It now hit mih as tuh why.

Eef it didn’t hit mih now ah would ah done ask de question ah does ask mihself whenever it happen.

But, ah still goin an make de observation first den an ask de question. Only now ah have de answer.

It all start dis rongs wid me watchin Christlyn Moore, wave ah document in Parliament an proceedin tuh tork about Shamfa Cudjoe four-day phone bill (0:29 – 1:03 on tape).

Ah could go furdah an say mih jaw almost drop. After all, how many time ah article headline tell mih mih jaw go drop once ah read de article an it never happen?

It take Christlyn tuh almost make it finally so.

What ah cell-phone bill!

It eh have no currency where $59,000 TT is not plenty money. An fuh four days’ usage  tuh boot? Dat leave astronomical behind long time. However, as soon as ah jump up all outraged, ah find mihself cyar sittin back dong because ah was now outraged by dat same question ah now have de answer for.

Let mih back back an add some more tings dat keep mih outraged.

By now Christlyn Moore probably been ah temporary UNC opposition senator longer dan she was de Justice Minister when de same UNC was in power. Why she wavin somebody phone bill in parliament? She not ah lawyer?

Ah wasn’t supposed tuh see ah pattern wid she being de one tuh expose Shamfa? De same way, buh only different from when, back in 2015, de shameful an shameless an subsequently only partially regretful, Vernella Alleyne-Toppin do wid Rowley? Fuh what it worth, an in de context ah dat comparison, Christlyn is head an shoulders over Vernella in de class category. All dat an me askin eef both was gettin used is lagniappe tuh de central issue doh.

I tort ah was by mihself orn dis until ah read de Newsday article where de T&T telecommunications body remind members tuh protect client information. Ah go enjoy de sense ah not knowin eef who or what orn mih side is ah tootless bulldorg.

Ah tryin tuh fuhgettin Vernella quick so ah could remember back tuh when de late Patrick Manning do someting similar. Was after he get block by ah man who didn’t want him enterin he yard during ah photo-op walk-about. Later in Parliament, Manning reveal details ah de man. De onlyest difference between what he do an what Christlyn do is he was not ah lawyer.

Den it had years an years before, again in Parliament, ah politician get up an read orf from ah pilot medical record. Ah doh recall eef it was ah lawyer involve in dat one.

Mih question fuh all ah dem examples, (it have more), was how an why? De answer ah hit orn was dat while de people who was doin it know it was rong, an possibly illegal, parliamentary privileges protected dem.

Is like de time Colm Imbert, den ah opposition senator, challenge ah UNCite tuh, “come outside an say dat eef yuh name man”, whatever de dat was. Of course de invitation get declined.

De point is politicians know dey could say an do ting in de Parliament dey wouldn’t dare do outside.

I doh agree wid dat when it come tuh people personal information. Not everyting should be in de public domain just so.

Me eh tryin tuh defend Shamfa an she cellphone bill like she party members an ah obviously eh defendin Christlyn. I dey wid privacy.

Dese kind ah disclosures not limited tuh Parliament. How often we does read about ah email, memo or somebody bankin information dat get leaked?

It have tuh have laws because when dem documents get revealed in de press, nobody does be wavin dem in de air like dey just doh care. Dey does hope de ends justify de means. Camille Robinson-Regis must have she own torts on dat.

Not sidin wid eidder side orn dis revelation by Christlyn doh mean I against blowin de whistle long an hard when it come tuh exposin rong. I just eh know what rong gettin bared in exposin somebody medical records, dey travel habits, dey phone bill, dey larse bank deposit or any udder ting exposed because of somebody political agenda.

Ah guess ah tryin tuh say eef yuh goin dong dat road it shouldn’t be because it eh have no punishment eef yuh get caught. Privacy an leaks should fight it out fair.

Steups. What ah just say eh makin no damn sense nah. Ah well, too late, dis ship done in de channel.

Let meh try dis den: What about de cellphone bill itself?

Shamfa defense might hold political water orn she side an de aisle but it have bigger issues.

Let mih stay wid de technology part ah dat tuh avoid idea dat Shamfa had tuh be in two places at once suckin dong data in one like she feastin at not one buh four midnight buffets orn ah Royal Caribbean Voyager cruise ship. Ah mean she so important she have tuh be in constant contact wid she underlings? What eef someting did happen tuh she in de Bahamas? Tourism in T&T couldn’t fall dong deader dan it is.

Wid mih focus now right, let mih ask if is only now dey realizin roamin charges in de Bahamas ridiculous. “Yes” mean it eh have ah overall policy fuh minimizin costs tuh tax payers when officials travel orn business? What about ah phone usage policy?

Eef companies usin technology tuh cut costs, especially phone costs, why de govahment cyar be innovative too an leverage de same technology? Roamin go always be ah issue. Minimizin costs cyar be only fuh regular people who payin out dey own pocket. Dat, an appropriate policies an procedures would say how tings go wuk an outline punishment fuh who cyar be boddered followin de rules. Turn dem into regular people.

Still, some $12,000 TT in roamin charges per day? What was dongloadin so, War an Peace?  Roamin in de Bahamas dat outrageous tuh generate dem numbers? Someting rong some place, maybe more dan one. TSTT eh make a courtesy call tuh ask Shamfa what de arse goin? Ask she how long she go be in de Bahamas. Tell she she rate de rate she goin de bill could be ah million dollars? Tell she she eh want dat gettin leaked tuh Christlyn. Maybe TSTT keep gettin ah busy signal.

What about dis payin den disputin? Dat eh bass ackwards? Regular people have tuh do dat too or just business an de govahment? It could only benefit de customer eef dey pay, win de dispute an get refunded dey overpayment, plus any interest de company make while it was holdin orn tuh ill-gotten gains.

Shamfa, face facts. Yuh cyar defend dat kind ah bill. Stop being young an strong plus whatever else Sparrow sing after dat. How hard is ah apology?

I just hope dat make more sense den mih earlier dotishness. Me eh want tuh watch Christlyn in Parliament wid more details nah.