Dear Editor,

Government is that neutral party that extracts from private citizens their share of resources needed to furnish the country with its necessary amenities – health, education, security and other services, including water, power, and roads.

It is critical that government ministers portray themselves as good stewards, because their performances will determine the quality of life citizens will enjoy. We are duly concerned about their associations with questionable elements. We are concerned about whose interest they enter into contractual arrangements because it always costs us. We are concerned about matters such as the Cuban light bulb misappropriation, the Finsac saga, the Coke and Manatt, Phelps and Phillips affair and the many other indiscretions of public officials. Whatever they do costs us financially, socially and otherwise.

We breathe a sigh of relief whenever we hear from Greg Christie and we certainly hope that he’s being duly diligent in digging up the facts of certain officials’ carryings on. I do not know that we are saying that there should not be a difference of opinion between the OCG and the DPP. We probably would prefer not to know. But doesn’t the accused at least get the chance of feeling that they are being given due process? But what about the embarrassment, especially if you are innocent? So maybe the manner of communication could be dressed up. But, ohh, the vigilance should be unrelenting.

We are often flummoxed that for a country so pregnant with skills and abilities, we have not made any greater headway in delivering to the average Jamaican the quality of life we are clearly capable of. When we write I don’t believe we take issue with individuals per se, even though we call names. The names are only representative of a condition we are concerned about and are incidental. Names also allow for easy identification of the issue being dealt with.

We are aware that it will take more than a government to move a country forward. It will also take private interests to act with heart as well. So whereas the Jamaica Debt Exchange programme was intended to be borne by the government creditors, the costs are being redeemed from the consumer who always bears the cost, it seems. We would have thought that the spirit of the JDX was that in a depressed economy the banks would understandably earn less. But…

Perhaps, we should be instructed by Obama’s landmark health-reform programme. Or maybe we should learn from the Digicel/Lime (Cable and Wireless) phenomenon. Something must be done to break free from the stronghold of these commercial banks.

We should not begrudge politicians’ earnings. They should be well paid because our expectations of them are high. And if they fail to deliver they should go.

Charles Evans

Mandeville, Manchester

charles.evans@ncu.edu.jm