Ppl's Partnership's politicians no different from PNM's.

The People's Partnership's politicians are no different from the PNM's.

Why?

Because both sets comprise human beings; and human beings at all times are influenced by what they believe; and what human beings believe is influenced by:

• the nurturing they received as youths,
• what they read,
  
• whom they highly regard; and
• the advice given by those to whom they turn when answers to life's difficulties and help in decision-making are needed.

Aye! The People's Partnership's politicians are no different from the PNM's...except that, thus far, in most cases, their belief seems to have been influenced by forces of Light rather than of Night ---for Light exposes the true shape of the landscape so that truth and prosperity may prevail and pitfalls averted, while Night purposes the opposite.

Hogwash from Rennie Dumas.

Re: http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,124598.html

Did Former Tobago East MP Rennie Dumas, just refer to the poor and destitute as "hogs"?

Hear what he said:

"...We [of the PNM] must balance the excesses that we [of the PNM] are already seeing...where people were “gathering like hogs” for food cards...

We, the people, must not ever forget what wickedness the PNM has wrought upon Trinidad and Tobago, more especially in its recent past, for it's clear, judging from this Dumas, that despite its saying otherwise, the PNM deeply disdains those unable, without a helping hand, properly to see after their most basic needs.

Shucks! I forgot! The PNMites' style is to help themselves to the people's money by purchasing multi-million dollar curtains, writing off multi-million debts for their chums, building palatial churches for their pet[ulant] advisors, hiring their wives as Cabinet Ministers...and so forths and so fifths!
Not surprising, then, that, today, the PNM is where it is ---outside, weeping and gnashing its teeth--- and that, after today, Local Election day, the PNM will be more deeply-set there.

People's Partnership forever! Or, bust!

PNM attempts to rally without URP/CEPEP.

Re: http://guardian.co.tt/news/politics/2010/07/25/pnm-s-red-tide-recedesfor-woodford-square-rally

Now that we, the people, have partnered to remove, inter alia, the PNM's power to bully URP and CEPEP workers into filling up empty spaces at their rallies/meetings, see how poor their turnouts at such events have become:

Paining over Peña.

The following is written with malice towards none:

Facts:

1. Patrick Augustus Manning is an avowed Pentecostal.
2. Pentecostals are required to give tithes for the upkeep of the church to which they're affiliated.
3. Tithes, by Pentecostals, when paid, are paid to the pastor of the church to which they're affiliated.
4. Tithes, quantified, represent one-tenth of the tither's income.
5. Patrick Augustus Manning gave TT$30 million to Pastor Juliana Peña for the upkeep of the church that Pastor Juliana Peña heads/headed.
6. Patrick Augustus Manning's official, annual income between 2002 and 2010 averaged TT$480,000.00 [hazarded guess].
7. Patrick Augustus Manning earned, at most, TT$4 million between 2002 and 2010.
8. Tithes are paid as income is earned.

Conclusions:

1. The TT$30 million Patrick Augustus Manning gave to Pastor Juliana Peña was a tithe.
2. If the TT$30 million Patrick Augustus Manning gave to Pastor Juliana Peña was a monthly tithe, then, at the time it was paid, Patrick Augustus Manning enjoyed a monthly income stream of TT$300 million.
3. If the TT$30 million Patrick Augustus Manning gave to Pastor Juliana Peña was an annual tithe, then, at the time it was paid, Patrick Augustus Manning enjoyed an annual income stream of TT$300 million.
4. Regardless, given Patrick Augustus Manning's income between 2002 and 2010, for Patrick Augustus Manning to give TT$30 million to Pastor Juliana Peña, Patrick Augustus Manning had to have been teefing.

Recommendations:

1. Serve Patrick's behind to the jail-keeping people!
2. Serve Patrick's behind to the jail-keeping people!
3. Serve Patrick's behind to the jail-keeping people!

Standing in my shoes and wondering.

Remember the poem of the naughty boy who ran away to Scotland?

There was a naughty boy,
And a naughty boy was he,
He ran away to Scotland
The people for to see.
There he found
That the ground
Was as hard,
That a yard
Was as long,
That a song
Was as merry,
That a cherry
Was as red
That lead
Was as weighty
That fourscore
Was as eighty,
That a door
Was as wooden
As in England.
So he stood in his shoes
And he wondered,
He wondered,
He stood in his shoes
And he wondered.

Well, guess what? I'm a-feeling just as he ---in wonderment--- for things today seem just the same as they were before May 24th 2010. Dunno for how long again I can stand it.

Jennifer doublespeaks!

Re: http://guardian.co.tt/news/politics/2010/07/23/give-contracts-workers-just-due

In pandering to gain prominence in a fading People's National Movement, Jennifer Baptiste-Primus is ably demonstrating how adept at doublespeak she is. For, while off her top lip she's insisting that " thousands of contract workers [are] now in danger of being retrenched by the People's Partnership Government", while off her bottom, she lets slip that "all contract officers could be fired at the end of their contract and are now at the mercy of PP ministers."

