Inciting social unrest

Your editorial of April 6 prescribed 20,000 job cuts in the civil service, so as to bring it to manageable levels. Such a proposal is tantamount to inciting social unrest of incalculable consequences.

Over 18,000 persons have lost their jobs in the private sector, to add an additional 20,000 to the unemployment line is to effect trouble on an already crime-infested society. In 1992, the Peoples National Party administration justified its decision to reverse the fiscal deficit by axing 8,000 civil service posts.

The exercise cost the taxpayers' perpetual expense, in that young persons were placed on pensions. The exercise was highly costly and failed miserably.

You are now advocating a bigger cut. Such a call is inconsiderate and lacks substance. I, therefore, urge you to reconsider the proposal with a view to devising creative and workable strategies that will contain costs in the public sector.

- Neville AtkinsonKingston 10

Leave robot taxis alone, until ...

Many in Jamaica are complaining about illegal taxis on the streets. After careful analysis of the issue, however, I believe that these so-called illegal taxis play an important role in our society.

How else would the children get to school and the people to work in good time? The country does not have a public transportation system that operates in a systematic way (schedules, routes, etc). Transportation is critical for the daily functioning, growth and development of any society. It is these movements of people providing services and offering products which will help to stimulate the economy.

Until we have an effective 'public' transportation system in place, we should be thankful that these guys are filling the void. Either we develop a system (buses, trains, etc.) or leave robot taxis alone.

- Wayne Grahamlucea6@msn.comChicago, Illinois

Of pigs and goat meat

I partially agree with writer T. Osborne's letter of April 11, 'More goats, fewer pigs' . However, if the people want to eat pork, let them eat pork. I remember well when pork was the only meat that could be kept for weeks and still be able to provide the animal protein that we humans crave.

Some, I know, have found a new faith and now snub the lowly animal that gave them sustenance. In those days, the pig was an economical animal to rear because it ate the scraps from the table and the inedible parts of plant food such as peels, etc.

Re the goats, I would go further. Instead of selling off the cane lands, why not use them for goat as well as cattle farming? The imported goat meat in Jamaica is tasteless and contains too much fat. The same goes for chicken and beef.

For my part, I find that there is no tastier meat than the Jamaican goat and the Jamaican beef. The goats would have a field day eating the cane leaves. However, beware the goat thief!

- Louis A. Hemanslahemans@aol.comHyattsville, Maryland