Only Manning is independent.

Many natives will enjoy/would have enjoyed the August 31st holiday which goes by the name "Independence Day". Few, however, would have realized that "Independence Day" is, for many, a misnomer for, when the original event occurred, the popular impression was that, at last, at long last, after decades of bitter struggle, during which many gave their blood, sweat and tears, Trinbagonians would have been assuming control of the reins of their governance and, consequently, their government would have become directly answerable to them.

But, woe! Just as the forty-sixth commemorative day was about to dawn, he who, for all intents and purposes, has absolute power in this land, in his ever-increasingly I-piss-upon-you fashion looked down upon his "subjects" and boldly declared that he, having been elected to office on November Fifth last, is, thus, aloof from any influence/check/rebuff from "below", until, at the earliest, November 2012, when the next General Election is, constitutionally, due to be held.

That's the lesson the wise learn from Prime Minister Patrick Manning's August Twenty-Eighth 2008 statement that there is no need to get the approval of us, the people, re: his proposal for Trinbago's political union with Grenada, St. Vincent and St. Lucia, since, as he puts it, his notion of how democracy works is that the people's input is sought and provided only at General Election time. Such utterances do not surprise the wise, for, alas, the Prime Minister, time and time again, has provided ample evidence that he is neither babe nor suckling.

Mr. Prime Minister! Reality check! Trinidad and Tobago is a democracy! Democracy is government of the people, by the people, for the people!

Or, as yours truly had previously said,

Democracy, you see, contemplates a scenario where the people, at all times, exercise control over their elected representatives, their government and their legislators and not, as some swear, the other way around.
This is done by distributing power as widely as possible, not by concentrating it in some centralized repository.
In true democracies, then, decision-making which belongs to/in the local/community purview is left there and not usurped by "the Port of Spain office". Such decentralization to the local/community level is done in a way that meaningfully demonstrates government's responsiveness and accessibility to the people whom it serves.

Mr. Manning and his blinkered ones apparently believe otherwise: that, to them, democracy means government of the People's National Movement, by the People's National Movement, for the People's National Movement! He will continue to get away with such misconceptions until citizens come to understand that, not only do they have rights, but they have a duty to participate in the political system that, in turn, protects their rights and freedoms.

In other words, for democracies to work in a proper manner, the majority of the population needs to get up off its haunches and take active part in the running of things! It is the citizens' duty, each and every one of them, to get up and get involved, to educate themselves, to become aware and, to spread the word throughout their communities, for it is only with the correct knowledge that they would come to realize that the Government is accountable to them and not the other way around. By that, yours truly means that public officials, elected and unelected, have an obligation to explain their intentions, decisions and actions to us, the citizens. On an ongoing basis, not only at election time. And, if these officials don't, to move aside and be replaced by others who would oblige; even before elections are, constitutionally, due.

With the wise, one word to them always suffices.

Another look at that bridge over the Caroni.

Ever notice how great was the flair shown in the architectural design of the Hall of Justice, Central Bank Towers, Nicholas Tower, the National Library, the Piarco Airport Terminal and the Port of Spain Waterfront Project? Or with the much older buildings in the vicinty? Llike the Magnificent Seven and other mighty edifices that encircle the Queen's Park Savannah? (By the way! When is that name gonna be changed?)

One of those other mighty edifices is the new Centre for Creative Arts. Creative? Hmm!

If there's such an emphasis on artistic creativity that hundreds of millions of the people's dollars could be diverted to fund the building of a Centre for Creative Arts, how come then, in a country awash with money, the people's money, when the decision was taken sometime aback, in 2007, to create a new PERMANENT link across the Caroni at the old Southern Main Road, Valsayn, was an austere and banal-looking Mabey bridge chosen?

Road user's view of Caroni River Mabey Delta Bridge

Now, mind you, when this new bridge was being erected, traffic was not interrupted, because, alongside, there were two bridges: one, a hundred-plus year old steel truss structure; the other, a Bailey, a temporary thingee, probably originally cast in the 1950s or 60s, definitely used in some other location(s), before being assembled over the brown sometimes black waters of Mata Caroni sometime in 1996.

Professional architects and engineers, by nature, exult in the challenge that building a bridge brings them, especially a mighty bridge, for the imaginative undertaking of such work guarantees them a legacy that's not only palpable, but immortally so, even as Pharaoh Khufu's pyramid at Giza did for its designer, Hemiunu.

So! The question is: why aren't local and Caribbean architects, especially, being encouraged to think outside the box in the design of the bridges that are being built and or replaced? Or, are they involved at all? Is it because the vision of those who, for the time being, lead, is constricted to dwelling in the utilitarian realm whenever rivers and chasms need to be straddled? Tut! Tut!

Yours truly recommends some stimulant to encourage artistic design where bridges are concerned: a contest, maybe? The money is there! Use some of it for that purpose, rather than flying up and down the place, for what purpose? God alone knows!

Sarah is pale in comparison to the other options.

Well, well! Senator John McCain has selected 44 year-old Sarah Palin (pronounced "pale in", take note!), the Governor of Alaska, as his vice-presidential running mate. A examination of her credentials reveal alarmingly that they pale in comparison to those of Senator Joseph Biden of the Democratic National Party. (Thanks, Raul!) Or of any other person who was being considered because they were made of vice-presidential stuff.

Were McCain to win the election, Vice President Palin would be a heartbeat away from the most powerful office on earth. Given the advanced age and poor health of Senator McCain, the odds of his incumbent vice president having to step up to the wicket are very high, probably the highest ever in American history. Therefore, the world had been expecting him to choose someone who is properly groomed for such an office.

Throughout the election campaign, thus far, Senator McCain has provided ample evidence that there's something wrong with his upstairs: he constantly seems confused about places, times, events and people. Which makes one wonder whether Senator John gave any serious thought to this selection. Or, maybe, the currency that, in the face of Senator Barack Obama's surge, nobody else wanted the post, is not counterfeit at all?

How to put the criminals on the run.

The constant refrain that many persons are afraid of offering themselves for public office because they are scared of the transgressing the Integrity Act suggests, to yours truly, that the wording and or drafting style used in the Integrity Act need to be applied to ALL criminal laws. Thus would presently-rampant criminals become scared and dive for cover.

Oh please, Daddy! Oh please, police!

The following is paraphrased from the Trinidad Express story of Saturday August 30, 3008, the one about the Chaguanas boy who was killed by "friendly fire".

A game of cops and robbers turned deadly yesterday when a 17-year-old boy was shot in the back by one of his best friends, police said.

Police said Dillon George and two friends (ages 19 and 21) were playing with an illegal firearm at a house along Niblett Street, Enterprise, Chaguanas, around 11.30 a.m on Friday 29 August, 2008, (when) one of (the two friends stuck) the gun (in Dillon's) back and (declared) it was a "hold-up". He pulled the trigger and George fell to the ground.

Police believe the boys were not aware the (gun was loaded).

Dillion's father, truck driver Anthony George, (who) often spoke to his son about the company he kept AND about playing with guns, said, "I believe they didn't know there was a bullet in the gun and the boy pulled the trigger."

Oh please, Daddy! Oh please, police! They ALWAYS playing with guns? Yet they didn't know that this one was loaded? Are these police officers and Daddy related to ex-Senior Superintendant Hubert Williams? And Daddy, yours truly hopes that you covered your derrière by alerting the police, while your son was hale and hearty, as to what were the penchants of himself and his "friends". Else, you, too, Daddy, pulled that trigger.

