Somehow some in our sometimes very myopic society people misconstrue expressions on the state of our community as a ploy for attention or political mileage. I for one write not for fame or for favor. I thank God for Dominicanewsonline.com and Insidepossie.com for providing me the avenue to express whatever views I choose to. I believe in the right to free speech and will defend your right to share your opinions as vehemently as I defend mine! I take pleasure in sharing ideas and positive discussion!
Some in our community (I am from Portsmouth) it seems, have set their expectations so low that they even believe that my concerns are inconsequential and do not resonate with the people. They turn a blind eye to the many among us who are marginalized by a stagnating economy which does not create enough opportunity within our community for employment.
I implore those with deeper insight to elucidate on the immense development which has taken place in our community through parliamentary or political representation.
Explain to me that what you see meets your expectations for development of our community. Describe for me the fundamental changes which have taken place which will lead to the sustainable development the town. Point to me the jobs that have been created. Enlighten and educate me, for I wish to get out of my biased stupor.
It is evident that some of our people feel that the situation is so desperate that they turn to a life of crime, gun violence is escalating in our town. Some have become mendicant in their fight for survival. These young people wish every day that Porstsmouth were as developed as … other Caribbean cities. We wonder, “what do they have that we don’t.” Surely we can boast that we are blessed with far more natural resources than they are!
Some feel, for whatever reason, that they do not have the capacity to express their views as I do mine. Because they don’t speak it does not mean that they don’t feel it. It has now become taboo, even dangerous, to demand proper and effective representation from your Parliamentary representative on this island. Persons who feel beholden to a government for pittances behave as goons who verbally terrorize the brave who chose to speak out. Manifestations of physical violence are cropping up and it is not difficult to imagine the dangerous depths we could reach treading on such a slippery slope.
But “be not afraid, whilst one voice drowns in the wilderness, a multitude of voices will resound powerfully and like the trumpets of Jericho these voices will cause the walls of ignorance, victimization, stagnation and inept political and social representation which blights our communities to crumble. The pen is mightier than the sword and your voice a gift from god. By all means speak!
It is enshrined in our constitution that everyone has a right to express their ideas. All ideas must contend. I do not care on which side of the political fence that you stand on and I do not presume to be the authority on even the things that I may speak on. I am always subject to correction and that I will humbly accept when the counter argument is sensible.
It cannot be wrong to discuss the development of our community and to express my thoughts in the medium of my choice!
Am I wrong to think, or to say, that our elected representatives should be more focused on addressing the woefully antiquated laws in our country, so that they cater to current circumstances and provide magistrates such as Tiyani Behanzin the legal framework with which to work, instead of firing him for his over exuberance in dealing with the criminal elements in our society, or rather than organizing fetes and micromanaging their ministries?
Am I really wrong to say that more resources of the state , of the V.A.T we pay, the income tax I pay should go towards the cleanliness of Portsmouth and its environs? If I make this argument do you feel it is justifiable to attack my motive and character because I seem to speak against your government? I speak for the development of our community and it’s people, nothing more nothing less.
Does it not disturb you that the maladministration of our education system and the inept implementation of Universal Secondary Education is churning out a cadre of lawyers and a virtual cadre of young criminals providing a ready clientele to support these law professions? Some will turn a blind eye or pretend that they don’t know what I am talking about.
But investigate, find your own truth about an education system which is in decline, devoid of adequate technical and vocational instruction that must be the foundation of any developing economy. Devoid of civics, social and moral instructions, alas!
Now there is the tacit acceptance of “evil spirits” in our schools. This from the ministry of education, is shameful. As Dr. Benjamin pointed out .. these behavioral patterns are nothing new and history is littered with examples of mass hysteria among young, disenchanted and troubled youth. The ministry should ensure that resources are made available within the school system to deal with these occurrences.
Even during my days at St John’s Primary School, I heard that Portsmouth must be the engine of growth of Dominica. I am disappointed that after thirty odd years of this litany that the engine is still on idle speed. I am disappointed that there does not seem to be the urge even from within to get this engine revved up to high speed . Am I wrong to state that? At least concrete plans should be afoot to open up the lands surrounding Portsmouth for development! Access roads through Sugar Loaf Estate, Glanvillia to one mile to Belle Hall bypass is not a far-fetched idea.
