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

Letter says International investor's complaint was filed September 8, 2009

The government and the news media in Barbados must be disconnected with reality to think that in the year 2009 they can hide a major international investment story from Bajans. Do they think that ignoring the issue will make it a non-subject with investors in London, New York and Toronto?

We’ve got news for our government and our news media: Reuters covered this story four days ago and it’s being picked up by international investment and environmental forums everywhere. According to the documents presented at the Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary, the international complaint was filed early in September, 2009.

Yet our print and electronic news media haven’t mentioned it or approached the Barbados government for comment.

No problem ladies and gentlemen of the Bajan news media – just go back to your intensive coverage of government Ministers standing beside a pothole announcing that government will soon commence a study on when the pothole should be fixed.

Don’t worry folks, the international investment community won’t notice anything amiss!

Read the details at The Bajan Reporter

We’ll be saying more on this story in the coming days and weeks, but unless I shut down this computer in the next five minutes there is no way I’m going to be on time for work today. Meanwhile, our blogging friend Ian Bourne has the story and links to the official complaint at the Bajan Reporter: Canadian Alleges Treaty Violations by Barbados.

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 disaster zone.  Pretty soon you are not going to be able to sell holidays, let alone condos or villas, in an area where people do not want to stay unless government does something about a situation that is getting worse by the day.”

… from the Mullins Bay Blog story Horror Of St. Peter’s Bay Captured Through The Lens Of A British Visitor

Minister of the Environment Dennis Lowe hasn’t said a word about the problem, and citizens in the area have never seen him on the beaches. (BFP editor’s note: Mr. Lowe prefers the Hilton beach where he gets free lunch and a chance to chat with pretty tourists.)

Now tourists are starting to document the destruction of our beaches through photos posted on the internet.

Our friends at Mullins Bay Blog have the sad story here.

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 contracts. VECO founder Bill Allen will also have to pay a 3/4 of a million dollar fine, but frankly that’s just spare change to the man who used bribes of politicians as a standard operating procedure to grow his business into a multi-billion dollar international company. As part of a plea-bargain and in exchange for Allen’s testimony, Allen’s son and other family members escaped prosecution and were able to walk away with hundreds of millions of dollars.

The American FBI seized millions of VECO’s documents and made hundreds of hours of secret recordings to document how Allen and his company undermined US democracy by the simple method of paying millions to various politicians over the years. As was revealed over the last two years in public testimony and court documents, this bribing of politicians was VECO’s standard operating policy.

Who Did Barbados Prison “Consulting”?

In Barbados, VECO was closely associated with now Opposition Leader Mia Mottley and with former Attorney General Dale Marshall. Mia was “in charge” of building the new Dodds Prison.

After the scandal broke in Alaska, then Attorney General Dale Marshall met with VECO company officials in Barbados for 23 minutes, and then announced that there were no issues about VECO’s activities in Barbados. Dale Marshall was an active part of the VECO cover-up in Barbados.

Hmmmmm…. let’s see here. VECO had never built a prison before it was awarded the contract for Dodds – without tender. VECO used bribery of politicians as its standard operating procedure to obtain government contracts around the world.

And Dale Marshall says “no problem here” after a 23 minute meeting.

Nothing suspect there!

In any event, VECO and the BLP spread the “consulting” and sub-contracts around to DLP members at the time so that if the DLP ever formed a government, they wouldn’t be able to come after the BLP.

Hmmmmm…. DLP Prime Minister David Thompson has never asked American officials to allow Barbados to examine the VECO company records that list bribes of politicians around the world.

Nope. Nothing suspect there, either!

Who were the middlemen in Miami that handled the Dodds Prison shipments? What money was paid to “consultants” in Switzerland and the USA? Which Dodds Prison sub-contracting companies were owned by relatives of Barbados politicians?

Barbados citizens will never know, and have no right to know because both the Arthur/Mottley and the David Thompson government keep this information secret.

Citizens of Barbados? More like “suckers of Barbados” if you ask me.

Further Reading

Alaska Dispatch: Ben Stevens’ consulting fees surface in Allen, Smith sentencings.

