Nation Newspaper Jettisons Nine Employees

Fred Gollop, Chairman OCM

The Nation newspaper announced today that it has released 9 employees, 6 who were permanent and 3 part timers. Wonder if Harold Hoyte is resting comfortably at night. He and a few others sold a profitable local newspaper for a bag of silver to provide comfort in their golden years and the rest as they say is history.

Why should Barbadians support this newspaper when it continues to send home Barbadians?

A scan of the parent company’s most recent financials confirms that a conservative decision was taken to chargeoff US38 million in goodwill.  It seems there is recognition by the Board of Directors that web-based media has been impacting negatively on traditional paper-based media delivery. Despite the one-off hit to their profit and loss, One Caribbean Media (OCM)has taken the decision to send home people to defend its balance sheet position. OCM suffered a decline in profit before tax  of 9%  2010 over 2009.

Silence The Deadliest Weapon Of Mass Destruction

Submitted by Ras Jahaziel

 

Silence is the deadliest weapon of mass destruction, and evil remains dominant in the world today because of the complicity of the silent majority.  In an age when information is so readily available, ignorance is no longer an excuse. It has become another form of criminality.

Full Article

Listening To The Beat Of Home, Defending Our Border

Senator Maxine McClean, Minister of Foreign Affairs

Today has been an interesting day so far. It was a day arch-enemies India and Pakistan battled in a World Cup cricket semi-final. The game from media reports was played in a cordial atmosphere which India won. There was a time in the not too distant past when the events of today would not have been thought possible. The moral of this story you ask? There is hope that a truce in the ‘war of words’ which has broken out between Jamaica and Barbados will soon come to past.

To restate BU’s position, an allegation was made by a Jamaican national which was deposited, by her, in Jamaica’s media space. The result of it is that her allegation has whipped-up a national frenzy which has seen a level of vitriol hurled at Barbados hitherto not experienced. The immigration brouhaha between Guyana does not even come close to what is currently unravelling. The response of many Barbadians, known in the region for our passive and docile manner, appears to have taken some by surprise.

Not since the era of the late Rt. Excellent Errol Walton Barrow, who was not afraid to signal to Cowboy Ronald Reagon where to get off, have we had leaders who were prepared to fearlessly defend our sovereignty. BU is supportive of Minister Maxine McClean who has been forced to fill the enormous leadership vacuum which seems to exist in this regard. Senator Maxine McClean’s record is there to be scrutinized by her critics, a respected UWI, Cave Hill lecturer for several years and a regional consultant before agreeing to enter the cabinet of the current administration. Her commitment to regional harmony cannot be credibly questioned. Unlike some in Barbados, she appears to be acutely aware of where Barbados finds itself at this period in our history.

National Union Of Public Workers Executives Living Large Off Membership Dues

Submitted by NUPW Insider (name withheld by BU)

 

Dennis Clarke, General Secretary (l) Walter Maloney, President (r) NUPW 'Big Boys'

Barbadians would have heard the President of the NUPW Walter Maloney and his lieutenant Dennis Clarke both make major statements at the Union’s Annual Conference opening ceremony. In fact Clarke reported that the NUPW’s train would not be stopped and that it was on a collision course. What Clarke did not say was that between he and Maloney had approved spending of thousands of dollars of the members funds without the approval of the Treasurer and other Executive members. It was reported that there has been a splurge of travel expenses all in the name of a wellness centre and that the spending was to facilitate the travelling of Clarke and another officer. The pair has travelled to Florida twice, Las Vegas, St. Kitts/ Nevis and the female is now scheduled to shift to Italy and Spain.

While this is happening the NUPW is courting some benefactor with a purse so big a loan of US $27 million will be shortly be passed. This money is reported to be a loan to facilitate the construction of a wellness centre on the premises of the union. Information is that the feasibility study was not clear whether the venture was feasible but Clarke and his lieutenant are moving forward.

Word is that this support for the wellness centre comes at a cost to Clarke for his support of the Maloney fancied Buying Club which has itself attracted a grant of $ 1 million. Maybe these union bosses could tell the rest of Barbados where all this money is coming from what is the cost and what is the catch. Surely if this is good money, the government would want to borrow some for Barrack and the Clico shareholders. Surely if the NUPW can afford the interest rates then the government must be able to as well.

Questions Asked About Ordinary Seaman Ronald Harvey Butcher’s Death While On Duty For The Barbados Coast Guard

Submitted by Shelly

The Late Ordinary Seaman Ronald Harvey Butcher, dead at 23 years old (click image to read obituary)

It is now 3.33 am, Tuesday 29th March. I am unable to sleep because I am thinking deeply about a young soldier that died in the hands of the Barbados  Guard who did not have to die so young and in the  manner in which he did. On Friday morning, March 4, 2010, Ronald Harvey Butcher took ill while at Sea. The ship returned to base.

