The government we deserve…

Many of our politicians have fallen short of their promises, or have done great injury to their stewardship. In some cases, they have shown to be less than scrupulous in their management of our affairs. Yet we reward them with more time for embarrassment. Our only excuse, perhaps, is that within the context of our democracy there must be a Government –– good, bad or indifferent.

But how can we explain retaining any Government that seizes land compulsorily and breaches the law by refusing to pay for it? How can we contemplate returning the same Government to power that squanders more than $300 million on failed projects? How can we give succour to any leader who fails to discipline a parliamentary colleague brought to public shame by the highest court in the land?

How can we forgive any Government that has ravaged our agriculture sector? How can we forgive politicians who facilitate construction contracts without a bidding process? How can we be satisfied with leadership that doesn’t boast of achievements, but wallows in lofty verbosity, smug claims of not reading newspapers and punishing dissenters with laughter?

How can we not ask for accountability in situations where some politicians possess six high-end cars, obtained on Government salaries that are common knowledge in the Official Gazette? How can millions of dollars be spirited away from an insurance company and our Attorney General not demand a criminal investigation by the police? How can a state-appointed insurance supervisory body fail to carry out its mandate to the detriment of thousands of policyholders and no heads roll? How can an Auditor General annually expose instances of fraud and blatant theft and yet no one is held to account?

… read the entire editorial at Barbados Today – Getting the governance we deserve

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Harlequin Buccament Bay flood deaths caused by neglect, dereliction of duty?

“Seeing as the government knew about the need to carry out river flood protection, why did they give Harlequin’s Buccament Bay Resort permission to build in a known flood plain on a river that required river bank flood defences installed?

Why did they approve of building private houses in a flood plain, next to a dangerous river requiring bank and river base restructuring and defences?

Why? Why? Can they tell us Why?

Why did they fail to install those defences?”

by Peter Binose

(Photo courtesy of I-Witness News)

Whilst researching the Christmas Buccament floods I discovered that both Ralph Gonsalves and Julian Francis as government ministers were both informed as early as 2001 that Buccament was likely to flood. They were instructed to carry out urgent river defenses but almost every year for about 13 years just got more and more reports on the matter. They had the reports done because the World Bank was paying for the reports, they cost us nothing. But after getting the reports they failed to act – and that failure to act proved to be fatal  for a number of people.

In some of the reports it is even quoted that Buccament is in a flood plain. As such they allowed new building in a flood plain next to a river that was almost certainly going to flood, and it did.

PM Ralph Gonsalves

Remember the videos of Gonsalves walking through Buccament with tears in his eyes? Was that all an act? He must of been terrified that the people would find out that he was pre-warned and failed to act, thus being a direct contributor to the loss of all those poor people.

The piece below is something I have submitted to all the newspapers and online publications. We will have see if the SVG newspapers have the courage to publish what I have written, regardless of the fact that its all verifiable as the truth.

Buccament Bay flood deaths neglect, dereliction of duty or something worse?

On December 24 and 25, 2013, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines was hit by a low-level, high-impact trough system which caused severe infrastructure damage to the country. The trough brought high winds, torrential rains and floods. Local rainfall stations reported between 200mm and 310mm on the windward side of the island and 153.3mm in the leeward side of the island.

As a result of the disaster event, there were 11 confirmed deaths and 3 persons were never found. The final disaster assessment concluded: 77 homes were completely destroyed or severely damaged; approximately another 300 homes were damaged; and 500 people were displaced and housed in temporary shelters.

Since their first year in power there is unequivocal evidence that the Unity Labour Party [ULP] government have been fully aware of the vulnerability to serious flooding at Buccament and in other places. They were aware that Buccament is generally a flood plain area.  Their studies from 2001 to 2014 show just that. They have had thirteen years to put river defenses in at Buccament, but failed to do so. The Christmas 2013 Buccament flood tragedy occurred and lives were lost.

For thirteen years the government had dragged their feet and carried out numerous studies for Social Assessment Disaster Vulnerability Reduction Projects, at Buccament and elsewhere.

Here are some of the official references to studies regarding the flooding danger from Buccament river. From them it is most obvious that the government were fully aware of the dangers of doing nothing. 

Internet pornography kills love, warps young minds and sustains slavery.

Government Minister Donville Inniss associated website: Pregnant women porn at Orgasm.com …CLICK PHOTO FOR DETAILS AND STORY…

by Grenville Phillips II

Pornography is now easily available to all school children who have access to a tablet or a smart phone.  It is facilitated by persons who allow unrestricted access to the Internet in their homes or at the many Wi-Fi hotspots around Barbados.  So let me share a solution; but first, let me describe the problem.

Pornography has two main damaging effects.  The impact for viewers is that that they can primarily view sexual intercourse as a means to satisfy themselves rather than satisfying their partners.  For male viewers, this can lead to a less satisfying sexual experience for her and a boring routine for him.  He will likely develop an uncaring attitude towards her if she does not express a similar delight in his sexual performance as those whom he watches.  His sexual experience should be all about satisfying her, and her sexual experience should be all about satisfying him.

