So Madam Prime Minister you are back from New York (again) and the 17000 plus HP laptops are also here.... at the whopping cost of $83 million TT almost $5,000 per unit or say around US$900,
I don't know if the cost of all these contracted companies is included in the $83 mil. I understand that the IT companies will be visiting schools to take the computers and do several other things with them. My concern, however, Prime Minister is what will become of these laptops. How many older students will tap up the little ones to get the use of the unit. How many older brothers will sell the laptop? How many will borrow it to go watch a movie with his girl friend?
I can imagine them cheering for you "Kamla, Kamla" while Vin Diesel is being "Fast and Furious" and I am being conservative, Madam Prime Minister.The maxi taxi driver might need a laptop too.
I can go on and on Prime Minister but I know I run the risk of being told that children in middle income families have their personal laptops and there is no reason why children from lower income families should also be able to use one.
The truth Madam Prime Minister is that those people buy their own laptops and upgrade them or replace them frequently, because they can do whatever they want with their money.
Madam Prime Minister, if that is how you are going to measure your successes, then something is wrong.
Your first step should have been to make sure every school has a proper computer lab with full time staff and let ALL students have access to computers. But the money is there so let us spend it and next year we will spend another $100,000,000 or so. And you are delivering on promises to the electorate. Right?
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
So many Prime Ministers
Prime Minister, since you have been in office we have had four prime ministers. When you went to the Caricom Summit in Jamaica, Austin Jack Warner, acted for you. When you went to New York for 
10 days Winston Dookeran took charge. Now you have gone to the UN General Assembly, Errol McLeod is driving around in PM1.Patrick Manning must be so hurt at the passengers his pride and joy is shuttling around. I don't know where else you will be going this year, but a Caricom powwow before Edwin Carrington leaves office and the Cancun Climate Change Conference might be on the travel calendar.
If that is so Madam Prime Minister I urge you not to confuse thousands of school children who are guessing about who is holding fort for you. In fact I asked seven teachers over the weekend and four of them said Jack Warner is in charge.
Then Prime Minister in January you will be going to India as special guest for that country's Republic Day celebrations and most likely to also receive the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman award. I know that Roodal Moonilal will not miss that trip so he is out. You know something Prime Minister? Maybe you should leave him home and let him drive around in PM1.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
When you are travelling...
Dear Prime Minister whenever you are presenting the face of Trinidad and Tobago at international events, make sure we look like a Trinidad and Tobago government.
Why did you have to take along the Minister of Housing (second from l) on this UN trip? He had already gone to the Indian Independence Day parade in New York.
It is bad enough that we have a man short on tact as our Foreign Affairs Minister and that he has to accompany you.
I hope this is not a case of "Have plane, will fly". And now that we have two airlines, (Air Jamaica) we can fly more. Have a safe trip anyway.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Send your PR man to school, Prime Minister
If Garvin Nicholas is going to remain your press officer you should let one of your Government Information Officers prepare him for the job.
Newspaper reports say that Nicholas turned down the offer of being the Chairman of the Diego Martin Regional Corporation in favour of being seen alongside you on television. Someone should tell Nicholas now that there is a huge difference between practising law and being a communication specialist. The first and foremost is the choice of words. On your ten-day trip to New York we were told that you did not attend the main event you had gone there for.. the Indian Independence Day parade. Your PR man was saying on the radio that you were "under the weather"
"Under the weather" is no excuse for not attending an important function. Nicholas left a lot of people wondering what he meant by "under the weather".
Newspaper reports say that Nicholas turned down the offer of being the Chairman of the Diego Martin Regional Corporation in favour of being seen alongside you on television. Someone should tell Nicholas now that there is a huge difference between practising law and being a communication specialist. The first and foremost is the choice of words. On your ten-day trip to New York we were told that you did not attend the main event you had gone there for.. the Indian Independence Day parade. Your PR man was saying on the radio that you were "under the weather"
"Under the weather" is no excuse for not attending an important function. Nicholas left a lot of people wondering what he meant by "under the weather".
