Month: July 2020

My March 7th, 2019 letter to P.M. Rowley

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This is one of the letters which I have written to
Prime Minister Rowley over the past 5 years.

Dear Dr. Rowley

Congratulations on your 42nd month as Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

For 10 years I worked alongside the late Dr. Pat Bishop as she arranged music for Despers and I held the position of Corporate Communications Manager at WITCO.  One memory I have is of her lamenting the absence of a Carnival Museum dedicated to telling our stories of Carnival.  She even mused that the Treasury Building on Independence Square would be a suitable space because of its thick walls, high ceilings and proximity to the Port.

This is brought to your attention in the hope that you will decide to use the Treasury Building to house our nation’s Carnival Museum.  Such a decision will require relatively small injection of capital and will bring an immediate solution to a historical problem.

I also recall spending a lazy afternoon into evening visiting the Panama Canal and understanding the tremendous income generator that it is for Panama City.  May I suggest that Carnival is to Trinidad and Tobago what the Panama Canal is to Panama.  A Carnival Museum in close proximity to the port of Port of Spain will be an income generator for the passengers on the Cruise ships as well as a place where our children can learn of our past Carnivals and be inspired to dream of a future filled with possibilities.

Yours in the interest of development,

Dennise Demming (Mrs.)
MBA, BSc., Cert-Mass Communications
Citizen

My January 7th 2019 letter to P.M. Rowley

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This is one of the letters which I have written to
Prime Minister Rowley over the past 5 years.

Dear Dr. Rowley

Congratulations on your 40th month as Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. 

Here are 12 suggestions for your government for 2018 and I am simply repeating them for 2019 in the hope that you will give this list the positive action it deserves:

  1. Rationalize our public holidays in order to positively impact productivity.
  2. Publicize the performance appraisal system for the public service so that citizens know how public servants are judged with regard to performance delivery.
  3. Appoint a Minister of Communication to ensure that your government’s performance is positively highlighted and brought to the attention of the citizenry.
  4. Have the Regional Corporations develop and implement a 6 month plan for creating “walkable cities” in their Boroughs starting simultaneously in April 2019.
  5. Appoint a “Social Innovation Think Tank” to report within 9 months on key social innovations projects which can be implemented across the country.
  6. Ensure electronic transactions become the norm at Government and State institutions.
  7. Begin the obesity reduction programme with our protective services especially those in leadership.
  8. Place a moratorium on the approval of new franchises.
  9. Mandate Rituals and Starbucks to use 10% local coffee and increase that usage to 60% within 5 years.
  10. Place a moratorium on the importation of cars. (Effective February 2018, Singapore banned the addition of cars on its roads to reduce the permitted vehicle growth rate to 0%.)
  11. Implement a programme to ban the use of disposable plastic cups and plates.  (In September 2016 France became the first country in the world to ban disposable plastic cups and plates. A new French law will require all disposable tableware to be made from 50% biologically-sourced materials that can be composted at home by January of 2020.)
  12. Mandate that garbage be separated in homes for collection by specially assigned trucks on specific days.

The country and indeed your government is suffering from inertia and you are in an ideal position to fix this.  As your election tag line implored: Let’s do this!”

Yours Respectfully

Dennise Demming (Mrs.)
MBA, BSc., Cert-Mass Communications
Citizen

My December 7th 2018 letter to P.M. Rowley

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This is one of the letters which I have written to
Prime Minister Rowley over the past 5 years.

Dear Dr. Rowley

Congratulations on your 39th month as Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

It is more than 1 year since I wrote requesting that your government implement Sexual Harassment policies throughout the entire public service and State Enterprises and while there has been some cosmetic gestures the substantive issue remains outstanding.

While there are guidelines by the Equal Opportunity Commission, it is still necessary to implement the policies across the Public Service and State Enterprises.  Additionally, Trinidad and Tobago is behind on the passing of appropriate legislation.

I am once again requesting the implementation of the appropriate policies and the passage of the necessary legislation to successful deal with sexual harassment in the workplace.

Yours Respectfully

Dennise Demming (Mrs.)
MBA, BSc., Cert-Mass Communications
Citizen 

My November 7th, 2018 letter to P.M. Rowley

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This is one of the letters which I have written to
Prime Minister Rowley over the past 5 years.

Dear Dr. Rowley

Congratulations on your 38th Month as Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

I sincerely congratulate you on the appointment of a Commissioner of Police however the goodwill generated by this appointment is being quickly eroded and I wish to make the following unsolicited recommendations.

  1. That the Commissioner of Police take a less combative style when communicating with citizens.
  2. That the Commissioner refrain from denigrating his predecessor because the knock on effect is that he is critiquing his own office.
  3. That there should be a greater focus on traffic management so that we operate in a less chaotic context. (Reference the broken window syndrome)
  4. That the Commissioner should reduce the focus on himself and place it more on the team of trained police who support him

I sincerely hope that you will consider these suggestions.