The most damaging impact is on the victims whom the watchers are viewing.  Many women, especially from Asian and eastern European countries, are forced into the sex slave trade, with harsh consequences if they do not show delight when raped (See ‘Half the Sky’ and other research into sex slavery).  As the watchers view these victims, they are supporting and sustaining this slavery.  If people choose not to pay to view pornography on the Internet, then they still support and sustain the sex slave trade by adding to the web sites’ page views, which increases their potential advertising revenues. 

Bermudian Transport Minister a weak, timid mouse. Surrenders credibility to Bermuda Industrial Union

Island Time Celebration: Bus driver goes sick to work 2nd job. Caught once before but can’t be sacked!

“Hey man. This be island time. Nobody get fired. Nobody is responsible for anything. Why you mek waves an fuss ’bout nothing? So de man de bus driver phone in sick, then he go to second job. Wat wrong with dat?”

Bermudian Transport Minister Terry Lister surrendered all of his and the government’s credibility today when he reinstated a bus driver who had been caught phoning in sick to work a second job.

The union had been holding the entire country hostage in an illegal strike over the firing of a bus driver who was caught out booking sick to work a second job – and this was the driver’s second offense! He was sacked and instead of being ashamed of his behaviour, the Union decided there was no problem here.

Bermuda Industrial Union teaches the government a lesson

Chris Furbert, Bermuda Industrial Union president, just taught the government of Bermuda who’s boss – and it isn’t the elected representatives of the people of Bermuda. Government used to be the largest employer in Bermuda, but now that title resides with Chris Furbert.

This is big, my friends. The repercussions of this will haunt the government of Premier Paula Cox until forever.

… based upon a submission by “Bermuda Jim”

Further Reading

Bermuda Sun: Shop steward explains how deal was struck to end bus strike

The Royal Gazette: Minister defends decision to reinstate sacked bus driver

Turks and Caicos Islanders getting restless as Brits recolonise

Citizens warned against protests

by “Anonymous for obvious reasons”

I read some recent warnings this week by British Foreign Minister Henry Bellingham (photo above) towards the Turks and Caicos citizens. Upon reading his warnings, I knew I had to answer this directly.  We have been waiting in vain for the British to make some gesture to assure us that they are not here to recolonise us or nation build.  We are right to question the British interim government on this and demand answers about our futures.

The British tell us that they took over to help us with government corruption.  I watched and waited for this corruption to be sorted out.  It’s now 2011 and we haven’t seen much of anything in the way of corruption.  What we have seen instead is the prosecution team and the British Foreign Commonwealth Office warning us not to get in their way, keeping us at arm’s length while they “reform” land policies, local leadership, civil service downsizing, elections and especially our constitution. These changes are obviously being made to shift power from the Turks and Caicos to the hands of the British.  We worry and ask questions every day, yet we remain in the dark.  Nobody is watching the British as they raid our cookie jars and now we are warned against questioning matters that have an impact on our lives.

Imagine our worry that we have been calling for elections since 2009 but the British hold us off with “we’ll see” and several broken promises that elections are around the corner.  We will be waiting and seeing for decades at this rate because the British keep putting endless conditions and milestones on us to keep us from our right to democracy.

Continue reading this story at The tcipost: UK OT Minsiter warns Turks and Caicos Islanders to shut up or else…

Rawdon Adams on CLICO mess: “Voters told to shut-up, lie back, close their eyes and think of Barbados”

How much did CLICO donate to the DLP and/or the BLP campaign?

When Mr. Rawdon Adams delivered the 5th Annual Tom Adams Memorial Lecture in March 2010, he spoke a bit on the state of CLICO and the devastating effects on policy holders and Barbados.

Mr. Adams’ 5 minute talk on CLICO is worth listening to a couple of times – especially if you believe as we do that no one will ever be held accountable for any wrongdoing.

Typical toilet, Barbados Queen Elizabeth Hospital

 

Guest toilet, QEH Accident & Emergency Department. Yes, that’s long term gummed urine/feces splashing, then drying, then the next layer from the next A&E “guest”.

UPDATED: July 7, 2013

With all the recent troubles at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital we thought that we could best comment on the situation by re-visiting an article we published three years ago.

After four years of DLP government, are things at the QEH any better? The Nation News says the situation is worse:

“The cash-strapped Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) continues to have to deal with faulty machinery, which is affecting its ability to provide proper health care to Barbadians…”

… from the Nation article July 6, 2013 QEH Breakdowns

Enjoy! (Just don’t sit down. Squat like everybody does.)

Also read BFP’s May 2012 article: Heart attack in Barbados – tourist slams Queen Elizabeth Hospital

Original article published June 11, 2010…

Dear Health Minister Donville Inniss…

Donville Inniss: needs to learn about leadership and clean hospital toilets.

Please head over to Ian Bourne’s Bajan Reporter website and read his new story St Michael West Central Constituency Report {Pt 2} – Donville Inniss: What QEH is he talking about?

There, Minister Inniss, you will find several current photos of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital including the above one. You will also find that Mr. Bourne has posted videos of your speech at the St Michael West Central Constituency Report and that he contrasts what you say with the reality of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.