Trying to Make a Dollar outta 15 Cents

By anthony sylvestre

As the Prime Minister beats his chest and boasts of having been given the best Christmas gift ever, the rest of us cannot say the same; well, except for the S.O. B.’s- Supporters of Barrow, that is. They, like the Prime Minister, will no doubt have a splendid Christmas.

But for the rest of us, this is a dreadful Christmas. In fact, what is commonly heard everywhere you go is the cry of haada times. So you have to wonder where the Prime Minister is living. He can’t be living in Belize, talking about the best Christmas gift ever when Belizeans daily are losing their homes, businesses are folding, mothers and fathers are being laid off and  to top it off, the buying power of a dollar is more like fifteen cents. Ah mean, really, what can a dollar get you these days? Maybe a pack of biscuits and two ideals? Funny, that is the same thing I recall as a child in primary school, fifteen cents could get you, and we would all sing about “Ching Chong Chineyman sitting on a fence, trying to make a dollar out of fifteen cents”

But on the real though, things have gotten extremely haad in ’09. And while Christmas bring “ih own money”, that aphorism is not holding true this year. We are all trying to see how that dollar can stretch more than fifteen cents, but it ain’t working.

I was in a taxi the other day and I was joking with the taxi man, asking him whether he had gotten all his stuff for the Christmas. With deep distress, he sucked his teeth and started to tell of how rough it was driving taxi these days. Besides the increasing danger and threat of life taking passengers around, he explained that “the dollar taxis” were putting a licking on the regular taxis. He continued that he was further saddened because this time of the year his girlfriend is expecting him to get some new marley, ham and turkey and the rest of stuff for the house and his children are all waiting for Christmas morning to open their little presents. “How will I tell my eight children that they won’t have Christmas this year,” he asked with maddening sadness.

So while the Prime Minister had to wait for official statistics to know that the economy is on life support, the rest of us (again, except for the S.O.B.’s- Supporters of Barrow) knew long ago. And all of us were hoping and expecting him to do something well before October, because if there is anything Belizeans want and need it is a good Christmas. It is our only reprieve from a long and haad and rough year; it is the one very important reward to little children for behaving “good” all year round. But instead, there is … not much, except blaming Mr. Musa. Come on Prime Minister, in what relationship can a man for two years continue to blame the past man for the problems he and his woman is having in their house. The woman will get tired of that. The Belizean people are getting tired of your excuses Mr. Prime Minister.

Beside the much touted “rejuvenation project” (which the Prime Minister has already warned is coming to an end), what else has this UDP Government done to pump some money in the economy; to create opportunities for the less fortunate? And Mr. Prime Minister, there are hundreds of high school, sixth form and University graduates who need fi “get handle to”. What about them? Aren’t they to have a good Christmas too?

Things are getting haada, prices of basic food stuff are skyrocketing, the few dollars you have in your pockets seem to have no value and Christmas is around the bend. These are indeed stressful times and the temptation to snap increases tremendously.

At this time of the year, as we celebrate Christmas, let us remember the reason for Christmas: that is, love. With a little love to our brothers and sisters, we can all help each other through the stress which comes with Christmas, especially one in haad times like these.

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