Dear Editor,
As the rollout of the meters expanded from the heart of the city outwards, the teachers of Bishops’ High School suddenly realised they would have to pay approximately thirty-two thousand dollars per month to park in front of the said school. Their union, GTU, kicked into action and led a protest, not at City Hall, but at the residences of President David Granger and Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo. Within a few days, President of GTU, Mr Mark Lyte was quoted as saying, “no teacher in the public school system will be required to pay for parking their vehicle, while they teach the nation’s children.” Editor, I consider this comment selfish and discriminatory against the hundreds of hard-working teachers who teach at private schools. Don’t they teach the nation’s children? Is he saying that the thousands of children who attend private schools are not the “nation’s children”?
His comments reflect the perception of the APNU+AFC administration that there is a working class that needs to be penalised for their success. Comments from other APNU+AFC representatives confirm this. In December, in defence of VAT on health care, Minister Patterson said, “Mr Speaker, if anybody wishes to go to a private hospital it means they have money”. During the anti-meter protest on 3rd February the Mayor, speaking to reporters, said she will not be distracted by a few “high class” persons. At an event at the Marriott on 7th February, Mr Godfrey Statia, Commissioner General, GRA, stated that if citizens can afford to send their children to private schools then they can afford to pay VAT for the children’s education.
The introduction of VAT on private health care, private education, parking, electricity consumption above ten thousand dollars and water consumption over fifteen hundred dollars indicates to me that the APNU+AFC government is targeting the working professionals of this country. As collateral damage, other hard-working parents and persons seeking safer health care, better education, a personal vehicle to safely attend work are caught in the net. A case in point ‒ the public school teachers.
We have to stand guard. We have to unite.
Yours faithfully,
Marcus Craig
