Dear Editor,
The budget debate is the worst ever. It is totally unacceptable to have only a few parliamentarians taking part in a discussion that entails the running of the island. Listening to the debate, one would think that the meeting involved just MP Leona Marlin-Romeo, MP Cornelius de Weever, the Chairlady and individual ministers.
Forget about MP Tamara Leonard, who declared that she will not support the budget prior to it coming to Parliament. So, whatever she said during the meeting is null and void. As a matter of fact, she was absent in the initial stage of the debate, and so her comments add no value to something she has already condemned before acquiring the adequate clarification to her inquiries.
Can one imagine that for the past two consecutive days, Chairlady Sarah Wescot-Williams is the only MP who supports the government, asked questions regarding the budget? Then what purpose do they serve by being there? This is a complete waste of taxpayers’ money. Whoever is the designer of this strategy needs to rethink this tactic, because it does not sit well with the public. And so, I will repeat myself, this parliament is worse than the previous!
Continuing, it is unacceptable that the Minister of Transportation would settle for the notion of bending the traffic rules just to reward irresponsible drivers. This is not a wise move at all. It is for this reason that crime continues to rise, because the rules always have to be broken just to please a few.
How is it that some of us can abide by the rules and not others? And, why is it that just 30 minutes away, in the Virgin Islands, motorists can adhere to the traffic ordinances by giving preference to bus drivers, when children embark and disembark from school buses? I will echo the sentiment of Commander Antonio Rogers, who stated that all crimes must become a priority. When will government take the lead and do the right thing?
It would be more suitable if the Minister of Education was present to handle the questions and answers that relate to her portfolio. In the dialogue, it became known that it is not a priority for the minister to start curbing the influx of students, who burden the school system. Yet, the minister’s substitute indicated, that bus owners would be paid per student and that four classrooms are expected to be erected later this year. I was hoping that MP’s would question, why is it necessary to construct the extra classrooms? Does this relate to the continual flood of students?
I also thought they would have requested a hard copy to view the sequence of this non-stop incursion, to measure the impact, but particularly over the last three years. The question is: Which Minister of Education has the fortitude to tackle this issue, which will then force the Minister of Justice to do his job. Teachers are fed-up of the constant disruption and the minister is well aware.
Are we to accept that it is okay for casinos to get a break on taxes, while the small man is hunted down and threatened all the time? Why is it that big businesses are allowed tax write-offs, while the small man is forced to even borrow money from the bank to pay arrears dated back to 20 years? This unfair practice of government is what’s causing a lot of friction within the community. I expected that the MP’s would have challenged the Minister of Finance to explain the difference between writing off taxes for businesses and that of individuals.
It is imperative that MP’s take some time to revisit the law on the restriction of locals visiting the casinos and get relevant feedback from the minister in charge. Here is where a lot of locals are losing their pay checks, which eventually causes a lot of conflict within the family and a burden to the social system of government.
Do we see why nothing much can get done in Parliament? Parliamentarians are too busy dictating to their ministers. The photo of MP Silvio Master on the front page of The Daily Herald on Wednesday, speaks for itself. Mind you, this is an MP who has a speech impediment ever since he announced his so-called departure from the UP Party, but found his tongue to converse with “his minister” during her presentation. Surely, I will come back at this another time.
In conclusion, the format that was used to conduct the budget debate was not as effective as it should be. It would have been more organized and easier to follow, if parliamentarians had requested that their questions be posed to the individual ministers to give them a better opportunity to exhaust the necessary inquiries as need be.
Joslyn Morton
Dear Editor,
In order for law enforcement to stay on top of the game that criminals play it is imperative that they start to focus more on the way that law breakers think. More and more, and without any regard for the law, criminals are testing the deficiency of the Justice System. In view of the amount of daring robberies that are consistently taking place, and within such close proximity of the police station, it reveals that the entire police force is under surveillance by criminal minds. Wherever they detect a loophole, they use it as an avenue to strike their potential targets.
This inadequacy continues to be the playing field for criminals and there is no doubt how much they intend to take full advantage of the exposed situation. That is why I deeply appreciated the lecture that was recently given by Commander of the VKS Antonio Rogers. As stated in a preceding article, I wholeheartedly agree with this officer of the law who is advocating that all crimes must be treated as a priority, and that law enforcement must get closer to the community.
This brings me to the real issue at hand, the recent robbery at Bank of Nova Scotia. It is appalling how bold law offenders have become. They premeditate everything - like an entrepreneur, who tries to stay ahead of the competitor. Take a look at how this robber managed to combine timing with the activity that was taking place on the outside to pull off a so-called successful burglary. He anticipated the behaviour of the public (everyone was focused on the activity) and then used this vulnerable aspect of our security to commit the crime.
