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No Backing Down
| Posted:
2009-09-24 5:24:00 PM
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MR'PM. sir i thought you once said that the voice of the people is the voice of GOD,but the people are asking for the tax to be brought back down is that to hard to do sir if not then there is NO BACKING DOWN from TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO PEOPLE. |
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No backing down?
| Posted:
2009-09-24 9:32:00 PM
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Oh please! we all know this is to finance a deficit that we the citixens had nothing to do with...and it comes at a time of looming unemployment and recession. We need to take a collective stance and rally against imposition of this tax. Let the government use its creativity to deal with the budget. Just imagine billions of dollars flow through this country again like a dose of salts. Why must we be penalized for government suandermania? |
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COMMON SENSE
| Posted:
2009-09-24 5:54:00 PM
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The only thing socialist idiots know to do is raise taxes, not reduce spending, not stop pandering to lazy fools by giving them free houses. This is what happens when you live in a nanny state where the Government is your daddy. Enjoy being "taken care of." It's OK, carnival is right around the corner, everyone will wine it up and pay $3,000 for a bikini with sequence. No one will complain about that....fools!!! |
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...and No Damn Dog Bark!!
| Posted:
2009-09-24 6:18:00 PM
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The good minister is true to the legacy of the PNM, but a wake up call is on the way. Government represent the people and office holders are not by divine intervention. One is tempted to interpret the minister's reported response to be almost with disdain. Just thinking....Pete, Boston |
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We must not back down either
| Posted:
2009-09-24 8:01:00 PM
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Where as the citizens are deprived of recreational parks, clean roads etc; could legal action then be taken against the state? If we are paying huge taxes for services we are not getting but are paying for, wouldn't this be a breach of contract be the citizenry and the state? Therefore I strongly suggest a culture of the use of the courts and legal systems as a means of showing the government that they must now get serious with our money and our taxes. If you fall into an open manhole on the pavement please sue. If you do not get pipeborne water please sue. If your area is polluted with smoke from the city dump at Beerham, please sue. Buy camcorders, and recorders and record everything as your own evidence and use the courts, we have rights people! If we use our rights and educate ourselves of our rights then any Government will take us very seriously. |
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Since they don't care about us...
| Posted:
2009-09-24 8:03:00 PM
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I guess they don't care if they are ever voted back in... Utter stupidity! |
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Don't care attitude
| Posted:
2009-09-25 01:16:00 AM
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The PNM don't care about the cries of the people, they implement what they feel is right. |
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madness
| Posted:
2009-09-25 00:50:00 AM
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now is not the time for that |
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No Backing down....Of course not...You are the Boss
| Posted:
2009-09-25 03:42:00 AM
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Trinidad and Tobago has made a mockery of the word Democracy. Post Colonialism has showed us that with the exception of Eric Williams, Locals were not ready to take the reins from the British and move forward into the 21st century. The Leadership of this country has surrounded itself with "Yes men and women". Only one brain is actually doing the thinking and all the heads in the room are just nodding in agreement. Democracy without Transparency is Socialism in disguise. I have seen the British Parliament in action… “Nays” and “Yeas “among the same party, and sometimes when politicians don’t agree they almost come to blows. In the Japanese parliament politicians actually share blows among each other, and I am referring to females as well. Fist fights are a common thing and is accepted as part of the negotiating process. When they finish getting the steam worked up, they sit back down and negotiate and in some cases re-negotiate till they come to a common agreement, by the way Japan is also a Democracy. Do you know what happens in Trinidad when a Politician does not go along with the leadership? They are called Wagangs, and dissent is called wagang behavior. Two or three people come up with lame ideas and it becomes a Law… bap, just like that. Lowly hard working “Peasants” have to just go with the flow, accept what is handed down to them, ”It is the will of Allah”. When you have one person in the country that does all the thinkings, and you have for example a Minister of National Security who over sees a budget of 4.7 Billion dollars, but don’t know the difference from his ankle to