11 October, 2007

Freeness

Restaurant Workers Now Permitted to Take Home Food. I do not know how many of you heard the recent news. Up to now, restaurant workers have had to resort to the demeaning and degrading measure of stealing food from their work places. Traditionally, food has been concealed in the garbage, and sorted outside with the help of the hotel security staff. But, now the workers have passed a resolution. They are going to take the stuff openly from the hotel restaurant deep freezers. That way, it will no longer be illegal. What you want? A ham? A ham for you. You want beef? A side of beef for you. Nutritional levels in the average restaurant worker’s home are rising fast. Children are enjoying a wider range of delicious foods. Medical bills are falling. It is all for the better!

Construction workers have passed a resolution. They are now openly taking steel and concrete from construction sites. So long as it is done in daylight, it is OK. No more illegally driving onto the site late at night. No more risking injury lifting the stuff in the dark. It is allowed to take it in daylight now. What a boost this is proving to the local home improvement movement! Houses that were previously lying there only partly built are now being rapidly completed.

I overheard Frankie told one of his boat crew that he is permitted to bring any number of family and friends on The Link for free. So long as he works on the boat, it is one of the natural privileges for crew. Dr Hughes will soon be performing all operations on staff, their family and friends, at the Medical Centre for free. Shopkeepers are running as fast as the can to keep the shelves stocked. Shop assistants are making sure the shelves are emptying at an astonishing rate. Freeness spreading everywhere! And, it is all legal!

All this is due to the acquiescence, if not generosity, of the owners. They are not complaining. By their silence they accept it. It is the way we show appreciation. The whole thing is a positive new development. It is all part of Anguilla’s changing culture. Nothing stands still. It is called progress!

And, government ministers were pioneers in showing the way! Another first for Anguilla!

10 comments:

  1. I feel your sarcasm is justified. Can anyone imagine Ronald Webster or Emile Gumbs or Hubert Hughes suggesting, as the Chief Minister did recently, that when their time of service comes to an end they should be entitled to take home their official cars. When Ronald and Emile and Hubert gave up office they walked home like the public servants they knew they were. Not taking government property with them like some spoiled children.

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  2. The fun part is how much bragging we all do about Anguillians being such wonderful Christians, morally superior to those in the dirty little islands of the Caribbean.

    I'm reminded of the British classic movie, "The Third Man." In the most haunting scene, the villain, played adroitly by Orson Welles, takes Joseph Cotten, the good guy, up in a ferris wheel. The villain has been selling adulterated penicillin in postwar Vienna, making a fortune and causing children to become paralyzed and die.

    Cotten asks him how he could do such an evil thing for money. From the top of the ferris wheel the people below them look like tiny dots. Welles looks down and says, "Tell me, would you really feel any pity if one of those dots stopped moving forever? If I offered you £20,000 for every dot that stopped, would you really, old man, tell me to keep my money, or would you calculate how many dots you could afford to spare?"

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  3. Free food, free building materials, free cars, great. But we don't want no free books. We're not beggars. We can buy our own books!

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  4. LMAO even though its really not funny

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  5. There are just some people who can't say anything good about Anguilla. It's bad enough I hear Hubert Hughes on the Talk SHows constantly calling us ignorant and greedy and selfish. Can we atleast find something positive to all our obvious failings.

    Every country on earth have good and bad people. So if you had a bad experience with one or two Anguillians, please don't go around condemning an entire culture of people. Woe unto you if you believe that we are all Christians and morally superior.

    Sometimes I wonder if only "sponges" post on this blog. I look to this blog for serious discussion with a little humour now and then. If we continue, this blog will be the next Anguillatalk where the school children have taken over and the serious posters stop commenting.

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  6. I think it is quite unfair to sweep all restaurant workers in Anguilla with the broad brush of thievery that you have Mr.Mitchell.

    Just as it would be unfair to paint all, doctors, lawyers, etc. with a broad brush of negative because there may be some who are contextually pigmentation and offal. Are all Doctors Quacks if one Doctor sports feathers? Are all Lawyers money launderers if one sports a Chubb bank vault in Chambers?? Is Hemisphere a ball if one sculptor sculpts a cube?? And so on.

    But that was not your point. Your point is directed at Leadership.

    Was the position of scarcity in honesty any different under previous Governments? Or is it a sign of this age??

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  7. I too listened to the CM as he made such statements and was quite taken back by it.I his view he is entitled to it because of his service.I wonder?did the good decent people of Anguilla forced him into public service?
    There is no entitlement for this service and at times it can become depressing especially when the people who are supposed to love and support us turn against you.When a leader acts that way it sends a message that if there is nothing to gain for his service he is willing to take things for himself from the people and the country his "entitlement"
    Public service is sometimes unrewarding interms of financial wealth but is that the reason why one chooses such a profession?
    Perhaps it is no wonder our people raises the question of corruption in our Gov't and its officials.
    perhahs im not too Caribbean for this one ,pray tell.
    Taking any thing without permission is stealing plain and simple and such people should be prosecuted for it.
    Please dont whine about nothing good being said about Anguillians .They are decent people but the bad seed amongst us are causing the negative publicity.We have to uproot these evils and then we will be worthy of praise.

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  8. I'm off island right now. Obviously this article refers to something that recently happened, but I'm not there to ask what. Would someone please explain in a paragraph or less: who did what to prompt this? What's this about resolutions? Thank you.

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  9. The Chief Minister announced recently on a broadcast talk that Ministers of Government were not appreciated for the work they do and the responsibilities they bear. He suggested that in future they ought to be allowed to take home their official government vehicle when their term comes to an end.

    Some people who have been commenting have taken the Blog seriously. They have not understood the sarcasm in the story.

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  10. Sarcasm, yes, but not at the expense of Anguillian workers.
    The fact that a person choses to run for Political Office and, having been elected, serves, regardless for how long, does not and cannot justify them taking home cars or anything else paid for out of the Treasury.
    Already they are the HIGHEST PAID elected Public Servants in the region. They have increased their salaries and perks at least three times since 2000. They each drive a vehicle bought and gassed and service by the taxpaters. They voted themselves generous allowances: Constituency,entertainment, etc. etc.

    There are some who say they already overpay themselves.
    there has got to be an end to this rope.
    A " Light at the end of the tunnel"

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