Dear Editor,

Sometimes I cannot help but wonder if the Jamaica Labour Party is a party for weird ideas. A few months ago, one of its senators called for limits to be placed on the number of children women can have. Now we have Delroy Chuck, who is supposed to be that party’s spokesperson on justice, calling for what amounts to be a type of classist-cleansing of some supposed depressed areas.

Obviously tired of seeing all of the poverty in the areas that he is aware of, Chuck is proposing that the poor people who live in some of the areas that he wants to be cleansed of the poor be repopulated with middle-income and rich people. His solution is for the State to buy the homes of those who now live in these areas.

I wonder if Chuck thinks any amount of money these people will get for their “depressed” properties can buy anything better. No amount of money that they get will be able to buy anywhere near where many of these people now live. So, Chuck’s so-called solution will create more problems.

The people who would be disposed of their homes would most likely have to move far from ‘Town’, as the value of their properties will not get them anywhere in ‘Town’. These people will then have to pay more for transport into town, where their lives are now tied up. This will further drive them into poverty.

More homeless people will put more pressure on the city. Actually, many of these homeless people will be forced to pack up near these “centres of heaven” that Chuck wants — creating more and not less eyesores.

I can understand Chuck’s desire to get rid of all of these poor people through his proposed classist-cleansing. Driving around in his SUV, the man must be very uncomfortable having to see the poor so often.

Anyway, isn’t it interesting that instead of proposing ways in which the “unsightly poor” can be empowered through a more enabling economic environment, and thus improve the conditions of these communities, the only solution that Chuck can come up with is the wholesale relocation of entire communities? Sounds “Hitlerish” to me!

Michael A Dingwall

michael_a_dingwall@hotmail.com