There have been several postings about the need to 'buy local'. Please let us not classify this as just another topic when, in fact, this is a crisis. Only when we can recognise it as such can it be addressed with the proper course of actions.

We need to post it on signs, television, and even in the lyrics of our entertainment performers. We need to explore all possible avenues of exposure to the crisis. We Jamaicans are being baited into traps of dependency, and we have to do something before it is too late.

Trading is important, and is needed in all economies. The problem is, we are importing/buying products which we can produce locally. Also, we are not exporting or producing what we are capable of. We need to have a sense on nationalism more than ever.

- Sean Smith

sean@sqladmins.com

St. Elizabeth

I do hope that Air Jamaica is not sold to Caribbean Airlines as that would spell disaster for regional air travel.

As there is no competition for Caribbean Airlines it is now cheaper to fly to New York from a place like Barbados, than to Jamaica. Trinidad and Tobago has extensive business interests in Jamaica and they are right now operating two daily flights some days into Jamaica. The traffic clearly demonstrates that there is a need for more than one daily flight to Jamaica.

When BWIA was rebranded as Caribbean Airlines, it promptly reduced flights to Barbados, which is the hub of the eastern Caribbean. In order to travel from Barbados to Miami, one has to take a Caribbean Airlines flight to Trinidad, stay overnight (at your own expense) and then be flown to Miami. Air Jamaica stepped in and filled the breach as that arrangement was ridiculous. Now persons just travel to North America more often by American Airlines.

It would be a tragedy for Caribbean Airlines to have a monopoly on inter-regional air travel.

- Maria Walker

donnam 0707@yahoo.com

Christ Church

Barbados