Failure to address reality is tantamount to negligence
LET us begin by thanking Deputy Ferbrache for at least admitting that successive Guernsey governments have not recognised the wants and needs of Guernsey’s working class taxpayers [We’ve failed you, Thursday 31 March]. This could be the start of something positive as the failure of this government to address reality is tantamount to negligence. This government continues to chase personal wants, fails to cut out the unwanted/unnecessary trivial agendas, sat back and allowed the Odeon Cinema to morph into a car park, sat back and allowed the markets to become a disjointed arcade and fails to accept that our own airline should be jettisoned.
We need houses that are affordable now. Getting outside contractors if necessary must be on the cards. Local builders will be annoyed of course, but again the issue here is solely down to our government’s attitude, which is reactive not proactive (wait until it is broken rather than stop it from breaking). In other words, blame our government yet again.
On the positive side in relation to building in Guernsey, to extend the runway and build houses urgently will not affect the local population simply because our totally dejected working class locals are packing their bags and leaving the island (via the extortionately expensive air and sea links) in some numbers.
Is it not time for our government to admit that Guernsey would like to be able to offer flights to and from the UK for Jersey prices (yes, affordable prices)?
The dejection, sadness and sense of being ignored in favour of the wealthy and corporates continues to drive our good citizens away from their birth place. Will our government wait until there is only a population of 30,000 before they react?
So to summarise, cut down/throw out the backlog of your agendas, start again, do it quickly, build houses, extend the runway, keep apologising to the population until you get it right, and for goodness sake ensure the housing law stops being a laughable disaster and let people live here in peace.
PS Forget a goods and sales tax, you have important issues to address not your personal wants.
ART ALLEN-O’LEARY
St Martin’s