In a statement, Gopeesingh, a former education minister, repeated his call for Rowley to fire Garcia, saying that until Rowley does so then he must also be blamed for the education sector’s woes, including 40 government schools being in disrepair causing a disruption to the teaching of thousands of pupils.

“Garcia is grossly incompetent, lacking in leadership and organisational skills, essential work ethic and basic capacity to head that vital portfolio,” alleged Gopeesingh, saying Rowley has been told of this repeatedly.

Gopeesingh said dilapidation in 40 schools is a direct result of the “cavalier and haughty approach” of Garcia, whom he alleged is out of depth in this Ministry.

Gopeesingh said in the past academic term, the shoddy state of schools had disrupted the studies of thousands of pupils, some of whose parents held emotional public protests.

“That followed the solemn earlier pledge of Mr Garcia that all schools were in a proper state for use by students and teachers at the start of the September term,” related Gopeesingh.

“It is increasingly apparent that education is not a priority matter for the Rowley regime, which has refused to issue $34 million for necessary school repairs.

“Further, Mr Garcia clearly carries little influence and credibility among his Cabinet colleagues to convince them to assign that sum for urgent repairs to the nation’s schools.” Gopeesingh also accused Garcia of non- cons t ruc t ion of schools and Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) centres, shutdown of homework centres, scrapping the laptop programme and ending the Continuous Assessment Programme for Standard Five.

“At the end of the People’s Partnership Administration, 42 ECCE centres, 29 primary and seven secondary schools were at various levels of construction, some close to 95 percent completed,” Gopeesingh said.

“After 15 months, all the schools under construction have been left in ruin and decay without further attempts at completion, a serious and shameful indictment of the Rowley-led administration.” He accused the Government of shutting 400 homework centres.

“In addition, Mr Garcia is presiding over sharp cutbacks in the Schools Feeding Programme, late payment of stipends to national scholars and scrapping of the textbook allocation.” Gopeesingh alleged major reversals in achievement levels in mathematics and English at both SE A and CSE C levels, in the past year, unlike the historic high success rates met in the previous five years.

“In 15 months of the Rowley administration, the education sector has suffered major rollbacks in the sustained achievements over the previous five years, which were all targeted at making Trinidad and Tobago a knowledge- based, modern and competitive society,” said Gopeesingh.

“I again appeal to the Prime Minister to remove the inept and bungling Mr Garcia and to appoint an Education Minister with the requisite competence and vision for this most important sector. This is the best Christmas gift he can give to the students of today and leaders of tomorrow

UNC chairman, David Lee, said while most citizens are seeking a higher visibility of policing in their neighbourhoods, the Government is now doing exactly the opposite in shutting down the CCP. “It was a very visible initiative.

What message is this now sending?” mulled Lee. “Given the crime siege across the nation, why is the Government dismantling this effort which had given communities a level of comfort that there is an extra eye on their neighbourhood?”.

He said the CCP’s $50 million annual cost is peanuts compared to the $10 billion budget allocated to the Ministry of National Security.

Lee scoffed at the Government’s idea that the CCP’s role will be taken over by the Municipal Police, which has not yet benefitted from the 100 extra officers per regional corporation proposed by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley.

“The Municipal Police are undermanned,” Lee explained. “And the role of the Municipal Police is very different to the role of the CCP.” He concluded by alleging that this is just the latest way in which the Government has tried to hoodwink the population on various issues.

Rambachan , in a media statement, was responding to comments made by Rowley at a book signing at RIK Bookstore, Long Circular Mall, St James on Tuesday that the Opposition was “banking on mayhem in the country to help it get back into office.” “His failure to inspire the people has brought about hopelessness and at every level of government people have dropped their hands,” Rambachan stated, adding Rowley has blamed “everyone and everything for the state of the nation including Police inefficiency and the slow pace of justice, but has conveniently not taken any responsibility for the way the lives of citizens have been disrupted by this inept administration and its mismanagement.” “Attempting to cast blame on the Opposition is an old political ruse to fend off mounting criticism and dissatisfaction with his leadership and his government’s incompetence in dealing with the state of the economy, rising unemployment and poverty as well as difficulties in meeting revenue projections, thus resulting in sinking the country into higher debt obligations through borrowing to meet recurrent expenditures,” he said.

