‘LIFE is hard. And it isn’t fair. And it really hurts like hell sometimes. But if you focus on what is within your power to change for the better, you can. And you will’ – Zero Dean
By Neela Ramsundar
THE scale has tipped and the balance is lost. There are too many injustices being perpetrated on this nation that for the life of me, I don’t understand why as a nation we are not stamping our feet and saying enough is enough.
Our hospitals are in a terrible crisis. They are staved of funds. A credible source revealed to me that not even Panadol is available to patients in need of care (for non-Covid related illnesses and injuries) at a public hospital in south Trinidad. Panadol had to be purchased privately by the patient’s relatives and brought to the public hospital. Yet a few days ago, the Port-of-Spain City Corporation announced it was going to splurge $150,000 to decorate and light Woodford Square for five days of Christmas events. Seriously?! Donate that money to the public hospital system, will you! Where are your priorities!
That same day, we have our Honourable Minister of Energy making a statement in connection with the proposed Trinidad and Tobago Revenue Authority (TTRA) that “no civic-minded, right thinking and law-abiding citizen can rightly oppose the TTRA” because “the government needs money.” Um, isn’t this the same uber-rich minister whose leaked records showed he benefitted from hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayers’ money for imported luxury motor vehicles? Other public servants have caps on how much of our money they can benefit from vehicle purchases, but these ministers shouted a resounding “no!” when the public suggested they should have a cap too. Hypocrisy at its worst.
And can someone call out the government on these ridiculous fines that they are imposing! For example, right now, the Ministry of Works and Transport has an accelerated PR campaign warning that the new motor vehicle tint laws come into effect from January 1, 2022. That $5,000 fine for an illegal tint is against a backdrop where the minimum wage in this country is $17.50 per hour (about the price of a loaf of sliced bread). A minimum-wage worker working regular 40-hour work weeks would need to work 285 hours to pay that fine. That’s just under two months with no money for bills, gas, taking care of the kids, rent, groceries, nothing, just to save enough to pay that fine. What the heck! These fines should reflect the fact that this is a mere traffic offence. A single fine such as this should not cripple you financially to the point you may never recover or have to go to jail because you cannot pay. These fines should be $500 not $5,000 Madness!
‘There is no power in the world that can stop the forward march of free men and women when they are joined in the solidarity of human brotherhood’ – Walter Reuther.
Those are just three matters that seem so unfair, but I’m sure this is a discussion that can go on and on … Remember those infamous words uttered by an ultra-wealthy politician: “They haven’t riot yet!” Are we going to simply sit in our soon to be heavily-taxed homes (which supposedly generates some kind of invisible income of which the government must get a cool percentage every year), and do nothing?
Disclaimer:The contents of this article are for general informational purposes only and/or contain the opinions and/or thoughts of the writer only. It does not provide legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship with any reader. For legal advice on your specific situation, please contact an attorney of your choosing directly. Liability for any loss or damage of any kind whatsoever allegedly incurred as a consequence of relying on content in this article is thus hereby excluded to the fullest extent permitted by law.
Three Issues that Make Me Vex
‘LIFE is hard. And it isn’t fair. And it really hurts like hell sometimes. But if you focus on what is within your power to change for the better, you can. And you will’ – Zero Dean
By Neela Ramsundar
THE scale has tipped and the balance is lost. There are too many injustices being perpetrated on this nation that for the life of me, I don’t understand why as a nation we are not stamping our feet and saying enough is enough.
Our hospitals are in a terrible crisis. They are staved of funds. A credible source revealed to me that not even Panadol is available to patients in need of care (for non-Covid related illnesses and injuries) at a public hospital in south Trinidad. Panadol had to be purchased privately by the patient’s relatives and brought to the public hospital. Yet a few days ago, the Port-of-Spain City Corporation announced it was going to splurge $150,000 to decorate and light Woodford Square for five days of Christmas events. Seriously?! Donate that money to the public hospital system, will you! Where are your priorities!
That same day, we have our Honourable Minister of Energy making a statement in connection with the proposed Trinidad and Tobago Revenue Authority (TTRA) that “no civic-minded, right thinking and law-abiding citizen can rightly oppose the TTRA” because “the government needs money.” Um, isn’t this the same uber-rich minister whose leaked records showed he benefitted from hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayers’ money for imported luxury motor vehicles? Other public servants have caps on how much of our money they can benefit from vehicle purchases, but these ministers shouted a resounding “no!” when the public suggested they should have a cap too. Hypocrisy at its worst.
And can someone call out the government on these ridiculous fines that they are imposing! For example, right now, the Ministry of Works and Transport has an accelerated PR campaign warning that the new motor vehicle tint laws come into effect from January 1, 2022. That $5,000 fine for an illegal tint is against a backdrop where the minimum wage in this country is $17.50 per hour (about the price of a loaf of sliced bread). A minimum-wage worker working regular 40-hour work weeks would need to work 285 hours to pay that fine. That’s just under two months with no money for bills, gas, taking care of the kids, rent, groceries, nothing, just to save enough to pay that fine. What the heck! These fines should reflect the fact that this is a mere traffic offence. A single fine such as this should not cripple you financially to the point you may never recover or have to go to jail because you cannot pay. These fines should be $500 not $5,000 Madness!
‘There is no power in the world that can stop the forward march of free men and women when they are joined in the solidarity of human brotherhood’ – Walter Reuther.
Those are just three matters that seem so unfair, but I’m sure this is a discussion that can go on and on … Remember those infamous words uttered by an ultra-wealthy politician: “They haven’t riot yet!” Are we going to simply sit in our soon to be heavily-taxed homes (which supposedly generates some kind of invisible income of which the government must get a cool percentage every year), and do nothing?
Let your voices be heard!
Be safe Trinidad and Tobago.
Copyright © 2021 Neela Ramsundar, LL.B (HONS), LEC is a Civil Litigation Attorney at Law & Certified Mediator.
Disclaimer: The contents of this article are for general informational purposes only and/or contain the opinions and/or thoughts of the writer only. It does not provide legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship with any reader. For legal advice on your specific situation, please contact an attorney of your choosing directly. Liability for any loss or damage of any kind whatsoever allegedly incurred as a consequence of relying on content in this article is thus hereby excluded to the fullest extent permitted by law.