Clyde Mascoll Lectures About Proper Management

Newly frocked Barbados Minister of State Clyde Mascoll lectured delegates to the first International Management Conference held at Amaryllis Beach Resort, last Monday…

If a country is going to be competitive in this new global environment, then it has to understand how to get more out of its inputs, which, therefore, means that the critical issue confronting the region is how we can become more productive, said the Minister.

He stated that management would play a critical role in enhancing this productivity.

How do you get workers to work harder? How do you get workers to do better? How do you increase you output with the available resources you have? That’s the first requirement for productivity, and in the short term, management is critical to that, said Mascoll.

…Full article at The Barbados Advocate.

Perhaps Mr. Mascoll could also give a lecture to the government workers responsible for repairing that road washout that has been waiting over two years?

posted by Robert 

Barbados Prison Riot 2005 – Secret Inquiry Being Held

The Peliminary Inquiry must be secret – because the news media has been excluded…

From The Nation News…

Press barred from prison inquiry

THE PRELIMINARY INQUIRY into charges arising out of the burning of Glendairy Prisons continued yesterday minus the Press.

On Monday the special court presided over by Magistrate Deborah Holder got under way in a section of the prison at Station Hill, St Michael.

That session was opened to the Press, but yesterday when a news team turned up, warders at the gate said they had no instructions about allowing the Press in.

It was exactly one year ago, March 29, that fire broke out at the lone jail as prisoners began protests that ran for days. They were eventually shifted to different areas of the island before they were moved to the temporary location at Harrison Point, St Lucy.

Tip of the hat to Bim Today for pointing out that prison riots and murders of prisoners don't happen in the tourist haven of Barbados – so there is no need for the news media to cover this inquiry anyway.

Did someone say "Royal Commission Needed" ?

Barbados Chemical Dumping – What Would Jesus Do?

THIS WEEK'S BARBADOS ILLEGAL CHEMICAL DUMP

… is brought to you be the fine folks at…

Enhanced Chemicals Corp.
P.T. Charles & Co. Ltd.
Fiberpol Manufacturing Inc.

As foreign visitors drive up to the industrial facility located in the middle of what was once a thriving Barbados sugar plantation, they are always surprised and remark upon the sign in front of Enhanced Chemicals Corporation's building…

"Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: Psalms 127 – Enhanced Chemicals Corp. (246) 420-6089"

Such an outward sign of faith is rarely associated with a typical business in North America or Europe, but is common enough in Barbados where the majority of the population are Christians of one sort or another. Sure, times are changing everywhere, but as a guess, one is probably safe saying that more Bajans pray than not.

But if most Bajans profess to fear the Lord, one has to wonder why the island is littered with discarded chemical and oil drums. When the Lord placed his creation in our care, is this what He wanted?

Illegal Chemical Dumps Are Everywhere

Abandoned chemical drums are everywhere in Barbados – in the fields, on the beaches, by the roadside and on hilltops in the middle of nowhere. As I write this, there is even an old rusted 55 gallon oil drum sitting on the green at Grantley Adams International Airport – and it has been there for months according to Shona's brother who makes deliveries in the area. (He jokes "Dey put de chemical drum at de airport so de tourists can see Barbados culture from the start.")

Many of these discarded drums are not empty – some contain considerable amounts of corrosive and poisonous chemicals. Some are even full of foulness – abandoned in the ditch so they become someone else's problem and cost.

But the Government of Barbados does not pick them up – so they sit for years and even decades in the rain and sun and salt spray until they burst or rust out. After a season or two, they can become invisible – covered by vegetation – waiting for some luckless child to become too curious as happened a few years back near Drax Hall Woods.

Zero Environmental Enforcement in Barbados

These chemical drums are dumped everywhere, but the Barbados Government does nothing about illegal chemical dumping. No education. Zero enforcement. No mandatory hazardous waste training programs. No inspections. None.

Not one environmental dumping charge has been laid in twelve years of Owen Arthur's stewardship… and the opposition DLP shouldn't be so smug because there were probably no charges laid when they were the government either.

No Government Program To Recover Abandoned Chemical Drums

The Barbados Ministry of the Environment does not have a program to recover these abandoned chemical drums.

What would Jesus do? Probably more than the Environment Ministry personnel who just drive right by chemical drums abandoned on the side of the road. Can the Barbados Government be embarrassed into action? Some have doubts, but we will keep trying.

We at Barbados Free Press are going to publish regular reminders to all – and especially to Environment Minister Liz Thompson – featuring some typical illegal chemical dumps on beautiful Barbados. Maybe then Minister Thompson will have her do-nothing environmental personnel go to the scene and clean up the mess one way or another.

Oh… and Minister Thompson? We'll be watching… so if your personnel just move the mess around, we will be in touch. Hopefully, you'll someday learn to hold your management team accountable. Hopefully. Someday.

THIS WEEK'S BARBADOS ILLEGAL CHEMICAL DUMP

… is brought to you be the fine folks at…

Enhanced Chemicals Corp.
(246) 420-6089

P.T. Charles & Co. Ltd.
Newton Plantation
Christ Church, Barbados
428-8645

Fiberpol Manufacturing Inc.
Newton Plantation
Christ Church, Barbados
428-2920

These three companies share the same location on the old Newton Plantation…

Chemical drums and cans burning at P.T. Charles & Co. Ltd.

Long-abandoned chemical drums – Fiberpol

Gallons of old Acetone still remain in the black abandoned drum.

Photos courtesy of Shona's "little" brother 

Negrocrat Defined

According to Aurelius Smith in a letter to The Nation, no matter what meaning politicians choose to place on the word "Negrocrat", the linguistic root meaning of the word is "to be an exponent or advocate of black-power".

Mr. Smith makes a compelling argument, but whatever the technical meaning, the Barbados politicians who use this foul word intend it to be a racial slur.

Latest Cricket World Cup Problem – Cement Shortage

The venue development Director for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 has sounded the alarm… cement shortages across the Caribbean are delaying construction of CWC venues.

"The Cricket World Cup office is very seriously monitoring the situation and we have made demands to the Local Organising Committees as to the nature and seriousness," Lockerbie said. "We are aware of the shortages – there were shortages in nearly every territory. I am personally quite surprised that the industry could let down the region, when in the region of (US) $300 million has been invested in this project. The stadium development for the tournament deals with cement and blocks should have been a major one on everyone's agenda."

Lockerbie said that the Cricket World Cup has called for reports from all the nine countries – with 13 stadiums, which will be hosting matches. He said Jamaica and Guyana have been the worst hit, but other countries also faced difficulties…

…from the Trinidad & Tobago Express

The cynic in me has to point out that shortages make for higher prices and budget overages – but we already expected that.

posted by Robert

Barbados Double Murder At Bridgetown Nightclub

Bermuda Police Officer Loses Two Sons in Barbados Stabbings

To lose two sons on the same night – I cannot begin to imagine the despair. No matter what happened or how, we should be praying for the parents.

From The Royal Gazette, Bermuda…

A Bermuda Police officer was last night mourning the deaths of two sons after they were stabbed to death outside a nightclub in Barbados.

Justin and William Greene – sons of Barbadian narcotics officer Ronald Greene – are reported to have been killed after a dispute with a group of men in the early hours of yesterday. It is understood that Justin, 21, and William, 25, were Detective Constable Greene’s sons from a previous relationship.

The officer, from Smith’s, is believed to have two other children from his current marriage to a fellow Police officer. In a brief statement issued last night on behalf of Det Con Greene and his family, Police spokesman Dwayne Caines said: “The family is still coming to terms with the realities of the situation that’s taken place.

“They say they have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from their friends, family and colleagues.”

According to Inspector Barry Hunte of the Royal Barbados Police, the brothers, who are Barbadian nationals, had been attending a function at the nightclub in Cavans Lane, Bridgetown, when the incident unfolded at 3 a.m yesterday. “They were involved in a dispute with a group of men and I’m advised that outside the nightclub the group of men engaged them in a dispute again,” said Insp Hunte.

“They received several stab wounds to their bodies and were taken to the nearby Queen Elizabeth hospital where their deaths were confirmed.”

 

Barbados Minister of Public Works Still Smoking Something…

Last week, the Barbados Free Press asked "Barbados Public Works Minister Gline Clarke – What Has He Been Smoking?" concerning the Minister's comments that our roads would all be repaired in two weeks if it weren't for those nasty utility companies getting in the way.

Now, Minister Clarke's attention has turned to the QEH Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Nothing wrong there that a new driveway and a few signs won't fix, he says… and, oh, by the way – the government promises to spend 110 Million dollars on the hospital in the next year. But don't take that as an indication that anything is wrong now…

According to the Minister, the real problem is that we won't stop talking about how bad the hospital is.

From The Nation…

During last week's Estimates debate in the House of Assembly, (Minister Clarke) called for people local and abroad to stop knocking the hospital…

"It is something we must all go to and it is no sense pulling down the institution and allowing foreigners to come here and write stupidness in the papers day after day that the hospital is no good."

