Of Leaders And Foot Soldiers

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

Several members and supporters of the ruling Democratic Labour Party will meet at the St. Thomas Parish Church tomorrow, Friday, to say farewell to Geoffrey Morris. The name, I know, will not ring a bell or mean a lot to some readers in Barbados and the Diaspora but Geoffrey Morris was the embodiment of selfless service and commitment to an organization.

While candidates are immortalized as having won or lost in election races, foot soldiers like Geoffrey Morris are the true architects. The unsound heroes! They are the ones who influence policy in the Democratic Labour Party. Unlike the other place, where big business rules and determines who is assisted and who is overlooked, the DLP is fortified and navigated by those whose names you hardly hear or whose faces are never in print.

Prime Minister David Thompson forged ahead with enlightened social policies, such as free bus rides for school children, constituency councils, Housing Every Last Person, a streamlined UDC and RDC, an improved QEH, an emerging National Youth Policy and holiday camps, to mention but a few, because of intelligence received from members such as Geoffrey Morris. They are the ones who walk the streets, who attend the funerals and who stop by the village shops to gauge public opinion. They then feed information gleaned into the councils of the party; whether it is at the constituency, General Council or annual conference level, and such information is acted upon.

Government Accused Of Breaking Manifesto Pledge To The Elderly

Former Chairman of the National Assistance Board

In its 2008 Manifesto, the Democratic Labour Party gave a commitment that it will treasure this country’s seniors in their golden years and further stated that it is committed to caring for all Barbadians in their senior years.

Members of the Barbados Association of Retired Persons (BARP) – all of whom are over 50 years old – must be wondering if the DLP had them in mind when it made that statement and exactly how committed is the DLP to what it wrote in that Manifesto, especially now that the actions and decision of the same DLP Government – is making it extremely difficult for them to get their investment made through BARP – out of Clico.

As a former Chairman of the National Assistance Board, I wonder whether in its haste to protect Clico – the decision and actions by this David Thompson led Government – does not constitute elder abuse. Elder Abuse is often defined as a single, or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust which causes harm or distress to an older person.

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Importance Of Mental Healthcare Underestimated

Submitted by the People’s Democratic Congress (PDC)

Over the course of several years, and especially within very recent times, in Barbados, the PDC has been agonizing over the lack of a national role by mental health professionals, like psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatric nurses, etc. in the educating and informing of the Barbadian public on many mental health psychological issues and problems affecting it, or some sections of it, as a significant consequence of Barbados becoming an increasingly specialized complex dynamic 21st Century society, or as some would say, an increasingly chaotic bedlamic one.

Moreso, in as much as we in the PDC really do know that psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatric nurses, do perform their respective professional roles and functions in private and public practice, and would have individually undergone years of training and tutelage before becoming mental health professionals, we are yet to properly know why they are NOT being regularly heard or seen by ourselves  – and we suppose by many others in this society -  giving enough information and advice in the mass media, or in public lectures,  in public seminars, or through reading or video material – to general public on a variety of mental health psychological  issues and problems that fall well within their respective professional domains.

Indeed, this absence of public participation by such mental health professionals is quite unlike their counterparts in the physical health arena,  unlike lawyers, teachers/educators, trade unionists, police, parliamentarians, etc., who altogether though are often heard seen by our party and so many other people giving information pointers advice, in so many public communicative deliberative forums and channels, on so many public social issues and problems that fall to their respective professional domains.

Has The Tide Turned For A Female Prime Minister In Barbados?

Submitted by Yardbroom

Opposition Leader Mia Mottley

Chance and circumstance are often fore-runners of the unexpected.  I must confess to often saying what some don’t want to hear. Before the last election I wrote the DLP would win by a landslide and was thus accused of being a dreaming DLP supporter. No! I try to write with balance of what I see and perceive before me.  We can refuse to beat the drum but that does not mean we cannot hear its drumming.

“Mini Timi Mun Komal”

I will explain later in this submission what the above translates to in English, when it was said, and by whom.