Well, d'oh, Jennifer! D'oh! If the contracted period of engagement comes to an end and there's no rollover clause in the contract, what else can the contractor do of the contracted? D'oh!

What overreaction?

Some have been saying that, because several Ministers of the new People's Partnership administration [PplPA] are inclined to be strident in their reporting to the public of the true state of the nation, it means the PplPA is overreactionary at best and vengeful at worst.

Such some have altogether missed the point, for it's due to the parlous state of national affairs ---brought on by corruption and incompetence--- that so many rose up to dismiss the former régime and replace it with what now we have.

In short, those many banded together to ensure that swiftly, decisively, mercilessly, the few who had all but brought civil Trinbago to its knees would be made to pay, in full measure, for their crimes.

For the sake of those few, then, the PplPA must not ever forsake those many.

Philbert, the Crimebuster? Or, Philbert, the Filibuster.

What the Uff are we waiting for to fire this sorry excuse for a public servant?

First, he smugly declared this:

Cops: Peña in Africa

By NALINEE SEELAL Saturday, July 3 2010

ACTING Police Commissioner James Philbert insisted yesterday that Fraud Squad officers probing the funding for construction of the Lighthouse of the Lord Jesus Christ church in the Heights of Guanapo, know where the church’s alleged owner, Reverend Juliana Peña is.

Immigration records received by the police indicate that Peña is not in the country at this time. Police sources told Newsday that Peña, formerly of Arima, who is the spiritual adviser of former prime minister Patrick Manning, is somewhere in Africa. She is believed to be the owner of the church whose cornerstone bears her name.

Yesterday, Philbert who is Grenadian by birth, left Trinidad for the Spice Island, where he will spend six days and return to the country next Wednesday night. Philbert planned this trip before being given a three-month extension. Speaking of Peña’s whereabout (sic), Philbert in a telephone interview yesterday, said: “When the time is right, she will be contacted. The police are very sure they can contact her when it is necessary.” Asked by Newsday if Interpol was asked by investigators to assist in finding Peña, Philbert said that this has already been done, and when she is interviewed, the public will be made aware...
[http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,123383.html]

Which led me to pen an addendum to this piece:

Hey, James! Do so!

Now? He trying to confuffle we with this piece ah bullcrap:

Philbert: Locating Rev Pena a challenge

By Akile Simon

ACTING Commissioner of Police James Philbert says the police have encountered some difficulties in locating Reverend Juliana Pena, as officers proceed full speed ahead with their investigation into the funding and construction of the controversial Lighthouse of Our Lord Jesus Christ church at the Heights of Guanapo in Arima.

In a telephone interview with the Express, Philbert said although the probe is taking a lot of time, it was necessary to ensure that all the areas of the investigations were covered.

"There is a little challenge with locating Ms Pena. Her whereabouts are not exactly known, but we are pursuing Ms Pena.

Philbert said he recently met with the team of investigators, who gave him the assurance the matter was engaging their utmost attention
[http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/98721279.html]

Phire Philbert phast! It's an embarrassment to hear him speak, also to see him operate!

Yahtax the Tax!

Inasmuch as the Honourable Prime Minister, despite my objection, remains firm in her stance that every Minister must sacrifice by taking a pay-cut, then government itself should follow suit; and by what better way than altogether removing Value Added Tax, which, being a flat tax, punishes more than benefits a population under multiple attack?

Yahtax! No more Valued Added Tax!

Ian Atherley's renewed cycle.

Ian Atherley was one of the best Mayors that the City of San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago, has ever had. Yet, unceremoniously, Ian was rejected by a man in charge who, feeling none must outshine him in his hometown, was overwrought by petty jealousy of Ian's illustriousness. Now, even as the People's Partnership pedals furiously towards the finishing line in that City's Municipal Election Race, let me be among the first to clamour for Ian's being allowed to resume his vigorous Mayoral cycle, when the People's Partnership takes control of that good City's Local Government circuit.

Dr. Rowley Ponzi?

Lemme see if I have this right? According to Dr. Keith Rowley, Trinidad and Tobago must continue to give a sizeable portion of the money it earns from monetizing its wasting natural resources so that those to whom it so gives shall be able to buy the bulk of the goods it manufactures for the purpose of exporting to them?

Well! If that's the case, then, in a nutshell, what Dr. Rowley stated outlines the nut-case philosophy ---people enslavement rather than empowerment--- which, for so long, Dr. Keith Rowley's aggregation has pushed as their favoured method ---eventually they encased it as Vision 2020. That vision hasn't led to anything but the further aggrandisement of the already well-heeled amongst our Caribbean trading partners by encouraging the fattening of long-established commission agencies who, through cloistered negotiation, gain exclusive distribution rights for Trinbagonian products.

Simply put, over the years the wise option would have been to use some of that money to establish sustainable industries in our fellow Caribbean countries, ---industries all geared to using those countries' natural resources to generate finished products principally for extra-regional markets, thus teaching those countries to become fishermen instead of remaining dependent on Trinbagonian fish--- which is what Dr. The Honourable Mary King has been professing for many a year.

Had the wise option been taken, the West Indies today would have been a force which none could dominate...as, once upon a time, in the west, east, north and south of the cricketing world, the West Indies was.

