Belize City, February 1, 2012 The Barrow Administration has called it quits just four years into what should have been a five-year term, admitting that they have failed the people of Belize miserably. In one of his most lacklustre speeches as Prime Minister, Dean Barrow’s farewell address delivered on Tuesday afternoon was expected by an electorate whose sympathy for a bungling Government administration was withering fast and whose patience for political change has been growing thin. Barrow claimed to be in need of a new mandate, but fittingly chose to ignore the mandate given to him in 2008 when he promised to bring down the cost of fuel, the cost of living and to create economic development and jobs. The UDP administration failed to deliver its 2008 mandate so miserably the Prime Minister should be ashamed to say he is in need of a new one. What Barrow isn’t telling Belizeans is that his quick trigger on the elections was spurred by an impending UDP budget bomb, one filled with higher taxes and even more debilitating financial measures. Having nearly collapsed Belize’s economy, to one which saw an unprecedented negative growth in 2009, Barrow cast Belize down a slippery slope. International creditors see no hope for the country under the Barrow Administration, while more powerful financial institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund are demanding changes their way if they are to lend monies. Under the UDP, Belize is at its knees and the only relief Barrow can find is to run to the IMF for support. This has occurred every year since 2008, and Barrow has had to bend to the IMF’s demands. Under the IMFs command, the General Sales Tax was increased by 25% to 12.5%, while public officers’ wages have been frozen. This year alone, the Barrow Administration signed on to a new tax administration system proposed by the IMF – one of the stipulations for country funding. But the worst has not yet come as the harsh IMF recommendations of higher taxes, increases in fuel prices and mass retrenchment would have been revealed in Barrow’s 2012-2013 Budget. Barrow has offered no credible reason for not waiting until his full term was completed, but it is known that the IMF’s policies have been gaining prominence with the UDP administration. Belizeans must be warned. The UDP’s next budget will be one ...

Not funny… I’m generally a happy, jovial sort of guy, content to poke fun at others. Hell, when I get bored enough I even poke fun at myself, just to show you what a genuinely joyful person I am. But this week’s column won’t be hilarious or cute or even hilariously cute. This isn’t the time for that. The mocha monster otherwise known as Dean Oliver and a whole other mess of less complimentary names wants to call general elections sooner, rather than later. No worries, mini-Mugabe…we ain’t never scared. Belizeans know that Dean O only has one game plan and the fear is that his election strategy will be to try and steal this one. We gotta turn up the heat just a notch, don’t we? ……………………. You smelling it yet? The mocha dude kicked off his tour way up north in Corozal Southeast and to be nice to our beloved PM let’s just say it was a monumental, catastrophic, gargantuan flop! Of course this should be no surprise at all, since the smooth talking, pontificating PM ain’t never been liked up north. Hell, who can even understand half of the words coming out of his mouth? Check it out…the red brigade pulled out all the politicos from the north, all the paid generals and paid foot-soldiers and all the lackeys and still couldn’t assemble more than 200 people. I got a little worried when I watched Jules’ news story on Channel 7 and he made mention of buses streaming in – then I realized that the fellow must have been caught in traffic by the Corozal Bus Terminal and saw commuter buses heading to Chetumal and he got confused. No worries Jules, we understand. But yeah, I can’t imagine the mocha man being too pleased with the reception he got. But I figure by the time he visits a couple other destinations he’ll be used to it for sure… ………………………. You’ve gotta be kidding… I mean, seriously? The idiots in red have launched a series of pre-election campaign ads which have left me dumbfounded. Now my few friends will tell you that I am frequently dumb, but very rarely dumbfounded. Look at the one on health, for example. According to the UDP, they have made amazing strides in health since 2008. I have no doubt that came as a great surprise to Minister of Health Pablo Marin. Hell, it came as a surprise to Belizeans ...

The UDP Cabinet of political and intellectual dunces is not only considered a joke and a farce by many Belizeans, but this week will go down in the archives as this newspaper’s Hypocrites of the Week. Collectively, the Cabinet holds tremendous decision making power in the country, and with that power a tremendous responsibility to the people of this nation. That body of dim-bulbs has taken all our people for fools and is running Belize into the ground. While so many issues have been hitting Belizeans daily, the Cabinet has remained for the most part blind, deaf and mute. Our people have been faced with a crippling economic recession, rising cost of living, steadily rising fuel costs, education crises, the Kendall Bridge, crises in health and allegations of corruption in almost every department and level of government. Cabinet has said nothing. When our nation was dubbed the murder capital of the world by the Economist, Cabinet said nothing. As grenades exploded in our streets and Belizeans experienced a new era of urban terrorism, Cabinet said nothing. As our young men were gunned down daily and innocent victims lay paralyzed by stray bullets, our Cabinet said nothing. Despite week after week of the most stunning revelations of misappropriation of funds and corruption in the Belize City Council, Cabinet said nothing. Even now the City Council is embroiled in the latest round of scandal and missing money, and Cabinet has said nothing. So many issues, so much suffering by our people and Cabinet has said nothing. Instead, every week a sentence or two on a Cabinet release revealed that our Ministers had discussed the latest gala that would be attended by the Prime Minister abroad, or who would be acting in his absence, or World Food Day. Petty nonsense discussed by our Cabinet while our people are bombarded with critical issues. Now we understand that while our military has had to take to the streets to rein in crime, the discussion in Cabinet was about a liquor license issued to former UDP National Campaign Manager Karim Berges. We understand that while our streets are now filled with BDF soldiers wielding machine guns because our Police Department couldn’t handle the job, our Ministers were fully engaged in jostling over whether Mr. Berges should get a license or not. Our Cabinet of Hypocrites and fools should be ...

