So Linden exploded last Tuesday night after people were blocking an important bridge connecting to the Interior, in protest. The Police who it seems were instructed to clear the Bridge met with resistance (they apparently did not use their new toy - the Water-Cannon - probably due to poor Water Pressure up there?? Just speculating). Unlike the 2007 Tain Protest, the Lindeners got enraged to have Tear Gas released on them-- here the story gets a little unclear - whether rubber bullets mixed with Live Ammo (accident or design?) were fired at the same time or if this was after the Police, buildings and waiting vehicles were attacked - a few of the latter two set alight.
It turns out that the Lindeners were/are unhappy that the subsidy on the Electricity rates that they enjoyed from the days of the Burnham administration in the 1970's is earmarked to end now that the collapsed Bauxite Company has been given to the Chinese who have to make it economically viable -- as a small business owner I can say the one of the largest drains on the finances is the Payroll Expense and the Chinese have been doing just that-- implementing Cuts in the Staff. So with investors wary this could not happen at a worse time-- here is a Lindener's view of the situation-- also interesting are the comments after:
http://www.stabroeknews.com/2012/opinion/letters/07/21/region-10-has-been-failed-by-its-leaders/#disqus_thread
Sad that three people died on Tuesday night and as many as two dozen were injured. I understand that this is all over a 5% raise, as apparently the rates will be staggered until it reaches the 'highest in the Caribbean' - Guyana - 24cents per kWh as opposed to Barbados -8 cents per kWh. Almost immediately the whole Race issue was raised, apparently making the Chinese- the major employer in the area very nervous.
Also sad it the lack of listening to concerns from all sides due to a gut emotional response - one FB friend deleted someone's unsympathetic comments to the Protesters who countered that the Lindeners were wasteful - the average household burning 500 units as opposed to 125 in the Georgetown and that jobs were hard to get anywhere - I thought everyone's point of view is valid and the Problem with all its angles needed to be looked at if a viable solution is to be reached.
PS - Today's papers(27-Jul) report that the pathologist report says that the men were shot by a Handgun in the vicinity of their heart - very disturbing.
It turns out that the Lindeners were/are unhappy that the subsidy on the Electricity rates that they enjoyed from the days of the Burnham administration in the 1970's is earmarked to end now that the collapsed Bauxite Company has been given to the Chinese who have to make it economically viable -- as a small business owner I can say the one of the largest drains on the finances is the Payroll Expense and the Chinese have been doing just that-- implementing Cuts in the Staff. So with investors wary this could not happen at a worse time-- here is a Lindener's view of the situation-- also interesting are the comments after:
http://www.stabroeknews.com/2012/opinion/letters/07/21/region-10-has-been-failed-by-its-leaders/#disqus_thread
Sad that three people died on Tuesday night and as many as two dozen were injured. I understand that this is all over a 5% raise, as apparently the rates will be staggered until it reaches the 'highest in the Caribbean' - Guyana - 24cents per kWh as opposed to Barbados -8 cents per kWh. Almost immediately the whole Race issue was raised, apparently making the Chinese- the major employer in the area very nervous.
Also sad it the lack of listening to concerns from all sides due to a gut emotional response - one FB friend deleted someone's unsympathetic comments to the Protesters who countered that the Lindeners were wasteful - the average household burning 500 units as opposed to 125 in the Georgetown and that jobs were hard to get anywhere - I thought everyone's point of view is valid and the Problem with all its angles needed to be looked at if a viable solution is to be reached.
PS - Today's papers(27-Jul) report that the pathologist report says that the men were shot by a Handgun in the vicinity of their heart - very disturbing.
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