Dear Editor,

Did David Simmons, who chaired the commission of enquiry into the 2010 security forces operation in Tivoli Gardens, urge political leaders to commit to ending the allocation of Government’s and political parties’ resources to dons in order to reduce the influence of these people?

Hold on!

The commissioner does not realise that the tables turned long ago; dons have become independent of politicians and it is now the politicians who need the dons — not the other way around. The advice should be given in the reverse.

Commissioner, you are the best we have had but you need to spend more time on the street with us and then you will really know what’s going on.

Sir David, if a contract is to be given and the don in the area does not give his/her blessing, it cannot go on in peace; so you have to negotiate with the ‘big man dem’ for it to get done at all or in time.

Sir David should ask for information on the refurbishing of the Kingston Public Hospital not so long ago and he may well get a lesson in don influence and management in Jamaica. Today, dons are like criminal executive officers (CEOs) of any corporate organisation.

It is a chicken and egg situation now; you have the eggs they hatched and you get more chickens coming home to roost, producing more eggs. A cycle that was started decades ago has now been developed, embedded, and deeply rooted into garrison political DNA and economics.

Who can suggest a practical way out of this quagmire?

Michael Spence

Liguanea PO, St Andrew

micspen2@hotmail.com