Dat nah no line foh join

Information out is that folks who left Latin America and the Caribbean to look foh wuk in de USA sent home some US$45 billion in 2004. Jamaicans mustered up just over US$1 billion and while ah didn’t get the exact figures foh SVG, Lie-Za say it’s US$15 million about what we getting from Bananas now.

Just one glance at the long lines outside the doors ah Western Union and Money Gram will tell you dey turning over as much money daily as de commercial banks. But these monies come home from three countries mainly de US, Canada and de U.K. you know none ah these countries belong to de Nah-Nah-Line grouping that just met in Cuba. And maybe that is what Prime Minister Mitchell of Grenada is trying to tell his colleagues.{{more}}

We are in-deep-and-dent yes, and we must behave as such, which means we free to chose we friends, but when we do that, we must be cents-able and diploma-thick, be ever mine-full ah de regular paycheck coming home to tek care ah our house full ah unemployed families. How else can one explain people’s survival in these parts, way else you think de majority ah those young people without wuk does get money to buy food, name bran clothes and pocket change? 50% from remittances, 50% from drugs!

Yes we are friends ah Cuba and Venezuela and these are good relationships. And we have had traditional friends like de USA, Canada, Tie-One and de U.K. buy and large ah good relationship as well. Ole people say show me you company and ah will tell you who you are. Friends with everybody yes, but we don’t have to go to bed with any ah dem, those way ah-Line and those way Nah-Nah-Line, especially way all dey seem to be doing is throw spite-full words and widening de gaps ah friendship. Only ah fool or ah poor-bragging will want to be bosom-friends with his best friend’s NME! especially when his household and extended family depend to ah great extent on his best friend foh survival.

De Bottom Line is that we are ah unique people and we must not Toe-de-Line but be proud ah Carry-Come, mek dat we Life Line. Nah forget its aims and objectives done laid-down, already we done have we Market, we Currency, we Passport, we Justice System and more to come. To date we are growing in stature commanding great respect from the big countries, and we have no NME’s, let us keep On-Line!

Lie-Za had ah good laugh she say she hear bout all kind ah Line: Pipe Line, Clothes Line, Phone Line, Congo Line, not to mention she Waist Line and she Body Line, how come we chose to be ah member ah de one dat Nah-nah-Line.

GIVE IT AH TRY AND COME BACK

The Van Drivers deserve an increase, but if dey get de increases that dey asking for, without what is fast becoming an urgent increase in salaries foh wukers, then after two weeks de Vans will be running M.T. as passengers will not have no money to pay! And right now Guv-ah-mint got dey hands, dey foot even dey balls tie-up, dey trying to do too many things with too lickle resources, dey have no money. You call dat Sham-pain taste with Mar-B pocket.

Right now dey like de man who living in ah house with ah woman, he loves her so passionately he cant do without her yet he afraid ah de word marriage. He got saved and de Pastor told him he has one option, either marriage or de woman has to go! Marriage she stays, no marriage she goes! He did need-her.

Guv-ah-mint’s option is either Increase fares, then dey must increase wages. Since dey don’t have de means, dey will do need-her also.

As inadequate as de proposed subsidy Guv-ah-mint is offering Van Drivers might appear, ah would suggest dey give it ah try, and then go back to de drawing board. Ah uses to be president ah de Public Service Union and there is more than just “increase fares” in this matter; this is one in which you have to tek time kill ants to find he belly. In any dispute you have to exhaust de options before using yuh last bullet, go de extra mile with de employer and win public support, because you will need it when de time comes.

And is time de Guv-ah-mint stop playing games with the figures, deal with de real and not de apparent, de figures not adding up. Dis glorious picture that is painted of de E-con-ah-me is sending de wrong signals, and is not being reflected in de wukers pockets, man on de streets begging, business in de Supermarkets, shops and stores not bright at all. Check you own Food City Supermarket and see foh you-self Prime Minister; and time you stop meking these meaningless boasts about e-con-ah-me growth rate, dey are misleading, all ah dat is why you having no ends ah problems dealing with de Van Drivers and soon yuh will find difficulty in getting wukers to accept de insufficient and inadequate wages.

De high cost ah living as well as de cost ah high living is having its toll, look out dey will soon be on de streets making dey demands too. Oops, ah hope what ah say is not sea-dish-us like Graham’s “Blood will run in de Streets”! Is not hard to tell when ah Guv-ah-mint is pan-aching and in despair-ah-shun, look how easily dey become offended with every lickle statement that is not in dey best interest. Why dey don’t leave Ardon Graham alone and go look foh de real white collar criminals in de society?

Oh what ah tangled web we deceive when once we try to weave! However that suppose to go. And with that ah gone again.

One Love Bassy