I read recently in your newspaper that Ed Bartlett, minister of tourism, had announced that millions of dollars had been allocated to his ministry to fund various beautification schemes.

These beautification schemes usually mean one of two things: either painting the roadside kerbs yellow or sending out an army of men and women armed with machetes and bush whackers, who then proceed to chop down every vestige of vegetation in the area allotted to them.

$50 million for fern gully

One particular item in Bartlett's announcement, however, really caught my eye: $50 million had been allocated to the beautification of Fern Gully - yes, Fern Gully. How in the world do you spend $50 million beautifying one of the most beautiful natural phenomena in the world, with the sunrays peeking down through the canopy of magnificent trees and the profusion of ferns which line the road?

We are going to the International Monetary Fund with our hand stretched out while planning to spend $50 million on Fern Gully. I just don't get it!

I am, etc.,

JAMES H.SNEAD

snead@cwjamaica.com

P.O.Box 267

Montego Bay