Questions for the City Council

I was invited by a friend in Marabella to look at a video of the Marabella Market. Yes the Marabella Market! So if you live in the Borough of Chaguanas and you think your market is bad, you should really take a look at the Marabella Market. If you live in Chaguanas and you are among those pressing for City Status, oppose it immediately. All you will get for it is higher land and building taxes. There are no benefits. There will be no improvement to facilities. You will live in a place like San Fernando, devoid of representation. But you will live in the City of Chaguanas, just as we live in the City of San Fernando. And your representatives will get higher salaries.

So just to get back to the Marabella Market. I couldn't believe what I was seeing, the dilapidated sheds, dogs sleeping on the tables, chicken feathers stuck up in what passes for a ceiling, pools of water everywhere, moss, the works. I asked my friend if he was sure we were not looking at video footage of a Haitian slum. You too must see this video, so I'll see what I can do about including clips on this site.

This brings me to the questions for the Mayor and Members of Council and the Chief Executive Officer.

1. Seven years ago, Mayor Gerard Ferreira described the Marabella Market as a failed UNC project and he promised to build the new market. What is the status of that project? Mayor Ferreira of course is best known for having made Harris Promenade narrower. A main thoroughfare with several large schools, churches, the street was narrowed to make way for a promenade with wide steps that no one can use. Pardon me, but the vagrants do find the sleeping accommodation very comfortable. No wonder the promenade is now popularly known as FERREIRA'S FOLLY.

2. Just before Christmas last year, a town planner from Port of Spain, Margaret McDowell was paid to relocate vendors from High Street. She supervised the painting of road spots on Mucurapo Street. The Princes Town taxis were brought to the Library Corner to create more congestion. The vendors are still on High Street. How much money was spent to relocate the vendors? How much money was collected from the vendors? What is this CITY Corporation doing about relocating the vendors? Has the Mayor ever seen the police walking up High Street and vendors folding up their tents in anticipation?

3. The Chief Executive Officer must tell us why contracts were given to a member of the San Fernando City Corporation and the value of those contracts. The sums must relate to the two companies linked to the Councillor: Marryshow Maintenance Services Limited and Hasoma Company Limited. The CEO must also tell us what other Councillors and employees of the Corporation are in receipt of Contracts. (See article on WHO IS THE CONTRACTOR NOW?)

4. One contractor built a drain in Battoo Avenue that took water into the community instead of into the river. Was that Contractor paid? How much extra did it cost the Corporation to correct the problem? As a matter of interest, how did that person get a contract in the first place?

While the Corporation will spend plenty money celebrating Independence and probably much more on Republic Day and City Day, the City moves closer to achieving DUMP STATUS. And do you know that the people of Chaguanas and Arima want this for themselves?

I met my Councillor!

I was walking around my community one night, shortly after my letter to Gail Merhair, when I heard my name being called.

Susan Cornelius (I have known her since she was a toddler) was walking around with another female, giving out flyers for a health fair. Susan introduced me to my councillor Wendy Gibbs.

So here is the story. I told Councillor Gibbs exactly what I had written in the letter to Gail Merhair. We stood on the pavement for about half an hour discussing some of the problems of Mon Repos Navet. I must say I was surprised by Councillor Gibbs. Not just that she is young and extremely attractive. I understand that most of the female Councillors on the San Fernando City Corporation are.

She took the criticisms well. She asked me to e-mail her the blog address. She was most articulate in debating some of the points and presenting some of the obstacles facing a local government representative, any local government representative. I met Councillor Gibbs a second time and she was still cheerful and optimistic. I consider this the basis for a good working relationship. I look forward to seeing Councillor Gibbs again.

Readers Please!

Dear readers.

Can you please post your comments on the blog site, instead of sending e-mail messages?

Thank You

The City Assessor Department Story

One day last year I went to the City Assessor's Department to change the ownership of a property. I don't quite remember the date, but it was the same day that a motion of no confidence against the Prime Minister (my representative) was being debated in Parliament.

I remember this one clearly, because I was walking along Coffee Street, wearing a red T-shirt. When I reached across the street from American Stores, a woman sitting on the pavement with a notebook asked me what gang I belonged to. "What gang?" She said I could board the bus parked nearby if I registered for work. I went back home and changed my T-shirt.

At the City Assessor's office, I was told by Mr. Crawford that the declaration had to be signed by a lawyer. I explained to Mr. Crawford that an attorney is not an independent person and should not sign the declaration. I was told that more than 100 people had signed declarations and submitted them to the department with false deeds.

Mr. Crawford called another co-worker who squared up her chest and displayed all the mannerisms of a member of a herd of animals mentioned in the Bible. I told her that if the attorney signed the declaration, then no one would be responsible for a false declaration. The same way the department believed the certified copy submitted to them was true and accurate when it was in fact false, the same way the lawyer would believe it. The new owner should swear to the declaration before a commissioner of affidavit. I asked how many people were penalised for making false declarations and received no response.

The very aggressive employee of the Corporation told me that the directive had come from the Chief Executive Officer and if I did not agree with the decree of the City Corporation, I should challenge it in Court. End of her story.

I went to the CEO"s office but Miss Coudray was away, so I spoke to Mr. Ragoobar, the Deputy CEO, mentioned before in the blog on the contractor Hasoma Limited. Mr.Ragoobar called someone, "Savi" and after the discussion told me that nothing could be done.He suggested that I make an appointment to see the CEO. I left my name and phone number with the Secretary. I called once, but I never got to see the CEO. I crossed the street and paid a lawyer $200 to sign the declaration.

On November 11, I was sitting on a stool at the counter of the City Assessor's Office. A young woman came in to change ownership of a property. The officer (whose name I know) took the information and filled out the form and brought the declaration for Dirn Baptiste to sign. Dirn Baptiste (if it was indeed Dirn Baptiste) was given a form to take to Water and Sewerage Authority. End of that story.