Rambachan pointed out that the nation was getting tired of “management by excuses” and it was the Rowley administration which was pushing people “to the brink” as there was “growing anger and disappointment in the population of his administration, the most recent manifestation of which was the reaction of his own supporters to his party and government in the last local government elections.” He said the Opposition UNC was “committed to passing good law” which included the FATCA legislation and was not in the business of governance to “cause mayhem but to ensure the safety and security of citizens and their families, peace in the country, economic prosperity and social progress for all citizens

There were about eight unfinished structures and piles of dirt stacked over 20 feet high.

As a contractor with over 30 years of experience in the field, I concluded that these structures could not have cost more than $4 million at best. I wondered what was the cost to date? When will construction ever be completed? I spoke to the residents and they complained about the wind-blown dust and the poor drainage in the area. I stood in my shoes and I wondered.

What kind of people are we? What kind of people tolerate and defend the waste of our nation’s resources on inflated contracts and incomplete projects? What kind of people allow their agricultural lands to be abandoned while they use their declining foreign exchange to import food? What kind of people allow their courts to become so inefficient that their citizens turn to vigilante and retributive justice rather than the nation’s courts? What kind of people support inept leaders simply because they share the same ethnicity and not much else? TT is quickly rushing towards the precipice of social and economic disaster with veils over their eyes and ear phones blasting soca and chutney.

The highway to Point Fortin is on hold, the Couva Hospital is not in use, the motor vehicles building in Caroni is not used while the Licensing head office closes early every day due to alleged poor building condition.

Not much is being done to ensure that TT gets value for money. There are no long-term strategic plans for the development and sustainability of the economy.

As long as the two major political parties continue to be blindly supported by the masses simply based on ethnicity, one would continue to ask these questions. One wonders what can be done to lift the veil.

Steve Alvarez via email

OWTU workers get salaries that are higher than government (the largest single employer) workers. What is the basis of the increase being demanded? In the days of plenty when oil prices were high you could have justified wage increases. Now that the company is running at a loss, shouldn’t the workers share in part of the blame? If you are making a case for a fair wage then you should not be so myopic and instead make a case for all workers nationally who have to subsist on crumbs.

I am certain that over the years you would have noticed that wage increases in the energy sector set the tone for higher prices.

The level of remuneration of oil workers can withstand the price increases. Can workers in other sectors of the economy shoulder such load? Wage increases serve only to pauperise the population. The figures go up but the purchasing power goes down. Businesses take the opportunity to increase prices by a percentage higher than the wage increases.

A union as powerful as the OWTU should also be more responsible and look at the larger picture and ensure that the population gets a fair share of the national pie.

Strive for increases in “real income” enabling the population to achieve a higher standard of living. Or are you concerned only with the workers under your purview and of course your salary and perks? Days of the confrontational approach of trade unionism is outdated.

Note how the world is tending towards contract work and the helplessness of unions in stemming the tide.

Unions, in negotiating for an increase, should always consider the level of prosperity of the business they are bargaining with. This would require of the experts in the unions to monitor and analyse the trends of the appropriate income statements and balance sheet. This will safeguard the workers against the “steel mill ambush”.

Negotiations should never be conducted on feelings on what the union thinks the company can agree on. It should be objective.

Roget, oil workers benefit twice from oil revenue: once as wage increase and when the revenue is spent on the general economy. Do not present a case as if oil workers live hand to mouth.

Running a business is another strategy the union can use to negotiate.

This experience will help the union appreciate having to run a business to make a profit or reduce a loss; adopt cost-cutting measures; freeze wages and undertaking other activities that businesses employ to stay afloat or maintain a certain profit margin.

Do not be like some businesses that benefit in times of prosperity and when the chips are down try to maintain their profit margins at all cost.

Let us all share the burden of the downturn and rally knowing that better days are coming.

Lennox Francis Couva

The Santa Rosa First Peoples Community has achieved much, in spite of the many setbacks including the struggle for greater recognition as the First Peoples of this nation and the lack of resources.

As we compare these setbacks to our achievements, we give thanks to the Great Spirit for guiding and prospering our people.

We call on all people of indigenous descent to claim their identity and support our activities towards greater visibility, as we embark on establishing the First Peoples Heritage Village and celebrate a one-off national holiday in 2017.

May the spirituality of goodness rise above the influences of evil, and may the spirit of “good neighbourliness” prevail. We pray for an outpouring of special blessings on this nation for the Christmas season and into the new year.

Ricardo Bharath Hernandez chief

Our visit lasted over three hours, much to the discomfort of my mother, who is 88 years old and had to fast for the test, and myself. In spite of our personal suffering, I must admit, however, that I felt deep compassion for the lone phlebotomist who did her work with efficiency and pleasantness despite the trying conditions under which she had to work.

