase you would most likely hear in a church service or any Christian congregation.

But no, students of many government schools all across the country are made to utter these words at least twice a day regardless of their beliefs. Yes, government schools, schools which are not owned by any religious denomination. The prayers said at government schools and any other public institution should be inclusive. Ideally, it should only contain statements that any believer in God would say since belief in God is the common factor among most religions.

It should not call upon or invoke the name of figures or deities specific to one religion. We live in a plural society. Some fractions may constitute a larger percentage of the population than others. Nonetheless, we are guaranteed the same religious freedom under the Constitution.

Forcing people to say prayers that are clearly to one belief is a flagrant disregard of our core national values. It seems to me that, in the public schools, Christianity is the default religion. While on Christianity, once the euphoria around that most unusual broadcasting to the nation has died, Catholics and those of other faiths or none would do well to return to consider this drastic and historical step by Pope Benedict XVI. He is the first to resign in 600 years. Pope Benedict has decided that it is in the best interest of the church he leads and the millions who belong to it, for him to step down. This acknowledgement of personal frailty and willingness to consider the greater good are a rare example of humility and selflessness.

Pope Benedict's resignation is a useful lesson to many in positions of power in all spheres of life.

Andrew King

abking020@gmail.com

Setting a good example

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Dear Editor,

In their article in the Jamaica Observer on Wednesday, February 6, The Love March Movement in their usual condescending rhetoric (the "we love gays" front to make them appear humble that won't work) claimed that they wanted to "warn gays of their actions".

While it is true that some people willingly make unwise choices (such as unprotected sex), when it comes to their sexual health there is absolutely no doubt that certain anti-gay attitudes (which the Love March Movement tries to downplay) in society exacerbates this problem.

HIV in the MSM (Men who have sex with men) community is a complex issue, and no single factor is responsible for the rise in the level of HIV prevalence or incidence seen in the last decade. What the religious extremist lobby will not tell you is that retaining the buggery law isn't necessary to control this epidemic, as Jamaica has an HIV prevalence rate among MSM that is higher than every country without a buggery law.

Claims that the law is a deterrent to anal sex is rooted in pure deception. HIV is spread mainly by having sex with an unprotected partner, sharing infected needles and mother-to-child transmission. The claim that all anal penetration is a "high-risk activity" and "medically unsafe" (specifically protected) isn't a finding of any major health or HIV prevention organisation, as the use of condoms in a monogamous relationship where both partners are of the same status hasn't been proven to be an activity driving HIV rate increases, but actually lowering them.

This was proven by the study ""Alternatives to Monogamy Among Gay Male Couples in a Community Survey: Implications for Mental Health and Sexual Risk" published in the Archives of Sexual Behaviour which stated: "Being in a monogamous relationship was associated with benefits in terms of reduced substance use and reduced sexual health risks. Monogamous men reported the least amount of illicit drug use compared to all other men...". However, studies like these don't play well with anti-gay politics. Telling MSM to "stop having sex" might fit the agenda well and seem logical, but the reality tells us that not only is that probably impractical as a solution, but unnecessary and insufficient.

According to Aids for Action Singapore, in 2007 Singapore's MSM HIV prevalence rate was 4.2% from a high of 6.4% in 2006. Singapore, the next year in 2008, had one of the lowest MSM HIV prevalence rates in their region when it fell to 3.1%. The organisation said that their success was due to teaching MSM to use condoms correctly as well as increased HIV testing.

There was also a sharp reduction in unprotected anal sex and less complacency about risk, unlike the situation in other countries. Singapore's prevalence rate then fell the following year in 2009 to 2.7%. In what country did the Christian abstinence programme for gays actually work again? There is also no doubt that certain negative attitudes to homosexuality, driven by certain laws, religious views and ignorance, result in low self-esteem among gay and bisexual men, which leads them to not value their health. A study quoted by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) called "Family Rejection as a Predictor of Negative Health Outcomes in White and Latino Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Young Adults" which was published in the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics said: "Higher rates of family rejection were significantly associated with poorer health outcomes. On the basis of odds ratios, lesbian, gay, and bisexual young adults who reported higher levels of family rejection during adolescence were 8.4 times more likely to report having attempted suicide, 5.9 times more likely to report high levels of depression, 3.4 times more likely to use illegal drugs, and 3.4 times more likely to report having engaged in unprotected sexual intercourse, compared with peers from families that reported no or low levels of family rejection."

