UDP Politics as Usual

Dueling Doctors…

Apparently the health system in Belize is in such spectacular shape that now our doctors can take the time to engage in extra-curricular activities like some ungentlemanly fisticuffs at our border. Then again, my good friend Dr. Gough is no stranger to this type of activity, with the notable difference that he is probably more accustomed to being the puncher and not the punchee, so to speak. Word is that his clock got cleaned but good, and I can only imagine that a certain young Mr. Zelaya must have felt some sort of satisfaction at the news. According to reports the carousing cardiologist got punched in the face so hard that he blacked out for a while. Quite apart from the fact that the situation must be a source of personal and professional embarrassment for the doctors, it points to a disturbing trend of violence exhibited by Dr. Gough, who quite frankly should have faced some form of disciplinary sanction when he was accused of beating up a teenage boy to the point where the minor had to be hospitalized. His connections back then got him off relatively scot-free with some convenient help from a very senior member of the Police top brass. That’s a story for another time, but it can only be hoped that Gough’s connection at the very top of the Belize Medical Association will not protect him this time. Gough has provided ample evidence to show that he is an embarrassment to the profession, political connection notwithstanding.

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The Minister of Police…

So whatever happened to Operation Restore Belize and the dynamic new Minister of Police who was anointed by our Prime Minister and praised to no end as a crime-fighting force to reckon with? Perhaps Mr. Barrow has not cared to look at the statistics, but violent crime is still on the rise, the gang situation is still completely out of control and armed robberies and jackings have increased until nobody in the city is safe anymore. Of course, while the PM hailed his boy as a godsend, nobody expected miracles, but we expected something, anything. What we got was a Minister of Police whose first act in office was to insult and alienate senior Police Officers. We got a Minister of Police whose answer to crime included a gym, sweating policemen, a running race and pushups. While a child was gunned down in cold blood, his body riddled with bullets, our Minister of Police was challenging Police officers to a race of stamina and endurance. We have come no closer to a solution or plan to rid our streets of criminals. The Minister of Police is now mute, our Prime Minister has gone under ground and we’re all still hostage to the criminals who have taken over our streets.

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Back to school woes…

According to a report by anthropologist Dr. Herbert Gayle, at least 30 percent of school age children are currently excluded from attending both primary and secondary schools. This is a serious statistic which points to a startling inadequacy in our education system. While most would agree that the buck stops with the man at the top, in this case education minister Patrick Faber, the Prime Minister has been eloquent in his praises of the young man, calling his performance in the ministry exemplary despite glaring evidence to the contrary. With that said, school opens across the country in the next couple of weeks, and the reality is that many of our school age children will not be able to go to school because their parents or guardians simply cannot afford it. The Minister of Education was in the spotlight lately when his quest to enhance his political career in the UDP proved successful. But he has not been in the spotlight or on the forefront in the situation which is affecting so many of our caregivers right now, the worry about how they will scrape together enough money to send their children to school this coming school year. For far too many Belizeans, 43% of who are below the poverty line, it is hard enough to put food on the table. When the priorities are weighed – food vs. schooling – the latter will no doubt be discarded. Very few people outside of the UDP circle care that Patrick Faber was recently elected Chairman of the UDP. We would all be much more impressed if Mr. Faber would find some way to make schools accessible to all Belizeans across the spectrum; if he could find some way to ensure that financial assistance is available for all those students who want and deserve a quality education, but have no money. Education in Belize has moved out of the realm of a basic right, and is now somewhat of a luxury for many of us. Perhaps Mr. Faber could spend a little less time on his personal political ambitions and a little more time in caring about the children he swore an oath to serve as Minister of Education.

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The Minister of Defence…

Just a little over two months ago, the Prime Minister performed a feat of political wheeling and dealing with his Cabinet expansion couched as a reshuffle. When all was said and done, Belizean taxpayers had been burdened further with salaries and perks for a new UDP Minister and for a new Attorney-General, all in the name of better getting the job done. Well there’s no need to get deeper into that farce because we all know how that has turned out, but now attention must be drawn to our brand spanking new Minister of Defence Carlos Perdomo, whose longtime political connections/family financing capacity saved his bacon. Mr. Perdomo has done absolutely the same thing in the Ministry of Defence that he did in the Police ministry – NOTHING, ZERO, NADA, ZILCH. While Perdomo continues to operate in mute and inactive mode, the BDF is facing a serious morale problem exacerbated by the ridiculous and short-lived Operation Jaguar. Our men and women in military uniform have been faced with budget cuts even as much more is being demanded from them. The situation with the BDF officers in Benque is a manifestation of frustration and a lack of guidance. The man at the helm who should be providing the guidance spends far too much time at his family-owned establishment at the highway. God forbid that our BDF officers become embroiled in a situation which results in a serious loss of life. We would not wish it so, but the combination of frustration, low morale and lack of guidance is a volatile mix.

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Petty Patrick…

The villagers of Burrell Boom are struggling to build a little Catholic school to serve the increasing population of children in the village. Under the former administration, funds had been provided for construction to commence, but the project did not survive the pettiness of the UDP and their Minister of Education. It was disheartening at Mass on Sunday for villagers to hear that this UDP administration has provided no funds for the construction to continue and so it would not be ready in time for the coming school year. According to reports, Minister Faber has been lobbied for assistance on different occasions, but has stated with all arrogance that he does not support the school project, so he will not allocate any funds – end of story. Minister Faber takes every photo opportunity to stand on the podium and tell students that they should reach for the stars and not let anything hold them back. Perhaps he should think about that little school in Burrell Boom the next time he gives one of those speeches.

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