Did Opposition Members Walk Out Of The National Independence Program?

Submitted by DLP Source

Leader of the Opposition Mia Mottley

The two of the most uncouth people known to the Barbadian people, in Mottley and Forde reportedly walked out of the last evenings National Independence Celebration event, this  event  is a National event and good manners would suggest more from them than this very poor showing of bad manners.

They walked out at the end of the entertainment program and as a mark of total disrespect to our Governor General and to the Forces on display at the event and even more so to the good people of Barbados who pay their salary, they left the venue of a National event in a huff and puff. I am really disappointed in their lack class or occasion this lot needs to put the politics aside at times such as these National events and show political maturity but not even that can they get done in the name of what is good for Barbados and its people.

43 Not Out But The Pitch Is Starting To Take Spin

The Late Right Excellent Errol Walton Barrow at the Garrison on the night of November 30, 1966

For many Barbadians 2009 will be defined by that moment when Ryan Brathwaite won the gold medal at the World Championships. It was the first time Barbados had achieved such a result on the world stage. Its significance months later has not entirely soaked into the psyche of the Bajan. The Brathwaite achievement gave hope to many Bajans who doubted because of our size and limited resources showed that with dedication and commitment along with a good support structure, the sky is the limit. His victory continues to awaken the hopes and dreams of ordinary Barbadians.

Other Barbadians may vote for local Pop and R&B Diva Rihanna who continues to monopolize global song charts, win numerous awards, sign multiple deals; and importantly sustain a level of popularity on the world stage which is unprecedented. Of course 2009 will be remembered by Barbadians as the year when an American lout Chris Brown beat Rihanna and left her battered and bruise. It was a moment in the career of Rihanna when Barbadians and others wondered if she would have the mettle to comeback.

$901,659.15

Submitted by Adrian Loveridge

What would almost ONE million Dollars be doing in an ESCHEATED ‘checking’ account (# 01283012) under the name of the Ministry of Finance Poverty Alleviation Grant?

See page 46a Sunday Sun 29^th November 2009 where the Barbados National Bank Inc, lists a number of unclaimed or dormant accounts.

Would this not have been picked up by the Auditor General and is there no actual use for this poverty alleviation grant?

Ronald ‘Suki’ King, We Salute You!

It is the month of Independence and many Barbadians will be encouraged to reflect on what mirror image we have of ourselves. A reading of BU blogs might suggest Barbadians should be concerned about the lack of leadership emanating from almost every facet of Bajan society.  The mirror image of ourselves which the father of Independence, Errol Walton Barrow, encouraged Barbadians to see when he delivered his famous Mirror Image Speech is as relevant today as it was when first delivered.

Let us use one example to show how cloudy the mirror of ourselves has become. Many Barbadians have started to question why perennial World Draught Champion Ronald (“Suki”) King continues to be treated by his own like the commoner he is not. Why is it he has to continue to wash cars to fund his many trips overseas to defend championships? Why is it he continues to  have to knock on the doors of corporate Barbados to beg for money? Why is it as a National Sports Council employee he has to ‘pull his pocket’ to buy Draught boards which he freely gives to school children or anyone interested in playing Draught?

British Government’s Air Passenger Duty (APD) Causes Airline Cancellations

‘Industry insiders are worried it could add to the 76 routes already cancelled since March last year.’

Submitted by Adrian Loveridge

According to Ryanair’s chief executive, Michael O’Leary, ‘Gordon Brown’s tourism tax will see Britain lose over 10 million passengers, 10,000 airport jobs and more than UK Pounds 2.5 billion in tourism spend in the UK this year alone’.

He further pointed out that Belgium, Holland, Greece and Spain had already scrapped the tax. Barbados and the Caribbean will suffer perhaps more than any other destination and region due to the clearly unfair zoning bands which levies a higher tax on London/Barbados flights than London/San Francisco or other cities on the US pacific coast.

We Support Paradise FM

Terry Bent

Recently there was an exchange on a BU blog which debated the merits and demerits of issuing a TV license to the Starcom Network. Perhaps there is another debate which Barbadians need to have as it relates to the tedium an applicant to the Barbados Broadcasting Authority (BBA) to procure a broadcasting license must ensure.

