Hurricane Dean Aftermath – Caribbean Vacation Destinations Taking Steps To Salvage Tourist Bookings

Monster hurricane Dean is still punishing Mexico, but Jamaica and other hard-hit vacation destinations are doing their best to clean up hotels, beaches and tourist attractions to get those tourist dollars flowing again as soon as possible.

Even last night we received a press release from Half Moon Resort at Rose Hall, Jamaica, saying that the resort is intact, fully operational and happy to reschedule guests (without penalty) who have already booked their vacations but might want to delay a bit. This is an excellent pro-active move on the part of Half Moon – whose management obviously understand their market and are willing to work hard to retain both their customers and the resort’s good will and reputation.

Good for you, Half Moon!

Here’s part of the release that we received..

Following the passage of Hurricane Dean this past weekend, the 400-acre resort has relaxed its cancellation policy allowing guests the flexibility of postponing their trip to Jamaica.

“While Half Moon received no structural damage and is fully operational following the storm, we are mindful that some clients may have disruptions to their travel because of cancellation of flights and other concerns due to the storm,” Mr. Whitfield said.

Guests who wish to reschedule their trip should call Half Moon’s on-site call centre at 1-800-626-0592.

Ongoing Air Traffic Safety Problems At Grantley Adams International Airport, Barbados

“It is worrying that high ranking officials within the Department of Civil Aviation could so mislead our prime minister.”

Radar & Communication Outages Have NOTHING To Do With Squatters Near The Airport

I have been following with interest comments made in the press about the effects of squatters on the radar readout in Adams airspace. It is worrying that high ranking officials within the Department of Civil Aviation could so mislead our prime minister. Also of concern is the fact that matters of grave importance have not been given equal attention by these department heads.

Some two Saturdays ago controllers at Adams were hit with random power outages where on at least 3 occasions on the same day there was total radar and communication outages, I cannot overstate how potentially dangerous this situation was and is as the potential for it to occur at anytime remains.

What is worrying is there is supposed to be back-ups to guard against this.

These back-ups failed.

Approaching two weeks later the controllers are still working with minimum telecommunication facilities, and they continue to be concerned about the inadequacy of the frequencies available for communication with aircraft.

They have brought this and other matters to management’s attention countless times over the last few years. Every attempt to have this and other matters such as critical staffing levels, inadequate lighting, inadequate maintenance and such address have met with failure. More so when these matters are put out in the public domain they are downplayed by our managers and the stories which should be of critical concern to all are given less than adequate attention by the media. It is feared that in this instance like so many on this little rock some great disaster will have to occur before those in a position to do something actually act.

At the route of the problem lies one of the most substandard management teams within government…., they have failed at almost every level to efficiently oversee the department. Air traffic continues to function in Barbados because of a dedicated, overworked and short staffed team of controllers who do the best they can with with what little they have.

Case in point – within the last 2 years the government of Barbados was called upon to replace their simulator so much needed training could occur. This endeavour cost the government millions.

This system was bought and is now sitting at the Barbados School of Air Traffic Control in a state of dis-repair due to inadequate maintenance.

Yet another waste of government funds.

Is Barbados Going Bankrupt? Part 76 Of A Continuing Series… Attorney General Dale Marshall Comments From His Yacht

Have International Financiers Tightened Up Barbados’ Credit Since Cricket World Cup?

Prison Warders Not Paid Since February

SINCE FEBRUARY more than 50 temporary prison warders have not received one red cent.

And while the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) is not threatening any protest action, deputy General Secretary Derek Alleyne said yesterday the situation was “unreasonable”.

He told the DAILY NATION that he met with the ministry of Home Affairs back in March and the commitment was that the situation would not recur.

“We want the people to get their money. This level of hardship is unreasonable and unconscionable. This is nothing new, this is a reoccurring problem and they (ministry) have promised that the people would get their money but the same story reinvents itself,” Alleyne said.

