Appropriately dotish!

Day 2008-09-27

Acting Commissioner of...	PULL OVER: A policeman...	DOTISH: Minister Colm...
HOUSE STYLES: PNM St...	ON TRIAL: Marlon Peters...	ON TRIAL: Marlon Peters...

The caption of the one of the above pictures in the Trinidad Newsday thumbnail gallery for 2008-027 said, "Dotish: Minister Colm...". How appropriate!

Maybe that's why it's called the Lower House?

'Tis sad, indeed very sad, when a senior Cabinet Minister, especially one charged with responsibility for leading Government Business in the House of Parliament, would so conduct his contribution to a serious national debate -the 2009 Budget- as to lead all to conclude that, on the government benches in the Lower House, there are ten, not nine, female Members of Parliament, the tenth being what is colloquially galled "ah jamette"!

Tis sad, really, really sad. But, then say what? Having observed the said Minister's said jamettian behaviour, maybe that's why that place is called the Lower House?

Can Karen be trusted with matters of Trinbago's high finance?

Yours truly absorbed, with shock and with awe, the following Trinidad Express report of some post-her-maiden-Budget-presentation-straight-talk-with-the-media comments made by the Honourable Minister of Finance, Karen Nunez-Tesheira:

-Finance Minister Karen Nunez-Tesheira said yesterday there is now an average of one car for every two people in this country, as she defended the new $4 per litre price for premium gasoline that was included in the 2008/2009 Budget...

"I got some figures from the Licensing Office and what we discovered, and I'm doing a guesstimate here, eh, when you're looking at the persons, registered drivers, there are about 800,000, 900,000, because there are a number of persons under 17, and when you look at the number of vehicles registered it's over 400,000, that's about one vehicle per two persons," Nunez-Tesheira told reporters at the Red House, Port of Spain, after she delivered the 2007/2008 Budget during a special sitting of the Parliament...- ("Minister: Gas hike will curb road rage", by Juhel Browne, Trinidad Express: September 23, 2008.)

Taking her cue, guesstrapolating therefrom, one concludes that the population of Trinidad and Tobago has been increasing as rapidly -if not more than- the licensed-to-drive population and must be in the vicinity of 2,300,000, since not everyone legally-old-enough has a driver's permit; and since nobody NOT legally-old-enough has. Not to mention that, according to up-to-date statistics -NOT from the Central Statistical Office, whose publicly-available figures run only up to 2002-, Trinbago's total above-the-age-of-fifteen-years population comprises only about 850,000 persons! (Trinidad and Tobago Age Structure by Index Mundi.)

Hello? Such data any Trinbago Finance Minister worth her proverbial salt would know, at the drop of a scarf, since demographic considerations are critical in formulating and implementing public policies and strategies.

In fairness to the Minister, Juhel's preambled conclusion that "(Ms Nunez-Tesheira said) there is now an average of one car for every two people in this country" is incorrect, false and misleading, for the Minister made it quite clear that when she said "persons" she meant "registered drivers".

Notwithstanding, because the Licensing Office's record-keeping is known to be pathetic, one may safely pronounce that the Karen-bandied 800,000 "registered drivers" include many who, whose allotted time on Earth has expired and who, otherwise, are ghost-drivers. In other words, the number represents the accumulated figure, as best as the Licensing Office has it, of all who have been issued with driving permits since what, 1900, when the first car arrived?

Ergo, no prudent Minister would have relied on those statistics at all, whether in private or public. But, she having so done, syllogism leads one to conclude that, with other fiscal measures she has also been using off-key statistics.

Thus, one must ask whether Karen can be trusted with matters of Trinbago's high finance. Here endeth.

A dastardly crime against the American people.

From way back when, leaders of countries, while cloaked in legality, occasionally have inflicted some of the most horrendous crimes against citizens of their own country: men and women have been forcibly and without just cause separated from their families; unborn babies torn from wombs; human beings burnt alive at the stake; physical torture unspeakable, to the brink of death, administered; properties confiscated and whole towns and villages displaced, or annihilated, in the name of some god or of some king or queen; human beings who, innately, look different from the ruling class, condemned to slavery; and the list goes on, without end, it seems.

