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fix the %&*(@#$ leak!!

The big happy news of the week was the arrival on our shores of none other than Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates. Yes the richest man in the world, depending on the time of day you check, arrived on his brand new, 2017, 83m chartered yacht 'Here comes the Sun', love the name. Bill is worth a billion dollars for every meter length of his 'bateau'. With Butch Stewart from the Sandal's Group and now Bill Gates well maybe something is happening on the rock. Mr Gates is in the sister isle tonight and we wish him well.

The Budget debate is now at the Upper House. When will the current administration start their term of office? It is now 25 months and they have refused to accept that they are in charge, despite the Member from Tobago making it very clear in 2015. The newbie to the Senate, the Minister of Public Utilities, actually a renounced citizen of Ghana, did not reference what he was doing to actually improve the service to the citizens during the Budget debate. He went on a tirade speaking as though he was the defacto Minister of Finance. I hope he realizes that the current Minister of Finance does not take too kindly to people professing to know more than him, on anything. The newbie's job is supposed to be Public Utilities. For instance did the Senator make reference to the thousands of water main leaks all over the rock which is the responsibility of WASA and costing millions of dollars every day? no, because the leak on the mains on Saddle Rd outside the tire man in Boisserre Vlg for the past month is still very much there. This leak cannot be attributed to the previous Government as it is not 25 months old.
For crying out loud all you persons in Government stop with the blame game, you are all sounding like the US President. Fix the #$%^& leak!!

Tonight's dinner conversation is heavy on the social issues on the rock. After some serious conversation I realize that the problem will not be sorted out soon. The disparity, the race issue, the differences between people. How does society deal with all the stress of today, how do families get by, single parents, more children than parents can handle, these and everything else? The issue of discipline when doing ordinary everyday things, the driving indiscipline, management of the school system. The job market, unemployment, underemployment, young people extremely concerned for their future.

There are tens of thousands of citizens that are making a fine contribution to the country every single day of the year. There are however, some who will simply sit and wait for the 'dole'. Maybe the time is right to make the statement that over the next fiscal year the State will be reducing the 'dole' to 'X' amount and that every year after there will be further reductions in the State funding giving people enough time to prepare themselves for the world of real work. At the same time that we are doing this we can be putting in place the necessary support for families. More, not less, day care centers to support families where both parents are working. Likewise centers for older kids to go to after the school day has ended.

Family life and with it the requisite discipline must be part of the fix. Laying blame at this point will not help anyone. We need to understand the issues and deal with it.

There was an oily bilge spill recently in the Gulf of Paria in the Port of Spain area. Under normal circumstances, in a well organized maritime industry using a Vessel Tracking Management System, frequent patrols by the Maritime Services Div, the Port Marine Police and the Coast Guard, the culprits would have been caught. As soon as the spill was recognized the Port would have been closed with all vessels required to stay at anchor. Vessels that would have already departed would have been tracked to their next port of call and examined at that port. The vessels in harbor would have been all checked with samples taken of their bilge water. A vessel arriving at POS would have notified the local authorities of the quantity of ballast that they were carrying on entry. After checking and finding out if there was a disparity in the actual quantity of ballast the Captain of the particular vessel would have to account for the shortfall.

There are many different ways to determine whose bilge water it was. Again I keep saying none of this is rocket science, it just takes management and dedication to the job.

Who raised the first alarm? Why was there no marine patrol in the harbor that night by any of the authorities? Once again like the recent floods in Central and South no one is responsible for anything.
And you may wonder why the despair in the discussion as to the future of the rock.

Bill Gates might have had to change the name of the bateau to 'Here comes the Spill'. Does not have the same ring!

People let us start putting a stop to the indiscipline, make the demand on those who have the responsibility to manage the affairs of the citizens, do not let them get away with the nonsense.

Good night and good luck!!

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