Assessing social progress

Published in the Jamaica Gleaner: Friday | August 3, 2007

Colin Steer, Associate Editor- Opinion

AMONG THE cruel ironies of Jamaica's political system and culture is that the heaviest support for the parties and participation in elections come from the most economically-deprived and socially-neglected communities.

Across a wide swathe of the Corporate Area represented by People's National Party (PNP) and Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Members of Parliament are areas that easily bring on a spirit of depression just to pass through them. Most of these areas have been represented for decades, by the PNP, the party that has been in power for the past 18 years. Yet comparatively very little has been done to better the living conditions of residents. Regularly broken sewers, piles of garbage that remain uncollected for days, decrepit buildings on the verge of collapse are all testimony to a lack of meaningful economic activity that benefit the majority of the residents. The ruling party has said, the next term, should it win, will be the people's term. So whose term has it been the past four? The well-connected middle class persons who continue to speak about their concerns for poor people while generally ignoring their living conditions?

Deprived constituencies

While for many years the JLP boasted of Edward Seaga's representation of Western Kingston and of the model development of Tivoli Gardens, that community is but a small enclave in a wider, socially-deprived constituency. The years of neglect of Beeston, West and Princess Streets and sections of Denham Town bear testimony to the failure of Jamaica's political representatives to create a climate that allows people to live better lives. What is true of the wider West Kingston is writ large in the South West, South, Western and West Central St. Andrew and Central Kingston constituencies.

Portia Simpson Miller, the president of the PNP, should really be embarrassed to boast about the job her party has done while her constituency has remained in the condition it has for more than 20 years. Just a brief walk from where she used to have her constituency office near the corner of Whitfield Avenue and Maxfield Avenue, to Spanish Town Road, should send her on her knees in prayerful repentance for the neglect of the people of the area. But then why should she when the people remain convinced that she loves them so much? Party loyalty has blinded them to their pitiable state of self-contempt.

Of course, people will point to some recent housing developments in some of these areas. But the fact that many of the new occupants can't even pay the relatively small mortgage rates is pointing to a social experiment destined to fail unless people can find meaningful jobs.

Just think of the supreme irony of a party boasting of social progress and economic prosperity yet purportedly having to pay $1,000 to people from one of its long-standing pockets of support to attend the mass rally in Half-Way Tree, to hear their party leader announce the election date. Years ago, people would willingly and enthusiastically attend such meetings - no prompting or special urging required. There was no need to bribe people and 'bus' people in 'to make a show of force'.

Of course, it is a 'sweet drive' on the new highways through St. Catherine into Clarendon and Manchester and the island's south coast. But what of the roads and conditions of the lives of people when you turn off the highways? What are their living conditions like? Look at what has happened to Highgate and Richmond in St. Mary over these past two and a half decades. Once thriving farming communities, have been reduced to shadows of their former selves - meaningful, sustained economic activity, a distant memory for older folks, while young people flee the parish in droves. Social progress indeed!