Dear Editor,
In the run-up to the general election no political party has addressed the following issues with conviction – issues that are necessary prerequisites if our country is to move forward.
The country needs a policy on its mineral wealth – how much of it should be retained for future generations and how much of it should be exploited for the well-being of the current generation. Gold is a reserve and a store of value and this industry in my opinion should remain indigenous. Giving away our gold for a 5-8% royalty depending on international pricing is not only a sellout but a guarantee that the perpetual cycle of under-development and poverty of this nation will continue. Linden is a classic example. The wealth that flowed from Linden over the past sixty years has aided the development, particularly of Canada, but has left the people of Linden in a penurious state.
The decadence that has taken root in the country has become all pervading. It is this decadence that leads to domestic violence; it is this decadence that leads to drugs and alcohol; it is this decadence that stymies human development and the fact that our girls enter secondary school as children and leave as women. It is sad that one political party has used this pervading decadence to assist in promoting its rallies nationwide, as it appeals to the baser instincts of humanity of the nation to garner votes. Further, there is a positive correlation between decadence and labour productivity.
Then there is the city of Georgetown. Presumably the rulers can see beauty in squalor.
The management of our finances since independence has been a study of graft and corruption with it now reaching new heights. Then there is the question of our education system. The distribution of laptops is a positive but laptops in themselves will not promote academia as our students lack the basic foundation because of the failure of our primary and secondary schools to provide effective teaching. How many of our children are now leaving school with CXC certificates but are unable to read and write intelligibly?
These are some of the issues that I believe our political parties should have addressed in greater detail, so as to assist voters in helping them make an informed decision when they go out to cast their ballot.
Yours faithfully,
Mike Smith
