Dear Editor,
Nothing brings out my patriotism like not having running water
On the eve of our country’s 42nd Anniversary of Independence, I went to sleep with no running water but I kept my fingers crossed that my luck would change on Independence Day.
I was wrong. I woke up, checked the tap and no water was running. However, I started hearing the water run through the house after a while and I got excited. “Yes, I get to do some laundry and take a nice shower to head to the Independence Food Fair and ceremony this evening.”
But my excitement suddenly changed to feelings of fright as I realized that the water was coming off.
It had not even been on for a solid hour. My clothes had been placed in the washing machine and successfully made it through the wash cycle but by the sounds of the now sputtering pipe I could tell there would be no rinse.
In horror, I called APUA and was informed that the Crabbs reverse osmosis plant is “low” and that’s why the water cannot be on for a decent amount of time and technicians are waitng for the plant to have somewhat refill. Further, they could not tell me when the levels in the plant would reach a satisfactory status for water distribution to begin.
I am not a technical person but I have a challenge seeing how and why the water at the R-O plant can be low and there’s seemingly no telling when it can be “restocked.”
Even on an electric kettle, you can see when you need to refill to protect the integrity of your appliance but at a national level, water can get dangerously low to the point where for over a week, I have not had 24 hours of water? What kind of water management or mismanagement is this?
It is difficult to gird my loins and want to participate in any independence activity when my nether regions have not had running water over them but I have to resort to “throwing up water.”
Our 42nd Independence Anniversary brings more confusion than pride. We will look back at all we’ve accomplished, but this year, I feel like we are doing more than looking back, we are GOING back.
We reflect on the contributions of Sir VC Bird Snr, the Father of the Nation who brought us independence and water into our homes and there’s Sir Lester Bird, who we now call the Father of Modern Antigua who through the economic contributions garnered by tourism further transformed our nation but now our country is regressing with no true plan of action.
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Prime Minister Gaston Browne has called for the resignation of the chairman at the Eastern Caribbean Amalgamated Bank (ECAB) for the bank treating Antiguans with “contempt” but the leadership at the Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA) remains unchanged after treating Antiguans with straight up hatred.
No love of country could have made them think, “Antiguans want to go out and dress up in their national “dan dan” today and feel fresh. Let’s give them water.”
No, it’s too much to ask. We have Potworks Dam full, our aquifers must be somewhat replenished and we still have those doggone 365 beaches but what remains unchanged… actually, what has worsened is the access we have to running water.
If we have more educated people in our country now than we did years ago, if we are now an “economic powerhouse” and on our 42nd Anniversary of Independence we cannot provide consistent, clean and safe water, the most basic necessity to our people, can we truly say that our country is progressing?
Antiguan
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The water truck business is good money so they don’t give a dam about us!! People on both sides of the political coin have water trucks running every day so if the problem is remedied it will affect their business 🙄 so I don’t this problem will be fixed any time soon. Only certain places im Antigua have running water everyday.
I can agree not having running water truly brings our patriotism (I agree with the writer’s sarcasm). But there is something that brings out more patriotism, applying for a license that is necessary for a business that is of national and international importance and needing this license approved to acquire a tool to effectively operate but there is are undue delays and your government ministers saying as an Antiguan (me) who wants to provide 5 to 50 jobs for Antiguans that they can not help in anyway to facilitate, encourage, expedite etcetera my application in the national interest for a business providing numerous well paying jobs and substantially enhancing the main contributor to the country’s GDP by adding billions of dollars to it yearly and or over time. This makes me so patriotic when government ministers constantly deny the country progress and block citizens from progressing.
Ministers of government has a high standard of care for and to you, they should never breach it by their acts and on missions.
ONE THOUGHT OR TWO
“Patria est communis omnium parens” (Cicero) – Our native land (A&B) is the common parent of us all.
“A people without knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.”
“History is not everything, but it is a starting point. History is a clock that people use to tell their political and cultural time of day. It is a compass they use to find themselves on the map of human geography. It tells them where they are but, MORE IMPORTANTLY WHAT THEY MUST BE” – economically, socially (culturally), politically!
Is our Paradise (A&B) Lost?
https://antiguanewsroom.com/letter-politically-antigua-is-lost/
In case we missed it: the comment by Andra Nathaniel: Politics and Antigua.
Also, https://antiguanewsroom.com/letter-antiguans-are-so-backward-it's-frightening/
Read ALL the comments because they offer different perspectives. The commenters think there’s some value to their thoughts.
The Council of our native, noble Centenarians, take control of our A&B kitchen! Fan the Fire, Fan the Flames, Stir the Pot, Cook as no others can while we gather, reason together and have a conversation!
Some government supporters repeat this mantra: “While the dogs bark the wagon moves on.”
So, what do ‘the dogs’ see and know why they are barking?
The wagon is moving in the wrong direction as the ‘top dawg’ barks back: “Economic Powerhouse”! Supposedly, the wagon is powered by transactional, conflict-of-interest decisions that facilitate, promote, encourage personal financial benefits from ‘creative self-enrichment schemes’ at the expense of our public good.
So, public good is defined, exemplified, and extolled by ‘compassionate’, charitable, philanthropic gifts and concessions handed out year-round by Santa Claus politicians.
Truly, that cannot be a government public policy, an economic-socio development model for our public good!
So, the question is: Have we picked up bad habits and spoiled ourselves? And are we moving forward in any way? Can we do, and be, better despite our political party affiliations? (RF-my way of helping) …A resounding YES!!!
Therefore, our mantra and message must be: We can do, and be, better!
An antiguan economist, accountant, financial analyst Jasper ‘Bobby’ Scotland (1938-2022)- he should be recognized posthumously – said:
“We are well poised to take off, but we have to remedy some of the deficiencies. We must focus on efficiency and productivity because there’s no free lunch. In Economics, every benefit has its cost (human and financial), and we disregard high cost at the risk of ball, bat and bat stick – everything – if we’re not careful….All in all, it is necessary to keep balance. We cannot lose sight of our culture…”
There is a ‘Troubling Freedom’ on the 42nd anniversary of our Political Independence!
Let us interact with humility, grace, honesty, good intentions! ……Be nice to each other!
Save our Humanity, Save our Youths, Save our Environment, Save our Soil!!!
Be safe and well!
Respect
I agree and well written and conveyed.
The Emile Piggott, barber,
photographer, and philosopher, had a sign in his barbershop on High Street: “What Antigua needs is Brain not Rain”. The planters built dams, created and puddled ponds. Catchment systems are still in evidence. The law requires 10 imperial gallons pet sq. ft. of roof area of cidterb storage. We all need to husband these storage systems and to collect water when ot rains snd when occasionally when APUA water is available. Both the APUA water productoon and delivery need to be brought up to date. Our ponds and waterways husbanded. The Governing body has failed miserably. Best we all revert to outhouses.
I find it quote disturbing and sad that in 2023 that we are still throwing up water to bathe..
Sad state of affairs!
People get the government they deserve!
E min better inna UPP time?
I wonder if the PM reads these letters and comments and if so what he thinks.
@My 2 Sense
You should be Amazed at if Ronald Saunders: the immigrant ambassador who is the architect and ABLP guru, as well as Gaston whisperer reads this.
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