It's against such a background yours truly views the Bush administration's proposed taxpayer bailout of financial institutions in the USA, for, try as he has/can, yours truly cannot fathom why what now seems to be one thousand billion US dollars, plus, could be seized, no questions asked, from the present and future generation of American citizens; for what purpose? Essentially, to be given to a few men and women who messed up big time, so that none of their deliberately self-generated mess would stick to them, rather to those from whom this cache of a trillion-plus dollars is seized. A few men and women who, by the way, happen to be bosom friends of the leaders who decided to bail them out.

Thank God that the people and the wise amongst the US Congress have stiffened their spines and hardened their stance against the White House in this matter and have, thus far, refused to approve Bush's skimpy three-page Bailout Bill which, in its tendered form, would have given to the US Treasury Secretary unfettered power and authority to do with as he pleases, the many billions of dollars that Bush seeks for the junkies of Wall Street.

Has the TT dollar been abolished?

Begging pardon, but, when did the currency of Trinidad and Tobago change from TT dollars to US dollars? And, if it didn't/hasn't, why did the Finance Minister so profusely describe the value of government expenditure in US dollars? Is it to make the average Joe and Jane feel that "small money" is being spent when that's not the case at all? Tut, tut, Karen!

Sigh! If Sarah were T&T's Finance Minister.

Not that yours truly endorses her, but there is this one thing that Alaskan Governor, Sarah Palin, has done that is long overdue in Trinidad and Tobago: aside from salting away for the rainy day, each year she takes some of Alaska's humongous fossil-fuel wealth and shares it directly among its true owners -the Alaskans.

Thus, in 2008, each Alaskan, man, woman and child, will receive approximately $3,200.00. Cash! In hand! To do with as they please! And, that's US dollars, mind you! So, an Alaskan family of ten will get TT$200,000.00. Alaska's hydrocarbon deposits are theirs, after all. So that State's revenues from it are Alaskans'! Agree?

By that token, yours truly has, several times past, raised his voice to demand that a similar policy be implemented in Trinidad and Tobago. And, besides being the right thing to do, it makes more sense to distribute the wealth that way, than continue to distress the nation with all this SMART Card, CEPEP and URP non-productive nonsense.

But, sadly, having attentively listened to the 2009 Budget presentation, it's patently clear that, though far superior to the Alaskan Governor -in academic qualifications- where giving the people what is rightfully theirs is concerned, Karen is pale in comparison to her.

Sigh! If, only, Sarah were T&T's Finance Minister: today, Trinbagonians would have been smiling like the Cheshire Cat, happy like Pappy, no question about it. Maybe Trinbagonians should invite Sarah to come run things here, after her run for the Oval office bombs?

That US financial meltdown: A reflection.

Just pondering. Given the mega-massive "intervention" by the federal government in the "affairs" of Wall Street, can one still say that the USA is the bastion of capitalism?

"semper caveat emptor"

One question which, surely, baffles yours truly re: the mega-billion-possibly-trillion US dollar bailout of Wall Street by the US government is this: Should the public purse ever be used to cushion private enterprise risk-takers?

Yours truly believes that must never happen. And suggests that it makes more sense to use the public purse to ensure that financial institutions strictly adhere to their fiduciary responsibility. How? By engaging in prudent investment of their clients' monies. Notice the epithet chosen? "...clients'...", not, "...shareholders'...". For shareholders are, by nature, naked risk-takers; guess, too, that all "investors" are, since none knows what the morrow may bring. Yet, one can insure certain types of investments against certain types of risks, as, for example, via the Deposit Insurance Scheme.

Bottom line: when one deliberately chooses to invest in high-risk ventures, there can be no justification for the expectation that, when any such adventure goes bust, we, the people, who took no part, must rush to reimburse/reward the foolhardy who ignored these two eminent principles: "semper caveat emptor" and, "penny wise, pound foolish".

Does Keith Rowley have the mettle to be Trinidad and Tobago's Jacob Zuma?

The news that President Thabo Mbeki, has agreed to step down informs of the end of another era in the very enthralling story of South African politics.

President Mbeki agreed to do the honourable thing: gracefully exit, so to allow the African National Congress (ANC) and his native land to breathe again, this after an open and bitter struggle against his one-time deputy, Jacob Zuma, a struggle that exploded after Mbeki fired Zuma over the corrupt behaviour in public office of the latter's financial advisor, Schabir Shaik. By the time the consequent smoke cleared, Shaik was a convicted man, Mbeki had already booted Zuma from his Deputy post and Zuma himself was facing criminal charges.