Remember when Jamaican clerics bullied televisions stations about an ad designed to reduce family rejection among Jamaicans? Religious extremism eventually trumped facts and it wasn't shown. MSM and their family and friends can take steps to reduce the effects of homophobia, stigma and discrimination and protect their physical and mental health. One way to cope with the stress from stigma and discrimination is social support. Practising safe sex with one partner is an effective way to lower the risk of HIV, regardless of what the religious extremist lobby tells or refuses to tell you. There is no doubt that all people are equal, but certain attitudes are not.

Matthew Thomas

matl1990@yahoo.com

Unprotected gay sex is medically unsafe

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Dear Editor,

I am deeply saddened that Pope Benedict XVI is resigning.

The Holy Father was an inspiration and a model witness to the life of Christ; a shepherd of truth constantly guarding his flock so that Christ might find faith on earth when He returns. Immersed in profound humility and immense love for both God and man, he has always been a source of strength, encouragement, confidence, optimism and enlightenment not only to Catholics but to all men of goodwill.

A champion of the poor and ardent exponent of Christian unity, the German Pontiff was, in many and such capacities as teaching, governing and sanctifying, both a beacon of light and salt of the earth. He has never ceased to offer fresh hope for defeating the forces of tyranny, cynicism and moral relativism hovering like a dark cloud on the horizon.

Successor of Peter and Vicar of Christ, he was the world's most influential and uncompromising defender of the dignity of human life. His tenacious pleas for the development of a "culture of life" and parallel denunciations of the "culture of death" have been instrumental in rallying opposition to the immorality of war, terrorism, abortion, euthanasia, divorce, contraception, homosexuality and embryonic-tissue research.

May the Lord of all graces and giver of every gift bless Pope Benedict XVI.

Paul Kokoski

Ontario, Canada

The Pope's resignation

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Dear Editor,

Audley Shaw is the perfect example of the typical know-it-all who thinks he knows, but does not know he does not know.

No media house should be out of their minds enough to ask him to comment on anything concerning the IMF. Audley does not have the answers. He failed this test before. If Audley had all the answers, we would not be needing a "new IMF agreement."

I do not accept the statement by Audley's cheerleaders that he has been vindicated. Nor do I want to hear Andrew Holness saying that the JLP would have been further along. That is not true. Andrew knows that and Jamaica knows that.

Audley is a big part of what is going wrong with the IMF, and under no circumstances should we let him forget that. Audley has no solutions; the JLP has no solutions. They are sitting by, hoping and praying that Dr Phillips fails so that they can say, "Yuh see? I told you it was hard."

Okeino Robinson

kingenglish97@gmail.com

Audley Shaw does not have the answers

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Dear Editor,

Reluctantly, I listened to the joint presentation by the prime minister and the finance minister. As I listened, I thought how great a paradise nation we could have been had it not been for politicians of their kind.

I tried to imagine where we would have been as a country had our leaders taken better advantage of the plethora of opportunities that flew past us. I thought about the mismanagement and waste of public funds that the hard-working men and women had to turn over to the government in taxes; then they would ask for more year after year, and we would have no choice but to give more even though we earned less.

In her address, the prime asked us to make yet another sacrifice in the form of another National Debt Exchange. The country's economy is at its worst. The rate of unemployment is discouraging, and families cannot afford the basic necessities. We, however, understand that some critical and often unsavoury measures such as this are required, but many Jamaicans now believe that our national sacrifices over the years have been and will continue to be in vain. This is due to a serious leadership crisis in our country. Personally, I would have liked for the government to have demonstrated a unilateral sacrifice by perhaps taking a symbolic cut in salaries/benefits or something to that effect, just to say that we are doing this together.

Mrs Simpson Miller noted that Jamaicans are world leaders and outlined the excellence of extraordinary Jamaican achievements. Many of these achievements that readily come to mind are not as a result of national leadership, but the resilience of our people.

Randolph Ledgister

randolphledgister@gmail.com

Leadership crisis in Jamaica

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Dear Editor,

Through the prism of race, I must answer Dr Grace Virtue's piece which suggests that we are mental slaves who do not trust black authority figures, that our education system is geared to keeping black people down, and that our salvation lies in addressing the legacy of slavery and colonialism.

Her basic problem is that she examines us through the prism of race alone, ignoring the political, economic, religious, social and personal influences that shape us, and therefore comes to wrong conclusions.

She takes one self-hating academic as representing the whole community and concludes that we don't trust black authority figures. So who was JAG Smith, who was Carl Stone? It does not occur to her that Les Green might have been trusted because of his character or because he was not a part of the system.

Our education system, she claims, is geared to keeping black people down. Nonsense! It needs to be reoriented from academic to more business and vocational studies, but it does not keep us down.