We came across the story of Terry Bent who has applied to the BBA to start-up a radio station called Paradise FM “to help boost tourism, promote the BTA and its events (for Free!) and make Barbados more appealing in these hard times. I will also be providing employment for Bajans, yet all I ever get is “shortly” what annoys me more than anything in life is being lied to, and at the moment it happens every time I try to deal with the Barbados Broadcasting Authority. I actually think they are hoping i will just give up and go away!“

BU does not intend to bash the BBA undeservedly but there is merit in anyone dealing with the BBA to expect an acceptable level of professionalism and by extension; efficiency. We hope Terry is able to extract a final position from the BBA sometime before 2012! Terry in our communication with him was very clear he has a problem with an inefficient BBA and NOT the government.

Read the Terry Bent’s (Paradise FM) story:-

HUMILITY AND SINCERITY…Just What The Doctor Ordered

Hartley Henry - DLP Political Strategist

It is amazing what a little humility and sincerity in public life can do. Even before and without the predictable gloom and doom intervention of the Leader of the Opposition, Barbadians were, quite understandably, concerned about the so-called Standard and Poors’ Downgrading and its implications and ramifications for our economy. Many of us cannot identify exactly with what this means for our everyday over-the-counter transactions, but we knew from the outset that it was not desirable.

Standard and Poors, like Moody’s, has been black-eyed, to a certain degree, ever since they failed to foresee and forewarn about the collapse of private sector America. The admonitions by former Prime Minister Owen Arthur that we should not let them ‘run Barbados’ have also served to create a level of skepticism among some in the society as to their ratings. Yet, we would have preferred if the pronouncement was more positive.

However, we woke up to the news one morning and the society slumped into a state of concern, if not panic. Cell phones began to ring, text messages were floating around and generally business persons wanted to hear and know what this meant for their economic wellbeing.

Rating Agency’s Report Vindicates Ms. Mottley

Submitted by Sylvan Greenidge, former BLP Press Secretary

Leader of the Opposition Mia Mottley

Barbadians were recently given a very rare opportunity when the Prime Minister addressed the state of the economy in House of Assembly on Tuesday, November 17, 2009. His address followed an assessment done by one of the leading credit agencies, Standard & Poor’s and once again the comments contained in the report sparked robust debate in our Parliament and the wider society. It is most unfortunate that in recent times Barbadians have had to rely on such reports from rating agencies or public pronouncements from the Opposition Barbados Labour Party to get some insight as to the state of the economy. Except for these occasions Barbadians are left to wonder. There are those who will be quick to advance the argument that the Prime Minister has been holding press briefings on the economy at designated times but the truth of the matter is that Barbadians are no wiser at the end of these briefings.

The most recent report on Barbados, though it did not speak to a further downgrade of our credit rating, at least for now, changed our economic outlook from stable to negative. As harmless as this may appear to the ordinary man/woman in the street, economists and other interesting persons would agree that the challenges facings our economy are mounting with hardly any imaginative or pro-active ideas coming from the DLP Government to arrest the slide.

It is a statement of fact that the world is in recession, however I am yet to be sold on the much-touted notion that the current recession is the worst since the 1930’s. The evidence provided thus far simply does not support that view and until such evidence is provided I will remain firm in my position.

Is Islam A Religion Of Conquest?

The remembrance of the 911 tragedy in September and the  shooting by Army Doctor Nidal Malik Hasan has brought the suspicion of the Islam religion back on the front burner. As a people BU subscribes to the view that civilized human beings must be tolerant of others despite differences. Christianity is the dominant religion in Barbados and has obviously influenced our values and laws through the years. More and more as globalization takes root it is in our interest to understand the doctrines of other religions  tossed  out by the diversity of our world. We are cognizant of the rights given to ALL to freely practice their religions under our constitution.

Children Go To School And Learn Well…

Chief Education Officer Dr. Wendy Griffith-Watson

Earlier this week CADRES compiled the 2009 Final Barbados National Survey On Corporal Punishment And Educational Issues Report which measured the opinions of Barbadians regarding the use of corporal punishment in schools and homes. The report has attracted the ire of the outspoken Garrison Secondary School educator Mathew Farley and others; who believe the principals of CADRES have been co-opted by UNECEF to foist their agenda on Barbados and others in the region.

The educational system in Barbados is not perfect, far from, BUT the systems in the USA and other developed countries are not perfect either. Couple days ago we read about a fifteen year old boy in Chicago who called 911 because his parents punished him by taking away his Xbox. The idea of a Barbadian child doing the same thing at first thought seems alien to our culture. Barbadian children and should we stretch to say West Indian are not socialized in this neck of the woods to behave like the 15 year old Chicago boy. We could mention those students, usually boys who take to school guns and mow-down fellow students like how a butcher would spray flies in the market. It is clear we are encountering a value-set which has devalued human life.