BANGO Is The Sole Intervenor At Barbados Light And Power Hearing

Posted by ROK on his Speaking up Blog

Yesterday I walked into the shock of my life, when upon entering the Procedural Conference leading up to this hearing, held at the Accra Beach Hotel at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday 30th December 2008, the only name displayed on the Intervenor’s table was the Barbados Association of Non Governmental Organisations; not even Public Counsel.

On the table for the Barbados Light & Power Company was non other than the most formidable legal luminary one could want in Barbados, Sir Henry Forde. What? How will BANGO fear against him? Immediately, while sitting through the proceedings and trying to recover from the shock, my mind was racing; have to get a team together in the absence of other Intervenors.

It Was The Year That Went Ponzi

Charles Ponzi

The year of our Lord 2008 will be remembered by Barbadians for the many history making events which occurred.

At the beginning of the year Prime Minister David Thompson led the Democratic Labour Party to a comfortable win over the Barbados Labour Party led by the veteran Owen Arthur. While the party hacks experience the joy and sadness of the post election period, some of us marveled at the seamless transition which took place in government. In a post-independence period one of our proud achievements as a people has been our clean electoral process. It appears to be a routine process but its importance cannot be underscored enough and serves as a standard for others to aspire – the maturity of a small nation .

Our system is not perfect but BU remains confident that we will continue to leverage the intellectual capital of our PEOPLE to propel the required changes to adequately provide for our PEOPLE.

Barbados Association Of Journalists (BAJ) Resuscitated

Amanda Lynch-Foster, Interim President of the BAJ

It is no secret that BU has flogged our media houses (Fourth Estate) with impunity in recent months. Part of our criticism would have been leveled at the non-functioning Barbados Assocoation of Journalists (BAJ). In other words we have had the ridiculous situation of our journalists not being represented by a functioning body while our wayside vendors have expertly managed their affairs through BARVEN.

We are therefore very pleased to hear about the effort to revive the hibernating BAJ over the weekend as reported in todays Nation newspaper. The President (interim) is the young energetic Amanda Lynch-Foster.

We wish the interim committee of the BAJ all the best.

We can’t promise we will not be critical of the Fourth Estate going forward, we promise however to be fair. We hope that with a functioning BAJ those on the committee responsible for PR will find the time to establish a protocol to improve the relationship between the Bajan Blogosphere and media practitioners in Barbados.

Are Peter Wickham’s Views In Agreement With Barbados Public Opinion?

Submitted by Yardbroom

In recent comments Patrick Todd member of The Barbados Parliament made reference to the declaration of assets issue.  I am not concerned with the words spoken by Patrick Todd in this submission, neither do I seek to defend him as he is well capable of taking care of himself.  I will also leave the person to whom the remarks were addressed alone, as they are not the focus here.  As reported in the Nation News published 24 December 2008, making a judgment on Patrick Todd’s comments Peter Wickham wrote:

… and our population has never demonstrated a belief that personal morality have anything to do with professional competence or personal integrity…

The above seems a straight forward type of statement if it is looked at in a superficial way but if looked at in context, quite a few questions are posed as Peter Wickham has brought to the table as evidence the weight of Barbados public opinion.  I am not sure how he knows that because as far as I am aware the question has never been asked…but I will let that pass for the moment.

It is quite obvious that someone can be immoral and be very competent at what they do.  With regard to integrity, the footing becomes a little unsure – in a political context – as integrity could mean: adherence to moral principles; honesty.  I am not sure the average Barbadian would be happy with those in office if it could be proved beyond doubt that they were habitually dishonest.

I will leave Peter Wickham’s reasoning to ferment and move on to a hypothetical case.

KFC and Chefette Restaurants Send AirBourne Postal!

Circulated by Ian Bourne to Media Houses, NISE …

Ms Kim Tudor; Nat’l Initiative for Service Excellence/Ms Michelle Hustler-Small; Bds. Coalition of Service Industries/Editor; Daily Nation/Editor; B’dos Advocate & Heat Magazine

Attn: New Year’s Resolution, viz. – Service

Dear All:

Most people at this time of year make a New Year’s resolution; more often than not it usually involves losing weight. My resolution also concerns food, but as it relates to service…

On Saturday 27^th December I decided to have a Gourmet Burger at Chefette’s Barbecue Barn for a late lunch or early dinner – much to my regret; I ordered a small salad, burger-platter and a Pepsi.

