Prime Minister David Thompson Meets The Press After Year One

Prime Minister David Thompson

Tonight Prime Minister David Thompson faced the nation one year after assuming office. Barbadians may well feel satisfied that compared to previous governments the Prime Minister has been accessible to the Barbados media. As a footnote, most glaring was the absence of CBC Head of News Richard Cox. The nights event was moderated by CBC’s Michelle Arthur

Here are our thoughts about some of the issues raised during the press conference.

Economy

We were not able to discern that there is a clear-cut strategy mapped to manage the Barbados economy through the anticipated economic crisis. The Prime Minister although he referred to some projects in construction, housing and a few other initiatives to be started shortly, we are not happy with the wait and see approach. We don’t have to be an economist to know that there is a lag period which would impact the rollout of economic policies. Our gut suggests that the Prime Minister is holding a few cards close to his chest.

Corruption

The Hardwood matter and the progress of government investigations into corruption was discussed. Without regurgitating the details our conclusion is that the government is moving on. Any expectation by Barbadians which were fuelled in the last election that former government ministers et al would have found themselves before the law courts or prison may have become a distant desire. Prime Minister Thompson’s position has now changed to: he is not the police and is not in a position to prosecute matters. While this is true Prime Minister the tenor of your responses on the questions of corruption seems to have changed in the opinion of the humble BU household. After listening to the Prime Minister expound on this matter a sense of déjà vu overwhelmed us – business as usual it seems to be.

Mia Mottley There Is A Centipede Under Your Bed!

Former Prime Minister Owen Arthur

Opposition Leader Mia Mottley

A couple weekends ago former Prime Minister Owen Arthur addressed a pack to capacity branch meeting in St. Peter. Based on what has been reported in the media and other sources we feel forced to offer a few observations.

Barbados joins with the world in anticipation of a gloomy economic forecast for 2009. Mr. Arthur’s legacy many will not deny maybe influenced by the perception that his economic stewardship was best in class. The meeting was well attended and interest in what the former Prime Minister had to say was at a high.

Should we conclude that the murmur which the Arthur presence still initiates in public should be of concern to Leader of the Opposition Mia Mottley?

The Challenges For President Barack Obama: Can He Deliver?

Submitted by Yardbroom

President - Elect Barack Obama is silhouetted as he speaks at a rally in front of Morrill Hall at the University of Nevada at Reno in Reno, Nev. Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2008. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

During the last fifty years – 1959 to Jan 2009 – nine United States Presidents have entered the Oval Office in the White House.  On 20th January 2009 President Barack Obama will be the tenth to join the club. A few are household names known for their decisiveness, clarity of thinking and the impact they have made on the world stage, as leaders of the most powerful country on earth.  A couple are known to us only because of the recent period of their tenure and what they should have done as opposed to what they did.  President Gerald Ford -1974-1977- “presided over the worst economy – at the time – since the great depression.”  One of his most controversial decisions was granting a presidential pardon to President Richard Nixon -1969-1974 – for his role in the Watergate scandal”  I recall Nixon once stating in a television interview, “I am not a crook”, that he had to make such a statement speaks for itself.  “He resigned on the 9th August 1974, in the face of likely impeachment for his role in the Watergate scandal.”

The challenges for President Barack Obama are immense, he is the first black man to hold the office of President since the ratification of the United States Constitution which became effective in 1789.  He inherits the political problems of the previous incumbent George W Bush – Jan 20, 2001 – Jan 20, 2009, “without the the generous economic position left by President Bill Clinton – 1993 to 2001, who presided over the longest period of economic expansion in American history, which included a balanced budget and reported federal surplus of $559 billion.”   Obama instead inherits if no one has noticed global recession.  On Thursday 8th Jan he “predicted that data would show that America had lost more jobs in 2008 than at any time since the second world war.”

The unemployment rate in the US has jumped from 6.8% to 7.2%, a 16 year high.  There is Guantanamo Bay, Israel and Palestine conflict, Iraq, Afghanistan, this list is not exhaustive brevity has circumscribed it.

Is This The Start Of World War III?

Submitted by Bush Tea on January 1, 2009

Bush Tea has noted the ominous silence of the BU family on the most recent events in the mid east, where the brilliantly logical Israelis are again employing their often tried tactic of bombing and killing their neighbours into co-operation. Clearly their strategists are banking on the hope that this approach MUST work eventually –especially after decades of failure. (Submitted on January 1, 2009 but was not picked-up by BU, sorry about that Bush Tea – David)

Clearly this is a situation, which has been refined by the US republican party, where in the lead-up to a national election, unpopular governments seek to rally national support for a ‘war’ against some unfortunate common foe –preferably someone who can be labelled a ‘terrorist’.

The Israeli plan is obviously to build up the usual hype, kill a few Hamas ‘terrorist’ – and their collateral family members behind whom they are hiding (in their homes) and wait for the USA to protect them in the UN while a face saving ‘truce’ is negotiated.

The ruling party now confirmed at home and by the USA as ‘strong on terror’ and ‘able to protect the country’ would then be re-elected.

