9 / 46
Poverty to Prosperity
Budget Presentation
Gordon House March 19, 2015
9
We have been so disappointed, frustrated and jaded by our experiences over the last 50
years as a people, that we have developed coping mechanisms, which is not to believe, not
to trust, not to have faith, not to have hope. This is dangerous. It means that:
we will have low expectations of our leaders,
public accountability will be low,
standards will fall,
corruption, inefficiency and wastage will be high
voter participation will be low,
governments will be determined by a tribal minority, and
there is a willingness to accept the status quo, to keep things as they are for fear
they cannot be better and are likely to get worse.
Worst of all, the condition of hopelessness means that our children will stop dreaming. In
which case the possibilities of their future is limited by the problems of today.
Mr. Speaker our vision for Jamaica is to bring back hope. Many of us from the post
independence generation have decided that we will not sit back and allow our country to
remain underdeveloped. We know that we can move from the current state of Poverty to
Prosperity.
Mr. Speaker we know how to do it and it begins with education.
The Education System
Mr. Speaker, we want our children to start dreaming again. The Education System is the
first place where the minds of our people can be liberated to think past our problems, to