However, Mbeki's plan backfired, for Jacob Zuma was very popular with the grassroot support of the ANC and the lower income brackets of the wider population, who, though South Africa was enjoying sustained "prosperity" (it's annual economic growth exceed five percent), felt deprived of their fitting share of the pie by an aloof Mbeki. And Jacob Zuma understood what he needed to do. And wasn't scared of doing it: he mobilized the disgruntled party support and the population, to rally around and behind him. Not a difficult task, as Mbeki was already despised by a large number of the South African rank and file. Thus, en masse, over time, he was embraced and Mbeki spurned. And, when the right opportunity arose, Zuma's supporters voted him in as the ANC's new leader.

In overview, it was some three years after the initial criminal charges against him were brought that the South African High Court ruled that them to have been politically-motivated, pointing out, in the process, that Mbeki himself seemed to have had a hand in the charges being laid. In the ensuing uproar, Thabo Mbeki had no recourse but to do the honourable thing: resign from the presidency before his term of office had run its full course.

Comparing it to the current situation in Trinidad and Tobago, the whole Jacob Zuma saga bears so many similarities (and holds so much promise?): where Dr. Keith Rowley, after many years as the Deputy Leader of the People's National Movement (PNM), had come to be viewed, by many within and without the PNM, certainly in the East/West Corridor and Tobago, as the one to succeed Patrick Manning as Political Leader; where Manning who, like Mbeki, despite the continued economic "prosperity" of his native land, had become very unpopular, partly because of his aloofness, but, moreso, because his policies convinced the masses that he was deliberately feeding them the crumbs, while allowing the powerful parasitic oligarchy to enjoy the best; where Dr. Rowley maintained a rough and tumble, yet eloquent, style of leadership and public discourse, that struck a very resonant chord with the rank and file (Ask MP Chandresh Sharma what "rough and tumble" a-la-Rowley means!); where Dr. Rowley was accused of corrupt behaviour in public office, a charge that is yet to ventilated in court; where, subsequently, Dr. Rowley was charged with the criminal offence of failing to declare his assets, a charge which was dismissed after Dr. Rowley filed a stop action and which, throughout, Dr. Rowley and his supporters openly hinted was politically-motivated by his boss; where, in culmination, Dr. Rowley was fired by his leader from both his Cabinet and the PNM party's executive.

Indeed, the only piece needed to complete the puzzle is for Dr. Rowley to step forward/in and fill the obvious leadership vacuum that exists within the PNM: PNMites openly vent their spleen on Manning; and, maybe, outside the PNM: the forces that oppose PNM just do not get it that "united we stand, divided we fall".

But, then, Jacob Zuma took almost three years after being fired to get rid of Mbeki. It's just six/seven months since Manning buss Dr. Rowley's throat.

Hence, the question: "Does Keith Rowley have the mettle to be Trinidad and Tobago's Jacob Zuma?"

The illegalities continue at the HCU.

The reported blow-by-blow account of what transpired on Wednesday 17 Sept, 2008, at the shortlived Commissioner for Co-operative Development-summoned Special General Meeting of the Hindu Credit Union (HCU), highlights, yet again, how wrong, in law, the said Commissioner was: when he sought an injunction against the HCU; and how wrong, in law, the Court was: to grant him such "relief".

And, what is the law? Well, the law which governs entities such as the HCU is the Co-operative Societies Act, Chapter 81:03. And, specifically, what does that law say that's of relevance to the intent/content of this script? Well, as follows:

Section 3: There shall be a Commissioner for Co-operative Development hereinafter called "the Commissioner", who shall have general powers of supervision of the affairs of societies and shall perform the duties of registrar of societies.

