I am a bit confused by the sudden care being expressed for mothers and babies at the Mt Hope Hospital by MP for St Joseph and Justice Minister Hubert Volney. I lived in the Champs Fleurs area for over 15 years, which is a short walk to WASA, and never have I heard any minister, or even Volney, express concern for the hospital and its residents. Is there something going on more than meets the eye? Do they have a beef with WASA or the promoters? In the years growing up in that area we did not have WASA fetes alone. We also had Carib and Witco fetes, the music for which sounded even louder.
Volney is saying it causes crime and other things. What else is new? Everything in this country nowadays involves a killing, a fighting, a kidnapping, an accident. You think stopping the WASA fete will ease what's going on in this country? No, not at all. I think Volney and his people should channel their energies elsewhere, there are so many things needing attention: Lack of medication or beds in the hospital, low-income people not getting houses, food prices going up and salaries staying the same, not enough police patrols, lack of security in schools, homeless children being drugged and raped, youths robbing and killing. Those are the things they need to be concerned about.
If Volney wants to stop the WASA fete then he should also stop all the others, including the all-inclusives. He could also stop Kiddies Carnival, Panorama and Carnival Monday and Tuesday because they are all in the vicinity of the Port-of-Spain General Hospital. Does he not care about the people there too?
I am not a big partygoer and have not been to a WASA fete in years, but I am just trying to say there are bigger fish to fry. With all due respect, MP Volney, you need to "chill." Carnival is once a year, WASA is once a year, and you can't stop the foolish people from doing the bad things, but there are a lot of people who go to have a good ole time (some of them you must know), so think about it. Do you really believe the points you think you will score is worth it? For your sake I hope so.
L Gibbs
Former Champs Fleurs resident