Mabel remembers well when the condition of most roads in Georgetown was in such a state of disrepair with potholes being described as craters and interspersing the entire surfaces. It became a genuine complaint of the owners of minibuses to cry out for increases in the fare they are charging the commuting public, with some justification.

The conditions of the roads were transformed into highly satisfactory surfaces soon after 1992 and there had been absolute silence by the minibus owners about the costs of replacing broken parts on their vehicles. But what has accentuated in wanton disregard for the safety of the public by insistent speeding. Mabel has often wondered whether the fact that speeding results in faster need for gasoline do not matter to these operators and also whether there is in place a satisfactory means of collecting income tax from them.

Where are all the billions of dollars coming from to pay for the extensive measures which the government has been implementing to ease the harshness of rising costs of living as a result of the world phenomenon of higher prices for oil and the consequent higher prices for basic food items. Yet there are mindless calls for government to reduce critical sources of garnering taxes.

In the final analysis, the question must be asked: who or where is the money to come from to pay civil servants, security personnel, nurses, teachers and all the other public services that must be provided and which is expected by all citizens in the population

The PNCR-led proletarian demonstrators cannot understand the responsibility of governing a country and whose leaders should know better, are mindless in their determination to create an unstable environment. This is an indictment that the PNCR will never be able to surmount.

Barefaced lying about the $100M that was paid to the PNCR to cover monies earned by that party’s national registration scrutineers has only strengthened the unreliability of the struggling opposition party to honour commitments and uphold the interests of the workers.

Mabel had hinted about the sale of Buddy’s hotel complex and it is with some satisfaction that the new owners are of a very prestigious group of Turkish origin. Mabel is very impressed with the stated plans for improving the facilities of the hotel, as well as the potential for further investment in other areas of development.

Peaceful demonstrations are in order. Lewd and vulgar displays are quite another thing and varying the prescribed route is breaching the law, so Mabel wants to extend a timely warning that the appropriate officials must insist on orderliness and ensure that law and order prevail to avoid any escalation into violence.

The long-standing supporter of the PNCR, and whose chairmanship of the public servants arbitral wages award of an unprecedented increase of over thirty percent has certainly left the impression that that the kind of outlandish increase in salaries will again find favour of the administration. It was plainly a terrible mistake to have accepted that personality to chair the tribunal.