Don’t ‘mash-up’ Laventille, Mr PM
THE EDITOR: We are in urgent need of clarification of the Housing Ministry’s intention to demolish our neighbourhood. As a people we are in favour of urban development, but not at the expense of the utter ruin of our extended families. The break-up of extended families is the prime reason for the rampant vagrancy that has taken over our city. I am 82 years old and have witnessed the breaking down of the old colonial single storey housing scheme and its replacement by Albert Gomes three storey buildings that housed three communities, including the whole of Corbeaux Town. The Gomes’ government never gave the impression that this spot of Port-of-Spain was too good for us. However, after listening to the Housing Minister’s speech we are getting the distinct impression that Jennifer Baptiste was not very far from the mark. Over the years, while successive governments collaborated with criminal elements in the control process of the URP, we the ordinary people depend on our extended families to keep the wolf from our door ( unless we were prepared to surrender our sexual integrity or a percentage of our meagre earnings). It was, and still is the extended families that look after our senior relatives and young children while the parents work long hours for small money, or in more fortunate circumstances where we have family in North America that sends barrels and financial remittances. That is the reality of how we get by. The Bad-boys and Coke Merchants have little of no influence on people who vote. We are the people that always stood with the PNM. In 1986 when the NAR candidate was one of our own we still voted with the PNM. In recent elections we continue to return the PNM candidate, a person who is not at all shy about showing his contempt for us. Mr Prime Minister, our neighbourhood is the foundation of our families, destroy it by a ruthless land-grab and we will be scattered to the winds, and strewn in that ill wind will be the end of our support for the PNM. Mr Rowley on the other hand, could always become the Prime Minister of Tobago by seceding once the oil money dwindles. R CRAWFORD Port-of-Spain
Comments
"Don’t ‘mash-up’ Laventille, Mr PM"