I sat on a jetty in Bequia and gazed to the bottom of the ocean.  My gaze was interrupted by tropical fish darting to and fro. Since 2005 we have sailed the Caribbean for Carnival:  St Martin … The Grenadines … Antigua … Guadeloupe … Antigua.  For sure, the beauty of our region is incomparable.

This year, we did the Grenadines where we stopped at Mayreau.  One of the highlights is a visit the oldest church in the region which is located atop a hill that provides a stunning panoramic view.

On the way up the hill I suffered the indignity of seeing my Minister of Tourism dribble and cuss over his meal while the locals looked on in amusement.  People who accept office also have to accept that they carry the office 24/7 and that means being on your best behaviour at all times.  Saints are not what we expect but to be drunk out of your mind, cussing and dribbling over your food!  Really!

Had the Minister been more “aware”  he may have noticed that there’s a tremendous opportunity for Caribbean crew and vacationers to be represented in the Cruising Industry throughout the region.  In my 12 or so years of sailing I am yet to come across a Caribbean crew and first mate.  This is certainly “a niche” waiting to be served by our people.

Part 1 of an interview on CNC3’s Morning Brew!

CNC3 The Morning Brew interview with Hema Ramkissoon on December 2014.

Every time I do morning run on the Diego Martin Highway, I encounter at least 20 cars using the shoulder but today was record breaking because I also encountered 2 police vehicles on the shoulder and one was driven by a civilian.

People break the rules because there are no consequences and because they emulate others.   “If the Police is breaking law, then why can’t I”? is the rationale they use.  The re-deployment of Police Officers to issue tickets every morning will make a difference to the reckless driving and the traffic. 

Until then I continue to salute the majority of law abiding citizens who sit in the murderous traffic morning and evening. Here are 5 things you can do to make your commute enjoyable:

1. Sing your favourite song at the top of your voice even if you’re in a PH Taxi.
2. Smile and wave at everyone who passes you by.
3. Do something silly like pointing to the sky and see how many people will follow you.
4. Meditate and send some positive vibez to everyone around you.
5. Find a good topical radio station and start calling in and get involved, or call all the radio stations and dedicate some songs to people.

CSI or make believe criminal investigation is alive and well in the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS).

This shot is part of the well made up image of the TTPS, whose primary interest appears to be to look good.  Weekly, we are exposed to these staged police shots of ganja hauls sprinkled with some street gun pick ups while the crime detection rate is abysmally low, the murder rate is spirally and driving is characterized by an attitude of survival of the fittest.  Left unaddressed these issues will create a tipping point, when citizens will take take action.  Such spontaneous response will be chaotic and detrimental to the entire country.  If ever there was a time for “inspired leadership” that time is now!

At the root of the homelessness of Desperadoes is our inability to deal with crime at all levels of our society. Despite the propaganda, little has changed over the past 56 months with regard to crime and criminal justice.  The murder rate has had marginal movement and we are now unclear as to how the Government defines Crime.

Despers left the “Hill” in 2010 and I felt ashamed that as a society we had allowed a few bandits to determine the location of one of our premier bands.  A few bandits robbed us of an intangible, an experience that was magical – enjoying sweet music atop the hill.  Despers moving from their home is analogous to a parent abandoning their home because the children are unruly.  Very few of us would allow that kind of behaviour from our children.  So why do we allow this behaviour in our society?  Why do we allow our politicians to preside over this steadily deteriorating crime situation?

Crime is affecting every sinew of our society and law abiding citizens feel helpless.  From school delinquency to reckless driving, law abiding citizens are afraid and our politicians try to lull us into believing that everything is all right.

If we want to imbue our citizens with a sense of discipline then our leaders must themselves be disciplined.  If we want our citizens to be productive, our leaders must demonstrate that they too are productive.  If we want our citizens to follow the law, then our leaders must live by the law.  I am not simply referring to criminal law but to the moral and ethical codes which underpin developed countries.  If we want our communities to be sound and wholesome, we must  establish the context and ground rules accordingly.

At the heart of all this, there are simple folk who long for a society where we feel safe and secure.  There are ordinary folks in TnT who are committed to changing our country for the better.  There are plain folks who will do whatever is necessary to ensure that the rule of law prevails.  Our country is crying out for inspired leadership.  Leaders whom we can respect for their commitment to doing what is right and who is known to live their life of honesty and integrity.  We must have the courage to return Despers to their home.

A life shaping moment from my childhood occurred the day I brought home a pencil which I found on Nelson Street.  In response to my mother’s query about the owner of the pencil, I innocently said that I found it on the street.  She unhesitatingly “cut my tail” and walked me back to the spot so that I could replace the pencil.  You might think this an extreme example but growing up “Behind the Bridge” I could not take anything into my humble home without my mother knowing exactly where it came from, who gave it to me and why did I like it?

