A Case Of Stalking For Garbage – Freedom Of Information Redefined

Patriarch of the Mottley Clan Elliott Mottley(l) Leader of the Opposition Mia Mottley (r)

On March 18, 2009, Barbados Free Press (BFP) linked to the Keltruth managed blog Barbados Money Laundering and Offshore Business Advisory Blog and published a report entitled Mottley Family’s Miami Mansions – Were Real Estate Profits Declared In Barbados? How Did A Million U.S. Dollars Get To Florida?.

One of the claims the BFP report made was, Barbados Money Laundering Advisory has been doing some digging under the freedom of information in the United States. We wonder what else and who else they have come up with.

A read of a recently posted blog by Barbados Underground (BU) should have presented a different perspective for consideration.

You should have concluded after reading the BU blog that the “evidence” produced by Keltruth and promoted by BFP was not* obtained “under the freedom of information in the United States” but* as the result of illegal, criminal stalking of, among others, the Mottley Family (the family of Barbados’ former Attorney General and now leader of the opposition, Mia Mottley) by a former Ontario Provincial Police officer, now a criminally sentenced fugitive from Canadian justice, Donald Best. Best even attempted to get his hands on the garbage of the Mottley family – garbage, which, given the status of Mia Mottley as Leader of the Opposition, is almost certainly covered by diplomatic protocols and attendant protections.

Barbados Association Of Medical Practitioners (BAMP) To Withhold Services To Barbadians – Strike Action To Escalate

Dr. Carlos Chase, President of BAMP

The Barbados Association of Medical Practitioners (BAMP) is a union which is feared in Barbados. It does not matter how rich or well-positioned socially, the fear of not having a doctor available to attend to an unexpected malady will strike fear in the hearts of most.  In this regard BAMP in the opinion of BU has exploited their position of influence through the years to the point where renaming the association the Barbados Association of Medical Untouchables maybe more appropriate.

The current impasse between BAMP and the QEH Board caused in the main by the non renewal of contracts of two long serving consultants is the latest in the woes of the sole public hospital, once a symbol of excellence in healthcare delivery in the region. The release of Head of Department of Radiology Dr. Rambarat based on media reports was because of inefficiency. Today’s press quotes Rambarat’s colleagues questioning non delivery of CT scans to facilitate the best healthcare delivery. It is interesting that the concerns about the lack of CT scans should come from Dr. Carlos Chase the head of BAMP and Dr. Harish Thani the head of Accident & Emergency (A&E) Department.

Related Links

• QEH Press Release – 16.08.2010
  

• Are Doctors Fighting To Protect Turf At Queen Elizabeth Hospital?

British Government Proposes New Way To Finance University Education To Reduce Deficit

Submitted by Conrad

Vince Cable has asked Lord Browne to consider a graduate tax to replace tuition fees - Wikipedia

It has been reported in British newspapers over the past few days that the new coalition government is considering a new way of financing university education in order to reduce Government deficits.

The approach comes out of a report commissioned by 23 UK Universities and produced by Nicholas Barr, Professor of Public Finance at the London School of Economics and it draws on model that has worked well in Hungary.

Under this approach students have a choice of paying themselves or receiving payment for their tuition and living costs from a Graduate Contribution Service. They make a contribution for what they have received from the Graduate Contribution Service when they start earning and where the size of repayments are contingent on the level of income. High earners end up paying twice as much for their education as low earners and those earning less than the average wage pay nothing.

Guh Down, Guh Down, Down De Toilet – The Chicks Are Coming Home To Roost

The video like many is being circulated on Facebook and captures some of our young children dancing to the popular Lil Rick song Guh Down. BU notes that there are adults in the thick of things. In the words given currency by Fred R. Barnard, a picture is worth a thousand words.

When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things – King James Bible

Barbados Government Selects Next Chief Justice From Outside The Inner Ring

Chief Justice Designate Marston Gibson

BU has received word from an unimpeachable source that Marston Gibson has been named as the next Chief Justice of Barbados.  When he assumes office he will become the 13th  Chief Justice of Barbados.

There has been robust discussion on BU about the attributes David Simmons’ successor needs to bring to the job. It is no secret our Judiciary is in need of leadership. In recent years we have seen how an inefficient Registrar of the Court combined with the influence of a few lawyers have held our Courts to ransom. The BU lobby supported an appointment from outside the circle of the Barbados legal fraternity; someone who should possess the breath in qualification that straddles academic and administrative experience. Based on our source it appears Prime Minister David Thompson and Cabinet have taken the bold step by selecting such a person.

Here is a brief Bio of Chief Justice Designate Marston Gibson:

Chris McHale Misrepresented In the Noise Pollution Matter

Barbados Underground wishes to apologise to the real Mr. Chris McHale for any distress caused as a result of our posting of 13 August 2010. Unfortunately a person who purported to be Mr. McHale communicated with BU and was successful in achieving his objective. The incident has apprised BU to the many challenges which we face now and in the future managing the blog. We promised our BU family that we have learned from the experience.

