Barrington Skippy Thomas gives Kamla a Grade 'D'

A Vagrant Sleeps on a Bench in Trinidad

I visited Tobago recently and after kissing my 5 year old niece, I asked her what she came in test and she replied A+. being very confused I turned to her mother who explained to me that kids are no longer graded 1st, 2nd, 3rd etc. but are now graded A,B C etc. So I have to keep up with the times and grade sister Kamla. because I cant place her last.

I am a very unhappy person in Trinidad and Tobago. Maybe it is because I am a Marxist / Socialist. The subject of vagrancy had been a sore point from since Mary were calling the cattle home. And lest our memory got lost in a fog of uncaringness I seek to remind you briefly about some horrors of vagrancy that plagued us as a citizenry.

A lady going about her own business on Frederick Street was struck in the face by a street dweller quite unprovoked. The streets have become a facility for defecation and urination by street dwellers. The washroom facility at City gate have been converted literally into a private spa for street dwellers to use as they please. While I have no objection with a street dweller smashing the glass at the Parliament building on Wrightson Road, the horrors of street dwelling stared our nation's leaders directly in the face and this finally prompted some action.

Citizens of the Republic what existed before was a very convoluted process to treat with street dwellers. There was former Mayor of Port of Spain Louis Lee Sing whose attempts to remove street dwellers being met with outcries of human rights abuses. A unit at the Ministry of the People and Social Development named the Social Displacement Unit whose Executive Director Mrs Reyes Borrel receiving a salary of $30,000.00 a month for eight years and had not removed a single vagrant from the street. The police not seeing vagrancy as their problem unless some act of violence had been perpetrated. The Ministry of Health not wanting to act because they viewed the problem as one that belonged to the Ministry of Local Government. But when the "shit" hits the fan the Ministry of the People and Social Development had to own the problem.

So a stakeholder meeting chaired by me with all the parties involved was convened and the solution to the problem was the creation of an Inter Agency Unit. this Unit was launched at the Salvation Army Headquarters at Henry Street one Friday evening and a way forward bearing fruits was achieved. The Manager of the Unit was Mr Andrew Boodoo deputised by Senior Superintendent Sterling Hackshaw. Several removal exercise was employed (all voluntary removal) and over 120 persons was removed from the street. When removed the client was taken to Pastor Awong's Transform Life Ministries at Arouca, where Pastor Awong would scrub, clean and sometimes remove worms from the clients delivered to him. He would nurse them back to health. Some suffering from maladies including substance abuse, mental retardation, stress, Hiv / Aids, Tuberculosis to name a few. The officials at Transform Life Ministries would continue by getting birth papers, national id cards and initiate contact with the clients relatives. From there they would be transferred to the New Horizon facility at Piparo where they would participate in an intense programme teaching life skills, rehabilitation techniques music and skill enhancement.

It is quite unfortunate that when Sis Kamla assumed reigns of the Ministry the first thing she did was to fire the manager and his deputy. Then cried crocodile tears that it wasn't her and she knew nothing about it. Whether this is so or not I cannot tell because Kamla can be as charming as a dove and as dangerous as a serpent. But what I do know is that Mrs Reyes Borrell who has a relationship with the Permanent Secretary Simeon Yearwood that from all appearances is much more than a working relationship was always a thorn in the side of the IAU if only for the fact that it exposed her as uncaring or unprofessional and a dismal failure. So the unit is not functioning and on the brim of shutting down, And what have remained of it is further debilitated by the office slut Ms Sarah Rambaran who after having a lunch time beer is readily available for performing oral sex on any body that wants one. I must hasten to admit I had my fair share.

Therefore I am forced to ask, is sister Kamla and Simeon Yearwood hatred for me so much that they shut down a successful project to hurt my feelings. But I warn them with an old Tobago saying," bat turned its bottom in the air to shit on God and end up shitting on its own self." The following pictures were taken today. Please grade Sis Kamla.

I GRADE YOU D- SISTER KAMLA

By: Barrington Skippy Thomas.

