What’s Up With The Constitution River?

Submitted by GoWeb.com blog

The Constitution River Redevelopment Project has been going on for a while now. The Boardwalk is slated to be extended as far down as the Globe Cinema, and the river cleaned. So far, work has been pretty much completed as far down as  the original Minibus Rover Terminal.

Boardwalk to River Terminal

However, although the Minibus Terminal is clearly usable, as are the passageways  to it, there is still no word on when either will be reopened. The minibus operators have expressed concern over this, as many prospective commuters are deterred by the lengthy walk to the current terminal, as the direct walkway remains closed.

The River Terminal is Clearly Usable

So far, the yet-to-be reopened minibus terminal seems to have up against the heavy rains, but the ZR terminal from which all the PSV’s currently operate is another story. The part of the constitution river which is yet to be redeveloped (from the ZR terminal down to Queen’s Park, then to the Globe) floods when their heavy rain. The ZR terminal floods as well with no drainage system in place for the water to run into the river.

Fellow Blogger David Marsden, May You Rest In Peace

David Marsden during a visit to his son's house in June 2009/Marsden Blog

David Marsden passed away recently; his son posted the sad news.   His blog The Baruba Post Online remains on the BU sidebar.  His humour escaped some of the BU family.  What many do not know is David was a supporter of Barbados Underground and fed us numerous articles from our inception, many of which we converted to blogs. He had a deep interest about matters which touched the West Coast of Barbados. Those who continue to advocate for some sanity to return to development on the West Coast  will miss a loyal friend.

On behalf of the BU household, we express our deep sadness to his family at his unexpected departure from this earth.  The Bajan blogosphere will be the poorer because of it.

Economists And The Central Bank Report

Submitted by Looking Glass

Click to read 6 month review 2009

Given the plethora of utterances flooding the various media, if our survival depends on the understanding of the socio-economic dynamics of the country then we are in deep trouble. It would appear that we understand little about the country and less about how the real world spins. We appear to be lacking in ideas, have a blurred image of reality and terribly short on philosophical contemplation. Here Cave Hill comes into view.

The influx of 40,000 plus foreign residents, mainly European, radically alters the socio-economic dynamics but we don’t even have an up-to-date manpower study, which means a) that analyses based on the old study will likely be way off the mark, b) social science and marketing grads will know little about the country in which they will likely work.

I raised this issue on a couple of occasions in the past and was told that it is a “teaching institution.” True but even private institutions engage in ongoing research. Except for a handful of ISER papers there is a woeful absence of even descriptive data. And much of our history appears to focus around race and colonialism. Chances are few know anything about Drax Hall, Locust Hall, Fortesque, Holborn, Holland Bay or Jew Street. It says a lot when Cricket Management takes precedence over the socio-economic and psychological dynamics of the country. Would the other cricketing nations send personnel to us for training? The money would have been better spent on a manpower study and books for the library.

Political Strategist Hartley Henry Under The Microscope

Submitted by Sylvan Greenidge, Press Secretary to former Prime Minister Owen Arthur

Prime Minister David Thompson (l) Political Strategist Hartley Henry (r)

Like the young Calypsonian Sheldon Hope, who penned a beauty in this year’s calypso competition, many Barbadians can sing loudly, “My Character Intact”. Can Hartley Henry aka WIV say the same in light of the attached letter sent by Jennifer Laszlo to Prime Minister Bird of Antigua & Barbuda?

No man is an island and it seems that we all do beg for something at some point in our lives, but what we beg for and how we beg for it is important. Of even greater importance is what we do when we are denied the thing we beg for.

Political Victimization At The UDC Or An Attempt To Depart From The Old Way Of Doing Business?

Submitted as a comment by Enuff

Minister of Social Care, Constituency Empowerment and Urban Development

There is as much smoke around the UDC affair as the one billowing from LIME, yet the BU fire brigade proceeded with haste to Windsor Lodge and Upton and remains parked at both locations.

