In a powerful editorial last Monday on the occasion of Divali, the Trinidad Express newspaper urged that we look around and see Trinidad and Tobago as it really is: “a country carried by the goodness of its people and their love for this place that we call home”. The writer …
Read More »Dear Editor: UNC must apologise for response to 1997 Report, and Ramsaran should be charged for ‘misconduct in public office’
“[…] To say that the UNC Government’s answer to the Sabga Report on abuse of children was to develop a suite of children protection legislation is simply a cop out for not dealing with the criminality that the report revealed in gory and sordid detail. “The failure of then Minister …
Read More »Noble: Hustling into anarchy; the intersection between police, politicians and criminal posses
In 2005, Steve Jobs addressed the new graduates of Stanford University. He advised: “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. You have to trust the dots will somehow connect in your future.” It is easy to miss the connections in our rancorous society …
Read More »‘Parents keep bringing their children, so it’s hard to stop!’ Day in the life of a youth coach
“[…] It was easier [to coach in the 1980s and 90s] compared to now… Back then, children had a love for the game. Children nowadays, as a result of modern technology and social media, are more interested in being on an electronic device playing games than running around playing football. …
Read More »Cox hints at new programme for needy families, during Christmas walkabout in San Juan
Minister of Social Development and Family Services Senator Donna Cox used Christmas afternoon to share news of her ministry’s new First Responders’ Initiative, during a walkabout in Weekes Trace, San Juan. The First Responders’ Initiative will be formally launched in 2021 and aims to be more proactive in identifying needy …
Read More »Daly Bread: Re-opening a bonito economy; continue cautiously but don’t forget the ‘small man’
As is now plainly apparent, the working poor consists of those in low paid jobs and many of the self-employed, whose work is a hustle. They are being crushed. In addition to those in the food business, we must therefore identify the vulnerable groups among the self- employed. Putting them …
Read More »Demming: T&T citizens have six identifying numbers, time to collapse them into one
Most of us have six unique numbers with which we are identified. They are our Board of Inland Revenue and National Insurance Scheme numbers as well as those found on our birth certificate, identification card, driver’s permit and passport. I posed two questions to my friends in the digital space: …
Read More »‘Apparently T&T feels safe enough…’ Young ends state-funded neighbourhood watch, mum on procurement
National Security Minister Stuart Young’s initiative to put four security firms into residential areas across the country lasted barely 48 hours. At a virtual press conference this morning, Young told the national community that the programme was cancelled due to public feedback. The four firms were: Allied Security Limited, Amalgamated …
Read More »Demming: Caring for our helpless; to ignore them is to risk your humanity
There’s a human who walks in small tight circles on the pavement in Champs Fleurs in front of a successful company. His fingers on one hand are visibly rotting, his smell is putrid, he made me think of the personification of the ‘creature from the black lagoon’. I first saw …
Read More »Barrow wheeled over to Social Development; PS transferred after Tobago spending spree
Natasha Barrow, formerly the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs’ Permanent Secretary and Sport Minister Darryl Smith’s personal travel agent, is on the move in the first notable fall-out at the MoSYA after last month’s infamous Tobago splurge at the Magdalena. Barrow authorised a TT$92,000 bill for 12 ministry officials—including Sport …
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