Jamaicans living in the United States are concerned about several issues affecting the country. Some of them shared their concerns with OBSERVER ONLINE as our news team caught up with patrons at the just concluded Grace Atlanta Jerk Festival in Lithonia, Georgia.

Crime and cost of living were among the major issues cited by those who were interviewed.

“For me to go home to visit Jamaica and enjoy myself fully whether at a resort or AirBnB, it costs a minimum of US$3,000. I think the Jamaican dollar needs to be stabilised. And they need to do something about the crime rate,” a female who identified herself as Shelly Ann said.

Shelly Ann has been living in Atlanta for the past 18 years. She is originally from Spanish Town in St Catherine, Jamaica.

“I visit twice a year and it doesn’t make sense that you stay locked up in a resort, you want to go out and enjoy yourself but some people are hesitant to do this because of the frequent reports of crime and violence,” she noted.

Randy, who resides in Philadelphia, was seen at the jerk festival enjoying the vibes with his wife Michelle.

“I’ve been living in Philadelphia for 20 odd years now and just seeing the reports of the crime and violence happening in Jamaica is of great concern to anyone. I believe that the government should bring back capital punishment, maybe which will deter people from carrying out these crimes. I think that those serving life sentences should be put to work. I bet you they would straighten themselves. Put dem a road to do work. Wi tired of hearing about the killing of children and women,” said Randy who is originally from Rivoli in Spanish Town.

Michelle says the numerous potholes that litter the roads are of concern to her.

“The big pothole dem, dem need to fix. I would like the government to ensure the roads get fixed and fixed properly, not just the patching that is being done. There are other issues that I am concerned about,” said Michelle.

Charmaine Folkes, who resides in Augusta, said the mass exodus of teachers leaving the classrooms in Jamaica for better paying jobs in the United States is of concern to her.

“You hear it on the news, you read about it on social media. There’s nothing wrong if people want to leave for what they deem to be greener pastures, but so many teachers are leaving at once,” she said.

She continued, “I don’t know if better compensation will stop the teachers from leaving Jamaica for other countries, but the government can try to offer better compensation packages to deter them from leaving.”

Dwayne McKenzie, who works in the automotive industry in Lithonia, said the traffic congestion on the roads is something he feels should be addressed.

“If the government brings back the trains, maybe that will ease some of the traffic congestion on the roads. I was in Jamaica for the independence holidays and I can tell you, the roads are choking with traffic. It took us an hour from Hagley Park Road to get to UWI. And some of the congestion is also caused by people who cannot drive properly or ignore simple traffic signage,” said Dwayne.