NO Clue…

In terms of this crime thing, can we realistically expect 2011 to be any different from 2010? Can we expect a decrease in murders, in home invasions, in assaults, in robberies and shootings and thefts? The government has offered nothing different from 2010 – no new initiatives, no new agenda, no new plans, no bold, visionary ideas. There is nothing new coming out of the Ministry of Police, nothing new coming out of the Police Department. Operating Restore Belize is still putt-putting merrily along on the wings of a song. Poverty is increasing apace, as is unemployment. Frustration and desperation are heading on up. There have been no social programs offered and no move to address the school dropout rate. There is still no state of the art forensic/DNA lab which Mr. Barrow promised something like three years ago. He continues to promise the lab periodically but still nothing. That’s all we’ve gotten from this government – NOTHING. The Minister of Police did his media thing the other day but while he may be cute (or not) we were given NOTHING concrete, nothing to base our hopes for better on. So far 2011 isn’t looking all that great…

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Truly Disgraceful!

The results of the latest Police promotion exams are bad, dismal, awful…disgraceful! If the public had needed any other reason to lose confidence in their police department this is it. Of the 479 police officers who sat the exam only 39 passed. Amazing! This is way past cause for concern. There is something seriously wrong in the ranks of our men and women in uniform. During an interview Minister of Police Doug Singh put on his sad face, but didn’t say anything about putting anything in place to correct the matter. He talked about looking at the results and ‘crunching the numbers.’ People don’t want to hear about crunching any numbers. We need an immediate investigation into and enhancement of the recruiting process. We need to immediately examine the syllabus at the Police Training School to ensure that our young recruits are being taught properly. We need to do something, anything concrete…! How can we expect to address the crime problem when our police officers are inadequately trained? How can we expect to put criminals behind bars if our officers are not up to the task? Instead of Doug Singh pushing for a gym, he needs to get real and start dealing with the critical issues affecting the police department.

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Everywhere is war…

This UDP is unraveling at the seams and breaking up like the proverbial dolly-house. There have been three conventions so far – in Caribbean Shores, in Orange Walk East and in Corozal Bay just this past weekend. What they have done is reveal serious fractures within the Party and have aired tons of dirty linen. In all three areas there have been very credible accusations of corruption, voter fraud, voter list tampering, the buying of votes and serious mismanagement by the incumbents. In all three areas the run-up to convention day has been contentious, overtly hostile, nasty and volatile. In all three areas the UDP has been clearly split along the lines of big money and big power. In fact, at the second convention in OW East things got so bad that UDP Chairman Patrick Faber and Deputy Leader Gapi Vega got into a shouting match which led to the Chairman threatening to resign. Dean Oliver Barrow is looking very old lately when he makes media opportunities. He is looking very tired and stressed. His party is breaking up all around him and there is absolutely nothing he can do about it.

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Ask Mike…

In response to a question about Mike Singh’s involvement in this whole cruise tourism thing, Dean Oliver told the media that they would have to ask him. Hmmm! Why does the prime minister continue to provide cover for Mr. Singh? There needs to be an immediate investigation into the whole Singh thing. Just the other day his name surfaced in the proposal for a cruise tourism facility in Placencia when it was revealed that he had benefitted financially from the sale of the land for the facility and the prime minister had nothing to say. Now Singh’s name has surfaced again after revelations that his company was responsible for bringing two new catamarans into the country to take advantage of the alleged new requirements of the cruise ship companies. It’s a sweet deal – as CEO in the Ministry of Tourism Singh could be in on the negotiating aspect of the deal with the cruise company representatives. And now since he has moved on to head Beltraide, he is in the position to provide lucrative financial incentives from that side. The prime minister needs to do much, much more than just shrug off the hard questions. Mr. Singh has been allowed to get away with way too much and now needs to be taken to task.

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Providing an example…

The murder of a 12 year old student from Ladyville has gone a long way to reiterating for many of us how bad things have gotten in our society. Many of our very young children have become victims of twisted individuals who prey on them and then leave their bodies discarded like garbage. So very many of our youths have turned to lives of depravity because they feel they have no other options. Many of our youths have turned into killers who would empty a gun into another’s head without the slightest hesitation. Now more than ever we need to provide good examples for our young people. Now more than ever we need to provide them with the values which will make them constructive contributors in our communities. But instead of providing our youths with that example, our prime minister for his own reasons has placed his son Shyne on a pedestal and has told the children of our nation that they must look to him as a role model. Mr. Barrow is not serious about righting the wrongs in our society. He lacks the political will to repair the tears in our social fabric.

Belizeans shafted again…

Our tourism gurus in authority would have us believe that there has been this dramatic facelift in the Belize Tourism Board; a new vision; a new agenda of development; new purpose and new life. It seemed like a good idea, especially since under the UDP tourism figures had showed repeated decline. But something’s very, very wrong. According to what is being reported, owners of large tenders who service cruise ships have been informed just this week that effective Thursday their services will no longer be required. They have apparently been told that a foreign interest working in collaboration with a very highly placed local interest will take over tendering services. The thing is that the tourism season is just at its high points and these local tender operators have invested millions of dollars in order to provide adequate service, only to be told that in a couple days they can take a long walk off a short pier, so to speak. Somehow there is this very credible perception that Belizeans who have sacrificed so much for this once vibrant industry are being shafted in favor of well-connected persons in the UDP and foreign interests. The Belize Tourism Board should not be allowed to dodge this one…they are supposed to be safeguarding the interests of our local stakeholders, ensuring that our people are able to get their fair share of this tourism pie. Under this UDP, Belizeans always seem to come out last.

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Revisiting Again…

In an appearance on Love FM’s morning show on Wednesday current leader of the nation Dean Oliver Barrow made a firm commitment to revisit the fuel situation in April 2011 with a view to reducing government’s take so that taxpayers do not bear the brunt of rising acquisition costs. Currently the cost of fuel at the pumps has soared way past $10 per gallon, the highest it has ever been. In the normal course of things that would be extremely welcome news as high fuel prices results in the rising cost of goods across the board. But coming from this prime minister and this government, that commitment is worth less than a farthing. In his 2008 budget presentation, Mr. Barrow made a similar commitment to revisit the fuel situation with a view to reducing government’s take if the cost per gallon at the pumps rose to more than $7. Back then when the price rose past $8 and the prime minister was questioned as to his commitment, he adroitly sidestepped and dodged the issue by claiming that he had promised only to revisit as opposed to actually doing anything.

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Trend vs. Blip…

Mr. Barrow also said that he is looking at the fuel situation closely because it is very complicated and will require all his genius and brilliance to resolve. He won’t do anything yet, he said, till he has had the time to analyze the issue and ensure that the increase in fuel cost is ‘a trend as opposed to just a blip.’ Yes, he really did say that. Apparently he is not convinced that fuel rising from $5 per gallon to over $10 per gallon under the UDP is a trend. Yes, the fact is that pump prices have risen steadily and markedly over the past two and a half years, but that could still be just a blip, says Mr. Barrow. Judging from past experience, it is doubtful whether the prime minister’s careful analysis of the situation will be complete before the end of his term…but then he’s not serious about reducing the burden on taxpayers anyway, so it really doesn’t matter. The PM can be assured of one fact – his term as leader of this nation is certainly a blip with no danger of becoming a trend.