Section 4: (1) In the exercise of his powers of supervision referred to in section 3 the Commissioner may--
(a) on his own motion;
(b) on the application of a creditor of a society;
(d) on the application of a majority of members of the board of management or one third of the members of a society,
hold an inquiry into the constitution, operations and financial position of that society and in the course of such inquiry shall inspect the books, accounts and other records of the society.
(2) Where having held an inquiry under this section the Commissioner is of the opinion that the board has mis-managed the affairs of the society or otherwise performed its duties improperly, he may by notice to the society call upon it to remedy the situation within three months from the date of such notice.
(3) Where a society fails to comply with the notice referred to in subsection (2), the Commissioner may, after giving the board an opportunity to be heard in general meeting called by him for the purpose, order the dissolution of the board and direct that the affairs of the society be managed by such persons as he may appoint for a period not exceeding two years.
(4) Persons appointed by the Commissioner under this section shall exercise all the powers and perform all the functions as a duly constituted board and in particular shall make arrangements prior to the end of their term of management for the election of a new board in accordance with the bye-laws of the society.
(6) Nothing in this section shall derogate from the power of the Commissioner to cancel the registration of any society should he think fit.
(7) where a creditor applies to have an inquiry instituted he shall first satisfy the Commissioner that his debt is due and that payment was demanded and not satisfied and he shall deposit as security towards the cost of the inquiry such sum as the Commissioner may determine.

Section 5: The Commissioner shall at all times have access to the books, accounts, records and securities of a society and is entitled to inspect the cash in hand, and every officer of a society shall furnish such information respecting the operation and transactions of a society as the Commissioner may require.

From events surrounding the HCU as they have unfurled, it's clear that the incumbent Commissioner for Co-operative Development does not know what, legally, he can do. Neither the court which accorded him a hearing.

Thus, the apparent illegalities. And, thus, too, do the illegalities continue at the HCU.

ALGICO just got owned.

"Spokesmen" for Trinidad and Tobago-based insurance company, ALGICO, could mouth off as much as they want about how, because ALGICO is a local company, it is safely tucked away from and insulated against the maelstrom that has buckled the AIG, but all who have business with ALGICO must understand that they just got owned (literally) by the US government, as the US government has acquired 79.9% of AIG's stock and AIG owns ALGICO.

Criminals operate without fear.

In her opening statement, the Attorney General, (Bridgid Annisette-George), told the Senate,"The prevalence of kidnapping and other serious offences in this country has subjected the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago to a state of fear..." ("AG, Mark go head to head" by Anna Ramdass, Trinidad Express: Sept 17, 2008.)

Over to you, Immigration Division, for, apparently, criminals are not citizens: they operate without fear.

And it could never be fair to allow such aliens the freedom to do as they please.

The two most nerve-racking English words, according to the context.

The two most nerve-racking words in the English language, according to the context, are, "right now".

And this, surely, is a fitting example of such a context:

With regard to the current financial meltdown In the USA, Republic Bank's senior economist, Dr Ronald Ramkissoon, said local investors and depositors at local commercial banks should not be worried "right now", as their investments were safe because financial institutions here did not engage in some of the risky ventures Wall Street firms executed. (Paraphrased from "Ramkissoon: It won't last forever" by Curtis Rampersad, Trinidad Express: Sept 17, 2008.)

So! Dr. Ronald! When should the worrying begin? Please, let us know, "right now"!

Whaaaat???!!! That's ALL the money in The Heritage Fund?????

"Energy Minister Conrad Enill says the country's US dollar-based Heritage and Stabilisation Fund...stood at US$2 billion (TT$12 billion) at the end of June 2007, and was designed to ensure money is put aside from petroleum revenues for "a rainy day".

Enill, who piloted the legislation that established the fund while he was a Minister in the Finance Ministry in March 2007, said yesterday the fund's portfolio structure was designed to ensure it was not exposed to any unnecessary risks.

The fund replaced the Interim Revenue and Stabilisation Fund (IRSF) that was established during the 1995-2001 administration of then prime minister Basdeo Panday..." ("Heritage fund in good hands, says minister" by Juhel Browne, Trinidad Express: Sept 17, 2008.)

Whaaaat???!!! That's ALL the money that was in Heritage and Stabilisation Fund (HSF) as at the end of June 2007????? That is the amount that should have been put away every single year!!!!!

In any event, yours truly wants to know what is in the HSF, AT THIS PRESENT TIME, September 17, 2008!!

'Tis true that the Minister of Finance, did indicate that TT$5 billion has been invested ("salted away" would convey a better impression, Minister!) in the HSF, so far this year. ("Browne mum on Budget", Trinidad Newsday: Sept 17, 2008.) But that does not help answer the question, since the balance before this year began might very well have been a negative figure.

