Is This a SCAM or what?

[Salah Wilson]

I am not too bright .....so I have only just realized what is really going on a few minutes ago so I have no choice but to re-post the following

CHECK THIS OUT!...When you take a closer look at the math.....

I am claiming to give you $2 million dollars...for the winning band in 2011

but remember you were already getting $1million for the winning band in 2010.

so I am only really giving you $1 million

Now I am taking away $200.00 from 10 thousand pan players......this is equal to $2million

So in reality what I am doing is giving you $1million in 2011...but I am taking away $2million in 2011

End result is that we ( the Pan Community) are losing $1million in 2011.

Read it over ...you will understand that  THIS IS A BIG SCAM.

Salah.

 

Again  I only just realized the math...but I am now wondering whether the Government of T&T did this intentionally or really think that the "Pan Man is dumb". They are 'brighter' than I am  so they must know ..I conclude ,,,but what about the Pan Organization ..because they ar "Pan Men" Did they realize that the Pan Community will in fact be losing $1millon.

One step forward and two steps backward.........somebody say something

Salah

[Salah Wilson]

Mr. Joseph John ...your points are well taken..and  I am quite sure that everyone on this Forum would love to see a better performance by the Steelpan organization in Trinidad. However this particular issue is
indeed about what the Government promised to give the Pan Community during the election and what they have recently agreed in Cabinet to take away, and many people expressed on this forum that the math don't
lie and does not add up in our favour.. That is why we asked the question ..Is this a SCAM or what?.

On your other issues...Panorama has not taken the Pan out of Carnival...rather it has always enhanced the Carnival season bringing in tourist  a whole month before the carnival to check out the Pan yard practice sessions and Preliminary competitions. As far as the amount of songs that bands learn and play ...this again is not just the fault of bands. The fact is that bands are no longer hired in Fetes for the Carnival season as before
. this is because of the technology of heavy DJ music and amplified bands ...Pan still remains acoustic and does not match up to the high decibels of DJ music or amplified music from brass bands  etc...After a DJ or amplified band plays the volume  level of the Pan just does not add up. The same applies for being on the road for Carnival
...Steelbands have to compete with a few factors the same DJ Music on trucks and Bars along the parade routes. Using all the Panorama racks and Stands for rolling on the road is also problematic because the
amount of Cars and other vehicles that are parked on the streets would prove a real task for a big band with racks to move through the streets like how it used to be ...it is a pity.

But it is not just about  identifying the problems  but also finding the solutions.

Removing Cars and Vehicles from particular routes would help but where to park these vehicles  is another issue..

Having more Steelpan competitions along the different routes is certainly an incentive for bands to come out .

Funding for Steelpan players to play on the road is another incentive  ( but look at what is presently happening to the preliminary panorama funding)

You still have to work out the DJ problem  for the road.

It will take strong leadership on both the Government and the Pan organization and the willingness to want to improve the situation for anything positive to happen as regards these issues.

In the meantime we all still  have to keep raising these issues

[Salah Wilson]

To my fellow brothers & sisters on this forum, I invite you to go to the link for Trinidad Express video clips and check out theresponse by Pan Trinbago. I did this 
because in searching for the facts you will become informed. It is not
about just talk or criticizing Pan Trinbago or even the government,  but it is about trying to get what is best
for the Pan community to happen.  Pan Trinbago
is made up of Trinis like us with different opinions so it is not just a one
man show. Why this Forum of WST is important is because it gives a world
perspective on Pan issues . We on the outside are not locked into the box in
T&T . It is all the reason why  we need
to continue with these debates and Pan Trinbago et al should also be checking
out these international opinions . I know that people like Michael L. Joseph is
…so this is good even if we disagree it is still healthy. At the end of the day
we have to find a solution to identify the true enemy of Pan and unite against
this. Check the following link  ……… Salah

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/videos/Call-for-Panorama-boycott-112...

[kaiso]

Pan Trinbago gave in too easily. They should have instructed pan leaders to continue practicing but let Peters know that we'd be expecting $1,500 per player in 2011 or no Panorama - instead they caved for the $800 not realizing that Peters was playing them all along.

[Michael L Joseph]

Where you people get your info, I will really like to know the source?Who did Pantrinbago give in too, and when? What I find as very strange, is the stony silence coming from Calypso and Mas. when your neigabour house on fire, wet yours.  Also strange is how D Gypsy forget that it was Pan Trinbago that used to give him a play when the past regime had him in D DOG House. I agree that they did squander money employing him to sing on their shows.

[Salah Wilson]

Michael, good point on the silence from the other art forms Soca, Chutney  & Mas...Defosto to the rescue with calypso ....like a real calypsonian made up a calypso about the issue "More Money For Pan" and directed it straight to his Calypso colleague  Gypsy. We should also speak up about the other art forms for instance Calypso has been around for at least 8 decades,  Soca about 3 decades , Chutney less than 2 decades but they all get the same $2million....Where is the Seniority?

[Bugs]

Salah you are asking the questions that people were too coward or too corupt to ask from the very begining. People need to be called out on this.  This issue just exposed them all.

 

bugs

[wmlpan]

LOL indeed.  Salah had the balls, and now several people are lining up behind him so depending on how things develop, they can say "I did say that!"  And surf on his coat tails.

 

Typical punk Trinis.

[Sarah-Ann]

At last someone has agreed with me. I have been blogging every where that I can about this, they arte not giving anythig the Panmen are paying for that prize. That prize money is being paid for by the PLAYERS

You are bright, but business men like Mr Peters think that they are brighter, and this PP that we voted for must be seen to be keeping the promises that they made at any cost.

[Nutones]

Consider the politics in Trinidad and Tobago; a majority of the bands in Trinidad are based in PNM constituencies.  The current government at the time of the elections did not bank on winning those PNM strongholds anyway and as the outcome shows it did not need to win those constituencies to win the elections.  So politically, there's really no obligation for the government to support panmen.  Its first obligation is to reward those constituents that helped it win the elections. I am not suggesting that this is right but am simply positing another dimension of the problem for folks to consider. This should be a wake up call for Pan Trinbago to get used to receiving less assistance from the government. It truly has to develop a long term strategy that will help it to become self-sufficient.  John Joseph on this blog hit the nail right on the head by calling for the vanguard of the movement to be completely replaced with new people who will hopefully have new ideas.  The current leadership is not doing a great job at articulating why the government should assist it.  The onus is on Pan Trinbago to articulate the viability of panorama.  Taxpayers don't have money to "waste" on pan simply because it is the only instrument invented in the 20th century.  The saxophone was invented in Belgium centuries ago, which most people don't even know and it is an instrument that is played all over the world.  Making pan the national instrument of Trinidad and Tobago is nothing but propaganda. Who cares?  That doesn't solve the problems faced by the movement or provide a strong basis for the government to support the movement.    

[Michael L Joseph]

If you really understand the kind of contribution the Steelband is making, to hold the social fabric of T&T together, you will not be making the kind of statement that you are making. But, say what, who feels it knows it. If we only let it drop the crime rate will go up leaps and bounds. You think it bad now? Let pan flop, and they will taste the bitter cup.