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Well said…

A caller to Love FM shortly before the prime minister’s scheduled appearance on Wednesday said it best. He implored the hosts of the show to ask Dean Oliver the hard questions as opposed to powdering and pampering the current leader as is so often the case. That caller referred to the prime minister’s New Year’s message, stating that Mr. Barrow spoke about many, many good things happening and great times ahead. The picture painted by Mr. Barrow, he said, was a far cry from the reality being faced by Belizeans each and everyday. That is not a view held simply by that caller, as Mr. Barrow’s message to end 2010 has received very critical reviews. When the prime minister spoke about great things in the year past and greater things to come, nobody can relate to what he is saying. Even common UDP supporters (as opposed to highly placed UDP cronies with perks) know that this is the worst things have ever been in Belize. I’m not sure which country Mr. Barrow was referring to in his message, but it surely was not the Belize we have come to know under this UDP administration. Maybe the prime minister’s address wasn’t really intended for the wider public, but was aimed at members of his family, UDP ministers and their families and highly placed cronies only. That must be it.

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Funny man…

I am convinced that all that book knowledge is wasted on the prime minister. Even with the surfeit of brains and brilliance of which he is only too happy to boast, Dean Oliver is the poster child for common sense not being very common. Not only that, but the fellow is damned disingenuous. At the last sitting of the House of Representatives, he was being his usual self, blasting the previous administration for what he called fake growth. According to Mr. Barrow, while there was massive development under the PUP it doesn’t count because they had to borrow to stimulate the economy. So it wasn’t like the economy was really being stimulated, Dean Oliver claimed. And then, without losing a moment’s poise, the current leader of the nation started boasting about all this economic growth and development which he says will be coming our way in 2011, and he reels off a list of loans which his administration has secured, amounting to almost $300million dollars. In his appearance on Love FM, Mr. Barrow said that no country can survive without borrowing. So according to the prime minister, when the PUP borrowed and pumped money into the economy it was false growth and development, but when the UDP does the exact same thing, it is real growth and development. And we’re supposed to swallow that one just because Dean Oliver Barrow says it is so.

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Top 10…

At the end of 2010, there were a recorded 132 murders in our small nation. That translates to something like 40 murders for every 100,000 which means that our once peaceful jewel can now boast one of the highest murder rates in the world…in the whole world. In fact, Belize now has the distinction of being in the Top 10 for murders in the world. Who would ever have believed it? This is a crisis by any definition of the word. Belizeans are living in fear, real fear – terrified of being on our streets and afraid of being in their own homes. It is like open season on law-abiding citizens. Criminals have been allowed to prey on us with impunity. While that in and of itself is appalling, what is much, much worse is that the prime minister seems either blissfully unaware of the crisis or eminently able to ignore the crisis. In fact, the prime minister chose no less than his national New Year’s message to pat himself on the back for the crime situation. Somehow he has taken credit for the misery visited on Belizeans. The only bits of affirmative action out of this prime minister and this government are a great song and a new public relations officer. That is it.

Nation in receivership…

It is just like the leader of the Opposition said in the House of Representatives last week…if Belize was a business and the prime minister was the CEO, it would be in receivership right now. Our prime minister may be a master of the spoken word and a drama queen to be reckoned with but he has also proven to be an economic dunce. Nobody expects the prime minister to be wonderful at everything…nobody’s perfect. But the real danger lies in the fact that Dean Oliver believes with every ounce of his being that he can do it all and be it all. The fact is that Belize is in the grips of a serious recession and depression. It doesn’t matter one whit what the prime minister says or how poetically he explains it all away. We are in bad shape. The nation is in big trouble. Our unemployment figures are sky high. Businesses are closing down left, right and center. Direct investment in Belize has fallen tremendously. Everywhere we look there is bad news. Nobody is making all this up…it is not just petty political propaganda. This is real. This is what we are facing right now. On Friday when the prime minister was challenged on these statistics and on the fact that his government has been visionless and inactive, he spent a significant portion of time on a personal attack on the leader of the Opposition. But that was it. When all was said and done and the prime minister sat back down to the cheers of the clowns on his side of the House, Belizeans were no better off than before he stood up. He still offered no solution, no hope – no light at the end of the tunnel. This Christmas we wish the prime minister of this nation much maturity in order that he may deal with the real issues instead of using his eloquence in the pursuit of petty taunts and childish insults which are of no benefit to Belizeans.

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Serious allegations…

Last week Friday the PUP member for the Fort George division and former prime minister made some very serious allegations against minister of works Anthony ‘Boots’ Martinez. Of course, while this is perhaps the first time those accusations of corruption have been made in such a public arena they come as no great surprise to anyone. Anybody with an iota of common sense would be able to examine the private life of Boots Martinez before he became a minister and compare it to the private life of Boots Martinez after he became a minister and the gaping disparity would be obvious. Apparently the prime minister is an intellectual wunderkind and a learned fellow without equal, but when it comes to common sense he comes up far short. After the very pointed accusations of corruption in the House, the prime minister is obligated to launch an investigation into the affairs of his works minister. He is obligated to do an audit of Housing for the Poor, the $2million post hurricane rehabilitation money and the South-side Poverty Alleviation Project. The prime minister needs to investigate the allegations of massive kick-backs and discounts on bulk purchases being paid to his works minister on a monthly basis by at least one major hardware giant in Belize. If the prime minister cannot see what is right in front of him, it will be because he deliberately chooses not to.

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Approaching 130 murders…

As easy as that, like a thief in the night, the murder rate has climbed up to almost 130 for 2010 with two weeks to go. Last year it stood at 103 and even that was considered unacceptable. Under this UDP administration the statistics show that violent crime has gone up each consecutive year. It is no great leap to conclude that this government must be doing something wrong. The prime minister has offered no solution to crime – not one real, concrete solution! He has rambled on and on about Operation Restore Belize and three months after he launched that operation with much pomp and ceremony Belizeans are still waiting for something, anything to happen. Belizeans are still waiting for increased patrols and additional law enforcement officers on the streets and for safe zones and poverty alleviation projects. The prime minister has proven quite aptly that he is great at concepts and great at presentation but falls down badly somewhere in the translation from words to action. As for the minister of police…well why waste any time on him? He is just a UDP crony who is being paid more than $100,000 a year plus hefty perks to masquerade as the head of the Police Department. While the UDP play games, Belizeans are dying every day.

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Messed up municipalities…

It’s an old and much used refrain but that doesn’t change the fact that it needs to be said. The pseudo mayor and all her bogus councilors need to be taken out to downtown Belize City and flogged. The faux mayor is being paid an alleged $9000 a month and does absolutely nothing to earn that salary. All councilors are being paid about $1000 every single week and do nothing to earn that stipend. Our entire city is in a royal mess. We don’t have streets with potholes anymore…we have potholes with little bits of street attached to them. And it is the same all over the country. In every municipality from Punta Gorda to Corozal Town the UDP has failed miserably. Streets are in the worst condition they have ever been, drains are in the worst condition they have ever been. Everything is a mess under the UDP. And to top it off, all municipalities managed by the UDP are broke, so it’s not like the people can expect any increased or enhanced services anytime in the future. Belizeans need to start sending a message to these clowns who are attempting to take us for fools. In the New Year let us resolve to demand better governance, to demand service, to demand accountability and transparency. We deserve no less.