his elbow, a Finance Minister who is now a “Maverick”, your beloved country ends up with things like 360’ Radars, Blimps, useless cost overrun Stadiums, Bombardier Jets, refurbished private multimillion dollars costing homes, dysfunctional civil service, crime riddled communities, an Unemployment Relief Program that pays the youths to do “Unskilled” labor, but then turns around and import Chinese “skilled” labor, all of these costing Billions of Tax Payers’ dollars in the long run. Instead of having good Hospitals, Water for every citizen regardless to what part of the country they are, modernized infrastructure. The basic things that a modern society needs are put on a back burner while the leadership you voted for and the opposition party are “Hard” at work, but in our case on their own agendas. A step in the right direction would be to draft a “New” constitution prohibiting these same people more than two terms of Leadership in this Country, just like it is done in America. That would be the first step in seeing some daylight, more new ideas, and prevent complacency. With a policy like Tax dem, squeeze dem, mek dem ban deh belly some more, empty deh pockets, then take the money and do more “Chupidness”. Believe me people, we deserve better that what we are getting from the leadership of this Country, and as long as we keep on voting for them and treating them like without them, we cannot survive, what we get is what we deserve. Lloyd C. Johnson US Army Retired, Germany |
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Squeezing Blood from Stone
| Posted:
2009-09-25 03:14:00 AM
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To begin with you could save some of my money by not bothering with the Newspaper Campaign, we know what you want to do and how you going to do it. By taking food out of my mouth you hope to make back the money that you have thrown away. My money that you have thrown away. My money that we kept on telling you to be careful with. But no, tall buildings standing empty with promises.
Trinidad and Tobago people say no. No to this and I don't care what you say, this tax is brutal. Especially to retires who during their working life have scraped together to get a roof over their heads. We are saying no. We will not pay. Will you, the government that cares, now throw me out into the road?
St James |
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Last straw
| Posted:
2009-09-24 11:18:00 PM
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Maybe if the Government had some foresight they would not have been misappropriating State funds for years....now as a solution they are going to squeeze the pockets of citizens in the midst of a recession. Then why am I surprised, it is quite obvious that the leaders in this country do not care about its people, sad but true.... |
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No backing down from tax hike.
| Posted:
2009-09-25 03:53:00 AM
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We voted for what ever comes to us. Marching against it won't help. I read in the scripture where one king said 'my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions'. We are now experiencing the effects of the scorpions based on our choice of governance. |
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no backing down
| Posted:
2009-09-25 04:07:00 AM
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I hope that after the election when I show my displeasure with this government that all others will take heed that the will of the people must be taken into consideration when making such ludicrous decisions, bring on your tax but don't forget to announce an election date also |
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Administrative nightmare.
| Posted:
2009-09-25 05:35:00 AM
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What does the Minister of Finance means when she says the new Property Tax will be user-friendly and easy to administer? User friendly! and people are bitching about it already; easy to administer! what is just rental value on which the tax is based? |
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Who really works for who?
| Posted:
2009-09-25 04:55:00 AM
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People, it is about time we stop accept bullying. These people are our employees but they act as if we are their slaves. Simply put, all that is required is UNITY. We must unite against this oppressive & unjustified tax. Simply don't pay it. NOBODY PAY PROPERTY TAX & there will be nothing they can do. Be warned CARBON TAX is next, we will all be taxed to breathe. The Government of Trinidad & Tobago has long been hijacked by HARDCORE Criminal Thugs and they are GANGSTERING US. STAND UP & TAKE BACK YOUR GOVERNMENT NOW. STOP BEING SO TOLLERANT TO TYRANTS. |
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Property Tax
| Posted:
2009-09-25 05:12:00 AM
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Is Finance Minister Karen Nunez-Tesheira going to pay the new taxes, or is she exempt from doing so? Inquiring minds would like to know. |
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Property Tax
| Posted:
2009-09-25 05:14:00 AM
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These peoples serious boi ?...... well i hope the country is watching so when elections come and we hear the "great is the PNM " cry , we can finally respond appropriately. |
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Summit of the Americas BILL.
