Helping Laventille to Become Helpless

[Trinbagoviews]

Apart from the criminalization of drugs which inflates drug prices to the benefit of producers, traffickers and gangs; no other single factor has contributed to the socio economic decline of Laventille and its environs than the billions of taxpayer dollars spent "helping" Laventille.

Sadly, more people are living in fear and in substandard living conditions in East Port of Spain and Laventille today than 20 or 30 years ago.



This unfortunate reality has come about in spite of a heavy concentration of welfare dollars via social programmes such as the URP, Food Card Programme, CEPEP, Targeted Conditional Cash Transfer Programme and other make work programmes.

These programmes all seek to undo the consequences of poor individual moral choices. For poor moral choices typically precede poor personal financial outcomes in the long run. These poor moral choices include casual, unprotected premarital sex and apathy towards educational attainment, deferred gratification and hard work.

Under normal circumstances the negative consequences of poor moral choices would form disincentives to ill-advised choices, yet government assistance has now made poor choices eligible criteria for assistance; thereby mitigating the negative repercussions that normally would discourage such behaviour.

Ironically, the more poor mistakes are made, the more compelling case for government assistance.

Meanwhile; years of politicians / bureaucrats seeking photo opportunities to appear self righteous with other peoples money and opportunities and to validate the establishment of "Programmes" through which tax dollars can be siphoned away corruptly have had disastrous consequences.

These programmes have crippled many in these communities and conditioned them to believe as residents of Laventille they are incapable and helpless, requiring government to be their primary provider of jobs, housing, food and recreation -thereby creating a vicious cycle of dependency.

According to Robert Lupton author of Toxic charity

1.Give once and you elicit appreciation;
2.Give twice and you create anticipation;
3.Give three times and you create expectation;
4.Give four times and it becomes entitlement;
5.Give five times and you establish dependency

Communities in Laventille and other poverty stricken communities have long entered into the dependency phase of this destructive spiral.

Although eliminating public assistance may strike some as cruel and heartless even more unkind is perpetuating destructive intergenerational poverty and indignity.

Trinbagoviews.com

[bignog]

Dey just need ......pan and soup kitchen ......doh beat up!

[UML]

yuh cah feel sorry for people who doh feel sorry for themselves!

how could you help someone who doesn't want to help themself?

[BrotherHood]

As a former resident of one of these depressed areas, everything comes down to the choices one makes. Not everyone from a depressed community is criminally inclined or intent on engaging in criminal activity. Some help themselves and excell while some have grown and expect to be 'fed', and protest when they do not get what they want. The environment, lack of parental supervision, lack of parents themselves who are uneducated, incompetent, young and unworthy of rasing children all contribute to the problem that exists today. These people are too deep in dependency that it is almost impossible to break free of that culture.
Yuh can't help somebody who does not want to help themselves.

[hustla_ambition101]

Can't believe I agreeing with uml on this one. Many people from depressed areas use it as a stepping stone out of their bad situation and advance themselves. Some rather wallow in it and make excuses to be lazy and be criminals. Opportunities exist for all to take advantage.

[Fearless]

As a former resident of one of these depressed areas, everything comes down to the choices one makes. Not everyone from a depressed community is criminally inclined or intent on engaging in criminal activity. Some help themselves and excel while some have grown and expect to be 'fed', and protest when they do not get what they want. The environment, lack of parental supervision, lack of parents themselves who are uneducated, incompetent, young and unworthy of raising children all contribute to the problem that exists today. These people are too deep in dependency that it is almost impossible to break free of that culture.
Yuh can't help somebody who does not want to help themselves.

THIS!

[mitch1980]

yuh cah feel sorry for people who doh feel sorry for themselves!

how could you help someone who doesn't want to help themself?

I met many persons from Lavantille during a 5 year period lecturing in Intad, POS.

Many good persons i met and have beaten the poverty/dependency cycle with education and hard work.



sometimes they only want money and no other means of assistance

but You cannot help someone who does not want to be helped.

[toyota2nr]

Ever since 1956 the residents of Laventille have been programmed with the mantra of 'vote for us and we will give you what you want'. Sadly they have been voting for one party and yet the promised resources never materialised. They have gotten just enough to get by while those starving them have blinded their vision making them believe that the reason for the situation is someone else oppressing them.

