FTAA headquarters on a garbage dump

THE EDITOR: With all the talk of grand charge and storms over a teacup I would respectfully suggest that members of the honourable House settle their differences by way of old fashioned duels. I am sure that every member of the House has or is entitled to a firearm user’s licence so that a duel between rowdy and shameful MPs should be no problem. However, I would urge that the members seek legal advice on whether a duel is an ‘affray’ under our law and therefore a minor offence. Apart from this legal issue, settling differences by duel may be the way to make room for responsible and responsive parliamentarians. However, a more serious note, my question to Minister Valley and to citizens of this country is — Do you really expect the members of the FTAA to approve Port-of-Spain as its headquarters?

I would suggest to Minister Valley and anyone interested in this headquarters’ issue to take a walk (if you are brave enough) around Port-of-Spain. What I see when I walk around the city are:
a) Filthy stinking and unwashed streets
b) Lots of broken down buildings
c) Government offices and buildings in dire need of basic maintenance
d) Vagrants and other derelicts by the dozens
e) A complete breakdown of civility/standards of common decency, in other words, a city on the brink of madness and that is only what I see.

I would ask Mr Valley, “How does Port-of-Spain compare with Berne, The Hague, Brussels or any of the other cities that serve as the headquarters of international organisations? I am sure that Minister Valley, as a senior member of the administration, has travelled to most of them. I have visited just five and I can assure every citizen of Trinidad and Tobago that there is no similarity between those cities and Port-of-Spain. Those cities continue to be clean, orderly, well maintained and truly befiting as the headquarters of international organisations. All that the persons representing cities that are competing for the headquarters of the FTAA have to do is prepare an unbiased video/documentary on Port-of-Spain for distribution to all members of the FTAA. Those members will be contacting Minister Valley to ask him “What con job are you trying to pull on us?” Mr Valley, if you want to house the FTAA do not build or site that house on a garbage dump.

M  HOTIN
St James