For all their faults and controversies, the 'Spanish invaders' have added, and in the immediate period, will be adding more hotel rooms than any of the other players in the market. Until of course the new players in casino gambling make their spread complete sometime in 2009.

That, of course, is understandable considering that the Spanish are relative newcomers to Jamaica, having last visited in the late 15th century, when pretty much the same welcoming committee came out to greet them.
If the Tainos/Arawaks back then in 1494 could have been considered primitive people by European standards, what is our excuse now? Do we not have regulations governing the approval of building plans? Do we not have regulations covering the payment of building fees?

In 1494, the Spanish came with ships, the Church, arms and ammunition and conquest as the first objective. Based on the outcome of that first visit, that first interface with the natives they came upon, it could be said that the Tainos were peaceful and idiotic, so they were massacred.

The Spanish were 'civilised', very uncivil to the natives (whom they eventually butchered), so that made them 'sensible' until the English forced them into divestment in the 17th century.

BARTLETT. has spoken of huge investments in mega hotels with full casino gambling which will probably be opened for business in 2010

Well, the Church is here already, we could do with less arms and ammunition, and conquest in the global village is on in earnest. The intentions of the conquest in the 21st century are similar to the very first one. Like any sensible competitor, the Spaniards hope to grab as much business as they can, transfer as many Euros and US dollars from Jamaica to Europe as they can, and in the process convince us that they are our partners in the tourism product.

Now, don't get me wrong. If the Spaniards can 'invade' again and pretty much have those who issue building permits running up and down like headless chickens while the Spaniards have their way, I say, 'Go for it, sons of Columbus!'

On the face of it, the Riu Group can be said to have been given official approval to construct four floors instead of three if they have the plans signed and properly approved. And even if it came by way of a second approval - approving the construction of four instead of three floors.
I think we all know how these agencies work. 'Ketchy Shubby.' Go to that office and speak to that man. Come back tomorrow and ask for that other man. When you speak to the first two men, then you have to come back to see if man number three will speak with you. Run around, run around.

So, the Riu people will sit and make us run up and down like mad ants, probably like how the Tainos did it in the 15th and 16th centuries. In the end they will get their approval because we as a people have not moved much from the time when the Tainos called Jamaica home.

NEW AIRLINE NEEDED TO SUPPORT NEW TOURISM INVESTMENTS

Up to this time the one sure growth area in Jamaica's economy is tourism, but if we are not careful in ensuring the main support services (airlines) are in lockstep with the projected growth in stop-over visitors and hotel rooms, we may find that bookings for these rooms will go ahead of the ability of the industry to get the tourists to Jamaica. Or indeed, to get them back home in a timely fashion once they reach here.

In the December 15, 2007 to April 15, 2008 period, known as the 'Winter tourist season', Jamaica had its strongest ever season: an increase of 13% over the same period last year. In the same period revenue increased by 10%.

The Spaniards have been laying out hotels faster than one can say, 'Plans approved'. Announcements by the prime minister and tourism minister Ed Bartlett of huge investments in mega hotels with full casino gambling indicate that these will probably be opened for business in 2010, and will add close to 6,000 hotel rooms to the stock we already have.

The excuse that the Air Jamaica divestment cannot occur while the airspaces are being opened up to a prospective new airline, Airone, a low-cost, no-frills airline on which the typical Jamaican can afford to travel, is specious at best. First, both would be catering to different markets.
Air Jamaica (AJ) is still bleeding our pockets every time one of its planes touches down and takes off. It is still facing competition on its major routes from American Airlines (AA), the largest airline in the world.

The problem I have with the government of Jamaica retaining Air Jamaica is not just the drain on the public purse, but if we are being told that the government cannot look at granting Airone a licence as long as the AJ divestment is pending, it means that the people of Jamaica who cannot afford a flight on AJ are being held to ransom.

In other words, each day that AJ remains on the books of the Government of Jamaica it increases the tax take from the little man but it also denies him, his girlfriend and children international airline travel at rates he can afford as long as government slows up the process of granting Airone its licence.

This new low-cost airline would not just provide expanded capacity to and from Jamaica, it would also benefit the little lady who wants to travel to see more of her grandchildren in New York but who cannot afford J$35,000 to purchase a return ticket on Air Jamaica.

In addition, a low-cost, no-frills airline would likely have a quick turnaround and would force some of the other established airlines into offering much more than they would before.

Again I am asking that those in change bear these points in mind.

THE DELAYS WITH WACHOVIA

In another effort to respond to the many e-mails I have received from problem-plagued Olint club members regarding the due diligence being conducted by Wachovia Bank of Olint's business through its broker in the FX Trading business, I came across a publication that I would like to share with readers.

Remember now, Wachovia, one of the largest banks in America, has been conducting a due diligence exercise on Olint since earlier this year.
While I still believe that this due diligence will be completed in time to allow for all pending payouts from Olint by the end of May, it is of interest to note that Wachovia itself has not escaped the scrutiny of those overseeing its business practices.

A Bloomberg release on April 26 was titled, 'Wachovia is under renewed scrutiny after report on US probe. Said it, in part, "The Wall Street Journal reported today that Charlotte, North Carolina-based Wachovia is one of several large US banks that have drawn the attention of federal authorities for their relationships with remittance companies. The companies transmit an estimated US$50 billion a year to Latin America, mostly wages earned by immigrants to the US. The journal cited unidentified people familiar with the probe."

For an organisation like Wachovia, which is the fourth largest bank in America, to have Olint and its broker under an extended due diligence of nearly five months while it is being accused of 'poor oversight' is more than newsworthy. Said the article, 'The US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency said yesterday that Wachovia, the nation's fourth-largest bank by assets, will pay as much as US$144 million to settle claims that poor oversight allowed telemarketers and payment processors to withdraw millions of dollars from customers' accounts.

"It's pretty striking that Wachovia would face this kind of pretty bad publicity for two straight days,'' Carl Tobias, professor of law at the University of Richmond, said in an interview today.'

I am expecting that as Wachovia settles its own kinks, so will it complete the due diligence with Olint and its respective broker and allow normality to return.

JUSTICE DELAYED, DENIED AND PERVERTED

Many Jamaicans, especially those in the urban inner-city regions and in the rural areas, have lost faith in the ability of 'the system' to deliver that most desired of all states, justice.

It is not that poor Jamaicans no longer trust the courts. No, it is not as simple as that. Jamaicans, mostly the poor ones, have looked on at our justice system and they are now convinced that they are not very good players at the game.

They are convinced that they have to devise their own rules, because the rules of our justice system seem to fall outside of their understanding. They trust it, yes, but they somehow know that something is written between a line or, some fine-print or yes, a particular 'argument' is missing.

They know that justice does not come out of the fight between wrong and right in a courtroom. Rather it comes out of the 'smarts' of one lawyer over another, the arguing of 'finer points of law' over common sense and the ability of powerhouses to direct most of the affairs operating on the periphery.

So, the little lady whose daughter was raped goes to the don and the don has the rapists shot, or their arms and legs broken in places. A smarter man steals a man's land and the thief enjoys it and laughs at him. The man cannot beat the thief in court so he reverts to a hit man in an inner-city setting.

In time the small man understands the process. The court is for those who want to waste time and words. And a lot of money.

Unfortunately, sometimes the man believes that all that is left up to him is a sharp machete. Especially when he sees the rich and the infamous stepping pretty and free as a bird.

It is the way of the world. Not what you were taught in school.

observemark@gmail.com

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