Poverty in Jamaica

I left Jamaica in 1959 at the tender age of 15 years old and after fifty years in the United States, I have returned for my remaining fifteen. I have been a hospital administrator, college professor, lawyer, psychologist and most notably, for the last 21 years, the CEO of the Association of Black Cardiologists living in Atlanta, Georgia.

The selfish part of me returned to Jamaica to enjoy the unparalleled quality of life that is only available on these shores: the pride I feel when our fellow citizens excel, great golf and caddies, old time religion, fabulous restaurants and food, music and dancing, our unique culture, wonderful hospitality, the ocean, sunshine and rain. The unselfish part of me wants to make a difference and leave the island better than I found it in 1943. My sense is, however, that we have gone backwards.

I am simply appalled at the lack of access to the means of productive assets---loss of hope and prospect leading to a loss of the spirit by the bulk of our people and wonder if there is a national imperative to cure poverty. I find it unacceptable that a privileged few continue to accumulate excess goods while masses of people are living in conditions of misery at the very lowest level of subsistence. The richest 1% owns more wealth than the poorest 90%. Something is terribly wrong when the elite of Jamaica are over-consumers while millions are destitute. This economic order adversely affects everyone. I have not met anyone who is not troubled by the decline in moral standards and our economic challenges. More provision must be made for the material security of all our citizens.

In the United States, I was a Lyndon Johnson democrat. I was drawn to the idea that widespread poverty is un-necessary. If a country is to prosper, every citizen must own something and have a stake in it. Johnson’s war on poverty made it possible for a large disenfranchised segment of the United States population to maintain their own homes, have access to jobs but most importantly to retain their own business through small business loans.

I am in no way proposing that we combat poverty by redistributing past wealth accumulations. Curing poverty can, however, be accomplished through expansion of future ownership and profit sharing opportunities with the less privileged. Technology is the most important opportunity for creating new wealth. Let us develop this potential and share it with the poor.

If we are responsible stewards who are faithful to the mission of enhancing and protecting the well being of all our citizens, we should be investing in all citizens not just some of our citizens. We should be about creating conditions under which we can all prosper. The Jamaica Government must do more to empower our people to develop and enjoy financial independence. Our current policies, presently conceived and executed, appear to achieve the opposite. Every Jamaican citizen is entitled to equal access to institutions, laws, and other “social goods” that will empower every motivated individual to acquire and share in the productive wealth of the country. People are born not only with mouths that need to be fed, but also with hands that can produce, and minds that can create and innovate.

What motivated Lyndon Johnson was realizing that if citizens cannot participate in the wealth of the country through legitimate channels, they will find a way to survive---one way or another. More importantly, wealth creation opportunities for everyone honour our humanity.