I agree fully with the views expressed by Richard Core in his letter to The Sunday Gleaner concerning the tax package.

My main problem with this Government which I supported in the last election - is that they did not give it to us right after they came into office. Machiavelli's advice to the Prince when taking over new territory was to carry out harsh measures immediately, as people tend to have short memories and will forget or ignore past atrocities. However, when they are carried out piecemeal, the people will always be reminded.

This might surprise most people, but I do not regard the package as being tough enough. Since we cannot limit the importation of cars, we ought to make it more difficult to own them by raising the licence fee. Encourage people to walk or use public transportation as much as possible. Send children to neighbourhood schools and develop car pools and eventually a school-bus system. Think of the savings we would make on our energy bill!

Unpleasant truths

Raise the property tax on very large single-family dwellings. Too much money is invested in non-productive concrete structures. I think it was the late Eli Matalon who once said that Jamaicans have an "edifice complex".

These were the sorts of things that I expected the prime minister to start talking about from day one, after he came to office. These are the sorts of things I expected to hear the opposition leader speak about now. Ironically, she is probably more capable of selling the unpleasant truths to us than is anyone else I can think of. But she and her party seem entrenched in Peronist populism.

I am, etc.,

R HOWARD THOMPSON

roi_anne@hotmail.com

Mandeville

Manchester