I have listened with interest to promise after promise that the wrecks on the bay-front of Portsmouth will be removed soon. This is way past due. There’s the saying that goes, ‘a promise is comfort to a fool” I dare say we have been fools too long! I have also heard of heady ideas of a bay-front development and promenades for the town . My question is; Have any concept drawings been developed? After more than a decade in office are there any concrete plans , proposals submitted for cabinet consideration or for private sector financing? Anything ?
I do not mind being the lone voice in the wilderness espousing the views that Portsmouth, deserves more, deserves better. I say it with conviction.
It cannot be wrong to expect, that after more than ten years of Labour government representation, we should no longer be expected to go to Roseau, to get almost every transaction that we must with our government done, Birth certificates, licenses, passports etc. It is an unfulfilled promise that we would have gotten in Portsmouth a government administrative building which would cater to that.
Allegations are rife, that this government has rejected proposals by the Dominica Social Security to construct such a facility in Portsmouth on lands which are now being used as “Portsmouth Festival City. Is it true that instead, the directive was given that those lands be sold? Inquire for yourselves what has become of these proposals and circumstances surrounding the sale of this land.
Justify for me the reasoning behind the denial of such a project for the community of Portsmouth.
It appears that it has become ingrained in our people to remain silent. To take our blows quietly. It has become normal for us to be afraid to speak. It behooves me to ask the question; Have we been systematically brainwashed or bribed into being a submissive and or (no offense to the disabled) retarded society?
I dare not say that others are cowards for not speaking out. I believe in “each man to his own order”, so if I feel that this is the way that I can contribute to the development of my community, allow me! You do your own do! If you feel your way is to pull grass then I support you; By all means, pull grass!
Why is it so wrong to speak? I mean, If you do not want to be part of the conversation why not just stay out of it? Why deny others the opportunity to have their conversation ? Why seek , to kill the messenger when we do not enjoy the message?
Late I support you fully. Portsmouth people generally never voted on issues neither on performance, They have held all other parties ransom except the Labour Party that never did anything significant to move the town forward. And they don’t have to do anything to win. Just paint the broomstick red and it will win! It is not a problem of illiteracy because the children of the parents who by the way have degrees(but no temperature) think the same way.
Oh my Lord, Aston I have to say I throughly agree with everything you have said, for so long I have been echoing those sentiments, Our people seem to be selling themselves short, our expectation is so low, we believe that we do not deserve better, we sit back and accept what we are given, we do not stand up and speak out for better. Dominica is such a beautiful Island that could be doing much better than it is doing,there are a lot of natural resource, it should be more self sufficient, giving the young people a sense of pride, and jobs on their Island, rather than our your young people joining foreign military services to escape poverty, and unemployment.
And regardless of which party we support as individual, the important thing is what we want for our Island. Dominicans are not consulted on any decisions regarding their Island, they are treated like children who doesn’t deserve any better, and the sad truth is! we sit back and accept it. A lot of us don’t like to hear the truth, but it has to be said, UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL.
As a possie native myself, I support Ashton 100%.
Hi,
Im a 16 year old guy from Guatemala. Ive been assigned to investigate from Dominica´s political and economical situation. I read a few articles, but Im not really getting what is all the trouble with your PM, the budger, the corruption, and the possible revolution. Can somebody help me with this issue?
amen
Ashton has many points that make a lot of sense.
Everybody knows that Portsmouth’s problem is lack of proper representation.
No matter how much of a nice guy Ian Douglas is he has failed to perform over the last decade.
At one point I even thought it was an alcohol problem, but just next door Reggie Austrie, who also drinks his rum, gets the job down with flying colors with a much heavier workload.
All the people who’s comment is not in support of Mr.Riviere made no sense,UWP stayed in power for just four and a half years and u all expected them to do what this LABOR administration cannot do in 11 plus years,come on be honest with yourself,don’t u think the UWP performed better than this present government?I supported Roosie and no other party but we’ve got to be truthful and stop supporting for supporting sake.
