http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/ JamaicaObserver.com, the most concise and in-depth website for news coverage on Jamaica and the Caribbean. Updated daily 7 days a week, 24 hours a day en-us copyright Jamaica Observer, 2011 http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/editorial/Mr-Wright-s-query-is-legitimate It will be viewed in some quarters as ‘not the done thing”, but this newspaper believes Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) president Mr Lyndel Wright has acted correctly in urging the regional selectors to explain their policy towards leading Jamaican cricketers this season. Editorial Sat, 26 May 2012 02:05:06 GMT http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/editorial/The-JTA-must-act-to-redeem-itself_11542349 We note the statement by the Jamaica Teachers' Association (JTA) in response to this week's Sunday Observer lead story reporting on the union's move to defend a teacher convicted of a sex offence against one of his students. Editorial Fri, 25 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/editorial/Dr-Phillips-should-remind-us-why-the-PNP-won-the-elections_11530786 In this space yesterday, we urged Dr Peter Phillips, the finance minister and his Opposition counterpart, Mr Audley Shaw to put the future of Jamaica ahead of party politics. Today, Budget Day, we want to continue that discussion. Editorial Thu, 24 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/editorial/Budget-debate-is-about-Jamaica-s-future--not-JLP-and-PNP_11525389 THE gravity of economic problems facing the country and the crucial importance of the Budget to be presented by Dr Peter Phillips, the finance minister, tomorrow, require that this year's Budget debate be conducted as a constructive dialogue between the Government and the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP). Editorial Wed, 23 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/editorial/Designating-Mandeville-a-university-town-makes-sense_11518212 THE call by Mr Keith Smith, pro-chancellor of the International University of the Caribbean (IUC), for Mandeville to be officially recognised as a university/college town is indeed interesting and worthy of consideration. Editorial Tue, 22 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/editorial/A-tough-balancing-act_11513486 IT'S sad but true that sometimes in addressing the necessity of macro-economic stability and the achievement of targets deemed appropriate by multi-lateral lenders, economic planners, analysts and even policymakers downplay the immediate needs of the very poor. Editorial Mon, 21 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/editorial/Time-to-shift-from-austerity-to-growth-strategy_11512518 The G-8 countries met at Camp David in the United States yesterday with economic issues such as energy, debt, food security, bank regulation and trade topping their agenda. Editorial Sun, 20 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/editorial/Adopt-the-Grace-Foods-template_11502786 The support being given by corporate giants GraceKennedy to the sporting fraternity is commendable and patriotic. Editorial Sat, 19 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/editorial/Heed-Bishop-Gregory-s-advice_11494734 BISHOP Howard Gregory has always given us food for thought whenever he speaks and especially during the years he penned a weekly column for the Sunday Observer. Editorial Fri, 18 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/editorial/Now-you-re-talking--Mr-Christie_11490615 WE have, in this space, what you might loosely call a love-hate relationship with the Office of the Contractor General (OCG) and its boss, Mr Greg Christie. Editorial Thu, 17 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/editorial/Gov-t-must-use-tax-policy--fiscal-expenditure-to-reduce-income-inequality_11481827 THE unabated global economic crisis, with the resultant fallout experienced in our domestic economy, has severely limited the prospects for growth of the Jamaican economy. Editorial Wed, 16 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/editorial/JPS-s-first-task-is-rebuilding-trust_11467387 JUST over one week ago, new Jamaica Public Service CEO Mrs Kelly Tomblin, having spent just over a month listening to the various stakeholders in JPS, particularly its customers and employees, revealed to the Observer Monday Exchange that she had never seen an electricity company facing such a difficult and complex set of challenges. Editorial Tue, 15 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/editorial/Complete-the-circle-of-Independence_11460923 THE nagging, annoying, embarrassing feeling that as a country we have let ourselves down very badly by continuing to maintain constitutional and legal links with the British monarchy, 50 years after the declaration of political independence, haunts many Jamaicans. Editorial Mon, 14 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/editorial/Carib-should-take-damaging-rum-subsidies-to-WTO_11456968 CONVENTIONAL economic wisdom advises developing countries to accept the erosion of preferential trade arrangements and seize the opportunities offered in the global economy by exporting. Editorial Sun, 13 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/editorial/Pressure-in-an-Olympic-year_11454070 The London Olympics in August are still a distance away, so it would be premature to draw hard conclusions on the basis of form this early in the international track season. Editorial Sat, 12 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/editorial/Nice-move-to-encourage-Jamaicans-to-vacation-at-home THE 60 entities that have signed on to participate in this year's 'Experience Jamaica Campaign' should be commended. So, too, should the Ministry of Tourism, the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) and the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) for organising the promotion, which was first staged in 2009. Editorial Fri, 11 May 2012 14:52:04 GMT http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/editorial/More-tax-raids--yes--but-more-finesse-too--TAJ_11433246 THE court of public opinion, in our view, is not the best place to resolve the contretemps between the Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) and Digicel. Indeed, the matter is now before the courts. Hence we will restrict ourself to only what we deem needs to be said at this time. Editorial Thu, 10 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/editorial/What-would-we-do-without-PetroCaribe-_11422941 DURING the last two days, Caricom governments participated in the United Nations-sponsored conference on Achieving Energy for All Small-Island Developing States in Barbados, as preparation for the June 20-22 UN conference in Rio de Janiero. This comes in face of the spectre of the possible phasing out of PetroCaribe. Editorial Wed, 09 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/editorial/Why-Monsieur-Sarkozy-became-a-one-term-president A lot of column inches and airtime will, we assume, be utilised over the next few days analysing the electoral defeat of French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Sunday. Editorial Tue, 08 May 2012 03:19:24 GMT http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/editorial/Are-these-the-leaders-of-tomorrow-_11415003 We hope that by now the University of the West Indies (UWI) students who protested against being barred from examinations last week would have reflected on their boorish behaviour and are feeling some sense of remorse. Editorial Mon, 07 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/editorial/Politics-of-appointing-and-recalling-our-diplomats_11413702 On Thursday, we cautioned in this space against washing our dirty linen in public over the issue of recalling our diplomats, consequent on a change of Government. Editorial Sun, 06 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/editorial/Look-what-we-have-come-to-_11411178 We ask your forgiveness as we dwell in a bit of nostalgia, but we believe it is necessary at this time, given the scathing comments in the English press on the eve of the West Indies tour of England. Editorial Sat, 05 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/editorial/Bloodied--but-unbowed---the-splendid-example-of-Mr-Gavin-Myers THE natural reaction of most people to the brutal beating inflicted on Mr Gavin Myers, the dean of discipline at Aabuthnott Gallimore High School in St Ann, would be for the authorities to severely punish the five boys involved. Editorial Fri, 04 May 2012 06:11:34 GMT http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/editorial/Just-so-we-don-t-wash-our-dirty-linen-in-public_11395631 WE have taken note of the Opposition's call on the Government to justify its reasons for recalling several foreign mission heads in the four months since it took office in January this year. Editorial Thu, 03 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/editorial/Tsunami--If-we-fail-to-prepare--then-we-prepare-to-fail_11386638 IT is not widely known, but because the Caribbean is a region vulnerable to earthquakes and strong hurricanes there is a distinct possibility of a tsunami hitting us. Such an event would have a devastating effect on the 40-million inhabitants of our low-lying region. Editorial Wed, 02 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT