“Re-Discover The Caribbean” Show Cancelled For 2007

Organisers Will Try Again In 2008

The organisers of the region’s only annual event entirely dedicated to promoting intra regional travel have decided to cancel the event for this year.

Co-ordinator of the event, Adrian Loveridge, cites the main reasons as the escalating intra Caribbean airfares and the reluctance from both the public and travel trade to pay rates that are now being asked by the merged LIAT/Caribbean Star.

Also that National Tourism Offices throughout the region have depleted marketing budgets due in part to the hosting of the CWC event and the reduced profits experienced by individual hotels and tourism partners from less than expected attendance to the various cricket matches.

Loveridge, added that already we are seeing a significant downturn in arrivals from our third most important market, the Caribbean. Add to this reduced long stay visitors from the United States, our second largest market and we are once again relying too heavily on the United Kingdom.

This would have been the third successive year for the show, which attracts exhibitors from 20 Caribbean countries and brings to the Barbados economy an estimated $1 million in foreign earnings.

The show has been rescheduled for May next year and hopefully during that time the various Ministers of Tourism throughout the region will address the problem of the current inhibitive high regional airfares.

Adrian Loveridge
15 June 2007
Contact Telephone (246) 428 2129

Barbados Underground: Trafficking In Persons In Barbados, Chinese Slaves, Tom Adams and Barbados National Bank’s Ripoff

Many Interesting Articles Recently Posted At BU

USA Sponsored Trafficking In Persons Report Cites Barbados As a “Special Case”

China Continues To Abuse The Rights Of Their Citizens But For The World, Including Barbados It is Business As Usual

BU Remembers The Late J.M.G.M “Tom” Adams

Barbados National Bank The Only Bank To Calculate Interest Using The “Add-On” Method

CAUGHT! – Caribbean Splash Developer Lawrence Loughlin Posting Support For Waterpark Under Many False Identities At Barbados Free Press

“I live in Christ Church and welcome the water park coming to Graeme Hall because of its accessanility. (sic) I also speak for many of my neighbors who look forward to this healthy and exciting venue for local bajans and tourist alike. I have read in your blog that the Graeme Hall Bird Sanctuary is slipping away from the National Park proponents. I believe this is very good since it presents you with a very sticky wicket. So perhaps the great majority here will get there water park finally.”

Caribbean Splash Waterpark Developer Lawrence Loughlin deceitfully posting a comment under the name “bajanman4ever” on Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary Up For Sale!

Honesty & Integrity From Caribbean Splash Waterpark Developers? You Gotta Be Kidding!

One of the developers of the Caribbean Splash Waterpark who has been posting comments under his real name at Barbados Free Press has also been deceitfully posting under other names in an apparent attempt to fool BFP readers into believing that there is community backing for the Caribbean Splash Waterpark to be built at Graeme Hall.

Mr. Lawrence Loughlin, the uncle of waterpark developer Matthew Kerins, has used his real name to lobby for the waterpark on Barbados Free Press since early May of 2007. In his posts under his real name Mr. Loughlin indicates that he has a formal role in the effort to bring the Caribbean Splash Waterpark to fruition and that he speaks for the project. His actual title with Caribbean Splash is not known to Barbados Free Press but it is obvious from his comments that he is playing a role in the project and is privy to inside knowledge.

But Mr. Loughlin has also been deceitfully posting comments throughout Barbados Free Press under various other names in support of the waterpark, the government of Barbados and Prime Minister Arthur.

In several of these false posts, Mr. Loughlin indicated or implied that the commenter is a citizen of Barbados. His latest deceptive post is shown at the top of this article.

American Waterpark Developer Techniques: Deceit, Dirty Tricks And Dirty Money

This effort by the Caribbean Splash waterpark developers to unethically interfere with the public discussion of their project in Barbados is only the latest in a series of questionable activities. In a big mistake while speaking in public last year, Mr. Kerins stated that he has spent some US$2 Million on “consulting fees” and that he and his “facilitator” (our word, not his) Leonard Nurse met with Prime Minister Owen Arthur – who gave his royal approval to the project.