The most suspicious government in the whole world.

Bohdowh bowh! Ratatatatat! Bodies fall! All bullet-ridden! Police reach! They take one look! Nobody see! All they do is hear! Police say, "We suspect it was gang-related!"
Port of Spain, Mt. Hope, Arima, Sangre Grande, San Fernando hospitals! Bodies lie dead! Families ask doctors, "Whuh going on?" Ministry of Health say, "Suspected dengue!"
Drip! Drip! Drip! A lil shower come down! Whoosh! Flood! Crops, house, car, dog, cat! All wash way! Ministry of Works and Met Office say, "Suspected ITCZ and people building in flood plains!"

Dear Reggie Dumas,

Dear Reggie Dumas,

In your letter to the Editor published in the Trinidad Express on August 28, 2007, you hypothesized that, in order to fulfill Manning's dream of political union with other Caribbean countries, Trinbago's constitution mandates Manning's men to seek and obtain a special majority, to wit:

(i) in the House of Representatives, by the votes of not less than three-fourths of all the members of the House; and
(ii)in the Senate, by the votes of not less than two-thirds of all the members of the Senate."

The platform from which you sprang to your thus conclusion was your assessment of the implications of Section 54 (3) of said Constitution, which reads in part, that such a majority is required whenever any amendment to said Constitution intends to alter:

(d) any of the provisions of the Trinidad and Tobago Independence Act, 1962,

Section 4 of which, rightly, you state, defines "Trinidad and Tobago" to mean:

(1) "In this Act, and in any amendment made by this Act in any other enactment, 'Trinidad and Tobago' means the Island of Trinidad, the Island of Tobago and any territories which at the passing of this Act are dependencies of the Colony of Trinidad and Tobago.

You are quite correct in quoting the sections you did, Reggie, however, you misdirected yourself in that you overlooked a very important something else that's said in the present Constitution, a constitution which was properly (meaning: with the required majority) passed in the House of Representatives on March 26, 1976 and which, in Section 1, amended the 1962 Independence Act by redefining "Trinidad and Tobago" to mean:

1) The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago shall be a sovereign democratic State.
(2) Trinidad and Tobago shall comprise the Island of Trinidad, the Island of Tobago and any territories that immedi­ately before the 31st day of August 1962 were dependencies of Trinidad and Tobago, including the seabed and subsoil situated beneath the territorial sea and the continental shelf of Trinidad and Tobago (“territorial sea” and “continental shelf” here having the same meaning as in the Territorial Sea Act and the Continental Shelf Act, respectively), together with such other areas as may be declared by Act to form part of the territory of Trinidad and Tobago. (Highlights are of yours truly.)

Section 1 is NOT one the provisions of the Constitution which requires a special majority. Therefore, the acquiescence of a simple majority of both Houses of parliament would suffice to expand the territory of Trinidad and Tobago.

Previously, yours truly had communicated this point to the media houses (they did NOT publish it) and had posted it on the kid5rivers.com website, where it still is.

Sincerely,

Richard Wm. Thomas,

Shining example of poetic licence.

Stephen "Shines" Sampson.
(Trinidad Express Photo)

"...(The) lesson I have learnt and I hope others will learn from it as well to be careful what you do and say when you're young and reckless because it can come back to haunt you." (Stephen "Shines" Sampson, Trinidad Express, August 27, 2008.)

"Shines", it turns out, is the one, or, one of the ones, behind the YouTube-posted video that so alarmed the Acting Police Commissioner, that he's reported to have been gavlvanized to seek the intervention of the Director of Public Prosecutions, precisely for what, God alone knows.

Now, I have NOT seen the video and, from published statements, it's been removed from the YouTube site. However, I shall defend to the end, the artiste's poetic licence to express himself as he sees fit, in the same manner as the Trinidad and Tobago Telecommunications Authority does by giving and or not cancelling licences to cable and satellite TV broadcast entities which regularly use those licences to transmit unrestrained violence, pornography and propaganda via The Idiot Box.

I find it odd...

...that a man who, for a long, long while, has been boasting that he's heading the largest Hindu organization in all of the Caribbean, would accuse of nepotism a man who, for a not-so-long while, boasted of heading the largest Hindu credit union in the Caribbean, seeing as I recall that the long, long while man was once asked by a certain Prime Minister to submit the name of a person from his largest Hindu organization for a senatorial appointment and the only name he could pull from his hat was that of his own daughter. As my pardner does say, "Ai! What a thing! What a thing!"

By the way! Has anyone seen any vehicle sporting a sticker like the one below?

More Mitchell misology. Mischief maybe?

If what the Trinidad Newsday of August 19, 2008, reports is accurate, then, yet again, Charles Mitchell, the Commissioner for Co-operative Development, has displayed his ineptitude for the post he holds.

The Newsday, in its report, states that Mr. Mitchell decried the foundering Hindu Credit Union (HCU) for its granting of loans to non-members, since, according to him:

"...it was illegal for credit unions to grant loans to non-members in accordance with the Cooperatives Act."

Never mind the miswording, it's reflective of the quality of proofreading, what was meant to be said was that the Co-operatives Act prohibits credit unions from lending to non-members, when the truth is that it does no such thing.

What, exactly, does the said Act (Co-operative Societies Act, Chapter 81:03, of 1971) actually say about such matters? It says, in Section 43 (1) that:

"A society may not, save with the consent of the Commissioner, make a loan to any person other than a member."

Which is completely at varience with what the Commissioner is reported to have said. Prima facie, Section 43 (1) suggests that, whenever any such loan is contemplated, the relevant credit union must, first, seek and obtain the approval of the Commissioner, doesn't it? But, as any lawyer or St. Mary's old boy would concur, prima facie is not always ultima facie. And, in this instance, it certainly is not. For the same Act, at Section 7, provides that:

"No undertaking may style itself a co‑operative or credit union society or have the term “co‑operative” or “credit union” in its name or hold itself out as being operated in accordance with co‑operative principles unless it is registered under this Act."

The procedure for applying to be registered is detailed at Section 16, which, in the case of the HCU, would have been as follows:

(1) Application for registration shall be made to the Com­missioner on the prescribed form, signed—

(a) in the case of a society of which no member is another society, by at least twelve members of full age;

(2) The application shall be accompanied by three copies of the proposed bye‑laws of the society and such other information including the address of the office of the society, as the Commis­sioner may require.
3) There shall be payable to the Commissioner on every application under this section a prescribed fee.

Following the successful completion of which process, Section 17 stipulates that:

"The Commissioner may, on being satisfied that a society has complied with the provisions of this Act and the regulations and that its proposed bye‑laws are not contrary to co‑operative principles, approve the bye‑laws and register the society."

Hence, only a misologist would beg to disagree that once a credit union includes in its approved bye-laws that it can lend to non-members, it can. For the law, as constructed, allows it so to do. And, thus, have a number of credit unions been operating.

ADDENDUM: Whilst 'tis true that Section 80 of the Act empowers the line Minister to exempt:

"...by Order, ...any society or class of societies from any of the provisions of this Act, or may direct that this Act shall apply to such society or class of societies with such modifications as may be specified in the Order; save that no order to the prejudice of any society shall be made without an opportunity being given to such society to represent its case."

to date, no such Order has been made pertinent to the topic at hand.

An anti-PNM vaccine?

