I am frequently drawn by the direct and uninhibited language of fellow Trinidad Express columnist Joanne Paul. In her commentary last Monday, Dr Paul treated with our massive diabetes problem. Interestingly, from my perspective, she came to the conclusion that it was time to acknowledge the truth. ‘Things are …
Read More »Daly Bread: Getting the wire; is the SSA fulfilling its mandate in this ‘spy’ business?
The use of technology to ‘spy’ on citizens has been high-profile news because of continuing charges and counter-charges about what terms and on whose authority spyware has been purchased from Israeli sources, and also about who was being spied upon. As usual, material issues have become blurred as Government, Opposition …
Read More »Public Utilities Minister: T&TEC, IPPs and ODPM failed during islandwide power blackout
“[…] The Committee identified several weaknesses in the management of the response, including ineffective communication with the public, with heavy reliance on the internet and social media which was negatively impacted by the blackout; the absence of the involvement of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management; the lack of …
Read More »Demming: Please, PNM, we need an efficient transportation system if we are to move forward
Public transportation is a quality-of-life issue. Sometime in 2015, this statement caught my attention and gave me hope that Trinidad and Tobago was finally beginning to take action to bring our country out of the doldrums of the 20th Century. Seven years later, transportation continues to be chaotic, dangerous, and …
Read More »Demming: We need to fix the system, not subvert it to suit our friends
The perception that if you are within the inner circle of the government, you can get anything you want was solidified in my mind with the recent announcement by the Prime Minister. Clarence Rambharat, former agriculture, lands and fisheries minister, we were told, is coming back into government and will …
Read More »MSJ: Workers and poor people can’t afford to pay more for transport, withdraw fuel hike
“[…] Minister Colm Imbert said that the $1 increase is so that the burden of adjustment can be equally shared between the Government and people. This is utter rubbish. “The real issue is how is the burden of adjustment to be shared between the rich and the poor—between those who …
Read More »Noble: Forget KFC condiments and Cabinet reshuffle, new IMF Report affects our future way of life
This week, the most important business news story was not the $2 that KFC wants to levy for their condiments, nor the shenanigans surrounding the Cabinet reshuffle. The week’s critical story was the release of the IMF 2021 Article IV Consultation Report. To reduce the Report to a sound bite, ‘our …
Read More »Missing the Faris for the trees? Mr Live Wire gets another political lecture from a mysterious man
(Scene: A dapper gentleman examines a humble lodging with notable admiration.) FAR: I love the more intimate office space, boss. I can get from one end to the next far quicker than at my last office, which is bound to make me even more less-dynamic. The decor is more than …
Read More »Noble: Paria’s plight is rampant in T&T—First World salaries without First World leadership
Stephen R Covey, the American author of First Things First, said: ‘We are free to choose our actions… but we are not free to choose the consequences of these actions.’ As a nation, we need to contemplate this as we mourn the loss of the four men in a recent …
Read More »T&T’s Covid-19 changes: Team sports, public transport limits, quarantine periods and more
“[…] Public gatherings of persons in groups of no more than 25 is now to be permissible. The recommencement of team sports and contact sports is allowed. “[…] Provided that we do not have dangerous changes in our COVID-19 position, we will permit all children to return to physical schooling in …
Read More »Kangalee: What ESOP offer? Dr Rowley offered ‘ghost shares’ to ‘ghost workers’ at Heritage
“[…] Heritage is not a publicly traded company, so how can shares be offered to employees? The share offering Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley referred to with FCB is different, in that FCB is traded on the stock exchange. “Even if Heritage was a publicly traded company, there is no …
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 …
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