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Season’s Greetings…

As we close this chapter for 2010, this columnist takes this opportunity to wish all Belizeans all the very best at this time of year and in the new year to come. It has been a difficult time for all of us, but we have kept the faith despite every obstacle set in our path by this UDP administration. Stay strong, friends…it is only a matter of time before this crowd is sent packing. Peace and love…

Somebody help…

When the prime minister of Belize made his first public statement on the sugar-cane crisis in the House of Representatives, he prefaced his comments by reminding the cane-farmers that he had ‘no obligation’ to them, but that his government would try to help if it could. Well if Dean Oliver had no obligation to assist the thousands of cane-farmers in the north that that not been paid by BSI, he certainly won’t feel that he has any obligation to the 275 Belizeans who have been left jobless and penniless after the Belize Bank moved on the Novelo Brothers. In the end, this isn’t about the brothers who seem unable to make anything work. This isn’t even about the bank which made a strictly emotionless and cold decision to move NOW. This is about 275 Belizeans who through no fault of their own have been left without the means to feed their families at this time. Mr. Barrow has said nothing about the matter and if he did would probably claim no responsibility and say that it is up to the Novelos and the Bank to work their difficulties out. That’s all well and good, Dean Oliver, but the fact is that you swore an oath to serve all Belizeans and if there has ever been a time when Belizeans need your intervention it is now. This government needs to step in and it needs to step in now.

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Ridiculous…

Last week I was driving around the city and ended up on King Street coming onto Southern Foreshore. There is a massive, gaping hole in the middle of the street where a metal grill has been removed. It has been that way for weeks now and the City Council has made no move to replace the grill. Southern Foreshore used to be a picturesque area of the city, but now the craters and potholes riddling the street make it a painful experience. On Calle al Mar there are potholes which I could lie down in comfortably and nobody would be able to see me…and I’m a damned big fellow. Princess Margaret Drive is a complete mess. Baymen Avenue is a mess. Every single street in Belize is a mess. But the pseudo-mayor of Belize City is not ashamed to stand in a parade and wave merrily to the residents of Belize City. If I had my way she would have been attacked by a few dozen rotten eggs, over-ripe tomatoes or a few select pieces of the garbage and filth which can conveniently be found on every street in the city. Residents of Belize City need to take a stand.

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Comparisons…

When I saw that gaping hole on one of Belize’s prominent streets…indeed, when I see the potholes and craters on every one of our streets and the neglected, dilapidated condition of the entire city, I have to wonder how much money was spent on the UDP Caribbean Shores Convention a couple weekends ago. To me that is what this entire UDP bunch is all about – in the true tradition of their leader, all glitter and no substance. If Roger Espejo cared about the people of the city he would have done something a long time ago. He was and is a City Councilor. If Carlos Perdomo cared so much for the people of Caribbean Shores he would have done something for them a long time ago. For years these two persons did nothing for the people, then for one brief moment of time the money flows and suddenly they care so much about the people. For these two and for the rest of the UDP, a rude awakening is on the way.

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Rich vs. Poor…

The UDP Convention in OW East confirmed what everybody already knew…this UDP is all about the money. Marcel Cardona expressed it perfectly when he said that with this crowd of UDP money men it is all about the rich vs. the poor. In fact, Cardona has been heard to refer to his colleague DPM Gapi Vega as the head of the UDP mafia in Orange Walk and indeed he looked the part on Sunday. Thanks to great big wads of money being handed out on convention day and great big wads which were spent on his campaign, Gapi’s buddy and UDP financier Landy Burns was victorious in the race. But Landy should not be fooled into thinking that is any indication of his popularity. The fact is that things are so bad for Belizeans under this UDP that they were happy for the money being handed out. Landy was paying $25 dollars to voters to wear his shirts and up to $200 per vote. Christmas is only a week or so away. Damn, I wish Landy had called me. I would have put on his shirt and voted for him. And another thing…I wonder how much money was spent on that UDP convention because the streets of Orange Walk are in deplorable shape and the people really need help.

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Police Abuse…

Minister of Police Doug Singh has been absolutely impotent on crime. He has been unable to curb the violence in the city. In fact, under his watch murders sky-rocketed to a new record high and the year is still not done. Way back when he was appointed to the position, Doug Singh claimed that he would attack the crime problem by putting things in order at the Police Department. Some of us thought that he was talking about putting structures and guidelines in place and dealing with corruption, but he was actually talking about opening a Police gym so officers could work out and tone their biceps. What Doug Singh needs to deal with is this latest shooting in which a Police Officer allegedly shot a man in his back, leaving him in critical condition. Credible reports are that the shooting was unprovoked and unnecessary. Of course the Police version of the story is markedly different. And of course, the Police are claiming that they have immediately launched an internal investigation. That is what they always say. I must have heard that phrase a hundred times since the start of the year, every single time a Police Officer has been accused of wrongdoing or abuse, and not once have I seen or heard the results of the so-called investigation. Since Doug Singh hasn’t been able to do anything about anything else, maybe he could at least ensure that Police Officers are accountable for their actions. That’s not asking too much is it?

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LOL…!

Back-bencher and disgraced former junior minister in the Ministry of Works Edmond ‘Clear Your Desk and Get the Hell Out’ Castro has responded to the many people stating that he is a shame to his position and should be removed from Belize Rural North. Has Castro offered an explanation for his financial shenanigans? NOPE! Has Castro offered an explanation for his sudden business success and wealth right after he got into office? NOPE. Instead of doing that Castro has stated that he will sue everybody. That’s right. He will sue everybody for slandering his good ‘name.’ I guess it was his ‘good’ name that got him kicked out of Cabinet. The Prime Minister needs to get serious on corruption in his administration. The people have called for an investigation into Castro’s finances. The people have made allegations against Castro of some really rotten deals which amount to criminal misappropriation of funds. The Prime Minister has an obligation to call for an investigation of his former junior minister. If the investigation proves that Castro did nothing wrong…then no harm no foul. But if the investigation proves that Castro is guilty, he needs to face the full force of the law.

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Zona jodida…

The situation at the Corozal Free Zone, Corozal’s largest employer, is bad. What is even worse is that the government of Belize shows no signs of knowing what the hell to do. This is a serious crisis with things threatening to come to a complete standstill. Nobody is saying that it is the government’s fault, but we are saying that it is the responsibility of the government to find a solution. Mr. Barrow and his bunch seem to be clueless when it comes to a majority of the crises bombarding Belize. They seem to believe that it is okay for them to say that it is not their fault and wait for somebody else to try and find a solution. But if the government cannot help the people when a situation like this arises, then what is the sense of them being the government. It can’t be that they have those positions just to pull in large salaries and PERKS and drive fancy rides. They must have some other purpose. GOB needs to find a solution to the mess in the Corozal Free Zone NOW.

Tin-pot dictator…

This latest move by Mr. Barrow to censor the media and limit the freedom of the press is unexpected but certainly not surprising. In fact, trying to control what is disseminated in the media is trademark dictatorship. For the past months Channel 5 has been making great strides in shedding light on a lot of very nasty things happening in government, not the least of which is the still ongoing immigration mess which the prime minister certainly would prefer swept under the rug. It is not the first time that Dean Oliver has made disparaging comments against the media house and those comments have become more pointed as more and more of government’s dealings come to light thanks to Channel 5’s investigative reporters and resources. But Dean Oliver’s dislike of Channel 5’s investigative prowess and revelations aside, it is not a good idea for the prime minister to attack the freedom of the press. Who will be next? If the Reporter newspaper reveals more of the corruption in this government will Mr. Barrow sever ties with them? If the Amandala runs an article blasting Mr. Barrow for his incompetence will they face sanction as well? Will the hosts on Love FM be allowed to criticize Mr. Barrow or any UDP representative?