History records that the first inoculations against disease were administered in India, more than three thousand years ago. Back then, pus from smallpox-stricken victims was rubbed into the broken skin of healthy persons. Dr. Edward Jenner is credited with perfecting the process, by injecting the cowpox germ as a vaccine ("cow" in Latin is "vaca", thus, vaccine). The smallpox scourge is now eradicated from the face of the earth.

Would that someone develop an anti-PNM vaccine. Sigh!

Caveat Augustus!

(Prime Minister Patrick Manning) dismissed Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday's concerns that "such a serious matter as 'political integration' should have been the subject of a referendum."

"The Government of Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) does not believe in referenda as determining issues but what we proposed to do is debate the matter in Parliament, that's what we propose to do," Manning said. (Sunday Express: August 17, 2008)

The way yours truly sees it, whilst, through a political loophole, political union with Grenada, St. Vincent, St. Lucia or any other country, is possible WITHOUT A SPECIAL MAJORITY, a governments of those countries would have a hard time convincing their citizenry to agree to to give up their sovereignty and subsume themselves to Trinbagonian rule, for Section 1 (1) and (2) of T&T's constitution makes it quite clear that:

"The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago shall be a sovereign democratic State. (And that,)

Trinidad and Tobago shall comprise the Island of Trinidad, the Island of Tobago and any territories that immedi­ately before the 31st day of August 1962 were dependencies of Trinidad and Tobago, including the seabed and subsoil situated beneath the territorial sea and the continental shelf of Trinidad and Tobago (“territorial sea” and “continental shelf” here having the same meaning as in the Territorial Sea Act and the Continental Shelf Act, respectively), together with such other areas as may be declared by Act to form part of the territory of Trinidad and Tobago." (Emphasis, the writer's.)

The T&T constitution then goes on further to define what it means when it says "Trinidad and Tobago", as is gleaned from Section 3 (1), where it says:

"In this Constitution—
“Trinidad and Tobago” has the meaning attributed to that expression in the Trinidad and Tobago Independence Act 1962;"

and, Section 4 (1) of the T&T Independence Act of 1962, in turn, fixed Trinidad and Tobago to be:

" In this Act, and in any amendment made by this Act in any other enactment, “Trinidad and Tobago” means the Island of Trinidad, the Island of Tobago and any territories which at the passing of this Act are dependencies of the Colony of Trinidad and Tobago." (Emphasis, the writer's.)

Thus, at present, by operation of the above quoted laws, the territory of Trinidad and Tobago extends to some two nautical miles from the east and south coastlines of the island of Trinidad and for a similar distance almost from any point on the coastline of the island of Tobago and, on Trinidad's west and northwest coastlines, to approximately the midpoints between Trinidad and Venezuela and Trinidad and Grenada, respectively. (See map below.)

Since Section 54 of the constitution does not list Section 1 as one of the sections which require a special majority for it to be altered, substituted or repealed, then, it stands to reason, that Prime Minister Manning's intention is to use the constitutional loophole and his built-in parliamentary majority to enact the necessary legislation. However, as already mentioned, there is no way that he could take T&T into any political union with those three countries, except, the people of those countries agree to subsume themselves to Trinbagonian rule, something's that's as likely to happen as Usain Bolt's losing a race.

On another note, yours truly recalls the horrendously-wrong, yet, enforceable, decision taking by one A.N.R. Robinson on December 24, 2001, when, in invoking the philosophic underpinnings of the constitution, he removed Basdeo Panday and installed, in his stead, Patrick Manning as Prime Minister. It's ironic that Manning would now contumeliously ignore those same underpinnings by declaring that the people must have no say in such an important decision as forming a political union with other countries, to wit, in the preamble, where it's stated:

Whereas the People of Trinidad and Tobago—

(c) have asserted their belief in a democratic society in which all persons may, to the extent of their capacity, play some part in the institutions of the national life and thus develop and maintain due respect for law­fully constituted authority; (Emphasis, the writer's.)

The people want to have a direct say in your proposed move, Mr. Manning. Why are you afraid of letting them have it? Their vote at the last general election is not be an indicator of their support for this, your latest scheme, since the issue was never put before them in that context, neither is it mentioned in your much-ballyhooed Vision 2020 policy document. 'Tis true a people gets a government it deserves; 'tis also true that a government gets what it deserves from its people. Caveat Augustus!

So much for his "I'm the father of the nation!" crap.

"I try my best to avoid emotional attachments," (Prime Minister Patrick) Manning said during an interview with Newsday at Whitehall.
(From "PM packs up, moves out Whitehall", by Lara Pickford-Gordon and Clint Chan Tack Trinidad Newsday: August 16, 2008)

So much for his "I'm the father of the nation!" crap.

Martin Joseph should be sacked.

Minister Martin Joseph should be sacked

Dear Editor

You will probably not hear me say this very often but I agree with Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj on the issue of Martin Joseh's sacking.

Statistically, Martin Joseph has been the all time worst performing Minister of National Security in the history of Trinidad and Tobago. Already for this year there have been some 330 confirmed murders, which represents an increase of some 70% over the same period last year and last year was the worst year in our history.

There can be no justification for Martin Joseph to continue on in the office he now holds. His lame excuses and attempted defence on the increase in murders would have only been articulated by someone who has no respect for the intelligence of a sophisticated population such as ours.

He has managed to segment the murders into gang related, reprisals etc. and indicate that new initiatives such as the use of scientific tools like DNA evidence would allow him to reduce crime by 2020.

The first issue I take with his statement is this. How can anyone be able to identify the causes of each murder without even being aware of who committed it? This reminds me of the statements on knowing how many gangs were operating in T&T without the knowledge it would seem as to who were operating these gangs or where those operating these gangs could be found to be brought to justice. Another Mr. Big scenario.

With regards to his use of scientific methods, I wish to remind the Minister and the population that there had been calls for the use of DNA evidence in crime fighting since 2001/2002 by various people including myself, when the murder pattern now seen today was just being established. The Minister took 6 years to respond.

There continues to be call for the use of CCTVs to monitor the cities, villages and road network but the Minister does not yet see the value in this tool (or it may be that he does not know someone who supplies CCTVs). It may take another 6 years or another 2,500 murders.

This Minister loves to cite global trends to justify his failures, but as he looks towards developed status I will use the opportunity to point out that in the 12 month period to June 2008 there were 155 homicides in London (population 7.5 million or 6 times that of T&T). In the 12 month period to June 2007 there were 175 homicides. That means a decrease in homicides in 2008 over 2007 by 11.4%.

NOTE: homicides include murder, manslaughter and infanticide. Therefore the actual murder figure is much lower.

I use London because of the diversity in population and the many similarities in gang culture, drug trafficking, money laundering and increased gun use, to use examples like Switzerland would be unfair. Even so London has a more widespread drug culture in my view with strong opium, heroine, crack cocaine and cannabis trades that attract the attention of law enforcement agencies. YET, the homicide rate in London is not only falling, it is about 1/3 of what it is in T&T even with a population 6 times that of T&T.

I should alos point out that gun enabled crime in London is down over the same periods 16.1% from 3,200 for the 12 month period up to June 2007 to 2,684 for the 12 month period up to June 2008.

Another example that I believe would make for fair comparison is New York City. There have been approximately 305 murders in New York City for the year to date as opposed to approximately 296 for the same period in 2007 (I say approximately only because the figures are a couple days old). This represents a rise of some 3%. The population of New York City is approximately 6.5 times that of T&T and there can be little argument that New York City is still one of the most violent cities in the USA. There too can be found major international gangs such as the Russian, Italian, Irish and Chinese mafia and a proliferation of drugs and guns (that can be purchased freely). YET, even New York City have had less murders that T&T.

