LATVIAN GOVERNMENT OUT OF TOUCH STILL

I have been quiet for a while but just watching and listening. On the surface there is still little visible change from 5 or 6 weeks ago. But I am hearing increasing dissatisfaction from people that the Government has not understood the nature of the crisis or the steps needed to deliver change. We are about to see massive redundancies in the education system and probably in health as well. These are being trumpeted as reform. In fact they are nothing of the sort, they are just cuts plain and simple. Where is the urgency?????

But reducing the governments load upon society has got to be only part of the solution. The other part is to make things better - and that is simply not happening. Serious players like Diena's Business magazine have conducted polls, brought in businessmen for seminars and training and other things. They have laid down clearly what is needed but to no avail. It is like talking to a brick wall. All the problem areas of trying to do business in the country remain and there is no support.

So the downward trend continues and with no repair in sight. The President just dithers and the Government sits smugly, talking reform and thinking that there are mathematical solutions for all this. There are not. This is about people.

The workmen have been hard at work improving the local forest and making it more like a ''park''. Call me a cynic if you like but does the fact that the local elections are close have anything to do with this sudden burst of activity. Well even so, it is nice to see some tidiness appear and a few well placed park benches, ideally placed of course for the huge numbers of unemployed alkies to sit on. Its a pity we never see police here though. Last night I ran past one 30 year old totally comatose sitting in the middle of the track about 50m from a block of flats where young children were playing. Every day a group of older drinkers gather near there in the morning and just get totally drunk. At least they appear harmless, but it still must feel threatening for many women and children.

The motor show in Kipsala yesterday was good. The first show I have been to here that looked and felt right. But it was still thin on the ground in some areas. I would say it was rescued by Renault - so well done to them.