So everybody just listen to the Minister and Shut Up! Things are fine. Really.

But maybe if the government had spent the 110 million dollars on the hospital last year, that nasty Canadian who complained about "third world" facilities would have instead been talking about what a great place Barbados is for medical care and vacations.

Barbados Gospelfest Contoversy – Where is Jesus?

REVEREND CHARLES MORRIS has blasted the annual Gospelfest slated to be launched this week, stating that few of its songs mention Jesus, and seemed to portray the Saviour as "somebody's boyfriend".

From The Nation News

The good Reverend has a point about Jesus gone missing from many of the songs. But he goes too far for saying music is evil if the tune is "catchy". Good to talk about Jesus anyway.

posted by Shona

Caricom Human Rights Treaty Promotes An Economic Agenda

Selling Bajans An Economic Agenda Masquerading As Human Rights

What's this, you say? The new Caricom Human Rights treaty is primarily an economic agenda rather than having to do with basic human rights? Let's have a look at an article in today's Stabroek News out of Guyana…

"Work has begun on a Caricom Human Rights Treaty, which will succeed the Charter of Civil Society and will be a legally binding document on which the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) can base judgements."

So we are talking about real and binding law here – assuming that Barbados signs it. What human rights are we talking about…Free speech? Freedom of Religion? Freedom from Racial Discrimination?

Nope – maybe our elites will talk about those minor items later. For now, it is about removing barriers within CARICOM that keep your boss from firing you and hiring a new immigrant who will work for half the price.

"The charter deals with workers' rights, for example, on full and adequate employment, social security policies, the right to earn a wage that offers a decent living, collective bargaining, to foster and promote a good working environment and cross-border mobility of labour among other areas."

So just when did "cross-border mobility of labour" become a "human rights" issue and not an economic one? Since they say it is, I guess!

It reminds me of car salesmen painting up an old car to sell. If he makes it pretty enough, people will forget that underneath the shinny new paint, it is still the same old car that someone tried to sell them last week.

 

West Indies Blind Cricket Council Launched

From the Trinidad & Tobago Express, we learn that a West Indies Blind Cricket Council has been launched.

Speaking during the launch at the Pommarine Hotel on the Barbados south coast, Committee Head Damion McClean said the council's mains goals this year would be the staging of the inaugural Caribbean Blind Cricket Championship in July in Barbados and sending a West Indies team to the Blind World Cup in South Africa in December.

"We need sponsorship and support. I'm calling on corporate Caribbean. We now speak of integration, CSME and free movement," McClean said.

Of all the burdens on this earth, being blind must be one of the most difficult. It seems to me that this is one project where I wouldn't mind the government giving some of my tax money. May God bless the work of Mr. McClean and his friends.

Friend of Barbados Deputy PM Mia Mottley Received How Much Government Money? !!!

UPDATED: 12:05pm March 26, 2006

Scroll down re – reader identifies “Richild” as the correct spelling of Ms. Springer’s first name…

A source within a government office tells us that a “good friend” of Barbados Deputy Prime Minister Mia Mottley (shown above) has been receiving rather outrageous government “consulting” contracts for at least the last three years – and maybe much longer.

The “good friend” is Richild Springer – daughter of Sir Hugh Worrell Springer, Governor-General of Barbados from 1984 to 1990. Springer now lives in Paris, France, and journeys back to Barbados once or twice a year when she receives government contracts to “consult” – usually about dancing, culture and choreography.

Our source says that a two-week contract has paid as much as Barbados $30,000… and that Ms. Springer has also been a house-guest of Mia Mottley.

Yes, that’s what we said… “Thirty-thousand Barbados Dollars” for two weeks of ‘consulting’. The source also maintains that while Richild Springer was once a professional calibre ballet teacher, her advanced arthritis means that the only “choreography” she could do these days would be while sitting in a chair or leaning on her cane.

Our source also reports that rumours are flying that this “good friend” situation has been threatening to boil over for a while, and in fact, was a factor in Mia Mottley’s apparent demotion during the last cabinet shuffle.

“If this story got out, the Prime Minister couldn’t very well ask Mia Mottley as Attorney General to investigate herself for wrong doing!” …says our source.

So, Deputy Prime Minister Mottley… what is the story? Has the government of Barbados ever made any sort of payment to Ms. Springer? What for? How much? When? Did you ever suggest, approve or have anything to do with awarding the contract to your “good friend” ?

