Finance, General T&T, Parliament, People's Partnership, PNM, Politics

Sources for Funding the Budget Deficit

By Stephen Kangal
September 11, 2010

Finance Minister Winston DookeranNever in the annals of the political and parliamentary history of national budgeting in T&T has such a delicately balanced, radically reforming, investment stimulating and confidence building 2010-11 fiscal package been accepted and lauded by so many across the country. This consultative-based, people’s budget was truly a national and grass-roots event with almost everyone except for a few misguided and bazodee PNM MP’s giving Finance Minister Dookeran the thumbs up approval.
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Complaints, Crime in T&T, Death Penalty, General T&T, International, Law, People's Partnership, Politics, Violence

Corrupting the Minds of the Young

5 Comments

By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
September 08, 2010

Jack WarnerI was in Italy when the scandal about the cheating of the Pakistani cricketers broke. When I got back to England last Monday, it was the only thing one read about in the English newspaper; the major story one heard on television. One would have thought that the Pakistanis had violated English honor and brought the gentleman’s game into absolute disrepute. It was not so much that the Parkistanis had cheated on the outcome of the game. They were accused on cheating of discrete aspects of the game such as bowling one or two deliberate no-balls which we are told resulted in the loss or gain of hundreds to thousand of dollars to criminal elements.
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Court, Crime in T&T, Death Penalty, General T&T, Law, Violence

Hang them high, high. high and then some

19 Comments

By Dr. Kwame Nantambu
September 07, 2010

HangingIn normal, civilized and sane times, one can postulate a solid, airtight defence against the imposition of the death penalty for murder. No problem.

However, times, albeit living conditions, in T&T are abnormal, uncivilized and insane to the nth degree; ergo, any defence against the death penalty under these current circumstances is not only absolutely null and void but also totally immaterial and irrelevant.
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General T&T, People's Partnership, Politics

Time is up, Partnership

3 Comments

By Martin Daly
September 04, 2010

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-BissessarBefore my August break, I gave glimpses of my growing impatience with the new Government (and I am not referring to it as “new” after today). It is now more than three months since it took office. It is time to assume the demeanour of a Government. The time for settling in is up.
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Crime in T&T, Death Penalty, General T&T, Law, Violence

Nightmare at Woodford Square

21 Comments

By Raffique Shah
September 04, 2010

HangingIT’S still dark, wee hours this Sunday morning, the steady drizzle having no impact on the growing crowd that is gathering at Woodford Square. I am dressed in a Rasta wig, fake-Shabaaz beard, jacket sans tie, looking more like a vagrant than the men at the ticket booths at the two entrances to the Square. It’s going to be a good day for hangings. People are queuing, some jostling, others scalping, but all more than willing to pay the $100 entry fee to witness the country’s first public executions since the days of slavery.
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Culture, General T&T, Media

The Way(ve) Forward for Local Content

10 Comments

By Christian Hume
September 02, 2010

DancersMaestro’s plaintive appeal on behalf of local culture to “play me” (see Youtube clip below) is still as sadly relevant in 2010 as it was 34 years ago in 1976. In a nation 48 years old, it is something of a near-tragedy that local music is still struggling for airplay. This is a DESPERATELY SERIOUS issue as we move forward in our evolution as an independent nation.
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Culture, General T&T

Ponte Vecchio, Florence

3 Comments

By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
September 01, 2010

DancersEven as a teenager I was attracted to the arts. When I participated in the Arts Festival (I think that was the correct name) that preceded the Better Village Program inaugurated by Dr. Eric Williams in 1964, I acted under Errol Hill, learned public speaking with his sister Jean Herbert and choral-speaking under David King, a true village patriot of Tacarigua. These stalwarts labored in the artistic vineyards to produce a more responsive citizenry and to cultivate a more rounded aesthetic sensibility that was appropriate for a nation that was coming into being.
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Culture, General T&T, International, Politics, USA

Our Strength is Our Diversity

9 Comments

By Derren Joseph
September 01, 2010

TrinidadiansThere was a most interesting YouGov poll conducted a couple weeks ago on the website for the Economist magazine – one of my favorite publications. One of the questions asked – Whether or not you think the Islamic cultural centre and mosque should be built near the World Trade Center site, do you think that Muslims have a constitutional right to build a mosque there? Interestingly, 53.2% of Republican respondents, 24.9% of Democrat respondents and 25.2% of Independents disagreed – they actually believed that Muslims did not have a constitutional right to build a mosque on what is actually private property. Although these polls may not meet the test for being statistically reliable, I would argue that they are quite insightful.
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