Yesiree boys and girls. According to current Weekly Gleaner which I now hold in my hands, all of you here under the tree and elsewhere in the Diaspora, who run weh an leff oonu bawn lan, now, by virtue of remittances to the island, constitute the largest source of foreign exchange earnings to our wonderful government, surpassing tourism for the first time in 2005. Yes, all of you ungrateful migrants who tink oonu bettah than those a yard contributed US$ 1.6 billion to the economy ahead of tourism's $1.5 billion.

Now boys and girls, would you like to know what the GDP for the budget year just past was ? US$ 7.7 billion. Yes, rub your eyes and read again: US$7.7 billion. Meaning, those in the Diaspora sent money to the island in an amount that is equivalent to a whopping 21% of the (2005) GDP of US$7.7 billion.

Absolutely disgraceful!!

And I don't even want to get into the fact that as we wonder down to Western Union or whatever, you will have absolutely no say whatsoever in how or who runs things once the BOJ gets their hands on your hard earned foreign exchange.

Absolutely disgraceful!

I see also from earlier reports that one of the reasons Mrs. Simpson-Miller gave for her unavailability was "overseas" meetings with supporters (read 'funding sources'). Isnt it ironic that at the eve of an election that will determine the party's leader and next PM, she finds it important to meet with Jamaicans who cannot vote. I wonder if she shares her leader's view that a constitutional amendment to give citizens abroad the vote is "not a priority at this time". If she does she should not take any money from them and the whole bag a politicians, PNP,JLP an no P, need to stop these everlasting junkets to Miami, Atlanta, New York and Toronto and leave us the hell alone until this issue is addressed. I, for one, am on a one man boycott of these events. And I am dying for the day when one these politicians show up and the room is deserted. Enough !

Absolutely disgraceful !