I was worked up about the cold, calculating, methodical and ‘holier-than-thou’ crooks the past week who not only steal from me, but from my children and grandchildren, I lost sight – for just a moment – about the brutish crime that takes place day in and day out in this land.

On a customer visit in south on Monday I met a guy whom I’ve known for about 15 years, but haven’t seen for about 1/3 of that – time flies… He’s from Princes Town and as we were ’shooting the breeze’ the topic got around to crime in that part of the southland. It was fresh in his mind and I saw that desperate/hunted look on his face when he related what happened to his sister-in-law, her husband and their daughter just the past weekend.

On Saturday night the family retired after doing the needful of locking up, etc. During the night the daughter got up to use the washroom and when she came out into the corridor noticed a door that should be closed, open. Luckily, she’s quick on her feet so she was instantly alert that something was wrong. As she turned her gaze to the living room a bandit was already moving quickly towards her, but she was faster. Screaming at the top of her lungs, she headed for her parents room even as the bandit grabbed on to her arm. She tugged her arm away and bolted through the bedroom door that was already being opened by her father. And here is the difference between this guy and 99% of us – he’s a man with a licenced firearm…

Grabbing his child and in one movement firing indiscriminately into the corridor, he saved their lives. This guy is relating this story and he wrapped up saying exactly what I was thinking – what if this man didn’t have a gun? What if the same thing had happened to him, as it could to any of us, as non-holders of licenced guns? Just another statistic in the news and duly recorded by the police.

“Woman and daughter raped by bandits while husband chopped to death” or any other variants of a far too common story with no end in sight – not even a stemming of the tide. I left depressed, angered and thinking if it’s time to break the law that is supposed to protect me, yet seems to be cowering in a corner afraid of the bandits, crooks and thieves in our midst. I mean, if the PM and the AG ‘fraid Hart, Bahadoorsingh, Cherry, Anisette et al, who are we, eh?

I also thought about if I end up in front of a magistrate for possession of an illegal weapon, or if I killed a man inside of my home whose intentions were murderous, what law will he/she condemn me with that couldn’t help me in the first place? How easy it is for our elite to feel safe while they have police guards (at our cost) or private security (like the PM, still at our cost) but we are left defenceless against the wolves?

I can be objective enough and argue the point about breaking the law from on top of a magisterial bench, but it doesn’t protect our lives, our families and our properties does it? I’ll leave with this quote by Rev. Martin Luther King for you to decide:

“I submit that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law“.

In this dark and dismal land where anything can be had for a price, a Canadian is more powerful than a Prime Minister who appointed him in the first place…

First off I think a lot of good commentary have been made about the ongoing fiasco where a state body is going against the state, but I just had to correct a perception out there that a letter writer touched on. No, the Prime Minister is not sending mixed signals. He sends only one – he supports Calder Hart. Said it with his own mouth in a public place – nothing mixed about that!

Second, John Jeremie said he spoke to UdeCoTT’s lawyers last Thursday and yet no one asked why? For what reason could he be speaking to lawyers when, as one himself, he knows that they are only bound to take instructions from their client and not any third party. Try again…

To make my position clear – I renounce my citizenship of this crooked UdeCoTT land. I remain a true citizen of Trinidad and Tobago (where has it gone?), though not very proud at this moment, but proud of my fellow compatriots who seems to have had enough and drawn the proverbial line in the sand – CJ Ivor Archie, Prof. Selwyn Ryan, Martin Daly, SC…

More than a year ago I wrote about what Keith Rowley should have done and that our only hope was the PNM, but they didn’t understand. Now is the time we really have to live the old saying, “evil flourishes when good men do nothing”.

Everyone who comes here must be bored by my tirades against idiots on the road, but today I have some empirical evidence to back it up…

Heading South this afternoon on the Solomon Hochoy Highway and after the traffic where the road-widening is taking place by Divali Nagar (this part is officially the Uriah Butler Highway) a Toyota Hilux riding my bumper was given a chance to go his merry way. Cruising about 100 km/h I could still see him up ahead (we are by Seereeram Brothers now) and I saw the ‘weave’ – hard to the left, hard to the right, hard to the left again – boy was he in a hurry!

