The slogan of the French Revolution (1789- 1799) was "Liberté, égalité, fraternité, ou la mort!" ("Liberty, equality, fraternity, or death!"). And although regarded as a pivotal period in western civilization one of the causes of the revolution, a grossly inequitable system of taxation, caused stirs in other societies way before that time. The American Revolutionary War (1775- 1783) had as its rallying cry “no taxation without representation. In Britain, The First Barons War (1215- 1217) against King John was again due to the matters of taxation (scutage and imposition of income tax).

Cross-the-harbour Causeway

The demand for new housing in Kingston and St. Andrew grew rapidly in the late 1960s and so to provide more affordable units and ease the population density, new communities were established east (Harbour View, Bay View Estate etc.) and west (Portmore) of the city. In 1968 the suburban haven of Independence City situated southwest of Caymanas Park was the first scheme in the Portmore Development.  As an integral part of the plan, work commenced simultaneously on the building of the cross-harbour Causeway linking Newport West to Independence City, a distance of 41/2 miles from either point. The same general contractor, Matalon controlled West Indies Home Contractors Ltd. continued the development of the area, building Edgewater in 1970 again using the lore of the Portmore Causeway as its trump card touting its direct access to downtown Kingston via the Fort Augusta peninsula.

The Causeway development involved the reclamation of 220 acres of land in the Dawkins Pond area and the linking of two islands 770 feet apart; on one side was the 40 acre triangular island adjacent to Newport West (Gordon Cay) and on the other 180 acres in the Fort Augusta peninsula (St. Albans). The project at L3.5m (three and a half million pounds) was undertaken by the Foreshore Development Company, a Matalon enterprise and involved no government expenditure. As compensation for the use of the sea-bed and the amenity of Dawkins Pond, the government was granted 25% of the reclaimed area and projected tax revenue estimated at 40% of the company’s profit.

Amputate that leg

The cost of the old Causeway was one million pounds and at today’s exchange rate is under 2% of the cost of the Portmore leg of the highway 2000 project of J$6.5bn. Actually, the annual interest on the loan of J$780m is 5.25 times the cost of the old Causeway. And unless the citizens of Portmore are convinced that they are receiving commensurate benefits from the use of the toll road, it’s really just a tax on a captive populace. 

The so called alternative route existed prior to the old Causeway and was never considered a viable alternative by the developers of Portmore otherwise they would not have gone through the trouble and expense of building the Causeway. My understanding is that included in the initial price of the houses were a charge to recoup the cost of constructing the Causeway. That made perfect sense since it was the Matalons that expended private funds for the Causeway Development and constructed the houses.

The question that therefore arises is, who apart from TransJamaican Highway Limited that stands to profit from this highway tax? Conceivably, nobody….. excepting that as a monument in honour of the former Prime Minister P. J. Patterson for building the most roads, it is indeed quite costly.

Toll Gate revolt

Between 1838 and 1859 tolls roads were set-up at various points in Jamaica. It was imposed at the rate of 10 pence per wheel, horse, mule, cattle or horned stock and 5 pence for every ass, goat or pig. The peasants of the day had no “Advisory Council” to impede action so they did the one thing that governments the world over understood. They rioted and tore down the toll gates and destroyed the houses of the toll keepers. The trials of those prosecuted were adjourned sine die for fear of reaction from the large crowd of their supporters that gathered in the vicinity of the court houses. By 1863 the toll legislation was repealed- mission accomplished!    

Two party dictatorships

Most modern democracies are in fact two party dictatorships, be it France, United States, Britain or Jamaica. The choice of representation available to the electorate is “either or” and the politicians know this. Those amongst them who are patient enough wait for their turn to rule, the more eager ones cross the floor…. people will eventually get fed up of the one and elect the other.

In this scenario, the interest of the people is unimportant as politicians become masters. Like in days gone by, every now and again the peoples’ servants had to be reminded that they were servants of the people deriving their powers from the consent of the governed. The French, American and British revolutions did just that ….. What are we waiting for?

Remember it was the 1999 gas riot that forced the government of Jamaica to fix a portion of the tax on gas to a dollar value and fear of the repercussion of any reversal of that policy have kept it in place to this day. Speaking in the Senate a few days after the riot, then Leader of Government Business Maxine Henry- Wilson said “very humbly we accept the reprimand which has been given to us by the nation”.

Some things are just not negotiable- unfair taxes in one of them.