I’ll forever support Mr. Riviere’s arguments. Too much ignorance in the country, they tend to overlook everything!! The mental slavery that exists in the minds of (some) Portsmouth people is sickening
Ashton, NOBODY is preventing you from speaking NOR denying you the right to speak. IN FACT AShton, it MUST be siad that is ONLY NOW that you seemed to have gotten a voice to speak out at alleged ‘underdevelopment’ in Possie. Were you asleep during the 15 year rule of the Freedom Party or 4 1/2 of the UWP?? You yourself confessed to being a Fredomite. Why then didn’t you use the pen to chastise freedom for doing almost NOTHING in Possie for 15 years???
It is rather ironic that you would come out now, at a time when more employent has been created in the Portsmouth area than at any other time in our history (Examples you say? HHV Whitchurch over 80 jobs recently;KFC and Rituals about 50; Subway another dozen or so: Plus expansion of Ross which in recent years has created hundreds of jobs through various areas from cleaners, to arts and craft shops, snakettes, retaurant workers and the like. Note I mentioned EXPANSION, and while you may retort and argue that this government didn’t bring Ross (although it was brought by another DLP leader)one MUSTN’T forget the YOUR PARTY the DFP wanted to close down Ross in the nineties for alleged non-payment of taxes and were it not for the late Jenner Armour, Ross would have been gone and we would be in further perile.
I could go on and on Asthon, but I don’t believe biased people like yourselves can be convinced of the truth even if it is staring you straight in the face!! You speak about rising crime, while this may be true, name me ONE of these more developed towns or cities in the Caribbean that you speak about where the crime rate is lower than Possie?? just ONE Ashton.
So keep on writing my friend. No one is gonna stop you. This is further eveidence that contrary to the impression that people like you would like to potray. DEMOCRACY in Dominica is at its HIGHEST level EVER!!!! Much so than even under your cherished DFP reime. Take care.
Do you really believe this load of crap that you just posted?
Do you realize that DNO did not exist 15 – 20 yrs ago ?
Are you stuck in a time warp? Maybe you might want to read the article again carefully , slowly so that you digest the arguments and then comment again
I guess the cruise ship berth, the long house port expansion , the development of the cabrits national park, the Portsmouth hospital, the Portsmouth government school, the bridges ,the various road projects, Utility expansion . Based on our idea of development it seems unfair to say that the Freedom Party did nothing for Portsmouth in 15 years.
The UWP in 4.5 years brought us the PSS reconstruction, the Mike Douglas BLVD, the development of roads around the Portsmouth area.
Why take credit for the Ross University when the University itself is a private enterprise started during the Freedom Party administration. The Ross university in spite of various speed bumps grew and expanded over the years. The Ross university grew during the Freedom party, during the UWP administration and is still growing – thanks to Ross. So you are claiming credit for the Labor part because of the expansion of private enterprises. Let us see- the last time I checked Ross University like many other off shore universities have expanded their offshore operation simply because of the higher demand in the US and the more stringent requirements for acceptance at US based universities. How can the governments of Grenada and St Kitts get the credit. The expansion of Witchchurch and other businesses in the picard area is a result of Ross university expansion. Please educate us and tell us why the DLP should receive credit for that.
I give the DLP credit for a fisheries complex – which is destined to be a white elephant with no potential to create sustainable jobs. The vikie vay Moroccan hotel now in construction with again no prospects for immediate job stimulation. Rossie provided the fu8nding for the drainage of the benjamine park.What else?????? Ooops. 11 years and a PIP potato field and yet no real potatoes.
It would be wise for Portsmouth people to squeak so that the wheel get greased up. It seems to me that only a few individuals squeaking and greasing up whereas the entire community as a whole is enjoying poverty and neglect by this Corrupt DLP.
This is just the level of ignorance that Ashton is talking about. Freedom Party and UWP did nothing so it is OK to get crap from a DLP . A party that Portsmouth people voted for even when the entire country went in a different direction. It is quite understandable that the truth is scary at times but the reality is that until we accept what is true we are doomed because any structure built on fallacies is destined to crumble.
I support your position whole heartedly Ashton. What do we expect from people who would vote a broom stick dressed up in red cladding. A pastor had been horning them for umpty years yet they felt it was deserving to rewarded him with more money than he and his wife demanded. Note though , that happened even while the pastor wife is working and well paid and the pastor himself is on the corrupt government payroll as spiritual advisor. The very same people dumping their hard earn dollar to support a lavish lifestyle of the pastor whereas they can’t provide for their family. A classic example; a young man who gave these scam artist $3000 to help buy that phantom piece of real estate supposedly for the church and this young man’s mother is walking around town begging people for dollar here and there. Logic is not Portsmouth people’s forte by any means.
