Penny: Tell government you have had enough

PNM political leader Pennelope Beckles, centre, greets supporters at the Duranta Community Centre, Sangre Grande on January 7. - Photos by Angelo Marcelle

OPPOSITION LEADER Pennelope Beckles urged listeners to complain directly to the government about an alleged loss of services in their daily lives since the UNC took office last April.

She was speaking at a PNM public meeting at Sangre Grande on December 7.

Also at the head table were Diego Martin North East MP Colm Imbert, Lopinot/Bon Air MP Marvin Gonzales, Diego Martin West MP Hans des Vignes, former Toco/Sangre Grande MP Roger Monroe and Senator Sanjiv Boodhu, while Malabar/Mausica MP Dominic Romain and St Ann's East MP Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly were in the audience. Beckles alleged a worsening of the water-supply, job opportunities and youth training under the new government.

"Many of the parts of Arima – for Christmas, no water!" Beckles slammed.

"Many parts of Malabar, D'Abadie/O'Meara! Dominic Romain is here, calling up his phone. No water! For days!"

"St Ann's East, no water!

"After all the hundreds of millions of dollars that we spent. Wicked! Wicked and oppressive!"

Beckles said when Gonzales was public utilities minister, people were inundating him with phone-calls after just one day without water.

""You all need to make it clear to this government when you do not have water.

"You still calling Colm in Maraval. And you calling Marvin. Call them (UNC government)!"

Beckles said in the general election campaign the UNC had danced and carried on and persuaded many people to support them.

A PNM supporter waves a flag at the party's Sangre Grande meeting, on January 7. -

"They convinced a lot of young people they would do all manner of things for you, but now you cannot see them. They won't even answer their phone.

"They promised them ham, lamb and jam."

Beckles alleged youngsters had fared poorly under the government.

"They closed down CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps). They closed down the YAHP (Youth Agricultural Homestead Programme) programme.

"MILAT (Military-led Academic Training Programme, MYPART (Military-led Youth Programme of Apprenticeship and Reorientation Training.)

She said under the government thousands of people had lost their jobs at Cepep, URP and the Reforestation Programme in Sangre Grande, an area she deemed the bread basket of TT. "Could you imagine it come down to this, after you vote for them, and they close down all these projects to help young people?"

Mulling all the young people who had been dancing up with the UNC in the campaign, Beckles lamented, "Nothing for them (now)."

She said while grass in public spaces was now growing taller than her, allegations were being made of ghost gangs in the Cepep and URP.

"Very quietly more people start to work. But how they get that work?

"They never intended to give you no work. They wanted your vote. Be careful!

"You must put a value on yourself."

Saying the UNC at one stage had distributed a lot of household appliances in the La Horquetta area, she told listeners to accept any such items but to vote PNM.

Alleging the local councillor for a UNC-held ward within her Arima constituency would neglect people he viewed as PNM, she said it was time for the PNM to win back the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation.

Beckles stormed, "It is time to tell this government in a loud and clear tone, you have had enough!"

She alleged the government had previously said they loved culture but were giving allegedly nothing for steel band.

Beckles complained the government had banned fetes from the Brian Lara Stadium – on the grounds of noise complaints – without holding consultations and were wicked.

She alleged the government had dissociated itself from anyone involved in a PNM-led project, the latter which she alleged the government had typically rejected.

Beckles blamed the closure of many small businesses on the government's closure of Cepep and URP whose workers had typically bought items like doubles and bake and saltish. "When you send home 30,000 of them, you understand why communities cannot function."