I see no need to await details, the government while demanding private sector companies to hold strain on lay-offs is guilty of being even more insulting than that sector. They are firing and hiring at the same time while citing restructuring as the basis for their actions.

The Minister is bungling on this one and falsely accusing persons of being unqualified just to garner public sympathy and further ridicule the staff, a majority (99%) of whom are in fact qualified for their post.

How can someone meet the matriculation requirements for entry into an undergraduate degree at UWI and enrol, but he/she is unqualified for a clerical officer post requiring 4 CXCs?

Yet persons with NO QUALIFICATIONS OR RELEVANT SKILLS at all and bordering on illiterate can remain in posts that pay nearly three times the salary of a clerical officer.

Down With The Politics And Up With The Cause That Needs Defending!

Hartley Henry - DLP Political Strategist

It’s been more than a decade that I have stepped into a corporate boardroom to advise, from a public relations perspective, on the way forward for any business entity, be it large or small. I recall working with my dear friend and colleague, Al Gilkes on several very dynamic assignments that went to heart of enhancing the image and safeguarding the well being of corporate entities, many of which had gone astray as a result of il-advised marketing and employment related policies.

It is amazing the extent to which company bosses in Barbados can lose focus and sight of fundamentals of good business practice and end up on the wrong side of public opinion. The irony is that almost always, their il-advised policies result in a lessening of the said profits they are seeking to secure and shore up.

One constantly unfolding case in point is the matter of the so-called corporate telecommunications giant in our midst. One thing we must concede is that they are consistent. They are consistently wrong in how they approach matters of employment and human resource management. In this current episode over the further layoff of more staff, the only thing they have going for them, in the context of avoiding the full wrath of the Barbadian public, is that the workers representative, the Barbados Workers Union, has been incoherent in its summation of the situation and has failed to outline a suitable cause around which the country could rally.

Will Senator Kerri Symmonds Resign Or Be Fired?

Senator Kerrie Symmonds

Of course Barbados Underground (BU) is in favour of Integrity and Freedom of Information legislation hitting the statute books. We live in times where motives fuelled by greed and materialistic intent have permeated our society. Why should we feel our public officials have been passed over? Note we wrote public officials and did not isolate politicians.

The government of Barbados when in opposition promised to enact Integrity and Freedom of Information legislation, nineteen months later the status report is the committee charged with creating draft recommendations has submitted to the Cabinet for review. Commonsense suggests the process for implementing such delicate legislation in a tiny country will require finesse in decision making and implementation. What is sure if we read the political play unfolding, this legislation if implemented will occur on the eve of the next general election.

Economic Integration In CARICOM

Submitted by Lindsay Holder, delivered 11 August to The Barbados Rotary Club

Click Image

The Testimony Of A Rwandan

One issue coming out  of The Race Card blog is the blurred reality which many Barbadians have of life on the African continent. Some BU family members mentioned Rwanda and other African countries based on interpretations from books. Reading is a good activity to cultivate but when combined with first hand feedback, the power of cross fertilization makes the learning experience a powerful one.

Living in Barbados blogger who has worked many years on the African continent facilitated an exchange with his African friend who endured a horrible experience in Rwanda. BU believes the personal testimony quoted below may bring life to the reality for many living in Africa.

Peter Wickham Should Apologize To All Barbadians

Peter Wickham

The controversial Peter Wickham is at it again. He continues to use the studios of the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), a media house which is subsidized by the taxpayers of Barbados to propagate the message  Barbadians are xenophobic.

BU has identified in previous blogs the great irony concerning Peter Wickham. He uses quantitative techniques and analysis in his line of work as a leading pollster in the region. Yet without hesitation he continues to bellow across the national airwave his opinion that Barbadians are xenophobic.

In the same way Peter Wickham agrees Shridath Ramphal crossed the line when he used his now infamous intimation of ethnic cleansing reference to Barbados’ new immigration policy, so too Wickham shoulders a similar responsibility.  He needs to be more guarded when sharing his opinions given his prominent regional profile as a leading regional pollster. He should be sensitive to the fact his profession relies on the use of quantitative analysis and decision making.