Barbados Tax Refunds – Where are they?

We don’t have our tax refunds yet. How about you?
Here is a question for our readers: Has anyone received their refund yet, because in three days of asking the question, I haven’t met one person who received their refund.
How about you?

Policing Barbados: Stupid, Short-Sighted Choices Made By Successive DLP/BLP Governments

This excerpt is taken from our December 9, 2006 piece Crimes Against Tourists – Caribbean Governments Can’t Hush Up Victims Any Longer.
Here we are three years later (and after two years of DLP government), and as far as we’re concerned nothing has changed. Our government continues to dangerously underfund the Royal Barbados Police Force and [...]

Dominica Freedom Party alleges corruption, cash payments for Government appointments: Asks why Hartley Henry paid $50,000

Golly folks, did I miss this story in the Barbados news media?
I must have missed it.
I’m sure the Barbados media, especially the Barbados Advocate and the CBC, would have been all over the story that the right hand advisor to the Prime Minister of Barbados is being called out in Dominica to account for a [...]

Barbados Human Rights Policy at the UN: Stay silent as despots violate basic human rights – because they might give us money.

The headline is for true folks.
Previously we told you about our country’s votes at the UN to preserve the death penalty for children and our refusal to censure Iran for torture, floggings, amputations, discrimination & violence against Iranian women.
Nope, it doesn’t sound pretty – but that’s the simple truth. Check it out at other [...]

Reported: Barbados Ambassador Rihanna says “quite normal” in Barbados for women to be naked in front of strange men

CONTROVERSY: Bravo Magazine is sticking to its story that Rihanna’s interview was reported fair and square. As much as we can make out, the editor claims the interview was recorded with her knowledge. Others say that “sources close” to Rihanna state that the interview was not fairly reported.
Nothing official released by Rihanna’s publicists though. That [...]

Crime Statistics for Barbados M.I.A. or freely available?

Good day,
I have been a visitor to your island for some time now.  Recently, I have had some friends come to visit me and they are now interested in moving here.  They have asked me to find out about the crime rate and trends on the island to help them decide where they should like [...]

Of Aircraft Graveyards, and rotting Bajan plantation homes

Last year I was privileged to see the photography collection of a man who worked for a time at the aircraft disposal facility at Kingman, Arizona. The photos were works of art, but so much more too. On his days off, the photographer took his camera into the cockpits of the doomed airliners and documented [...]

Trip Advisor post about Barbados “ZR Hustling Pimps”

Editor’s Note: With 500 employees and some 25 million registered active users, Trip Advisor is probably one of the most influential travel websites in the world. (For some idea of the freeflow of ideas and information that happens there, read the Trip Advisor thread Barbados or Jamaica?)
One traveler recently posted an article about our ZRs, [...]

Barbados in the year 2050 – The vision of some…

Unless we change the course we’re on, Chinese will build the condos. Bajan maids will clean them. Your sons will wash the yachts.
… and your public beaches and open spaces near the city will be long gone.

My friends: the choices we make now may not impact us personally, but will our children and grandchildren be [...]

AccessOne Barbados Chairman alleges fraud by Scotia Bank Barbados, “dishonest” banking executives Roy Purcell, Kevin Teslyk

(This article can be found at CNN iReport. BFP reproduces it here because, hey, ya never know when the big boys at CNN might change their minds about publishing it.)
Back in 1967 I came to the USA with my older sisters from the island of Barbados.  I later returned to attend school in Barbados before [...]

Yet another “audit to nowhere” announced by Barbados Government

Ho hum. Minister of Housing Michael Lashley has just announced (hold your breath!) yet another audit for wrongdoing by the previous BLP government. Oh wait… this is the same announcement Lashley made in August of 2008!
How many “Special Audit” announcements is that in the last two years? Ten? Twenty?
We’ve lost count.
Here’s what we wrote in [...]

Tennis pon de Rock – Serena Williams vs Caroline Wozniacki while Marcus changes nappys at home

The girls (meaning Shona and friends) have tickets to see tennis giants Serena Williams and Caroline Wozniacki square off at Tennis pon de Rock on November 28, 2009. Yours truly has been informed that, night shift or not, I WILL be changing the diapers so the ladies can have a day off. I am not [...]

Soon there will be no crime in Barbados – Make that no “reported” crime

Statistics bamboozle Commissioner Dottin… or maybe it’s the other way around

A smiling Commissioner of Police announced that the latest statistics showing a reduction in crime were “very gratifying”. But as unquestioning reporters lapped up Dottin’s every word, a different story was playing itself out just north of Grape Hall where yet another citizen decided that [...]