They have been advantaged so long that they no longer see the perpetrators for what they are but victims. They now sympathise with their oppressors so much that they are willing to defend them to the end. We see that here on tuner in the comments of many posters.

The people must be willing to divorce themselves of hateful oppressive group masquerading as a political party that has brainwashed them with that destructive culture over many generations.

One solution to fixing the problem starts with urban renewal as clean new surroundings contributes to changing the mindset of those entrapped.

[Dizzy28]

In before the thread explodes into PNM vs UNC!!

[UML]

The people must be willing to divorce themselves of hateful oppressive group masquerading as a political party that has brainwashed them with that destructive culture over many generations.

a good example is my congratulating Dr. Moonilal for having a baby

or highlighting the hypocrisy in Dr. Rowley's statements about importing labour




how does it feel to be highlighted for being brainwashed guys?

[Daran]

Unfortunately, those points by Robert Lupton hit the nail on the head for those in Lav, Morvant, La Horquetta, Maloney, Malick, San Juan, Pt Fortin, La Brea, Enterprise and many others.

1.Give once and you elicit appreciation;
2.Give twice and you create anticipation;
3.Give three times and you create expectation;
4.Give four times and it becomes entitlement;
5.Give five times and you establish dependency

Based on my experiences with a father who was a PNM campaigner, I've seen how these ppl depend almost solely on the govt. Be it HDC house, CEPEP, URP etc. This was the vision of the 'great' Eric Williams who created this culture and it has destroyed 70% of black people in Trinidad.

I have family in Malick and whenever I go by them all I hear is things like -
- "Yuh driving a big cyar boy, when you buy a next one gimme this one nah"
- "Breds your stories looking fix, help me out a bit nah, i just need a like $5000"
- "You coulda gimme this?" when looking at my phone/watch/shoes whatever.

When I tell them go work, or do this course in UTT etc. Their response is "nah school is not for me, i does get vex with them teachers" or many other excuses as to why they can't do it, despite it being free.

When I compare this to the Indian community in Trinidad, i see a total difference. If Mammie and Papi was poor, they open a shop outside their house and save. The work the land, they cook and sell food.

The difference is staggering in attitudes and I may get cuss down for this, but Eric Williams and the PNM was probably the best thing to ever happen to the East Indian community because it made them self sufficient.


Going back to topic now. I don't think handouts or charity will help, it just prolongs the issue and can even make it worse. What's needed in Laventille is:

1. A clamp down of police in their communities where the 'bad boys' don't get glorified, but get jailed.

2. Some sort of encouragement and training. Perhaps govt training colleges and recruit directly in these areas and have them get some OJT type experience.

3. Encourage to the women to tie their tubes. Maybe cash incentives to tie their tubes after thier first child. And they can only have them untied after getting educated and a stable job or business.

4. Beautifying the area. One thing that irks me about these areas is how ghetto they look. I think these so called CEPEP/URP gangs can perhaps go around and clean up some peoples walls/houses/rusty galvanize etc. Also landscaping makes a big difference as well.

5. Positive encourage from safe role models. Sports Heros (Lara, Yorke) doctors, businessmen, engineers etc to visit these areas, spend actual time talking with them.

All of the above and many more is needed to change this culture and undo decades or dependency syndrome.

[zoom rader]

^^^ pnm tuners will not be pleased with what u wrote

[Trinbagoviews]

The government since 1962 has done enough damage.

The solution is simple though it appears harsh ........... eliminate all public assistance.

They don't need a smaller dosage of heroin / cocaine (which is analogous to public assistance) they need to be cut off cold turkey even if there will be withdrawal symptoms.

Social engineering doesn't work despite what government dependent "social scientist" tell you. Its all a function of sowing and reaping people will eventually learn than if you don't work you don't eat.

[UML]

Daran yuh never hear "when yuh having a baby? Doh worry GOD go provide"

^^^ pnm tuners will not be pleased with what u wrote

i hope u are not black...otherwise they will be frothing

check for yuh self......how much black ppl does bring lunch to work and save dey money? lunch is nothing less than $40 daily!! who liming friday after work? yes the indian liming...das cause he save he $40 for 5 days during the week.

...but then again dem eh have wife or parents (broken marriages, macho man, looking for a baby daddy) in house to cook for them either!!!

