Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has slammed Local Government Minister Faris Al-Rawi’s “cash to care” statement.
Speaking at the UNC’s Monday Night Report in Rio Claro, Persad-Bissessar added, “Let me tell you something, my friends, caring isn’t measured by the amount of cash you demand from hard-working citizens!”
Following the story in last Sunday’s Guardian where Al-Rawi said it takes cash to care, Persad-Bissessar added, “I stand before you to challenge the audacity of the Local Government Minister. Did you hear what he had the nerve to say? He claimed that it takes ‘cash to care’ as a justification for imposing the property tax! What Faris means is that it’s your cash they’re taking–not his millions from family rentals–your hard-earned cash in this dreaded property tax.”
“This election when they come to your gate for your vote, ask them where is the morality when over 100,000 workers have lost their jobs since 2015, and they’re offering workers four per cent, but Rowley hires a new foreigner as CEO at $180,000 per month. Make the rich richer, they don’t care about you!”
Persad-Bissessar said when the PNM comes to seek property tax to run local government citizens should ask how the UNC government lit and maintained grounds, had garbage collected, paved roads, built drains and cleaned watercourses through local government without the property tax.
“We did it because we grew the economy. We didn’t pay ministers’ families $250M in rent, they shrunk the economy by 20 per cent and are now overtaxing you to pay for their poor decisions.
“Their rallying cry is ‘Vote PNM, and you’ll get local government reform.’ You hear lie, that’s a big lie. Don’t get chained up! One year later the law is there and not a step implemented by them, they’re fooling you!”
Persad-Bissessar said for elections, “You have the opportunity–do them back! This LG elections is about you standing your ground against Rowley and his government that wasted $250M on rent for family, against the 250 Cabinet recusals, against them … paying over $1B to eat-a-food lawyers!”