 

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 gained access to the treasury after 14 years out of power. Likewise, the promise to “immediately” enact conflict of interest rules for Ministers was never heard about again. Thanks To Prime Minister David Thompson, Barbados Government Officials Can Still Use Their Office For Personal Profit

Almost two years have passed since those ITAL promises and even the most die-hard DLP supporters have reluctantly conceded that Thompson and his DLP lied to the electorate about their intentions.

Thompson and his gang of piggies at the public trough don’t want to enact Freedom of Information Legislation because FOI would allow ordinary citizens access to government financial records. That would empower ordinary citizens and the media to hold elected and appointed government officials accountable for wrongdoing and the Prime Minister doesn’t want that!

Like the Barbados Labour Party government before them, the DLP government is committed to keeping citizens in the dark – but there is no reason why we can’t put these Freedom of Information Requests on file on the internet. Someday perhaps citizens will be able to act upon them, but in the meantime the presence of these FOI requests on the internet will serve to illustrate that Prime Minister Thompson and his gang know nothing about transparency, accountability or integrity.

Here is our first…

FOI Request #2009-1: To Barbados Transport Board

To: Barbados Transport Board

FOI Request: Maintenance & other records for bus involved in accident October 9, 2009

Dear Sirs,

Under the FOI legislation of Barbados, I demand copies of the following records for the bus involved in the accident that happened about October 9, 2009 as illustrated in the attached photo taken from the Nation newspaper. I enclose the required fee and expect to receive copies of the requested records within 100 days as per the FOI law. Specifically, I request copies of…

1/ All maintenance records for the bus for the last five years.

2/ All vehicle licenses, inspection certificates, safety certificates and/or other forms and inspection sheets associated with this bus.

3/ Any Bus inspection procedures and/or regulations published internally by the Barbados Transport Board.

4/ Copies of all internal and external correspondence and/or reports mentioning this bus for the last five years.

5/ Copies of all post-accident reports, photos, inspection forms, reports, letters and/or any communications, whether internal or external, possessed by the Barbados Transport Board and having to do with the accident involving this bus.

Yours truly,

A Bajan citizen empowered by the Freedom of Information Act of Barbados (enacted 2017 by the Barbados Integrity Party government)

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 pretty well straight out.

“A unified BLP” is the key concept in Arthur’s interview, but the only way that will happen is if Mia Mottley pulls the ejection handles – which she must be thinking about considering all those knives sticking out of her back after Monday’s meeting of the BLP Members of Parliament.

Here’s the quote from Owen Arthur…

“I have no interest whatsoever in being involved in dividing the Barbados Labour Party.

I will have no interest whatsoever of wanting to re-emerge as leader in a divided party. My only interest is wanting to serve if they, if I still think that I have something to contribute to the people of Barbados. And that is my only interest in being in public life at this time.”

…from Owen Arthur’s interview by David Ellis on Tuesday, October 27, 2009 on Voice of Barbados Radio.

What do you think, folks? We say that Arthur is taking great pains to leave the door wide open while trying not to look like he is fomenting rebellion against Mottley.

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 victim probably has no idea that she has been mortally wounded.

And there is no doubt that Miss Mottley is mortally wounded, politically speaking. The only question is, how long will it take her to bleed out?

Owen Arthur spent an hour talking to reporters on Tuesday morning, arguing that Mottley lacked judgment in delivering an ultimatum to the BLP inner circle and forcing a leadership loyalty vote as she did on Monday. Mr. Arthur is correct. With three of the nine sitting MPs effectively voicing their non-confidence in Mottley the result of the “vote” gave public credibility to the rumours of chaos within the Barbados Labour Party.

Mr. Arthur has obviously decided that the best way forward for the BLP is to lance the leadership boil now, rather than have it continue to fester for another year or so.

At the crux of the matter is Arthur’s contention that Mottley does not enjoy the widespread popularity and support throughout our society that is needed to lead the BLP to victory in the next election. Owen Arthur is correct, and we at BFP can’t see Mia Mottley being able to repair that deficiency. Not in a year, not in two or three years and maybe not in five years.

The big question for the Barbados Labour Party: What now?