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Let the people decide…

During the last months of the previous administration the media was vigilant and vicious. Watching past leaders under the glaring spotlight was painful at times. There is no doubt that the media did contribute to what was eventually the demise of the PUP. I’m not passing judgment, casting blame or saying that was a bad thing, just stating a fact. At no point in that heated time was the media subject to any sanction, any threats or indeed any blatant move by the then government. Freedom of the press was once a sacred thing, but that’s not the case anymore. There was a time when news could be disseminated without any pressure from the government. There was a time when Belizeans were allowed to take in that information and make their own decisions on the merits or demerits of that information. But Mr. Barrow doesn’t think that’s so important anymore. He thinks that government should decide what information is disseminated and once it is not positively raving about how great he and the UDP are then it has no value. Belizeans are not fools. Let the people decide.

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Recall NOW…

The residents of Belize Rural North don’t feel that they need to wait for the recall mechanism to kick in sometime after next general elections. They want the disgraced and disgraceful Castro removed now. There have been allegations about Castro’s financial shenanigans since shortly after he became junior minister of works. The Prime Minister has never deemed it necessary to pay any attention. When one accusation with supporting documents was produced, the Prime Minister’s hand was finally forced and he had to act. But the people feel that moving Castro to the backbench is not enough. They feel that he should be made to face charges for his actions. They feel that the Prime Minister should now sit up and pay extremely keen attention to all the other allegations against Castro. They feel that his personal finances should be audited. They feel that his many business enterprises should be investigated. Mr. Prime Minister, the people have spoken. The very least you can do is LISTEN and ACT. If Castro is as pure as the driven snow we’ll devote pages and pages of the Belize Times to praising his goodness and greatness. But he needs to be investigated and if necessary he needs to be charged and removed.

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The worst of times!

Six months ago the prime minister addressed a graduating class and made reference to a light at the end of the economic tunnel. He spoke about the worst of times and the best of times. But so far that tunnel is either longer than we thought or the damned light was just a mirage. Three months ago the prime minister again stood up, this time in front of the nation, and gave a glowing rendition of the times in Belize. He talked about robust industries and a growing economy. He talked about new jobs and new infrastructure. But none of that has happened…not in the least. Belizeans are still facing the worst of times. The newspapers every week are filled with pages upon pages of people losing their homes and properties. Every single week businesses are closing their doors and sending Belizeans home. The cost of goods in the stores continues to go up, up, up! There are crises popping up all over the place and we all continue to be held hostage by violent crime which is killing us…literally. This Christmas, the prime minister will no doubt give another glorious address patting himself on the back for something we just do not see. For all of us out here, these are the worst of times. Perhaps Mr. Barrow and his family are the ones enjoying the best of times.

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Broken city…broken nation!

There is not one single street in our nation which is in good condition. Even Princess Margaret Drive which was one of our better byways is now sporting craters because it has been neglected by this UDP City Council. It is amazing to me that this Mayor and assorted Councilors still show their faces from time to time whenever the photo opportunity presents itself. Our streets are wrecked; garbage covers the city; drains and street-sides are cluttered and filthy; our parks and playgrounds are dilapidated and the City Council is broke and now seeking to raise more money on the backs of poor Belizeans who are already overburdened and not getting any service for their money. But Belize City is just part of a larger picture. Our entire country is in a mess. Crime, tourism, education, economy, industries – everything is going down the drain. Mr. Barrow and the UDP have broken Belize and they have neither the will nor the ability to fix it.

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Complete waste…

There was a lot of money and a lot of energy spent so Carlos Perdomo could defeat Roger Espejo in the Caribbean Shores convention this past weekend. It’s a real pity that money and energy hasn’t been put at the disposal of the Belizean people. The fact is that the city is a mess, and Roger Espejo is one of the men elected to take care of the city. Caribbean Shores is a mess and so is the Ministry of Immigration and that is Carlos Perdomo’s responsibility. As far as we are concerned, both men are duds and both men have betrayed the trust people put in them. Boots Martinez was there with his usual cocky self claiming credit for Perdomo’s win. According to Boots he was out there day in and day out supporting his friend and colleague in the campaign. Damn, but it would be great if the minister of works put all that energy into helping the people. He claimed that it was all about his loyalty to Perdomo. It would have been great if he felt some little shred of loyalty for the Belizean people. When all is said and done, this convention was just another installment of the ongoing UDP circus. Our city is still in a mess. Our nation is still in a mess. Nothing has changed. There is absolutely nothing for Perdomo or any other UDP minister to be smiling about. Absolutely nothing!

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Worst destination…

New BTB director Seleni Matus says that Belize is considered one of the worst destinations in terms of tourists who come to Belize City and walk around. According to Matus, these tourists often leave with ‘a very bad perception of Belize…and we are consistently rated as the worst destination in that regard.’ Well Duh! It’s not like this is news to anybody. We live here in the city. We can look around and see what there is to see. My only problem is that Matus seems to want to throw all the blame on local tour operators and tour guides in the city. But that’s not it at all. Our city is filthy. How can tour operators sell a city which is a dismal mess with any measure of success? Our tourists have to walk on garbage strewn streets. They need to dodge the craters and smell the stench of filthy drains. They are harassed in perpetuity and mugged with frightening regularity because crime is completely out of control. Those are the things that need to be dealt with by the BTB. Zoning is fine when all the rest is in place, but in this case zoning won’t get it done.

Still no money…

As we go to press tonight, sugar-cane farmers and the Belize Sugar Industries have still not received the money which was promised to them by Prime Minister Dean Oliver Barrow. After almost a month of no intervention in the increasingly tense situation, last week Mr. Barrow grandstanded masterfully at a press conference where he claimed credit for figuring out a way in which the farmers and BSI could receive their money. Mr. Barrow even went so far as to instruct his press office to come up with a wonderful video-ad in which all parties were heaping effusive thanks on him for resolving the issue. That was all well and good and everybody was ecstatic but like with so many of the leader’s promises to date, the money has still not materialized. According to the PM the monies would have been available for use on Monday of this week but on Thursday at a special sitting of the House he casually dropped a bombshell on stakeholders, telling them that because of the Thanksgiving holiday the banks weren’t open to do business. That was last Thursday and now a full week after the money has still not been disbursed. So the farmers have still not received their third payment and the season which has already been delayed will in all likelihood be delayed even further.

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Just another show…

When all is said and done, the Prime Minister’s commitment to resolve the crisis which threatens to collapse the sugar industry was just another show, more glitter without even an iota of substance. Our leader made sure he came across as the great savior of the industry but it was all an act. Mr. Barrow knew full well that getting the waivers from ING and FCIB was a difficult proposition at best. Why would any bank release collateral held on its debtors? Just because Mr. Barrow said that they would? Now that the show is over Mr. Barrow has placed all responsibility for the loan in BSI’s court when any fool can tell you that if BSI had the wherewithal to finagle such moves we would not have been in this situation in the first place. What Mr. Barrow needs to do is provide a sovereign guarantee of the funds right away and make that money available to the cane-farmers in the north and BSI. Mr. Barrow needs to stop playing games with our people. Every day without the monies committed by Mr. Barrow is another day in which our people suffer and another blow to the already comatose sugar industry.

