“PNM once again majoring in minors”

The news release by the MP for Laventille West is another example of a once great party that has clearly lost its way and is now majoring in minors. It has now been reduced to engaging in standpipe gossip better suited to CLR James’ “Minty Alley”.

Instead of engaging us on their vision for taking us forward and providing voters with a clear choice based on well thought out policies, the PNM and Keith Rowley have now been reduced to pinning their hopes on clearly manufactured non issues hoping to distract voters from the fact that they are bankrupt of ideas.

For the records Laventille is a great place with excellent and talented people. That is manifestly clear to all. Their only misfortune is that they have repeatedly elected PNM MPs who appear, based on performance, to have no interest in the advancement and development of the people who have placed their trust in them. The PNM and Keith Rowley cannot stand on their record in Laventille and instead is resorting to distractions.

The PNM is now an elite party which has moved away from its grassroots support. A leader who uses words like “subsidiarity” is clearly not speaking to the majority of citizens.

This election is about a choice between two leaders with two visions for taking our country forward. Kamla Persad Bissessar, based on her people centred policies and her first world improvement of our infrastructure like roads and hospitals, is the best person to lead our country at this time.

Based on his regurgitation of Manning’s Vision 2020, Keith Rowley is long on platitudes and short on implementation details. “Morality in public affairs” introduced by Eric Williams in 1956, internal self government for Tobago, and a rapid rail project are ideas that have been around for decades.

The PNM’s record in crime is abysmal. When they demitted office murders were in the 500 range annually. In 2008 there were 550 murders and one year later it was 509. Today it is under 380. Kidnappings also peaked at 170 during the last tenure of the PNM.

Only Keith Rowley’s arithmetic would see our record as a failure.

The rapid rail project will put thousand of maxi taxi drivers, basically entrepreneurs, out of work and cost taxpayers over $60 billion with each of us having to put out over $40,000 at a time when Keith Rowley talks about spending less.

If Rowley plans to spend less, he needs to tell us what he will cut? The 50,000 food cards, the number of teachers and nurses, URP and CEPEP or the lap top for those entering secondary school or the highway to Point Fortin or the hospital in Sangre Grande?

We plead with the PNM to step up to the plate and make this an intelligent debate on plans and policies for taking us forward and not a campaign based on bacchanal, old talk, standpipe comments and misinformation.

For further information please contact: Rodney Charles, PRO/Campaign Chair
Phone: (868) 322-1766 – email: rod_char@hotmail.com