Advisor to the Minister of the People and Social Development.

(Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar).

Gender Imbalance in Child Protection Task Force

The Child Protection Task Force appointed by the Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar in wake of the scourge of murders against children in Trinidad and Tobago continues to replicate the abominable sin of marginalizing a father's voice, worth, contribution and presence in treating with delicate family matters.  The composition of the Child Protection Task Force is grossly imbalanced when gender is considered, consisting of thirteen (13) females and only four (4) males. 

It represents if not a conscious an unconscious bias toward the role of fathers within the family structure. Clearly, no one could refute the eminent and vivid gender imbalance committed by the second highest office holder of the land, the Prime Minister. By all means, one needs to balance the appointment of these officers/committees not only by gender but by the relevant expertise to which they can bring to the table. However, if one argues that we as a society cannot find six (6) professional men of statue, exemplary in father hood and with the relevant expertise necessary to sit on this committee, then God help us all.  

PP Attempts to Boost their Changes at Local Government Elections With 'Proportional Representation'

Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley yesterday criticised Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s hurried decision to reform the Municipal Corporations Act 1990 be­fore the October 21 polls. 

He said, “Proportion­al representation is not to be sprung upon the population like a thief in the night, on the eve of an election, which the Government is guaranteed to lose.” 

Rowley said he also notes the action by the Peoples’ Partnership Go­vernment to announce this decision on their way to Parliament, without even the courtesy of informing the Opposition or allowing even cursory public discourse on this fundamental matter.

Racial Overtone by Kamla Last Night

During her presentation of Khadijah Ameen as the United National Congress’ candidate to contest the upcoming Chaguanas West by-election, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar trained her guns on the People’s National Movement’s (PNM) candidate Avinash Singh.

“The PNM has chosen one of your children from Felicity to fight against your party. He has made the wrong choice in standing as a soldier for the PNM. 

“I ask you tonight to show him his error and vote against him. Instead of standing to fight for what is right and what is best for Chaguanas West and Trinidad and Tobago he chose the side of oppression and neglect. He embraced those who subjected you and him as well to the worst form of abuse and discrimination. And that is why you have to fight against him, you have to show him the power of the righteous,” Persad-Bissessar said. 

Source: expresstrinidad

Oh how the mighty has fallen; Jack Warner Is In a Dark Corner

Jack Warner

Oh how the mighty has fallen. Jack Warner a controversial yet popular political figure, one described as a man possessed with tremendous political skills, is now precipitously perched on the edge of a political cliff staring at certain political death. But Warner is no stranger to this familiar ground, as he was once thought to be at this juncture in his infamous career. Somehow he turned his fate around,  rebounding emphatically in March 24th 2012 after being re-elected as Chairman in the UNC's  executive election where he received 12,656 votes - the highest number of votes cast in the election. However, this time he might not escape the onslaught as his demise seems inevitable, battling against a  gruesome political tide in a bid to survive this well orchestrated plan to oust him from the hierarchy and membership of the UNC. 

For non believers and infidels, Karma is real. I remember Warner speaking not too long ago, to the now politically voiceless Manning stating  that " Pride goeth before destruction, and an a haughty spirit before a fall ", never stopping to heed his own advise. Now, in almost similar fashion as Manning's mid-term demise, Jack has found himself dying a slow political death, which can only be resuscitated by his blind "eat ah fooders" within his former constituency. 

Warner the untouchable, trained his guns on every and anyone who seemingly opposed him. From ordering the Police to withhold crime statistics from the Media, to Religious leaders and even the President. No one escaped his tongue as Warner accused Rev Colin Sampson of turning Trinity Cathedral “into Balisier House”, and launched an attack on the President of the Republic, accusing him of using his office to bolster a PNM's agenda. Warner, a self proclaimed “incorruptible" seemed to have had a hold on the Peoples Partnership, insofar that he was almost answerable to no one. Many were of the opinion that Warner some how possessed critical files on the membership of the  hierarchy within the UNC; somehow proving to be indispensable while acting as the man in charge of all in the PP. 

