{"id":266706,"date":"2026-02-10T08:33:11","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T12:33:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=266706"},"modified":"2026-02-10T08:35:40","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T12:35:40","slug":"letter-irresponsible-behavior-by-a-sitting-mp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/letter-irresponsible-behavior-by-a-sitting-mp\/","title":{"rendered":"LETTER: \u00a0Irresponsible behavior by a sitting MP!"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a><\/div>
\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n

Dear Editor,<\/p>

\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s call this exactly what it is: a blatant dereliction of duty dressed up as \u201cresearch.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Kelvin \u201cShuggy\u201d Simon now wants the people of Antigua and Barbuda to believe that he\u2019s hopping on a plane to Trinidad Carnival for some grand economic study, studying crowd size, revenue, and how Trinidad attracts 100,000 people. That explanation is not just weak, it\u2019s downright insulting.<\/p>

\"\"<\/a><\/div>
\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n


Antigua is crying out for leadership. Roads, communities, youth development, crime prevention, economic relief, there is more than enough work right here at home. Yet instead of rolling up his sleeves and facing the responsibilities he was elected to handle, he chooses to run off to Trinidad Carnival under the flimsiest excuse imaginable.<\/p>

\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n


Let\u2019s be clear: you do not need to attend Trinidad Carnival in person to study its economics. We live in an age of instant access: data, reports, case studies, tourism statistics, interviews, livestreams, expert panels, all available online. Governments, economists, and planners around the world conduct serious research without wine, music trucks, and masquerade bands. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the goal were truly academic or policy-driven, it could be done right here in Antigua, without abandoning post.
So let\u2019s drop the pretence.<\/p>

\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n


This isn\u2019t about economic analysis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This isn\u2019t about national development. This is about skipping responsibility, ducking accountability, and finding a convenient excuse to go jump up, wave, and party while Antigua waits.<\/p>

\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n


And the irony? If he really wanted to understand how Carnival can drive economic growth, he could start by fixing Antigua\u2019s own systems, supporting local creatives, improving infrastructure, empowering vendors, strengthening tourism planning, and showing up consistently for the people he represents.<\/p>

\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n


Leadership is not tourism-by-excuse. Representation is not selective attendance. Public office is not a travel perk.
Antigua and Barbuda deserve present, focused, and serious leadership not Carnival tourism masquerading as policy work.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dear Editor, Let\u2019s call this exactly what it is: a blatant dereliction of duty dressed up as \u201cresearch.\u201d Kelvin \u201cShuggy\u201d Simon now wants the people of Antigua and Barbuda to believe that he\u2019s hopping on a plane to Trinidad Carnival for some grand economic study, studying crowd size, revenue, and how Trinidad attracts 100,000 people. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":194281,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-266706","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nLETTER: \u00a0Irresponsible behavior by a sitting MP! - Antigua News Room<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/letter-irresponsible-behavior-by-a-sitting-mp\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"LETTER: \u00a0Irresponsible behavior by a sitting MP!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Dear Editor, Let\u2019s call this exactly what it is: a blatant dereliction of duty dressed up as \u201cresearch.\u201d Kelvin \u201cShuggy\u201d Simon now wants the people of Antigua and Barbuda to believe that he\u2019s hopping on a plane to Trinidad Carnival for some grand economic study, studying crowd size, revenue, and how Trinidad attracts 100,000 people. 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