UDP Politics as Usual…

‘Pregnant pills’ fiasco…

At the end of last week, the news broke that 40 boxes of so-called pseudo-ephedrine had been found in the home of a man from the south-side of Belize City. Then when the dust cleared just a little, it was revealed that the pills were actually vitamins for pregnant woman. When the dust cleared just a little more, it was revealed that the boxes of pre-natal vitamins are the property of the Ministry of Health, and had been stored in this private home for the past two months. So on the surface of it, this thing doesn’t look to be illegal, but could somebody please explain why there are 40 boxes of vitally essential vitamins for pregnant women sitting in a private home for the past two months? Can somebody explain why those pills have been forgotten for two months while there is a terrible situation with anemia in pregnant women in the south of Belize? Something is very, very wrong with our health system in Belize. Is the Prime Minister waiting for mass casualties before he makes a move to right what is wrong in health?

No slides…no dengue

Despite mass outbreaks of ‘flu’  throughout the country of Belize, the Ministry of Health, when it has bothered to say anything, is reporting very, very low incidences of dengue. But what many people don’t realize is that the reason for this ‘under-reporting’ is that the public sector labs are completely out of slides to take samples and thus, no dengue. It would be interesting to check with the SSB and analyze the claims for sickness benefits. Maybe then Belizeans would understand the sheer scope of the dengue outbreaks as recorded by lost productivity and man-hours. The negative impact to our economy is far greater than we think. What is our vector control unit doing? Where are the five spray trucks and teams sent from our northern neighbor to assist us? Our government is unable to deal with even a simple thing like the vector control program. And while the outbreaks continue, there is a lack of basic medication at the public hospital. At the Western Regional Hospital, children with flu-like symptoms are given an injection of Voltaren and sent home. At the Corozal Hospital, they’re not even that lucky. All they’re given is a prescription before they’re sent home. Mr. Prime Minister, we need help!

Judiciary under attack….

The integrity of our Judiciary and the judges themselves are under attack from this Barrow administration. That’s plain to see, although if you’re a masochist and listen to WAVE in the morning, their version is that the AG is under attack from the Judiciary. Anyway, go figure. The point of this short piece is that the Prime Minister’s double-speak at the House meeting last week was so blatant that it was frightening. When the matter of the AGs attack on the Judiciary and the Judiciary’s UNPRECEDENTED and fiery release, the Prime Minister jumped up in defense of the AG, fully aware or so it seemed of the entire brouhaha. But just hours after, as the PM was interviewed by the media, he bald-facedly claimed that he could not comment on the Judiciary’s release because he hadn’t seen it or heard anything about it. Now can you fathom that? For reasons of clarity, let me say at this point that I think the PM is a liar. But let’s choose the other door, and believe for a second that the PM really did not see the release, which at that point had been in wide circulation for two days. See, the release from the Judiciary is not a little thing. It’s not some unimportant outpouring from some obscure organization. This is the Judiciary, the law of the land, accusing GOB of orchestrating an attack against its integrity. So the PM expects us to believe that nobody felt that it was important enough that he be informed. Nobody in his family or political circle or even his brother who is a justice of the Supreme Court felt that it was important enough that he should know about it. Anyway, enough said! PM, you better try selling that story somewhere else.

A failed state…

After the Minister of National Security’s stunning declaration on national television that crime is down and we are doing well, it would not be surprising to learn that Dean Barrow also things that all is honky dory in Belize. But the reality among us right thinking persons out here is that Belize is now for all intents and purposes a failed state. If you need any persuading, just look at the tourism statistics. And if statistics are not your thing, talk to people in say, the hotel industry or the construction industry. Things are bad, really bad. Occupancy in hotels and resorts is at an all time low. Many, many people have had to be laid off. In Placencia, resorts like the Inn at Robert’s Grove had to close its doors in the off season for the first time. And there are many other indicators. American Airlines has now discontinued its Tuesday flight into Belize. Talk to the people at the Radisson Fort George. Their motto of ‘Si Se Puede’ is rapidly turning into ‘Ahorita No Se Puede.’ It’s no laughing matter. BTB’s revenue is down by 18%. The banks are foreclosing on some really big companies which I won’t name at this time, but which employ hundreds of Belizeans. The economy is in peril. The cost of living continues to go up. Inflation is up while salaries are down. Fuel will be going up this weekend again. BWSL plans to raise its rates by 25%. Like an alcoholic with any hope of recovery, the Prime Minister will first have to admit that there is a serious, serious problem. So far he and the rest of his administration still seem to have their heads in the clouds. That’s a long way up, and the fall back to earth is sure to be a nasty one.

The 21 pledges…

After 20 months under a UDP administration, this columnist urges all Belizeans to get a copy of the 21 commitments presented to the Belizean people by the UDP on January 8, 2008. Don’t take our word for it. You look at them and you decide for yourselves if this UDP Government has made good on those commitment. As I write this with the list of pledges in front of me, I can point to only two things of the 21 which have been accomplished to a certain extent. We deserve better than that.

A dangerous precedent…

For many weeks now this columnist has been observing something which reeks to high heavens, but which seems to have gone largely unnoticed. I refer to UDP crony Alberto August, who has been placed in charge of the Elections and Boundaries Department. That’s right, the Elections and Boundaries Department which manages perhaps the most important process in the country. Some attempt was made at first to give August the benefit of the doubt and to trust that he would put his partisan-ship aside but no such luck. Instead, August is a regular caller to the talk-shows where he bashes the PUP in the vilest of terms. See now, I have a problem with that, and it should be an obvious one. The head of the Elections and Boundaries Department, while free to vote for whichever party he chooses, must at all time carry out his responsibilities with impartiality and integrity. It is obvious that Alberto August is not able to do that. It is obvious from his blatant politicking that whenever elections roll around, he will put all his energies into making sure that his government and party is elected. And by the way, Alberto August also publishes a newspaper called the Cayo Star, which is blatantly pro-UDP. I checked it out on the website a few days ago and noticed that the rag sported four (4) full page ads from the Elections and Boundaries Department. Can anybody say conflict of interest?

I fall to pieces…

The title of the old Patsy Cline song is particularly pertinent as I watch the news tonight and see UDP minister Mike Finnegan blasting away with all guns at his Cabinet colleague Carlos Perdomo. Apparently Perdomo took away land from one of Finny’s constituents and Finny let him have it on national television. That’s significant in itself, but it’s even more significant when taken in context. See, Finny and Perdomo should have been able to handle the matter behind closed doors. It shouldn’t have gotten to the point of Finny challenging and insulting Perdomo in the public forum. There’s something screwy in the UDP for sure. The signs are all there to be seen. Remember Sedi talking about out of control crime while Perdomo claims that crime is down. Then there’s Sedi’s brother and confidante blasting Barrow and Perdomo in public. And there’s more, much more – signs of the stress fractures within the UDP. So what we’re looking at here is a failed state run by a failed administration – and that proverbial creek without a paddle.

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