Before the cashier rang up the sale, I made sure to add I wanted cheese and bacon with the burger and I paid the Chefette employee.

After having the salad my main course appeared and I collected it, while sitting at the table I looked at my meal, it seemed there was no cheese – I even looked at the bottom of the patty and it was dry bread underneath; naturally, I returned to the counter. I asked for an attendant and one who was not the cashier stepped up, so I explained what I thought was my shortcoming. Paraphrasing the rather appropriate Clement C. Moore for this time of year – what to my wondering ears … ?

She wrings up her face and says “LOOK, IT UP UNDER DEY!” hurled in either a snarling shout or shouting snarl (Translation – ‘Look, it’s up under there’ as in; the little bit of cheese was under the slice of bacon)

The Barbados Brand Continues To Shine In The Gloom

Skipping out on the whole notion of having a “white Christmas,” Simon Cowell was spotted frolicking around the beach in Barbados yesterday (December 25). The snide “American Idol” judge looked to be having a marvelous time in paradise, hanging out with British billionaire Philip Green as well as spending some time on a wave runner.

Even in the throes of a global financial meltdown Barbados continues to project a world class brand which appeals to the potential tourist. It is no secret that Barbados is very dependent on the tourist dollar to shore-up its foreign reserves. To a small developing state like Barbados the health of our foreign reserves is a security blanket which ensures we can sustain ourselves.

As the above picture shows the high end tourist continues to be lured by Barbados, Simon Cowell is no stranger to Barbados and is a regular on the ritzy West Coast of Barbados. As the saying goes birds of a feather flock together. Sir Philip Green is another Britisher with deep pockets who ran away from the freezing White Christmas up North in 2008 to enjoy the Caribbean paradise island of Barbados.

We understand from the media reports that many of these wealthy visitors to Barbados will be staying on to enjoy the Old and New Year celebrations.

It Is Beginning To Look Alot Like Christmas

We are approaching the biggest event on the Christian calender. Another year when Christians should be celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.

Barbados prides itself on having built a model society based on  predominantly Christian values. As we become a  multi-religious society as a result of the inflow of people from around the world, we are still a majority Christian country. We accept that the pressure to assimilate given the requirement of globalization is increasing all the time. What part of our Bajaness are we prepared to sacrifice for the cause?

Christmas 2008 will be celebrated in gloomy economic conditions but Barbadians appear to be following the script of behaviour from previous years. The willingness of Barbadians to prostitute Christmas to the almighty dollar is of concern to us. We spend, spend, spend – the majority of  Barbadians who described themselves as Christians will not visit a Church on Christmas Day.

Many so-called Christians if asked to explained the Nativity Scene will be hard pressed to do so.

Barbados Media Personnel Urged To Support Colleagues In The Face Of Police Harassment

Submission Circulated by Editor at Nation Newspaper Amanda Lynch-Foster  to Media Personnel (Click Image to read Nation Comment)

NATION PHOTOGRAPHER CHERIE PITT being pushed off the compound of Central Police Station yesterday. Centre is NATION reporter Phillippe Aimey, who was later told not to return to the compound. The two were on duty at the time. Inset Pitt, being ordered off. She was later arrested and charged with resisting arrest. (Photos compliments Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation.)

I’m sure most of us are feeling the same way today – pissed off and frustrated with the disrespect that journalists are getting. This is the third time this has happened in the last year and a half or so and I am not really happy with the responses. The Commissioner keeps saying he will investigate – we have heard that before. Last year, the former AG said we had no right on the hospital premises. Some members of the public even say we deserve it. It feels like there is a creeping disrespect for journalism and it’s coming from all sides.

So what are we going to do about it?

The first thing we should do as a matter of urgency is support our colleagues tomorrow. Cherie and Jimmy are to appear in the District A Criminal Court A in Bridgetown tomorrow morning at 10:30 a.m. They are supposed to get there from 9 a.m. I was speaking to Cherie a little while ago and she has said that she would really appreciate some support from journalists so I’m calling on everyone who can to make an effort to be there from 9 a.m. If you have an off-day or if your shift does not start til the afternoon or if you are on vacation, can you please just show up at court tomorrow?

