THE EDITOR, Sir:

Why is The Gleaner bothering to publish the article 'The next 50 years: grow the economy' (Gleaner, December 6, 2012)? We all know that unless there is the political will, our so-called leaders, despite their often loud denials, 'buy' their votes. This has created the 'licky-licky' mentality we see everywhere in our society today.

People don't want to work. They have become lazy and are content to live off the little remittances they receive from abroad, and they also 'hustle' to make a little more because 'man haffi eat a food'. Indiscipline is the order of the day. We see taxis, buses, private motor cars on the road, sometimes in a condition which makes one wonder how they stay together, but nothing is done. Just more talk.

There is talk about the new Road Traffic Act. Who will enforce it? We already have a seat belt and helmet law and every day you can see people, sometimes with small children in their vehicles, wearing no seat belts, or motorcyclists wearing no helmets.

Politicians are fully aware that 'doing the right thing' means political suicide. As a result, they are unwilling to do so, because it means losing the perks which come with a seat in 'Club Gordon House'. Even more important to them, they will lose 'power'!

Our society is also morally bankrupt. Every day we read and hear about stories of violence and abuse against our citizens, especially teachers, women and defenceless children.

We are a nation of people with no backbone, unwilling to stand up and call politicians for exactly what they are, to FORCE them to do the right thing by the Jamaican people. We just sit and suck it up, and then, it seems, we ask for more.

Where is the accountability? Almost every day we see reports coming from the auditor general about the waste of taxpayers' money. I don't have a decent road to drive on, I can't afford a new car, I can't take my child to a hospital, and God knows, I wonder about the education she receives. Yet, it's OK to purchase new SUVs, regardless of the cost to the taxpayer, while critical parts of our country's infrastructure suffer.

I was born in 1962 right here in Jamaica. I was raised, educated and work here. I have never attended a school abroad and I have no degree. I am simply a man with a family, trying to make ends meet while taxes are EXTORTED monthly from my salary so that politicians can live high on the hog. All I want is for them to do the right thing. We put them there, but we don't seem to realise that we can remove them too.

BETRAYED JAMAICAN

jamaicabetrayed@gmail.com