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How many more?

How many more people must be gunned down in cold blood or brutally pummeled to death before Dean Oliver acknowledges that he placed the wrong man at the helm of the Police Department? He certainly knows that Doug Singh is a dud, but knowing it and doing something about it are two horses of a totally different colour. The news this week was chock-full of murders and shootings and robberies and assaults and all indications are that things will get a lot worse as Christmas approaches and financial pressures increase. Has anybody heard anything about Operation Restore Belize lately? Has anybody heard anything about safe zones and additional deployment of police officers and BDF personnel? Seriously, the only thing that Operation Restore Belize has given us so far is a song. It was a great song but it was only a song. The fact is that it is Barrow’s fault that we are where we are when it comes to crime. Carlos Perdomo was a complete waste as Minister of National Security but because of politics he was allowed to damage the ministry to no end. When he simply could not be tolerated any longer he was replaced by another complete dud whose only bright idea was opening a police gym so that officers could work out. Last year’s murder record has been blown out of the water and there is still a month to go in the year. It is past time for Mr. Barrow to deal with the problem. Doug Singh needs to be put out to pasture. The Belizean people are crying out for help.

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Tragedy…

On a very personal note the staff of the Belize Times expresses our condolences to the family of David Longsworth who was senselessly gunned down. All he did was stop for fuel with his wife and child while a robbery was allegedly being committed. He and a security guard are the latest casualties in a vicious crime wave which has paralyzed our nation. Mr. Barrow will not stand at a podium vowing that no stone will be left unturned in bringing the murderer to justice as he did for his law partner and friend. Apart from the grief of family and friends left behind these murders will go down as just more alarming statistics without any word from the Prime Minister or his useless Minister of Police. Rest in Peace David…

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Dumb vs. Dumber…

What used to be cause for amusement just doesn’t seem so funny anymore. This weekend UDP voters will decide whether they want to stick with the hopeless, useless Carlos Perdomo or replace him with the totally incompetent Roger Espejo. Neither one of them is worth anything. Carlos Perdomo has proven beyond any shadow of a doubt that he is not suited for public office. He wrecked the Ministry of National Security and then went to the Ministry of Immigration and screwed that up royally too. Roger Espejo is no better. It’s not like his stint at City Hall has been one worth mentioning. It’s not like he’s done anything at all beside collect his hefty stipend at the end of the month. Can anybody even remember what portfolio Espejo is responsible for? Who knows? That’s how bad things have gotten in the UDP when the choice is between Carlos Perdomo and Roger Espejo.

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Blind as a boots…

Okay so really…Minister of Works Boots Martinez is just noticing that the streets of the city are in horrible condition? Shame! The thing which really gets to me is that the United Democratic Party continues to treat the Belizean people like fools. For almost three years this City Council and this Ministry of Works have neglected the city. The only infrastructure the Ministry of Works can boast about is the paving of Albert and Regent Streets and that took almost a year. The City Council can’t even boast that. So now Boots is saying that if we vote for Carlos Perdomo the Ministry will magically swoop in, wave a magic wand and all streets will be paved. Yeah right. Boots isn’t even trying to be sensitive and subtle about the whole thing, which is what pisses me off. He really does think that the people of the city are idiots who believe everything our UDP ministers tell us even when the evidence points to something completely different. Just look around, people, and you can see the ruins of the city thanks to this UDP. Ain’t nothing gonna be different under this UDP…things will just keep getting worse. Don’t let the UDP take us for fools.

Little boy blue…

Dean Oliver does make some pretty music on his horn, doesn’t he? But that’s not surprising, since that fellow does generate an inordinate amount of hot air. Right about now, true to form, our beloved (not) prime minister is no doubt blowing his own horn in the House of Representatives, patting his own back for his role in the resolution of the sugar cane crisis. But nothing could be further from the truth. See, what these last few weeks confirmed for us is that as a leader of the nation Dean O is a dud. Can you imagine that the leader of the nation would have no idea that one of the country’s largest industries, the lifeblood of 50,000 Belizeans was in dire straits and on the brink of real collapse? And that his Deputy Prime Minister who actually lives in Orange Walk had no clue about the situation in the industry? Nope…far from enhancing the image of Dean O and crew, this sugar thing does much more to reveal their tattered drawers.

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Give it a break…

But after all the pontificating and posturing and gesticulating and grand drama which we have come to associate with Dean Oliver, there is good news. For sure not what is proclaimed in the Guardian’s headlines – GOB Saves Sugar Industry – but that there is a resolution to the immediate crisis. Thanks to the efforts of the Leader of the Opposition, members of the Business Bureau, the Chamber of Commerce and representatives of the Cane Farmers’ Association and BSI who formulated a set of draft proposals and a way forward for GOB, monies were located to ensure that there would be a crop season this year. Dean Oliver will never name the other partners in the resolution of this crisis, but their work has not gone in vain. Dean Oliver needs to get real and give all the drama a break…

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Nauseating…

I mean, how wrong is it when the prime minister will instruct his press office to create a video ad thanking and praising him for resolving the issue? God that was sick! Has to be the most narcissistic display of bullshit this poor columnist has ever witnessed. But hey, the truth is that Dean O obviously felt the need to spin this debacle into something positive. After all, this is just about the only positive thing the man has done since coming into office almost three years ago. Wow, everybody must be saying, the prime minister is alive and not just a face circulated in foreign newspapers every couple weeks when he makes the cocktail circuit with his wife. Yuck Dean, the ad was truly in bad taste, buddy. Even more so since taxpayer dollars will be used to pay the hefty bill for airing it.

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Castro Canned…

There are a lot of reports circulating after Minister of State in the Ministry of Works was fired by the Prime Minister this week. The release issued by the PM’s office makes reference to unbecoming conduct, but it has to be much more than that, since Castro has been behaving in that fashion since appointed to the Cabinet. One of the local media houses reported that he has been accused of scamming a Belizean-American woman out of money for property which was never delivered. But it can’t be only that, since Castro has been doing that for a long time. Then there are reports that the incident which broke the camel’s back involved four SUVs crammed with contraband which he tried to get through Customs up north. Possible, I guess, but Castro has been doing that for a long time now. Remember his official vehicle was once stopped with a load of contraband? Then there are also reports of sexual misconduct, but hell, everybody knows that is Castro’s modus operandi… So what exactly happened? Was it one of the above or all of the above? So far the PM isn’t saying and Castro is pretending nonchalance, but like everything else that is in the dark, sooner or later it will come to light.

