Bus Luck

Submitted by GoWeb Blog – Support Bajan Blogs!

I’ve been having some really interesting experiences lately with Barbados’ public transport, but surprisingly, these experiences have not been occurring on the private owned minibuses, which are often painted in a bad light, but rather the State-owned Transport Board buses.

On Monday, 7th September 2009, after missing two buses coming down from Martins Bay / Clifton Hall, I finally got the 1:30 bus, and was thinking, “What else could go wrong?”.

When we got to Market Hill, St. George, I noticed that the bus was still moving down the incline, but the engines, (in front of which I was sitting) seemed to be disengaged. It was then that enlightenment came. The bus had run out of diesel. I’m sure some of the passengers wondered if this was a joke.

“Aren’t buses supposed to refuel every night?” one person asked. “Don’t they check these things before sending a bus all up to Martins Bay?” another questioned. Needles to say, this was not only a great inconvenience, but a tremendous embarrassment to our public transport system.

BU Family Member Roosevelt King Makes A Stand!

BANGO Secretary General, Roosevelt O. King

Recently BU family member ROK was mentioned not in a very favourable light on another blog site. BU family members would have expected ROK not to cower but instead to react in the true tradition of his alma mater by Fighting Back!

Read what this is all about by visiting his most recent blog!

Can Infidelity In Marriage Be Ever Justified Or Condoned?

Submitted by Yardbroom

If we are to discuss an issue, at the outset we must be speaking of the same subject matter, this is best done by explaining what words mean in “this submission” as there might be some perceived variance in general usage.

Marriage here: “is a social union or legal contract between individuals that creates kinship.  It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate are sexual, are acknowledged by a variety of ways, depending on the culture or demographic”. Wikipedia

In this submission marriage is a union between “two” people. Infidelity in marriage is taken to mean:” a violation of the mutually agreed-upon rules or boundaries of an intimate relationship, which constitutes a significant breach of faith or a betrayal of core shared values with which the integrity of the relationship is defined.  In common use, it describes an act of unfaithfulness to one’s husband, wife or lover whether sexual or non-sexual in nature”.

Power Failure: Trouble In The Dem’s Camp

Submitted by Alex Fergusson

Minister of Social Care, Constituency Empowerment and Urban Development

The nonsense now occurring, as regards attempts by the UDC to fire those appointed workers from pensionable posts (some with ten or more year’s service) – demonstrates exactly how weak and disconnected from the Barbadians reality, David Thompson is as a leader but more than anything else – it shows just how short on good talent the DLP actually is. But, that the DLP is downsizing at the UDC and elsewhere within the Public Service but seeks to lecture LIME and other private sector companies on the importance of maintaining jobs, is brazen. The Government of Barbados is firing people from the Public Service at will but is doing all in its power to protect the workers at CLICO, which has a $54 million Statutory Fund deficit.

Already PM Thompson has had to reshuffle his extremely weak Cabinet, within ten months of forming the government and even after making four people who did not face the polls, Ministers. This is extremely rear for a party that won 20 seats.

On August 22, the findings of a DLP commissioned/Wickham Poll were made public. It showed that the portfolio of David Thompson is in chaos, prompting Barbadians to say that they are concerned about the economy; cost of living and unemployment – all of which are areas Mr. Thompson has ultimate responsibility for.

Owen And Mia – Six And Half A Dozen

Hartley Henry - DLP Political Strategist

I hold no particular brief for Mia Mottley, but what Owen Arthur is doing to her is not right and definitely not fair. It appears that he set her up to fail and she has failed. Arthur handed over the leadership of the party to Mottley but never once gave her the guidance and support that she needed to break free of the tattered image that she brought to the helm of the organization.

He grudgingly handed over the gavel but never once, it would appear, wished her well in that position. Now, 18 months later, the issue of leadership in the party is no more settled than it was at the beginning of the journey and all of a sudden, Arthur has sprung to life. Arthur spoke for 45 minutes last Sunday, but again, never once said that he was supporting Mottley or that he was committed to her success.

She in turn, did not wish to offend him two weeks ago, so she il-advisedly conceded that she trails him in popularity and appeal. I would never have advised her to do that. Frankly, I think it was a response to the recent poll not befitting a person of Mottley’s vast political experience.

The Barbados DEBT* Bubble: Is The Devaluation Of The Dollar Imminent? – Part I

Submitted by Terence Blackett

Many of us deduce that smart, intellectual folks run our world, our country and our economic affairs. Our politicians are not “gods” as some would have us believe – though many claim “divine” authority on all matters pertaining to logic, the “real politique” and the fashioning (or lack thereof) of laws which are meant for our public good.

