THE EDITOR, Sir:

This whole issue of a debate between the Prime Minister and the Opposition leader seems to be causing quite a stir in some quarters. I would like to consider myself as a patriotic Jamaican and personally I see no problem with a constructive debate between the two parties.

I would like to hear from both leaders and other members of their team how we are going to move this country forward. This information will only serve to help us Jamaicans make a constructive decision on election day. For too long we have been promised growth and development and to date what we are getting is lost jobs, increase in crime, financial instability, moral decay and lack of respect for oneself and others.

Take the quality of music that one is subjected to both in private and public places, the quality of service given by the governmental institutions, our educational framework, our transportation system, to name a few, and you will realize the level to which we have deteriorated. Is there development? Yes, I see highways, hotels, large houses but I also see increases in heartless crime, moral decay, lack of education for those who can't pay for it, increase in the cost of living, increase in unemployment and we could go on. The fact is the negative outweighs the positive by far.

If we were on the path of development financially and otherwise then why are our most qualified graduates and professionals leaving for U.S.A., Canada, U.K. and even other Caribbean countries at such an alarming rate? Jamaicans, think about that.

I am, etc.,

HOWARD SCOTT

howard_scott@hotmail.com

Cornwall Court

Montego Bay P.O 1

Via Go-Jamaica