Further Reading

Nation News: Owen has his say

The Barbados Advocate: It’s up to Mia!

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 Serena do her thing at “Tennis pon de rock” next month at Wildey Gymnasium on the 28th and Sugar Hill on the 29th. Truly, I would enjoy going but I’ve been given the message that this is strictly a “girls day out” as far as my woman and her sister are concerned.

(Yes dear)

Organiser Kodi Lewis

This tennis exhibition looks like it’s a big deal and it has me thinking about what it takes to pull it all together. I’d love to know the story behind what is being called “the country’s biggest ever exhibition game”. Undoubtedly it all started with an idea, but good ideas are like raindrops in a storm: so many that it hardly matters.

What really counts is being able to turn the idea into reality. Somebody (or maybe a few people?) had the drive to make this event happen. I see Barry Gale and Kodi Lewis mentioned online so perhaps one or both are responsible.

Kodi Lewis, who is described in various stories as either the “coordinator” or the “organiser” of the event made an excellent point when he described how Barbados won out over Singapore when Serena made her decision. This from the Barbados Advocate:

“They had another offer to play in Singapore on the same day so we had to be quite pro-active in securing their contracts”, said Kodi Lewis, coordinator of the event. “The attraction is Barbados itself and both Serena and Caroline know Barbados so definitely it was an advantage being here in Barbados and having the reputation that Barbados has”.

… from the Barbados Advocate article Barbados set to host showdown between Serena and Caroline

Once again, the cache of Barbados as a world-class destination comes through. Although this is an exhibition, I wonder if the event has enough of a profile to receive international coverage or even mention on television. That, I don’t know – but it seems to me that there will be increased interest if Wozniaki (number 5 rated) wins over Serena Williams.

Hmmmmm… perhaps Bajans should be cheering for Wozniaki when the day comes? (Couldn’t but help throwing in a little mischief 🙂 )

We’re going to keep this event on the radar as we think it is an excellent opportunity for Barbados to be proactive as a brand during tough times and, as Kodi Lewis pointed out to The Nation News, this might just be the start of something bigger. (Nation: Organiser pushing for ATP tourney)

Once again, our thanks and encouragement to the people who had the vision and the drive to make this happen.

Tickets?

From the newspapers we read the following: Tickets for both events are expected to go on sale (October 24th) and are available from the Barbados Tennis Association, all Supercentre locations and through e-mail at tennisponderock@gmail.com.

Further Reading

FTI Tennis Solutions (Kodi Lewis)

Barbados Tennis Association

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 Mia Mottley’s leadership…

Some 960 people voted in our poll that asked “Mia Mottley is…”

* “Interim Leader of the BLP, whose legitimacy grows weaker by the day” (580 votes or 62%)

* “Legitimate Leader of the BLP, but not for much longer without a membership vote” (200 votes or 21%)

* “Legitimate Leader of the BLP – No leadership vote necessary! (160 votes or 17%)

Don’t forget, folks… these are ordinary people speaking, not the inner circle of the Barbados Labour Party. As the newspapers take great pains to point out, the leadership of the BLP is not decided by the public membership in a process that is transparent and accountable. The leadership of the BLP is decided in a closed room by a handful of people. (Where Mia’s ranting daddy may or may not be present.)

So let’s take it one step further, shall we?

Here’s our new poll about Mia Mottley’s leadership. Never mind what the newspapers say tomorrow morning, let’s hear what the people say…

POLL RESULTS… (Prior to sabotage by two Mia Mottley supporters who erased their cookies and returned almost 100 times…)

Can the BLP win an election by presenting Mia Mottley as the next Prime Minister?

“Yes, the majority of Bajans would accept Mia Mottley as their Prime Minister” (27%)

“No, the majority of Bajans would not accept Mia Mottley as their Prime Minister” (55%)

“I’m not sure whether Mia Mottley could gather enough votes to be Prime Minister” (18%)

And Finally…

I thought you might be interested in this…

HA! HA! HA!!!  The Nation News titled their article “Mia’s Move” but the URL for the article is listed as “empty-bravado” !!!!!!!!!