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They’ve gotta go…

So what’s new? The City Council is embroiled in another garbage crisis and workers of the sanitation company had to launch a protest in front of City Hall. This is like Déjà vu all over again. Oh, and there is also this problem of the streets which are in a royal mess…the Council has no money to deal with those and every street in the city is liberally pockmarked with craters. Yeah, and there’s that little issue with drains which remain filthy and clogged and grass which is growing out of control and parks and playgrounds which are neglected and dilapidated. Actually I’ve been trying to figure out if the City Council under the leadership of the pseudo-mayor can claim even one achievement of their very own since taking over municipal administration in 2006. You know what is true? They can’t. They tried to pave Albert and Regent Street and after a year they had to give up and the Ministry of Works had to take over. And that’s it. Nothing else in over 4 years of UDP administration but scandal upon scandal, bankruptcy, internal bickering, mismanagement, missing monies, under-depositing and ABSOLUTELY NO WORK. So can somebody please remind me why we pay the Mayor an alleged $9000 every month and Councilors almost $4000 every month? All the Councilors have full time jobs and haven’t done anything with their portfolios. The only time they even report to City Hall is to collect their checks. Something has to be done in a hurry…

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The Immigration thing…

It’s been over a month since three planes landed at the Phillip Goldson International Airport in the dead of night and their illicit cargoes departed for locations north of the border. Since then an independent investigation has revealed that under the UDP this has been happening a great deal. In fact, since then the Minister of Immigration has gone on record to say that he has actually authorized the passage of some of these illegals through Belize. That Minister of Immigration claims that corruption is so rampant in the Ministry that sometimes he just wants to cry but you know what is true? This one is going to be swept under the rug. Dean Oliver has decreed that the six junior immigration officers were the masterminds behind the operation and that is the end of that. Within the next couple weeks there will probably be another scandal and this thing is going to be forgotten. That is the way Dean Oliver runs things in his administration.

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Value for money…

Four more murders in the past week added to all the shootings and robberies and burglaries and assaults and the Minister of Police has gone mute. The last time he opened his mouth he made a mess of the drug thing. He claimed that authorities knew exactly where the plane landed and the Independence Police Formation was only 20 minutes away, but then he could not explain how the 80 bales of cocaine was offloaded and stashed some ten miles away from the plane by the time Police got to the scene. Anyway, but that’s something else. Doug Singh needs to do something about crime. He’s being paid the big bucks to do something, anything, and so far we’ve gotten zilch for our money. Where the hell is Operation Restore Belize? Oh yeah, last week they issued a bogus bullshit release claiming credit for hurricane relief efforts. We don’t want to hear that. We don’t want to hear anything else, actually. We want to see safe zones. We want to see increased patrols and more personnel on the streets. We want to see criminals prosecuted successfully and put behind bars. We want to see safer streets. Seriously, Doug Singh needs to go home and stop wasting taxpayers’ dollars which could be much better spent giving jobs to some of our at-risk youths or funding feeding programs in some of our schools. That would be much better value for our money than what we’re getting now. For sure!

So said so done…

It comes as no surprise to anyone that Doug Singh is patting himself on the back for events in the south over this past weekend. Hell, he has nothing else to crow about. But the fact is that this UDP administration has been in office for nearly three years and although everybody knows that planes have been landing with alarming regularity, this is the first major bust. Like with everything else though, there are more questions than answers right about now following the landing. For example, if the Independence Police received calls from villagers about the plane even before it landed, why the hell did they take so long to get there? By the time the plane was secured by Police the cargo had already been offloaded and transported to another location miles away and hidden. Yet Singh says that Independence Police were only 20 minutes away when the calls about the plane came in. Something’s not quite right there. And how about the reports that there was another plane which offloaded and took off? The plane confiscated by Police was damaged on landing and any pilot would immediately have known that it couldn’t be moved. So it wouldn’t have been refueled. Yet there are a lot of empty fuel containers on the ground. Hmmm! Since our intrepid Minister of Police claims that they tracked the plane from the point it entered our airspace and knew exactly where it landed the minute it did, maybe he can explain why Police response was so slow.

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And how about this…

And here’s another question for my friend Minister Singh, who cleared his brother Mike and the Civil Aviation Department even before the investigation into the stinking Immigration mess had gotten properly underway. If the authorities can and do track unauthorized airplanes from the minute they enter our airspace, how come they didn’t track those three planes that landed at the Phillip Goldson International Airport with illegal Chinese nationals last month? Those planes arrived without authorization after-hours – landed at our international airport, discharged their illegal cargos and disappeared into the sunset. Yet Mr. Singh and his Prime Minister would have us believe that nobody else is involved but these six junior Immigration officers who were arrested. I guess one of those officers was in charge of the radar which tracks these airplanes when they enter our airspace without authorization, right? The way things are going right now, the pilot of the drug plane would have been better advised to land at the Phillip Goldson International Airport…

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I have an idea…

How’s this for a great idea? The Minister of Police should hire Channel 5 reporter Jose Sanchez to head the investigations into both the Immigration scandals and this latest landing of the drug plane. It was on Channel 5 that we heard the news that on Thursday, just a couple days before the plane landed, a chartered flight from Guatemala landed at the PGIA with five Colombian nationals on board, and it was from Channel 5 that we learned that on Sunday, the day after the bust, those 5 Colombians left from the PGIA on another flight chartered from Guatemala. It is also Channel 5 which is providing all the information on the Immigration mess which is so obviously much more intricate, far-reaching and deep-set than the Prime Minister and Doug Singh would want us to believe. But then again, you know what? Maybe Doug Singh shouldn’t hire Jose Sanchez because it is quite clear that there are things which this UDP government would prefer not come to light. The tentacles of both the Immigration thing and this drug thing reach right into the highest levels of this UDP government. Anybody who doesn’t realize that is a fool.

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A time-bomb…

According to our Prime Minister Dean Oliver Barrow, he has no obligation to help the 50,000 Belizeans who depend on the sugar-cane industry for their very survival. He said so in the House of Representatives on Friday. It has been two weeks since cane-farmers were due their third payment from BSI but they have not gotten one cent since that company is broke. Dean Oliver claims that he will wait a while to see if BSI can get itself out of this mess and if that doesn’t happen, he will take some time to look into the situation and see if government can help. He makes no commitment, mind you. He says he doesn’t know what GOB can do, but if worse comes to worst he will examine the situation. Does the Prime Minister not realize that there are 50,000 Belizeans in Orange Walk and Corozal who need his immediate and urgent intercession? Does he not understand that as I write this there are farmers who have had their utilities cut off; farmers who have not been able to provide food for their families? Mr. Barrow needs to step outside of his pimped out pink bubble where life is sweet and get a sense of the reality out here. Desperation has set in and the north is a time-bomb ready to go off if this situation is not resolved in a hurry.

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Clean up your mess…

A week or so ago the sticky-fingered integrity-challenged Mayor of Belize City was crying bucket-loads of crocodile tears after the prosecution played dead on the charges laid against her. She claims that she felt vindicated. Well, the Mayor needs to get off her vindicated ass and take care of business in the city. Now we hear that Belize Waste Control does not pick up garbage from schools anymore and schools will have to find the money to pay to have their garbage picked up. The first reaction is to blame the sanitation company, but the truth is that the Belize City Council owes that company hundreds of thousands of dollars and refuses to pay. How can any company continue to function for free? And this situation is nothing new. About the only monies that the Council makes sure to pay out on time are salaries for the Mayor and Deputy and bloated stipends for the other Councilors who do absolutely nothing. Hell, I don’t even know if Laura Esquivel is still in the country. Nobody’s heard a word from her for months. How about Leila Peyrefitte? Is she even still alive? But yeah, just check out payment vouchers and you’ll see that they are very much alive, collecting nearly $4000 every month to do nothing. Dry your tears, you useless Mayor and get your ass to work…at least until we can get you out of there.

