Barbados Taxi Driver – “Worst Season In 22 Years Of Taxi Business”

One driver said he arrived at the port around 5:30 a.m. and did not transport a single tourist on an island tour, to Kensington Oval or to Bridgetown.

“Imagine that I am here since 5:30 a.m. They take taxpayers’ money and rent cruise ships and fooling people that they would be full of people when they are not and now taxi-men cannot get a single job.”

… from The Nation News – Park and Wait!

Super 8 Opening Day – Barbados Kensington Oval At Only 37% Of Capacity

Cricket World Cup Spin Continues

Prime Minister Arthur Absent From First Super 8 Game

The Nation News, Indian News and everyone involved did their best to put forward a story of success. The stories mention “visible pockets” of Barmy Army and Indian Bharat Army supporters, noisy folks having a great time Cricket World Cup and with a “So There!” attitude towards the critics.

Carefully crafted photographs like the one above give the impression of a stadium packed with excited cricket fans enjoying the best cricket in the world…

… and buried within the stories, the sad reality that on the opening day of the Super 8 Matches in Barbados – with half a billion dollars or more spent – Kensington Oval was at only 37% of capacity.

Lord Have Mercy upon us poor taxpayers.

The Nation News – Hot Spot!

Indo-Asian News – Over 10,000 Spectators Celebrate Oval’s Rebirth

Rickey Walcott Contender For Top Jockey 2007 – Calgary Canada

Rickey Is First Jockey Past $100,000 This Year

Brother Rico Not Doing So Bad, Either!

We are such a small country that it is newsworthy when one of us reaches the front of the pack in any field. All the best to our Walcott brothers as they show their skills in Canada.

From the Calgary Sun…

Brothers Make Their Mark

If bloodlines mean anything, Rico Walcott can’t help but become a top jockey.

The youngster who turns 18 next month, has followed his older brother Rickey to Alberta this year to earn his spurs on the ‘A’ circuit in this province.

Rico began riding when he was seven years old but got serious about becoming a jockey when he turned 15 in his native Barbados.

“There were horses in a pasture near where we lived and I learned how to ride initially on them,” said Rico. “I kept seeing how good Rickey was becoming as a jockey, though, and I got excited about maybe trying to follow him. I started as a jockey in Barbados two-and-a-half years ago and now I’m pretty focused on following in his footsteps.”

Rickey is the leading rider at Stampede Park at the moment and the first to surpass the $100,000 earnings mark already this spring.

He was the top rider in Edmonton last season claiming the jockey title with 74 victories and over a million dollars won. Walcott captured the riding crown by one victory over Quincy Welch who beat him out for Alberta’s overall jockey title…

… continue reading this article at The Calgary Sun (link here)

Former Police Officer Gives Police Commissioner Dottin Some Advice

Former police officer Richard Goddard has some advice for the Commissioner of the Royal Barbados Police Force. Richard also talks about police complaints, poor investigation of a suspicious death, foreign police on Bajan soil and other policing issues.

We have put Richard’s article up on a separate page…

Police Jurisdiction And Authority In Barbados

Barbados Prime Minister Sends Our Tax Dollars As Gift To People Of Antigua

‘Fans Get Chance To Cruise To CWC Finals’

An interesting article by A. Aisha Browne appeared in Wednesday’s Antigua Sun (see below)

Perhaps Antiguans are not aware that the Barbadian Government (taxpayer) is footing the bill of US$15 million to charter Carnival Destiny.

If each of the 1,321 cabins are filled for the 19 days duration of the charter agreement at an average of US$170 per cabin per night that will return to our Government a princely total of US$4.27 million.

So those booking to travel are actually getting a real bargain subsidised by Barbadian taxpayers.

Enjoy!

Adrian Loveridge
A Barbadian taxpayer.

Fans get chance to cruise to CWC finals

Wednesday April 11 2007
by A. Aisha Browne

Cricket enthusiasts have been given the opportunity to follow the CWC games while enjoying the luxuries of a Caribbean cruise.

Calling it a “once in a lifetime opportunity” for Caribbean residents, President of Antigua & Barbuda’s Cruise Tourism Association Nathan Dundas revealed yesterday that the government of Barbados, in collaboration with the Carnival Destiny has embarked on an initiative whereby fans will have the opportunity of catching the CWC semi-finals in St. Lucia and the finals in Barbados.

The Carnival Destiny which calls to Antigua weekly – on Fridays – has been chartered by the government of Barbados to handle the accommodation needs that were anticipated for the CWC. Dundas explained that since the projected numbers fell significantly short of target, countries which had commissioned the cruise lines as accommodations also suffered considerable loss as they were unable to achieve their desired results. Hence, the joint venture between the cruise line and Barbados. Dundas added that who added that after first taking a flight to Barbados, “Fans will be able to journey between Barbados and St. Lucia by means of the ship sailing between those two ports.

(snip)

The main incentive according to Dundas is the added luxury of a cruise experience at extremely good rates. These rates, he noted, are a “steal of a deal” and range from US$170 for double occupancy interior rooms to US$505 for the lavish Penthouse Suite. Every third and fourth person will be charged an additional US$40 per person.

Additionally, passengers will not only enjoy the amenities of a cruise ship, but also satellite feed of selected matches and a variety of entertainment to include spectacular Vegas-style production shows.

Another advantage of such initiative Dundas was quick to point out was that many people desirous of taking a cruise have been deterred by the visa requirements.