So I thought to myself – and here is where experience beats hot blood any day – let’s see how far he can reach before I lose him up ahead. I know that no matter how many bursts of speed he makes or how many weaves, there’s always some slowpoke or two ahead to slow you down.

Guess what? After all his shenanigans I was still able to see him turn off the highway at Tarouba Road. 1001… 1002… 1003… 1004… it took me 12 seconds to reach where he began his turn. He saved 12 seconds and could have died more than 12 times between the Endeavour and Tarouba overpasses. What a jackass…

Anyway, driver of TCJ 9112 – a dark grey4X4 Toyota Hilix, you have been awarded the idiot of the day award. I only hope and pray that when you ’lose control’ of the vehicle and I am reading about it in the newspapers, you did not take any innocent lives along with you.

Sunday’s Express reported Mariano Browne as saying that the criticisms of the proposed property tax was ‘ignorant’ of the issues and I applaud him for his candour. Amazing how ignorance, such an asset during election time, is now a source of complaint.

I hope that the 299,813 people who voted for the PNM last elections (less the actual candidates and their immediate families) and who can be counted on to faithfully cast their votes for the balisier if elections are called tomorrow were listening. ‘Very few people seems to have done any calculations or arithmetic’. Seriously? We are supposed to think now but not at elections time?

But then again, Mariano was probably speaking about the other 351,763 people, including yours truly, who did not vote for the PNM. That’s what democracy is all about people – majority wins. Once the faithful couldn’t care less, the rest be damned. We can’t even protest about what we don’t like…

Now let me regress a little bit to what contributed to our ‘ignorance’… The Finance Minister said that the property tax is ‘proposed’ but the Assessment Board said that they are hard at work for the last few months and we should expect our bill in the mail during March 2010. She also said that there will be ‘no backing down’ on the ‘proposal’ and everyone knows that money bills requires only a simple majority. So what’s the point? Telling us about opportunity to review, debate and amend is poppycock unless we turn on the pressure now.

A Bag Man is described as “any person in charge of organizing and collecting contributions to political parties (politicians?) or funds gathered for political reasons whether legitimate or not” and one can’t help but wonder who is UdeCoTT holding the bag for in this PNM Government? Imagine, as the Express reported on Sunday, UdeCoTT is challenging any attempts to get the Uff Commission back on stream, and further, looking to recall all the evidence laid before the Commission. Now really, does that look like an innocent move in any form or fashion?

The story goes on to say that these latest challenges fly in the face of what the AG John Jeremie said he will do to get the Commission’s work ‘validated’ and also what he describes as his PM’s commitment to ‘transparency and integrity’. Now for those who were born yesterday, or arrived today, UdeCoTT is not a private company but a state corporation answerable to the Minister of Finance or Corporation Sole. Now how is it possible for UdeCoTT to go against what the government would like to do and yet no one is doing anything except paying lawyers’ fees? I always remember Robin Montano for this – “in a one-lawyer town you will have a poor lawyer, but in a two-lawyer town you will have two very rich lawyers”. The description needs nothing more to add and is more than appropriate in this case…

So for all the millions and billions badly spent and trying to cover their asses come hell or high water, UdeCoTT is taking on lawyers like there is no tomorrow. So the question again - if they are indeed corrupt, who in the government are they holding money for that they are so protected? But my only grouse is that a slew of Trini lawyers is lining up to rob the negative TT$8.4 billion Treasury dry once more all in the name of ‘fairness under the law’. That’s their job, I suppose, but it doesn’t change the scent of it… And as I’ve written before, they have already lost in the court of public opinion so all the public needs is an opportunity to vote on it.

There’s fire right behind! Everyone knows this saying, but my replacement is, “where there’s Jack, Ramesh can’t be far behind”.

In a long-talk session with some friends over lunch – couldn’t leave where we were because of the rain – we were talking about the CJ’s speech and how the government was putting together a ministerial committee to make a comprehensive response and of course one thing led to another. When I got home and looking at the news, however, what could I see but Winston and Jack hamming it up for the cameras at the new breakfast shed.