What we have in T&T is a Ministry of National Security that has seen its budget allocation quadruple over the last 6 years presiding over a population that if anything has decreased in size. YET murders have quadrupled over the same period.

Crime was significantly lower when there was significantly less money going to the Ministry of National Security, before the kidnapping bill was passed, before the change in the procedure in the appointment of the Police Commissioner and certainly before the appointment of this National Security Minister.

Will anybody take responsibility?

Sincerely,

Garvin Nicholas (galnic@yahoo.com; +447599806919)

All for three, three for none!

"In total, there were six Trinidad and Tobago students in Georgia when Russia began taking military action in South Ossetia late last week. Three of the students, who the Foreign Affairs Ministry were unable to identify, returned home last week..." (Trinidad Express: August 15, 2008)

Thus did the local media report/comment on the three students who, somehow, contrived to make it out of the war zone, leaving their three compatriots to fend for themselves. All for three, three for none!

It's now out in the open that the three students who were brought home in full public glare were studying in Tblisi on the strength of secret, Ministry of Community Development scholarships. Yours truly, therefore, urges the media to capsize every stone until the public gets to know who these other three students are. Until that occurs, the population may very well have to assume that the unidentified students are all relatives of Prime Minister Patrick Manning and or his personally-favoured ones, or, worse yet, ghosts.

The abovementioned Express report also prompts yours truly to call into question the capacity and relevance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and, also, to inquire whether, between the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of National Security, some bad blood exists? For, up to the time of writing, the latter was the Immigration Division's line minister and the Immigration Division, as is well-known from its the-new-passport-issuance history, is a very efficient unit.

What's in a name?

Dear A. Ali, who wrote the following in a letter to the Editor:

"Three Trinidad and Tobago students are returning home from Georgia. I hope that they arrive safely and that they have future success in their studies.
According to reports, they were in Georgia on scholarships from the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs. I am a student in the United Kingdom and I am supported by several sources of funding. These barely cover the cost of my expenses and I am always searching for available funding.
I know the scholarships offered by the government inside out, yet I have never heard about scholarships offered by the said ministry for academic studies (or for any kind of studies for that matter). I have since checked the website and no such scholarship is advertised.
I would like to know about this scholarship and the criteria for getting it, and why is it not advertised with the other government scholarships..." (Trinidad Express, August 14, 2008)

Well! For your information, upon their return to T&T soil, the Trinidad Express did ask them, the students:

"...Asked yesterday about how they acquired their scholarships to study in Georgia, the families referred the media to the ministry." (Trinidad Express: August 15, 2008)

Since there seems to be some intrigue afoot, perhaps one needs to delve into the familial connections of these students? Especially on realizing that one goes by the surname of Cudjoe and, another, Sinanan?

How come NO Guyana?

Re: This Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that Prime Minister Manning of the People's National Movement (PNM) take it upon himself to sign; you know, the one that's "committing" Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) to merge, economically, then, politically, with Grenada, St. Vincent and St. Lucia, all countries with very heavily-dominated Afro-Caribbean populations? How come NO Guyana?

After all, the population was led to believe that the President of Guyana, Bharat Jagdeo, would have been participating in the mini-summit that led to said MOU being signed. Did President Jagdeo show up for the meeting? And, if not, why not? For, from any viewpoint, a merger with Guyana offers infinitely-more than with the three islands, two of which would have been:

• Access to millions of hectares of mostly-unexplored and timber-covered, mineral-rich lands; and
• A room in the next great economic powerhouse: the South American continent.

One can understand why Grenada, St. Vincent and St. Lucia, at this time, would gleefully form an economic union with T&T: T&T dollars would flow towards them; and one can also appreciate why PM Manning of the PNM would be similarly-moved to embrace his brethren in those three islands: votes would flow to the PNM. Perhaps therein lies the explanation as to why NO Guyana? That, as far as PM Manning is concerned, such relationships are only good for T&T if they offer/bring added value to the PNM? How else to assess it?

It is fervently-hoped that the door has not been shut in Guyana's face.

Ah fraid pussy bite mih!

No! No! Yours truly has not descended into the realms of the sexually-perverted! A good caption grabs the attention of the reader, thus increasing the prospect of the missive being read. That's why yours truly always assiduously attends all affairs apropos appellation attachment.

The instant caption, therefore, is designed to elicit, of the eyes which behold it, attention to the fact that our own, esteemed, Professor Dr. Courtenay Bartholomew had recently published a paper in which he identified that cats -those furry, purring, cuddly, domesticated felines- can and do contract AIDS -with their species, it's called Feline Immunodeficiency Syndrome (FIV)- and, in them, the symptoms manifest themselves in similar fashion as in their human mentors. (Source: Prof. Courtenay Bartholomew's Science Report: Trinidad Express: May 7, 2008)

The professor pointed out that since FIV is confined to the feline realm and is spread from pussy to pussy only when they bite or scratch one another, humans harbouring housebound cats need not fear contracting FIV. However, he warned that such-afflicted pussies are host to the Toxoplasma gondii, a microscopic parasite that is known to make rats and mice regard the pussy as an object of adulation rather than of aversion -not a bad thing, from the human perspective: rats and mice are vermin- but, in humans, the parasite can cause spontaneous abortions, premature births, stillbirths, mental retardation, schizophrenia, paranoia and other psychotic abnormalities, as well as anemia in schoolchildren.

Humans and other warm-blooded animals -including those consumed by humans: sheep, goat, poultry- become infected with the dreaded Toxoplasma when they come in contact with an infected pussycat's faeces or, most assuredly, if such potential victim is in the habit of the raw or undercooked flesh of infected animals. (Sources: (i) Torrey EF, Yolken RH. Toxoplasma gondii and schizophrenia. Nov 2003; and, (ii) N. Zia-Ali, A. Fazaeli, M. Khoramizadeh, D. Ajzenberg, M. Dardé and H. Keshavarz-Valian: Isolation and molecular characterization of Toxoplasma gondii strains from different hosts in Iran Jan. 2007)

In an online January 10, 2008 advisory, the USA's Centers for Diesease Control and Prevention states that, in some countries, as much as 95% of the human population is infected with the resultant Toxoplasmosis disease and that climatic conditions similar to Trinidad and Tobago's enhance the disease's virulence. The latter phenomenon was confirmed in the abovementioned Zia-Ali et al Iranian study.

Maybe the Toxoplasma gondii are much smarter than the simple organisms they appear to be? For they begin the human infection process by infecting rats, mice and wild birds, all of which are Nature-ordained choicest of fodder for cats. In turn, cats get infected by eating infected rats, mice and wild birds. Cats are driven by nature to deposit all their excrement in soil. Thus, excreted Toxoplasma gondii attaches itself to the plants that grow in the contaminated soil. Animals eat the contaminated plants. Ergo... And, sometimes, humans eat those plants without properly cleaning them of soil residue. Ergo... Humans also eat the flesh of the animals that fed on the contaminated plants. Ergo... Some humans also chomp on pussy. Ergo...

