Destructive road to Blanchisseuse

THE EDITOR: Forget the tea room brawl, pay no mind to the row over Rowley, these are mere distractions to what is hidden in Manning’s sneaky Budget. The Prime Minister has promised to scatter $27 billion in the faces of the nation in the hope of blinding them to some hidden dangers in his Budget. Apparently he has put the $100 million Parliament on hold after being promised stiff resistance from trade unions, a senator and others.  However he is attempting to sneak in the infamous eco-highway from Matelot to Blanchisseuse. Two Budgets ago this destructive proposal surfaced and immediately writers and environmentalists made a call to arms and rallied against this madness. The Prime Minister retreated then.

Now he seeks to mesmerise the nation with handfuls of cash and sneak in this destructive highway. As night follows day, total destruction of our last remaining pristine rain forest will disappear as those in Haiti, once this area is “opened up.” Property developers, squatters and sawmillers will descend on the forest and hill sides like hungry wolves.  Manning will most likely be out of office then and powerless to undo the destruction he unleashes.  The thing to do is to stop him now before he begins this madness. Destruction of the forests and hillsides are being done in full view of all and sundry on the southern slopes of the Northern Range with no action by the State to stop it. One can imagine what will happen on the hidden northern slopes with this eco-highway. Professor Kenny, Eden Shand rally the troops, I am ready for battle.

MC  DONALD JAMES
Couva