THE EDITOR, Sir:
THE SPEED with which the infamous "Memorandum of Understanding" has disintegrated and the desperate lengths to which the unions (of all people) are going to try to resuscitate it are the clearest signs for those of us with eyes to see of the rotten state of the moral fibre of leadership in Jamaica at all levels.
I clearly recall hearing Lambert Brown on a radio programme at the time that news broke of the unions' agreement with the GOJ. He was being terrorised by callers who all appeared to be constituents of the various unions or at least affected workers and who were incredulous that their representatives would have signed such a one-sided document. I remember Lambert, under severe pressure, making an impassioned speech in which he predicted that he would be thanked for it in the future.
Don't hold your breath, Lammy. One caller summed up the feelings of the majority by labelling the document "memorandum of what?" and he couldn't have been more descriptive because, it failed to show any understanding. Clearly, there was no understanding by anyone of the mood of ordinary workers who are fed up to the hilt with leaders who live one life for themselves and ask us to live another type of life. There was no understanding of the fact of the thousand-year war started in Iraq even though the likely consequences were staring us all in the faces.
Up to the presentation of this year's annual comedy ("Budget Debate") there was no apparent appreciation of the current or likely future situation in the oil industry. There was no understanding of the imperative for business as usual to be replaced by fundamental change. I am going to give our political leaders, of whatever label, one last word of advice as there is unlikely to be time for a second. Change. Change the way you decide to spend our money. Let us decide. Change the way you flaunt the perks of "leadership" or, better still, give them up. Let us face the difficult economic and social struggles together. Stop setting lifestyle examples that we cannot follow.
At the very least, please pay all the taxes that we are asked to pay. Change this immoral system whereby Caesar proposes laws and Caesar approves them. Give our representatives real authority over the Cabinet.
I am, etc.,
GORDON ROBINSON
robinson@cwjamaica.com
69 Lady Musgrave Road
Kingston 10
Via Go-Jamaica