When I ponder on this scenario, it is my feeling that there is a lot more to the story than what was told. And, as I have indicated, law enforcement must take on the thinking of criminals because with all the initiative taken to curb the escalation of crime, is it normal that a robber would enter this kind of establishment without concealing his identity?
What would be the benefit of undergoing such an enormous risk? And why would the photo of the assailant be so blurry, when cameras are everywhere? Two things come to mind: there is either a lot more to the story than what was brought forward to the public or, this incident was deliberately orchestrated to throw law enforcement off track. Plain and simple: it is my assumption that the robber’s face is not his natural face. I strongly believe that he wore a mask that is identical to his skin colour and then discarded it after he came out of the bank.
Law enforcement must come to the realization that they are up against a force that is determined to break every rule in society. As such, they must acknowledge that the antiquated way of pursuing crime is long gone. Therefore, law enforcement must be on high alert whenever there are similar activities taking place in the vicinity of financial institutions. They also have to use modern technology to assist them to fight crime effectively. Furthermore, as indicated by one of their own, the Justice Ministry must handle all crimes as a priority and ensure that the community becomes its closest ally.
Joslyn Morton
Dear Editor,
There are some things that I react to right away and other things of which I weigh others opinion first. I believe that this one deserves right-away reaction, because, when there is a gas leak, one does not wait until they find who caused it, but the first priority is to make sure that that leak is fixed in a safe way.
When a politician goes to the people laying out his plans for the country and the people are convinced and elect him to office, the next thing that is expected of that politician is to be responsible and stick to his word. When a businessman is granted a permit to operate a business, it is expected of that permit holder to be responsible and comply with the conditions of that permit and the ordinances governing the contents of that permit.
We all know the demands that are put on us on all fronts. Good governance and integrity are among those demands. In the past, we have heard stories concerning which hotels and casinos do not pay taxes, and also which, for years now, have not contributed to SVB’s coffers.
We also know that there is a long time but still effective bail-out-government story which several ex-ministers know about. Where am I going with this? Let me first ask: Do two wrongs make a right? The health department has been carrying out controls these last weeks and several public eating places were closed to right the wrongs uncovered in those eating places during those controls. There were even jokes made of a certain eating place which once was a target of VROMI.
And then, all of a sudden, we read that the health inspection team's operation stopped because of the misconduct of the inspectors during the control at Point Restaurant at Sonesta Maho. The health inspection team found pest infestation and a sewage pit in the middle of the kitchen emitting a foul odour, and because of the zero tolerance policy handled just as they did at other restaurants.
We also read that the restaurant's operation resumed and dinner was served on Friday evening. No mention was made whether these wrongs were righted, whether the emitting of foul odour was stopped, or what was done about the pest infestation. Dr. Best did not expect those repairs to be ready by Monday.
When I go on control and discover infringements, does my conduct take away from the fact that there are infringements? I did not read anywhere where the ministry of health was involved and did not see the urgency that both the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance had to go so far as to override the professional Dr. Best, as it were slapping him in the face for daring to close down a place of business at Sonesta Maho. What picture is being painted here?
As I said before, there have been founded stories. If because of history, one would put two and two together and start speculating, because of where this happened, would that be far- fetched? When we refer to one of the reasons given by that same Prime Minister for the exorbitant salaries given to members of government, if that was considered that urgent, should it not be so that the rectifying of those infringements should have priority above the conduct of the inspectors.
Are we not aware that the accused is allowed to lie? Who should be given the benefit of the doubt? Dr. Best and his team or the accused. Am I to believe that the health of a community, including mine, and also those who eat at that restaurant does not mean anything to Ministers Marlin and Gibson?
Is the world not in a Zika craze? Is what I consider irresponsible behaviour on the part of government any different to the behaviour of Dr. Best's team? I believe that the health of the people should have priority. I am sure that Dr. Best will do what is best. This is an election year and the politicians should remember that because of technology nowadays everything is recorded and played back, even on big screens. Are these the same people who will come to the people in a few months?
It seems as if overriding the decision of the inspection team has priority over the safety of the people. Is this putting the people first? Would those who did this eat at that place of business after showing the management, you can do as you wish? Not me! I did not stop the operation of the so vital for our industry inspection team and caused it to be reported. But all of us could be harmed if health inspectors are not allowed to do their work, because of who they control. Do two wrongs make a right? Who is above the law?
Russell A. Simmons
Dear Editor,
First of all, “scientists agree that mutations cannot transform an original species of plant or animal into an entirely new one.” Nowadays genetic screening is a common practice. Laws now passed where people can walk into Fertility Laboratory Clinics and choose their future child.