If citizens all across this country are being asked to take their declarations to an attorney, then there is something wrong with the bye laws being created by the various municipalities. A statutory declaration has to be witnessed by an independent person, a Commissioner of Affidavit. When that declaration proves to the false, the act provides for a penalty. If 100 people have presented false declarations, why has the City Corporation not acted on it?

Is this just another story of how our City Corporation operates?

Public Servants who work

Today we recognise those public servants who give us an idea of how government services should work.

I called the Traffic Management Branch, San Fernando on July 15 to ask for assistance in making my community safer. Moody Stewart Street is being converted into a business district and no one in the City Corporation could tell me if these buildings are assessed for business use. There is parking on both sides of the street and no provision for pedestrians. Motorists use the back streets to avoid traffic on Royal Road. They break the no-entry on Torrance Street, as do many of the customers of R&Z Electrical.

The street corners are marked with paint to indicate the number of accidents that have occurred. One would think that if these accidents are reported to the police, some action would have been taken.

I spoke to Ms. Denille Bessor, at Traffic Management, who told me that I could come in and discuss the matter with them. Before I had a chance to do that, the Department took its own action and on Monday, July 20, workers were busy painting stop signs all around the community. I called Ms. Bessor to thank her and she informed me that although I had not visited, the department checked the problem and acted immediately.

I now want to tell my readers in Marabella that the Councillor who told them there was a shortage of paint so the road signs could not be painted, could well be mistaken. And today I want to thank Ms Bessor and all other members of her department for their initiative and the example they are setting as public servants.

I want to recognise also the efforts of Mr. John Barnard, of the Sanitation Department of the San Fernando City Corporation, who is always willing to respond to calls for help. Mr. Alexander from the yard at Carib Street sent a crew within minutes to cut the branches of a tree hanging across the street. There is a lesson here for some of the folks at City Hall. I approached Mr. Glasgow for information. I was pleased with his general attitude and I don't believe Mr.Glasgow spends his day in an air-conditioned office.

Very soon, I will be telling you the story of an encounter at the City Assessor's department and why I think that there is need for some human relations training at the Ivory Tower.

Letter to Gail Merhair

Dear Gail,

I know you will not be offended if I call you Gail. I do so the same way I call Prime Minister Patrick Manning "Patos" After all he is my representative. I live in San Fernando East.

Now that you have both decided who my councillor should be for the next year, I feel even more comfortable calling you by your first name. I decided on this blog long before you put your name into our history books. I visited the Mayor of San Fernando and told him what I was doing and drew his attention to several irregularities.

I have no interest in contesting an election, so why am I doing this? A former councillor was telling a member of the San Fernando City Corporation in my presence that Councillors cannot really change anything. I was horrified, to say the least. And here I will tell you a little story.

In 1977 Gertrude Kirton was the Mayor of San Fernando. She was a humble woman who worked hard and worked her way up to head the Borough Council. You will notice that I used the word "worked" twice in that sentence.

I was part of a group called San Fernando Citizens Action Committee chaired by James Lee Wah. If you have never heard of James Lee Wah, google his name and you will see a record of a really committed man who never made it to the Senate. I also worked at the Express San Fernando Bureau.

This group fought hard for a link road to Gulf City and an end to quarrying on the San Fernando Hill, among other things. We got the link road but the Hill issue was stonier. One day I went to San Fernando Hill with a small group that included photographer Mungal Chattergoon. It was a Wednesday, middle of the school week. We saw several boys of primary school age bathing in a huge pond of dirty water. When I say huge, I don't mean like the Ste. Madeleine pond, but something about 100 feet long.

That story appeared the next day, the same day as the statutory meeting. Mayor Kirton referred to the newspaper article and ordered City Engineer Vasco Loreille and Superintendent Fitzroy Fahey to organise the documents to stop quarrying on the San Fernando Hill immediately. Many other people have claimed that they stopped quarrying on the Hill, because Mayor Kirton was not around to challenge them. I have never been to the Hill since then.

So today I want you to read the blog headlined "Who is the Contractor Now?" to get an idea of the runaway corruption that you have supported. But that is not all you have supported.

In seven years, I have never seen my Councillor, Wendy Gibbs. I called City Hall for her on one occasion and was told that she was in the USA. On another occasion I used up $11 B-mobile airtime waiting for her to come to the phone. She never came.

When I could not get her to clean the bus stop where a vagrant slept and schoolchildren waited in the morning, I paid to do it myself. I walked to Traffic Management Branch in blazing sunshine (only half mile away) to ask Mr. Ganpat to paint the zebra crossing and put markings by the traffic light. I call Mr. John Barnard at Sanitation very often to make sure the garbage contractors do their work properly and treat people in my community with respect.

I am telling you only so much in this letter, but this site will continue to update you on all the problems you decided my community should face, because you did not want to thwart the government in punishing us. You decided that the barrel covering the hole outside of the house of Mr. Gregory Caesar over the last two years should stay there for another year at least. And if you vote the same way next year, who knows....

And Gail, I want to share a little something with you. When I undertake to do something, especially if I am paid, I try to do it properly. I read and plan and put my whole self into it. I don't just open my mouth.

One last thing, when I first googled your name last week, there were five attempts. This weekend they had crossed the 200 mark. So people are getting to know you, I must say.

So you take care and make a diffference in the Senate.

Sincerely

Zorina Shah

Gail Merhair chooses my Councillor

Senator Gail Merhair had saddled me with Councillor Wendy Gibbs for another year. While I look after the needs of my community for free, Wendy Gibbs will collect a fat salary from taxpayers. Read my letter to Senator Merhair this week.