Online feedback

Below are edited excerpts from comments posted online at www.jamaica-gleaner.com by readers to yesterday's lead story 'Hefty repair bill'.

If you paid your taxes ...

As always, Jamaica will be looking to what you are calling donor countries to foot the bill. There are no such things as donor countries. There are countries and people with good intentions to help others who are in need, unlike Jamaicans who sit back, live large and don't pay taxes. Where did all their money come from?

Now, in times like these, Jamaica is running around looking for donor countries. The money for which we are stretching out greedy hands is other people's tax money that they worked hard for. People that worked hard pay to pay.

- THEDKJ

Employ professionals for the job

While it is a fact that Nicole dumped a lot of rain on the island, I don't think it should have caused as much damage. We, as an island, are accustomed to periods of great volumes of water. If we had proper roads, gully systems, drainage and bridges, Nicole would have passed as just another system with water.

Who are these engineers that we employ? The contractors need to give back the people of Jamaica our hard-earned money! I cannot believe that the millions and billions of dollars that go into fixing roads and building bridges cannot employ professional people who know what they are doing! I am fed up.

An older friend told me that in the 1970s when she lived in Spanish Town, Mandela Highway would flood as it did last week. Could none of our leaders from then until now fix this problem?

I am also quite disgusted that none of the political representatives of Portmore or Spanish Town could have intervened during the heavy rains and impassable road conditions to have the toll lifted or discounted! Instead, what we got was toll as usual and hours of traffic lines to get to pay to go home in heavy rains! May God help us as we endure what our two leading parties are dishing out.

- Diedoo

Be reasonable

The people of Jamaica must try to be reasonable with this government. When they took power, they were actually devastated by two hurricanes and a recession that affected every country in this world. It brought unemployment to more than five million people in the USA, almost two million in Canada, and almost two million in the UK.

This Jamaica Labour Party government has done an awesome job for all Jamaicans in just three short years. Watch your move, Jamaicans.

- Winston, Toronto