We wish to thank Adrian Loveridge who was instrumental in helping us to clarify this matter.

To be fair to the real Chris McHale BU has posted (unedited) his response to the erroneous post of 13 August 2010.

A Look At Professor Avinash Persaud’s Analysis

Submitted by Looking Glass

Professor Avinash D. Persaud

That the economy is in a precarious position and that it will continue is old news. The IMF in 2006 projected debt at 75% of GDP by 2011, and likened the situation to a “breeding ground” for social unrest and disorder. The 2008 report is anything but an improvement. According to the report “total debt rose to 95% of GDP or a stall high of 87% if earmarked sinking funds are netted out….A 75% likelihood that medium term debt ratio will exceed current levels…and predicts an average debt ratio of 106% by 2013.” Another report duly noted the “weakness” of our statistics. This suggests that 1) despite the privatization and sale of profitable assets in the last decade, the national debt is one hell of a lot more than was ever openly acknowledged 2) fiscal deficits are inevitable 3) we were in crisis before the global meltdown.

One would expect an economic analysis to address the root cause(s) of the economic problem. However, this appears not to be the case. The statistics offered are at best questionable. The ‘solutions’ offered suggest little understanding of the dilemma at hand and less about how the external world turns. Assumptions are made as to how a certain class of persons, corporations and organizations are likely to behave. Certain policies and practices successfully implemented elsewhere are deemed applicable to Barbados. In fact the world economy is not a rational system, nor does it operate according to theoretical models. In some ways it reminds one of a bad lecture to second year economics students.

Plotting The Flight Plan To Reach Destiny Barbados

For years, allegations have flown unceasingly about police excesses, but the incident last Thursday in Buckfield, St Ann, brought a new wave of revulsion across the island…Gomes charged that the “botched transition process” of the 17-year-old Police Public Complaints Authority is symptomatic of the poor treatment and lack of regard that is paid to the process of investigating police abuse – Jamaican Gleaner

The shooting of a private citizen by members of the Jamaican constabulary last week may appear to many Barbadians to be far removed from how we operate our society. Is it really far removed? To adjudge how far removed Barbados maybe from a Jamaican society which would give birth to policemen driven to shoot defenceless civilians, we should examine the furore generated recently by the cancellation of the Movado and Vybz Kartel coming to Barbados. What has become evident to those who want to see, the bad of the Jamaican culture has become firmly embedded in the Bajan culture. What is scary is to observe how our youth, representing the future of Barbados is so easily intoxicated by it all.

Are Doctors Fighting To Protect Turf At Queen Elizabeth Hospital?

Submitted by C Newton

Dr. James (l), Minister of Health Donville Inniss (r) - Image/Barbados Advocate

The pending industrial action at the QEH can only be about greed by the doctors and sensational behaviour of the NUPW. Speaking to a union delegate to the issue, it is a case of  relief workers  who are also called casual workers. These are only called  in by management to fill in when someone is on holiday or sick leave.

The NUPW is claiming that they have an expectation to fill any suitable vacancies over anyone else. QEH Board has taken the position that it must hire the best persons at all levels, like private sector companies do, and are seeking to put clear recruitment policies in place.

As a former Salesman of Hospital Supplies, I will give an example. Meal carts being sold to QEH for as much as $10,000 when the real cost was $2,500 unpadded. Mr Dexter James, the Minister and Board must stop people from outsourcing to themselves. The mafia style syndicate must be broken up among QEH doctors and employees. Consultants cannot continue to give private patients priority over public ones. The QEH must  work on a formula on consultants public\ private consultations, thus the resistance to accountability.

Things Are Not What They Seem

For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.
A Psalm of Life

Hartley Henry - Principal Political Advisor to the Hon. Prime Minister

MY first instinct this week is to comment on the response by National Housing Corporation Chairman Marilyn Rice-Bowen to the revocation of her appointment as Chairman. I will get there. But before I do, let me return to the important issue of the Pickering development in St.Lucy because I don’t think that as the intent, strategy and obviously desired outcome that former Prime Minister Owen Arthur longs for become much more pellucid we should let such an issue go.

It actually stands at the heart of the difference between the Barbados Labour Party and the Democratic Labour Party led by David Thompson at this time in our history. I have already pointed out that, in my view, the people who are spear-heading the St. Lucy development were never within the development strategy of the last BLP-government. The previous government never had any faith in the ability of ordinary barefoot Barbadians citizens to attract large investments or sustain them.

That is why, if you check it carefully, you will see that apart from some carefully stage-managed “interventions” and the publicity stunts of the son-of-a-shop-keeper to save Sam Lords Castle and Julie N’, precious little fundamentally changed. There was no depth of commitment. If you check the record, more large, established indigenous businesses in the distributive sector closed between 1994 and 2008 than at any time in our history.