[RIPEBREDFRUIT]

As a former resident of one of these depressed areas, everything comes down to the choices one makes. Not everyone from a depressed community is criminally inclined or intent on engaging in criminal activity. Some help themselves and excell while some have grown and expect to be 'fed', and protest when they do not get what they want. The environment, lack of parental supervision, lack of parents themselves who are uneducated, incompetent, young and unworthy of rasing children all contribute to the problem that exists today. These people are too deep in dependency that it is almost impossible to break free of that culture.
Yuh can't help somebody who does not want to help themselves.

OMG- im acutally for once in absolute agreement with you!

end of the world is near!

[dougla_boy]

As a former resident of one of these depressed areas, everything comes down to the choices one makes. Not everyone from a depressed community is criminally inclined or intent on engaging in criminal activity. Some help themselves and excell while some have grown and expect to be 'fed', and protest when they do not get what they want. The environment, lack of parental supervision, lack of parents themselves who are uneducated, incompetent, young and unworthy of rasing children all contribute to the problem that exists today. These people are too deep in dependency that it is almost impossible to break free of that culture.
Yuh can't help somebody who does not want to help themselves.

car is really swing left yes

[cinco]

As a former resident of one of these depressed areas, everything comes down to the choices one makes. Not everyone from a depressed community is criminally inclined or intent on engaging in criminal activity. Some help themselves and excell while some have grown and expect to be 'fed', and protest when they do not get what they want. The environment, lack of parental supervision, lack of parents themselves who are uneducated, incompetent, young and unworthy of rasing children all contribute to the problem that exists today. These people are too deep in dependency that it is almost impossible to break free of that culture.
Yuh can't help somebody who does not want to help themselves.

TALK DONE

[kjaglal76v2]

dr eric williams legacy

[marlener]

Question, was has stopped successive administrations from making the hard but necessary decisions to correct this?

[nareshseep]

Vote for we and we go set you free.....

[RASC]

So what y'all think should be done to fix this issue before it gets worse?

[nareshseep]

There needs to be an army base up there

[bluespeed]

So what y'all think should be done to fix this issue before it gets worse?

bomb the fcuking hills and kill fcuking all ah dem...... innocent ones= collateral damage.

[zoom rader]

So what y'all think should be done to fix this issue before it gets worse?

This will take years to fix as it did with nazi Germany . Nazis were programmed to think a certain way and laventille was/is programmed in the PNM way. If any government puts positive measures in place PNM Will cry discrimination and racism . PNM knows once you free these ppl from their present state of mind laventille will no longer be in the bond of the PNM.

[RASC]

Okay so one suggestion is to bomb them and the other is a none suggestion, but rather a comparison to Nazi Germany.

[zoom rader]

Okay so one suggestion is to bomb them and the other is a none suggestion, but rather a comparison to Nazi Germany.

Laventille problem cannot be solved overnight. It took Jah and moses 40 years to change the mindset ways of the Jews .

[kjaglal76v2]

So what y'all think should be done to fix this issue before it gets worse?

white phosphorus

[Trinbagoviews]

So what y'all think should be done to fix this issue before it gets worse?

Simple stop all gov't assistance..... there will be a behavioral turn around within months.

Its not complicated except for self interested politicians who only care about getting elected and lining their pockets.........

[BrotherHood]

There needs to be an army base up there

There was an Army base on the top floor of an HDC buidling in Beverly Hills. That did not stop crime. Them soldiers self had to be ducking and sleeping on tiles/concrete/carpet when night come, or whenever they want to rest. That base has since been evacuated.

As a former resident of one of these depressed areas, everything comes down to the choices one makes. Not everyone from a depressed community is criminally inclined or intent on engaging in criminal activity. Some help themselves and excell while some have grown and expect to be 'fed', and protest when they do not get what they want. The environment, lack of parental supervision, lack of parents themselves who are uneducated, incompetent, young and unworthy of rasing children all contribute to the problem that exists today. These people are too deep in dependency that it is almost impossible to break free of that culture.
Yuh can't help somebody who does not want to help themselves.

OMG- im acutally for once in absolute agreement with you!

end of the world is near!

When yuh is the pot on the stove, yuh does really feel the heat. Not when yuh in the kitchen.

[BrotherHood]

So what y'all think should be done to fix this issue before it gets worse?

bomb the fcuking hills and kill fcuking all ah dem...... innocent ones= collateral damage.

Same would not be said if you was one of the innocent ones living on the hills.