Trin | Surviving life in Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad's financial endgame; are you enraged yet?

Manning in an address to the nation, warned that Government’s revenue would suffer a $6 billion shortfall for the year and that unemployment was likely to rise. “I would urge restraint at all levels since this is a period when we must all tighten our belts,” Manning said. Asked by reporters if he too was prepared to “tighten his belt”, the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Patrick Manning replied, “I do no live an extravagant lifestyle by any means. I do not drink alcohol. If I was to tighten my belt anymore what will happen to me.” - Guardian Nov 21, 2008

The ignorance of our Prime Minister enrages me. Extravagance, as defined by our erudite Prime Minister entails the consumption of alcohol, and solely the consumption of alcohol. Upon stern reflection, when asked by reporters, to ascertain if our Man-in-Charge would be leading by example, a self-righteous Manning said that he found nothing about his lifestyle to be extravagant and there was nothing he was willing to give up, as a matter of sacrificial symbolism, to show solidarity with his financially-strained citizens. I am so angry at his excessive arrogant self righteousness. He will continue to feed off of our sweat while we adjust our consumption accordingly. Absolutely unforgivably sickening.

Another sickening incident was that like Sleeping Beauty awakening after years of slumber the Prime Minister has finally clued in to the vicious financial crisis that has been engulfing North America and the rest of the world since 2007. Considering the barrage of advice being thrown at his cabinet since last year warning him that he needs to cut Government spending, ask yourself, is his  response too little too late? Our recent National Budget was based on crude at $70 per barrel. Today it is trading at $51 per barrel.

Why has the price of oil fallen? The price of crude has fallen in response to the global recession. Oil is expected to trade at $45 per barrel in the near short-term. "The declining demand due to recession in Eurozone, the US and Japan may pull down crude from 45 dollar per barrel  level; the US witnessed seven per cent decline in oil consumption on week on week basis."-NDTV Profit

Trinidad is not immune to the global recession as the Prime Minister and his Finance Minister imagined. All either had to do was pick up a financial newspaper anytime since early 2007 when the mortgage crisis ballooned, to have an inkling of what the economy might be like in 2008. But no; in Trinidad ignorance and self righteousness prevail in leadership while intelligence and good judgment are told to fuck off.

In September Minister in the Ministry of Finance, Mariano Browne, announced that Trinidad and Tobago's financial sector was safe as it had little exposure to the global financial system.

Since December 2007 Central Bank Governor Ewart Williams has warned that the Government must cut public spending. He said "Trinidad & Tobago must cut public spending and invest more in agriculture to lower food prices and stem rising inflation"  - Associated Press report on Dec. 23, 2007.

Annual inflation jumped from 7.3% in October 2007 to 8.1% in November 2007 and one year later inflation is 15.4% in November 2008. What's your inflation forecast for November 2009? (I ask this as visions of Zimbabwe dance in my head).

Did the Prime Minister wait too long to make cutbacks? What measures are in place to help our citizens deal with the impending financial fallout? Given the wealth of expertise and advice given to the Prime Minister over the last year regarding our economic future, it is an outrage that he waited this long to take action. Our time, our stress and our livelihoods are of no importance to the Prime Minister.I am seething with proletarian despair. Until next week, Trin.

Patrick Manning has a media meltdown and storms a Trinidad radio station!

Well boy. Patrick Manning's behaviour is just getting crazier and crazier by the week. What de mudder the man really think people will say when he decide to storm the radio station of 94.1FM on October 25th ? Manning say , “If the spirit moves me,” he will visit media houses to complain if he disapproves of the content they produce. Maybe the spirit should tell him to stop talkin and actin so friggin crazy. Well now everybody have an opinion about this storming business. I'll give ya the wrap.

Well first things first, really almost everybody agree that it was wrong and came across as intimidation on the part of the Prime Minister. Manning say it have no pro-government agenda media. I guess he ain't get the message yet that people up to they arse with stress from crime, food, inflation and the public doh really like him too much anymore. Media houses, how dare you complain about crime and wasteful spending on the part of the PNM! Why are you trying to make the PNM look bad?!