Dr. Rowley's argues therefore for nothing but the perpetration of a Ponzi upon the good people of the Caribbean. Perhaps to Dr. Rowley then, a "Shut up!" is in order?

Punishing popular paradox.

On the one hand, people are clamouring for the right to bear arms ---so that they'd be able to "defend" themselves in times of personal peril; yet, on the other hand, they're insisting that the recently re-articulated ministerial insistence that the State will soon resume capital punishment is evidence of barbarism at it worst.

Societal Solutions.

It's rather difficult to show/implement solutions to/in a society that's not even aware/inclined to see that a problem exists. Perhaps, then, the first solution lies in awakening such awareness/realigning such perspective?

Hardening legal opinion.

Some persons are fond of stating that the law must take its course ---and be allowed to take its course--- by dint of the law being supreme.

But such persons conveniently/inadvertently overlook that it's the people who make the law, therefore it's the people, not the law, that is supreme; and that the people, being people, are always a fickle bunch. Thus, no law is set in concrete.

People's Partnership? Only if forged from the love of liberty.

The victory of the People's Partnership (TPP) last May 24th bespeaks the most telling political paradigm shift that Trinidad and Tobago has ever witnessed: for it successfully demonstrates how the individualism of many may be preserved, yet welded into one ---which is the best way to deliver what is good for all.
 
As a result, TPP must never be allowed to unravel...and TTP won't unravel...if it:

1. regards every citizen as equal one with the other: thus does not adopt the "is TPP country now" mindset and starts spiting citizens who merely exercised their constitutional right to join a political party of their choice;
2. commits itself to social justice, by swiftly, steadfastly moving to ensure equitable distribution of the national pie: for that is why the electorate conspired to spoil the profligate PNM's party;
3. refuses to allow the successes (or failures) of its individual parts to fool it into thinking that, as a result, the whole of it benefits (or becomes blemished): for those who wish to remain in the backroom, wheeling and dealing, have the wherewithal and a history of manipulating the masses into believing that the struggle to make a Trinidad and Tobago where every creed and race find an equal place has been accomplished (or denied) just because of one individual's/group's success (or failure);
4. defines, in easily-grasped language, what precisely "People's Partnership" means: else someone else may steal its thunder;
5. does not rock back and relax, thinking the battle is over: for many individuals on the outside of TPP (and a few within) are very set on advancing their personal agendas, which can only be accomplished by destroying what May 24th last built;
6. engages in ongoing debate aimed at more closely cementing the ties between its disparate parts: for such debates to bear tangible and meaningful fruit, they must deal with the real issues that could make things become unstuck, even the most unpleasant ones.

Upon any who essays to rent asunder what VOX POPULI put together on May 24th last, may the vengeance of Moko descend!

Hey, James! Do so!

Re: http://guardian.co.tt/news/politics/2010/07/02/ag-cop-angry-war-words

Of what benefit to me is the watchman whom I hire and pay, if I cannot call him to account or upbraid him when such action by me is necessary?

I'm sorry, Commissioner Acting Commissioner Philbert, but, for a long while, your office has been without repute ---ask any openly-gun-toting, murderous criminal and you'd know...if you, with all the millions of dollars of resources at your disposal, can find one!

It's impossible to teach any old dog new tricks, also impossible for a leopard to change his spots. Therefore, to never-ever-substantively appointed ---I wonder why?--- Commissioner Acting Commissioner James Philbert, say I:

This government administration must move swiftly to replace all public officials who refuse to put the good of country first, who, despite their proven incompetence, or practice of acting in a way to embarrass the elected representatives of the people, believe that their tenure in office is inviolable, thus nobody could "buss dey throat" ---for the greatest incentive to good performance is the performer's fear of being given the pink slip over non-performance.

ADDENDUM: 3 July 2010 09:15

Needle in a haystack.

Re: http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,123383.html

The record shows how difficult it is for what currently passes for a Trinidad and Tobago Police Service to pin down and apprehend culprits and alleged culprits hiding in Trinidad and Tobago, yet, most successful Acting Police Commissioner, James Philbert, would have us believe that he can pinpoint Juliana Peña at the drop of a pin, though she be somewhere in far-off, very mightily-sized Africa?

In, short: he can't find any of the many needles lying in the teacup before him, but he wishes to convince people he could easily find one lost in a haystack.

To the wise, a word.

'Twas Malvolio who, to Olivia, during the Twelfth Night, so rightly surmised, "Some men are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them", a cliché which, despite the centuries gone since it was first uttered, still rings with a freshness and relevance as if just today coined.

When juxtaposed to another cliché ---What's good for the goose for the gander also is!--- then what Malvolio said of greatness may also be applied to ignominy.

So it is that Patrick Augustus Manning's state of affairs is what it is today ---from a Selkirkian position to among mere mortals he's been thrust. He's now what now he is because of the inexorability of this other ---What you sow is what you reap!

And now is a good time to remind all and sundry of Edmund Burke's pronouncement ---"Those who don't know history are destined to repeat it!"

A word to the wise is sufficient!