Dear Editor,

I have lived all my life in Jamaica, from colonial rule to Independence, from Sir Alexander Bustamante to Mrs Portia Simpson Miller, and in all those years I have never seen so many beggars on the streets. Worse yet, the most alarming feature is that they are mostly young men.

A lot of people, whom I am sure are politically connected, are claiming that Jamaica is better off since gaining Independence in 1962. This is arrant nonsense. The very little that has been achieved is a direct result of global development.

Some people point to the cellphone as one of our achievements, but as far as I know we have not even produced the plastic holder for the phone, while others who are desperately trying to find one thing that Jamaica is doing today keep harping about our success at the Olympic Games. But I would like to remind them that we have been winning gold and silver medals since 1948

I also wish to point out that in 1962, $0.78 could buy US$1.00 and in that year too we were the leading bauxite producers in the world.

Ken Spencer

KIngston 8

ken3_1999@yahoo.com