There's an urgent need to undertake a thorough scientific survey of the true state of toxoplasmic affairs in Trinidad and Tobago. Unless, of course, the disease had been allowed free rein, for so long a time, that, right up to the highest decision-making levels, lethargy, anemia and paranoia have already entrenched themselves, in which latter event one must conclude that, maybe, the Mighty Sparrow was unwittingly prescient in 1969, when, wittily, he sang, "Ah fraid pussy bite mih!"

Tucker Valler: Harvesting sense from nonsense.

Speaking on behalf of the Agriculture Minister Arnold Piggot, who was out of the country, Ministry of Agriculture Deputy Permanent Secretary (DPSec), Winston Gibson, disclosed that the 200-acre Tucker Valley Large Farm project is being implemented through a technical co-operation agreement with the government of Cuba. He said, "farming began there in June and the farm would see the cultivation of 30 acres of cassava, 10 acres of eddoes, and 10 acres of sweet potatoes and farming began there in June. It is estimated that this farm will produce 400 acres of agricultural produce per year..." (Paraphrased from "Government moves ahead with four large farms Nine proposals rejected", Trinidad Guardian: August 12, 2008.)

Possible interpretaions:

1. There will be two harvests per year on the 200 acre farm;
2. There will be eight harvests per year on the 50 acres that will actually be planted;
3. Cuba has developed new fast-maturing hybrids of these roots crops;
4. Real estate, physically, will start to increase, as real estate prices have, thus the 200 acres will burgeon into 400 acres;
5. It's only and estimate and estimates, as everyone knows, normally overstate things by a minimum of 100%;
6. The Minister left the country because he saw the speech the DP Sec had prepared for him to read;
7. The DP Sec does not know A from Bullfoot;
8. All of the above;
9. Some of the above;
10. None of the above.

HCU: Picking sense from nonsense.

A credit union is a co-operative. The fundamental tenet of all co-operatives is that any such venture is not about money, but about people. That's why, for instance, in a co-operative, each shareholder, regardless of the size of her/his shareholding, has but one vote at shareholders' meetings. It is a concept which, in these modern times, most members, conveniently, tend to ignore, notwithstanding the fact that, before joining, they are required to attest to their understanding of such. In other words, every credit union member forfeits the right to preferential treatment based upon the size of her/his financial investment, unlike the case in other types of financial institutions.

Nothing of the above is to suggest that those whom the members delegate to manage the day-to-day affairs of their co-op must not so do with a sense of propriety: such posts are fiduciary in nature. Nothing, either, is to suggest that those charged with overseeing the overseers must not, also, conduct themselves. There are laws in place to provide the guidelines for such and for the ways whereby any deviation from such is to be corrected. The arguments thus far ventilated by attorney Farid Scoon in the Hindu Credit Union matter (ongoing before Nolan Bereaux J.) are cogent, indeed, very cogent. And, the law is the law, though, at times, it does tend to behave like an ass.

The law says that the Commissioner for Co-operative Development is the one with the vested power to monitor and regulate credit unions. And, bhai! Does he have power? Put pot 'pon choolah he does! Whether he uses it is an entirely different issue, for, from personal observation and experience, Commissioners have not been proactive, not even reactive. One suspects that their inertia derives mainly from the fact that they are all public servants to-the-bone, the type who prefers to be occupied with the trappings of the job to the thereof duties and responsibilities. Thus, issues which could be resolved in short order, are left to fester until the only option left is to call in the morticians.

Yours truly hopes that the ongoing trial will address that issue and, so, with bated breath, awaits its outcome, which may very well not be until the Privy Council has its say.

PNM, in a nutshell.

Taking the Trinidad Express at its word, the People's National Movement, in the closing paragraph of its recent media release, confirms, yet again, the contempt which it holds for the vast majority of Trinbagonians, which, by the way, happens not to support it. Listen!

"The PNM calls on the Express to apologise for its unfair, unbalanced and scurrilous attack on its leader as sought (sic) to implement the Party's mandate on promoting regional integration." (Trinidad Express: August 12, 2008)

If the wording and misgrammatication of the above paragraph do not indicate, in a nutshell, that the present Prime Minister is solely concerned with the business of the PNM, a party is clueless even about the simplest stuff, what else does?

Your truly hopes that, long before now, the Express had consigned that release -there are much better words whereby to describe the document, but, civility calls- to the innards of any passing La Basse-bound garbage truck.

Sherlock Holmes would have said, "Not a man move!"

Read the whole damn story, then read my caption:

Stabbed, rushed to hospital, stabbed again.

A man who went to the San Fernando General Hospital after being stabbed, was attacked by a group of men in the Accident and Emergency Department and stabbed again, police were told.

Police and hospital security guards cleared the department of everyone except staff and patients to search the buildings and compound for suspects. The search extended to roadblocks around San Fernando Sunday night, but the suspects still escaped.

The incident occurred at around 7.30 p.m. The victim in the incident had earlier been injured in an attack in Gasparillo.

The hospital fracas was confirmed by Southern Division Senior Superintendent Gopiechand Ganga.

A patient who was in the A&E at the time of the fracas Sunday night, Davanand Seepersad, said, "I saw a man just walk up and stab this fella with a knife on the head. Everybody was put out the hospital. No one could enter or leave while police searched." ( Trinidad Express, August 12, 2008)

Act now.

Act Now HCU, the failure of which has monopolized the news over the last week, has, as usual, come at an ideal time to distract public attention from the disaster which, for them, has, from inception, been the Manning PNM administration, or lack thereof.

One cannot help but wonder whether shifting to the back burner, the far greater scandal which has been, and continues to be, UDECOTT, has not been editorially. quite deliberate. Equally obvious, is the fact that Mr. Harnarine received sufficient rope to hang himself at the expense of Hindus, traditional supporters of the opposition. Has this not also been a deliberate policy of this administration? For, in the final analysis, who is the major beneficiary and greatest victim of this latest example of the politics of mass distraction? The very fact that HCU has elbowed UDECOTT off center stage, would not have been possible, had the agencies established to prevent and avoid just such a failure been doing their jobs, and this begs the question - how was HCU permitted to ruin so many before official intervention?

Let us examine the results. Amidst the allegations and accusations, a majority, well supported and founded, of PNM ineptitude, corruption and maladministration, we suddenly have surfacing, the failure of a Credit Union which represents not only an indictment against an entire community but the destitution of a certain sector of that society, already significantly impoverished as a result of deliberate Government policy, and the reaction of the political directorate is a series of investigations and audits after the fact, while all assets and activities are frozen. Yet the UDECOTT enquiry suffers inordinate delay. Can those editors not connect the dots and unmask the transparency of this ploy? Why, in these circumstances, has an independant forensic auditor and guardian of the public purse not been installed with the same haste and authority to monitor all current and proposed UDECOTT activities whilst awaiting commncement of this deliberately delayed Enquiry?

While journalists like Peter O'Connor and Martin George have painted word pictures of the recent Emancipation celebrations, and a gentleman with an African sounding name attempted to blackmail the business community into supporting this display of African fabric, frolic and drumology, where has been the voice of said business community in response, not merely to the flooding noted by Mr. O'Connor or the lack of civic pride, initiative or ambition and it's criminal stepchildren, identified by Mr. George in the Afro (read Government supporting) component of our society?

