Essentially, we have been faking it for a long time, that is, gasping with pleasure at Trini life when in reality life is stressful and brutish. A senior citizen having fallen ill in the street across the street from a public hospital and having to wait 45 minutes for assistance …
Read More »Promoting unpolluted energy: what music can do for T&T
One sometimes comes across facts containing intense ‘human interest’ stories in law reports. The United Kingdom Supreme Court recently decided a case concerning publication of a biography. The book is called “Instrumental.” James Rhodes, the concert pianist, author and television filmmaker, is the author. He describes in graphic detail the …
Read More »Remedies for a murderous land: Innovative solutions needed, not the death penalty
We had a successful launch of The Daly Commentaries. There is a Facebook page bearing that name. In the words of the editor, Judy Raymond, these columns “share the sweetness as well as the adversities of life in this simultaneously frustrating and glorious little country.” Her words are apt at …
Read More »Rats, revenge and recycling: Daly looks at UNC’s internal elections
The UNC leadership contest is boiling. Ostensibly the challenge to the political leadership of Kamla Persad-Bissesar is a revolt against her running the losing election 2015 campaign in which the party lost Government as “a one person show.” There is nothing odd about a member of a political party challenging …
Read More »Dumbing down debate: Daly reflects on his 13-year column and new book
This coming week my book entitled The Daly Commentaries will be launched. It is a collection of 200 of my approximately 600-plus columns, published since 2002. There is a Facebook page of the same name, which provides details of the availability of the book. I thank again my readers …
Read More »The elder’s gesture: Daly tackles State’s exorbitant legal fees and POS wrecking
Owing to my commitment to take part in Raoul Pantin’s play Hatuey I was unable to write a column last Sunday. I was therefore unable to make timely comment on the contentious Budget debate and the feeding trough for favoured lawyers exposed in the course of that debate. Happily the …
Read More »The Hatuey experience: Did the Budget miss Culture?
There is a hole in the Budget presented to Parliament on Monday last. There is scant acknowledgement of culture, particularly of our performing arts despite their huge potential for assistance in diversifying the economy and its significant contribution to social stability. Presumably the new Minister of Culture, who is a …
Read More »The view from pit: Daly muses on hypocritical response to State appointments
Following the recent appointment of former Independent Senator Helen Drayton to chair a state enterprise Board, a strange concept emerged that persons not having blind affiliation to a political party become “tainted” if they serve the country at the behest of a Government. Although responsible opinion has dealt well with …
Read More »The political appointee label; Daly looks at some controversial picks
The competing arguments concerning the appointment of Mrs Helen Drayton to the Chair of the Board of Directors of a State enterprise—immediately following her completion of service as an Independent Senator—has highlighted once again the issue of appointments in the public sector other than those made to the constitutionally established …
Read More »Participation paralysis; Daly considers our reluctance to speak to power
We have peacefully changed another Government. Having been disappointed yet again by a previous choice of Government, the prevailing mood of many citizens is that we hope once more for better and fairer governance. It swiftly became the cliché of the day that we “exhaled.” There is however something striking …
Read More »Winners and losers at the polls: Daly picks his favourite cut-tails
There were some enjoyable electoral cut tails on Monday last. Send me your favourite. Mine is Garvin Nicholas. Tell me too who or what is the new Government’s biggest problem after Jwala Rambarran, sitting like a Reshmi in the Central Bank. Following the 23-18 outcome of the general election in …
Read More »If it is not tight, the polls not right: Daly suggests a local polling problem
One political pundit who conducted a poll suggested that the Peoples’ Partnership might win tomorrow’s election based on “leanings” shown in that particular poll. Another poll three days ago reported the Partnership “on track” to win” but the marginals could go either way. Despite those ‘leanings’ and the meanderings of …
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