As parents will testify, it is never a good idea to disappoint children by promising and then failing to deliver. It can be one of the gravest mistakes that can occur in the parenting process.It is expected that adults will have greater control of their emotions and not throw juvenile tantrums in response to being disappointed. However, one cannot help but empathise with people who cannot handle being let down.The subject of promises, expectations, and disappointments has been playing out in the public square as Government seeks to streamline its expenditure and to manage what it can actually deliver to the public as the new financial year begins on April 1.Just a few weeks ago, Deputy Prime Minister Santia Bradshaw faced a firestorm from about 2 000 temporary workers who were engaged under the “Ashfall Programme” and later added to the Ministry of Public Works roadside clean-up efforts.Very few Barbadians would complain about the necessity of the activity of these workers. They cleared overgrown roadways, and significantly improved the aesthetics of many districts where overgrown bush provided harbour for rodents and cover for those involved in indiscriminate dumping.