Articles about murdered tourist Terry Schwarzfeld disappearing from Canadian News archives

“Dear Barbados Free Press,
I thought you’d like to know the reason why past news articles about Terry Schwarzfeld are being removed from the web by Canwest. Ask yourself ‘How much was Barbados Tourism spending with Canwest before the incident? How much is Barbados spending on advertising with Canwest now?’ “
… received as an anonymous email [...]

How long before the next ZR tragedy?

There has been yet another tragic accident involving a speeding ZR van. The van smashed into two elderly visitors who were crossing Hastings main road near St. Matthias gap on Friday evening 6th Nov 09 around 3.30 pm.
According to a witness, the van was not in sight as the couple set out to cross the [...]

Fort Hood Muslim Terrorist was a known al Qaeda suspect – Why didn’t the US Army act months ago?

“U.S. intelligence agencies were aware months ago that Army Major Nidal Hasan was attempting to make contact with people associated with al Qaeda, two American officials briefed on classified material in the case told ABC News.”
…from ABC News Officials: U.S. Aware of Hasan Efforts to Contact al Qaeda

Why didn’t the US Army or Intelligence Agencies [...]

Chinese-equipped Cuban Secret Police beat Award Winning Global Voices bloggers

“I was arrested along with Orlando L. Pardo and Claudia Cadelo they carried us off sicilian style. Knocks. We were left lying in a corner.”
Cuban blogger Yoaní Sánchez (wikipedia link) in an SMS text message to Spanish blogger Rosa Jiménez Cano, who works at the Spanish news daily El País
Translation of the account posted by [...]

GEMS cover-up continues under DLP: Hundreds of millions of Barbados tax dollars vanish with zero public accountability

What are the functions and objectives of an independent Senator?
During the time the late Sir John Stanley Goddard sat in the Senate he repeatedly called for up-to-date financial statements for Hotels and Resorts Limited to be made available.
After all, it’s a majority Government owned company funded by the taxpayer and surely we have a right [...]

The Barbados Advocate blows the Manulife Lawsuit story big time

Manulife Case Going To Trial in 2011
The civil court case involving Bajan policy holders who claim they were fleeced by Manulife will finally take place in 2011. Maybe. If the Manulife lawyers don’t do their “delay, delay, delay” thing until witnesses and victims die or move on after a decade of being under the oppression [...]

New Book Coming: In Pursuit of Giants, Matt Rigney

Author and avid Barbados Free Press reader Matt Rigney has a new book coming.
In Pursuit of Giants is the story of one man’s global trek to learn the fate of the ocean’s great fish—marlin, swordfish, and tuna. It is a journey into the history of big game sportfishing and a voyage of discovery to the [...]

Nation reporters implement Barbados Free Press suggestions – return to hospital morgue

Friends, it looks like some reporters from The Nation newspaper read BFP’s article Night of the Living Dead in Barbados?
They returned to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital morgue and discovered that the original information they received from the hospital authorities was, how do you say? Oh yeah… bullship.
It turns out that the “high security electronic door” [...]

Who are the most influential Canadian Expats? Michael J Fox is #1, Wayne Gretzky #2… and OH MY!!!

The Canadian Expat Association’s list of “The most influential Canadian Expats” has just been published. Thanks to all BFP readers who sent us the story and to Google alerts too.
Here are the Top 5 Most Influential Canadian Expats as chosen by the Canadian Expat Association (website) and the public…
#1: Michael J. Fox (Actor, Back to [...]

Night of the Living Dead in Barbados?

Reynzill Scantlebury claims he woke up in the morgue of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital after being declared dead. Not a common experience, fur sure – but not entirely unknown in any country even in recent times.
The QEH originally said “we had no such patient” but later said, “oops, yeah, Scantlebury was admitted.” or some such [...]

Barbados Electric Bicycle Experience – Great, until Sugar Hill

THE BARBADOS E-BIKE (ELECTRIC BICYCLE) EXPERIENCE
David Cameron of Ottawa, Canada commenced conducting a preliminary feasibility study in Barbados with an EMoto™ Milano brand e-bike for his company CameronEV (Electric Vehicles).
The study started with using the Milano e-bike on the South Coast in St. Micheal & Christ Church and expanded Parish by Parish up the West [...]

Ingrid Persaud coming home early from Miami, misses Barbados

“I stared at his disappearing form and tears flowed down my face.
By 7am this morning in the full glare of morning I decided to return to Bim earlier than planned. The household will survive without the new linens, kettle and DS games I should have secured.”
For all our government’s faults, and our legitimate concerns about [...]