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Attacking the Bar…again!

On Friday in the House of Representatives Dean Oliver launched a vicious attack on the Bar Association of Belize, claiming that all the attorneys of the Bar were members of the People’s United Party. This attack comes on the heels of the Association daring to question the motives and actions of the Prime Minister in regard to moves he had made recently against the Judiciary of Belize. Not so long ago, the Prime Minister had also attacked the Bar, but that time claimed that they were all agents of Lord Michael Ashcroft and were in his pocket (all except his beloved Loisy, of course). Apparently no individual is allowed to bring the spotlight on Dean O when he does his stupidity. Right about now our Judiciary is in a shambles at a time when crime is out of control and we need all systems firing with precision. And it’s all because of the actions of the Prime Minister. But I guess nobody is allowed to say that or they become either agents of Lord Ashcroft or the PUP. According to the Prime Minister nobody is allowed to have a brain and an opinion on what he does…they are just to agree with him. If they don’t, they’ve been compromised or bought off.

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Political ads…

Lately there has been a whole hell of a lot of political ads being aired by this UDP administration. Every single night there are ads – from people telling us that the white man is dead and BTL is now safe so we can buy shares to Melvin Hulse telling us that Dean Barrow is the greatest thing since white bread. Every single night! The thing is that these ads are damned expensive and I’d have absolutely no problem with them if Dean Oliver was reaching into his own pockets to indulge in this self-masturbatory frenzy. But that’s not the case. Every time you see an ad glorifying Dean Barrow hold your head because we are the ones paying for them. While we are being told that things are really bad and the government is broke; while we can look all around us and see the state of the nation; while 8,000 cane-farmers in the north haven’t been paid for two weeks, we are paying for the Prime Minister’s time in the spotlight. Thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars are being pumped into Dean Barrow’s new PR campaign. I should have said – thousands and thousands and thousands of OUR dollars because that’s what it is.

Imperiling a nation…

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs went to great lengths to cast aspersions on their chief diplomat in the United Kingdom, HE Kamela Palma. They even released a letter which she wrote to CEO Alexis Rosado which GOB claims was disrespectful enough to warrant the immediate termination of Ms. Palma’s contract. In the letter Palma defends her right to decide the affairs of the High Commission during the time she was on leave, and chastised CEO Rosado for meddling in the affairs of her office all the way from Belmopan. Specifically she refers to the CEO going behind her back to appoint First Secretary Tanya Hulse, the daughter of UDP Minister Melvin Hulse, as Acting High Commissioner during her absence even after she had made other arrangements. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs the letter from the senior diplomat was disrespectful and insubordinate and, get this, put the entire nation of Belize in peril. We’re not sure exactly how the snappy comments from Palma, written in a private inter-ministerial letter, imperiled the nation. Frankly, the release from the Ministry is ludicrous and has done nothing to enhance the image of that Ministry or the people in charge there…

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What it did…

Actually what this entire brouhaha did was draw attention to a situation which has been festering in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for some time. Almost six months ago the Belize Times broke the story of allegations of mishandling public monies being made against First Secretary Tanya Hulse, the daughter of UDP Minister Melvin Hulse. In fact, that story has been circulating within the Ministry and diplomatic circles for some time now. Apparently what was happening within the Ministry was no less than a very high level cover-up, since HE Kamela Palma revealed that she has submitted reports to headquarters about what she calls “the matter of lack of trust in handling Government of Belize’s funds, of the fact that this has been reported to HQ in three reports and that the seriousness of these three reports have been either summarily dismissed, misinterpreted, or ignored.” Why were the reports submitted by the senior diplomat ignored, since she is considered a highly respected figure holding down a very significant and crucial post in the United Kingdom? And since the Ministry of Foreign Affairs saw fit to release the letter from the diplomat to the CEO, would it also be willing to release the three reports she submitted? What happens to Ms. Hulse now since all this has come into the open? Judging from the airwaves and talk on the streets, this one isn’t going to go away so easily, as much as GOB would want it to.

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Complain but comply…

According to Prime Minister Dean Barrow, the letter written by HE Kamela Palma to the CEO was outrageous. He stated on national television that he supports her contract being terminated. In fact, said Dean Oliver, her mandate as a subordinate of the CEO was to complain if she felt it absolutely necessary, but then to COMPLY. So it didn’t really matter that Ms. Palma had, on three separate occasions, submitted reports alleging mishandling of public monies by Ms. Hulse. It didn’t matter that there were serious allegations by the senior diplomat that the public trust had been betrayed. It didn’t matter that the CEO was insisting that the very person against whom the allegations were made be elevated to a critical position of Acting High Commissioner. None of that mattered to Mr. Barrow. That gentleman feels that our chief diplomat in the UK was supposed to lap her tail and say ‘yes massa’ when she received an order. I’m not too sure in what century Mr. Barrow is living but this one will come back to bite him for sure.

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Reinstated…

Reports are that at Cabinet on Tuesday it was decided that HE Kamela Palma be reinstated to her post at the UK. No doubt the powers that be decided that the fallout was just too great to continue with her termination. I’m pretty sure that if all had gone as planned Ms. Palma would have seen fit to make very public her own findings in regard to Ms. Hulse and in regards to the cover-up in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. So giving her back her job was just damage control, but after much of the damage had already been done. This one isn’t finished by a long shot…

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Big boys don’t cry…

According to the Minister of Immigration Carlos Perdomo, when he is faced with the many challenges of corruption within his ministry, he just wants to break down and cry. Well crying just isn’t going to cut it, Mr. Minister. We need a man at the helm; we need a leader, not a crybaby. In an interview on Channel 7, Perdomo was clearly overwhelmed by what he feels is an insurmountable task. He just can’t handle the job. In fact, he stated that it is very likely that he was the one who signed off on some of the illegal entrants into Belize. He’s confused…he just doesn’t know. He has no idea what to do now. As the Minister he should be the one tearing apart the department to root out corruption. He should be the one implementing new policies and safeguards…laying down the law, so to speak. The funny thing is, though, that after Minister Perdomo spent an inordinate amount of time complaining about the corruption which has pervaded and overwhelmed Immigration, the interviewer asked him if in light of that revelation he would agree that there needs to be a Commission of Inquiry. Perdomo immediately stated that he doesn’t feel that we need to go so far. Strange…one would think that if corruption is so bad and he is pure and full of integrity as he claims, he would welcome a Commission of Inquiry!

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No money my bottom…

In response to a letter from the leader of the Opposition demanding a Commission of Inquiry into the Immigration scandal, the Prime Minister refuses, stating that this thing is a done deal because all the guilty parties have already confessed. He also claims that a Chinese national in Belize is the mastermind, but when asked he claimed he does not know the name of the individual (yeah right) or how far the investigation into that individual is (bullshit). The Prime Minister has stated publicly that he does not have the money to waste on a Commission of Inquiry…even as his Minister of Immigration has stated that corruption within that ministry is rampant and practically insurmountable. Apparently the security of our borders is not a high priority for the Prime Minister…continued breaches of our immigration procedures are not worthy of too much attention. I wonder what our friends up north will have to say about that, since Belize is being used as a transit point for people being smuggled into the US.