| Posted:
2009-09-25 06:41:00 AM
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It sounds like there is a big rush to grab our money. I wonder if this new taxation is is to pay for the SUMMIT. While PM Patrick Manning is playing GODFATHER to the Caribbean, writing off Debts owed to us, building an Aircraft Maintenece Facility in Grenada, We can't enjoy PROPPER ROADS, HEALTH CARE, EDUCATION and criminal running wild slaying people in the street when our so called leaders are living it up behind their secure walls with security and lots of insurance & driving on the Bus Route. |
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Oil and Gas Revenue should support those Government services
| Posted:
2009-09-25 05:22:00 AM
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I believe that the property taxes is unfair as the government has large financial reserves due to the prosperous oil and gas industry which makes Trinidad very rich and the average salaries in Trinidad is relatively low compare to US,Canada and England.This tax will be a burden to the average person in Trinidad and Tobago.
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The purpose of the tax?!?!
| Posted:
2009-09-25 06:22:00 AM
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Why the hell did we not use the squandered boom dollars for the purposes of road maintainance et al the 'Honerable' Minister has listed rather than blowing it on conferences and huge mega-projects with cronies lining their pockets on all sides? |
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Arrogance
| Posted:
2009-09-25 03:54:00 AM
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Do you think this government will carry out the wishes of the majority, when they know if an election is called today they will still be in office |
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Come better than that
| Posted:
2009-09-25 07:56:00 AM
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The honourable Finance Minister says that the new taxation scheme was announced in parliament in 2008, the Hansard supports this. However, no specific details or rather no details whatsoever were announced and as such the general public did not see fit to question the merit or impact of this "announcement". I think that is a poor response to the reaction to the new property taxes. Government always seem to justify themselves in whatever they do, no matter how absurd it may seem or how the public (the taxpayers, the voters, the beneficiaries and victims) may react. |
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waste of time
| Posted:
2009-09-25 02:36:00 AM
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Why is this person still in government ,after the scandal that was surrounding her? Trinididian need to be more strict and don't let things die down. |
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NO BACKING DOWN TAXES
| Posted:
2009-09-25 05:10:00 AM
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This lady Karen is having is her own way
PROPERTY TAXES and more TAXES each year.
Well Oil is becoming to water no $110.00
per barrel, so now they will sock it to you citizens for the short fall. Wake up and all property owners get a representative and protest this tax. What if you all can not afford to pay this high increase? they will take away your property like they do in the USA and sell it. Many people will be homeless, the PNM mess up so you will pay for it. Stop no more Taxes, let the Gov't know, stand up for your rights as Bob Marley said in his song.
Trini- N.J. USA |
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NO BACKING DOWN New property tax stays despite protests
| Posted:
2009-09-25 09:20:00 AM
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Not surprised really...
Tyrannical to say the least... |
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No respect for Parliament
| Posted:
2009-09-25 04:15:00 AM
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This attitude shows that the government has no respect for Parliament. Nunez-Tesheria is saying there will be no backing down even before the Budget has been passed in Parliament. Very contemptuous, I would say. Most people are not paying 10 percent on their 2004 property assessment, as she claims, but on 1940 assessments. As Prof Spence has pointed out, the old system was in fact much more equitable because the taxes were low and it did not matter much if they varied in different parts of the country.
The government should show more respect for our democratic institutions, especially the Parliament.