The purpose of the HSF, as yours truly understands it, is to provide a pool of funds for use in the future, only if altered-for-the-worse future circumstances warrant its use. In other words, the HSF is like a pension fund, with Trinidad and Tobago, the retiree. Therefore, until the date of retirement dawns, the HSF must be augmented before any other expenditure from present income is made; and not to be touched until old age arrives, even then, only if other arrangements are not adequate to enable the retiree to live a dignified life.

Trinidad and Tobago has been receiving a humongous amount of revenue, certainly above and above what she estimated she would have been getting, windfall revenue, as some would describe it. Give the thanks to super-inflated oil and gas prices. But, T&T is blessed with commonsense, so she knows that when routine income is sufficient, as, indeed it has been, the commonsense approach to dealing with windfall revenue is to salt away everything, after distributing a portion to charity.

Commonsense suggests that the government has spent/been spending all of the windfall revenue, for, just recently, the Minister in the Ministry of Finance came begging the Parliament for permission to borrow an additional TT$7 billion. ("Wade, Mariano clash on inflation" by Sean Douglas, Trinidad Newsday: Sept 10, 2008.)

The retiree that Trinidad and Tobago shall be, when the oil and gas runs out, demands some answers, now, not then! And drastic action, now, not then, to correct the woeful inadequacy of her pension fund. And she does not accept the answer given by the Minister that "(a) sharp fall in crude oil prices will have an impact on the nation's savings, but not the existing level of government expenditure...("Minister: Fall in oil prices to impact savings, not spending" by Juhel Browne, Trinidad Express: Sept 17, 2008), for she is imbued, from ever since, with a commonsense view of all such things.

If wishes were horses...

Strange dreams, sometimes, one gets. Strange indeed. For there was yours truly, dreaming that he was a PNM MP, one who, somehow, somewhere, had fallen out of grace with the Boss, but, nonetheless, an elected MP, therefore, untouchable, by the Boss, for a full five years. Therefore, though outwardly towing the Party line, though outwardly wearing the baleezay tie, was grinding silently, inwardly, as it were, possessed of a lean and hungry look, as George Chambers, before Eric's demise, throughout had, waiting, silently, hopefully, for some event to occur, that, at last, would afford a swift strike (sorry Mr. Roget et al!) to be made against the Boss to remove him from his ever-growing pedestal of scorn for the people who "elected" him.

Just as yours truly dreamt that such a moment would never come, wham! News that there was going to be a debate on a motion of no confidence filed by the opposition!

In dreamland, yours truly quickly called together his like-minded parliamentary buddies, men and women, to strategize how to handle this manna from heaven, especially as the Boss had summoned his hardcore supporters from all over the twin-island state to show up at the Woodford on the day of the great debate, for a square-off.

In the end, all agreed that if friendly agents in the opposition could be moved to mobilize its massive base to show up as well, then, their cacophony might just nullify the Boss's mob and allow the Great House's business of the day to proceed unscathed? Two negatives make a positive, remember?

Yours truly is unable to say how things turned out, as the alarm clock sounded. But, Friday is the day after the Twin Towers fell. Hint! Hint!

Manning, the moumou!

1. To build all these mega structures that the public opposes? He signs a MOU with China.
2. To buy a private jet from Bombardier? He makes Caribbean Airlines sign a MOU.
3. To foist his private imperial ambition upon our Caribbean neighbours? He signs a MOU.
4. Now, to bring in more workers to fuel No. 1 above? He signs a new MOU. This time, with El Salvador.

All hail Patrick Augustus Manning! The first moumou Prime Minister the world has ever seen!

Nothing could be more public than the Internet.

How long has it been since he was asked to furnish the information? Three months? Six Months? One Year? Sigh! Anyhow! Finally, the Minister has delivered some answers re: how, who, when, where were contracts awarded for the rushed (rached?) nationwide streetlighting exercise.

September 11, 2008's Trinidad Express mentions that:

"...Public Utilities Minister, Mustapha Abdul-Hamid's (responded that) T&TEC awarded the street lamp provision contract to URBIS following a public competitive tendering process and was "the lowest bidder that met the bid specifications." "

Public? In the twenty-first century, where, unavoidably, all are and, for the next ninety-odd years, shall be, what does that mean? That an advertisement is placed in a newspaper, inviting interested persons to come to some office to pay not-a-small sum for a package of documents to take away and peruse? Or, that T&TEC uses modern communication technology, the Internet, where the entire package can be posted in pdf and viewed by anyone and where, at each stage of the process, detailed updated information can be included, for public information?