Kerins further stated that the Barbados Government “cannot back out of the deal”.

What deal is that, Mr. Kerins?

Barbados Will Listen To Foreign Developers – Honest Foreign Developers

Citizens of Barbados want an accounting for every penny of that US$2 million dollars that Matthew Kerins has spread around for “consulting fees”. We want to see the receipts with the names.

Kerins and Loughlin have also been touting a study that they did supposedly showing that the vast majority of citizens are in favour of plunking the waterpark right down in the most environmentally sensitive watersheds in Barbados. Ya, right!

And we just know that Kerins and the boys wouldn’t deceive us, would they? But let’s see the study and all the source and reference materials.

Citizens of Barbados are not adverse to foreign capital and developers. Just don’t lie to us, use deceitful techniques to interfere with public debate or think you can spread money around Barbados for “consultants” without accounting for it publicly.

Lawrence Loughlin Banned From Barbados Free Press Until He Apologises

Mr. Loughlin, you have been caught deceitfully posting under different names to mislead readers at Barbados Free Press.

We welcome debate and discussion by all here, but there are rules and you broke one of the biggest – honest debate by persons of good will.

You are banned from posting comments under your name at Barbados Free Press until our readers receive your public admission and apology.

Marcus, Cliverton, Robert, Shona, George and Auntie Moses

Trinidad and Tobago Chief Justice Suspended – Sinister Politics Or Protecting Democracy? (And A Word About Barbados’ Chief Justice)

No One Is Above The Law – But Society Had Better Be Careful When Messing With A Chief Justice

Satnarine Sharma, Chief Justice of Trinidad and Tobago, has been suspended by T&T’s President George Maxwell Richards. This has to do with allegations that Sharma attempted to influence the outcome of a court case against former Prime Minister Badeo Panday. (You can read about this story at Caribbean360.com here.)

In our view, any action against a Chief Justice or any judge is a most serious matter. We cannot have judges (especially a Chief Justice) continually worried about frivolous complaints or politically-motivated challenges to their authority and position. This doesn’t mean that we give judges license to break the law, it means that we recognize that the independence of an honest judiciary is one of the cornerstones of democracy. When anyone challenges the actions or integrity of a judge all citizens should pay careful attention because there is much more at stake than the integrity or competence of a judge as a person.

Barbados Chief Justice Under A Cloud?

Here in Barbados our Chief Justice David Simmons has recently been named in a civil lawsuit that also names the Prime Minister and many other prominent Barbados citizens and businesses. As we read the lawsuit, it is alleged that the government and business people have conspired over the last twenty years to commit unethical and possibly illegal acts to make a profit for themselves.

Firstly, a reminder to all that allegations are just allegations and nothing is proven unless and until it is proven properly in a court.

Here is the problem as we see it…

We would love to come to the defense of Barbados’ Chief Justice and say “Nonsense, the Chief Justice has never been involved in politics or land development or land transactions for the government.”

But we can’t say that because our current Chief Justice had 25 years of government and backroom-boys’ politics before he put on a Judge’s robes.

Only weeks before being appointed as Chief Justice, David Simmons was a Cabinet Minister under the current Prime Minister. For that reason alone we were disappointed that Mr. Simmons accepted the position of Chief Justice as we believed that his appointment lacked the important appearance of independence right from the start. Once again, this is not to say that David Simmons does not or did not have the knowledge or integrity necessary for the position – we objected because his background in the rough and tumble world of Barbados politics made him an unwise choice for the position of Chief Justice.

Now we have allegations surfacing from before David Simmons became our Chief Justice – and that is unfortunate to say the least. Whether the allegations are true or not, and even if they occurred long ago during his political backroom days, it still throws a bit of a cloud over the OFFICE of the Chief Justice. That’s just reality.

Every Bride Is A Virgin – Or So They Say!

They say that every bride instantly becomes a virgin again on her wedding day (at least Auntie Moses says so!) and I guess we all hoped that a similar process would happen when David Simmons became Chief Justice.

But just like a newly “re-virginated” bride can sometimes have old lovers walk embarrassingly back into her life, David Simmons has found that his new judicial robes can’t free him of decades of backroom deals, favours asked and favours granted – and the political and economic strategies that he and his BLP Government Cabinet dreamed up and implemented.

