The Editor
The Anguillian

Dear Mr. Editor,

SPEAK BEFORE IT
IS TOO LATE

It was very heartening to see the letter to the Editor, entitled ‘Anguilla Inc. Open for Business’ in last week’s paper. I was beginning to think that all Anguillians were incapable of visualizing the future our leaders seem bent on subjecting us to.

The situation is very serious. We have not addressed the mounting social problems occurring in Anguilla today. Instead we are going down a path that can only result in increased social problems for our island community. The projects, which seem to be rapidly coming on stream, will require more than Anguilla can offer. We will therefore have to import labour in bulk. With the importation of labour we import different cultures, people with different principles. Our demographics will shift and the shift is unlikely to be just for a short while. The shift is very likely to be forever. There does not seem to be an immigration policy to adequately address the long-term issues surrounding the mass importation of labour into Anguilla.

What about our social institutions? Are our medical health services adequate to serve the needs of such rapid population growth? What about our education facilities? What about the support services for our justice system? We are far from ready, yet we forge ahead blindly. Other Anguillians must see that we are destroying Anguilla.

What is plain as day, for me, is that the projects while initially creating a thriving economic climate will ultimately spell death for the Anguilla tourist industry. Will we still be able to use the word ‘exclusive’ when trying to attract tourists to our shores? The uniqueness, which we now peddle, will no longer exist. Why are we killing the goose that lays the golden egg?

It is good to see that there are those of us who know better. There must be others out there. I join with ‘the Selfless Anguillian’ and invite other Anguillians to speak out before it is too late.

Sincerely,
A Hopeful Anguillian

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