Well Jack said it all – he remembers his history and wasn’t ashamed to own up to the fact that he turned on Dookeran when it mattered the most. (It is now a political classic – ‘yesterday was yesterday and today is today’) The height, or depth preferably, of hypocrisy however is Ramesh… Once Jack is making overtures to the COP, Ramesh is somewhere around – lurking like the rat he is. I hope Winston and Prakash and all the others in the COP don’t turn a blind eye to the most dangerous traitor in our midst just to get much needed financial assistance from Jack.

Ramesh is a traitor – he was the catalyst of the UNC Government’s downfall (even though Bas finished it off with his stupidity) and he must not be allowed to escape his accountability in the PNM and Patrick Manning occupying office for the last seven years and nine months overseeing the squandermania and crime surge. Never.

We all do it, don’t we? Looking for the next leader of TnT to take us to that elusive ‘next level’. And for those, like me, who sometimes think that Patos and Bas will live forever – can’t blame us now can you? –  I mean, they’ve been there for most of my life!

So looking at Stephen Colbert on Tuesday night (re-run) I saw for the first time the Mayor of Newark, Cory Booker, and my word… Where do they get these guys from? Why can’t we get at least one national of TnT to act and behave like this young politician who had the ‘audacity’ to refuse a White House appointment? For a balanced view of his tenure, see this article:

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1910983,00.html

And that centerpiece of his campaign as mentioned – “You’re a children’s foundation, — don’t you know that if a kid gets shot, every one of the issues you care about gets undermined?” how does this relate to a nation where we have 379 known homicides at news time on 09/15? (I can ask what in heaven’s name minors were doing in a club on a Sunday morning, but that does not change the fact that they are dead).

So pan the horizon and tell me who do you see as our next tribal hope? Neil Parsanlal of the PNM who tries very, very hard to impress? Mikela Panday or Roodal Moonilal of the UNC? Prakash Ramadhar of the COP? (My word, I only have Indian names here…) Derren Joseph who I saw is now putting his faith in faith that we will have a better future? After the three tired old men (I forgot Dooks) is there any new blood out there?

To be honest, I like Wendy Lee Yuen. Maybe it will take a humble, but very passionate, farmer to ‘plant the seeds’ of a future nation…

So, Derek Hudson of BGTT said that by 2015, TnT will be in good shape – do you feel all warm and rosy inside? And then right after that, a senior official of RBC (that’s Royal Bank of Canada, aye, not RBTT) said that they project gas selling next year for US$6.00/mmbtu – does that instill any confidence in you? Do these people know what’s going on in the outside world with regard to LNG? We are a little peewat whose goose is gonna get cooked! Take for example the Qataris who are investing in supertankers and terminals while we build skyscrapers and buy helicopters:

http://www.economist.com/people/displaystory.cfm?story_id=14030328&Fsrc=mgttkgnwl

Where do these people come out from in a week where the most depressing news about our sad state of affairs (sorry, prudent management of our fiscal affairs) is made public via a national budget presentation? Is it intentional? Are they asked to speak to make the populace not unduly worried, or are they speaking indirectly to their investors? Hmmmm….

For me it’s a no-brainer – the money done. Stolen again by the PNM, their friends and families as it was thirty years ago. “Any man who forgets his history is condemned to repeat it”. Did you expect any different? I mean, for all the protection Calder Hart is getting from this administration, he has got to be a bag man of immense proportions. And did they find Uthara Rao as yet? Is anyone looking for that bandit who was collecting interest on government money from a local bank? Was the bank black-listed by the government and the official/s who was part of the scheme fired? But then again, Karen had done a lil insider training herself, aye?

Only a PNM government could spend money as is if it passes through Trinidad ‘like a dose of salts’… It happened once, and it happened again. Of course, all the ‘I told you so’ will be saying ‘I told you so’, but is anyone listening?

I am stunned by the silence of the people on two shattering events on Monday. One, we spent TT$8.4 billion (yes, billion) that we didn’t earn and we plan to spend $7.7 billion (yes, billion) more this coming fiscal year. Second, all the bandits, crooks and thieves finally won and killed the Uff Commission. Not that we don’t know if it was intended to end like this… Makes you proud to be a flag waving, red tee-shirt, PNM till-ah-dead, aye?