The future of Dominica is in the hands of Portsmouth people and they fail to take advantage of that. The physical, economical and political transformation of Dominica is hinged on the Portsmouth area. It rather sad that the DLP can treat Portsmouth like their red head kid and steal be confident that in spite of this neglect that Red Head child will be the most loving and caring.
Mr Riviere i suggest you run for politics, maybe then you will realize the role of a Parliamentary Rep is not to come and cook your food for you, the blames you putting on the Parl rep is unfair and unjust.. we have a responsibility to ourself.
BTW explain what is the “development” you talking about.
If Ian is not the problem then what is? Is it the labor Party inefficiencies? Is it that Portsmouth people ar just OK with being neglected even by a political party that was built on the backs of Portmouth people. What it is that you are saying- Be smart and make a valid point. Stop being a sucker and have your own say . Think independently
I AM FROM POSSIE AND I SHARE THE SAME VIEWS AS MR. REVIERE. AS HE ASELF SAID OTHER MAY NOT HAVE THE COURAGE TO COME FORWARD TO SAY WHATS ON THEIR MIND HOWEVER WHEN I SEE ARTICLES OF THAT SORT I WILL PRAISE THE EFFORT AND AGREE TO WHAT MR. ASHTON SAYS. WE ALL KNOW THAT POSSIE IS UNDERDEVELOPED. THERE HAVE BEEN NO COMMUNITY MEETINGS OR NO COMMUNITY EVENTS. THIS PALREP IS NUTTING COMPARED TO THE OTHER DOUGLAS. THEY WERE MOVE INVOLED IN SUPPORTING THEIR PEOPLE. BEING THERE FOR THEM, PLAYINGS SPORTS WITH THEM AND HAVING DISCCUSIONS WITH THEM. EVEN OUT OF OFFICE THE LATE ROSIE DOUGLAS REPRESENTED THE PEOPLE AND ALSO SEEK FINAINCIAL AND EDUCATION WAYS FOR HIS PEOPLE. NOW WE HAVE MR. IAN DOUGLAS MAINLY INVOLVES IN PLANNING PARTY ACTIVITIES FOR THE TOWN. WE DONT NEED PARTY WE NEED JOBS. THERE SAY A GOOD LEADER SHOULD SOMETIMES NEED TO GO AGAINST THE PEOPLE OR SAY THINGS WHICH COULD BRING CHANGE. YOU NEED TO SPEAK OUT AND LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD. WHEN ITS ELECTION TIME YOUR IN FULL VOICE PUTTING YOUR SUPPORT BEING UR PM….UR AT THE FORE FRONT HOWEVER AFTER ELECTION THATS IT. NEXT 5 YEARS…SMH YOU NEEED TO WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE SIR.
WELL DONE MR. REVIERE.
CHEERS
Before government can attempt to do anything in Possie, Possie people mentality has to change. Almost everything that is successfully happening in possie, was initiaiated by people from outside possie. Whilst government has a responsibility to its citizenry, each of us have a responsibility for our own community’s development. Rather than taking the time to transfer blame to a government for not working “for the people” it might be a more proactive approach to educate your people to visualize development as a government working ‘with the people.’ The phrase “attitude maketh man” is never a cliche’ if we all think of development as profound and not superficial.
there were the freedom party, the United Workers Party, none of them did what you are asking, why do you people pretend that its the Dominica Labour Party is the only party Dominica has ever had.
This Labour Party is a hard working party and you people who want to prey on this government for you all own personal selfishness.
Everything you all want to blame the government, from since i was born portsmouth people and other people no matter where they live have to come to roseau to collect birthpaper etc.
What is wrong with you all people, give my party a break.
All of you want to rise up against this government but time will tell.
Comments like yours that shows how brainwashed Portsmouth people are. Labour has been in power from God knows when and what have they done to remove Portsmouth from the rut it has found itself in? All they do is parler parler parler.
Possie people it is time to liberate yourself from mental slavery, time to change time to stand up for Possie.
I support this article fully