PlastiKeep

The good thing about being semi retired is you can have a home day anytime. Today was one of those days, did on the road chores, bank, minimal grocery and lunch from one of the new 'grab an go' restaurants on Saddle Road. Great concept, good healthy eating, if you want and reasonable. It's also very nice to have lunch at home during the work week, a luxury I never had in my working life. I might get very used to this new lifestyle even though I find it difficult not to get up in the morning and go to work. Let's see what happens, one day at a time.

Did the EMA finally get their vote from the Ministry of Planning? All of a sudden the EMA is the talk in town. All of a sudden the EMA is insisting that the noise emanating from a fete venue be controlled and comply with the regulations. OK this weekend gone the fete venue chosen for noise testing was the Oval which happens to be across the road from the EMA headquarters. I fully support the EMA and their quest to have fete promoters comply with the law. We are a nation of excess and forget who is being inconvenienced, once WE good. The ridiculous statement, that with the controls the EMA is going to kill Carnival is just that, a stupid statement. The residents of St Clair and Woodbrook have been subjected to Carnival excess for decades. People live there and those people have the same rights as anyone else. How can you justify having a fete start at 2.00am and go till whenever, in a residential neighbourhood? How can you justify having a fete going on until 4.00am where your windows and your roof are vibrating from the music system? I am sorry but as usual it is fine for the 5,000 feters, who don't live in the area, but when the 5,000 residents complain 'they want to destroy Carnival'.
During my stint as an MP there was a complaint from a couple of residents about a bar in their area which was creating a nuisance and upon further investigation the bar had been opened in an HDC house, the local Inspector of Police had in fact supported the liquor licence application before a Magistrate. The licence was not renewed and the bar closed. You see when we want to flout the laws, whether a liquor license or noise abatement it is very easy to do. EMA, continue to do your job, not only for Carnival but through out the year, fireworks?

I believe this is the final week for PlastiKeep. I would like to say congratulations to Ms PlastiKeep and the Board for educating the population in the whole process of recycling. I have no idea what happens after the collection bins are removed and we have no where to dump our plastic waste other than the landfill. Why do we constantly have to regress, we start with the right motives, ideals and depending who is in office all of a sudden that particular system is deemed to be an idea of another administration and therefore it is stopped. In the case of PlastiKeep what exactly is the issue, accountability, purpose, who is who, how can a responsible government simply close a working recycling program with nothing in place to deal with the waste. Barbados has a fully operational waste recycling business operating as a Pubic Private Partnership. You would think that the funding required was in the millions, apparently it is the equivalent of a high end luxury vehicle.
I hate having to put good recyclable waste into garbage meant for the landfill.

The authorities have stated that tomorrow the grid lock experienced on Monday returns tomorrow as a result of Max's funeral. So, no lesson learned from the horrific jam on Monday. It's only work so don't worry!
This attitude scares me, it's like the Regional Corp allowing garbage collection on a single lane road, Saddle Road, during morning rush hour. Single lane means there is no overtaking lane so if you get stuck behind the garbage truck, or the garbage collectors having to cross the road, back and forth, again creating an uncalled for traffic jam.  Military funerals at the Assumption Church on Long Circular Road creating the worst traffic jam for hours. A certain spouse of a most senior office holder walking around the Savannah at 3.00pm with a security detail idling in the far right driving lane, causing a totally uncalled for traffic jam.
I guess when the officialdom sits and plans all of these various activities it is more about creating the stir and hype so that people can actually see us at work rather than the complete opposite of us doing the peoples work quietly but actually getting the job done.

I keep saying we are a wrong side people but you know what, we nice, we are a wonderful caring people who really love our Rock.

Good night and good luck, you may need it tomorrow!