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'jumbie politics'






What a week, or should I say weeks. The ferry business has me tired and I wish it would just go away.
Last night my life partner and I went to see a locally produced film and throughly enjoyed it. Like many of the productions this was a short film, 28 minutes, but it proved that the talent in this country is alive and well. We had hoped to attend another film based on a steel band tomorrow night but it was sold out. Last night the movie theatre was revving! Great signs for the future of film production in Trinidad and Tobago. What was more amazing was the average age of the filmmakers, young talented men and women, giving their all.
Congrats!

What happens to Dominica? From actual reports coming out of the hurricane devastated island of 74K people what is happening is not good. For one to plan for a hurricane far less a Cat 5 is extremely difficult. Persons who were able to communicate with families on the island could not fathom the needs. Tarpaulins by the mile, nails, hammers, food, clothing, bedding, generators, anything to bring back some semblance of normalcy. The looting has started in earnest. Not supporting any lawlessness in any form, what do you tell a family that has nothing especially food. Tonight, Friday, at 9.00pm it will be four (4) days since the collapse of the island of Dominica. How many residents would have had the wherewithal, the finance, the cash to operate after (4) days far less the prospects of looking forward to next week. How are people getting paid their salaries at the end of this month? Will the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank distribute enough cash to facilitate the dealings on the destroyed island? With zero utility power anywhere, no ATMs, extremely limited banking facilities anywhere and probably no retailers accepting cheques. This is the real problem, the actual storm coming over the island is one part of the story, getting back to living is a whole other deal. Oh, and what becomes of the children, school, where can they play?

After the region has been hit by Haiti's 2010 devastating earthquake and now multiple Cat 5 storms, does T&T have any inclination as to what will happen if we suffer the same fate? My suggestion is that people from our Disaster Preparedness unit go to Dominica and experience first hand what the real life effect is with a storm of this magnitude. I cannot imagine what life would be on this rock. Has any modeling been done for certain regions to determine the effect and how to deal with it. In my early months in Government I sat on a committee dealing with disaster preparedness. I asked a simple question, how many satellite operated phones did we have for persons coordinating the relief effort. People looked at me as if I was preparing for doomsday or armageddon, or worst a visit from Rocket Man. Seriously, no one had any idea, the PMOTT did not have one nor did anyone who could be considered in charge of part of the recovery effort. By the way both the Coast Guard and the Regiment at Tetron would probably be wiped off the map by a CAT 5 storm surge. Or the hill before Tetron, that came down during 1970, which has never been stabilized properly could create a major land slip blocking the first responders.

Hope to go back to see a couple films this weekend. Hope to not see the Ocean Flower 2, that damned  boat keeps resurfacing, smoking and all, with Irrevocable Letters of Credit drawn or not drawn, US$3.0M jumping up or not, coincidence that she arrived on the same day that the PATT tenders were being opened and she was one of the vessels proposed. The PMOTT will be made a laughing stock if the OF2 is ever allowed to sail the Tobago route. Since world leaders are now being called names maybe the name 'Nowhere Man' might be fitting. I hope he has checked with his people in Les Coteaux, if not that OF2 jumbie will follow him around for the rest of his natural life and beyond!

I had a great yesterday, a great last night, a great today and I am looking forward to a blow mind tomorrow! Soon we will see the citizens of T&T rejecting the jumbie politics! Make no mistake the relief effort for a politically ravaged rock will be happening soon!

He's a real nowhere man
Sitting in his nowhere land
Making all his nowhere plans for nobody

Doesn't have a point of view
Knows not where he's going to
Isn't he a bit like you and me?

Nowhere Man, please listen
You don't know what you're missing
Nowhere Man, the world is at your command

He's as blind as he can be
Just sees what he wants to see
Nowhere Man can you see me at all?

 The Beatles.
Good night and good luck!







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