Budget Day

Today is budget day in Trinidad and Tobago. It is an exciting day usually, however this year it is even more exciting, because today is the day that the People’s Partnership will show us what they are about and how they plan to do it. The national budget is an annual plan of how the government intends to earn money and how they plan to spend it. The budget is actually an Appropriation Bill and goes through the same process as any other Bill. As a money Bill it can only be introduced in the House of Representatives and it must be done by the Minister of Finance. Usually there is a limitation on the length of time a Member is allowed to speak, however during the presentation of the budget by speech the Minister of Finance no time limit is imposed. Simply because the budget is important business. The budget usually spans a number of areas including Tobago, Trade and Industry, Tourism, Agriculture, Energy, Housing, Infrastructure, Environment, Education, Health, Social Protection, National Security, Sport, Youth, Culture and Community Development. I am specifically interested in Health, National Security, Education, Youth Development and Trade and Industry.

So tune in my dear friends to Channel 11 at 1:30 p.m. because today is the day that the PP government is going to put their money where their mouth is. What aspects of the Budget are you looking forward to today?

Ten Things I want the People’s Partnership to Do

I was thinking about our new Government and there are a few things that I would like them to do as follows:

1. Stop campaigning. You all won, unless the new PM hires Patrick Manning as her political advisor you all will be there for five years. Get cracking.
2. Eradicate Corruption – don’t know how. Just do it.
3. Ensure that there is succession planning in the Police Service to ensure that we don’t have to hire another foreigner to be Commissioner of Police.
4. Recognize that crime is a social problem.
5. Use social media to get the message out. I love twitter.
6. Criticise in private, Praise in public. Especially in relation to public servants.
7. Elevate the content of debates in parliament. Let the younger one say something.
8. Don’t just make laws, enforce them too.
9. Do the right thing. Everybody may not like it, but its a good start.
10. Treat every citizen equally regardless of political patronage or affiliation.

What would you like the People’s Partnership to do?

How come we continue to believe in politicians and their promises, when so many fail to follow through and keep those promises?

Recently in Trinidad and Tobago we have had a change in Government. We are now being governed by a new group of people. But how new are these people? And how different are they from the people that were there before? Politicians are elected or nominated officials who are supposed to represent the interest of the people who put them in the positions they hold. Let us think about the term House of Representatives. This implies that it is filled with Representatives, that is, persons representing us. When did we get the notion that these people were better than us in any way? They are supposed to be one of us chosen by us to represent our interest. How many of us feel that our representative truly represents our interest.

Every time this representative speaks they are speaking for us. They are not speaking for the political party. This is solidified by the fact that if an elected member of the House of Representatives leaves his party he can still hold his seat in the House. Why? Because we put him there and it is based on that authority he is a Member of the House of Representatives. So then why do we allow these politicians to do to us whatever they want? Is the system of choosing persons to represent us truly representative of the people in our society? Or is it just a bunch of sawaties coming together to seek their own interest to the detriment of the rest of us? How can we get them to truly represent our interest?

During an election we are presented with a candidate chosen by the political party. How do we know that the person is truly the best representative for our constituency? What gives the political party the right to screen candidates behind closed doors? On what basis do they accept some candidates and reject others? Are there financial considerations when choosing candidates? When did party politics become more dominant that representing the people? Section 47 of the constitution of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago sets out the qualifications for election as a Member of the House of Representatives, it states that a person must be a citizen eighteen years or upwards residing in Trinidad and Tobago for a period of two years prior to his nomination for election. Where does is say that the candidate must be vetted confidentially by a political party?

It seems that I only have questions. The more I think about it, the more I question it. So I end right where I started: How come we continue to believe in politicians and their promises, when so many fail to follow through and keep those promises?

Are Men really Dogs?

Time and time again I have had conversations with women where we get together and bash men. Going through our experiences and agreeing with each other that men are horrible little creatures. However, I am really beginning to wonder if men are really dogs? Or is it that we as women allow men to treat us any which way they please? Honestly, can a man really do anything to us that we do not want him to do? How many times have we had dealings with a man who is no good, yet for some strange reason we ignore the signs and continue to allow this man deeper and deeper into our lives.

Recently I received a call from an individual that I have known for a number of years. We have always had a flirtatious thing going but nothing more than talk. We exchanged the new communication number of choice, blackberry pins. That should have been the first red flag. Anyways so a few weeks go by and we communicate via BBIM and everything is good. Minding my own business Mr. Man starts to tell me that he likes me and he wants to see me, telling me we could meet for breakfast or lunch. That was a first for me because those are both daytime activities and I was wondering why not dinner. Well a breakfast date for me is out of the question because I usually leave home at 8 to get to work for 8 if you catch my drift. By lunchtime I am usually swamped doing things so I usually don’t get to leave the office. We finally agreed that we would go out for drinks. After all of the talk he gave me he stood me up, which I have no problem with because I was home in comfort.

The thing that irritates me the most about this guy is that his excuse for not coming was that he was sleeping. The following day when I told him that I was not pleased he could not understand why I was upset. Apparently I was just supposed to be cool with being stood up. Subsequently, yes I continued speaking to him via BBIM no doubt, he told me he wanted to check me home. The concept of men “checking” me at home is a little pet peeve of mine for a number of reasons. Most often when men visit you at home they come empty handed. The woman then has to entertain the man by providing drinks and food. In other words it is a great way to freeload. Additionally, no one sees us together so it is a wonderful trick for womanizing men. Now nothing is wrong with staying in, but doing so in the beginning of the relationship is definitely not good because it sets a precedent.

Based on this scenario, are men really dogs? I honestly don’t think so. At this stage it is totally up to me whether or not I continue to interact with this man and what our level of interaction would be. If I continue to “date” him and then in a few months he is still up to these tricks I would have no one to blame but myself. In which case he wouldn’t be a dog, he would be a smart man and I would be a damn fool.

What do you think? Are men really dogs?