Letter to Editor: Too much opposition politics surrounding this port project

Dear sir,

I think there is too much opposition politics surrounding this port project.

On December 19th we are not being asked to vote for or against the government. But if you follow what the opposition are saying they want us to vote NO because they want us to vote against the government.

I don’t believe that the government handled this project very well at the beginning. But that does not mean that I won’t consider the project properly and what it means for the country.

When we vote we really need to ask the question of whether this project is good for our country and our children. If we vote NO simply because we don’t like how the government started this project we could be doing something harmful for the country in the long term. Lets think carefully about the project as that is what the referendum question is about.

I will vote yes because of the following reasons:

A) Seven Mile Beach will not be harmed

B) The entire area is not 12 to 15 acres of coral as was previously discussed. We learned recently that there is only about 5 acres of coral in the entire area.

C) If those professionals will do the relocation of coral as well as the restoration this would be even better for the country.

D) the port will build a big new area inside the terminal where all the taxis and buses will do the pickups of passengers so traffic in town will actually be better not worse.

It makes no sense to vote no to try to punish the government because all that we will do is make a bunch of other politicians stronger in 2021. But this referendum is not about the general elections in 2021. That would be our biggest mistake. Different governments will always come and go but this project will be around for many years to come. We can always get a new Government but we don’t know when we will get another port deal like this again where we don’t have to put up any money to build it.

In the Caribbean we would say that voting NO just to prove a point to the government is like ‘cutting off your nose to spite your face’. It makes no sense. What we should do is vote now about the port and consider its benefits and then in 2021 we can vote for or against the government.

Don’t vote to be used by other politicians trying to get a seat in 2021. Vote only by considering how this port will help us in the long term and create more jobs.

Richie J Reynolds