The Editor, Sir:

I shudder and despair when I read things like this in the newspapers - I quote from a recent issue of "Hospitality Jamaica" issue of today: "... the developers (of another large Spanish hotel) have agreed to comply (with environmental concerns) where possible and assured the community that their fears would be channelled to the appropriate persons and organisations and this means government persons and organisations with a view of addressing them amicably."

To me, and I am sure, to many others who are watching the rapid destruction of all Jamaica's natural beauty and life by greed, this seemingly pacifying statement translates roughly as "It's going to be built, just like many others, all over this gullible and stupid little island, and to hell with the environment and anything else that tries to get in the way - and you can always go to your NEPA person or whoever, because they are already programmed as to what to say and do, and how to deal with any dissidents."

They will make no effort

Since the developers have "agreed to comply where possible" then obviously, where it is "not possible," they need not comply. And since compliance is a nuisance and a setback for these impatient and aggressive developers, then they certainly will make no effort to comply, as it is really not necessary - because our pathetic little Jamaican laws have no teeth.

Jamaica is being trashed irreparably right before our eyes, as we let this kind of contemptuous foreign (and local) dismissal of our real concerns, pass right over us while we sit and watch it happen. The limit of large coastal environmentally destructive development has been passed. Jamaica is being sold out and destroyed - who or what is to stop it?

I am, etc.,

SADAN TAYAD