No Smelter for Chatham
Well Uncle Patrick dug deep into his bag of goodies and gave us all a spectacular gift for Christmas - the promise that no smelter would be built in Chatham. Well I guess it’s not much of a gift since most never wanted the smelter in the first place, but I guess in some twisted way it is the Prime Minister’s idea of a gift.
Who is this guy anyway? He comes on our TVs on Christmas Eve no less acting like he was doing us a favour. Have you ever watched one of those psycho stalker movies where the psycho stalker has his victim imprisoned in his house and he’s in a good mood so he unchains her for a bit and allows her to walk around the house and he thinks he’s the greatest guy in the world because he’s being “nice” to her? That’s how I feel about Mr. Manning right now.
I didn’t listen to the address because I didn’t want Patos to spoil my Christmas, but I did hear about it Christmas morning on the news. He never really said why there is to be no more smelter at Chatham which in itself was a little strange. For the guy who said that no Tom, Dick or Harry will change his mind or for someone who so vehemently defended the smelter projects, it seems strange that he would change his decision with just a whimper. I guess part of me wanted to hear Patrick admit he was wrong, even though I knew that was unlikely.
So what exactly changed his mind? Since he has plans of moving it to Otaheite, I’m guessing that it wasn’t the unfeasibility of the project or the damage to the environment that changed his mind. For that matter I can’t think of what could have changed his mind since many of the issues that made Chatham an unsuitable site also make Otaheite unsuitable. So it may very well be the protesters themselves who were able to change the Patos Freight Train. Could it be that people in this country still have a voice? I want o believe that but I’m afraid that I’ll get carried away with the euphoria of it all.
Otaheite and La Brea, you’re on notice.
6 Responses to “No Smelter for Chatham”
By kevian on Dec 27, 2006 | Reply
Merry christmas Mani.. I know exams are finished.. so u must be feteing.
By Alexia on Dec 27, 2006 | Reply
Mani, thats the same exact sick feeling I got when I read the papers in regards to your “Psycho Stalker.” There’s not much you can say, he left Chatham to go to Otheite (where the hell is that place in trinidad?.)
So what now he thinks he did the Chatham residents a favor. I want to belive that this was his plan all along to get them wild up and then make them think he feels pity and BAM! All this is to make them vote come elections (see what I did for all yuh, I ain’t put the smelter plant in all yuh community) hoepfull these residents do not fall for this down right dirty trick!!!
By saucydiva on Dec 27, 2006 | Reply
Well he good caught me off guard with the news, I was celebrating for Chatham residents wihout thinking of the consequences of this Othahitie off shore smelter!
See how he trying to put up a smoke screen?
By boysieringo on Dec 27, 2006 | Reply
Season’s greetings Mani! Well I too glad I didn’t hear Santa Manning give his speech. It’s beginning to smell a lot like elections… I think he hoped the general public would be so high on grog and black cake that we actually thought he was doing us a favor. This man really has the ability to make my stomach feel like I eating peanut butter and curry turkey! Well all the best to you and let’s hope we get rid of him and his band of thieves in the new year!
On a side note…while we wait on Vidia’s release do you think she’s still alive and I have a lil feeling her husband had something to do with it?? Maybe it’s too much CSI and ponche de creme, but he keeps speaking of her in past tense.
By marcel on Dec 28, 2006 | Reply
The battle has moved to Otaheite.
Happy new year Mani !
Keep writing !
By Mani on Jan 2, 2007 | Reply
Thanks Kevian….nah no partying for me nah…just relaxation.
Alexia, Otaheite is somewhere down south. The only reason I know that is because SM Jaleel is there and I went to an outing there in standard 5. I doubt anyone could really fall for Manning’s tricks….I think he’s pretty transparent to Trinidadians now.
Saucy, that’s for sure. Patos Giveth and he taketh away.
Boysie, season’s greetings to you to Boysie. “It’s beginning to smell alot like elections/Elections time again.”
Boy when I say I praying hard for Vindra Naipaul, I eh lie yuh know. It has me worried and sick to my stomach. I really do hope they find her alive, but it worries me how long it’s taking to find her. I also doesn’t help when an asst. commissioner of police gets on the tube and begs for her release. Even the police are impotent.
Thanks Marcel HNY to you also.