If the source has everything totally wrong, just say so, Ms. Mottley. Just say so.

(By the way – do any of our readers have any other photos of Richild Springer?)

UPDATED: 12:05pm March 26, 2006

One of our readers clarified that Ms. Springer’s first name is correctly spelled as “Richild” and directs us to the website of the Barbados National Cultural Foundation.

The Barbados National Cultural Foundation website has this to say about Ms. Springer…

“- Ongoing workshops conducted by internationally acclaimed dancers-like Barbados-born Richild Springer (resident in Paris), France’s Pascal Couillaud and Jamiaca’s Barbara Requa and L’Antoinette Stines-have generated increased demands for local dance studios.”

The questions now become…

– Was Richild Springer in fact paid $30,000 Barbados each year for 2 weeks work?

– Was Springer also paid travel, meals and residence expenses?

– Was Springer paid these expenses while staying as a house-guest of Mia Mottley?

– What did Springer do? How many hours of work, where and when? How was this audited? Were members of the public present? Who are the students? How many years has this been going on?

– Considering Springer’s arthritis, just how much dancing is she capable of?

The Central Bank of Barbados lists the average per capita income as US$7,350.00. That means that Richild Springer is being paid two-year’s annual income for an average Barbadian for just two weeks of “consulting”… plus expenses, of course.

Disgusting.

Some of our additional questions and answering excerpts from the NCF website…

Where did the Barbados National Cultural Foundation come from?

“The National Cultural Foundation is a statutory body established by an Act of Parliament in 1983. Its mandate is to oversee the cultural landscape of Barbados…”

How Many Friends of Government Now Feeding At This Trough? …

“Also during the early years of its operations (1984 – 1995) the head of this organisation was called the Director, a term which was subsequently changed to Chief Executive Officer in 1994 to reflect the new role and expanded focus on the business of culture.

There are now Cultural Officers, rather than Officers attached to zones, for each artistic discipline, namely: Visual Arts (which encompasses Fine Art and Craft), Literary Arts, Music, Dance and Theatre Arts and Research.

In addition, the Foundation now has an eight-member internal Management Team comprising: the Chief Executive Officer, Manager of Administration, Financial Controller, Chief Cultural Officer, Senior Business Development Officer, Technical Officer, Marketing Officer and Corporate Communications Specialist.”

So What is the Primary Mission of the NCF? …

“Mission Statement:

To fuel the development of culture through training, research and the creation of opportunities in cultural industries.

The Role of the NCF

The NCF’s two major roles are: developmental and commercial. In its developmental role, the Foundation uses culture as a tool for national development fostering and supporting the various art forms and new cultural products. In its commercial role, the Foundation is responsible for the promotion, production and hosting of cultural festivals and associated events that are considered economically viable or socially acceptable. A key part of this function now includes the responsibility for the staging and execution of major governmental and national events.”

(I see… tax money for “staging and execution of major governmental and national events.”

Who Is on The Board? …

Mr. Al Gilkes Chairman
Mr. H Adrian Cummins Deputy Chairman
Mrs. Carol Nicholls Member
Mr. Hal Gollop Member
Mrs. Beverley Alleyne Member
Mrs. Denyse Menard-Greenidge Member
Ms. Alissandra Cummins Member
Mr. Oliver Jordan Member
Dr. Ikael Tafari Member
Ms. Carla Springera Member

HEY…. Is “Carla Springera” as shown on the website really “Carla Springer” and related to Richild Springer? Isn’t that a conflict of interest?

hmmmmmm….. Shona can dance – and probably a lot better than Richild Springer at this stage. If Shona had a relative on the Board of Directors, could she get some of that easy money too? Where might she apply?

Claude Alexander Allen – Barbados Connection To White House Drama

Claude Alexander Allen was Domestic Policy Advisor to President George W. Bush until shortly before his March 9, 2006 arrest for theft at a Target store. By all accounts, Mr. Allen has been a model husband, father and Christian, and people just can't believe he would do such a thing.

The Barbados connection? Mr. Allen's wife Jannese is from Barbados.

Richmond Times-Dispatch article here.

Toronto TV News – Barbados Hospital “Squalid, Crumbling, Urine On Floor”

The story of an elderly Canadian who broke his hip on vacation is developing into major negative publicity for Barbados in the Canadian media.

According to Toronto’s Pulse 24 Television News, 91 year-old Guiessepe Fiorillo “was sent to a crumbling and ill equipped hospital” in Barbados where the conditions are “squalid” and “abysmal” with urine on the floor and “birds flying into the room.”

