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'hoi polloi'



Last week there was a pan concert, which was attended by the elite of society, not for the 'hoi polloi'. This event was attended by none other than the greatest pan lover herself, Her Excellency Madam President. I have one story that says it all, pan is of the people.
A friend goes to the bar and asks for a beer and is told that "it eh have no beers". Much to his dismay, he asks why and is told that "dis is a bring yuh cooler and so since everybody go bring deh own beers, it eh have no beers selling". He walks away from the bar obviously very disappointed. Within minutes a man approaches him asking "ah hear yuh looking fuh beers?" "Yes" is the reply and the response is "go by de corn soup man, it have beers sellin"'.

Anyone being elected or appointed to a position in Government somehow experiences a change in who they are. Not all, however, are taken with the hubris. Some remain the same, some go full-blown 'never see come see'. People opening doors, saluting, scurrying around, holding your files or briefcase, addressing you as 'Minister', it happens. A Minister visiting a job site, un-announced, should not expect everyone to know who he is and therefore should simply follow instructions. To claim victimization just does not cut it. How many of us can recognize a Cabinet Minister outside of the four most popular figures, including the PMOTT?

The Rock is in a state of transition, at least the Government would like to have us think so. The ruling party has its election tomorrow, Sunday, and the National Budget is being presented to the Parliament on Monday. Petrotrin is being shut down on November 30th. The PMOTT is on a roll. His Administration is the best thing since sliced bread and he knows exactly how to fix the economy which was left in a shambles by the PP. It sounds great, it makes all of us believe that our elected government knows what they are doing and that we can put out trust in them. But there are more questions than answers, I am not talking about the issue of who will benefit from the closure of the refinery to me that is not an argument.
At the end of the day, it is all about the questions that have not been dealt with. How could you, the PMOTT, arbitrarily give a 5% increase in wages to a workforce and in less than two (2) years declare the company bankrupt? Surely you would have known the financial position of the company before you made that decision. The public display of political B/S by the LOTO embracing the same person who ridiculed and insulted you in the worst way and all of a sudden you are the darling of the union?
The soon to be protest march entitled 'Oil joins with Sugar' which says to me exactly where the trade union representing the workers of Petrotrin is. Sugar was killed off years ago because it was a losing entity. The country cannot continue with a state-owned, mismanaged oil refining company the same way it cannot continue with all other state-owned businesses. The Rock is the so-called proud owner of multiple financially strapped businesses which are a drain on the public finances and no administration has the cajones to deal with this mess. Petrotrin, CAL, National Quarries, Lake Asphalt, National Flour Mills, Plipdeco, PATT, all dependent on the state. If the PMOTT really wants to show his true colors then he should make the statement that his administration is not supportive of a money-losing State Enterprise system. Maybe then I will look at him differently.
The country cannot support a 1970's economic system of State-owned commercial companies.

I had my car washed today, a sure sign of rain, but the Gods were with me. No rain!

People of the Rock, be good, good night and good luck!

 

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