Things that make you go hmmm!

Government abuse…

On Wednesday a government vehicle, a late model Mitsubishi Montero assigned to Minister of State Edmond Castro was on the Northern Highway. It was being used as a service vehicle for two cyclists who ride for Castro’s Clear the Land team. This is not the first time that this vehicle has been spotted on the highway doing this very same thing. For months on end this same vehicle has been utilized by Castro for his personal cycling team. We have said it time and time again – why do we taxpayers have to pay so that Castro and his sons and their friends can exercise? We pay for fuel, maintenance and for the driver who patiently drives in front of the cyclists for hours on end. This is only one instance of outright abuse among many? Would this government be willing to provide Belizeans with its fuel bill monthly? Would the government be willing to make Belizeans aware of how much of the fuel bill is being utilized in service of the people and how much is being used for the convenience of ministers, UDP cronies and their family members.

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Unsustainable luxury…

The Deputy Prime Minister of our poor, third world country is driving a brand new late model luxury Lexus SUV. Our Prime Minister is driving a quarter-million dollar luxury Land Cruiser. Our Minister of Health is driving a $160,000 luxury Toyota SUV. There are various ministers who have two luxury SUVs at their disposal, one of which is used by their spouse or loved one whenever necessary. Mr. Barrow has just created two more ministerial posts which will force taxpayers to purchase two more luxury SUVs. Government’s vehicle fleet must have cost millions to assemble and it appears that just as taxpayers get used to seeing their representatives in a fancy ride, that representative gets gifted with a later model. This is unsustainable. If we were a wealthy super-power, our representatives could be driving a different German manufactured luxury ride every day of the week. But we’re not. Belize is a poor country. We are being told that we need to tighten our belts in this time of recession. The cost of basic food items has gone up. The high cost of education is forcing students to drop out of school. Businesses are closing down. Belizeans are losing their homes. But our ministers and UDP cronies are riding pretty in leather and A/C comfort.

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Our justice system…

On Monday after a bloody weekend, the lineup of the newscast basically summarized the story of things in Belize, at least on the crime front. The first story was of a brutal murder, a young man shot in the head on a busy street a black from the bus terminal. The second story was a rundown of six shootings in the city over the weekend. And the third was the story of a man remanded for murder who walked free because the prosecution could produce no case file. Really, that is what is happening in Belize in a nutshell. There is unchecked violence on the streets, compounded by the criminals realizing that somewhere between the Police investigation and the Office of the DPP, something will very likely go wrong and there is a very good chance that they will walk free. This is nothing personal against Madam DPP or the bigwigs in the Police – this is the reality on our streets, the reality that grieving mothers and loved ones left behind must face every single day.

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Inappropriate Comments…

The New Minister of Police and Public Security has been silent since his ascension more than a month ago. In fact, his appointment coincided with the re-launch of a violent crime wave in the city complete with murders, shootings and armed robberies. Operation Jaguar is no more and Operation Restore Belize doesn’t seem to have made it off the pages of the brilliantly written presentation copy. There is no doubt that Belizeans will need a warrior to take on the battle of crime. We will need a fearless visionary, a man of integrity and focus and commitment who will lead the charge against the lawless, whoever they may be. But we got Doug Singh. In an interview with Channel 7 on Wednesday night, his first real sit down since his appointment, Doug Singh says he has got this problem pegged and knows exactly what needs to be done to take care of crime in our city which has become a war-zone. According to Singh, the Police Department needs a new gym where officers can work out and get in shape. Hmmm! Okay then! Sweaty men in spandex lifting weights might be just what the minister ordered, but we’re far from convinced that such an initiative will do anything to stop the bloodshed in the city. Seriously, though. We said from the beginning that Dean Barrow was not serious about fighting crime when he appointed Doug Singh. Mr. Singh’s inappropriate comment proves that we were right.

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The Police Department…

It appears that the absolutely only thing the Police Department can get right is doing things wrong. The story about two minors who were picked up and detained for hours, questioned and beaten is crazy, really crazy. The fact that the recent Police modus operandi will cause very few people to question the truth of the allegations is sad. How can our guys be getting this basic stuff wrong? Isn’t there a sort of Police Procedures 101 that recruits must take before they pass out? Anybody on the periphery of the law will tell you that a minor cannot be questioned without the presence of a parent, guardian or social worker. It is just not done, end of story. But our Police Officers did it without blinking an eye. And then there is the brutality part, allegations of the minors being punch and hit with a machete and one of them being told that his finger would be cut off. What country are we living in again? Listen, everybody recognizes that the streets are getting tough and Police Officers must be tougher. But tougher and stupid are not synonymous terms. Tougher doesn’t mean breaking the law and abusing the human rights of detained persons. Hell, it’s no wonder the criminals out there are having a field day.

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The UDP Governance Policy…

In addition to his completely inappropriate comments regarding the changes he would like to see in the Police Department, Doug Singh took the time to don his UDP Chairman hat and reveal the policy of the UDP. According to Singh, “the objective of a political party is to win elections. Really it’s not to govern well, it’s to win elections.” While anybody with half a mind could have looked at the way the UDP is governing and seen that they don’t give a damn about working for the people, it is stunning that the Chairman of the UDP would come out so openly and say it. How arrogant has the UDP become when its Chairman will come out on national television and tell people that they are in the race to win elections, not to do the right thing and serve well? It doesn’t get much worse than that. I hope the people of Belize who put their faith and trust in Mr. Barrow are sitting up and taking note.

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Juliet, Audrey & Bev…

The lesbian Senator of the United Democratic Party, Juliet Thimbriel, has been beside herself lately during her daily rant on WAVE Radio’s morning show. She is furious because the Belize Times has happened onto some documents which show that a close friend of hers, the CEO in the Prime Minister’s Office, has been given a house and lot in Belmopan for little or nothing, and has also been the beneficiary of two lots in Caribbean Shores for little or nothing. Juliet has taken the perceived attack on her friend personally. This week we expect her to go even more ballistic, as the Belize Times will highlight a house and lot in Belmopan which was sold to another of her close friends, the CEO in the Ministry of Natural Resources, for a paltry sum. In addition, we’ve received documents which show Juliet Thimbriel herself being given two large lots on the Western Highway for $1500. Juliet and her two friends are benefitting big from the UDP, so we shouldn’t be surprised when she expels so much hot air on their behalf because her bread is being well buttered to do so. There was a time when Juliet used to expend all her energies in defense of the poor people of Belize. Oh how things have changed.

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