In 2001 when the principle that "the voice of the people is the voice of God" was Presidientially and conveniently distorted, in favor of a minority supported Manning PNM, big business was observed literally tripping over each other in their rush to make obeisance to the new dispensation. Not a voice was raised in protest at the unorthodox and back door manner of their "elevation" to power. Not by big business, Messrs. O'Connor, George, or indeed, any other voice of influence in this now terribly benighted society. While the latter two journalists, together with a majority of their colleagues, have obviously seen the light, aside from whining ineffectually over the murder rate and the general destruction of the ecology and law and order, particularly as it directly affects every citizen, big business T&T, without whose silent blessing ex President Robinson would have had no alternative but to return the country to the polls after the 18/18 deadlock, refuses to exercise their force and influence to lift the scourge they welcomed in 2001. In light of this fact none, neither Mr. O'Connor, Mr. George, the Chamber, DOMA, nor anyone else, should be heard in protest today, for as well meant as their efforts and dire warnings might be, they are all, to quote my own dear wife, merely "whistling in the dark"and may so do, only as long as officially permitted.

If the business community is interested in more than the bottom line of their balance sheets they, without even the backing of any other sector, have it within their capacity to banish Mr. Manning and his minions, as they so richly deserve. All that is required, as they are no doubt very well aware, would be the financial sacrifice of closing their doors to both public and private trading for not more than ten days; a sacrifice they can well afford, after the windfalls enjoyed since 2001. Should they so do, it is, I believe, almost certain that they will be widely supported by both organised labour, small entrepreneurship and a majority of beleaguered private citizens. This and this alone, provides an immediate relief to the agonies of our society. Is sweet T&T not worth at least this much? It is to this end that the efforts of O'Connor, George et al need, now be focussed.

Quite obviously, the reluctance of all the above named, not excluding organised religion, to take the level of action required, is the age old 'cop out', devised by the late Messiah - who brought this blight originally upon the society - "who we go put?". That answer, fellow citizens, is as obvious as it has been made unpalatable by PNM propaganda. One merely has to ask a few pertinent questions and the answer is immediately obvious.

Between '95 and 2001, what was the incidence of catastrophic flood, crime, escalating food prices, ecological, social and personal rape, as well as the other obvious ills suffered since 2001? Now, as a proud Trini carrying the flag in exile, I frankly could not give a tinker's damn whether there was any appreciable corruption in the previous administration or otherwise. The fact remains, if as alleged they did take, the evidence survives to prove that they gave back far more. Nothing succeeds like success, and with nothing like the windfall which Manning has politically exploited, whether we wish to admit it or not, in every aspect of their administration, the UNC succeeded where the PNM have so dismally failed! I am neither Hindu nor Indo, but I can personally testify to their success in office after a month long investigative visit to the homeland in the year 2000. I therefore, rest my case.

Alternatively, we can all continue to sit ranting and raving ineffectually until the advent of the inevitable and far more disastrous blood bath overtakes us, as overtake us it certainly will - sooner rather than later.
T.G. Mendes
Barbados

The Emancipation Letter.

In a message dated 8/11/2008 7:37:33 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, ear@tstt.net.tt wrote:

The following is submitted as a letter for publication:

The Editor,

In the hype that accompanied the Emancipation Day celebrations it was difficult to separate truth and reality from the hypocrisy and “Carnival” that is increasingly becoming part of the celebrations. As I understand it Emancipation Day is meant to celebrate the occasion when slaves were freed by the British.

If as a black man I still considered slavery as an event still affecting my life I would see no reason to celebrate any aspect of it - especially a freedom or emancipation that was given to me and not one that was won in victory. Fortunately my spirituality does not permit me to be shackled by elevating slavery, race and such like to a level of importance in my reality.

My problem has always been the many pseudo racists, neo colonialists, politicians, the neo liberals, etc. who intentionally or otherwise, perpetuate a more insidious enslavement of the mind under the guise of emancipation, nationalism and independence.

Slaves did not become free on being freed and slave owners did not cease to think and act as owners of slaves when they freed their slaves. There was necessarily a long period during which the Emancipation of both took place. Some say there are many on both sides who today are still not emancipated; I view both types as being equally in need of treatment. Personally I do not feel disadvantaged by slavery. My ancestors certainly were but my position is that I am the end product of natural and unnatural selection which has been further enhanced by miscegenation resulting in genetically a sturdier and better quality end product. These dynamics - as I understand it, are a healthy part of the evolutionary process and place me at its “cutting edge”.

I am deeply concerned by the Emancipation Committee’s embrace of the political paradigm that has blacks disadvantaged despite more than 40 years of national Governments led by blacks. There is no rocket science here - it is either blacks are inferior or there is socio-political constraint. Emancipation without education and economic prosperity cannot be had and we should be well beyond the question as to why we have retrogressed while many who came long after us have moved on. In my opinion the hype and hypocrisy of Emancipation without realising that something has gone very wrong only lulls black people into a false sense of achievement and self - and leads to apathy. In slavery, by and large, there was the awareness by the slave of his status simply because his master was different and the arrangement was obvious, legal and enforced. The black leaders today are unaware of their “enslavement” and this was very evident in reading/hearing “Emancipation” interviews/articles recording statements by many spokesmen for the black community. The only other explanation is that these “spokesmen for blacks” were curry favouring with our black neo colonial masters so as to protect and enhance their (the spokesmen) status, personal benefits and gains in reaching the top of the “crab barrel” - this behaviour of course was also characteristic of plantation slaves.

Leadership is a critical role in all endeavours and can be simply exemplary. If leaders are not and also repeatedly fail those they lead - as the evidence suggests has been the case in T&T, what inevitably results is loss of direction, identity and purpose by those being led. Black leadership therefore has to be honest and begin by promoting open, critical and intelligent evaluation of what has been sold to blacks by black post colonial leaders in PNM country as development, progress and emancipation - all else is sham and masquerade.

And in a manger, cold and dark, Mary's little boy was born!

Strange, but, on reading this Trinidad Express story of the baby girl born behind bars with only prisoners in attendance as midwives, I feel no urge to be recriminative towards anyone, rather, to be philosophical, as I think that this baby, despite her most ignominious entry into this world, will emulate the most excellent example of that baby who was born just about two thousand years ago, in, but for the bars, very similar circumstances. And in a manger, cold and dark, Mary's little boy was born!

Only ONE Bailey.

On the Old Southern Main Road, Valsayn, straddling the Caroni, three bridges have been built over the course of time:

• The first, a steel structure, around the early 1870s, to accommodate wheeled traffic, of the animal-drawn type, for, back then, there weren't any motorcars in Trinidad. Back then, also, a country named Trinidad and Tobago did not exist! It was designed and built to last forever. Until the second bridge was built, the Silver Bridge, as, because of the hue in which it was painted, it was popularly known, provided the only means for vehicles to cross the mighty Caroni at that point, via a single lane. My forbears and a number of other ancient ones have always insisted that this was the first bridge built over the Caroni, at any point, for such a purpose.
  
• The second, also a steel structure, in 1996, was erected to provide short to long term additional passageway for wheeled traffic. It, too, was a steel structure and served its purpose. Nine moths after it was decommissioned, it went crashing into the river below whilst being dismantled by the competent authority: the Ministry of Works and Transport.
• The third bridge was commissioned in November 2007. Like its predecessors, this one was also made of steel, but, unlike them, was designed and built to accommodate two lanes of wheeled traffic. Its installers announced it would hold up for one hundred years.

All three bridges were of the truss design. However, only one, the second, the one that, literally, went down, was a Bailey bridge. Bailey bridges were invented by a British Civil Service engineer named Donald Bailey, during World War Two, an event which ran from 1939 to 1945. Bailey bridges did not, therefore, exist in the nineteenth century. And, the newest bridge, the only one now in use, is a Mabey bridge, which, though its concept derives from the Bailey bridge, can, by no stretch of the imagination, be called a Bailey bridge.

