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 [...]

Did Owen Arthur just relaunch his leadership campaign?

“Mia thought that by pre-empting and forcing an early vote she would cut Mr. Arthur off at the knees. But in fact she gave him the perfect platform to relaunch his leadership campaign, undermine her credibility and leadership qualities and defend the integrity of his party all at the same time. Master stroke.”
… a friend [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

Full Court Press by DLP at Barbados Free Press

“Dear Barbados Free Press,
Is it just me or are you being very tolerant of Hartley Henry/Wishing in Vain/Love/A Mottley Group being multiple posts that all read the same?
Yours truly,
A friend.”
Dear “A Friend”
Thanks for your email alerting us to the DLP operative(s) at Barbados Free Press who are operating under multiple identities. As our long time [...]

Barbados Immigration: Is PM Thompson taking advice from Winston Churchill?

Churchill opposed Immigration of “coloureds” from Barbados
An online article by the racist British National Party has us thinking about some of the comments we’ve heard about immigration from DLP government supporters and Prime Minister Thompson himself.
BFP long ago dropped our sidebar link to Barbados Underground Blog – the de facto active blog of the [...]

Bahamas Politicians lie about Freedom of Information legislation too

“Barbados Free Press blog reminded me of all the times I’ve read about the commitment of our political class to to do something similar.
Oh they write about it in their respective manifesto’s and talk it up on the campaign trail but just seem so busy passing laws to keep the general public “in check” that [...]

Poll: Mia Mottley Opposition “Leader” in name only? You decide…

Mia Mottley: almost two years without a leadership mandate from BLP Membership
It’s almost two years now since Mia Mottley was declared last man standing at the post-election punch-up that saw her declared “Leader” of the BLP. Many party members and the public are starting to understand that it will soon be time for the BLP [...]

Bajan Reporter: “Barbados should have its independence revoked…”

Aside from the fact that Barbados IS independent and therefore no outside body can “revoke” our independence short of war (or cutting off the tourists, offshore bank accounts and handouts to our government’s foolish spending) – we can see some of Ian Bourne’s frustration.
(Whoooooeeee!  Ian, if you’re frustrated just think of how they feel on [...]

Prime Minister Thompson’s new strategy for avoiding Integrity Legislation, FOI: “Private sector must be included in this legislation”

Government of Barbados guarantees failure of Integrity Legislation by including Ordinary Citizens!
A DLP insider reveals how David Thompson and his gang intend to sabotage Integrity Legislation and Freedom of Information laws by expanding the promised laws to include private citizens and corporations. This, of course, will throw a spanner into the works of any legislation. [...]

Barbados Auditor General: Owen Arthur – Mia Mottley Government stole land and profits from the people of Barbados

“On two occasions, lands for which the infrastructural development was funded by the Corporation were placed under the control of private developers for allocation to potential buyers. There was no clear benefit for the Corporation from this course of action. With applications in excess of 24,000, there was no benefit in allowing private developers to [...]

United States IRS to expand Barbados office and others. Looking out for American tax cheats

Welcome to the new world where Barbados is forced to allow increased numbers of American IRS tax investigators to work and investigate freely on our island.
Just because the US says so.
Our government can’t say “no” because you know what would happen.
Well, that’s what President Obama promised he would do if elected, and he’s done [...]

Surprise! Barbados Constitution to be amended today with zero notice, no debate by news media, public

DLP Thompson Government picks up where BLP left off – ignoring citizens’ right to know

Like the previous BLP Arthur/Mottley government, the current DLP government will be quietly sliding through various changes to our Constitution whenever it strikes their fancy. Appearing on the Order Paper today is the “Constitution (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill” that will somehow [...]

What is happening with CLICO’s Villa Nova?

Sir,
I have followed your coverage of the Clico fiasco with some interest over the past two years. One of the properties they own is the Villa Nova. Can anyone tell me what is happening to this beautiful property ? I am based in the UK and had the privilige of staying there several times. Please [...]