In this male dominated society some women have to work twice, even three times as hard as men to achieve the same outcome, it would be nice if it were not so, but alas it is.  Intellectual brilliance, integrity and ambition are often not enough to succeed.  Like many black people in various endeavours, when they turn the corner to success there is always another hill to climb.  For those women who seek the highest office in the land, dependent on public affirmation even by proxy. . . the task is no less daunting.

A Multiplicity Of Concerns

Submitted by M*M*

Prime Minister Freundel Stuart (ag)

Major Water Outage in Barbados on September 9th and 10th, 2010 and lack of sense of critical urgency by the Barbados Water Authority

Last week Thursday and Friday, we witnessed a major 2 day water outage in areas of St. Michael and Christ Church which affected numerous residents, businesses and schools amongst others in the affected area. Children were unable to attend school, people were unable to go to work and do their business (just ask the hotels who were hosting athletes and officials from the boxing tournament) and many businesses were unable to operate effectively. It was during a period of heavy rainfall and flooding in some areas…water, water everywhere yet not a drop to drink!

What has me puzzled is that after a 60% increase in water rates in 2009 (which we were told was to retool the BWA in terms of mains replacement program etc.), a visit and “reading of the riot act” by Prime Minister Thompson, the creation of and installation of an Executive Chairman in former Senator Arni Walters that there has been little improvement at the level of service delivery at the Barbados Water Authority. This is borne out by the numerous calls and complaints to the call-in programs and letters to the editor in our daily newspapers. After one burst was fixed, we were told that another one soon developed because of the pressure from turning back on the water too soon. Yes the mains are old – but wasn’t the 60% increase in water rates supposed to address this? If not, what is the increase being used to finance? This is unacceptable and the Barbados Water Authority is treating its customers in contempt.

We need the Barbados Water Authority (and the Minister responsible Dr Denis Lowe) to be accountable to the people of Barbados. The supply of water is an essential service – water is essential to life. My solution, if it were up to me, allow the Barbados Water Authority to come under the ambit of the Fair Trading Commission as soon as possible. This way it will be held to the same standards as the electric and telephone utility or face the adverse consequences of severe monetary (or other) penalties for poor service!!!!

Time To End Government Discrimination Against The People

Lincoln Lewis, General Secretary Guyana Trades Union Congress

Pension Funds

Though it comes as no surprise that the Government of Guyana has now leased the Everton Bauxite Plant to Fidelity Investments Inc, it adds further confirmation to the mounting case of the government policies to economically discriminate against the African community, an act that I call economic genocide which is consistent with the United Nations Convention which defines Genocide as “acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group.” For some this term is harsh but to me it is what I see before my eyes, a slow deliberate torturous effort to decimate the African economy, and bring Africans to their knees to eat the crumbs off of the new massa table.

After the government saw to the divestment of the bauxite industry several efforts were made by bauxite workers and African business investors to acquire the LINMINE and BERMINE operations. All these efforts were turned down by the government even though all that was required to make this a reality was government approval.  Now the nation learns that the sugar workers through the Sugar Industry’s Pension Fund, called the Sugar Trading Enterprise Pension Scheme (STEPS), lost an average of 24 percent of their fund on the international market, the result of their investment in the U.S. company, Merrill Lynch. We learn that sugar workers were allowed to invest their pension funds in CARICOM countries and elsewhere.

We do not condemn these investments for sugar workers, we condemn the disparity in treatment of Bauxite workers by government since this was a consideration not granted to Bauxite workers even though several requests were made and proposals submitted. It is remembered that the bauxite union requested that government examine proposals to turn the Bauxite Pension Fund into an investment fund that would have seen a wide array of investments similar to that which we only now learn is existing in the sugar industry. The proposal was intended to help bauxite workers receive a pension on retirement. We also note that when the sugar workers pension scheme (STEP) was in financial trouble the government instructed GuySuCo to bail out the pension fund by injecting a reported 1.1 billion dollars.

