Ran into a reader of this column this week, who said that for the most part, he likes the things I say in this limited space I am afforded each week. He said though, that the tone of my writing has changed. "It used to be funnier," he said. "These days, it's not as funny."

I thanked him for the observation and agreed with his assessment. When I began writing this column 20 years ago, I was all about being humorous. There were too many people writing about depressing things - politics mostly - and the state of the economy and, of course, crime. I remember the first one I wrote was about the beauty regimen of many women. I got so many letters in response, I felt like a movie star.

Over the years though, my mood has soured somewhat, and it took the reader's observation to drive it home this week. I am not as happy anymore and it is directly linked to the fact that Jamaica sucks. Yeah, we are, according to some surveys, among the 'coolest places on Earth', but we were also just recently voted as one of the top five most miserable countries too.

certain communities

Recent happenings stand as testimony to the latter. The Jamaica Public Service (JPS) took a decision to limit power distribution to certain communities where between 70 and 90 per cent, of who live there, steal electrical power.

When they made the announcement, the people there were up in arms. They argued that the company would be punishing those who do pay their bills and that was not fair. Political leaders were all up in arms about the situation, too. One of them went as far as to suggest that the decision to cut power to the aforementioned communities must have been conceived in a moment of madness.

A number of prominent attorneys also jumped onto the bandwagon and deemed the JPS' actions as possibly illegal and they may be right - from a legal standpoint. However, from a business standpoint, I am totally in agreement with the light and power company.

failed investment

If I invest in something, I expect fair return on my investment. People invest; they go into business to make money. JPS is doing anything but in Jamaica. It is estimated that hundreds of millions of dollars, US dollars, have been invested in the company and what they realise in profits is a joke. Anywhere else in the world, an investor who spends as much and gains as little would probably pull up roots and run, writing off the venture as a failed investment.

The sliding dollar and the price of oil have made it very difficult to generate any level of profit from the business of providing power in Jamaica. With that in mind, it's like rubbing salt into the gaping financial wound when you know that entire communities are stealing power further robbing them of whatever extra profit they could have been making.

more embarrassing

The situation is even more embarrassing in that we claim to be a country that wants to attract foreign investment. Which investor would want to throw money into this black hole?

The politicians, who have helped create this sense of entitlement among 'poor' people need to think again. If you can't afford a commodity, then don't buy it, but you can't go around taking things that is not yours. Many people, dare I say most people in the communities, get free water, free power, free cable, free everything, but the reality is that nothing is free. Somebody has to pay for it, and those would be people like me, who have to take on the burden of paying more because people steal power. The company absorbs the rest.

freeness done

What kind of business model is this? It makes no sense.

The politicians allow this to happen because this is how they gain votes. 'Dem free up di ting.' Well, now the freeness done. JPS has not backed down from their objective of cutting their losses where and when they can. The politicians now know that it is not business as usual.

They need to get the people to pay for what they use. Socialism is dead, and I for one, am not paying for somebody to be running 17 different appliances all at once time while having a deep freeze mimic an air-conditioner. These things have made me miserable. It's no surprise then that the JPS would be too.

Illegal power being disconnected by JPS workmen. - file

Send comments to levyl1@hotmail.com