THE EDITOR, Sir:
THE EDITORIAL of June 23, shares a common thread with Mr. Peter Espeut and Mr. Delroy Chuck's articles appearing on the same day. It should not be that it is beyond the competence of the local authorities to maintain an acceptable level of public sanitation. But as Mr. Espeut points out, it seems that the authority of those who are supposed to be doing 'what' has been usurped. Mr. Chuck adds that a splendid way of avoiding responsibility is to obfuscate who has responsibility for 'what'.
It's a systemic problem. Elected or otherwise, it's rare that public servants accept responsibility for anything gone awry. How difficult can it be to determine which entities have responsibility for what aspects of public sanitation and under whose direction these entities fall? Still, as creative as they may (or may not) be, Parish Councils can't be effective if they don't have the resources to do so. They aren't really in a position to influence how resources are allocated in the divisions they represent. It's the Central Government that determines how much will be spent on public sanitation.
The Government bureaucracy needs to be rationalised and someone needs to explain why with the public servant wage bill consuming over 60 per cent of the (after debt) budget the perception is that such a low level of public service is being rendered. Since citizens are obliged to dispose of their garbage pursuant to regulations under the National Solid Waste Management Act, it should be incumbent on the authorities to facilitate proper disposal of waste. No doubt, the business community would be performing a civic duty and doing themselves a favour by encouraging the maintenance of a clean environment. But they can only act in tandem with the authorities, not in lieu of them.
With the notable exception of Mayor Desmond McKenzie, too many excuses are being offered, too little achievements are being made and too many people in authority are abdicating their responsibilities. It is no wonder so many people have so little regard for, and confidence in the system. While I also advocate constitutional reform and would like to see it pursued in a deliberate and contentious manner, no amount of reform is going to address the levels of irresponsibility and ineptitude of too many in Government.
I am, etc.,
ADLAI BROWNE
adlaib@yahoo.com
Cary, North Carolina
Via Go-Jamaica
