What bitter medicine?
Published:Saturday | April 27, 2013 | 12:00 AM
THE EDITOR, Sir:
Please permit me to ask what bitter medicine our politicians spoke about that citizens of this country would have to swallow in order to see change in this country. I am afraid that 50 more years will come and this country will still be awaiting our politicians to come clean with us.
One gets the impression from Opposition Leader Andrew Holness' Budget presentation on Thursday, April 25 that what the Jamaica Labour Party spoke about while on the campaign trail in the lead-up to the 2011 general election was the 'multicolour chewable vitamins', and not the bitter medicine which dominated the political campaign.
The People's National Party, when in Opposition, opposed the free health-care system because of its drain on the public hospitals and the diminishing level of quality health care. Yet, it has been nearly two years and all we have heard is a study to be carried out to ascertain its usefulness.
Everybody wants to talk about the poor and the most vulnerable in the society, and I was beginning to believe there was genuine care until I heard the various presentations during this Budget Debate. Let us face it: If this country wants to move forward, our current politicians must undertake serious measures to fix this ailing economy.
The private sector best knows about tough decisions because it knows what would be at stake if it does not undertake serious measures to restructure their companies.
The question then is: Why is it that our leaders are speaking of a road paved with gold and honey?
Madam Prime Minister, please, when you speak next week in Parliament, tell the people the truth: that things are going to be rough before it gets better. If you do just that, you would have left a legacy for many to emulate.
KAMAL GILZENE
Kingston 6