Stop playing with words

As a result, I have put together the following targetting specific officials to provide untainted, unequivocal and innuendo-free responses.

To the Prime Minister, Mr Patrick Manning, what is the position, are we prospering as a nation or not? If we are, why confuse us with the gloom speeches of "too much poverty" and unemployment? And if we have money what all this negative talk is about? If we don’t have the money, tell us and done with that! Mr Prime Minister, the poor or the small man does not want to hear that the economy is doing well, that is too high for us.

What we need is to see lower food prices, better jobs and wages and less anxiety about personal safety.

To the Minister of National Security, or the Commissioner of Police, or Head of the so-called Elite Force. What is the real position on when we will see a significant dent in crime? Mix up in all your statements are things like "it will get worse before it get better," our multi-million dollar spy ships need time to function and police are becoming more efficient.

Give the public a break! Just tell us when and how much time is needed. If it is forever, tell us, so people can plan whether to get out or not.

It is unfair to hold the public to ransom in this way. We don’t want to know how long it took Colombia or the United Kingdom to deal with their crime problem.

There is clearly a cultural and population-size differential of enormous proportion. To suggest five years to address crime in Trinidad and Tobago with only 1.3 million people is ludicrous. However, if that is the time needed, tell us.

MARILYN JONES

Tunapuna