Editorial – December 7, 2012 :
There is always the deliberation of taking into consideration ‘your priorities’. The words Montserrat has heard since mid-1995. That language should have changed since May of 1996. What is easy to imagine, that no one has ever asked of those who had to step in to pick up the losses, ‘please tell us what you perceive those should be’?
This raises nothing new to what we have been suggesting for a very long time, only in different ways. That Montserrat will never climb out of the woes that befall the grave in which continually finds itself unless some even discussions take place, geared to restitution of those losses. Absolutely nothing else will work.
When anything the magnitude of losing a complete portion of the existence of a country, not just a hurricane, flood or such like, where you can dust off and “rebuild”, the conversation and the discussions have to be completely different, and yes, skillful. But when that cannot be done on a level playing field there comes problems. Is that where we are? Isn’t it about time for some cleansing?
Recently we have repeatedly recommended usually in the negative sense while using these same words, that sincerity, integrity and honesty be the hallmark of the negotiations that ensue between Her Majesty’s Government, local government of Montserrat and its people. There are obvious reasons, not well known and much less understood, why this is so, but there are those who well know but would rather bury their heads and jump ship when they think it expedient and safe so to do.
What really is saddening is the number of people who fit that category, because they are the small enough numbers who have great control, so that nothing happens. Add public servants, believed to be 75% of the working population and just because they pay, perhaps the bigger slice of the revenue collected through taxes, their conduct and their attitude will control things. How does that influence the lack of results in their reform that has been taking place for between ten to fifteen years?
This discussion will inevitably lead to an economic one that is becoming more and more urgent. Those people who know the obstacles to that discussion must raise their consciousness, stop being counted as the selfish and the greedy, and think of their families, wherever they may be, because restoration will come and someone will pay.
It is an abomination, the behavior of some of those in authority and in power who do not exercise it with love and decency, who can stand up and say that their actions are for the good of all and in no way mere persecution to those who dare to object to their actions. That will not be forever tolerated.
The advent of plans for the development at Little Bay, port and town centre, the restructuring of MDC (Montserrat Development Corporation) should see a better thrust at bringing the people and residents of Montserrat to understand and much more, to believe in the possibilities. Any attempt to deny just living that do not hinder the development, such as the treatment meted out to a single family entity, especially when it is no hindrance to anyone else is to be rejected and discouraged in clear terms.
We hope that if the matter becomes necessary to be reported, it will be to shower commonsense to some aspect of how we plan to move this land forward in however small the step.
We have hinted before that the undesirable events that seem to be overtaking our thoughts are not at all the simple terms used to explain them, but rather the result of a condition that exists and is already like a cancer or more aptly, a disease that is contagious.
The Festival 50 season seems to nearing top fever, and even with the more reasoned 1,500 to 2,000 people that might visit the island for the occasion, there will be nothing more desirable than that the experiences of residents will have changed and it all will be worth remembering.
