Editor,
The Anguillian
Dear Sir:
Congratulations to our new Government! We are looking forward to the next five years with much hope and expectation. Anguillians do not expect miracles or overnight changes but at least we can now begin to expect? This letter offers a few simple suggestions for help for Anguilla!
Real laws are needed – the same for everybody! Real laws published for all citizens to be aware of, not the hearsay type that Anguilla is accustomed to, i.e. ‘they say’, ‘we always do it this way’, ‘you Anguillian, you can do what you like’, and such. We all know this type. That time has passed!!
On a “To Do” list it would be wonderful if the following items could be added.
1. Clean up Anguilla! (a) A law to make people clean up around their property. Other countries are to be envied when their law – says and follows through – ‘clean up around your house/area or we will do it for you and you will pay for the job’.
(b) When a day is stated as a legal holiday ALL businesses must be closed – ‘there will be no exceptions’, except for the following i.e. drug stores.
Especially May 30th – ANGUILLA DAY – All businesses must be closed or you will be fined. Every other nationality in Anguilla celebrates their Day, most often late into the night, but it is business as usual on Anguilla Day. People living/working in Anguilla must be made to sit up and take notice – wave some flags, get into our national spirit, have a picnic, it is our Holiday!
2. Beautify Anguilla – simple ideas do not always cost too much. Trying to get flags back up at the airport on a regular basis is a hard process. The last reply was, ‘we are trying to source a better quality flag so that it will last longer’. Who really cares – buy a new one and hoist it for all to see! Anything is better than a great big nothing!
3. There are at least 8 light poles around our airport. At night, usually 2 feeble lights shine sadly down. How does this look? Sometimes, there is a lot of very valuable property lying around at that airport (?)
4. The clock structure at the roundabout was a great idea but now looks ridiculous. It has not worked properly for years. Folks, you have a choice – fix it or take it down!!! Since there is no one in Anguilla who has the expertise to make this mechanism work as it should, remove it – an old fashioned weather vane may be better! (It couldn’t be any worse.)
5. The water problem is in a category all by itself. Even for those who get government water, this is a ‘hit and miss’ procedure – not well organized. Please note this one high on your ‘to do’ list. Buying water is very expensive for all of us.
6. The new oversized signs are a bit overdone! Some people say they are crude, tasteless and not doing our image of ’high end tourism’ any good. One very large one may be a traffic hazard! Is there a gov’t department overseeing these signs and giving permission for them? A few years ago, ugly signs stuck up everywhere suddenly became illegal and had to be removed – now we are overrun with ‘signs’ once again. See what is meant by LAWS! If there were a law instead of a rule or some one’s ‘personal gain’, this type of sign would still be illegal.
7. A few more of the “catching up with the past” hearsay – (a) are tinted windows on vehicles still illegal? The police vehicles don’t think so. (b) Leaving your car engine running while you ran inside for a minute – (people were once fined for this one), is another ignored ‘rule’ – or just out of date?
8. Since our tourism dollars are so scarce why is our telephone directory saying, ‘Welcome to Anguilla’, and showing a photo of another island’s features?” This is a private company, of course, but this is the third time our directory has done this – is this deliberate? And at whose expense?
Please note these suggestions and see if any of them is valid enough to warrant your attention.
Thanks for your time.
A Concerned Citizen