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Go easy on the POLKA...dots...
On the trip to the UN go easy on the POLKA dots. These were from the trip to the Caricom heads of government Conference in Jamaica.Now I run the risk of being put in my place by minister of Works Austin Jack Warner, but say wha...
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
If it looks like Hillary...
It certainly won't be Hillary Clinton taking the oath on the Holy Gita. I always had problems with the make over Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj and other members of the previous UNC administration got. You never got a chance to focus on what they were saying. Maybe the style and fashion advisors are the same.Pictures courtesy Trinidad Guardian
Friday, August 13, 2010
Madam Mayor
I am happy that Marlene Coudray is the Mayor of San Fernando. I still do not know the nature of the fallout between Coudray and Patrick Manning and at this point I really do not want to know.
I am happy for a specific reason that has nothing to do with the PNM or the Peoples Partnership. It has everything to do with how the council is run.
Mayor Coudray knows all the ins and out, the entire workings of the council and as Mayor she must erase what is bad and promote what is admirable. To start with, the Mayor must ask the new Chief Executive Officer to maintain a proper record of all contractors so that councillors do not get contracts through the back door.
Former Mayor Ferguson knew that was one of my biggest beef with the corporation. I will still like to know how Jennifer Marryshow's spouse became a contractor with the San Fernando City Corporation when he had no skills... no knowledge and couldn't hire people with those qualities. How did Hasoma continue to get contracts after Marryshow became a director of the company? Those contracts passed through a process involving civil servants and Marlene Coudray was the head of that branch of the public service.
I have heard numerous stories about why Marryshow was favoured. I went several times to Coudray's office without success. I was asked to leave my name and phone number and never received a call.
I want here to tell Coudray of two, only two of the experiences I have had. One actually involves Ferguson. I called him on his cell. He didn't recognise my number but he still answered. He was at his brother's funeral in Grenada and he asked me to call him on Sunday when he returned to Trinidad.
On another occasion I called him about the Waterfront development project. He did not answer. Within ten minutes he returned my call and said he was at a meeting at PTSC in Port of Spain. The man does not even know my name but he returned my call.
The other involves the new Speaker of the National Assembly in Suriname, Jennifer Simons-Geerlings. I walked past Simons once in Paramaribo when I was trying to get an interview with Desi Bouterse. When Simons became chairman of the Assembly, I called her to find out what arrangements were being made for the election of the president. A colleague at the office where she worked as a doctor answered the phone, asked for my name and number so she could call me back. YEAH RIGHT!
In four minutes flat, my phone rang. Jenny Simons had returned my call. The colleague, also a doctor relayed the information to Simons who was at another office and THE CHAIRMAN OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY IN SURINAME returned a call to an ordinary San Fernandian.
Even if Coudray did not want to return my call her secretary should have called me with some reason or referred me to someone else. And please don't tell me that the clerk did not forward that message.
I have known Mayors and Town Clerks in San Fernando from the seventies, before the term of the late Carlyle Kangaloo. Many of them have died. I liked Rakeeb Hosein and Gertrude Kirton and Lynne Sumadh. I never let Clyde Boyce, Vasco Loreilhe and Fitzroy Fahey get away with anything. And I kept the late Ralph Gordon Neville Brown and Bury Clifford on their toes.
I objected to San Fernando being made a City because I knew we would get nothing for it except higher rates and taxes. And I am on record as having warned the people of Chaguanas that "City" is a word that comes with partying for politicians that taxpayers must pay for. All this nonsense about 'City" must be put aside and needs of people must be addressed instead.
San Fernando is a City, but we have a dump for a market in Marabella. San Fernando is a City but the streets are a mess. One cannot walk on Coffee Street without fear of pigeon droppings. San Fernando is a City, but there are barrels covering drains in Mon Repos. There is no proper drainage on Jones Street.
