So, 14.8 per cent of Jamaicans say they would vote for the People’s National Party (PNP) in the upcoming general election (partly) because the party involves citizens in decision-making. They are respondents in the April 2024 poll carried out by...
Complaints by hoteliers and other businesses in Negril that the town’s ongoing water shortage is threatening their viability is more than a short-term economic matter in need of an urgent, and perhaps creative, solution. It also raises questions...
I WENT to the Jamaica National Bank offices in Half-Way Tree recently to withdraw some money from my account, arriving at 10.30 a.m. This turned out to be an adventure that I hope never to have again. On arrival, I was greeted rather pleasantly by...
LAST WEEK, I wrote a column suggesting that marriage, or rather a healthier approach to marriage, could be one of the solutions to some of our persisting social ills, in particular crime. Marriage, I argued, with its vows of loyalty, commitment,...
Leighton Johnson has added a critical voice to calls for the Government to launch a national assault against the deepening problem of violence in schools and among students. However, Mr Johnson and the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA), which he...
The inflow of students handicapped by shortcomings in literature and mathematics, and who are pouring into secondary and tertiary institutions each year, has put our 2030 educational vision virtually out of reach. That vision speaks optimistically...
In my view, Jamaica’s Parliament does not play an effective role in the formulation of the country’s foreign policy, in decision-making, and oversight. I have long felt that our Parliament, though following the Westminster model, does not function...
I watched in shock and awe as surrealism took over at Caymanas Park and abstract art imitated life. For decades, horseracing promoters have manipulated starting times to accommodate perceived punters’ last minute betting preference. So while some...
Last week I came across a very disturbing quote on Instagram. It read: “A man can have sexual pleasure from a child as young as a baby. However, he should not penetrate vaginally, but sodomising the child is acceptable. If a man does penetrate and...
There were two developments last week in Parliament’s oversight committee for the Integrity Commission (IC) to which Jamaicans must pay attention. One is the clear wish by the committee’s chairman, Edmund Bartlett, to relitigate Speaker Juliet...
We welcome the Government’s commissioning of what Edmund Bartlett has described as a “multidimensional impact assessment” of Jamaica’s tourism sector, in preparation for the industry’s planned construction of 20,000 new hotel rooms over the next...
Schools should be safe protective spaces – an escape from the world and all its challenges while learning about the world and its challenges. I join all well-thinking Jamaicans in condemning the violence which plagues our schools, including the...
Her name is Biancy. That’s how the auntie spelled it when her birth information was given to the registrar. Her father’s mother is trying to raise her. He, a little bike delivery man and part-time security guard, really loves his high-school...
Market Research Services Limited, the company I head, has done a considerable number of national and constituency polls since we branched out into the political arena in 1989. The success of polling companies is measured by the extent to which...
Going by Don Anderson’s recent opinion poll – which this newspaper has no reason to question – as well as the results of last February’s municipal vote – the People’s National Party (PNP) has a decent shot at winning the general election that’s due...
Last Sunday, a brilliant art exhibition opened at 10A West King’s House Road, once the home of legendary filmmaker Perry Henzell, his wife Sally and their children Justine and Jason. 10A doubled as Perry’s office and production studio. Several...
Sometimes one has to pay full attention to the ‘neigh sayers’, saddle up, stay on the rails, massage the neck of the filly and gently nudge her past the post, while other men dressed in pretty silk tops, look at her rear. At times, when one is on a...
During her foetal developmental stage, Jamaica was called Xaymaca by the Taino Indians who migrated here from the northern coast of South America (circa 600 AD). Xaymaca meant, ‘land of wood and water’ in their Arawak language. She was a pristine,...
What’s right with Jamaica? Jehvoun Byfield, a teenager in state care, easily answers that question by his award-winning performance in the 2023 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations. With nine CSEC subjects to his credit,...
Why do white people own so many pets? Because they can’t own people anymore. I thought of this as we got ready for a trip to Canada to attend the wedding of my wife’s niece. Immediately, my early days at university there, and my views about ‘white...
Is it ever justifiable for journalism to fan the flames of geopolitical tension? This question arises after reading Didi Kirsten Tatlow’s recent Newsweek article, which paints a distorted picture of Chinese involvement in Antigua and Barbuda. The...
Phillip Paulwell’s announcement this week of his intention to repeat his action of seven years ago and release his assets and liabilities filings since 2017 is a positive development that will hopefully encourage similar transparency by other...
Speaking in Gordon House on May 19, 2020, Minister of National Security Dr Horace Chang revealed that according to the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) of the Jamaica Constabulary Force, there were some 389 criminal gangs operating in this little...
It is sometimes said that it is not the party that does the best that wins the election but it’s the party that has the most screw-ups that loses. The Government has been very busy doing good, but unfortunately, maybe even busier screwing up. It is...
IN JAMAICA, the journey of our children is laden with obstacles that threaten their growth and well-being. From neurodevelopmental conditions to learning difficulties and socioeconomic disparities, each challenge casts a shadow over their potential...