“Here’s an opportunity especially for those who don’t have a visa and who can afford the airfare as well as the cruise,” he said.

“If it comes to a point where we have enough persons or a lot of interest, then we can look at chartering of flights which will turn out to be much cheaper…the more persons, the lesser the airfare cost,” explained Dundas.

Dundas noted that the government of Antigua & Barbuda has fully endorsed the project and added, “I hope that PM Spencer will be joining us on the cruise along with Minister Harold Lovell…they have given the project the green light.”

… read the entire article at The Antigua Sun (link here)

Barbados Blogs and Chats Becoming Bolder

Barbados Forum Photo: Shadowy Hallam Nichols – One Of PM’s Inner Circle

The Government Can’t Keep Bajans Quiet!

We can’t help but notice that in the short time since the Barbados Government slapped down Voice of Barbados radio journalist David Ellis, Bajans are becoming bolder on the various blogs and chat sites. They are naming names, asking questions and exchanging information about the political and economic elites who for so long have enjoyed immunity from real accountability.

The Genie Is Out Of The Bottle

… and it will be quite a job if the government decides to tries to put that genie back into the bottle.

The Barbados Underground today published an article on Hallam Nichols – one of the shadowy figures constantly seen hanging about in the background when the Prime Minister is handling any crisis.

This article was picked up by the discussion group over at Barbados Forum, who came up with the above photo of Hallam Nichols. The discussions at Barbados Forum are becoming much more freewheeling than in the past.

Bajans have obviously decided that enough is enough. Citizens will discuss political figures and politics in the manner and depth that they choose.

“The Government Can’t Sue Us All”

Minister of Tourism Noel Lynch made a big mistake when he stormed out of the Brass Tacks call-in radio show – but that was nothing compared with the subsequent pillaring of journalist David Ellis and his gun-to-the-head apology to Minister Lynch.

Barbados strongman Owen Arthur may find that his strategy of controlling the media, journalists and citizens by threats of legal action is becoming less effective as Bajans realise that it is nothing more than a sign of his guilt and fear.

Story Links

Barbados Forum – Discussion about Hallam Nichols, CLICO & Leroy Paris

Barbados Underground – A BLP Stalwart Working Behind The Scenes

Barbados Free Press…

Barbados Government Blog Publishes Threats Against Journalist David Ellis – “We must guard our nation against such reckless use and abuse of press power.”

Nation News Robert Best – Barbados Reporters Know About Corruption But Are Not Free To Investigate And Report It

Attention Barbados Offshore Investors and Transparency International – Corruption Stories Being Hidden By Barbados Media & Government

Resigned Cricket World Cup Chairman Brancker Called For “due diligence and forensic audit” In 2005

A Reminder From Ricky Singh – This Fiasco Was Predicted Years Ago…

I’ve been meaning to mention Ricky Singh’s excellent piece in The Nation News and other regional papers.

Here’s an excerpt…

For their part, Caribbean Community (CARICOM) cabinet ministers and even a few heads of government have been openly pouring blame on the ICC and WICB when the reality suggests that, ultimately, the region’s governments cannot honestly escape their own failure to show sufficient interest and competence in the long period of negotiations that had followed our successful bid in 1998 to host CWC 2007.

For example, when governments were alerted to circumstances that forced Barbadian business executive and former cricketer Rawle Brancker to resign in September 2005 as chairman of the board of CWC West Indies Inc., and his subsequent suggestion for an independent “due diligence and forensic audit” to determine transparency in management negotiations in the best interest of the host countries, they reacted with a surprising hands-off attitude.

Two prime ministers were to engage in a semantic exercise about government interference in the internal management of a private entity like the WICB.

Now that cries of dissatisfaction are erupting all around from the primary stakeholder in West Indies cricket – the people, in whose name at least US$500 million was invested in CWC 2007 – government ministers who were themselves deeply involved in planning arrangements would like us to think they were “misled”, as they come to realise their mistakes.

Who “misled” them? When was this “discovery” of expediency made, having for so long sat with the WICB’s representatives and their principal negotiator, Chris Dehring, in compliance with ICC demands that had the effect of seemingly treating the ICC as a sort of supra-government as they surrendered the region’s sovereignty in preserving cherished cultural traditions?

… read the entire article at The Nation News – World Cup Fiasco

Barbados Prime Minister Victim Of Strange Disease – Can See And Hear, But Body Has Turned Invisible. Cannot Speak Either

Diagnosed With Worldcuppis-itis

A spokesman for Barbados Prime Minister Owen Arthur today explained that an unnamed disease has robbed the PM of the power of speech and turned his body invisible.

The spokesman was responding to questions from reporters about why the Prime Minister has not been seen in public lately, and why so little has been heard from him about the Cricket World Cup disaster.

Another senior government official who spoke on condition of anonymity, explained that the Prime Minister has come down with a case of Worldcuppis-itis – a rare but potentially serious disease that primarily affects politicians and cricket organisers.

“Many in the Cabinet have picked up a touch of Worldcuppis-itis and haven’t been seen in a few weeks. They can still hear and see, but the doctors tell us that everything they see and hear only makes them more invisible and further restricts their speech.”

… Government official explaining the Prime Minister’s medical condition.

According to the same government official, the only known cure for Worldcuppis-itis is for the politician to keep as far away as possible from Cricket World Cup events. Doctors have told the Prime Minister that he must remain in bed and out of the public eye for the next month.