At Expense of the Poor?

The Cricket World Cup kicks off this month and Jamaica is hosting some of the events. There is evidence of the preparation in many areas of Kingston. My taxi driver and I have discussed the changes that we're seen - tree bases painted, sides of roads being cleared, flowers and trees planted, lines on roads painted in, etc. We actually saw trees (without a single leaf!) newly planted, less than a month before the start of everything.

I think it's important for a country to want to represent itself well with many visitors coming, but I have concerns about all the other things which are being neglected in the meantime.

These are parts of an editorial in the Gleaner today written by Dennie Quill.

CWC and the Poor

"An important question is this: are the investments being made for Cricket World Cup being done at the expense of the poor who make up the majority of our population? Because while we continue to renovate, beautify, build and decorate, the farmers and other citizens of St. Mary have been deprived of a bridge, and now have to tread a dangerous path to get to school and work.

Politicians are always claiming that they are on the side of the poor. How is Cricket World Cup benefiting the poor? I know many poor who are not benefiting. The poor hustler who would normally sell some food - coconut jelly, sugar cane, soup, etc., at sporting events, has been effectively cut off from a livelihood by absurd restrictions laid down by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

From their lofty positions, these wealthy men of leisure dictate a welter of ridiculous restrictions without due regard to the economic environment in which all this is taking place... So the poor cannot afford to buy tickets for the events and they won't be able to peddle their wares. Essentially, the poor have been banished from enjoying any of the spoils of CWC."

The full version of this article can be found at:
http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20070302/cleisure/cleisure2.html

I am a huge sports fan. I love the competition, excitement, and energy that surrounds events such as this. But, is the impression given to visitors more important than the basic needs of local people? Can there be a balance between the two? Should there be?