Today those speculations can be laid to rest as the once powerful Warner is being challenged in unfamiliar manner by those he would have devoted his life, time, energy and high financial reach. The UNC to which he has embraced, has now turned their guns on him in a final bid to rid the Party of Kamla's greatest internal threat. It is for that reason a young Khadijah Ameen would be chosen over all else. Jack Warner has now been finally pushed into a dark corner where his political survival rest on those loyal to him ( the eat ah fooders within his former constituency) and a choice to contest the Chaguanas West seat as an Independent.

As the plot thickens,Warner is now between a rock and a hard place. A choice between certain political death or expulsion from the party he has fought hard and long to survive in, stares at him with piercing eyes. Jack Warner is now on a perilous part to an inglorious political end as he making a desperate survival move quietly going to the EBC as he plots and set in motion his plan B. He has now accused the UNC of pre-selecting Ameen and that the screening process was just a farce. It is known knowledge that Warner is Kamla's greatest internal threat and she has only now been able to have a perfect opportunity to rid her self of this this impending danger. It is for this reason among others that Jack Warner has found himself in a dark corner, dying slowly a political death at the hands of his own leader, and who can stop it?,  save the one that would have started it.   

I can see political angels flying through the air proclaiming their message "Hear ye!, ohh, hear ye!, Jack Warner is fallen, is fallen"! I have no doubt that these are the darkest hours yet for the mighty Jack Warner. His hands are bound and political vultures  are circling over head, preparing to feast on his dying political corpse. Remember the good old book says, "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap, for he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption"... 

Oh how the mighty has fallen.

Kamla agrees to talks with London

Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar (left) and
Chief Secretary Orville London (right)

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has agreed to meet chief secretary of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Orville London to discuss the process for the granting of internal self-governance to Tobago and other issues of national interest. London had written to the Prime Minister requesting an urgent meeting to discuss the issue and in her response she noted that many of the items outlined in his proposed agenda needed to be addressed immediately. She asked him to  contact her office to arrange a meeting at a mutually convenient date and time.

Besides  self-governance, the other items London wanted to discuss included:

• a review of the relationship between ministers of government and secretaries in the assembly

• funding for the housing programme in Tobago

• THA representation on relevant national boards and committees

• Quarterly “non-crisis” meetings between the Prime Minister and himself

• Central government collaboration in the revitalisation of the Tobago economy

London told Wednesday’s post-executive council media briefing it was heartening the Prime Minister responded to his letter specifically mentioning the granting of self- governance. He recalled that at their last meeting in February he had recommended a process that he thought would bring some kind of closure to the issue and allow them to finally have a bill that would bring resolution. “I am hoping that we would be able to further this particular issue and these discussions would take place sooner rather than later,” he said. The chief secretary is also hoping to meet with National Security Minister Emmanuel George at a Fire Service passing-out parade tomorrow to firm up arrangements for a meeting with National Security units and representatives of the assembly to discuss security issues affecting Tobago.

George has already said he is  willing to meet with London after discussions with acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams.

Source: TrinidadGuardian

Chief Secretary Meets Prime Minister

The first meeting between the newly installed Chief Secretary, Orville London and the Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar is to take place on Thursdays 21 February.  This meeting is to be held at the office of the Prime Minister located in St. Clair, Port of Spain, Trinidad. 

The Chief Secretary in one of his first request after retaining his office called on the Prime Minister for things to be done differently. As a result, the Chief Secretary's office have requested urgent meetings with the Prime Minister to discuss three issues pertinent to Tobago. These issues surrounds the process for the granting of internal self government to Tobago, a review of the relationship between Ministers of Government and Secretaries in the Tobago House of Assembly and funding for Housing programmes in Tobago.

The Prime Minister and Chief Secretary have not met in almost a year. Section 31 of the THA Act states that the Prime Minister and the Chief Secretary shall hold regular discussions with a view to formulating administrative and legislative mechanisms for the promotion of harmony in the affairs of Trinidad and Tobago.