Who know de true story why Paul Richards resign from CNMG. All I know is he eh only mess up what ah did write fuh dis week, he have mih askin tings ah cyar answer. Like now he resign, is de people ah T&T better served?

Fuh who too close tuh de bacchanal dat heatin up between de govahment an de opposition, Paul Richards is dat former consummate reporter from CNMG who President Carmona name ah independent senator.

Back when Herbert Volney was ah High Court judge one day an den de next ah candidate fuh political orfice, mih eyebrow did raise. Someting didn’t seem right. Not only it didn’t have no outcry, but in ah next election one ah de candidates was de host of ah television show. Wid matters before de court tuh boot.

Kamla, de prime minister ah de time, explain she position durin calls fuh she tuh jettison Jack Warner wid all de clouds hangin over he head. De way she see it, he wasn’t convicted ah anyting an ah man innocent until proven guilty. In udder words, all de accusations didn’t mean ah ting. Me eh buy none ah dat. We was torkin politics an ah different standard have tuh be at play or at least faked.

Dis week, Maxie Cuffie, de new govahment Communications Minister, use pretty much Kamla’s same exact rational fuh why two men involved in ting during Kamla’s reign get picked now tuh oversee some state agency. Granted it might be dat Kamla’s famous AG might have had had ah hand in de men legal troubles. Eef dat is true, ah could kinda sorta, wid powerful binoculars, see de rational fuh bringin back talent buh in general, pickin people who under ah cloud does give mih heartburn. Avoid de perception.

So mih questions simple: How important is perception? It does even matter? Does de picture change based orn how close or far yuh is from whatever it is yuh tink yuh perceptin?

Me eh tink Paul Richards resignin answer dem questions. In fact, he might ah take in front before in front went an take he. Lord, dat would ah look even wuss: Reporter fired buh he back in de govahment baxide, albeit as ah independent senator.

De man is ah ace reporter. He not a echo fuh no politician an dey agenda. Not since he does ask follow up questions. One ah he in each newspaper an de media in T&T is tops.

When President Carmona appoint him as ah independent senator, mih first tort was how sad ah was goin an be tuh see him leave he reportin position. Den he say he ask he borse about any conflict ah interest an get tell tings fine, it eh had none. Mih face skin up hearin dat.

While is not too much de case wid he, de perception of ah conflict ah interest could be ah steppin stone tuh real trouble. For instance corruption, ah problem in T&T. Just ask any new govahment how de former govahment do den ask de former govahment how de new one goin an do.

So when dat woman call een tuh de mornin tork show orn I95.5 FM de day after de budget presentation an express she concern, I know what she was meanin. I see de show she was concerned about. I did wonder eef Mr. Richards wasn’t supposed tuh be in parliament wid de udder politicians. Ah went as far as askin mihself eef de interview was taped. No? Den ah keep lookin an listenin tuh see eef he would slip in someting biased.

Me eh sayin or tryin tuh suggest he was doin anyting but he job interviewin experts before an after de budget presentation. Is just dat tuh me he had ah bigger vested interest in de discussion dan dem. How could dat be good fuh perception of unbiased reportin?

Independent senators supposed tuh be unbiased too even eef dat mean being fuh one side tuhday an de udder one tomorrow. How could ah man be biased wearin one hat an unbiased wearin ah next one? Is de same man. Eef he management decide he cyar do de interviewin because ah dat possibility den yuh goin dong de road where de process suspect. Put anudder way, de process gettin corrupted. Dat not worse?

Ah tink ah understand what President Carmona was tryin tuh do in appointin independent senators who not active politicians. Maybe not professional politicians is ah better phrase since everyting have ah political component so all ah we political. Udders wid dem two podium Richards had could use one tuh abuse de udder even eef dat wasn’t de intent, at first.

Since de president have all dat legal trainin an expertise ah would ah tink he would ah see de potential fuh ah conflict of interest. Maybe he tort Mr. Richards’ borse would ah tink so too an move tuh suit. Well de borse not de borse no more an Paul Richards gorn too.

Ah wonderin eef ah seein ah bigger picture in all dis. Is de idea of steerin clear ah anyting dat could be interpreted as ah potential conflict of interest an therefore could lead tuh corruption, not how Trinis does see tings? Ah mean we is ah forgivin people; too often tuh ah fault. Yuh hand shouldn’t have tuh get cyatch in de tin ah Crix before somebody jump up an bawl stop. Ah gorn parse de issue wid reporters being independent senators long time. Ah reach de principle ah de ting.

Maybe it accepted because when yuh used tuh someting yuh doh see de flaws it have no more. Maybe eef yuh bawl out anyting, your chance gorn? Too many maybe oui. At de end ah de day, not everybody go resist temptation an some go actively probe de situation lookin fuh weak points tuh pervert.

Me eh know any udder way but tuh use perception tuh gauge how tuh manage tings dat bad from happenin.

Eef before he went an resign I did have tuh choose, I would tell Paul Richards dis: Tell de president tanks. Let him know de job ah informin Trinbagonians more important at dis time. Maybe dong de road ah role as ah professional politician possible. Dat road mightn’t be too far orf eidder. Trinis, like good people everywhere, respect honesty an wid open arms would ah welcome Paul Richards as ah professional politician. Of course dat could be only my perception.

Buh udder factors was at play so tings eh wuk out day way.  Paul didn’t have tuh tell de president nuttin. De reporter gorn leavin de senator.

I still eh have de answer tuh mih question about eef T&T better served. Paul Richards is ah born reporter. Politics? Professional politics? Steups. De way tings shapin up fuh dis parliament, ah have one word. Bacchanal.

One larse question? Is Paul Richards better dan ah give de man credit fuh being?