…Bridges
To most of us in the British Caribbean, Aug 1st is “Emancipation Day” – the day back in 1838 when the whites had to start paying Africans to work in their fields. And when they brought in indentured folks from across the globe to undercut the African wages!! But from this year onwards, it’s also gonna be remembered by us in Guyana that we got another type of freedom – freedom to cross our bridges FREE!! Right now it applies to the Berbice, Demerara and Wismar Bridges – but from the announcement it appears that this might be the policy on all new bridges also!!
Now, your Eyewitness hopes so, and he ain’t complaining – since he crosses over to Corentyne fairly frequently, and the tolls there cost a pretty penny!! If he uses his (old!) car it sets him back some $2,200, and worse yet, if he jumps into his pickup, that reduces his beer money by $4,000!! So he ain’t too happy about the constant complaints folks – especially from the Opposition benches – make about being unable to make ends meet in our dear ole Mudland!!
It seems to him that almost every day since late 2020, when the PPP got to finally take the reins of Government, they’ve been introducing all sorts of measures to get those ends closer to each other. So that at the very worst, a little tug would do the trick!! There’s been an increase in minimum wages; an increase in wages for Government workers and sugar workers; an increase in pensions; cash grants for all sorts of reasons, like school supplies, glasses, and eye tests; loans to start small and medium-sized businesses; grants to farmers for fertilisers and other inputs; lower mortgage rates; and so on and so forth, almost ad infinitum!!
Now, as our private sector officials tell us, they find it almost impossible to hire folks for even unskilled jobs – at rates waaaay above the poverty rates. Your Eyewitness can personally attest to this – since he’s been trying to get someone to fix some leaks in his roof for over a year!! He speaks to fellas (and felines) hanging out at street corners – but they inform him in no uncertain terms they don’t want “those kinda jobs”!! This “ends don’t meet” claim needs to be examined in concrete terms when made!!
Now this doesn’t mean that things can’t get better. But that’s only gonna happen if we cultivate a mindset that “we’re the captains of our fate and masters of our destiny!!
Don’t tell your Eyewitness no hard luck stories when Venezuelans are streaming in to grab the jobs we don’t want!! And because of that, they very well might soon outnumber not just those complaining about “ends nuh meeting” – but all of us!!
…bitching
Yesterday, your Eyewitness wrote about some folks blaming the Government for not taking on US President Trump on his unilateral increases on tariffs on his country’s imports. He looked at the matter from a “real politik” perspective by reminding you, Dear Readers, of the old rum shop wisdom on why “Lil Bottles” and “Big Bottles” are placed on different shelves – the latter being always higher!! Trump is a “Big Bottle”!!
But there came this accountant fella who took the Govt to (some heavy!!) task for Trump slapping our goods – along with T&T – with a 15 per cent tariff – when St Lucia, Suriname, and Haiti only attracted 10 per cent!! Why are we then playing footsies with Trump? He trumpeted!! You’d think an accountant would’ve looked at the figures!! St Lucia exports $7.5M to the US while importing $582M, while for Suriname exports are $87M versus imports of a whopping $454M! See the trend that holds for all the Caricom countries with 10 per cent?? They have no “trade imbalance” with the US!!
We have one – save it’s Exxon’s oil. The Govt talking!!
…the line
WIN leader says citizens should boycott the banks protecting their assets against US sanctions. His party should be boycotted for poking Uncle Sam’s eye by smuggling Venezuelan gold!!