Police urge Bajans to not walk alone in secluded areas, be wary of strangers approaching your home

Was Chief Justice Simmons right? Is it time to bring in the Military?
The end of a murderous weekend has the Royal Barbados Police Force advising members of the public to avoid walking alone in secluded areas and to exercise care when anyone approaches their property.
A list of murders and violence over the last few days [...]

Barbados backs Toronto Canada’s bid for 2015 Pan Am Games

In a rare public endorsement, Barbados Olympic Association president Steve Stoute says it will vote for Toronto and encourage all 26 Caribbean members to support Toronto’s bid. Jamaica is the only other country to publicly back Canada’s bid. Last week Cuba announced it would vote for Lima, as will Aruba, Bahamas and The Netherlands Antilles.
… [...]

Barack Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize: Well deserved or too much too soon?

Too Much, Too Soon
Barack Obama has been awarded the 2009 Nobel Prize for what he believes, and the hope people have in him – not for what he has accomplished or even tried to accomplish.
You might want to remember that Barack Obama was nominated for the prize in February of 2009 after serving less than [...]

PBS Communications Inc. Blog: Reliance upon Privy Council “Niggardly” (!!!)

“Mind you, this is not to say that the CCJ is the only real alternative. In fact, the jingoistic politics that have made CARICOM such a dysfunctional laughing stock actually militate against member states turning to this regional court as a replacement for the Privy Council.
Accordingly, we may find that the only viable alternative is [...]

Cowardly pee-in-pants Barbados Nation Newspaper hides name of corrupt Government Minister

When a Government Minister’s husband is awarded a $300,000 contract for work he has no experience doing – That’s Corrupt!
The current DLP Government says it is taking steps to sue the husband of a former Minister in the previous Arthur/Mottley BLP government – over the non-fulfillment of a 2004 government contract for the removal of [...]

The Failure of DLP and BLP Governments to protect Bajans from dangerous & drunk drivers

Successive Barbados Governments all talk as drunken road slaughter continues
The first job of government is to protect the citizens, and successive BLP and DLP governments have failed to protect the citizens when it comes to people who drink and drive.
Six dead at the Joes River tour bus crash, four more dead in the Emancipation Day [...]

Dear Prime Minister – Your promises got you a shot, but you’re blowing it

DLP delivers Circuses to the Barbadian masses
“Immediately introduce integrity legislation requiring
• a declaration of assets by public officials,
• a Code of Conduct for Ministers,
• a new Freedom of Information law,
• amendments to the Defamation laws and
• new constitutional provisions to rationalise
the powers of the Prime Minister.”
… from the DLP’s 2007 “Pathways to Progress” election [...]

Is this the next Private Beach in Barbados?

Barbados news media fails to give date, time of upcoming public meeting
The largest hotel resort ever seen on this island is coming, but no detailed plans, standards or environmental studies are being made available for inspection by Barbados citizens.
Apparently there will be some sort of perfunctory meeting next week where the environmental assessment might be [...]

CLICO sold to CGI – Skeletons will be pulled out of the closet and buried deep

Consumers Guarantee Insurance Limited of Barbados is approved to purchase the assets of CLICO.
The secretive committee formed by Barbados Prime Minister David Thompson to keep CLICO skeletons in the closet worked swiftly to sell the remaining assets before the public realises that the fiasco was caused by three factors: mismanagement, fraud and a lack of [...]

Barbados Government & media focus on trees, coral and beaches. Wetlands are a forbidden topic.

“Wetlands” a banned topic in Barbados Media & Politics

Our newspapers, television and radio media are never lacking in articles and reminders about the importance of our natural environment. If there’s not a story in the Nation about cleaning up the gullies, there will be a piece in the Barbados Advocate about the bleaching of coral [...]

Where did Denis Lowe get the money to pay for this Barbados Advocate advertisement?