GB&GWU Writes ERC About Failure To Investigate Eight-month Old Complaint As Per Its Constitutional Responsibility

Submitted by Guyana Bauxite & General Workers Union (GB&GWU)

Ethnic Relations Commission 66 Peter Rose & Anira Streets, Queenstown, Georgetown, Guyana

The Guyana Bauxite & General Workers Union (GB&GWU) today dispatched a letter to Chief Executive Officer, Ms. Yvonne Langevine, Ethnic Relations Commission, reminding the Commission that it still awaits a public inquiry into its eight-month old compliant about discrimination by the Government of Guyana against bauxite workers and their communities base on race and political geography.

The Union having expressed its concerns over the Commission’s inaction reminded it that the government discriminatory policy to bauxite workers and their communities are public knowledge which date back to 1992, with the November 2009 treatment of the impasse between the workers, represented by the GB&GWU and the Bauxite Company of Guyana Inc. (BCGI), being the straw that broke the camel’s back.

As per the Guyana Constitution Article 212D (a) the ERC has a responsibility to “provide for equality of opportunity between persons of different ethnic groups and to promote harmony and good relations between such persons” of which over the years bauxite workers and their communities have been denied “equality of opportunity” under this government of which such discriminatory treatment is public knowledge.

Emails To BU Editor

I’ve been bothered for some time now by an incident that occurred a few months back wherein a Muslim man was charged with bestiality and instead of being prosecuted under the laws of Barbados, the Magistrate chose to hand him over to the Muslim community to deal with the crime.

What I cannot believe is that the Attorney General has done nothing to correct this horrendous wrong that has been committed by this Magistrate, and that Barbadians seem to have accepted this as the norm.  Since when did Sharia Law become legal in Barbados?  If a Rastafarian member was arrested for smoking a weed cigarette, would that person have been turned over to the Rastafarian community to deal with him.  I DON’T THINK SO!!!!!!

This is not something to just sweep under the rug.  It sets a very bad precedent and is sending the wrong signal about the laws of Barbados.  I hope that this is brought to the attention of the Attorney General because I think that he’s the only one that can right this wrong.

Cat Woman

Abuse Of BLOGS

When does the abuse of the undertaking of anonymity given by blogs become a problem that affects and possibly compromises the anonymity of all other bloggers? What does BU do in cases like that? These are questions that BU has had to struggle with mightily in the past days and weeks.

BU has in the past stated that it will protect the identity of bloggers and their e-mail addresses etc. Come what may and we hold good to that. We do not gratuitously pass on bloggers’ information to anyone! Instead, we do the cyber equivalent of shredding such information so that it cannot fall into the wrong hands.

BUT……….We now put the question to the BU family: Should BU shield bloggers from the consequences of allegedly criminal acts, especially if those acts are arguable even against BU, and pose a threat to the anonymity of the BU family and its bona fide bloggers who anonymously wish to air their opinions on matters of public interest?

Here is the case in question and we ask the BU family to weigh in with their opinions.

Denigrating The Name Of Barbados

Submitted by Bajantodebone

I have just read the BFP report on this Tudor Street massacre. I have counted no less than 6 direct attacks on Barbados itself. And I read with amazement the “predictions” of BFP that can only come from a graduate of the Knox-Allard-McKenzie School of Law, all the lectures of which apparently consist of re-runs of Judge Judy.

However, this is not my beef. So far as I am aware at the time of writing, no charges have been laid against the persons assisting the police with their investigations.

My beef is with the BFP preoccupation with and constant exhumation of this Canadian lady, Terry Schwartfeld? It is awful that she was killed at all, particularly in Barbados – it is awful when anyone is killed, no matter where. BUT, had she been killed in Canada, would the killer necessarily have been caught? Had she been killed in Canada, would there have been no plea bargain? Had a Bajan been killed in Canada, do you think a supposedly Canadian blog would have taken on the role of a single handed vigilante group against Canada, its police, its courts and its government? Like hell!!!!