This young woman had to attend to the numerous people who had been sent for routine blood tests, as well as to the many who were receiving the multiple glucose tolerance testing, also the little ones who had been sent from the paediatric department of the facility, as well as the many pregnant females who were spliced in among all the others.

In order to facilitate these various categories, there were numerous interruptions which made the wait time tedious and frustrating (pity the administrative assistant working in the office).

My enquiries concerning what those of us present were experiencing indicated that ours was not a unique experience.

There is therefore obvious and urgent need for another phlebotomist at the Chaguanas Health Centre. I appeal to those who have the authority and the power to change our country in a positive way.

Joy A Valdez via email

After 32 years, I finally got the call I longed for from the HDC. Not for the house I wanted and waited patiently for and believe I deserved, but all the same a place to call my own. I am grateful but it was not smooth sailing.

The unit I received was beautiful but it stripped me of every ounce of dignity I had. I cried (58 years old and gainfully employed).

No one should be lawfully handed keys to a unit in the condition the house was in.

There was no reassurance forthcoming from the HDC that the situation would be rectified.

As a matter of fact I received a takeit- or-leave-it letter from the corporation, to which I had to respond “yeah” or “nay” within eight days.

With the exception of one particular member, the staff I had to interact with was indifferent to my cry for help. It was just a matter of “next”. I am too ashamed to outline the condition of the house to which I refer. I am also very ashamed of the many times I broke down and cried publicly and privately.

At the key distribution, in desperation I “forged” a way to take my issue to the minister who referred me to the chairman, Newman George, who in turn referred the matter to someone else. I did receive a call from th HDC the next working day but after four days and no action, I imposed myself on George and the rest is now for the records.

George should be renamed “Human George”. The man is firstly courteous, understanding, humble, and truly caring. He could have insulted me for imposing myself on him the way I did, but he did not do so. He assured me he would take personal responsibility for my matter and, seven days later, I look forward to moving into my new home. To God be the glory.

Even if there is a missing link in the allocation policies and procedures, the staff must be able to stand in the gap. I understand their exuberance to meet the prescribed quota.

I, like many others, am grateful for their commitment to doing what they do but for goodness sake they must temper their exuberance with compassion and understanding.

They don’t have far to look for exemplary leadership.

It took a professional contractor with five helpers and a plumber seven days to rehabilitate the unit that was handed to me. Thank you, George.

A Davidson Morvant

Last week, Sandals deputy chairman and CEO, Adam Stewart, announced plans for a new resort in St Lucia, that would add to the three resorts already on that island.

The new hotel, described by industry insiders as ‘the resort of the future’, will boast over 350 rooms, resulting in a multimillion-dollar investment and a much needed boost to the islands room stock.

Meanwhile, destination marketing has been identified by industry stakeholders in Trinidad and Tobago, as one of the key obstacles facing the industry and they have recently called on the Government to invest more to market the country as arrivals to Tobago had been described as “stagnated”.

During a recent address to the Trinidad and Tobago Industry Chamber of Industry and Commerce Stewart said, “Sandals Resorts has an ad appearing every 30 seconds on TV in the US, Canada and Europe. Sandals does not spend that kind of money on a whim, they do it to drive consumers through the established delivery channels into their hotels. That is why the tour operators and the OTAs ( Online Travel Agents) are so loyal to Sandals, and the airlines provide increased lift wherever and whenever we open a resort.” Both Sandals chairman Gordon Stewart and the younger Stewart have expressed their desire to establish the brand in Tobago and have recently led a high-level delegation for talks with THA officials, which included Minister Stuart Young, and Tourism Minister Shamfa Cudjoe.

However, despite promises of ongoing and positive discussions, there is still no confirmation from either party.

Once an agreement is announced for Sandals in Tobago, the resort could take between two to three years to build.

A resort the size of which is proposed for Tobago is expected to result in an annual economic footprint of well over US$500 million according to Sandals.

Speaking with Newsday, Regrello said he allowed the vendors the chance to sell their wares , free from police interference. “We are giving way to the vendors so they can make an income for this Christmas season but we are also asking them to consider the businesses and not block the doorways to stores and shops on High Street,” Regrello said, noting that the police will deal with those who stop shoppers from going into the stores.

He went on to say that the council will have to revisit the issue of “street vending” in the city of San Fernando in 2017. “We have to look at what is happening with regular vendors who have been selling for many years on the streets and find a way to accommodate them,” he said