I felt happy this week despite the pervasive crime and other social ills afflicting our island.

What made me happy?

The tone of the budget presentations by both  Finance Minister Audley Shaw On April 23, 2009 and Opposition Spokesman for Finance Dr. Omar Davis on April 28 reflected  the kind of maturity I have always yearned for in our politics.

Both came to the table with possible solutions to Jamaica's economic woes.

Shaw's presentation on April 23 reflected maturity and full realization of  the impact of the global problems on Jamaica. The contentious tax on petrol to my mind was a good way of ensuring that more persons were contributing to the country's revenues  as there's an estimated 200,000 working individuals who refuse to pay income tax.

The opposition PNP largely  resisted the temptation to organize widescale demonstrations which could only further serve to weaken the country's fragile economic system. The  demonstrations were sporadic and largely peaceful but for a few miscreants who always use such occasions to rob motorists and create mayhem.

Instead Davis proposed a spending package to close the gap in the budget by  transferring more of the burden to the rich through a 33 1/3% surcharge  dividends on high-yielding government paper and forays into two cash-rich funds.

To be fair both men engaged in gamesmanship which is par for the course in our parliamentary democracy but they largely refrained from the traditional inflammatory and accusatory tones.

Both presentations were almost 'Obamaesque' in nature.

Is this a fresh start in Jamaican politics?

Only time will tell.