Indeed, T&TEC DOES maintain its own website, which, in a pulldown to the Announcements button, DOES include information about invites to tender; but, alack, the link ultimately leads to naught other than a photo of the relevant newspaper advertisement, which, as already mentioned, merely advises the interested to visit the whichever T&TEC office to buy a copy of the actual tender document.

Minister Abdul-Hamid was previously the Minister of Science and Technology. One would expect him to have learnt a lot from that experience and exposure. So! Come on Mr. Minister! Come on, Messrs T&TEC! Nothing could be more public than the Internet. Or more versatile for such publication? Use it!

In any civilized democracy, both she and her boss would have had to resign.

The "Scrooyu,people!" attitude of the current government administration descended to much murkier depths thanks to Ms Abigail Cox, who, publicly, retorted that, in her position of administrative officer attached to the San Fernando East Constituency office, "I am only seeing people who are in need of houses...Since 2006 I have been doing that job and no one has complained." (Trinidad and Tobago Express September 11, 2008.)

For the purpose of refreshing readers' recollection, the San Fernando East Constituency office is that of one Patrick Manning, Member of Parliament for the constituency, an innocuous fact, save and except that he also happens to be the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, therefore, the boss of the Minister of Housing.

That no one has complained before Senator Wade Mark did, indicates that either only persons friendly to the said Member of Parliament visit that office to meet Ms Cox, in which case, one needs to be informed of the details surrounding and consequent to every such visit; or, that persons who visit to meet her are warned to be very reticent, lest they receive no "help" in getting public housing, which, anyhow one looks at it, is tantamount to blackmail. Which is a crime.

In any event, in any of the above scenarios, in any civilized democracy, both she and her boss would have had to resign.

Dear Mother Hazel,

When you said, "some of us still do not accept personal responsibility for the condition of our environment", yours truly hopes that you were referring to the public officers appointed and handsomely-paid to make and or enforce environmental laws. If not, shut your trap and, you and huzzie, buss it, now, to let somebody else, who willing and able, see after the nation's welfare in a fit and proper manner!

At last! A solution to the Aedes aegypti menace?

In the New York Times of September 10, 2008, Olivia Judson, an evolutionary biologist and author of “Dr. Tatiana’s Sex Advice to All Creation: The Definitive Guide to the Evolutionary Biology of Sex”, has written a marvellous piece on dengue fever eradication.

Aedes aegypti. (James Gathany/CDC)

Ms Judson describes the development of a genetically-altered Aedes aegypti male whose descendants, male and female, do not live beyond pupa stage. She elaborates that since there is no cure for dengue, the only thing that can be done is to prevent it; and the only way to prevent dengue is to avoid being bitten by an infected insect.

But that's easier said than done, for, paraphrasing from her, it's well-known that traditionally-employed strategies and tactics to curb the dreaded mosquito -spraying, copious insect repellant, ultra-violet bug traps, cockset- are all a waste of time. Why? Because (the) lifestyle (of the) A. aegypti makes it extremely difficult for them to be controlled: (they) have evolved to live in close association with humans and often live inside houses. Indeed, they prefer built up areas to open countryside habitat. Females lay their eggs in small pools of standing water -such as those found in the bottoms of flower pots, old cans, used tires or even showers. (Thus,) eliminating places for it to breed is almost impossible; and because it lives inside houses, controlling it requires a big, ongoing effort on the part of everybody."

The only solution is, as Brigo sang, "Death to the mosquitoes!"

Would that the Health Ministry let loose a few tens of thousands of these revamped buggers.

Thus is personal sacrifice rewarded.

This can't be right! Not a penny for Darrel Browne? Not one penny? The argument cannot be that Darrel won no Olympic medal, because it would invite serious query as to why he was awarded a Chaconia medal?

The news that Darrel has been excluded from the list of cash awardees might even be grounds for a constitutional infringement action, for Darrel can argue of not receiving equal treatment from a public authority.

