THE EDITOR: Change and fixing TT must start with the citizens willing to do good things regardless of where the idea emanated. Government attempted in 2000 to fix the state-owned vehicle maintenance problem by putting into place a company under the Ministry of Works called VMCOTT (Vehicle Maintenance Company of TT). It was supposed to repair and maintain most of the government-owned vehicles.
With shops in Port of Spain, San Fernando and Tobago, VMCOTT was ideally positioned to take care of the thousands of government-owned vehicles. Yet many of the State-owned vehicles are abandoned in scrapyards or sent to private garages for repair. Why?
VMCOTT is just one of the many examples of good ideas not maintained. There are many water tanks and reservoirs situated on hills in Port of Spain, Mount Hope and other communities in the country. These served the communities for years, providing water through gravity, but were abandoned or underutilised for reasons few can understand.
The system of county and wards inherited from the British served communities well for years. The communities developed depending on their councillors and the services they provided through their county councils. That system was removed and replaced with regional corporations that have failed to provide the communities with basic services like road maintenance, cleaning of waterways and signage.
Almost everywhere the structures and systems that were put in place or inherited are seemingly abandoned. For example, there are many parking signs in Port of Spain that are ignored, and people park on both sides of the street, making it almost impossible for large vehicles to drive along our narrow streets. The laws regarding pets, grazing of animals in public spaces, safe bicycles, sanitary environment and homes, vehicle tints, and noise pollution are just some of the many that are ignored by the public.
When citizens fail to observe basic simple laws, when governments ignore customs and ideas that were put in place to improve the quality of life for our citizens, chaos reigns. When citizens start making excuses for not fully utilising the Couva Hospital furnished with modern equipment and the UWI Debe Campus simply because they support one of the two major political parties, then nation building becomes complicated and difficult.
Politics by its very nature is confrontational and competitive. It can divide a people based on who they wish to support. But citizens must be reminded that their first loyalty must be to country. It is from the citizens of this country that the great ideas emanate, and it is the citizens who ultimately benefit.
Regardless of the source of the idea, if it benefits the country, then that idea must be implemented. A good example is the retention pond on South Quay that prevented flooding for years. The maintenance of that pond - cleaning and dredging - benefits the people and should be maintained.
We the people must begin to look beyond the mustard and ketchup and see the red, white and black.
STEVE
