The Editor, Sir:

I find your commentary on Ed Bartlett's office makeover to have been a far less offensive argument than that of both the minister and his communication "expert" who cited energy-saving measures and refurbishing with not "new furniture" as the excuse.

We know what taxpayers spent. A more credible and less disingenuous response would have been to say how much these measures would save us. But what truly disturbs is your comment that there is "no suggestion that he broke any procurement rules". Might I then suggest that we look a little deeper. I have serious concerns when The Gleaner reports that Jamaica Property Co Ltd was paid $2.5 million via sole-source procurement for the works done.

Considering that a sole-source method is typically a last resort and in cases of emergency when a long tender process would be detrimental, I would love to understand the nature of the minister's emergency that allowed them to received the National Contracts Commission's (NCC) approval and the basis on which the NCC granted this request for sole source.

Until I picked up The Sunday Gleaner and read the article, I has some regard for Bartlett as displaying more of what we needed in our Government and our leaders. Well, once again a politician has proved the cynics right and the foolish optimist I am pitifully wrong.

I am, etc.,

JEANETTE CALDER

jayceejm@yahoo.com