She correctly states that policing alone will not solve the problem of gangs of alienated youth, but does not seem to notice that it is a problem of failed economic management that troubles white countries like Greece and Spain, and that if we take her approach we will never solve them. How do we solve the problem of underdevelopment? Barbados, Botswana and Costa Rica have shown us how, and we were a model to the Third World until Michael Manley and his socialism.

We need to find that path again instead of scaring ourselves with the duppies of slavery and colonialism.

Orville Brown

storyline6000@gmail.com

Dr Virtue is off track

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Dear Editor,

My view regarding the Volkswagen (VW) Super Bowl advertisement is somewhat different from those I have heard and read about.

Jamaicans are truly endowed with an extremely awesome culture; one that has made JAMAICA a renowned brand. I am also happy that our "unique language" ... PATOIS is recognised by another prominent brand which associates Jamaica and the Jamaican people with happiness and resilience, which by nature we possess to move beyond challenges and make things happen.

My contention, however, is that the world is using our cultural resources; benefiting from it economically while we remain poor. For instance, for our 50th Independence anniversary celebration in August 2012, where were the many memorabilia made? Your answer is as good as mine. I was personally offended by this as some of the colours were not authentic, for example, yellow was used instead of gold and not to mention the neon green in some of their manufactured products. So then, let us link this to the VW Super Bowl advert. From my sense of hearing, the gentleman from Minnesota was not speaking authentic patios and so this could possibly be the stance of some persons who argued the issue of mockery. Personally, I do not sense any form of racism. Nevertheless, that is not the premise of my concern regarding the VW advertisement.

My viewpoint is that we lack vision; hence, we are missing out on some of the many opportunities that our brand can afford us. We allowed another country to make our independence celebration enterprising for them, thus improving their economy and so we missed out on doing likewise for ourselves. Again, we missed out on 'maximising' our opportunity from the VW Super Bowl advert. What do I mean by making such a statement? Well, many are saying that we will benefit from it in the future, since the Super Bowl had a remarkable reach to millions of spectators and audiences. I am not disputing this and somewhat endorse that sensation, but, is it guaranteed and will it be measurable? How many of us remember the supposedly expectations of Cricket World Cup 2007?

Secondly, I am extremely sensitive about the commodisation of our culture, especially our PATIOS which makes us very unique from the rest of the world, even from a regional perspective. My solution to this is that we need to patent PATOIS, so that it does not become a commodity. We cannot stop others from attempting to speak it, but they should not be allowed to use it in a business/marketing/commercial setting, whether it be for product labeling, advertisement, movie, you name it, unless given special permission or pay for the right to do so. Now, the counter argument might possibly be that this company could have used any other language around the world or intending companies can do likewise. My response is that many other languages are global languages, but ours is built on an ancestry we deem very special and hence, it should not be commoditised. It is the Jamaican language with its unique dialect coupled with a distinctive accent and embedded in the nature of creole.

In conversation about the VW ad with a professor from a US university, it was pointed out that Jamaica could have benefitted more from this commercial, if a Jamaican advertisement had followed right after the VW advertisement at the Super Bowl. This would have reinforced the happiness that can be had from visiting Jamaica. A wonderful suggestion indeed! If we had the patent enforced, we could have probably had a barter arrangement with the VW brand to derive this benefit as well as request of them to use a coffee cup with the JAMAICA brand on it.

Another interesting perspective emerged form a hearty discussion with a colleague of mine in Jamaica. She pondered about the impact the ad would have if VW had used a Germaican from Seaford Town instead of the man from Minnesota. Another fascinating point from our conversation was the possibility of having VW investing in Seaford Town, where there is a lot of German descendants and who would welcome any assistance they can get. This would also boost special interest tourism.

I beckon to the 'POWERS THAT BE' to be more proactive and seek out the many opportunities, but moreover, to advocate for the patenting of our PATIOS so that we will be able to strategically manage and market it as a part of our brand. Then.... borrowing the slogan from the VW ad ... everyone will ... " Get In ... Get Happy."

Gaunette Sinclair-Maragh

gaunsmar@yahoo

Protect the Jamaican culture

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Dear Editor,

The IMF, World Bank et al only lend to countries that show mercy to their people. Where has the love gone for our fellow brothers and sisters.?How can we seek the love of outsiders when we cannot love ourselves?

As it relates to this IMF deal, we will get the rollover balance of $400 million hopefully before June, unless something very dramatic happens, then it will come before. However, this money will only deal with other fires that have now started but are not fully exposed. Where will the real loans/investments come from? Where is the end in sight to reduce our debt burden?