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With Taxation must come serious accountability on the State
| Posted:
2009-09-25 08:22:00 AM
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I am supporting Tax reformation in our country. If one is to be realistic and fair, you cannot deny that our taxes especially property taxes are incredibly low. When the population increase, demands for goods and services from the State obviously is going to increase. The current income generated from taxes that would have been sufficient for the 1970s is simply inadequate to sustain increasing demands on the state today due to increasing population. However what I have a serious problem with is that the argument for the increased property taxes will not or hardly be used for what they say it is being used for, based on past experiences. Currently NIS and Health surcharges are taken yet we have poor health care and health institutions. Road taxes are taken yet roads and bridges are in a poor state. It seem as though whether there is population growth or not and even though taxes are collected, citizens are advantageously denied the goods and services they pay for via their taxes. Obviously citizens will resist and protest further taxation because of failed promises in the past. The time has come for serious accountability as is done in first world countries where the State must answer heavily to Parliament and the Courts where citizens can seek redress for poor health care, poor drainage, discrimination etc. Then taxation would only seem fair to a tax payer who can now seek redress. |
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They should still reconsider
| Posted:
2009-09-25 04:24:00 AM
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If the gov't stops some of the spending on things that no body else wants (eg Summits, Stadiums etc) they can then do without taxing people. Also - public officials living in homes paid for by the people (dipolmatic centre, President's house) could be made to pay 3% of the rental value of their homes as well. |
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geroge bush
| Posted:
2009-09-25 04:30:00 AM
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Here it is you think you going to help the poor. This policy will only make the rich get richer and the poor gets poorer. The richman will just layoff a few workers or cut the pay or workers thats all. But what the poor man do, imbibe the PNM policy to partake in crime as a means of restitution. A few thousand dollar might be the differnce for some ppl to provide food or books for thier children. I guess the govt want less of us to go university, as it cost the govt money (ours). This is crap I hate what you are doing to us the middle class and poor. I hope what goes around comes around you theif of dreams. |
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Beetham, Morvant, Belmont and the likes - Property tax as well?
| Posted:
2009-09-25 08:32:00 AM
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So people, there you have it. Your mighty PM and his un-blurred vision 2020 will be shafting you with property taxes. Did you know he was going to do this to you? What? You mean he didn't disclose this to you during one of those "FAMILY" days in Tacarigua? My, my, my. He has shafted you in many more ways than you know. |
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Not everyone will pay this tax - certainly not the landlords
| Posted:
2009-09-25 09:55:00 AM
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A little reflection will show that no property tax is equitable. For example, landlord simply pass on the tax to their tenants and therefore it is the tenants that pay the tax - not the landlord. With many people forced to rent, landlords can so increase their rents that the tenants can be made to pay the commercial property taxes for the place they are renting and the residential property tax for the place the landlord lives in. Not only is this not equitable, this is precisely what landlords will try to do. |
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We'll who will back down
| Posted:
2009-09-25 08:50:00 AM
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We'll see who backs down when election time comes around again. The absolute cockiness that seems so rampant from these "public servants". Time will tell, and hopefully by then we'll have a viable alternative on the slate. |
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Need to protect tenants
| Posted:
2009-09-25 10:19:00 AM
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With respect to taxing commercial property, the only way that landlords will not be able to pass on the new measures to tenants is if there is some entity that regulates rental prices. As long as landlords are free to demand any price they want then the only people who will pay commercial property taxes are the tenants. |
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No Backing Down !!!!!!!!
| Posted:
2009-09-25 09:21:00 AM
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Yeah, People of T&T DO NOT BACK DOWN !
Stand together against this opressor, do not back down.
After the Gov't has squandered our hard earned tax paying dollars on The Tarouba Stadium and other equally unecessary projects, why must we contribute even more to their wasteful spending.
