Delroy Chuck

The love of the poor, so eloquently claimed by misguided and visionless politicians, should not extend to keeping them poor, or making more people poor. Poverty is not a blessing. It is a curse, from which good and caring leaders should extricate their followers. Yet, in Jamaica, we revere poverty instead of prosperity and, in spite of claims to the contrary, more people seem to fall below the poverty bar.

For hundreds of thousands of ordinary Jamaicans, the daily challenge to find food, secure comfortable shelter, avoid gunmen and other criminals, and give thanks to survive another day is real and, too often, insurmountable. For these Jamaicans, especially in the deteriorating inner cities or the forgotten rural areas, there is little hope of a better life - gambling, a visa or the life hereafter become their main hope. Even the few who live in comfort and secure surroundings cannot truly enjoy life and display any happiness with so much hardship, suffering and deprivation everywhere.

Is it any wonder that a vision of Jamaica to make it the place of choice to raise families, live, work and do business sounds so wonderful when such a vision is easily the raison d'tre of every civilised community and nation? Is the Planning Institute of Jamaica - which is promoting this vision - not admitting that at present Jamaica is not a civi-lised nation and certainly not a place of choice for even Jamaicans to call home? Surely, a vision of Jamaica should go beyond the ordinary and not merely a commonplace vision to be achieved in 23 years, or by 2030. Yet, we must be thankful that at last our planners want us to become a civilised place!

Struggling to make ends meet

Perhaps the Planning Institute is right and we should take stock of Jamaica and acknowledge that most Jamaicans are struggling to make ends meet. These are the same Jamaicans who are denied a productive life and the opportunities for success, happiness and prosperity but given the opportunity, do so well abroad. When we think of our nurses, teachers, police, secretaries, civil servants and many others, they are the foundation and bedrock of our nation but most are barely surviving. Given a choice, most would readily ply their vocation elsewhere and are busily seeking opportunities to work in North America and the rest of the Caribbean.

Interestingly, the present Government has deluded many of these government workers into thinking and believing it cares, even while they struggle and barely survive on their monthly salaries. In truth, it is a crying shame and utterly disgraceful to see what nurses, teachers, police and civil servants take home in their monthly pay packet. Many hustle, borrow and beg to survive daily. How many of these government workers can afford a home in a decent community or own and maintain a decent car? In spite of salary increases, inflation has eroded workers' purchasing power. When government workers cannot live decently, it makes life even harder for the rest of the society, as frustrated and discontented nurses, teachers, police and civil servants cannot discharge their duties properly.

Short supply of opportunities

With jobs and opportunities in short supply or non-existent, the fear of losing one's job is real and frightening. Nowadays, the PNP propagandists are busily spreading fear and concern among civil servants that they will lose their jobs if the JLP is elected to government. It is a lie. The history of JLP governments is not to destroy jobs but to create new ones and open up choices an even to those workers already well placed.

Truly, if Jamaica is to become a good and worthwhile place to live, work and retire, we need a vision of production, prosperity and peace. Jamaicans need more than bare survival and demand the opportunities to live well, elegantly and successfully, and with all the trappings of a modern, civilised society.