Attorney-General and Minister of Home Affairs Dale Marshall said that while he was not aware of the particulars of the situation, he acknowledged that the records showed that some warders were not paid since the middle of May. The issue had come up for discussion just last week at a meeting, he added.

Marshall said that he had asked the Chairman of Public Service Commission, Nigel Jones, to look at proposals made by the Ministry of Home Affairs where a small committee would be delegated to oversee the payment of the substitute workers.

… continue reading this article at The Nation News (link here)

Context Is Everything!

If I’m late with a mortgage payment after ten years of always on time, the bank won’t be terribly cranky because they know our family is hard-working and reliable. Be late again the next month, and eyebrows raise. When you’ve been late four out of the past six months, alarm bells start to sound.

Here are a few of our past articles. Like I said, context is everything.

Think “Borrow and Spend – Steal A Bit, Borrow and Spend – Steal A Bit, Borrow and Spend… Oh OH… Looks Like We’re A Little Late With This Month’s Interest Payment…”

March 13, 2006 – Secret Memo Highlights Impending Cricket World Cup 2007 Cash Crunch

March 26, 2006 – “Barbados Government Cash Flow Problem – Tip of the Iceberg?”

March 19, 2006 – Barbados Free Press Readers Comment On “Is Barbados Bankrupt?”

April 25, 2006 – Barbados Spending Cannot Continue – And GEMS Scandal Just Keeps On Going And Going And Going…

June 26, 2006 – 1000 Barbados Water Authority Employees Walk Out Over Non-Payment Of Wages
June 27, 2006 – Barbados Government Cash Flow Problem?

July 13, 2006 – Barbados Police Recruitment Plan – Half The Pay Found Elsewhere

July 24, 2006 – Horrors!!! – After 12 Years Of Borrow and Spend, Barbados PM Discovers Money Has To Be Paid Back

September 5, 2006 – Some Barbados Ministry Of Health Workers Not Paid For 3 Months

October 3, 2006 – Barbados Government Priorities: New Cricket Stadium, Flyovers, Golf Courses – While Citizens Haul Water In Buckets, Use Outdoor Pit Toilets In The Dark

January 8, 2007 – Barbados GEMS Hotel Scandal Still Costing Big Time Tax Dollars – Will It Never End?

February 21, 2007 – Barbados Auditor General Says Millions Missing – We Say No Laws Were Broken

March 4, 2007 – More Labour Troubles Because Barbados Government Can’t Meet Payroll Again

March 15, 2007 – How Long To Pay Back $51 Million Barbados “Investment” In Harrison’s Cave?

March 25, 2007 – Is Barbados Tourism “Growth” Really Just Inflation?

May 17, 2007 – What Happened To The Money From Hotel and Resorts Ltd’s Assets Sale? How Much Went Into David Shorey’s Pocket?

May 28, 2007 – Barbados Underground Barbados Spends Millions On CWC 2007 And Other Projects But Ordinary Workers With Children To Feed Continue To Wait Over Two Months For Wages

May 29, 2007 – Again – Barbados Government Workers Not Being Paid For Months, Weeks

June 12, 2007 – Patrick Hoyos – The Selling Of Barbados “To Keep Our Artificial Economy Ticking Over”

July 6, 2007 – The Legacy Of Cricket World Cup: Debt, Debt And More Debt

July 7, 2007 – New Trinidad and Tobago’s “Slightly Used” Fast Ferry Ready To Go! (Meanwhile In Barbados A Government Culture Of “Always Buy New, Always The Best” Is Bankrupting The Country)

July 23, 2007 – Cricket World Cup Stiffs The Barbados Police – Officers Owed Over A Million Dollars For Security Duties

August 5, 2007 – Barbados Psychiatric Patients Not Being Fed Because Road Taxes Not Paid On Hospital Vehicles

August 21, 2007 – Nation News: Prison Warders Haven’t Been Paid Since February

August 22, 2007 – Queen Elizabeth Hospital Owes Millions To Suppliers, Some Haven’t Been Paid In Four Months