Darrel was a vital part of the men's sprint relay team: Darrel helped the team to qualify for Beijing; representing Trinidad and Tobago; Darrel was slated to take part in the event in Beijing; representing Trinidad and Tobago; Darrel gave his all in the 100m; representing Trinidad and Tobago; Darrel was wounded in the 100m in Beijing; representing Trinidad and Tobago; if Darrel wasn't wounded in battle, Darrel would have won a medal in the 100m final and would have won a medal in the sprint relay final; representing Trinidad and Tobago.

Darrel Browne gave everything, except his life; representing Trinidad and Tobago, in Beijing. Darrel must be compensated! For all Darrel did to get us to Beijing and for the pain and injury Darrel suffered, while representing Trinidad and Tobago, in same measure as he who took Darrel's place on the sprint relay team.

Give Darrel Browne the money! Darrel more than earned it! It's the least Trinidad and Tobago can do for one of its soldiers who fell on the battlefield, while representing Trinidad and Tobago. Thus would personal sacrifice, in this instance, best be rewarded.

T&T: One massive prisoner-of-war camp.

Why? Because one can't leave without permission, permission which is withheld from many because of the excruciatingly tedious process of obtaining a passport.

Look who's referendummying now!

CLARIFICATION NEEDED: How can the Prime Minister say that he does not cotton to referenda, yet mobilize thousands of PNM fanatics to come to Woodford Square in a show of public support for him and his government?

Punctuate! Thus, remove all doubt.

An encounter with badly-constructed English prose always cause yours truly to grimace. Not prepared to tolerate more, it's necessary to issue the following advisory:

Punctuate! Thus, remove all doubt.

From time immemorial it has been the practice of those who practice law to avoid the use of punctuation marks in their script except for the purpose of "parenthesizing" and defining the end of a paragraph.

Such a tradition, one may, with good justification, argue, lends to ensuring the continued viability of lawyering as a profession: the main function of courts of law is to interpret law, duh? Something which could be avoided, if, in the first place, proper punctuation is used.

But what of the communications of ordinary humans? Why, in such undertakings, habitually deny the ever-available punctuation marks their rights to exist and to be used, their native yearning to help clarify what is needed to be understood by being read?

For example, to write "A woman without her man is nothing.", really says nothing.

However, "A woman, without her man, is nothing." or, "A woman: without her, man is nothing.", does.

Therefore, again, the earnest request:

Punctuate! Thus, remove all doubt.

Did Emily lie?

As far as the writer's personal knowledge allows, the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) is not permitted, either by the Act under which it was incorporated, or in its policies and actions, to flail against what the supreme law of the land clearly provides, to wit, Section 4, which states:

It is hereby recognised and declared that in Trinidad and Tobago there have existed and shall continue to exist, without discrimination by reason of race, origin, colour, religion or sex, the following fundamental human rights and freedoms, namely:
(a) the right of the individual to life, liberty, security of the person and enjoyment of property and the right not to be deprived thereof except by due process of law;
(d) the right of the individual to equality of treatment from any public authority in the exercise of any functions;

The recent revelation by the Housing Minister, Emily Gaynor-Dick-Ford, that it's the HDC's (government's) policy and practice to reserve ten percent of its housing stock for members of the protective services, indicates a flagrant contravention of the abovementioned constitutional provisions, in that such a policy:

1. Discriminates against many persons on the basis of their origin: the profession/employment field from which they come;
2. Deprives many persons of access to, therefore, of the ability to enjoy property by barring their access to ten percent of the publicly-developed housing stock;
3. Deprives many persons from equal treatment from the HDC, a public authority.
4. Further to the second point, it cannot be claimed that the policy arise as a result of due process of law, since the law in this case, the HDC Act, never stated that it intended to abrogate the constitution; nor was it passed with a special majority;

Lest one be tempted to suggest that the line Minister has unfettered power to direct the HDC as she pleases because the HDC Act (pdf) in Section 12 says:

"The Minister may give to the Board directions in writing of a specific or general nature to be followed in the performance of its functions or the exercise of its powers under this Act, with which the Board shall comply",

let it be known that such ministerial power is not to be invoked in willy-nilly fashion, as the incumbent Housing Minister, herself, not too long ago, conceded, when she said:

"I don’t see that governance requires that I tell them what to do. Ministerial oversight is not ministerial control." (‘I can’t tell Udecott what to do’ - Trinidad Newsday: August 8, 2008)

All ministerial directions must comply with what the law dictates. And, in this case, in synopsis, the law -Section 13 of the very HDC Act- mandates the HDC and the line Minister to:

(a) Do all things necessary and convenient for and in connection with the provision of affordable shelter and associated community facilities for low and middle income persons (Emphasis, yours truly's.);
(b) Carry on any business activity incidental to successfully executing (a) above;
(c) Implement the BROAD housing policy of the government as the Minister may direct from time to time. (Emphasis, yours truly's.)