Yours Respectfully

Dennise Demming (Mrs.)
MBA, BSc., Cert-Mass 
Concerned Citizen

My October 7th, 2018 letter to P.M. Rowley

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This is one of the letters which I have written to
Prime Minister Rowley over the past 5 years.

Dear Dr. Rowley,

Congratulations on your 37th Month as Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

You were spot on during your quest for the Prime Ministership when you told our country that transportation is a quality of life issue and encouraged us to dream of a 1-hour commute into the capital city.  37 months later, the commute is worse with its concomitant increase in fuel emissions, time wastage and the enlarging of our carbon footprint.

Here’s a question I suggest you pose to the Board of PTSC:

“How can PTSC double its ridership within 12 months and what non-monetary state support would be required?”  

Such a question would force the policy makers to think differently and design strategies from an end user perspective.

Yours Respectfully

Dennise Demming (Mrs.)
MBA, BSc., Cert-Mass 
Concerned Citizen

My September 7th, 2018 letter to P.M. Rowley

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This is one of the letters which I have written to
Prime Minister Rowley over the past 5 years.

Dear Dr. Rowley

Congratulations on your 3rd Anniversary as Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

I wish to return to the theme of transportation and remind you of your stridency on the political campaign when you talked about Transportation as a quality of life issue.  My estimation is that the situation has got worse and without a specific plan, it will continue to worsen.  

May I suggest that you appoint an interdisciplinary team of locals to provide some solutions within 90 days.  You are very aware of Dr. Trevor Townsend and Dr. Rae Furlonge who have both written and spoken publicly on the issue and whom I am sure would respond to any call for public service.

Yours Respectfully

Dennise Demming (Mrs.)
MBA, BSc., Cert-Mass 
Concerned Citizen

My August 7th letter to P.M. Rowley

~ dennisedemming ~ Leave a comment

This is one of the letters which I have written to
Prime Minister Rowley over the past 5 years.

Dear Dr. Rowley

Congratulations on your 35th month as Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

Your government must be commended on the the recent announcement that you have approved a ban on polystyrene foam products by 2019.  While this is commendable, this initiative must be expanded to include all “single use” plastics.

 Yours Respectfully

Dennise Demming (Mrs.)
MBA, BSc., Cert-Mass Communications
Citizen

My July 7th, 2018 Letter to P.M. Rowley

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This is one of the letters which I have written to
Prime Minister Rowley over the past 5 years.

Dear Dr. Rowley

Congratulations on your 34th month as Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

Hopefully you have had a chance to take in some of the FIFA World Cup and even if you didn’t, it has come to your attention that despite the agonising loss by the Japanese Team, they left their locker rooms cleaner than when they arrived, left a thank you note in German and won the admiration of the world for their culture of respect and politeness.

I am suggesting that we can copy from the Japanese and introduce a behaviour change initiative aimed at reviving the attitudes of politeness and respect.   I am suggesting that you lead the charge because it is a soft entry point that can have a major impact if we all took it on board.

Yours Respectfully

Dennise Demming (Mrs.)
MBA, BSc., Cert-Mass Communications
Citizen

My June 7th, 2018 letter to P.M. Rowley

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This is one of the letters which I have written to
Prime Minister Rowley over the past 5 years.

Dear Dr. Rowley

Congratulations on your 33rd month as Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

My letters in April and May asked for an update on the establishment of the National Statistical Institute of T&T (NSITT) which I have not yet received.  The National Draft Development Strategy 2016/2020 refers to the Reform of the National Statistical System and promised:

“The national statistical system will be reformed to provide timely, reliable and accurate data for improved decision-making and targeted policy formulation. To this end, the National Statistical Institute of Trinidad and Tobago will be established”.

Other information in the public domain suggests  that the NSITT is on scheduled to be on stream in 2019 and I am asking for an update on the actual status.  Where can a concerned citizen see the work plan and be assured that this matter is on stream?  My interest in a well functioning data gathering institution is because I share the soundness of the following statement from your manifesto:

“Our approach to governance in our next term will be data based, scientific, holistic and evidence driven, paying due attention at all times to the need for compassion, sensitivity and the respect for the rights and freedoms of all citizens in all matters of state”.

I am once again requesting a response to my concerns.

Yours Respectfully

Dennise Demming (Mrs.)
MBA, BSc., Cert-Mass Communications
Citizen

My May 7th letter to P.M. Rowley

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This is one of the letters which I have written to
Prime Minister Rowley over the past 5 years.

Dear Dr. Rowley

Congratulations on your 32nd month as Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

My  April 7th letter reminded you of your campaign promise to make decisions on the basis of data and your commitment to improve/restructure/re-design the country’s Central Statistical Office.  I note that in February 2016, your good friend Dr. John Prince was appointed Chairman of the Cabinet-appointed task force for the establishment of the National Statistical Institute of T&T (NSITT).

I am requesting an update on the work of that Task Force.

Yours Respectfully

Dennise Demming (Mrs.)
MBA, BSc., Cert-Mass Communications
Citizen