Here, look… http://www.nationnews.com/news/local/empty-bravado-FRONT-PAGE-LEAD

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.”

DLP government operatives attempted to post comments under multiple identities - contrary to BFP's rules.

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 readers know, multiple identities are contrary to the rules of BFP as outlined in our Blog Policies and, as per our published policy, result in ALL posts being erased.

We are always amused when BLP or DLP operatives attempt to take over the reader discussions at BFP by using multiple identities. Sometimes we at the editor’s desk don’t cotton on to the abuse until a reader points it out to us. That’s just the way it happens when we’re busy writing or dealing with our own lives. (Hey… I have a wife and childrens doan ya know!)

So…. thanks to “A Friend” for pointing out what is now obvious once we’re alerted where to look.

Penalty: ALL “A Mottley Group” posts are now being erased from Barbados Free Press.

Hey… nice try DLP (or David Thompson or Hartley Henry or whoever you are!)

Take that, sucka!

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

Churchill opposed Immigration of “coloureds” from Barbados

British National Party "For Race & Nation"

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 governing Democratic Labour Party – for a number of reasons including BU’s willingness to publish articles and comments that communicate support for the most foul racist positions.  Some recent immigration discussions at Barbados Underground target West Indians of Indian heritage, whites and asians as being “unacceptable” races for immigration to Barbados. The BU blog publications even go so far as complaining about the high fertility rates of Indians and calling murdered Canadian tourist Terry Schwarzfeld “white trash”.

Barbados Underground Blog is also the venue of choice for Hartley Henry, DLP party strategist and confidante to Prime Minister David Thompson.

So it was with a sense of irony that we followed a Google news alert for “Barbados” this morning and learned that none other than Sir Winston Churchill himself is on record in released Cabinet documents as wanting to curtail the immigration of “coloureds” from Barbados to the United Kingdom. Sir Winston was “not in favour” of coloured immigration and wanted to introduce a bill to impose limits based upon skin colour. Viscount Swinton offered that the government could further their position by introducing a committee to look into the “social aspects” of coloured immigration. Other members talked about employment and housing concerns.

But the concern about housing, employment and the “social aspects” of coloured immigration were a way of candy-coating the heart of the matter: Sir Winston and others didn’t want “coloured immigration” – and the Cabinet notes mention immigration from Barbados by name.

The Google news alert led us to the website of the racist and increasingly popular British National Party (Party slogan: “For Race & Nation”). There you’ll find the article What did Churchill really think about Immigration?

The Barbados Underground and DLP Immigration lobby would do well to read the British National Party article and then compare it to their own writings and comments at Barbados Underground blog. Just substitute “Guyanese” or “Indians” for the references to “coloured immigration” and “Barbados” at the British National Party and you’ll get our point.

Shirlee Smith shares a Barbados family history: Searching through garbage for food in 1940’s Toronto Canada

Family History includes Barbados & Inter-marriage between escaped slaves and Canada’s Native peoples

By any standard, we are an adventurous people. That may be a surprising statement to some who have never been off this rock (and there are many) but anyone who travels knows that you will find Bajans everywhere on this planet. I’m not surprised anymore when I run into a friend of a friend while passing through Dubai, Manila or Japan. We’re everywhere!

That’s not only a modern occurrence. Bajans have been leaving this island for hundreds of years. We all know about the Carolinas and Panama, but here’s a new twist… runaway slaves marrying into Native tribes after arriving in Canada via the Underground Railroad… with descendants searching through garbage in Toronto Canada in the 1940’s.

The Chronicle: From Slavery to Celebrity

Robert

Jamaica’s Canadian tourism up 28 percent over last year!

Caricom Unity? Forget about it… it’s every country for itself in a fight for survival on the Tourism Battleground.

Jamaican Tourism Minister personally met with 300 Canadian travel agents in Canada’s Western Provinces

Despite the global economic crisis, Jamaican Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett says a record number of Canadian tourists are expected to visit Jamaica this winter.

“Canada is our fastest growing market,” the Jamaican Information Service (JIS) quoted Bartlett as saying in Toronto.

