Please notice that outside of the original title - this article has almost nothing to do with the Trinidad and Tobago steelpan music community directly, much less specifically. One can only surmise that the title was chosen to pull on the underlining continued contempt and resentment, that many in Trinidad and Tobago, still harbor for the steelpan music community...
This is a classic case of Yellow “Journalism”.
WST
$250M jumping up in steelband
…AG expresses concern over $.25 billion Carnival spending
THE Government pumped $250 million into this year’s Carnival.
This was revealed by Attorney General Anand Ramlogan during an interview with CNMG television during its parade of the bands broadcast on Carnival Tuesday from the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port of Spain.
He stressed that it was a ¼ billion dollars government was spending for this year’s show, dubbed the “Greatest Show on Earth.”
However, the AG is hoping that there would be proper accountability for the money, but he did not go into details.
When TnT Mirror contacted Ramlogan about his call for accountability over the huge sum being spent this year, he said he would not elaborate.
The AG said to ask “Gypsy”, referring to Arts and Multiculturalism Minister Winston “Gypsy” Peters.
The whopping sum of money has raised eyebrows after Government announced it had approved almost $100 million for Carnival 2012.
Replies
I wonder if the tnt mirror had access to a different set of facts when they did their creative math and came up with this quarter of a billion dollar bounty "jumping up in steelband? The Newsday has the figure of just $25 million going to Pan Trinbago. Sensationalism at its worst by the tnt mirror here.
This just looks to me like the original estimate for Carnival was $100Mil, and the overall cost is estimated at $250Mil. Instead of interviewing Gypsy to get an accounting of where the additional money was spent, the journalist interviewed the politician who was raising the inquiry.
"The AG said to ask Gypsy" is a line that sounds like, "I'll have to ask my mom!" If you were a reporter and got that response, what would you do?
My question is why, after being re-directed to the information source, the journalist stopped looking. I suspect that although this is not exactly yellow journalism, it's closer in kind to the National Enquirer in its style. Innuendo, not reportage. There is one more clue that tells me this is over-reaction to the story.
In the article, the writer uses the term "Raised eyebrows" (???) This is not normal investigative reportage.
Are you sure this is not just a gossip columnist in the entertainment section that you are trying to take so seriously? I haven't read the paper, but I think it must be. So, naturally it is worded in a manner intended to stir up a little kerfuffle.
this man is the ultimate ass hole
I don't know to whom you are referring to as the ultimate a.h. but my comment was simply put for debate and not to offend anyone
Gypsy mentioned that the government gets no returns whatsoever from carnival events. So am I to understand that any promoter,liscensed, or someone just looking to make some income for the season could organise a big fete and gets to keep all the proceeds for him or herself? No taxes on what they make? I find this hard to believe. But if that is truly the case, then our nation has financial problems coming. Carnival is a national pastime and could not take place without state approval. How can a government sponsor a national event and not get returns on it? Carnival is the world's biggest party and all who are allowed to promote public events must be made to pay taxes on what they earned for said event. What about the entertainers? Are their winnings all for them to keep? Will someone in the know reply to this comment? I live abroad and may not be too much in touch with what is happening at home but i find it hard to believe that income from carnival events are not taxed.
Tell 'terry' and all other PP sycophants...is not THE GOVERNMENT'S $250M... it's THE PEOPLE'S...ALL THE PEOPLE'S... $250M. While you're at it..remind the culture minister of that also! He does always talk as though the money is HE OWN!
Yes Glen, It IS the people's money...and that is why (regardless which political party is in power), the PEOPLE'S (government ) money should be spent frugally, with timely accounting to ALL the people, AND for all government activities.
If this were the practice with the PEOPLE'S money, several Caribbean Islands (St. Kitts, USVI, for example) would not be in financial troubles....and this discussion would be moot.
the truth offends and we in true trini fashion would love to get more to jump and more freeness
of course some one has to bring in pnm
the cancer of tnt for so long
it is not enshrined in the constitution that pnm or any party for that matter has a right to govern us
Underlying everything is the question of accountability and the need for a strategic plan for the country which positions pan and the other carnival arts industries more prominently as resources for sustainable national development. Without financial accountability "everything turns ole mas!" (Pardon the expression.)
Bigmac is correct. "jumping up in steel band" is an old colloquial expression meaning "waste".
It also probably had very negative connotations about participating in a steel band however, and is one of those expressions widely used in the past which, with modern sensitivity, could be considered "politically incorrect".
All in all, its usage in this instance a case of careless journalism.
And one wonders if the accountants ever computed how much revenue the"Greatest Show on Earth" actually brought into T&T in 2012.
I'd bet its much more than 250 million dollars!
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