The Trinidad Newsday needs to check itself, lest it continues to put forth that there was more than one Bailey, when the truth is that there was only one, the one that had to be bailed out after a bungled breakdown job.

ADDENDUM: I lend support to Gayanand Sitram's call for the original bridge to be declared a historical site and, thus, be left intact. I so do mainly because The Silver Bridge harks back to an idyllic time when it, like Trinidad, stood alone.

The Silver Bridge, after it was painted orange.

When everything is a secret, then nothing is a secret!

Why the secrecy, o my government? Why the constant attempts to pass off condescending patronizing for astute leadership? Look! I'm a big man! An adult! With children! And with several families dependent upon me, as the breadwinners thereof work for me. I pay my taxes (who doesn't?) and, as anyone can attest, I take serious interest in the running of my native country. I'm neither a cynic nor a slapdash person! Therefore, I find it unacceptable that my government would treat me like if I'm a little child by refusing to make plain to me, whether I asked or not, the reason(s) why it makes the decisions it makes, where its governance of this, my native country, is concerned.

I want to know! I must know! There can be no secret between the government and the governed over how it governs them, for it's the people's right to know! Everything! So, my government! Cut this crap of hiding everything from us! For, as US Supreme Court Justice Stewart had declared, in the Pentagon Papers case:
"...when everything is a secret, then nothing is a secret; and the system becomes one to be disregarded by the cynical or the careless; and to be manipulated by those intent on self-protection or self-promotion."

Underground radar needed.

Could it be that Minister Martin Joseph's very recent announcement that a major overhaul of firearm laws in Trinidad and Tobago was prompted by some dyslexic-type reading of this statement from the TimesOnline?

Serious crime in Nottingham has been dominated by the Gunn family.

Seriously though, the TimesOnline report, published today, August 8th, tells of the UK's Association of Chief Police Officer's assessment of the magnitude and depth of the criminal underground economy in the UK: £40 billion! Or, TT$480 billion! That's per annum turnover. That's the equivalent of 7% of UK national expenditure for the current year!

Extrapolating, Trinidad and Tobago's criminal underground economy would be in the vicinity of TT$3 billion!

A couple of comments are to be noted in the ACPO's report:

(Deputy Chief Constable Jon Murphy, of ACPO, told The Times that crime specialists work together to make money through drug deals, robberies and smuggling. He) said: "There are Mr Bigs, but the person you start out thinking of as the Mr Big is quite often not. These are people who are flying below the radar and you may not realise who they are for a long time."
The ACPO team is concerned at the ease with which inmates can obtain mobile phones. "Significant criminal activity is being driven from within prisons," said Mr Murphy.

In view of the above, the powers that be, the lawfully-installed ones, that is, urgently need to readjust the current budgetary allocations for and modus operani of the Ministry of National Security. One such readjustment must be to install an underground radar system.

Are we there yet?

Ironic? Or, instructive?

It's ironic that newborn Minister of Tourism (Shucks! After nine months in the womb of Cabinet, what else could he be?) would choose a forum on disaster preparedness to spin the tale that Trinidad and Tobago's horrendous crime situation has not dampened the attractiveness of these shores as a preferred tourist destination. Then, again, it may very well be instructive that so he did?

For, apart from the rebuttals mentioned by the Trinidad Newsday of August 8, 2008, one also must wonder whether the Minister, misguidedly, maybe mischievously, misdefined "tourist" to include persons who come here for business purposes and or intransit to other destinations? The question is posed, because yours truly has always been under the impression that "tourists" are those foreigners who touch down or come ashore to soak up the sun, sand, sea or to "grind on ah bamsee".

In other words, unlike business folk, who are required to travel in the normal course of their business activities, real tourists make a deliberate decision to visit Trinbago, after comparing alternative leisure destinations.

In any event, real tourists bring net income, direct from their wallets, while the cast-your-bread-upon-the-

waters business traveller does not. Which explains the difficulty one has in finding a foreigner who came a knocking to close a business deal that was more favourable to T&T that to his/her foreign-based principal.

Thus, statistics related to the movements of the true tourist would more indicative of the impact the Ross-identified factors had on tourism. Yours truly suspects that the Minister has lied to us, suspicions which are partly fuelled by wary observation of the company he keeps and by the tardiness of the relevant T&T tourism sector monitoring agency in furnishing the Caribbean Tourist Organization with any further statistics after February 2008's calamitous drop in total tourist arrivals (-26.1%) , a collapse triggered by a very steep decline in arrivals from Europe (-43.5%).

Instructive, then, it is!

So I can't tell a company I own, how to behave? Madness!

Since when the owner of a company caNOT give a directive to the board of directors?

Planning, Housing and Development Minister Emily Gaynor Dick-Forde yesterday said she could not instruct the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (UDeCOTT) to respond to any allegations made against it. (Trinidad Newsday: August 8, 2008)

So I can't tell a company I own how to behave? Especially when my company's actions are making me look bad? Madness!

Grr! Things that make me mad.

"A retired Danish couple, (Jorn Kaiser, 46, and his ailing wife, 44-year-old Kate Kaiser,) who were on vacation in Tobago, appeared before a Port of Spain magistrate yesterday, for the illegal importation of a 5.5 calibre Gamo Viperskeet air rifle, one 650 millimetre scope and 225 pellets, used in the operation of the rifle.
...Prosecuting attorney, Harricharan Cassie, objected to bail "because of the seriousness and prevalence of the offence."
...Kaiser was remanded into custody, but his wife was granted bail in the sum of $10,000, because Heath said she needed medical attention. If convicted, the couple could face a maximum of 20 years in prison, or fined up to $100,000." (Trinidad Express: August 8, 2008)

WTF these people been charged for when it have bandit and other criminals, some of them masquerading as police and soldiers, running wild the length and breadth of Trinidad and Tobago? And, what prevalence of the offence the prosecuting attorney talking about? How much people get charge for illegally importing guns into T&T? Where is the empirical evidence? Au contraire, we have endless evidence of police, soldiers and private security personnel renting out firearms to criminals that we could pinpoint?

Seeing as der Kaisers come from a country where 8% of households have firearms and where gun-related homicides occur at the rate of 0.23 per 100,000 -ours (at the current rate) is like 35 per- and, seeing as so many dire warnings about the runaway local crime situation have been issued to prospective visitors to T&T and, seeing as a number of foreigners visiting Tobago have been attacked, assaulted or even murdered and, seeing as it's known all over the world that even our police commisioners have declared that they can't cope, I'd say that der Kaisers were justified to walk with a gun and, therefore, once they furnish proof that they had legally acquired the pellet gun, they worst they should get should be a warning and their airgun temporarily-confiscated, to be returned to them when they leave the country.

Grr! It's things like this that does make me mad!

OSHA and the old Bailey that took the plunge in the Caroni.

Forget, for a fleeting moment, the many other flagrant violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, 2004, and other commonsense safety measures and practices, but, where was the protective gear, specifically, safety helmet? Someone has to answer, for the below picture quite plainly shows that Ramdath was bedecked in a blue golf cap and NOT a crash helmet.

