Money Done!

I received the letter below from a friend who is standing for the comparatively newly formed party COP (Congress of the People), this morning.

My adopted country is in a mess and I weep for our children, the poor who are getting poorer, the homeless, the lack of decent health facilities, the waste of money, the crime rate to name but a few of the many things that are very, very wrong.

In typical third world fashion, the Prime Minister wants to change the Constitution obviously with the ulterior motive of making himself Executive President for life.

We have just had a Budget.

“Trinidad and Tobago's Minister of Finance Karen Nunez-Tesheira expects this country's 11.9% inflation to increase further. While delivering her maiden National Budget speech at the Red House in Port of Spain, she also said the Ministry expects the price of oil to fall further. She reported that the government-owned Trinidad Hyatt Regency expects to turn a profit ahead of schedule in 2009. She hinted during her speech that Government wanted to collect more from non-energy businesses.” (Source: Trinidad and Tobago News Blog)

There is to be a property tax reform. One of the comments I have picked up is:

Property tax plan unfair
“This is not about reform or equity. It is simply additional taxation in deficit budgeting brought on by squandermania in a time of plenty. If you fail to pay, Government will simply seize your property.”

In the following letter you will see a reference to “hartless”. Calder Hart, a Canadian, heads UDecott (Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago which is the centre of an ‘on hold’ Commission of Enquiry because there are allegations of corruption, nepotism and the like within the company.

Dear All,

As you may be aware we have issued a National Call to Wear Black on Friday as a protest against Govt squandermania and the fact that they wish to tax the people to pay for their deficit and "hartless (or ful) projects...
I would like to invite all of the national executive and all chairmen and activists to mobilise supporters and friends to wear BLACK on Friday and to Attend a Street Talk at the San Juan Market on Saturday at 10 am sharp wearing BLACK (does not have to be a COP jersey).
This crucial ground assault will be maintained over the next few weeks, with Chaguanas market and San Fernando market following San Juan Saturday. The idea is to actively recruit members of the public and follow up with them.
This exercise is intended to be reviewed and already I have noticed great deficiencies in our ability to mass mobilise on short notice and the use of multiple avenues of communication. Luckily, I would submit a document following this exercise to the natex to consider.
I trust you would come out and bring out numbers for these events. We need to show strength on the ground at these busy public places. I make a special plea to members of the national executive to attend.
Don't forget to wear BLACK on Friday and Saturday.

Navi

Dr. Navi Muradali

The top and bottom of it? As they say here, 'Money done!’