Eef de recorded version ah Friday Mar. 18 TV3 news @ 7.00 pm dey someplace orn de station website yet, I cyar find it. Not because ah want tuh write anyting about de top story ah Marlene losin she ministerial position, buh because of ah next story.

While Marlene validate corruption still alive an kickin in Triniland, dis udder story not exactly de polar opposite.

It wasn’t ah long clip. In fact, de way it end was like de reporter an camera-person ask deyself why dey bodderin wid such ah dotish story so dey turn orf de camera an tape recorder in de middle ah de woman explanation ah why she was so upset.

Meanwhile, I wanted tuh watch it again, tuh make sure ah wasn’t mad tuh have mih mout hangin open like it was when de tape done. Ah wanted reassurance dat between de woman an me, I wasn’t de one de Lord should be wavin ah index finger back an fort at.

From de story she tell, she is part ah some religious organization dat does have some annual event. People from at least Barbados does be dey. Every year, she organization does seek financial assistance from de govahment. Beg nah. De request is usually fuh ah million. She went orn tuh say dey still good even eef is only ah quarter ah dat dey get. It song too like dey does also beg some hotel fuh rooms—two, fuh de Bajans tuh sleep een.

Now all ah we know how tings tight dis time arong. De govahment give dem ah tink is $40k. Quarrelin now start wid she relatin all dat ah just lay out as she tried tuh build she case fuh more. Dat was when de camera turn orf an she eh get tuh finish. I eh know who more at fault; she fuh she gross sense ah entitlement or, TV3 fuh havin de gall tuh make dat ah news story.

Far be it fuh me tuh be wavin any finger back an fort, but she is just ah symptom ah someting dat is part ah too many Trinis’ belief system. Is as eef when tork ah independence was in de air, somebody make ah joke an replace de in wid over. It stick because now it have dis overdependence orn de govahment. It stop being funny long time. Instead, it impedin individual growth which mean less creativity at de national level.

People like dis woman eh see nuttin rong wid she stance. In fact, she so not seein anyting rong she was carryin orn tuh me like was she duty tuh show up de govahment. She organization an individuals who share similar tinkin need tuh learn how tuh fish.

Until an unless dis govahment show it serious about changin tings it go be just as guilty as every past govahment. Fuh ah slew ah reasons, one of which have tuh be panderin, all ah dem does encourage more organizations tuh come tuh dem, hat in hand by givin de ones already in line free money. Dey use different names fuh it buh is still free money. Nobody against helpin who in dire need, buh doin shit like sponsorin carnival? Not widout seein de books.

Stop panderin, learn tuh say no, hell no even. Doh wait fuh when tings tight tuh start surprisin people cause when dey addicted an doh get dey fix ah tax-payer money, dey go be orn television quarrelin bold face bold face.

Review de basis orn which allyuh does give taxpayer money tuh organizations or people. Orn de outside chance it doh have no criteria, establish ah set. De next step is fuh each ministry tuh identify an list every single organization or person dat does get free taxpayer money. Start wid who hand does be out once ah year, like at carnival time. Eef dem organizations an people doh meet de criterion fuh freeness, tell dem dey have four years tuh find udder sources ah money den play WASA.

How?

Steups.

In de first year, only let 75% ah what dey normally get come out de pipe. De next year only 50%, de year after dat is dong tuh ah dribble wid 25%. De final year, water lock orf. Make de policy public so when de fundin dry anybody skin all soapy is dey fault. Be prepared fuh all dem new requests dat go still keep rollin in from organizations dat harden.

Yuh organization need money? Den find ways tuh make money, just doh use de copyin machine.

Bake black cake an sell. Have yard sales. Ask fuh donations from people. Run from tong tuh dong south or de reverse eef yuh already in south. Have people pledge money fuh every mile yuh eh drop dead since yuh out ah shape. Raffle orf ah dead horse. When de winner see dat de horse dead, apologize an give only he back he money. In udder words, be creative. Eef yuh still eh have enough money tuh cover expenses den scale back de event. Scale it way back, as far back as necessary.

Since both sides at fault in dis particular case it not fair tuh choke de church widout warnin. Give it ah few more dollars.

De end goal is dat no organizations should be able tuh plan nuttin long, even medium term, usin money it expect tuh get from de govahment. Not in any calculations ah how many hotel rooms it should beg for tuh house Bajans. Not when de orfice ah de Director ah Public Prosecution sayin it doh have financial autonomy an have tuh watch de dollars when it lookin tuh buy office supplies. Why de govahment doh use buyin in serious bulk tuh get discounts me eh know. Buh fuh now is almost like DPP have tuh change it name an come back as ah religious institution an start beggin. Technically I eh tink it would be mis-labelin itself since ah would hope it already do it job religiously. Rong road tuh go dong ent? Not tuh make no dis kind ah point. Especially when ah just read where de DPP lorse yet ah next case. Dis one wid de woman accused ah rape.

In ah not unexpected way de church-lady rant not totally removed from Friday’s top story. Both involve money people eh wuk for, all doh one is more about entitlement dan de udder. So what eef it would take de two common law family members orn Marlene side five years tuh make de million de quarrelin church-lady say dey does ask for every year? Who say dem two men was actually doin any wuk? Just like how people wid take free money, so would some people not go tuh wuk eef dey still go get paid. Dat is one ah dem universal traits.

One ah de unfortunate parts in all dis is dat while both church-lady an Marlene rong an both eh have no shame over dey sense of entitlement, is only one who doh seem tuh realize she eh have no shame.