It is feared that in the absence of any real national debate on these issues, they would be enacted into laws without the participation of most Liberians. There continues to be a ubiquitous presence of the long arm of the president in every facet of our national life, usurping the legitimate powers of other branches of government, as well as abusing and suppressing individual rights, and brazen disregard of the constitution. Taylor's record on the economy has been at best a dismal failure. The president himself has admitted to this failure. It is now more than a year since he assumed power, and yet his government has been unable to at least create the basic conditions for mobilizing the key productive forces of the economy.
Basic infrastructure is also still in ruin.
Instead of taking serious steps to address such desperate conditions, the Taylor regime is antagonizing foreign capital by accusing international donors of neglecting Liberia. With low productive investment and soaring unemployment, the economy now operates far below its full capacity. Consequently, the cost of living in Liberia is very high. A 100 pound bag of rice, which before the war sold for about 30 Liberian dollars, now sells for between 1,000 to 1,300 Liberian dollars. With government overemphasis on security, these important social sectors have suffered.