The future embryo is scanned with a computer to see which one will be selected by the future parents to be implanted in the mother’s womb or develop outside the womb. In this master piece of genetic engineering, high technological computers are going through thousands of genes with DNA to be available for future parents. During this process many embryos are destroyed.
Do you remember “Dolly” the sheep? Dolly was created in 1979, and was the first cloned sheep. She died in 2015. Her pair is still living today. Then Alice was developed outside the womb in a test tube. However, embryos can be scanned onto a computer to let parents see what their future child will look like. Is not this amazing for parents today?
On the other side society can end up with designer children. There may be more Hitler, Robotic cops, and more disability children. We may also end up breeding human with weird contraptions such as people with wings or a man with an animal head. On the good side doctors will be able to see if a foetus has a disorder and can help the child born with an excellent immune defensive system, free from AIDS, cancer, diabetes and prostate diseases.
Charles Darwin, in his book The Origin of Species... said I view all beings not as special creations, but as lineal descendants of some few beings. Nonsense! Do you believe that all creatures gradually evolved from a common ancestor? Now let us read what God said in Genesis 1: 11, 12, 26, and 27. Genesis 1: In the beginning God created the heaven and earth, a direct statement from God. God stressed in 11 and 12 that the earth will bring forth fruit trees yielding fruits after his hands whose seed is in itself, and no other species.
In 26 and 27, God created man in his own image, not by mutations or cloning. God did not create people as gadgets or some marketing tools. Genetic engineering is big business and gears to huge profits. Imagine saying to a molecular biologist that you need a child with weird contraptions, what kind of society are we going to have? Nowadays fruits are produced without seeds, read Genesis 11 and 12 again about these seedless fruits.
Many of these fruits are beautiful on the outside and rot in the inside, avocados and mangoes are typical examples of genetically cloned foods. Most of these are not naturally produced they are cloned or mutated species, not real. We heard of genetically modified foods, medicines and crops – remember these cannot be transformed entirely into the original. They are not the same as the original or naturally produced.
Joseph Harvey
Dear Editor,
In the past weeks, we were informed of the many inspections carried out by the health inspectorate supported by the uniformed services. And from a public health point of view, our society should feel a might safer and our visitors reassured. The old folk always say that because what you eat can’t be washed, it ought to be clean and free of dangerous bacteria before it is served.
We have read that people were pleased that this action was being carried out in the protection of the entire society and from the silence of the politicians; it was thought they too were pleased. Strangely enough, we recently got a reaction from our council of ministers which said that the inspectorate was ordered to cease all inspections and controls because of a complaint made by the management of Maho Beach Hotel of a supposedly embarrassing situation, where an arrestee or a detained individual was shackled in front of their guests.
Now we can’t be truly in favour of any type of undue use of force or embarrassment in our private sector. But when we as government choose to interfere, we should make the real reasons known. We must also adhere to the principle of equal treatment under the law. All of the places inspected felt the same degree of helplessness, but nobody intervened on their behalf.
And as is well known that this company not only employs mostly foreigners, they are also one of the premier campaign financiers and in an election year the meddling of government can hardly be seen as a corrective measure.
With the increase of crime in this country, it has become customary for the uniformed services, when placing someone under arrest or detaining anyone, to put on the cuffs for their safety and that of others. And oddly enough, there has never been any interference from government before, even when citizens complained of abuse of power.
Information reaching us said that at this resort, where almost all employees are either Dominican Haitian or Jamaican, there has never been a formal complain before when one of these people is detained and carted away. But woe be onto the uniformed services, when they dare arrest a Caucasian chef and his wife, who are residing and working illegally on the island. Not to mention in a country where we are presenting a lean-and-mean budget, asking the community to tighten their belts, we refuse to apply the law for the employment of illegals. (Some NA f.10.000 per person)
As can be seen from our policy or lack thereof like Caribbean flights that are targeted as high risk only Caribbean people of African descent are counted as foreigners. Just look around you all over Front Street and Back Street there are French nationals blocking traffic peddling shady time-share deals … no intervention. In our yachting industry many so- called boat people work at the abovementioned company and are declared as guests when our underpaid and overworked men and women of the uniformed services do their duty.
What we are witnessing today is not a new or unexpected phenomenon, but it’s always more obvious in election years. A good friend of mine, immediate past Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson and I have often discussed the difficulty of being professionals functioning on my island with the continued meddling of the political landscape. Civil servants have in the past been disciplined and even released for doing their jobs too well to the chagrin of our politicians. Some at the Receiver’s Office were read the riot act and without reservations instructed who not to target.
The many governments we elected continue to value the contribution of the private sector to their campaign over the general interest of people and country. I was brought up around fishermen and it would be nice if government can sometime in the future explain the mesh of the net they use that permit the big fish to swim through and only snare the small fish. It’s truly peculiar.
Elton Jones