Further to all this, our recently attained junk bond status (S & P and Fitch) is having a ripple effect in the Wall Street backyard much sooner than was expected. How do we change this?

The worst part of fear is whether there will be any civil unrest from this recent package, with still more to come from all the other stipulations in order to facilitate the IMF. Hon PM Portia Simpson Miller in her time as Opposition leader called for a Black Tuesday against the then tax package. Will there be an Orange Monday?

The boat of opportunity was missed six months ago and the hope that they could have told the IMF goodbye and moved to China is now a pipe dream. Many companies that ran to China and set up manufacturing business etc, are now moving back to the US to help in the rebuilding of that economy. Plus, anything received from China must be returned with at least four times the expectation of the giving.

The government of Jamaica needs to display good faith, transparency and accuracy in its dealings, both to the people of this country, investors and creditors.

The pending repercussions of taking money from the NHT is sending gloom through the spines of many hard-working Jamaicans who dream of owning a home. Benefits will be severely impeded and the follow-up will stymie the development of the little man.

The NDX will most certainly reduce productivity and trickle down to the lowest investor, robbing him of his expected dollar. Investor confidence will be destroyed. History will repeat itself and the millions of savers will suffer immensely. The NDX will basically result in a FINSAC 2 where the strength of the larger financial institution will see them surviving, as these can withstand the varying interest rates while the babies will suffer.

The big banks' strength is unshakably forcing the younger institutions to increase lending rates to offset what they are going to lose from the NDX. Depositors will move funds back to the large institutions where they feel secure, thus killing the babies. People will be moving money left, right, and centre due to the current laws in relation to banks, and further stimulate mass movement out of the country as seen before.

The policies of this government are not equitable. Neither are they fair to the people of this country, but certain die-hard loyalists remain committed to the country's failure.

The JLP is not close to matching the PNP with wit, craftiness, chicanery, guile or even duplicity. The JLP knows what's going to happen even at times long before it happens, but clearly has no clue as to how to execute to make it effective, to effectively communicate to the people the folly of the PNP enough to stimulate action.

The honesty, candour, sincerity and openness of Opposition leader Andrew Holness are far removed from what the people of Jamaica are ready for at this point. He speaks the truth and remains open and frank, but he is years away from the culture of the people of Jamaica and what the masses desire.

We are so accustomed to the abrasive cuss-cuss confrontational politics that when good stares us in the face, we reject it bluntly.

Mexine Bisasor, JP

enixem@hotmail.com

Unite in strength for our children

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Dear Editor,

They say that imitation is the greatest form of flattery. Therefore, Mr Audley Shaw and the Jamaica Labour Party(JLP) ought not to feel too bad. They starred in the original JDX, and now the People's National Party are making JDX 2.

I prefer to call it Debt Wish 2. They may change a word or two, but it doesn't make a difference. Well as they say, whats in a name? A rose would smell just as sweet even if you called it "tinking toe." In this melodrama, the prime minister brought the lubricant and the finance minister provided the shaft.

Remember it was Dr Phillips who once said that in Jamaica it is the man who plays by the rules who gets shafted. We needed the prime minister to make the medicine more palatable. We have had Rocky 1,2,3, etc, and Death Wish 1,2,3, etc. Why not Debt Wish 1, 2,3,4,5, etc.

Only it isn't funny. The Jamaica Debt Exchange, (JDX) will savage the savings of pensioners, primarily if it is executed in the original manner.

Only it isn't funny. The Jamaica Debt Exchange, (JDX) will savage the savings of pensioners, primarily if it is executed in the original manner.

The banks will:

(1) Increase transaction fees across the board with no distinction made for business conducted in-branch or through electronic channels.

(2) They will increase withdrawal fees.

(3) Increase in withdrawal from ATMs.

(4) Annual fees for credit card will go up. This is in order to offset the loss of other incomes.

At the end of the presentation by both the prime minister and the finance minister and they approached each other, I thought that they were about to swap saliva ... well actors and actresses do it even though they are married to other people. Thankfully they only held hands and rubbed cheeks. A job well done.

The arrogance of power! Well what else is to come? More surprises i guess! They didn't even have the honesty to acknowledge the originator of the path that they were about to embark on. The fundamental thing that needs to be addressed is how to grow the economy appreciably. Everyone agrees that we are at our taxable limit and if the government is broke, so are we.

