THE EDITOR, Sir:
IN THE Sunday, August 25, 2002, New York Times an article was published captioned "Owners of Malibu Mansions Cry, This sand is My Sand". I find this a very timely article since I have stated many times that the Jamaican Government needs to rethink its policy about making so much of our shoreline private and in fact it should have all the beachfront revert to public land.
When I was in the Town Planning Department, most of the seaside subdivisions were passed with the provision that the seashore was reserved for public use. Now hardly a yard of sand is accessible for the local public unless you pay to go through some unfriendly resort area. And after you access the shore you are watched like a stranger.
Malibu is a very wealthy area in California. The mansion owners along the beachfront are protesting public access to the beach in front of their property. Several groups oppose these owners violently and in some cases have taken the Government and these property owners to court saying that these pieces of beach front are the "people's" intrinsic right.
I can see this happening soon in Jamaica. I hope the people and the government do something to take back these pieces of beachfront for our people and have this glorious heritage when we could go to a beach anywhere returned to us.
I am, etc.,
CALFORD SCOTT
Caldsc@aol.com
Brooklyn, New York
Via Go-Jamaica
