Latoya Grindley, Features Writer

Claudie Smith sits outside a bar in Christiana, North East Manchester, while the minister of finance and the public service, Audley Shaw, opened the 2008/2009 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives on Thursday.- Colin Hamilton/freelance photographer

Seated in front of a bar in Christiana, North East Manchester, 76-year-old Claudie Smith stared out at the moving cars while the Budget presentation of Finance Minister Audley Shaw blared from a television set behind him on Thursday afternoon.

Shaw, who calls himself 'Man a Yaad', is also the member of parliament for North East Manchester.

But not even that was enough to spark Smith's interest as the finance minister outlined how he would fund the Budget.

"Me? No sah! Weh me a listen that for? What him a say me sure can't help me," said Smith. "Look how things a raise up. It don't make no sense listen nutten," he said.

Smith said he was quite displeased with the current happenings in Jamaica.

"Me is a farmer and I can't even afford fi buy manure. I seriously did think things would be better," he continued.

Earlier on Job Lane, a predominantly Jamaica Labour Party community, there was relative quiet as most people were at work.

However, at a shop in the community, Phillip Bramo was watching television.

eager

When The Gleaner team visited, he was watching the West Indies-Sri Lanka one-day cricket match and was anticipating the start of Shaw's Budget presentation. He was eager to hear how the Government would be funding all its plans.

"They win on promises and so they must deliver," he instructed. "I want to hear what him say because I know a serious revolution going happen."

Throughout the constituency, there were similar sentiments. But the majority of the people interviewed thought the Budget presentation would signal the beginning of harder times for Jamaica, so they opted not to listen to Shaw's presentation.

The minority said they considered the Budget presentation to be very important and informative. However, unfortunately for some, because of other obligations like work, they did not have the time to hear the presentation.

latoya.grindley@gleanerjm.com