“[…] Both parties have now dug their heels in, and would regard any compromise on this matter as a sign of weakness and incompetence. They are playing to the gallery. “Where does the national interest feature in this soap opera? […]” The following Letter to the Editor on the need for …
Read More »The “Cardines Clause”; Rio gets passport to represent T&T U17s in potentially ground-breaking case
Rio Cardines has got his Trinidad and Tobago passport and will join the National Under-17 Team in Guatemala tomorrow, just hours before their opening Concacaf Under-17 Championship match against Canada. Almost certainly, Cardines will not be named in coach Shawn Cooper’s starting team and is unlikely to feature at all. …
Read More »Where is Fitzgerald Hinds? Star T&T U-17 footballer misses flight due to “unavailable” Minister
After two weeks in Trinidad waiting for the green light to join his soon-to-be international teammates, 17-year-old England-born footballer Rio Cardines thought he finally got the breakthrough to represent the country of his grandfather, Patrick Cardines. All he needed was a signature from Minister of National Security Fitzgerald Hinds that …
Read More »Daly Bread: Accountability gymnastics from National Security and TTGF
Murder, murder everywhere but certain elites continued blindly to cling to the status quo and sections of the business community uttered platitudes. Then, as the murder count soared past 500 with a multiplicity of murders, the Government finally “did” something. That something was a whole day meeting with the heads …
Read More »HDC promises more rental units for working poor, from Beetham to Chaguanas, Bon Air and Laventille
Trinidad and Tobago’s Housing Development Corporation (HDC) has vowed to expand its supply of homes attainable to the working poor, starting with the reconstruction of rental units at 23rd and 24th Streets in Beetham Gardens. The Beetham project, according to a HDC release, will be “the template for the reconstruction …
Read More »Daly Bread: Reflections of rudderless leadership in “old talk” and “blame game”
It ought to be becoming clear to all that the lame excuses which are offered for the dire results of our failing governance are reflections of rudderless leadership, of which we have been excessively tolerant. Public dissatisfaction has condemned the Office of the President to regular memes. I only bother …
Read More »Daly Bread: Why create new violent crime committee while Ryan and Watkins reports gather dust?
The Prime Minister has previously made casual references to violent crime being a public health issue. However, on Monday last, he stated that his “Government’s intention was to develop a national plan of action that would be driven by a public health approach [which] would involve the defining of the …
Read More »Daly Bread: The context of fiery protests—often misunderstood and misinterpreted
Before examining the context of our fiery protests, let us first turn to some events abroad that are relevant to the use and abuse of power. “For now, each party’s biggest strength is the weakness of the opponent.” Does this statement resonate? It is in fact a conclusion drawn last …
Read More »Daly Bread: Compromising due process of law is potential catalyst for wider social unrest
Public trust and confidence in the capacity of our country’s institutions and high offices to make full disclosure and to observe due process of law has again been shaken. Compromising due process is a potential catalyst for wider social unrest because of the way in which the authorities manipulate the …
Read More »Noble: The Pimping of East Port of Spain; how T&T abused “Eastmoorings” for decades
Our national anthem urges us to have “boundless faith in our destiny”. It affirms that “here every creed and race find an equal place” and “may God bless our Nation”. Do these lofty words meet reality? Do these words apply to the people of Laventille, or are they to be …
Read More »Daly Bread: Soothing the wounds of violence and abuse
The nasty debate about which of the two different governments was responsible for the prolonged abuse of children in state-funded homes continues. It is made worse by a discernible element of glee with which the politicians and other combatants attack each other concerning the revelations of abuse, incompetence and …
Read More »Daly Bread: Nowhere to turn as Govt and TTPS fail to act meaningfully against violent crime
While in a heightened state of mourning for lost and abused children and murdered women, we had another week of ole talk in a continuing demonstration of the inability of Government and the poorly managed Police Service to take meaningful action against violent crime. Even as Minister of National Security …
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