This story flooded my mind while observing Press reports on the “Kamla/Santa” antics.  First the lady did not know where the toys or media gifts came from; then she didn’t know that there was money and food vouchers in the media gifts.  Eventually sources revealed that some manufacturers provided the gifts and significant discounts.  That’s good, except for the fact that the companies all manufacture foods, beverages and other consumables.  The question remains, who imported the toys and at what cost?  Were State funds utilised?  Should the Government be accepting gifts from unknown donors?  In any “two bit” company you are required to operate within the boundaries of the gifting policy and for good reason.  There would also be a register so that gifts would be recorded and known to all.  Where is the transparency and accountability?

What is the difference between “Kamla/Santa” pleading ignorance to the source of the gifts/toys and the parent also pleading ignorance to how their unemployed son/daughter is able to live a lifestyle of the rich and famous?

That feeling of Christmas is hard to come by because lurking in the shadows of my mind is the nagging question: What will it be like in January?

2014 will be remembered as the year of giveaway and freeness.  Come 2015, the pensioners will have spent their extra $5,000.00 Christmas gift; the prices of staples would have crept up beyond their pre-Christmas-gift level; the price of oil and gas would be even lower and the “Kamla promotional giveaways” would be laying around the house.  In the world of marketing, branded promotional give aways are sometimes called consumables.

The Communication Gurus behind the UNC’s political campaign have invested their entire spend in the notion that good brand visibility signifies the ability of your products/services to attract the attention of your target audience and therefore stimulate re-sale.   In this case, the feeling is that the more you see of the Prime Minister and the UNC, the more likely you are to vote for them at the appointed hour.  The literature also suggests that there is a saturation point – that point at which the audience becomes numb to the message.  There is no formula to prescribe that point.  The decision is informed by data and a good dose of common sense.   All that is happening in this Yuletide season can be summed up as “voter inducement” and the society is paying a significant price.

After the dust settles on the 2015 general elections some leader will be responsible for changing the way we do business in T&T and that culture change is probably the single biggest headache that will be experienced for years to come.

How will we move away from an attitude of entitlement?  How will we recalibrate the society into remembering that work precedes success?  How will we get our leaders to live the value that people do what you do and not what you say?  How will we inspire our people to give a fair days work for their pay?

These are complicated questions with no silver bullet answers. Our single assurance is that these questions must be answered and provision made to ensure that they are answered in a way that will benefit our society.

Sunity Maharaj spoke at the 2012 TEDxPortofSpain Conference.  Her talk was a reflection on our history and the courage of our forefathers to rise above their material circumstances and contribute to the development of what exists today in every nook and cranny of our beautiful nation.

She suggests that we must have the courage answer 2 basic questions: Who am I and What am I about?  Viewing this is worth 16 minutes of your time.   http://tedxportofspain.com/portfolio/sunity-maharaj/

Many years ago when I joined TEXACO Trinidad, one of my assignments was to interview pensioners wherever I could find them.  I met disgruntled, angry men because they could no longer support their life styles.  A couple of them revelled in their stories about drinking premium whiskey and supporting multiple homes in their day while I observed that their homes needed repairs.

20+ years later our retired judges are making out the same case for enhanced pensions. The question is: Who is responsible for your pension? Salaries are payed in exchange for service – it is a simple transaction.  Some employers arrange for part of that transaction to be allocated towards the payment of a pension in the future.  But the ultimate responsibility lies with the individual to put away for the rainy day.  Judges are persons of privilege in our society and they above all should understand the concept of “delayed gratification” so they “put things in place”.

I have no sympathy for the case of our retired judges because during employment their cash and non cash benefits were substantial including vacation travel, housing allowances and exemption from Income Taxes and taxes on the purchase of vehicles.  If you want to travel first class and maintain a chauffeur as a pensioner, then save for it but do not expect the state to help you maintain that unreal life style.

If the case for the Judges is that retirement must be indexed to the cost of living, then indexation should happen across the Board retirees from all sectors. What is the difference between the Nurse and the Judge?  Their contribution to the society is equally important but the judges are unequally rewarded.  If your case is that you can’t pay your medical bills, then welcome to the real world, none of us can.  It speaks to a necessary improvement across the health sector.

The big lesson that I took away from those interviews with Texaco retirees was that pensions as negotiated while employed are unlikely to be sufficient for retirement.

Retirement is a guarantee so we have personal responsibility to put aside a percentage of our current salaries as a pension for when we are no longer employed.