And, were Ramdath Bissoon and the other workers wearing safety boots? If not, why not? Was it because none was ever issued to them? Or, they had lost it, or forgotten to wear it? In Bissoo's case, it was the duty of his his employer, L Jugmohan and Sons Contractors Ltd of Penal, to provide him with protective gear, free of charge, as he was in their employ for more than a month, thirteen years, to be precise.

THE BODY of Ramdath Bissoo (blue golf cap), of Clarke Road, Penal,
pinned between the flat bed hydraulic hoister truck and the iron railing of the Bailey Bridge
(From: Trinidad Newsday website)

THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ACT, 2004
PART II
GENERAL DUTIES

Section 4:
(1) In this Act, except where otherwise expressly provided—

"factory" means premises in which, or within the curtilage or precincts of which, persons are employed, by way of trade, or intended trade, or for purposes of gain, in or incidental to any process, including—

(a) the making, demolishing, altering, repairing, warehousing, ornamenting, furnishing, distributing, cleaning, washing, breaking up or adapting for sale, of any article or product, or the filling of containers

and premises shall not be excluded from this definition by reason only that they are open air premises;

"industrial establishment" means a factory, shop, office, place of work or other premises but does not include—

(a) premises occupied for residential purposes only; or

(b) other categories of establishment exempted by the Minister in accordance with this Act;

"premises" includes any place, and, in particular—

(a) any vehicle, vessel, aircraft or hovercraft;

(b) any subterranean installation or installation on land, including the foreshore and other land intermittently covered by water;

Section 6:

(1) It shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the safety, health and welfare at work of all his employees.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of an employer's duty under subsection (1), the matters to which that duty extends include in particular—

(a) the provision and maintenance of plant and systems of work that are, so far as is reasonably practicable, safe and without risks to health;

(b) arrangements for ensuring, so far as is reasonably practicable, safety and absence of risks to health in connection with the use, handling, storage and transport of equipment, machinery, articles and substances;

(c) the provision of adequate and suitable protective clothing or devices of an approved standard to employees who in the
course of employment are likely to be exposed to the risk of head, eye, ear, hand or foot injury, injury from air contaminant
or any other bodily injury and the provision of adequate instructions in the use of such protective clothing or devices;

(d) the provisions of such information, instruction, training and supervision as is necessary to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the safety and health at work of his employees;

(e) so far as is reasonably practicable as regards any place of work under the employer's control, the maintenance of it in
a condition that is safe and without risks to health and the provision and maintenance of means of access to and egress from it that are safe and without such risks;

(f) the provision and maintenance of a working environment for his employees that is, so far as is reasonably practicable,
safe, without risks to health, and adequate as regards amenities and arrangements for their welfare at work; and

(g) compliance with sections 7, 12, 37, 46, 75 and 76, Parts III and IX and such other duties as may be imposed on him by regulations made under this Act.

Section 10:

(1) It shall be the duty of every employee while at work—

(a) to take reasonable care for the safety and health of himself and of other persons who may be affected by his acts or omissions at work;

(b) as regards any duty or requirement imposed on his employer to co-operate with him so far as necessary to ensure that that duty or requirement is performed or complied with;

(c) to report to his employer, any contravention under this Act or any regulations made thereunder, the existence of which he knows; and

(d) to use correctly the personal protection clothing or devices provided for his use.

(1A) A person who refuses to comply with subsection (1) commits a safety and health offence and is subject to the jurisdiction of the Industrial Court.

(2) An employee who wilfully and without reasonable cause does anything which results in the death or critical injury to another person at work, commits an offence and is liable to a fine of ten thousand dollars.

(3) An employer may discipline, in the customary manner, an employee who breaks the safety provisions of this Act.

Section 12:
(1) No employer shall levy or permit to be levied on any employee of his in respect of anything done or provided in pursuance of any specific requirement of this Act, except in respect of—
(a) foodstuffs and other items served in a canteen;

(b) things lost or damaged wilfully or through the negligence of the employee; and

(c) protective clothing and devices where the employee is employed for one month or less.

Can't fry a fish that's not yet caught.

Those Trinidad and Tobago students who appeared before the courts to answer charges of cheating in the recent Caribbean Examinations Council exams, were made so to appear, not because they cheated, but, rather, because they were caught. That's why the person or persons who initially pilfered the questions papers have not yet put in any similar such appearance. That's also why the crime situation is as it is. Makes sense, since one can't fry a fish that's not yet caught.

No wonder the damn Caroni Bailey bridge collapsed?

Premchan Ramoutar, the Works and Transport Ministry employee who survived the Caroni Bailey bridge collapse which claimed the life of a man on Saturday, said:

“We started work at 9 am and it was a routine operation. We were dismantling the bridge and taking it down in parts, something that we were accustomed to. The only difference was that this was the first time he was working on a bridge of that length. We were just about to load some parts onto a truck to carry it to Woodford Lots in Chaguanas, when we heard a noise and, all of a sudden, the bridge fell into the river." (Paraphrased from Trinidad Newsday, August 6, 2008)

Woodford Lots? In Chaguanas? It have no Woodford LOTS in Chaguanas? He must mean Wodford LODGE?!!!

Sigh! If a simple thing as the proper name of the place where its dismembered parts were to be taken could not be remembered by the workers dismembering it, then it's more than likely they could not remember which bolt was first or not to be removed?

No wonder the damn Caroni Bailey bridge collapsed?

Caroni's not the first bridge to collapse since Manning in charge.

Buh ae ae! Why Imbut eh hush he darm mout? He too farse wid heself! Complainin dat ting collaps cors is Pandee dem wey did build it. Like he eh realize dat we have precedens of important Bridges collapsing since he borse tek power in 2001 owot? well! Ah go remine him! Jess move one side, leh me do dat!

Ah didn' hear him say dat dat Bridgid collapse because is de UNC did make she? Eh? Tell mih eef ah wrong!

AG and DPP finally admit they have no confidence in T&T's criminal justice system.

DPP Henderson (l) and AG Annisette-George

Almost as an afterthought, the Trinidad Guardian of August 5, 2008, gave some stunning insights into the current disposition of two of the most powerful offices in Trinidad and Tobago (T&T): that of the Attorney-General (AG) and of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

For, according to the newspaper's story about the extradition of four men -including two soldiers- to the USA re: the Balram "Balo" Maharaj murder, the AG, Ms Bridgid Annisette-George, in a letter dated August 4, 2008, informed Keith Scotland -defence attorney for one of the four accused- that the decision to have the men tried in the USA, instead of T&T, was taken after she surmised that, even though the crime was committed in T&T, it would be easier -meaning?- to have the trial over there and not here, because :

1. the majority of the accused (-there were eleven in all, so that means the other seven-) were (already) in the US; (and that)
2. the FBI played an extensive role in breaking the case, using their DNA experts (emphasis, mine); (and that)
3. the US Attorney's Office was ready to go to trial (in that a) judge was waiting on (the arrival of the four extraditees) to start the trial; (and that)
4. (if the accused were tried) in T&T, (they) could face the death penalty, while the US Government has given the assurance that(, over there,) they would not; (and, finally, that)
5. the (Director of Public Prosecution) DPP (-Geoffery Henderson-) had (concurred, in that he had) given her the undertaking that as soon as the accused entered a plea agreement in the US, (he) would discontinue the charges in Trinidad.

AG Annisette-George and the DPP Henderson might as well come out in the open and endorse what the hapless citizenry have been saying for the past six, going on seven, years: that law-abiding citizens have lost all confidence in T&T's criminal justice system.

Did someone sigh, "Ah! What a thing!"?