Dumas, Daly question President’s $28,000 monthly housing allowance

GIVE IT BACK

By Ria Taitt
November 07, 2014 – trinidadexpress.com

President Anthony CarmonaSenior counsel Martin Daly has questioned the legal basis on which the Chief Personnel Officer granted approval for the payment of a tax-free $28,000 housing allowance for President Anthony Carmona.

And former head of the Public Service Reginald Dumas stated yesterday that it would be “ethically reprehensible” if President Carmona is indeed living in State-provided accommodation, while at the same time receiving a housing allowance.

“If that is so, then he should give back the money,” Dumas asserted.

If President Carmona has received the housing allowance since assuming office in March 2013, he would have, to date, received in excess of $500,000 tax-free.

“As far as I am concerned, if the State is providing furnished accommodation, there is really and truly no justification for providing a housing allowance in addition to that,” said Dumas.

“That would be charging the taxpayers twice and that, to me, is improper and unacceptable,” he added.

In a letter dated July 9, 2013, the CPO stated that “as a principle, where an office holder is provided with accommodation by the State, a housing allowance is not payable for any period during which he/she is provided with such accommodation”.

Full Article : trinidadexpress.com

7 thoughts on “Dumas, Daly question President’s $28,000 monthly housing allowance”

  1. A housing allowance should only be provide if the President does not have a house. As such he does have a house funded by the state. So the idiot who is giving this housing allowance should be fired immediately, another square peg hired to fit a round hole.

    1. So Mamoo, what is the President’s role in this seeming illegal activity? If true, should he be held accountable as well or is he above the law like other govt officials? I find it hard to believe we should fire the “idiot” but not even mention the obvious guilt of the receiver of ill gotten gains!

  2. I am a firm believer that one of our best cultural form of expression is the art of calypso. With the many bacchanal stories emanating from the corridors of power, the news media is not equipped to shed objecttive light on anything that comes into the limelight. By reason of law and or, intimidation the media appears to be restrained in telling us what we think they really know about what is going on, so with that in mind, I got the feeling that I would like to write some lyrics for my own calypso. I must warn that I have no musical training, no timing and can’t dance or sing but my mentor is a former calypso stalwart Lord Composer. Composer once sang a song called “Supposin” and in that song he was supposing everything he did. In one of his lines, he supposed (his girlfriend), “if you were a ladder and I have to climb on you ……I’m only supposin…….”. After reading the news of the AG asking the CPO to investigate the president’s receiving $28,000 a month in housing allowance, even though he is already being housed by the public since his inauguration. I went to bed and was dreaming of Composer’s Supposin and in my dream I was supposing………”could it be that before his inauguration, the president was promised this ‘housing allowance’ for signing all the bills passed by the house of representatives?” …….I’m only supposing. “Could it be that the president first went along with it and based on his recent misfortune regarding his wife’s dress, decided that it was too risky to continue with the scheme?” ……..I’m only supposing. “could it be that having to sign the recently passed questionable run-off bill was too much for him, so the AG decided to force his hand to do so?” …….I’m only supposing. My supposing dream continued and I was asking, “could it be that since the case of the doctor performing the operation to remove the coke pellets from the mule is now being investigated by the MI5,CIA, FBI etc, the AG found it fit, for the very first time to act as though he is representing the people, instead of the govt, Kamla and the UNC, to pressure the CoP, who have said it was a private matter?”…….. I’m only supposing. “Could it be that the funding of business being conducted in the pm’s residence, is being paid for by the state even though a state residence is being provided for her?” ….I’m only supposing. Supposing his excellency and Aunty K are both double dipping the state for money being spent in state residence and private residence?………..I’m only supposing. Supposin aunty K had come out from the beginning and admonished all wrongdoing or made statements before public outcry, where would we be today?……..I’m only supposing. Supposing the CoP knows who the owner of the marijuana mixed with the chicken container is, would the public be informed?………I’m only supposing. Supposing Sat wasn’t running this government, would they have continued with a Hindu mandate?…….I’m only supposing. Supposing the AG had a budget the size of the previous AG, how would he have survived? …..I’m only supposing. Supposing the AG had used the lawyers in his office and not the extravagant spending on his friends from San Fernando, what a great saving that would be? …. I’m ply supposing. Supposing jack had used his resources to help the people of Laventille rather than Chaguanas would Lavantille be better of?…….I’m only supposing. Supposing Rodney Charles, Gypsy, Andy Johnson, Griffith, Wade Mark, Dr. Lincoln Douglas, Clifton De Coteau lended their support to help their people the way Auntie K did hers, we would have a healthier system?…….I’m only supposin. I woke up in a sweat, my heart pounding too fast for my comfort, the music of radio Jagriti blasting in my ear and the hopes of a great future being expressed for a ‘better’ T&T. Well, I did say that my music was terrible and I had bad timing.

    1. “Suppose I was a butcher and you was a goat,and I had to cut yuh throat” ” Ah only supposing to do, Suppose you was ah bed and I had to lie on you”

  3. Give back? Yeah right,& dat and a flying Siparia donkey, you’ll never see, folks.
    There are those who naively believe the selection of Uncle Cameo , to be our President , coupled with the disgusting demonization of the very independent,Professor Richards, by de bozos that constitute this immortal PP regime, was a coincidence.
    Say no to tribalism people!
    If Kamla and her PP really cared about this legal luminary, or better yet , true Independence for our T&T, they would have gotten rid of the anachronistic Privy Council during their wasted tenure, and show real love to our neglected , maligned CCJ, ennnt?
    Oh , and we ain’t ready for Ebola , says a one time Sando boy.
    Well , to critique this regime , he too must be a PNM stooge, si?
    Hey, and with citizens like these , who need enemies, folks! Tell it like it ia Doc.We dont believe Dr Fraud, and his Caura tassa whine/limbo dances!

    http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/US-specialist-TT-hospitals-not-prepared-282668581.html?m=y&smobile=y

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