Freedom of Information Request #2009-2: To Barbados Department of Emergency Management

Hiding information from citizens…
Was Queen Elizabeth Hospital built to proper standards? When Government refused to tell the Nation newspaper, the journalists said “OK” and walked away.

With much fanfare during the 2007 election campaign, then Opposition Leader David Thompson promised that a DLP government would introduce Freedom of Information legislation (FOI) within 100 days of [...]

Six weeks later: Still no Spanish, Portuguese language welcome on Barbados Tourism or Investment & Development websites.

Last week the government member for Christ Church West Central, Stephen Lashley, stood up in Parliament and talked about the need for Barbados to tap into new international markets for tourism and industry. As tactfully as possible (considering he is a member of the government), Mr. Lashley made the point that our Barbados Tourism Authority [...]

Barbados students forge special bond with imprisoned Chinese pastor – through footballs made in slave labour camps

The lead in the Barbados Advocate story China’s Gift to Barbados is “Christmas came early for students of Westbury Primary and Wilkie Cumberbatch Primary yesterday morning, when they received gifts of basketballs, footballs, volleyballs and pencil cases compliments The People’s Republic of China in a ceremony at Westbury school.”
The reference to Christmas is particularly relevant [...]

Marcus: Where are you?

Out of GIN!
Out of RUM!
Down to drinking tequila. Woe! Woe! Woe!
Where are you?
Thank 2 vacationinbarbados.com
We gone get high high high 2nite!

Investor files international complaint – says Barbados government violated agreement with Canada, failed to protect Canadian investment in Barbados

“Barbados has consistently refused to enforce its domestic environmental laws and to abide by its international obligations…”
Barbados news media silent as Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary owner alleges Government harmed wetlands & eco-tourist facility
The government and the news media in Barbados must be disconnected with reality to think that in the year 2009 they can hide [...]

Tourists documenting our destroyed beaches, placing photos on the Internet

Environment Minister maintains silence on the destruction near Mullins Bay
The government of Barbados authorized groynes to be built into the ocean near the old Kings Beach Hotel. Only a few years later the entire area is suffering as the groynes accelerated the destruction of the area beaches.
“Word is getting out that Mullins Bay is a [...]

VECO cover-up continues in Barbados – CEO Bill Allen gets 3 years prison for bribing Alaska politicians

Alaska Senator’s Son was paid US$243,250 in “consulting fees”
The corrupt former head of VECO Corporation – the same company that built the Oil Terminal and the new Dodds Prison in Barbados – has been put in jail for 3 years for his leading role in VECO’s ongoing policy of using bribes to obtain government [...]

Freedom of Information Request #2009-1: To Barbados Transport Board

With much fanfare during the 2007 election campaign, then Opposition Leader David Thompson promised that a DLP government would introduce Freedom of Information legislation (FOI) within 100 days of taking office. FOI was part of a promised ITAL (Integrity, Transparency and Accountability Legislation) package that dropped off the radar the minute that the DLP [...]

Owen Arthur clearly indicates he’d take the BLP leadership again

We at Barbados Free Press spent our lunch listening once again to a recording of yesterday’s interview with former Prime Minister Owen Arthur.
One thing is clear: Owen Arthur will return to lead the Barbados Labour Party for the next election if he is asked to do so by a unified BLP. The ex-PM says that [...]

Owen Arthur as skillful an assassin as we’ve ever seen

(Alternate cartoon caption: “The party has spoken!“)
BLP Elder Statesman publicly assassinates current party leader
We listened to the Voice of Barbados re-broadcast tonight and within five minutes we realised that Mia Mottley is now walking dead. Former Prime Minister Owen Arthur slid the stiletto into Mia Mottley’s political heart so quietly and so smoothly that his [...]

Tennis! Serena Williams, Caroline Wozniaki to battle it out in Barbados

Tennis pon de rock – November 28, 29, Barbados
With US$27 million in career prize money won, Serena Williams is the #1 player by winnings in history – and she’s coming to Barbados.
Shona is all excited and it looks like yours truly will be springing for tickets and handling the babysitting so the girls can see [...]

BLP political elites stage manage Mia Mottley’s “Leadership Contest”

The newspapers are all afire that Mia Mottley has “demanded” a review of her leadership to quash rumours of a divide in the Barbados Labour Party. (CBC News, Nation news, Barbados Advocate)
Rumours?
Much more than “rumours”…
Golly. I guess Mia and her supporters have been reading Barbados Free Press.
Here’s the results of our now-closed recent poll on [...]