Airport Inquiry a waste of public funds

THE EDITOR: I couldn’t agree more with your expression of complete distaste at the ongoing Airport Inquiry and obscene waste of public funds. You question to what good purpose? One very important and salient point that you have omitted is that of “free advertisement” for a certain sector — not the taxpayer obviously; he can only bear the cost and grin (or grimace). He must see the Inquiry daily on television to see where his tax dollars are going! (Something akin to stoking the boiler daily to keep the furnace going).

Whilst all this expenditure is ongoing (it seems eternally!) We hear that BWIA have had a plane repossessed by the lessors with Trini passengers stranded high and dry — even with government reassurance some weeks back of assistance. When? Do they seriously expect a Yankee company to wait until they feel so disposed to hand out the promised funds to those with hands outstretched? Constant warning is being voiced that with the commencement of the rainy season the Nation had better prepare for more flooding since government funding provided (if any at all) for clearing the rivers, etc is inadequate. Ironically, just at Carnival we heard the other side of the coin where citizens were without water in the dry season because of slow release of government funding. Have those that suffered in last year’s floods yet been recompensed? In view of the expenditure on “Inquiry” and repayment of debts to Muslimeen one can understand the delays.

An ironic twist is that it has recently been announced that the same oil giant that Mr Manning recently forgave the penalty payment for non-fulfilment of a contract has achieved the highest ever recorded quarterly profit — certainly of any oil company, if not all companies! Even if Mr Manning played a small part in that record I am sure they are appreciative of his help. It’s all evidence of priorities, you see, from a “caring” government — the taxpayer is, of course, #1 on the list (for his donations).

VIRGINIA VERITY
Port-of-Spain