According to recent reports, the minimum cost of political campaign
public meeting was approximately $400,000. Other auxiliary costs, including
advertising, food, drinks and hand-outs were also listed in the hundreds of
thousands even in the build up for the less auspicious local government
election cycle.
This phenomenon should be disturbing to citizens as campaigns represents a complete waste of T&T’s limited resources that adds no real value
to society. Furthermore substantial sums of campaign funds are moneys syphoned away
from the tax payer by virtue of state contracts (past and present) to political
party financiers.
Even more fascinating is the demonstration of how much party
financiers, faithful and the politically connected are willing to spend to
weasel themselves or their confederates into the corridors of power. Surely
such a substantial investment must yield a commensurate reward sadly, all at
the expense of the tax payer.