Proposition 8 Turns To Hate: The Implication

Former Minister of Health David Estwick was quoted on a Gay Website as saying “… legislation criminalizing homosexuality and prostitution in the Caribbean region were among difficult issues that the political directorate must take up urgently.” He did go on to be quoted “What are we going to do about reaching men who have sex with men when we have laws against their sexual activity in most Caribbean countries? “ Further investigation shows that the source of the story was the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Earlier this month Minister Chris Sinckler at an international conference in Switzerland had this to say “Barbados has made it clear to the United Nations that it will keep the death penalty and maintain its position on keeping prostitution and homosexuality illegal.” (Caribbean360.com).

Leading into the last general election former Member of Parliament Reverend Joseph Atherley and now Minister Esther Byer-Suckoo clashed heads on the issue of homosexuality. As we know homosexuality is not an issue which politicians are inclined to state a position, i.e. in Prime Minister Bruce Golding style, although Acting Minister of Education Patrick Todd came close in parliament this week by cajoling his fellow parliamentarians to declare their sexuality, especially those who declared their assets…!

Minister Todd has since attracted scorn and ridicule at his call…was he wrong?

Customer Bemused At Piss Poor Service Delivered By RBTT Bank

Observation submitted by Annette

I had the laugh of my life today.

I was in RBTT bank- Holetown and found the line was not moving at all. there were four tellers at their wickets…One was doing Western Union transactions exclusively, and the other three were literally standing up twiddling their thumbs. Three customers were in front of them and about 20 customers were in the line waiting to be attended.

Can you guess what the problem was….The bank had run out of cash…yes…the bank had run out of cash…This was at about 12.30 pm on a Friday afternoon…. the last Friday before Xmas.

Nobody said anything to the restless customers…but one of the customers asked and was told that the bank had a problem with cash, and guess what…one of the customers in the line said that he had a similar situation with Royal Bank of Canada this week…. Have we all gone crazy..or is this the bank way of protecting their cash in the event of a robbery…

Either way…its piss poor service…I spent two hours in the bank before I was served.

Recent Public Execution In St.Kitts

Submitted by The Scout

Quite recently, the then Foreign Affairs The Hon. Chis Sinckler signed an agreement to retain the death sentence in Barbados, However, we have all come to realize that this is just a formality, since any attempt at carrying out that sentence is blocked even if it meant convening a court session in the middle of the night. All kinds of arguments about human rights are brought up by the Caribbean and the World human rights association/societies.

At present, we have a number of murderers in prison, some who are still eligible to be hung, yet it seems we’re purposely waiting for the time to expire just to keep them at the expense of the taxpayers of this country. While we in Barbados who are members of the CCJ are reluctant in carrying out the death sentence, St.Kitts, a member of the British Privy Council, at 8.A.M today 19th December 2008, hung a man who two years ago murdered his wife.

Will this hanging open the door to such executions in Barbados?

Immigration The “Wisdom” Of Senator Maxine McClean: Lighting A Candle In The “Darkness”

Submitted by Yardbroom

Senator Maxine McClean

Senator Maxine McClean in the Barbados Senate as reported in the Nation Newspaper dated 11 December 2008, gave as clear an outline on managed immigration as one would expect a responsible senator to give.  The words of senator McClean were not given the attention they deserved and have slid under the radar.  I will revisit them, if only to clear away the froth and misrepresentation that are levelled at decent clear thinking Barbadians, by those who have an agenda often buttressed with a touch of self interest.

Senator McClean asserted with reference to immigration – and as a former Minister with responsibility for Immigration Matters she should know – “We have to recognize that if you cannot offer housing, you cannot offer medical care, we are not only doing damage to immigrants we are doing damage to ourselves.”

The common sense and logic behind such a position is so clear sighted and forward looking that no reasonable person with the available information to hand – as she obviously has – could disagree.  If there was a flicker of doubt by anyone on the position Senator McClean took; she underscored it further by adding.

…”Immigration has brought with it its own problems of squatting”.

PNC Robert Corbin’s Case Against McAllister And Team Alexander Is Trifling

Submitted by Rickford Burke (Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy)

Rickford on the right

1.The letter delineated an official party position. Its specificity on the Disciplinary Committee proceedings against Team Alexander as well as its conclusions is redolent of authorship by the PNC leadership itself. There is no “Melanie Morrison” in the PNC leadership or with access to such information.

2. I served as a “special assistant” to President Desmond Hoyte and not as a “personal assistant.”

3.The writer’s assertion that I never considered Corbin’s rational for James McAllister’s recall from Parliament is false. Mr. Robert Corbin and I communicated extensively on this matter. He proffered his versions of the facts and circumstances in several emails to me, in an attempt to justify his initiation of disciplinary proceedings against Team Alexander.