Tag Archive for 'T&T Govt'

Considering a new commissioner

Published on October 19, 2017 in Crime in T&T, General T&T, PNM, Politics, UNC and Violence. 8 Comments Tags: , , , , .

By Raffique Shah
October 19, 2017

Raffique ShahThe last hope we have for reining in runaway crime in this country lies with a leader yet unknown, the man or woman who will be recommended by the Police Service Commission to be named Commissioner of Police, subject to approval by Parliament. In fact, since crime affects so many aspects of citizens’ daily lives as well as the country’s economy, and because the Police Service is, or ought to be, the spearhead of any assault on crime, the new commissioner will carry on his shoulders a burden bigger than Government’s, and greater expectations than any other office-holder in the State-apparatus—the President, the Prime Minister or the Chief Justice.
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Does UNC See Itself as Part of the Nation?

Published on October 15, 2017 in Caribbean, Dominica, General T&T, PNM, Politics and UNC. 23 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
October 14, 2017

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeLast week I argued that there was something disingenuous about the suggestions put forward by Sat Maraj, Stephen Kangal and the UNC about sending money to Dominicans but making sure they did not enter our country. The UNC declaimed that none of its members said anything negative about the Prime Minister’s plan to bring Dominicans to T&T, but none of them had said anything positive about the plan, not even Rodney Charles or Wade Mark.
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Every Trini wants to go to heaven

Published on October 11, 2017 in General T&T, Oil and Gas, PNM, Politics, Recession and UNC. 6 Comments Tags: , , .

By Raffique Shah
October 11, 2017

Raffique ShahAs I digested details of Government’s 2017-2018 Budget and monitored the furore that followed its presentation, I kept hearing “in mih head”, somewhat like calypsonian Shadow and his “Bassman from hell”, the lyrics of a song that was popular about ten years ago, “Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die (to get there).”
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A happy wonderer

Published on October 4, 2017 in corruption, General T&T, Oil and Gas, PNM, Politics, Recession and UNC. 7 Comments Tags: , , , .

By Raffique Shah
October 04, 2017

Raffique ShahWhen you have lived as long as I have, and for most of your adult life you have had an interest in politics and affairs of state to the extent that you actually pay attention the annual Budget presentation by the Minister of Finance, you will have learnt that you waste valuable time listening to a mostly boring speech that contains little or nothing that is dramatic or surprising, and you’d be better off doing something more interesting (reading a good book, in my case), and await the summary of its salient points as captured by journalists who are paid to do such scavenging, or, if you have the stamina, listen to analysts who more or less say the same things year after year.
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Do They Ever See Us as a Nation?

Published on October 2, 2017 in Caribbean, Dominica, General T&T, PNM, Politics, Racism Watch and UNC. 26 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
October 2, 2017

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeLike the Prime Minister, I want to tell the naysayers against his proposal to house our Dominican brothers and sisters to shut up but for different reasons. I couldn’t see how decent men could speak of our neighbors as though they were aliens (“refugees”) who have no place in our land.

Dominicans ain’t no now come. They have participated in the making of this society. In 1814 there were 25,717 enslaved Africans in the island. Between 1813 and 1821 Trinidad received 3,800 enslaved Africans “of whom nearly 1,100 came from Dominica and nearly 1,200 from Grenada” (Eric Williams, History of the People of Trinidad and Tobago).
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Impugning The Integrity of the Parliament

Published on October 2, 2017 in Caribbean, Dominica, General T&T, Opposition Party, Parliament, PNM, Politics and UNC. 8 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

By Dr. Stephen Kangal
October 2, 2017

Stephen KangalThe time has come when the bifurcated national community must now say that they have had enough of indiscretions and mediocrity. Is this what we have to show after 55 years of statehood and political independence?

We must abandon our traditional tribal loyalties/ political moorings and arrest the frequency with which The Honourable Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley has been bringing T&T’s democracy and governance into odium and disrepute in the eyes of all of us and those watching us from the outside.
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Public transportation a priority

Published on September 27, 2017 in Caribbean, Dominica, General T&T, Oil and Gas, PNM, Politics, Racism Watch and Recession. 2 Comments Tags: , , , , .

By Raffique Shah
September 27, 2017

Raffique ShahI continue to focus on issues pertinent to the economy, to chastise the Keith Rowley-led administration for using the slump in the energy sector, hence plummeting government revenues, to moan and complain and blame for their inactivity, rather than being bold and innovative, grabbing opportunities that require little by way of capital investments, but which might yield rich returns.
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Rogues & Lumpens

Published on September 24, 2017 in General T&T, PNM, Politics and UNC. 7 Comments Tags: , , , , .

By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
September 24, 2017

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeThe Oxford French Dictionary defines “mentalities,” as “the attitudes of a group of people toward the world and their conception of their place within it; the modes of thought, beliefs, morals, etc.” My colleague Barry Lygate of Wellesley College’s French Department reminds me “first and foremost, this plural is a sociological term in French.” There is “no single English equivalent to ‘mentalities.'”
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PM disappointed by TT response to refugee invitation

Published on September 23, 2017 in Caribbean, Dominica, General T&T, Media, PNM, Politics, Racism Watch and UNC. 29 Comments Tags: , , , , .

By Clint Chan Tack
September 23, 2017 – newsday.co.tt

Dominica after Hurricane MariaPrime Minister Keith Rowley yesterday said the vast majority of people understand why TT must do what it can to help Dominica in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. Rowley was confident that most of this country’s citizens are caring people.

However, he expressed disappointment at the uncaring attitude of some over Government’s proposal to waive immigration regulations to allow Dominicans to stay in TT for six months, as their country rebuilds.
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Social media rages with xenophobia

Published on September 23, 2017 in Dominica, General T&T, Politics and Racism Watch. 19 Comments Tags: , , , , .

T&T Guardian
September 23, 2017

Dominica after Hurricane MariaFollowing Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley’s proposal for T&T to open its doors to citizens of Dominica in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, there was a lot of racist, political and xenophobic remarks on social media from citizens who disagreed with the idea.

Some of the comments included:
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