We are optimistic for Andrew Holness. His seeks to be a bridge generation, one which saw the putrid politics of the past and can do things differently. We applaud his many announcements, but are distressed by his penchant for old politics and scorched-earth policies.

Jamaica is skewered on the global corruption index, yet politician’s entitlements are in-your-face. His promises are delivered at high cost and bring hardship on all to help a few. Men of noblesse oblige are not insecure and change tack as new data emerges, so he should embrace more credible analyses and, as merited, share victory with the Opposition — good governance is a relay, not a sprint.

To get rich on a politician’s salary is rare talent and, like Seaga, he should be finance minister too, as Shaw is thought to handle personal finances as well as he does his ministry phone. Sir, embrace common sense, not ego; listen and decide.

A year and a half has gone and national optimism is tested. Prime Minister Andrew Holness announced some good stuff and the jury is still out, but he passed up chances to burnish his halo for zero tolerance of ‘risqué’ conduct by his ministers. Will he pull up his socks for midterm or must we wait on Peter Philips for decency in public office?

Big ideas are great, but details to make them work is lacking. The tax threshold promise was a desperate act. We were assured of zero impact — now we all pay through the nose an $8-billion price tag to aid the few earning over $1.5million; not fair! Imagine the joy if the $30 billion was used as subsidy to the employed masses at under $50,000 a month to create a national “living wage”. Holness would have made history for a higher purpose.

Then five per cent growth in 16 quarters is marvellous, but we have had growth without jobs before, so give us data. To track progress we need data on jobs, imports, exports; investment, food and manufacture output; house starts; criminals caught, guns seized. Holness should have the growth council prove success by these quarterly data. What gets measured gets done!

The zones of special operations (ZOSO) is old wine in old bottles with new labels; no internal logic, just war-zone tactics watered down like homeopathic remedies. “Clear, hold, build” is in war, not police work. We have no “insurgents”. It didn’t work in Brazil; used in Tivoli (minus the name) at least twice, and the “build” from 2010 (cash, interventions, goods) is not over. Is the lesson burn police stations, raise hell, and get a flood of public money or live quietly in your area and starve? Not fair!

Consider the reality on “clearing” Tivoli in 2010: How many criminals were among the 75 killed? Of the 700 detained, how many were tried? They had USA P-3 Orion air support with high-definition video, so of 500 gang leaders massed to defend Dudus how many were caught? Brute force is blunt and random, so innocents are cleared too; so, as police have no new investigative assets, expect no mass trials. Friends, I take no pleasure in this, but buy attack dogs, a legal gun, machete, defend your kids, as when you poke nests wasps scatter. Beverly Hills is not safe. ZOSO is marked for failure. Selah.

Holness publicly excoriated People’s National Party ministers for vehicular indiscretions yet quietly buys new SUVs for Jamaica Labour Party ministers. The use of a “bushing” project to build private fortunes is what the Office of the Contractor General calls a “corruption-enabling mechanism”, and even grass has legs as “Samuda denies corruption in planting Mombasa grass on his farm”. Did you think buying used cars for lawmen would be so opaque? So why should poor people “gi weh dem criminal bredren” to Babylon? Holness is in pole position to single-handedly rectify the corruption perception index.

Normally we tend to see the best of a new Cabinet early, so we expected no hint of corruption. We want new ideas, technology to curb crime, and no one should raid the public purse this soon — repent! We expected more self-reliance; export to buy imports; leverage commercial acumen, natural and human resources; and alliances with big markets. Do you think a firm like LASCO put in the largest, most modern factory in the region to serve us alone? Cabinet must act.

Japan imported materials to become a production powerhouse using its human capital. Manufacturing is not dead. Cabinet can revive it fast and get growth with jobs. A single market or protocol with the Dominican Republic, massive markets such as Nigeria or South Africa-rich nations with several national and state airlines, hundreds of private planes, ships to enable transport, and we are loved. We trade with distant China and Japan, so why not Africa, where hundreds of millions need basic goods we can produce in volume?

We are tired of an Independence which has us beholden to others. We hear our leaders are waiting on US President Donald Trump’s policy for Jamaica with fear and trembling. Why wait? Let’s set our own policy for America; when their policy for us is written we can talk. We do not see the skills, acumen and values we expect of youth in politics after large investment. Holness is the first fruit, so he must be transparent, smart, tech savvy, or youth in politics will be branded inept and self-serving.

Holness must exit the echo chamber and take good advice from whoever so your plans are set out in granular detail and work; don’t fire a minister, but discipline him for risqué conduct to assure us that appearance of corruption is on your agenda. Right now the stench reaches to high heaven. Stay conscious!

Franklin Johnston, D Phil (Oxon), is a strategist and project manager. Send comments to the Observer or franklinjohnstontoo@gmail.com.