The Barrow Blitzkrieg

The Belize Government Press Office and spinmeister extraordinaire Delroy Cuthkelvin have embarked recently on a media blitzkrieg in an attempt to convince Belizeans that the ruling United Democratic Party has actually turned their manifesto promises into realities since they took office in February 2008, and that life today, while it may have its challenges and obstacles, is not as bad as it seems.  In other words, they are playing the hand that they were dealt and are coming out winners to our benefit.

Fair enough.  We can see the logic in that premise given the state of the global economy just now.  But at the same time when we look around and observe that not all of us are in the same economic boat, then we know that we are being taken for a ride by the UDP hierarchy.  If truth be told, they are asking us to sacrifice more of our hard earned money so that the country can survive these difficult economic times.  But then they refuse to carry their share of the burden, and to make matters worse are fleecing an already depleted government treasury.  It is clear that some animals on the farm are created more equal than others.

And how convenient is it that the fortunate ones are directly related to PM Barrow.  For starters, ex-wife Lois Young is laughing all the way to the bank or banks, counting those millions of dollars that she has earned representing the government in court.  Cha-ching!  It seems that PM Barrow has privatized the work of the Office of the Attorney General for her personal gain. And to top it off, she was named as the Secretary to the Board of Belize Telemedia Limited shortly after the hostile takeover of the company that was orchestrated by PM Barrow.  True love surely never dies.  No wonder that she has not yet taken up that plum ambassadorial appointment to the United Nations.

Then we have Young and Barrow’s boy wonder, Anwar.  Overnight, the prince has become independently wealthy of his parents apparently, making his multi-million dollar fortune in real estate and finance.  And word on the street is that the young Barrow is a silent but major partner in Brad’s Gaming Company that recently took over the lucrative national lottery operations.  It is also rumored that he can open any door in the halls of government, for the right price that is.  And let us not forget his appointment to the Board of BTL and the free rein to do as he wishes at the company, courtesy daddy, the rainmaker.  Some guys have all the luck.

Lest we forget, we also have Young and Barrow’s other child, Deanne, who is quickly following in the steps of mommy dearest.  While the young attorney has earned enough as her mother’s co-counsel to be considered a millionaire herself, her biggest payday is just off the horizon.  Both are presently representing the government against the owners of the Westerhaven, a cargo ship that earlier this year ran aground near English Caye, damaging a large portion of the reef.  The government is asking for US$18 million in damages.  Even if the government settles for a quarter of that sum, she may become an instant multi-millionaire herself after they collect that obscene percentage in legal fees. This is truly turning possibilities into reality.

Now take a look at our reality.  We are reeling financially on account of the spiraling cost of living.  Just now, we must fight each other on a daily basis for the limited opportunities that are available, while we struggle to clothe, educate, feed, and house our children.  It is clear that our living standards are worse than they was at the beginning of 2008.  And things are going from bad to worse to worst in a hurry.  The Statistical Institute of Belize as well as PM Barrow albeit reluctantly has confirmed that the country’s economy is contracting and that the government is not collecting enough revenues to sustain itself.

So, if the government itself is struggling to survive, why would any of the government media spinmeisters claim that life today in Belize is not as bad as it seems?  The answer is simple,  They want us to believe that PM Barrow is a man of his word and is doing everything possible to corral the out of control cost of living.  But we are not easily duped.  We know that his promise was nothing more than a stunt for political gain and that he was simply giving Belizeans false hope of a “quick fix.”  The reality is that he is not above using his office to benefit his close family members and friends.