Broad housing policy of the government. Broad! And, "of the government"! Not of the Minister! Not a figment of the writer's imagination: that's what the law says! A point that's reinforced even where the HDC Act gives exclusive authority to the Minister to make regulations, Section 42, by proscribing that:

(1) The Minister may make regulations prescribing matters-
(a) required or permitted by this Act to be prescribed;
(b) necessary or convenient for carrying out or giving effect to this Act and in particular for and in relation to housing matters including the operational and financial services of the HDC and its subsidiaries.

AND,

(2) Regulations made under this section shall be subject to negative resolution by Parliament.

Section 42 (2), then, among other things, requires each such regulation to be laid before the House of Representatives within a specific time frame of the Minister making it; yours truly believes that the window is only open for fifteen days. Once the window is shut, the regulation becomes null and void and, unless some subsequent validating Act of Parliament is passed, every action flowing from such defective regulation is open to challenge.

Having taken note of what the goodly Minister had said, it's clear that either she lied to the population when she expressed her reticence at giving directives, or that, at that time, she was not aware that some pertinent regulation was made, perhaps before her tenure began, or that she's just not aware at all.

The odds are that she lied, for, as one who is long and intimately involved in the politics life of this country (twice contested at general election level), yours truly knows precisely for which political party the overwhelming majority of members of the protective services vote: all such votes are counted at one polling station, as they are cast as special votes before election day. Yours truly also knows how the votes are cast by persons who obtain and live in all public housing projects, every single one of which, by the way, despite being densely-populated, poorly-designed/built/maintained (thus, powder kegs waiting to explode in the event of even a single maniac running amok) and rife with unemployment and other antisocial features, hence, effectively slums or ghettos. Anyone who placed a bet that it's not for the United National Congress would have won!

Whatever! In the face of the tens of thousands who desperately need and constantly seek access to public housing, this existing HDC policy has to be revisited. The sooner, the better! Members of the protective services who have obtained HDC houses or lands need beware.

Haiti needs our help!

Haiti's second city, Gonaives, deluged by Hurricane Hanna.
(Image: Matthew Marek/American Red Cross)

Some time aback we sent troops into Haiti to help shore up its temporary government.

Well, these days, in addition to it many other woes, Haiti is reeling, literally under water from the constant bombardment of hurricane after hurricane. Thousands and thousands of homes are heavily swamped. Rich and poor alike, are marooned.

What are we going to do to help? We are her neighbours, after all. And more hurricanes are on the way.

See BBC video of the extent of the catastrophe at:

>>http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7597307.stm<<

The weapon did it!

Eureka! The true culprits in nearly every murder and, yours truly supposes, other crimes! Who are they? Not who, what!! Ask Acting Commissioner of Police, James Philbert! His reasoning, apparently, is that the weapon did it, not the butler. That's the conclusion to be drawn from his attempt to apologize away the maniacal murder of Pastor Brian Pierre by a tabanca-infected senior police officer. Hear him!

He said the issuing of firearms to officers would now be strictly looked at "so that firearms are in the hands of the right people if they are so to be distributed". ("We're Sorry.": Trinidad Express, Monday Sept 2, 2008.)

Mr. Philbert! Get real! It's not the weapon that did it! It's the person who held the weapon that did it! Because, once the criminally-intent person's mind is made up, some method of carrying out the whatever criminal intention would be found, even, in the end, if it's bare hands to be used; as is known.

Focus, then, on changing the mind/attitude of the criminal! How? By promptly and professionally attending to complaints lodged by the public! And, by putting at least fifteen hundred police officers out on the street patrols, twenty-four oh seven! Otherwise, move aside and let a real leader take charge! Like Stephen Williams!