Dear Editor,

Our government - not the International Monetary Fund - has made three proposals that will enable us to draw down on much-needed aid, if we fulfil them. But with the passing of hurricane Sandy, it seems the government is expecting that the IMF will have sympathy on us and postpone the commitment we made.

This is unlikely because Jamaica's middle-income status will not allow world bodies to look more favourably on us, not when there are so many countries that have slipped below us. It is not that we have moved up; others have fallen below us.

At a glance, and not getting a true reflection, some people might believe that Jamaicans are wealthy. If we juxtapose the performance of our athletes along with living standards of our leaders in both the public and private sectors, the impression created would be wrong.

It is only when we have natural disasters like hurricane Sandy that the nasty underbelly of poverty and degradation is fully exposed. That is when the full glare of the camera focuses on the gut-churning poverty of a place like Majesty Gardens. The true picture becomes a reality and the charade of "Jamaica no problem" is dispelled. If we are indeed the happiest people in the world then we probably belong in a mental asylum.

Mark Clarke

Siloah, St Elizabeth

mark_clarke9@yahoo.com