THE EDITOR, Sir:
AS A resident of Portmore I have participated in and followed with interest the debates and discussions surrounding the construction of the Portmore leg of Highway 2000, culminating in the decision of the courts to reject the arguments of the Portmore residents. What I have come to realise, having been to most of the meetings held, is that there is a total absence of leadership in the new municipality.
If leadership existed and good sense prevailed, residents would have been made to understand that development comes with some dislocation and fellow residents ought not be so narrow in their view as not see the greater good.
I dare say that residents in Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, Negril and other tourist areas give up the best beaches because the tourist industry redounds to the benefit of all Jamaica. People in the bauxite mining areas of Manchester, Clarendon and St. Ann surrender absolute tranquility and live with a scarred landscape because the bauxite industry redounds to the benefit of the rest of Jamaica.
If true leadership existed in Portmore, when it became apparent that the Government and the developers feared the filing of court action and were prepared to have discussions, their time, energy and money should have been expended on trying to limit the toll rates to be charged.
Now that the courts have decided, all negotiating strengths have been removed and we are now left to the whim of the developers. The vocal few and political opportunists will now have more media time to spout their nonsense about toll rates, not toll roads.
I am, etc.,
ANTHONY BARROWS
anthonybarrows@hotmail. com
Bridgeport,
St. Catherine