“Two years ago, the Canadian market was providing around 150,000 stopover visitors and for this year we are looking at close to 300,000, which represents a 28 percent increase over last year,” he added.

Bartlett recently visited Canada to thank travel partners for helping to make Canada the fastest growing market for Jamaica. He met with some 300 travel agents, airline officials and four operators in Edmonton, Calgary and Winnipeg, cities that have shown encouraging growth in recent times…

… from eTurboNews.com’s article Jamaica looks forward to record number Canadian visitors this winter season

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 they just can’t pass laws that do the same to themselves…”

Rick Lowe kicks the political class right where they deserve in the Weblog Bahamas article The Bahamas and freedom of government information

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 to fish or cut bait…

It is time for the BLP to confirm Mottley as leader or to select another person to lead them into the next election.

Seeing as how the Mia Mottley is doing everything she can to avoid putting her leadership to a test in front of the BLP membership, we at Barbados Free Press decided it was time to ask the people of Barbados: Is Mia Mottley an “interim” or legitimate leader of the BLP?

In the wreckage of the January 2008 election, defeated Prime Minister Owen Arthur resigned from the leadership of the BLP, and Deputy Leader Mia Mottley was publicly announced as the new party leader.

What most of the public didn’t see or read about in the papers – and only heard about in whispers and quiet standpipe talk – was that Mia Mottley’s “promotion” to party leader was anything but unanimous and smooth sailing. Her “confirmation” (if you can call it that) as Leader of the Opposition took place behind closed doors and must have been some battle judging by the reports.

When will the BLP hold a Leadership Vote?

Like many people I heard the stories of screaming, shouting and banging that could be heard out onto the street until some thinking person sent a text message to one of the participants that party supporters milling about outside were overhearing the disaster. Later, rumours came around that Mia almost lost the position until her father threatened to lay waste to half the old-boys network if his little girl didn’t assume the mantle of BLP leader. Yes, Mia’s daddy – Justice Elliot D. Mottley – was at the inner-circle meeting on election night and not just to provide moral support to his daughter.

In my opinion, what the Barbados Labour Party received on election night was an Interim Leader. Whether the BLP cares to call Mia Mottley by that name or not, the public understands the reality of her position and it weakens her image and credibility in Parliament.

This article is adapted from our May 31, 2009 editorial: Why The Barbados Labour Party Needs A Real Leadership Contest & Convention – And Why Mia Mottley Will Never Agree To A Leadership Vote

Further Reading

March 11, 2008: Who is in charge of the Barbados Labour Party?

Barbados PM admits citizenship applications “not dealt with for over 12 years”

Prime Minister David Thompson admitted yesterday what anyone who has applied for Barbados citizenship in the past decade already knows: there really aren’t any clear rules and the system is a mess.

What Thompson didn’t say is how some people just sail right through the system and others never make it.

Money can grease the wheels sometimes, but other times it doesn’t seem to matter. Many folks – some rich and some ordinary – arrive in Barbados thinking that a decade of hard work and commitment, or marriage, will gain them citizenship as the law apparently says. I say “apparently” because, as the PM points out, there is a large element of “whimsical Ministerial or other discretionary and flimsy entitlements” that are in play.

So a word to foreign spouses, investors and retirees… whatever nice stories you’ve been told about obtaining Bajan citizenship aren’t worth the paper they’re not printed on.

Buy your house, promote the country, be a good sport and make a positive contribution to Barbados. Enjoy your 10 year vacation – because without citizenship your stay could end any time a government official gets “whimsical”. And that is the truth right from the Prime Minister’s mouth.

Good luck to the DLP government as they try to restructure a government service that is infested with the friends, relatives and supporters of the last BLP administration.

Read the Prime Minister’s press release: Barbados: Green paper on Immigration laid in house

New Hospital the only proper decision for Barbados – but as a nation and as citizens, do we have what it takes to make it happen?

Barbados Queen Elizabeth Hospital Washroom - "Progress & Quality Of Life" As Defined By The Arthur/Mottley BLP Government

Minister of Health Donville Inniss announced Tuesday morning that our government has committed the country to building a new hospital. We pray that our current government and the succeeding government(s) receive the wisdom and strength to continue with vital project.