That is the plan. Here is the reality.

CBC And VOB Battle For Top Talk Show Slot In The Afternoon

Vic Fernandes - CEO Starcom Network

The Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (CBC)  decision to change the radio programming by expanding the talk segment appears to have gone down well. The introduction of the controversial neoliberal Peter Wickham as a moderator will boost ratings for that reason alone!

We also observe that the CBC was able to entice Marsha Hinds-Layne from Voice of Barbados (VOB) as well. We have become accustomed to the movement of personnel between CBC and VOB over the years and the competition in talk radio should hopefully make for better radio. We have to admit that we are not surprised at the move by Marsha. She appeared to be frustrated in recent months working under the heavy hand of VOB Talk Show Czar Michael Browne. We shouldn’t blame Browne, he is obviously acting under instructions from CEO Vic Fernandes. It is about saving the station money, to hell with standing up to frivolous suits to protect the honour of the Fourth Estate.

Lars G.O. Söderström Lars G.O. Söderström - CEO CBC

Peter Wickham’s departure has come as more of a surprise. After being treated like a step child by the Nation newspaper in the period leading up to the last general election, VOB was steadfast in their support for Wickham. He has admitted this publicly. We can only surmise that Wickham believes working for one year at VOB in the post election period should be enough to reward that loyalty!

A bit of advice to Lars who has been going about his work quietly at the CBC. You don’t need Wickham on the air for three days, he will become boring after awhile. Why not team-up the hugely popular Tony “Admiral’ Nelson and Larry Mayers to cover the topics of Entertainment/Culture/Sports on Wednesdays?  That”s the finish you need!

On the subject of talk shows.

…The Thompson Administration Has “Done Well” During Its First Year In Office…

Submitted by Yardbroom

Prime Minister of Barbados David Thompson

It is appropriate to review the performance of the DLP Government after one year in office and an “honest” assessment must conclude that they have “done well.”  You may think that the above statement demonstrates political partisanship on my part, that is not the case.  The words indicated – done well – were spoken by the previous Prime Minister of Barbados the Rt Hon Owen Arthur at a recent well attended public meeting at Alma Parris Secondary School in Major Walk St. Peter, as reported in the Nation Newspaper on 5-1-2009.

In recent weeks I said the DLP Administration is doing well and was taken to task by a few bloggers, for making as they said, a ridiculous statement.  Now that Mr Owen Arthur has come to the same conclusion and made the point in a public speech.  Perhaps some bloggers even if grudgingly will have to admit that Prime Minister Thompson and his cabinet, backed by a group of very competent members of Parliament have got Barbados on track again.

It is only fair to state that Mr Arthur did add a “rider,” that being the “policies” used in the first year by the DLP were those of the BLP…I am inclined to let that go, Governments are about outcomes.

Even In Adversity There Is Opportunity!

Submitted by Adrian Loveridge

The speculation concerning exactly just how much the global economic meltdown is going to affect our critical tourism industry goes on. In reality, I do not suppose that any single person or entity has all the answers, so what do we do?

Clearly, lying down and playing dead is not an option, either from an individual business perspective or at a national level. I think if it were left to me, my first concentration would be on identifying the tourism partners that continue to do well. Are they doing something that can be copied or emulated?

Which of our hotels are maintaining high occupancy at published rates?

Which restaurants, activities, attractions and car rental companies are holding their own, and have they adopted a difference way of conducting business to ensure viability is maintained?

Our Doctors Can Do More To Help The People

BU wonders why as consumers we respond to the rising cost of living by identifying rising food and fuel costs and the like but we are willing to ignore professional fees which have been galloping out of control in recent years. At the top of the list are legal and medical fees which seem to be fixed by arrangement.

Doctors and lawyers are worshipped by Barbadians. We make appointments to seek their sacred services and behold when we arrive we have the mandatory wait before we can get an audience.

For many years we have known that some of our doctors dispense drugs from their desk’s drawers. Many of the drugs are known to be samples distributed by the pharmaceutical agents to promote their respective drugs sales. Barbadians not to offend the goodly doctors meekly open purses/wallets to pay for drugs which should never, never be sold.

In some other countries, by other people this behaviour maybe deemed unethical, criminal even? In the prevailing depressed economic climate BU sources have advised of another practice which we find disturbing.

Barbados Activists Want Beach Back

We the residents of Checker Hall, Half Moon Fort, Shermans, Maynards, Mile and a Quarter and Six Mens urgently request that the nasty gash through our beach be filled-in and the beach restored to its original condition. Until the dredgers came to rape our beach, we, from the region north of Port St. Charles, were able to walk the beach from Half Moon Fort to Speightstown and back without hindrance.

“Now we’re forced to walk around the Port St. Charles gated compound on the highway to get to Speightstown. And if we try to walk onto the small slither of beach between the bridge and the channel (also seen clearly above) we are often accosted by uniformed security personnel with fierce dogs. Trying to keep the beach private for PSC residents and visitors.

Read Full Article On Kool Barbados

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