Let’s hope that the allegations against David Simmons are eventually disproven, but Barbados should remember this lesson when it comes time to appoint a new Chief Justice.

Previous Article: Lawsuit Update: Nelson Barbados Group Ltd Against Prime Minister Arthur, Chief Justice Simmons, David Shorey And Many Others

Venezuela Arming To The Teeth With Modern Weaponry

“Since 2005 Caracas has spent 3.4 billion dollars (2.6 billion euros) on arms from Russia, including 24 fighter planes, 35 military helicopters, air defence systems and 100,000 kalashnikov rifles…”

New Submarines And Fighters Enable Chavez To Project Regional Power

The “new Cuba” in the Caribbean is using oil revenues to arm itself in ways that Castro never could. Venezuela’s nine new Russian submarines are not the diesel subs of the movies or the cold war. The new ones can stay submerged for days and are quieter than their nuclear-powered big brothers.

These subs significantly alter the military balance of power in the Caribbean. Looks like the Dutch had better keep their squadron of F16s in the region because the very purchase of these submarines shows that, no matter what Chavez says at the moment, he has desires other than simple defense.

From Breitbart.com…

Venezuela’s Chavez To Finalise Russian Submarines Deal

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is expected to finalise a deal on buying up to nine Russian submarines during a visit here later this month, a Russian newspaper reported on Thursday.

Caracas has already ordered five 636-type diesel submarines and four of a new model of diesel submarine, the 677E Amur, the Kommersant broadsheet said, quoting unnamed sources in the ship-building and arms export sectors.

Chavez may have to settle for the older 636 submarines for the time being as the new 677E Amur has not yet been presented to Russia’s own navy, a source at the arms export agency Rosoboronexport said.

“To start off with they were insisting on only the Amurs but were then persuaded to take the 636 vessels,” the source told Kommersant.

The paper said Chavez planned to visit Russia on June 29, less than a year after a visit last July, the paper said.

If it goes ahead, the deal is likely to become a “new irritant in relations between Moscow and Washington,” the paper commented.

Venezuela has become a major buyer of Russian arms in recent years, angering the United States, which worries about Chavez’s anti-American tone…

… Read the rest at Breitbart.com

Strange Stinky Water Coming From Taps In Bathsheba – BWA Puts Callers On Ignore

Barbados Free Press Receives Requests For Help From Eleven Different Bathsheba Homes

Folks, in the last few days we have received eleven emails from readers in the Bathsheba area complaining about stinky water coming from the taps. Some describe the smell as “almost like chlorine” while others say it is a chemical or oily smell but definitely not chlorine. All report inaction and indifference on the part of the Barbados Water Authority.

What is the extent of the problem and how long has it been going on? Can anyone report that the BWA has been out to test any taps?

Here are some excerpts from the emails…

“I live in the Bathsheba area of St Joseph. We got home tonight and our water is stinking of chlorox/chlourine or something. It’s so strong it made my eyes water when I bent over to smell it! I phoned BWA and told the man who answered the phone. He sounded fairly uninterested and said there was no one he could tell, I told him we can’t drink this or bathe in this and was I supposed to pay for my water twice, as I would have to go and buy bottled water? no reply, so I asked him if he would pass on my complaint, he said yes, I asked him for his name and he put the phone down!!!!!!! Great PR.

I complained a week or so ago when the smell was so strong, and was told it was ‘in the pipe now’ it made our skin itch and have had sores on our faces. Surely they measure a certain amount of whatever this is to go in the water? I am now off to the shop to buy water to drink and wash in, guess who’s paying for that……..”

“What a stink it is not clorine. Chemical almost like oil.”

“My neighbour came home and also called, he’d got in the shower to bathe and got straight out again, he was given the number 433 1812 to call, they say they have to go and find someone to check…… “

“BWA say tomorrow or next day they come…”

“(the water from the tap) is oily and smells bad”

“… can’t get a answer from BWA…”

“They (BWA) say lots of complaints an they will get to it ‘sometime’ ”