Dennie Quill, Contributor

Appearing under the banner of a respected newspaper like The Gleaner gives an opinion writer an important platform to rant about this and that. A writer unwittingly adopts the conceit of an advisor who makes a case presenting the best available arguments with the hope of stirring debate and action. It is easy for one to be flattered into thinking that people in authority actually read these suggestions and take them to heart.

I wrote on September 27, 2008, "If the Bruce Golding Government embraces the idea of casinos, it has to be bold in presenting the pros and cons of the decision to the public. It has to be prepared to fend off the anti-casino lobby which is often guided by emotion rather than fact."

Casinos to be introduced

And so it has come to pass. The prime minister has announced that casinos are to be introduced.

There are few issues over the years which have generated such intense, yet uninformed debate than casino gambling. Predictably, the announcement set off the tired moralistic arguments of some members of the Church community. The more we listen to these arguments, the more they fall apart as a mere jumble of rhetoric. The opponents of casinos bear no statistics, historical anecdotes or references, so all we are left with is a large dose of ignorance.

Gov't's moral duty

The people elect a government which it feels has the competence to make prudent decisions on its behalf. There is no expectation from the majority that the Government will seek permission to introduce programmes which will redound to the national good. The Government has a moral duty to lift its citizens out of the mire of poverty and provide them with opportunities to access education and health and enjoy a safe environment. If the Government makes poor decisions then the people can vote them out of office.

Despite what Dr Omar Davies thinks, during his stewardship, he did not put the right grade of fuel into the economy's tank for the country to achieve prosperity. After the grandstanding and finger-pointing at the recent parliamentary debates, the question still remains: How do we grow the economy to service our enormous public debt and provide jobs and introduce social interventions? How can we turn this thing around?

It is perhaps the same question that the Singapore Government had been grappling with when it decided to grant two casino licences. The first which embraces a US$3-billion project is set to open next year and the other which features an aquatic park, which dwarfs Disney World, will follow in 2010. The developers of this second project are about to construct a three-lane bridge to take the expected 15 million visitors to its casino annually. Isn't Singapore the model that many economists cite when they point to growth and prosperity?

Economy built on tourism

Ever wondered why The Bahamas with not much more than a little salt for export has maintained a dollar on par with the United States since 1973? More than five million tourists flock to the islands of The Bahamas each year. Their economy is built on tourism and services. Like Jamaica, the chain of islands has beaches, sun and the annual hurricane season. Jamaica has a drawing card in Bob Marley's birthplace and Dunn's River Falls. Ah, but The Bahamas has casinos and apparently this is a lure for many visitors who want to take a chance or simply enjoy the atmosphere.

As the Government embarks upon its negotiations, we implore them to engage the best legal and tax minds to ensure that Jamaica get the best deals. We are aware that these huge corporations are adept at squeezing the last juice out of any relationship, so we have to be wise by drawing on the experience of others.

Another thing, the Government of Singapore established an international advisory panel with the task of reviewing and advising on prevention and control strategies required to address problem gambling, drugs and other addictions and this is something we may want to consider.

I am relentlessly optimistic that the introduction of casino gambling will open a new and exciting chapter in Jamaica's economic history. The urgency is heightened when one considers the worsening financial situation facing the poor.