THE EDITOR, Sir:
THE PARTISAN nature of Jamaican life seems to make public servants open to all kind of frivolous attacks. PM Patterson is supposed to have spent $420,000 on a five-day trip. I have been a business and private traveller now for many years and I must congratulate the PM on his extreme frugality.
The only way he could have achieved it would be to travel with a very small group. He probably had all his meals as guest of his host and did not entertain much himself. He may have also been provided with a car.
I fly between Stockholm and Helsinki quite often on business and if I return the same day it would cost about $100,000. The longer I stay the lower the daily cost.
Time is very important; I must use a taxi everywhere I go. If my stop is short I may want to keep it waiting. There are people I may need to give a gift or invite to a meal. Someone who otherwise could not meet with me may do so over lunch since they had to eat anyway. I may need to rent additional space at my hotel for meetings or linking with my office.
I must travel business class since a meeting can run longer than expected and I need to be able to rebook my flight. A city like London, Tokyo or New York is even more expensive.
Do we want our PM when representing us to stay at a bed and breakfast, ride the subway and eat at McDonald's?
I am, etc.,
DOREEN MCGANN
doreenmcgann@netscape.net
Järfälla, Sweden
Via Go-Jamaica