The Public has no right in law to monitor any government expenditures – Once elected, MPs do as they wish
The simplest questions are often the most awkward – but only if you have to answer them. Dr. Lowe and our other elected representatives don’t have to answer questions about money, so why should they [...]

Andrew Breitbart’s Big Government.com links to Barbados Free Press over ACORN Scandal

The website that broke the ACORN prostitution scandal, Big Government.com, currently features a front page link to a Barbados Free Press story – and our hit meter is starting to go wild.
Drudge Report editor, Washington Times journalist and Fox News commentator Andrew Breitbart is behind the high-traffic and high-profile websites Breitbart.com, Breitbart.tv, Big Hollywood [...]

Clean Up Barbados – Where the Hell were the politicians?

We were there. Auntie Moses was there. A whole lot of people were there bending and raking and picking up – including our friend Dennis from Living in Barbados Blog who put up some photos, a story and a video at Barbados Clean Up Day and International Beach Clean Up.
I didn’t see even one politician. [...]

Which DLP Government Official wrote this Barbados Advocate Editorial? (or should we say “this DLP Advertisement”?)

“… At present, the government is doing all it can to improve road safety and traffic flow. However no improvement will have any effect if Barbadians continue to drive reckless!”
… from the Barbados Advocate newspaper editorial Slow Down!
The Barbados Advocate declares war on criticism of the DLP Thompson Government
That’s it folks. No further comment is [...]

Different day, Same old promise…

Yawn…. Back on August 23rd at the DLP annual piggyfest, Prime Minister Thompson once again promised he was going to hold people accountable for “certain financial irregularities” at the Barbados Tourism Authority. You know how it is folks, every few weeks the PM says he’ll hold the thieves to account and the paper prints his [...]

Barbados Advocate ‘Yellow Journalism’ Editorial Ignores the Truth: Hartley Henry carried out his threat at Barbados Underground

WARNING: MATURE CONTENT – Discussion of alleged intimate acts
Tell your neighbours, Tell your friends about the Lie in The Barbados Advocate

It is really very simple, folks. Let’s review what happened step by step…
1/ August 23, 2009 – An article at the Nation News is published accusing the PM’s senior advisor, Harley Henry, of threatening [...]

Leroy Parris and CLICO – The NEW Pirates of the Caribbean and the rape of Sam Lord’s Castle

An American Tourist Considers Sam Lord’s Castle
I decided to post these pictures anyway: first, to show what future renovators are up against; second, to show CLICO’s attitude toward the property.
If I may speculate upon Bajan politics, on analogy with American and British politics, I think what we’re seeing here is an extortion tactic. “Nice place [...]

Murdered Canadian Tourist Terry Schwarzfeld Called “White Trash” – Senior Advisor to Barbados Prime Minister Publishes Articles on Same Racist Website!

Why Does Prime Minister Thompson’s most senior advisor publish articles at a website that calls Terry Schwarzfeld “White Trash”?
Early this year, readers from Barbados Free Press voted to remove the sidebar links to the Barbados Underground blog because that blog had become a racist hotbed – and also because they published reader comments containing threats [...]

Senior Advisor To Prime Minister David Thompson Follows Through With Threats Against Barbados Journalist

Hartley Henry Makes Public Allegations of Sexual Impropriety, Beatings, Attempted Suicide by Nation Newspaper Staffers
Uses Barbados Underground Blog
We told you on August 24, 2009 how Barbados journalist and editor Carol Martindale alleges that Hartley Henry threatened to turn Barbados against her if The Nation Newspaper did not print a story about a political poll [...]

Has it come to this in Barbados? Dialysis patients turned away due to shortage of needles, gloves, standard supplies

THERE IS a shortage of supplies in the dialysis unit at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
And patients who rely on the unit’s blood purifying service fear their lives may be on the line.
“[The hospital] is short of equipment and people are literally afraid for their lives,” said a patient who spoke under anonymity.
Gloves, needles, and other [...]