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Singh a song of sixpence…

Is the Minister of Police in the country? Do we even have a Minister of Police right now? In the past few days there have been five murders and shootings and robberies and assaults and burglaries…this ain’t a good place to be, Jack. With GOB taking flak for so much else that is going wrong in the country maybe Mr. Singh feels that he can limbo under the radar but NOT SO. What the hell ever happened to Operation Restore Belize? Where are we now in regard to increased Police presence on the streets? Where are we in terms of the so-called safe zones? Right now nowhere in Belize City is safe. Every single time the Prime Minister does a photo op he spouts fancy prose about all these new initiatives which will make our streets safe, but nothing ever happens. Out judicial system is in shambles, our DPP’s office is a joke, our Police Department is riddled with corruption and incompetence, our criminals are enjoying unprecedented freedom and the Minister of Police is taking a siesta.

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Vindicated my ass…

Mayor Zenaida Moya claims that she feels vindicated because the indictable charges against her were thrown out. Everybody knows that this entire trial was bogus from the start…not because the Mayor wasn’t guilty as charged (and guilty of so much more than that) but because it was only a political game being played by the Prime Minister. Moya was being chastised by her boss but from the onset it was obvious that it was only meant to be a little slap on the wrist and not much else. The prosecution fell down on the job and from adjournment to adjournment it quickly became obvious that it was a set play. Maybe I should change that…the prosecution didn’t fall down on the job…they were instructed to lie down and play dead. Mayor Zenaida Moya is as guilty as the day is long but without the political will to punish her for her actions, this al remains just a game and a monumental waste of the people’s time.

WTF…

I was looking through a news-story when a little item caught my eye about this cruise tourism thing down South that the BTB and the Ministry of Tourism are pushing hard. Residents of Placencia and surrounding areas and stakeholders have all said NO…WE DON’T WANT IT. They all said NO even when it was just a rumour and nobody in the Ministry would confirm it…and they said NO when the BTB tried to spring it on them in their new action plan. So why is the Ministry hell-bent on making this happen? Well it appears that my favourite person in the Ministry of Tourism (not really) CEO Mike Singh is a principal in the company which sold land in Placencia to Royal Caribbean for the tourism facility. How much do you want to bet that Mike Singh et al made some big promises to Royal Caribbean to get the sale finalized? This smells like a big, fat stinking conflict of interest with the real estate speculator/Ministry of Tourism CEO caught smack dab in the middle but hey…what’s new?

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WTF…part deux!

So the latest news is that while Minister Doug Singh tried to wrap up the Immigration/Chinese smuggling thing in a neat little package with six small-time scapegoats in it…it’s not going to be that easy. New information reveals that between August 2009 and current day 2010 about 160 illegal visas were issued to Chinese nationals through the Embassy of Belize in Cuba, and directives to the Director of Immigration to issue these visas came straight from the Ministry of National Security. So it’s more than a little strange that the Minister of Immigration and then Minister of National Security Carlos Perdomo appeared so clueless when he was questioned about the issuance of visas to Chinese nationals from the embassy of Belize in Cuba. And of course, since the directive to issue those visas came directly from the Ministry of National Security, it is more than a little ironic that the man in charge of the investigation into the smuggling is no other than the Minister of National Security. It’s a twisted web of lies and cover-ups and hustling at the very highest levels and with the current lack of political will to combat corruption, you can bet that the so-called investigation is dead in the water…

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Dean in South Beach?

On the day after the hurricane, Prime Minister Dean Barrow stood before the nation and offered his personal assurance that each and every Belizean in need of assistance would receive it. Twenty-four hours after that he was on a plane to Barbados to attend a one-day meeting with the Board of Governors of the CDB. He was scheduled to be out of the country for a week since he would attend the funeral of late Barbadian leader David Thompson on Wednesday before returning to the country. So the meeting with the Board of Governors was on Friday and the funeral was on Wednesday…but where was our Prime Minister on the days in between. Was he on the streets of Belize City trying to help those poor Belizeans who lost everything during the storm? Was he in Dangriga or Belmopan or Gales Point trying to reassure his Belizean people that help was on the way? Was he anywhere in Belize tending to urgent matters which existed before and were made worse by Hurricane Richard? No he wasn’t. In fact, sources tell us that the Prime Minister and his wife too a little trip to South Beach for some relaxation and shopping. What kind of leader deserts his people just when they need him most? Dean Oliver Barrow…that’s who!

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Done deal…

It has been announced that the Board of the SSB has voted in favour of our money being used to buy shares in BTL. The vote ended at 5-4, with all government representatives voting YES (like we expected anything different) and representatives of the unions, the chamber of Commerce and the Business Bureau voting NO. After viewing the indecent haste with which Mr. Barrow pushed the deal and after listening to Mr. Barrow’s ex-wife and very close confidante basically stating that come hell or high-water the deal would go through even if the SSB Act had to be changed, this news comes as no surprise to anybody. This Barrow administration is dictatorial and listens to reason and input from nobody. The unions and business sector were not being malicious or spiteful or petty or political. They were simply being cautious and responsible because approving the use of $50million dollars of taxpayer money is not a frivolous task. The unions and business sector did not have enough information given to them AND there is the matter of the pending lawsuits which could endanger the investment. There is no way that this deal should have gone through as it did. No way at all…

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Melvin AGAIN…

I haven’t heard the glib but completely phony Minister of Transportation fumble and stumble and stutter so much in a very long time. But it was long overdue. The fact is that every time Melvin Hulse is on the Love FM talk-show and the bus mess comes up, he postures and pontificates and promises the world but nothing ever happens. And he’s been doing that for over two years now. Every single time he’s braced on the bus mess, he claims that he has just come out of a meeting with the bus owners and by next week the situation will be fixed and all commuters will be ecstatic. Did I mention that has been happening for over two years now? This morning Love FM co-host Ernesto Vasquez apparently got enough of the bullshit and finally, finally started asking the real hard questions…and finally, finally stopped accepting the usual line of Melvin-flavoured crap. A flustered Melvin couldn’t handle the heat and eventually started blaming bus owners for the mess, forgetting that he is the Minister of Transportation and the buck stops at him. God bless his soul…Ernesto reminded him of that and started off another round of stuttering. It is time that all members of the media stop accepting the crap handed to them on a platter, look all around us and start asking the real hard questions. We all have a responsibility to the people, don’t we?

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18 mattresses…

I was literally amazed to see the media making a fuss over 18 mattresses being handed over by the Caribbean Shores Area Representative and Minister of Defence Carlos Perdomo. Then I realized that Channel 7 was really making fun of him. See, Roger Espejo has been handing out stuff in Caribbean Shores and recently announced that he would be challenging Perdomo in the division. So Perdomo, who has been fairly obsolete and invisible lately (with the exception of the Immigration scandal spotlight which will be shining full on him soon) jumped out, found some old mattresses somewhere and decided to do his own little bit of campaigning. 18 mattresses! I mean seriously, Minister Perdomo. That is your contribution to the relief efforts in Belize City after Hurricane Richard? Did you happen to see the footage of Belizeans with nothing to eat…Belizeans who have lost everything; all their possessions; their shelters; their means of earning a living? And you thought 18 mattresses would do what exactly? Any regular Belizean donating one sincere shilling would be more welcome than this fat cat minister of government donating 18 mattresses just so he can get his moment in the media spotlight. Disgraceful!