Dear Editor,

Anything you can do, I can do better. It is an unfortunate scenario for any country when those elected to lead a country are all too busy with competing and outdoing each other.

I was taken aback recently when an intellectual justified his support for purchasing of luxury vehicles based on how previous administrations operated. It is my opinion that all this is just a nice way of doing what we do best – handing out to make everybody happy.

Unfortunately, all classes are entrapped in this web, from the lower class to the upper class. The man who gets two sheets of zinc from his MP to the contractor who receives major contracts. We are all aware that politicians love to be loved, sometimes even walking the thin fabric of the law to continue their Romeo and Juliet affair with the people.

A most recent search of the Access to Information Act revealed that between September 2008 and November 2009 several luxury vehicles, including a high-end Toyota Land Cruiser, were procured by key MPs of the JLP. No problem, mon, after all, they had been driving Corollas for 18 years, so why not start live up some life now? Not to be outdone, the real dappers are now in power and as one artist said, “a my time fi shine now.”

Dr Damien King of the University of the West Indies recently commented, “We are trapped in a vicious cycle of handouts…breaking out of this mould required stand-out leadership.” I could not care less what colour, race, political party is in power, all I am asking is for our leaders to lead by example and be frugal and efficient in their lifestyles. In particular, in light of the current economic context, wherein civil servants are faced with wage freeze and by extension a cut in their purchase choices. The constant referral to the modus operandi of previous administrations must stop. The time for a paradigm shift in leadership is now.

Richard Longmore

London, England

richardlongmore@yahoo.com