Energy Minister Conrad Enill (apparently singing for his supper?) gone and declare to all how "nowhere in the world is news reporting as bad as here in T&T.” I guess Mr. Enill didn't realize that when he makes such a dumbass biased statement all by he-self, losing all his integrity as an impartial and intelligent man, the media ain't have to even try to make up something bad to say about he! They just have to keep his comments on repeat in the public eye and we will all realize what a jackass we have for an Energy Minister.

Louis Lee Sing say how  “I commend him (Manning) for finally bringing his concerns to our attention, in a manner that must force all of us to stop and think—that is, if you can think—about your roles as media practitioners in a plural society.” and how “This single action by the prime minister has been, in my view, most fortuitous as it has brought centre stage the burning issues of professionalism within the media.”  - Trinidad Guardian Nov 12th, 2008

Lee Sing is a man who know a ting or two about burning issues of professionalism - his own radio station I95 FM employs one of the most unprofessional broadcasters in the history of Trini media. George "Umbala" Joseph instigated what eventually turned out to be a landmark libel case started because of comments Umbala made during his talk show on Lee Sing's i95 FM radio station. 

"Radio talk show host George “Umbala” Joseph sued Partap and Newsday for libel arising out of Partap’s letter to the Editor, published on December 11, 2004 in response to Joseph who had described UNC’s parliamentarians on his I95 FM Radio programme as “malicious”.

It was a landmark judgment in the High Court regarding the right of an individual to respond to a public attack and the responsibility of a newspaper to make available to the public the reply to such attack. High Court Justice Peter Jamadar, presiding in the San Fernando High
Court, threw out Joseph's libel claim and said Joseph criticized the UNC "in the most disrespectful and demeaning manner when he mocked the UNC in tone, attitude and content, by repeatedly referring to the UNC as “United Nasty Canesuckers.”

Justice Jamadar said that he found Joseph to have been “deliberately evasive and unhelpful if not untruthful” when questioned about the  comments. The judge ordered the Umbala Joseph to pay Partap and Newsday’s legal costs in the matter. George‘Umbala’ Joseph was ordered to pay $70,000 in costs.
- Newsday April 3rd, 2007

Lee Sing also make it clear that he doh agree with what Enill say. Apparently Lee Sing don't want to look like he is a dumbass too. I really cannot understand how Lee Sing can run a station that employs a talk show host as unprofessional and biased as George Umbala Joseph, yet be complaining about lack of media professionalism in a plural society. I guess the man really mean do as I say, not as I do?

Ken Gordon say it was clearly intimidation on the part of the Prime Minister and that Manning was wrong. He even went as far as to say "to go to the extent of suspending people on the basis of what was clearly a misguided and unqualified attempt to intimidate them was wrong.” He also said “an even greater crime” than the visit of the PM to the station was “ the fact that they have allowed so many stations to go unbridled without any attempt to pull them in when the behaved excessively.” Broadcasters have to conform to professional standards else face the penalty. In Trinidad we know how impossible it is to follow though on penalizing misconduct!

94.1 - The Station - suspend the two broadcasters - well I dunno what would have happened to that station manager if he didn't do something to appease the Prime Minister.

The Media Association of Trinidad and Tobago condemned the actions of Prime Minister Manning. In response to MATT's statement Lee Sing say  "I am aghast that the Media Association has seen this purely as an opportunity to fight in the media with the prime minister!" Seriously, yuh getting closer and closer to doing the Enill with that statement eh Lee Sing.

The Trinidad and Tobago Publishers and Broadcasters Association (TTPBA) say it is unacceptable for an organization or person “who is of the view that he has been wronged” to “enter the premises of a broadcaster to have the incorrect information corrected.” “In a democracy, to have a prime minister do so is unacceptable as it can be interpreted as an abuse of power and a threat to freedom of the press, because such action may be perceived as intimidatory,”  - Trinidad Guardian  Nov 8th 2008

The Telecommunications Authority of T&T (TATT) say how if Manning lodges a complaint with them, they could not do anything because of the absence of a broadcast code. What?! What yuh mean we doh have a broadcast code? Say what?! Isn't that the same thing like running a country without havin any laws to follow as guidelines? Oh stupid me, is so the country really being run yes - running just like the media - without any standards.

(Gordon, Lee Sing and Manning pics are copyright the Trinidad Guardian. Enill's pic is copyright the NGC. Umbala Joseph's pic is copyright the TrinidadandTobago news blog).