HAITI AT SIX MONTHS

Your Commander has written numerous articles relative to the tragic conditions that persist in Haiti. As predicted and as history has long proven, the people of Haiti continue to be exploited, and underserved by a corrupt small number of individuals who dominate the government and economy.

The New York Times carried a strong editorial recently calling the situation to the attention of their readers, but this is getting to be an old story. Nothing ever seems to happen that provides a positive influence to the average citizen on the streets of Haiti. After a period of six months and the spending of hundreds of millions of dollars, there is little or no improvement to the quality of life for the people who are living in tents.

It is interesting to note, too, that the millions of dollars pledged to Haitian Relief headed by former Presidents Clinton and Bush now reports that only a small percentage of the pledges have been collected. Additionally, the pitiful achievements of the United Nations represent another example of its inefficiency and internal corruption.

The good old USA has already given $1 billion in emergency aid and now is sending another $175 million for cash-for-work projects. Where is the accountability and where are the results?

At the core of Haiti’s problems is the lack of any real middle-class structure to their economy. The small ruling cadre stifles any improvements for the majority of poverty stricken Haitians, and I just do not see anything changing in the years to come. Were I to be living in Haiti today I would be doing everything possible to get the hell out of there ASAP.

It is long past the time that our State Department should call the leaders of the Haitian government to task. It is time to stop throwing our money down a bottomless pit. We should not provide one more dollar in aid until we see a definitive plan that will represent real, honest, corruption-free results.

If I see one more bleeding-heart public-service commercial on my television set where First Lady Michelle Obama emotionally begs for our hard-earned dollars to help the poor people of Haiti I will puke. Someone better wake up to the fact that all the pleas and good intentions are not working, and the time for someone or something to get their act together is long overdue. When is someone going to recognize that our well is running dry, because I know mine is certainly getting shallow?

COMMANDER GRANGER