Regardless of any hyperbole or inaccuracies in the story, the fact that a major television station in Canada’s largest city (population over 3 million plus suburbs) is saying such things about Barbados is not a good thing.

What will be the response of the Barbados government and tourism organizations?

Minister of Health Jerome Walcott told The Nation Newspaper that he disputes parts of the Toronto TV story, but that the Queen Elizabeth Hospital had its “challenges”.

Well, that should inspire confidence in any Canadians contemplating a visit to Cricket World Cup in 2007.

A glass of rum punch for Toronto blogger & Bajan, Jdid at Doan Mind Me. (Hey Jdid, how’s the new little one and Mommy doin?)

Barbados Stockpiling Anti-Bird Flu Drug

“Prime minister Owen Arthur said that his government had decided to deploy resources now rather than adopt a wait-and-see policy in the face of the threat.

Arthur said he had given permission to his minister of health “to pay to stockpile the drugs” now so the country “would be ready” if the virus reaches the island.”

Only the Lord knows where the money is going to come from. Barbados hasn’t even paid it’s government drug-plan pharmacists for three months.

Linda Tompkins has the bird-flu details at My Barbados Blog.

Commonwealth Games: Barbados Mother & Daughter On Same Team

“Pass Me The Ball, Mum”

Mother Jacqueine Browne and daughter Samantha play netball for Barbados on the same team.

Nice to see.

Barbados Public Works Minister Gline Clarke – What Has He Been Smoking?

Minister of Public Works Gline Clarke says that, except for those nasty utility companies getting in the way, it would only take the government “two weeks” to pave a road.

From The Nation Newspaper…

Minister of Public Works Gline Clarke, speaking on Day 2 of the Estimates debate in the House of Assembly yesterday, said had it not been for utility companies doing work the same time as Government, it would take ministry officials only two weeks to complete the paving of a road.

Two weeks, Mr. Minister? Then how do you explain this little crack in the pavement that hasn’t been repaired in OVER TWO YEARS…

So the question becomes… Is Minister Clarke being kept in the dark by his staff, or are those Cuban cigars he likes a little too strong? Perhaps he should switch back to those small Jamaican, er, cigars, that he used to enjoy before he entered politics.

Or could there be another reason altogether that the road in the photo (which is near the proposed Greenland dump) has not been re-paved?

Could it be that the road is just not stable enough to re-pave?

A glass of rum-punch to Bim Today for the tip.

Barbados Greenland Dump Had “Technical Flaws In Design” – Prime Minister Arthur

Just a quick post this morning before work…

Barbados Prime Minister Owen Arthur admitted yesterday in the House of Assembly that the design of the Greenland waste dump had technical flaws. From The Nation Newspaper…

“When this current phase of operations at Mangrove comes to an end, that is the end of the operation of landfills at Mangrove. We will go to Greenland, having corrected any technical flaws in the design of Greenland as any responsible Government should do.”

So the “technical flaws in the design” have been corrected, Mr. Prime Minister?

That’s Great!

But seeing as this is the first time that the Government has admitted technical flaws in the design (that I know of), how about telling us what those flaws were and how they have been corrected?

We’re all big boys and girls here, and we know that we have to do something with the garbage, so how about releasing your “design flaw corrections” report? That would go a long way to show that the Government wasn’t hiding anything or just transferring the problem from one spot on the island to another.

And also remind us, Prime Minister… why haven’t we considered the new incineration technologies like the ones that are keeping Singapore so clean?

Indigenous Tribes Claim Barbados Culpepper Island

Just in case you missed it, the Lokono-Arawak and Karifuna-Carib tribes (no we are not going to use the word “nations”) have laid claim to Culpepper Island off the eastern coast of Barbados.

From a media release…

… We the descendants of Princess Marian — daughter of the last Hereditary Lokono-Arawak Chief Amorotahe Haubariria (Flying Harpy Eagle) of the Eagle Clan Lokono-Arawaks resident on this island now known as Barbados, and the Karifuna-Carib ambassadors from the island now known as Dominica — do hereby jointly re-claim from the Government of Barbados – the small uninhabited island outcrop known to locals as Culpepper Island.

Ever seen the rocks of Culpepper Island? These folks have to be pretty desperate – except that they don’t really want Culpepper Island. This is just a strategy to gain a foothold and recognized status in a far greater land claim. Just a thin edge of the wedge.

Our friend Titilayo has more at Gallimaurfry Blog.