Congrats Tobago, on your carnival

THE EDITOR: It is so unbecoming to hear the unwise sentiments of Solomon Duke of Tobago.

By all accounts, Tobago carnival was a success: you could not get a flight or a seat on the boat, nor a hotel room.

Unless you were under a rock, you would have noticed it rained cats and dogs in the week and almost as if it was a response to a plea from Moses to the Almighty, the rains went north so that by Saturday into Sunday, there was brilliant sunshine and the revellers came out to play.

All except Solomon of course, who comes after to call on Moses Farley to apologise for "a failed carnival." How could it be a failure? I saw a khaki-clad senior police officer doing an English jig to a Blaxx soca.

For the record, Tobago has once again shown that they don't have to secede to succeed.

They have gone to Grenada for a regional carnival model rather than wearing Trinidad blinkers, and it worked. This carnival initiative was a first in the history of Tobago. Not since the days of cannonballs and English muskets did anyone dare think that Tobago could have its carnival.

So, even if there were some teething issues, these will get sorted out, post-event. I think the $17 million spent was justified, since it is an investment in the revitalisation of Tobago's tourism industry.

The lesson here is: Barbados, which has a tourism-based economy, has had six consecutive quarters of growth based on its tourism product. Why can't this be Tobago?

But no! Solomon and Kelvon prefer Trinidad, which has had seven years of famine and decline despite its having natural gas, oil and pitch.

Congratulations, Tobago, don't let narrow-minded detractors detract you. Think before you act. Now is the time of Moses.Solomon is not the wise king you thought he was.

LINDA CAPILDEO

St James