Economic hardship in the United States money markets is reducing profitability for those who own US dollars, contributing to dollar devaluation. Many are asking – “will China dump the rest of its estimated $876 billion hoard of U.S. Treasuries and crash the Treasury market — and by doing so, kill the U.S. dollar, drive interest rates sky high and leave the U.S. economy a smoking ruin?” (Mike Larson – Money & Markets Sept. 2009).

The answer – probably not! It isn’t in their economic interest at this time. But the colossal US debt, quantitative easing (PRINTING MONEY out of thin air) and the dwindling loss in stock values are creating a lethal cocktail of financial woes for investors, borrowers and the ordinary saver.

So how does US debt and currency evaluation affect the Barbados dollar? Answer – severely. Here’s why…

The Other Side Of The Sam Lord’s Castle Matter

Barbadians remember with sadness when the Cunard Group sold  the Paradise property on Black Rock to Jamaican businessman and owner of Sandals Resort  Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart. The transfer of ownership occurred in 1992 and it would be thirteen long years before a group led by  hotel magnate Michael Pemberton and partner Robin Paterson of Cinnamon 88 fame would be able to wrestle the Paradise property away from Stewart. Barbadians would have been fed the story by Stewart of high taxes and inordinate government red tape which deterred him from developing the property. Affecting his decision as well would have been a law suit brought by American businessman William Everett Locke Jr  who claimed Stewart reneged on an agreement to sell him the property for US19 million.

The once beautiful Paradise property without the required maintenance quickly became derelict and an embarrassment to an island which has tourism still as its key productive sector. History will judge the players who frustrated the Paradise deal very harshly.

How could a premium beach-front property have been allowed to run to ruin in one of the leading tourist destinations in the world?

DLP’s Life Threatening Change And Cutbacks: A Sure Pathway to Poverty

Submitted by Alex Fergusson

Barbadians are going about their daily business oblivious to the cold, hard fact that each month, Public Servants in this country come perilously close to not being paid.

Employees who travel on government business are also having headaches being paid for such travel. It is no accident that some persons who do work for government are still not being paid in a timely manner. Why – you may ask? The IMF has advised the DLP to slash its expenditure bill this financial year by as much as $120 million and a further $300 million next financial year.

Barbados is heading back to the bad old days under the DLP, when the relatives of persons who were sick – had to take a towel; soap and toilet paper for them at the QEH. There are a number of questions to be answered but the DLP, which promised “accountability” and “freedom of information,” is not helping.

It’s Your Move!

Roxanne Gibbs - Executive Editor Nation Newspaper

Two weeks have passed since the Nation newspaper printed the front page story which declared that the government’s political strategist Hartley Henry had threatened Nation newspaper Sunday Sun Editor Carol Martindale. The management of the Fontebelle newspaper reacted swiftly to that telephone call made on the Saturday afternoon by going to  print hours later to meet the next day edition. To demonstrate the seriousness of how the action by Henry was received, the Royal Barbados Police Force was summons, a letter dispatched to Prime Minister David Thompson and other correspondence sent to international media watchdog agencies.

The dust has settled somewhat and some Barbadians who have remained above the partisan prattle are starting to ask the tough questions. BU has a few of our own as well.

1. Did Carol Martindale have a conversation with leader of the Opposition Mia Mottley concerning the DLP sponsored CADRES poll before it was published?
2. Is it true the telephone call between Henry and Martindale was NOT recorded?
3. Is it true the witness to part of the telephone call between Martindale and Henry at the Nation end was not party to sufficient of the conversation to validate the charge which has been made by Martindale?
4. Is it true the Nation newspaper maybe facing a law suit given the flimsy evidence used to support their actions?

ABC Highway Trivia

Submitted by BU’s ABC Source

Former Minister of Public Works Gline Clarke

The contract for the ABC Highway was given, note I didn’t say awarded as this would imply there was a competitive tendering process, to 3S Barbados SRL.  The project was funded by a local bank Barbados National Bank.  3S Barbados subcontracted the work to two main local contractors, several other smaller local contractors, a local consultant (for the electrical work) and a consultant with a local branch.

3S Barbados did very little of the actual work themselves.  Interestingly the two main local contractors have between them approximately 100 years experience while all of the other contractors have more experience than 3S Barbados did at the start of the contract.  3S’s experience in road building at the start of the contract amounted to all of zero years, zero months.