There isn't anything more to squeeze out of us. If you corner any animal, no matter how tame it is, it will turn and defend itself. By looking at and listening to different sources we should be able to arrive at some sort of alternative plan. When Flat Bridge is blocked we are told to try Barry as an alternative route, not an alternate route. Therefore, the Economist tells us that of 65,000 registered businesses, only 3,000 are paying tax. The Chicago Tribune tells us that "The lessons of Jamaica is not that access to credit is bad. It's that irresponsible stewardship is bad."

There isn't anything more to squeeze out of us. If you corner any animal, no matter how tame it is, it will turn and defend itself. By looking at and listening to different sources we should be able to arrive at some sort of alternative plan. When Flat Bridge is blocked we are told to try Barry as an alternative route, not an alternate route. Therefore, the Economist tells us that of 65,000 registered businesses, only 3,000 are paying tax. The Chicago Tribune tells us that "The lessons of Jamaica is not that access to credit is bad. It's that irresponsible stewardship is bad."

Closer home, Dr Damien King, the head of the University of the West Indies (Mona) economics department, tells us that right at this moment Jamaica is producing almost as much as it is consuming. We are presently not living above our means and yes we are earning money from remittances, but that nothing is wrong with that. He says that the problem we have is that there is no surplus and no growth in the economy. There are large income inequalities and that we need to tax smarter. Dr Witter from the same department says that there must be an alternative plan and an endgame, as we cannot continue on this path indefinitely.

Your own columnist, Dennis Chung, explains that emphasising debt reduction via reduced fiscal expenditure will only cause social unrest and hardship. We will have to pursue fiscal stimulus.

The path that the Portia Simpson-Miller administration is following can only succeed if it doubles the pay of the security forces, ensuring that they are motivated and comfortable never mind the civil service. Because as night follows day, taxing the daylight out of an already overburdened populace can end up with one and only one end.

Mark Clarke

Siloah, St Elizabeth

mark_clarke9@yahoo.com

The making of 'Debt Wish' movie

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Dear Editor,

Mr Matthew Thomas in his letter of February 13 insists that the buggery law is no deterrent to anal penetration (that activity is not sex). I don't know anyone who would disagree with him on that point.

The law serves not merely as a deterrent but as an indicator of what behaviours are acceptable and conducive to the common good. Is the law against murder a deterrent in Jamaica? Or the road traffic law a deterrent to dangerous driving?

Secondly, in using the valid illustration of the reduction of HIV prevalence among MSMs in Singapore, he neglects to mention that this was achieved without repealing their buggery law. What is clear is that a repeal of the buggery law is neither necessary nor sufficient for a reduction of HIV prevalence in MSMs.

Mr Thomas is quite right in stating that fidelity and condom use will reduce HIV transmission irrespective of the gender of the participants. This being so, the 20-fold higher prevalence in MSMs over the general population is food for thought.

A wise man once said that perversity is the inability to act in one's own best interest.

Finally, while condom use and monogamy will reduce HIV transmission, neither is capable of preventing the trauma and subsequent incontinence that occurs from the simple anatomical reality that the intestine is not (and was never designed to be) a sex organ.

Claire Edwards-Darby

viaveritaslux@gmail.com

Matthew Thomas correct about the buggery law

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Dear Editor,

The dictionary defines responsibility as "the state or fact of being responsible, answerable, or accountable for something within one's power, control, or management".

I would like to suggest that a large enough notice to this effect be conspicuously erected somewhere in Gordon House so that everyone entering and leaving the building will see it and be constantly reminded of this.

Admittedly, this business of accepting responsibility may not be as easy as we are led to believe. In fact, some suggest that this deficiency may actually be encoded in the DNA of humans.

It has been pointed out that evidence of this can be traced as far back as Adam and Eve. A look at Genesis 3:12-13 of the Bible, subsequent to Adam's eating of the fruit of the forbidden tree, provides ample proof. (12) "And the man said, the woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. (13) And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat."

Here we see Adam offloading his responsibility unto Eve and she in turn doing the same unto the serpent.

Irrespective of what went on before the People's National Party Government under Portia Simpson Miller assumed office, they are currently at the helm of the country, and it is they who now have responsibility for its running and the direction it takes.

The blame game ploy is played out and it is time they grow up, cut out the word-throwing and tracing, and get on with the job they begged the voters for. Or will we still be hearing some time down the road that where we are is because of the Jamaica Labour Party, the International Monetary Fund, the white man, the recession, the hurricane, our former slave masters, etc, etc?

Robert Mitchell

Box 191

Christiana PO

Manchester

mitcib@yahoo.ca

Stop the blame game and run the country

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