San Fernando is a City but vendors control the town. The City hired a town planner from Port of Spain, Margaret McDowell to address the vending problem. She brought the Princes Town taxis to the Library Corner to create chaos and the vendors are still on High Street.
Madam Mayor, I do not want to hear anything about sanitation standards in food places. That is a routine thing and should be done as a matter of course...no pun intended. I want to know how this dump of a town can earn its title of "City"
And I am looking to you to show me how that is done.
I am happy for a specific reason that has nothing to do with the PNM or the Peoples Partnership. It has everything to do with how the council is run.
Mayor Coudray knows all the ins and out, the entire workings of the council and as Mayor she must erase what is bad and promote what is admirable. To start with, the Mayor must ask the new Chief Executive Officer to maintain a proper record of all contractors so that councillors do not get contracts through the back door.
Former Mayor Ferguson knew that was one of my biggest beef with the corporation. I will still like to know how Jennifer Marryshow's spouse became a contractor with the San Fernando City Corporation when he had no skills... no knowledge and couldn't hire people with those qualities. How did Hasoma continue to get contracts after Marryshow became a director of the company? Those contracts passed through a process involving civil servants and Marlene Coudray was the head of that branch of the public service.
I have heard numerous stories about why Marryshow was favoured. I went several times to Coudray's office without success. I was asked to leave my name and phone number and never received a call.
I want here to tell Coudray of two, only two of the experiences I have had. One actually involves Ferguson. I called him on his cell. He didn't recognise my number but he still answered. He was at his brother's funeral in Grenada and he asked me to call him on Sunday when he returned to Trinidad.
On another occasion I called him about the Waterfront development project. He did not answer. Within ten minutes he returned my call and said he was at a meeting at PTSC in Port of Spain. The man does not even know my name but he returned my call.
The other involves the new Speaker of the National Assembly in Suriname, Jennifer Simons-Geerlings. I walked past Simons once in Paramaribo when I was trying to get an interview with Desi Bouterse. When Simons became chairman of the Assembly, I called her to find out what arrangements were being made for the election of the president. A colleague at the office where she worked as a doctor answered the phone, asked for my name and number so she could call me back. YEAH RIGHT!
In four minutes flat, my phone rang. Jenny Simons had returned my call. The colleague, also a doctor relayed the information to Simons who was at another office and THE CHAIRMAN OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY IN SURINAME returned a call to an ordinary San Fernandian.
Even if Coudray did not want to return my call her secretary should have called me with some reason or referred me to someone else. And please don't tell me that the clerk did not forward that message.
I have known Mayors and Town Clerks in San Fernando from the seventies, before the term of the late Carlyle Kangaloo. Many of them have died. I liked Rakeeb Hosein and Gertrude Kirton and Lynne Sumadh. I never let Clyde Boyce, Vasco Loreilhe and Fitzroy Fahey get away with anything. And I kept the late Ralph Gordon Neville Brown and Bury Clifford on their toes.
I objected to San Fernando being made a City because I knew we would get nothing for it except higher rates and taxes. And I am on record as having warned the people of Chaguanas that "City" is a word that comes with partying for politicians that taxpayers must pay for. All this nonsense about 'City" must be put aside and needs of people must be addressed instead.
San Fernando is a City, but we have a dump for a market in Marabella. San Fernando is a City but the streets are a mess. One cannot walk on Coffee Street without fear of pigeon droppings. San Fernando is a City, but there are barrels covering drains in Mon Repos. There is no proper drainage on Jones Street.
San Fernando is a City but vendors control the town. The City hired a town planner from Port of Spain, Margaret McDowell to address the vending problem. She brought the Princes Town taxis to the Library Corner to create chaos and the vendors are still on High Street.
Madam Mayor, I do not want to hear anything about sanitation standards in food places. That is a routine thing and should be done as a matter of course...no pun intended. I want to know how this dump of a town can earn its title of "City"
And I am looking to you to show me how that is done.
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