Blow Portia’s trumpet, not PJ’s
Dear Editor,
Valentine Pearson’s letter on Tuesday, “Don’t forget PJ’s superb leadership skills” which lauded Mr P J Patterson’s tenure as prime minister, is amusing to say the least. But then again, we are in the political silly season.
What I don’t get is why, given that Mr Patterson is not running as a candidate, does he need to be lauded?
Mr or Ms Pearson (I don’t know if Valentine is male or female) would have us forget that during the longest stint at the helm of the country, Mr Patterson’s administration achieved negligible economic growth; there was runaway corruption, notably in the building of the Sandals Whitehouse Hotel where the cost overrun was US$43 million.
How can anyone want us to forget that Mr Patterson presided over the biggest payout of pension and salaries to members of his ilk in the Parliament? The public sector got bloated laying the basis for the problems we have today to hold the sector in check, as evidenced by the insistence of the IMF.
Mr Patterson had the chance to do more than any other prime minister because of the 18 1/2 years the PNP was in power up to 2007. Yet he achieved less than any other PM. That is why he needs sycophants to be blowing his trumpet. Better he told them to blow Portia’s trumpet. She at least is in the battle of her life to pull off an impossible win in the coming election.
Marie Johnson
Pickering, Ontario
Canada