If we unite we can make them back down. Stand together people ! |
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No Backing Down
| Posted:
2009-09-25 11:04:00 AM
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Sure Karen Nunez, when you have a job with the PNM government today, money is no problem to pay more taxes. |
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Re: No Backing Down
| Posted:
2009-09-25 11:08:00 AM
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Sometimes it is not a bad thing to pay more taxes. However, the major problem with the PNM government is that, the taxes collected, are either foolishly squandered, or suddenly disappears, and the nation's government services continues to deteriorate day by day |
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No Backing Down
| Posted:
2009-09-25 11:10:00 AM
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Karen Nunez knows whose pockets to target, mostly the law abiding citizens, would like to see her try going up to Laventille to collect taxes |
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Karen: No Backing Down
| Posted:
2009-09-25 11:14:00 AM
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Karen,no back back on we, no back back. Our pockets empty, we can't pay no more. Darling don't do that to we |
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No Backing Down
| Posted:
2009-09-25 07:23:00 AM
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The time has come for Karen Nunez to stop playing with her earring, during her press conferences, and provide some honest answers to us taxpayers in this country, enough is enough. She is implementing one of the biggest tax grabs in the history of our nation, while also planning to borrow billions of dollars. At the end of the day, we are still sitting in gridlock, for those of us fortunate enough to even have a job, while others are lying on a hospital bed for days, before a doctor can walk by and totally ignore you. Get real Madame minister, you must be spending the money elsewhere, but obviously not on us taxpayers |
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No backing down
| Posted:
2009-09-25 11:26:00 AM
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I have to say that when people are affluent, and by the way, these people become affluent because they got inheritance beside their hard work, and investments. However, these people cannot understand the poor people or the middle class dilemna of not having money to 'throw around'. We all have to admit that we must pay property taxes, but why is the government putting such a large increase, and in one fell swoop? In my county in Maryland taxes will increase. If it increased by 12% it will be over a 3 year period. Not even the private enterprise will do what the government is doing. I don't understand why a government will increase a tax by more than 200% all at once! I can't imagine in what country this is done. The government even said that if you are paying $200, you will now pay $600. So no consideration to a person's budget, no consideration to child care or child maintenance, or other bills. The percentage should not be so high and whatever it is it should be phased in over a period of time. What a government! a.c. md |
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No Backing down
| Posted:
2009-09-25 12:54:00 AM
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One can see the seriousness in Ms,Nunez's face.She is telling us that the country is in trouble without the tax increase.Take a look at the AG, also, his face is concern for the country.The PNM, went overboard with runaway spending.They meant good for the country, but did it without using intelligence.Mistakes are the reasons why governments are usually replaced. |
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NO BACKING DOWN
| Posted:
2009-09-25 07:54:00 AM
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This is all well and good, but I hope that the improvements in government services to the communties are realise. However, one question what about the squatters and the unregularise housing? How are taxes going to be levied on them. |
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property tax
| Posted:
2009-09-25 12:01:00 AM
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I am a property owner in Arima and I would like to know through which medium I was informed. Something like that will not be forgotten. So please tell me, so that I can go back and check for my self. |
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No Backing down
| Posted:
2009-09-25 12:03:00 AM
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Karen, like it is the norm with your administration, the government pushes everything down peoples' throat and does not listen! And we call this a democracy. If you put the same attitude into the issue of crime maybe people can live in T&T
People take heed and exercise your right to remove these people from power.
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NO BACKING DOWN
| Posted:
2009-09-25 1:46:00 PM
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I am amazed at the citizens' revolt because I had believed the proposed property tax to be fair--3% based on the per annum rental value of one's property and not the capital value. Some of these elder people have grown/old children with children living in their homes for free. Of course my family will have to pay the tax and we don't protest it as we understand it is necessary and if you don't pay the tax, the government can place a lien on said property until the owed tax is paid up---or if not paid, siezed and auctioned which is done in the States. In the U.S., we pay Federal nd State taxes on everything, including our salaries. Some states don't levy a state income tax but in these states, the property tax is very high as this money is designated for regional public schools and universities and municipal services such as sanitation programs,local hospitals, etc. T&T is a developing country and taxes must be borne by the people to create and sustain a civilized standard of living and hopefully, the central government will ensure that municipalities/villages, etc., get every public service for a good lifestyle and likewise prosecute those public workers'at the various Local Government Corporations for their various improprieties/misappropriation of central government funding meant for infrastructure retrofitting while simultaneously stealing the road-building supplies meant for communities, etc, for their own purpose at their homes. I know this Local Government Corporation racketeering is prevalant in my area, Tabaquite/Couva/Talparo, a region where there has never been services provided, or I should say, services provided only to the friends and relatives of the Councillors of this Corp. Check the wall of the Southern Main Road/at Cedar Hill Road public cemetary as an example of gross neglect! This is just before the Claxton Bay fishing port---why those C/Bay fisher-people who are protesting the Port build-up don't see this cemetary only fit for corbeaux, an atrocity, is beyond me! I returned from my Trini home on 9/14/09--I eyeballed the cemetary---gross! Capitol Hill/W.DC |
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Property taxes
| Posted:
2009-09-25 1:57:00 PM
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Use your power of veto with your vote. And make sure it is not electronic voting, because if it is your vote will count for naught. |