If we can make it happen in five years, I’ll be surprised but pleased. Most people don’t realise the enormity of the task – or how much commitment and effort this will require.

The danger is this: as a people we have been spoiled by two decades of politicians who bribed us with our own money until the cupboard was bare and the loans dried up.

After a generation of artificially living the high life, are the people of Barbados willing to put up with fewer circuses and parties in exchange for a new hospital?

For twenty years, we’ve had government giveaways by the score. We had community group funding. We had huge Crop Over celebrations. We had a Cricket World Cup party that cost us… well.. we don’t know because they never told us. Was it a billion dollar party? Probably. Blown to hell in three weeks of some of the worst cricket I’ve ever seen. Not to mention that “finale” in the dark. A generation of government contracts awarded to friends without bids. Hundreds of millions in project over-runs with not so much as an explanation from any government, whether DLP or BLP.

And then there were the little projects that bled us by a thousand cuts. Remember the $400,000 privy built by Government Minister Liz Thompson’s spouse? Remember the two million dollar plan that gave weed-trimmers to the unemployed boys on the block so they could each have a business cutting the lawns of the rich? That worked out well, didn’t it?

And that’s only a sample of the money the politicians shot to hell to keep us amused.

It’s all gone now, folks – but we still need a new hospital and the economy is in a graveyard spiral. (“Graveyard spiral” is aviation talk, but I’m sure you get the meaning.)

Our Queen Elizabeth Hospital is by any standard, a dump. Ineffective. Wasteful. A national embarrassment. A new coat of paint can only cover so much and that place has seen more coats of paint than Owen Arthur has seen empty bottles.

The condition of the hospital is one of the reasons why a beautiful country like Barbados can’t attract foreign nurses. Think about it… with a modern hospital paying a living wage, Barbados would have well qualified and experienced medical personnel lining up to live and work here.

Barbados desperately needs a new hospital. By the time the new one opens its doors we will be in crisis if we aren’t already.

BFP's Shona plants a kiss on the PM for his Good Decision

So good for the Thompson government for making a decision that should have been made five years ago by the Arthur/Mottley BLP government. The BLP chose cricket circuses for the masses instead of making the tough decisions to build hospitals and watermains.

Let’s hope and pray that the Thompson government and each citizen remains committed to the new hospital for the long run.

Further Reading

Nation News: New hospital in the works

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

BFP: Your Child Is Sick: Welcome To Barbados Queen Elizabeth Hospital

Environment Minister Lowe’s speech a farce as he deliberately ignores the largest and best green space near Bridgetown

Lies Before The Election: Denis Lowe & David Thompson promising "whatever it takes to get elected, not that you can believe a word we say"

Hey friends, just found a short little reminder to myself about something I read in the Nation a few days ago so I’ll write a few lines before it slips away and I forget again…

Environment Minister Denis Lowe was recently rambling on and on about the importance of open spaces for people. Lowe said recreational spaces were important to all Barbadians, “particularly since we are becoming a fast-paced society and we need to find places where we can cool down, so to speak, and recreate”.

Right.

That man has been making the same speech for seven or eight years and I mean the SAME SPEECH. Same words, same hand gestures, same earnest “I care” expression like a preacher man on fire to save your soul. Lowe could have been successful anywhere in the deep Southern USA pitching a tent in the middle of a farmer’s field.

Yup, Dr. Lowe is pretty damn good talking about open spaces, families and green space.

Except… when it came down to it, he voted with the rest of the DLP to change the law protecting 265 acres of parkland at Graeme Hall to allow developer friends to profit from these public lands. To make this happen, David Thompson and the DLP Members of Parliament had to set aside laws that had protected the land from development since 1988. When the government was finished, 2/3 of the parkland (175 acres) was gone.

If you can stand the smell of cow manure, you might read Dr. Lowe’s comments in The Nation News article The worst of green

If you want the truth about what Dr. Lowe, David Thompson and the rest of the DLP piggies did with your irreplaceable national treasure, read Barbados Government Steals 2/3 Of Parkland For Developer Friends – Graeme Hall Environmental Disaster Continues