Would the Real JACKASS Please Stand Up!

By: Mike Rudon Jr.

On Monday at the presentation of the budget for fiscal year 2010/11, the Prime Minister of Belize Dean Oliver Barrow made a spectacle of himself when he referred to a member of the Opposition bench as a jackass. According to Dean Oliver, the member was a ‘stubborn jackass’ while he was the ‘stubborn driver’ wielding the heavy whip. The Prime Minister attributed his stupid jackass stupid driver comment to an Afghan author, but popular belief is that the PM was having a flashback with him as the jackass and a merciless Lois whipping him to a gallop all the way to the public coffers. But that is neither here nor there. Neither a flashback nor Vicodin-induced intoxication will excuse Barrow’s folly in the House. He was completely out of order and is already paying the price on the streets.

Just ask any of his colleagues on the government side who were at the House on Monday. Ask his Deputy Prime Minister Gapi Vega, who grinned like a fool and pounded his fists on the table while his poor mind struggled to catch up with what Barrow was saying. Vega took a licking from his constituents when he returned to Orange Walk, as all of them blasted Barrow for his behavior. And judging from the talk on the streets and the calls to the morning shows following Barrow’s punkish tirade, all his cohorts got the same reaction from their voters.

Mr. Barrow has consistently made a mistake which will no doubt be fatal to his political career. The gentleman has become so blinded by his own eloquence and verbosity that he can’t see the reality which is right before his eyes. Through the glasses perched coquettishly on the tip of his nose, Mr. Barrow sees only visions of subjects bowing before him as he waxes philosophical on the pulpit. The very learned fellow has become somewhat confused and sees himself as an Obama whose words inspire and give the nation hope. He doesn’t realize that his words inspire feelings of disgust and hope only that that he will soon shut up and step down and give the reins to somebody who may not be as eloquent but who can get the job done.

See, the reality is this. In the campaign leading up to general elections in 2008, Mr. Barrow promised many things with his trademark oratorical genius. But with all that we’ve gotten absolutely nowhere. Check this out. In the UDP’s manifesto, Dean Barrow committed to – “ease the cost of living by lowering electricity rates and telephone rates.” Instead, the cost of everything has gone up and with this latest whopping increase in taxation of BEL, electricity rates WILL GO UP! As for telephone rate, the only thing that has gone down since Barrow took over BTL is the service quality. And how about this – Mr. Barrow promised in that same manifesto to “provide greater spending power by reducing GST.” But in his budget presented on Monday, Mr. Barrow actually raised GST by a whopping 25% to 12.5%. Imagine that. What happened to the promise when you wanted our vote, Mr. Prime Minister?

And there’s more, much more which has been fed to us like honey from his mouth but which ended up like his vile tongue being shoved down our throats. Is it surprising that people don’t believe you now, Mr. Barrow?

What it comes down to is that Barrow proclaimed himself the savior of mankind, the godly wonder who with one hand tied behind his back and eyes blindfolded would lead this nation to prosperity. Can you take off the blindfold now, Mr. Prime Minister, because somehow it seems that you got confused and started walking backward?

Mr. Barrow has been a failure in every sense of the word. Under his watch, poverty escalated to a frightening 43% of Belizeans, with 14% more right on the line. Under his watch, violent crime has paralyzed the nation. Under his watch, cost of living continues to go up. Under Barrow’s watch, Belize City has become a cesspool. Thanks to Mr. Barrow and his wunderkind Zenaida, residents of the city have lost all faith and hope in this municipal administration. Remember the audit and the missing money from City Hall, Mr. Barrow. What say you about that? And how about those tourism figures, the worst in a decade thanks to Mr. Barrow? And we can go on and on and on. But we don’t need to, because the figures and the record are there for all to see.

Mr. Barrow, you were given this nation and people on a silver platter. You have been a failure in every respect. You have not one single accomplishment of which to be proud – something you can call solely your own.

So who’s the jackass now, Mr. Barrow?

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