So let’s start everyone’s favourite game – laying blame. First and foremost – Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj for bringing down the UNC Government of 2000; Basdeo Panday for being dotish enough to damn every single bridge he’s crossed but giving Robinson the choice of choosing a PM in the 2001 18-18 election; Robbie for returning to his roots and voting PNM based on some twisted sense of moral and spiritual values but more for what Lennox Grant describes as getting rid of the ‘usurpers’ and returning to power the ‘natural rulers’; the PNM and UNC supporters who can’t see further than the texture of their hair and voted tribe in 2007, but more the UNC supporters for voting a party that could never win an election.

So where do we go from here? Well apart from the nauseating budget ‘debate speeches’ where every PNM member will get up and crow like Karen of how well they have done over the past seven years and eight months (but who’s counting?) and which we’ll just have to take it like a true, true supporter, there’s not one damn thing we can do. We really and truly do like it so… Oh my lord, can you imagine Colm Imbert? Oversaw one of the largest boom and bust in the shortest possible period and he will only say how great is he and the PNM and throw mauvais langue at the other side.

And what about Rowley? The man who still supports the PNM with all his might and blames Patrick for everything that goes wrong? I said it once and I’ve said it many more times – he made a mistake by not challenging Manning at the last convention and he will pay the price just as his beloved PNM. Natural rulers… jeez…

I’ll leave the Uff Commission for another time – the above post was depressing enough – but suffice to say, no matter how much ‘investigable’ evidence came out, I don’t expect either actors – the CoP and the DPP – to do anything about it.

Don’t blame me – I voted C O P…

Wow, that’s a hell of a subject matter when I myself have had enough issues with ‘neighbours’ in the various places I’ve lived before. My idea of a perfect home is where I get up the morning and while stretching out my laziness in either of the porches or having my morning cuppa, I see no houses. (My wife thinks I am stark raving mad in these days of bandits, killers and rapists to be living “in the bush”). But, it’s not that I hate people that much eh, it’s just taking the concept of “good fences make good neigbours” to another level

Why write about all this? That story about the woman and her daughter living in a watery home in Debe highlighted by IETV and CNC3 on Wednesday night and also by the Guardian yesterday. (Unfortunately their website is down).

First, this is a testament to the evil that lurks in men’s hearts against their fellow brothers and sisters. Imagine wilfully blocking the drains and so ensuring a living nightmare for this family… What did these people do to deserve this? Are they bad people? Are they a stain on your ‘community’ and your intention is for them to leave and never to return? In our haste to judge – it happens when an emotional event overwhelms you – we await your side of the story…

** Update – Oh, we saw you on TV tonight residents of Seeraj Trace, and it wasn’t pretty. To say you are all a bunch of ignorants is too simple – we may have to go with ‘ignant’. Blocking ‘your road’ with cars so that the backhoe couldn’t go in and clear the drain – a job that took a total of 20 minutes after it was done? Bravo… You’ve earned a very special place in our minds and I hope that all the people who finally came to see the Samaroo’s plight (the power of the media!!!) throw the book at you.

Secondly, this is also a reflection of how our institutions have broken down in that no governmental body can effectively make this right. I don’t blame government so much as I blame the staff at those institutions who have no intention of doing their jobs. I’ve written about this before, but the service of the public service has gone the way of manufacturing – excuses, that is, of how they can’t do this and they can’t do that. This, my people, is a symptom of a failed state no matter how much the politicians can’t stand that description.

Last but not least, how does this reality match the fantasy of living in the wealthiest country in the Caribbean? Not only the Samaroo family, but how many others live in squalor and poverty while millions (in US$) is stolen every day by our politicians and their friends and families? Make no bones about it, we are being robbed every single day once decisions like spending US$348 million for US$100m worth of equipment is made and “justified”…

But the glimmer of hope is the outpouring of sympathy and assistance from the hundreds of citizens and some corporations who called in to both IETV and CNC3. Focusing on that allows me to go on rather than despair about my fellow countrymen… Let us not make it a story of the week and forget after the celebrations of the long weekend…