[caption id="attachment_11807" align="alignleft" width="288" caption="Despite his disgraceful and shameful record as Minister of National Security Carlos Perdomo gets to be Acting PM"][/caption] Belize City, January 18, 2011 This is scary. For the next five days Belize’s maximum leader of government will BY DEFAULT be a failed Minister of Government whose disgraceful record of protecting Belize’s national security caused national embarrassment and forced his replacement as candidate in the upcoming elections. Belizeans cannot sleep well at night knowing Carlos Perdomo is presently the acting Prime Minister of Belize. Perdomo has been the worst Minister of National Security Belize ever. Under his watch, the nation’s security came under constant attack and the scandals over allegations of visa and passport sales were abound. Planes carrying drugs and trafficking humans landed on our national highways and our airport late at night. Suspect individuals carrying legit visas entered and passed through our country, with little security checks. In fact, even after Perdomo’s National Security portfolio was stripped, and he was given Defense and Immigration – the blunders continued. It was under his watch that the Belize Defense Force compound was breached and the highest security officers’ armoury was broken into. The result was that dozens of high-powered weapons were stolen. It is also under his watch that Belize’s borders are under constant attack, with absolutely no intervention from Government. Is this how the Barrow Administration rewards incompetence and shame? While having the disgraced Minister as the maximum decision-maker is frightening, the reason behind it is worrying. The actual PM is on another 5-day hiatus. Actually, since November last year, Prime Minister Dean Barrow has been exiting the country every three weeks. Barrow left the country on Saturday once more to accompany his wife who is receiving chemotherapy as part of her breast cancer treatment in Miami. Since coming to office, Barrow has been flown out of the country constantly. Our checks between 2009 and 2011 show he was away in February 2009, April 2009, June 2009, August 2009, November 2009, April 2010, June 2010, July 2010, August 2010, October 2010, January 2011, August 2011, September 2011 and October 2011, just to name a few instances. Prime Minister Barrow’s approach to governance over the last four years has been about ‘que sera, sera’… ‘whatever will be, will be’. This is why the economy is now in shambles, the infrastructure all over the country ...

Belize City, Friday, January 27, 2012 The Belize Elementary School and New Horizon Academy boys both posted big wins in the Belize City primary school basketball competition at the City Center on Tuesday. The Belize Elementary School boys won 25-13 over the Buttonwood Bay Nazarene Schools. Cusion Wong led the BES boys with 12 points while Cory Anderson scored 5 points for Buttonwood Bay. The BES boys had also won over the Ephesus 7th Day Adventist School boys by default. Other games: New Horizon Academy vs. Ebenezer Methodist – New Horizon win by default Wesley Upper vs.  Calvary Temple School – 11-4 Top scorers: Shandy Vernon (Wesley) 10 pts, Rossey Matute & Natalie Balona (Calvary) 2 pts Wesley Upper vs. Calvary Temple School – 39-8 Top scorers: Shaquille Crawford (Wesley) 21 pts, Adler Romero (Calvary) 4 pts St. Ignatius School vs. All Saints’ School – 23-20 Top scorers: Michael Sarmiento (Nashus) 6 pts, Lincolyn Myvette & Giovanni Rudon (All Saints’) 7 pts St. Martin De Porres School vs. Queen Square Anglican – 16-0 Top scorers: Shantia Palacio (St. Martin) 8 pts St. Martin vs. Queen Square Anglican – 76-0 Top scorer: Clency Lopez (St. Martin) 32 pts. James Garbutt SDA School vs. All Saints’ School – 30-14 Top scorers: Shaquille Thurton (James Garbutt) 16 pts, Lincolyn Myvette (All Saints) 8 pts. Belize Elementary vs. Calvary Temple – 11-0 Top scorer: Iyanie Castillo (BES) 4 pts Holy Redeemer School vs. St. John’s Anglican – 53-15 Top scorers: Nigel Myvette (Holy Redeemer) 10pts, Jaleel Jenkins (St. John’s Anglican) 8 pts Wesley Upper boys vs. Queen Street Baptist – 48-15 Top scorers: Shaquille Crawford (Wesley Upper) 22 pts, Anthony Gillett (Queen Street) 9 pts All Saints’ School vs. Unity Presbyterian – 15-13 Top scorers: Sheldon Samuels (All Saints) 8 pts, July Barrientos (Unity Presbyterian) 5 pts St. John’s Anglican vs. 27-21 Calvary Temple boys Top scorers: Shadrick Lord (St. John’s Anglican) 15 pts, Alder Romero (Calvary Temple) 10 pts Buttonwood Bay Nazarene vs. Queen Square Anglican – 44-0 Top scorers: Ishelle Magandi (Buttonwood Bay) 20pts Buttonwood Bay vs. Queen Square Anglican – 45-6 Jaywin Pandy (Buttonwood Bay) 17pts, Lindon Peters (Queen Square) 4 pts

1.      Considering that the Minister of Immigration has declared that there will be no more visas issued from Havana, would he be willing to disclose just how many visas have been issued so far by UDP Ambassador to Cuba Said ‘Badi’ Guerra and to whom? 2.      Would the Minister of National Security be able to confirm or deny reports that an employee of his Ministry who is married to the younger sister of another UDP Minister and also works in that Ministry handled the rental of the vans which carried the smuggled Chinese nationals to their border crossing up north? 3.      Would the Minister of Police be willing to provide details of his so-called investigation into the Civil Aviation Department which is managed by his brother? And would the Minister further be able to respond to allegations that he cleared the Civil Aviation Department before an actual investigation was even conducted? 4.      Would the Prime Minister be able to say when his handpicked Music Ambassador who is also his son and enjoys all diplomatic perks will produce the promised song about Belize, or in fact do anything at all which can classify as representation of our nation?