This young man remained at the Coast guard headquarters for the entire Friday and was pronounced drunk by the Coast Guard. This conclusion was reached because he was speaking incoherently, stuttering; wrenching with pain from an excruciating headache and vomiting, He was given drips  intravenously and put to rest.

As time passed the condition of this young man became worse. Twenty four hours had elapsed before this young man was taken to the Queen Elizabeth hospital on the Saturday morning to get professional medical attention. When he was given a CT scan of his head doctors diagnosed that he had had an aneurism and he had massive bleeding to the brain. This young man lapsed into a coma and was place on life support. His heart continued to beat for ten days. He died on the 15th of March 2011.

Barbadians Are Listening Very Carefully To What You Say Chief Justice Marston Gibson

Marston Gibson, Chief Justice of Barbados Designate

The appointment of Chief Justice (CJ) Marston Gibson has generated heated debate in some quarters. Today President of the Barbados Bar Association Andrew Pilgrim criticized the current system which which sees the Prime Minister appointing judges. It seems he was peeved about the reason which Gibson offered for accepting the appointment in the face of the public furore directed at his appointment. Gibson indicated it was a promise he made to late Prime Minister Thompson which he felt obligated to honour. Pilgrim’s view differs with his colleague Ralph Thorne who believes the quality of decisions by a Prime Minister will be judged by the electorate. Therefore a Prime Minister has a vested interest in appointing quality judges to the bench. It should be noted based on a little research, all the sitting judges were appointed by Prime Minister Owen Arthur.

In the weekend news just passed there was the obligatory public relations spread which sought to give the public an insight into what to expect from the incoming CJ. BU would have asked the harder questions but such is the lay of the land. In the Public Relations job facilitated by Tony Best of the Nation Gibson articulated changes he plans to implement when he assumes office. By the way did BU miss it or was the position officially announced by government? His interview generated mild comment in some quarters while others suggested CJ Gibson has not stated anything that has not already made it into the public domain and in some instances are in the process of being implemented.

The following is an extract from Sir David Simmon’s speech at the opening of the Special Sitting of the Supreme Court to mark the commencement of the legal year 2009-2010 at the new Judicial Building. One of the advantages the incoming CJ will have is that he will be under the public microscope like no other CJ who preceded him. He will therefore have to be very wary when he makes public statements. A read of Sir David’s speech touches many of the suggestions proffered by Gibson in the weekend press, you decide.

Changes To Barbados Tourism Authority Board

Ralph Taylor replaced as Chairman of the Barbados Tourism Authority

Members of the BU family have been emailing to confirm a shakeup at the Barbados Tourism Authority. The matter was brought to the public at a Barbados Labour Party (BLP) meeting yesterday held at the Ellerslie School by Ian Gooding-Edghill. It has been mentioned on BU that the life of government statutory boards will be expiring and the government and sitting directors will have the opportunity to replace or leave  the boards they serve respectively.

In the case of the Barbados Tourism Authority (BTA) our investigation has confirmed that CEO of Almond Incorporated Ralph Taylor, Senator Peter Gilkes and Michael Yearwood will be leaving the BTA Board. BU believes the BTA Board under Ralph Taylor’s chairmanship, has failed to lend the visionary direction required, at a time when the industry is confronted with numerous challenges. While we may excuse him because his attention was probably held by the rapidly deteriorating financial position in Almond Resorts’ balance sheet, the government should be always mindful of its obligation to operate in the national interest at all times.

Is it unreasonable to hope that the new chairperson will be someone who brings a mixture of enthusiasm laced with the right amount of experience? The national budget for tourism is not insignificant and Barbados taxpayers would demand a BTA Board which can maximize every dollar spent, especially in hard times.

Barbados Has A Right To Protect Its Border – The Shanique Myrie Case

Harry Husbands, Parliamentary Secretary for immigration

Today’s Jamaica Observer highlights a story which alleges that a  Shanique Myrie was “subjected to two demeaning cavity searches by a female immigration officer who continuously spewed venom about Jamaicans.” Immediately the question came to mind, how could the immigration officer have performed the cavity search in a manner that was not demeaning? The incident has provoked the elusive Parliamentary Secretary responsible for immigration Harry Husbands to respond to the story. It appears the lady was not allowed into Barbados for a legitimate reason.

Those of us who have travelled the world are aware of the limitless authority immigration and custom officials appear to possess. Individuals who are compliant with the law usually have nothing to fear. If we accept the position of the government conveyed by Husbands, Shanique Myrie was ‘pulled’ for a legitimate reason. All of those who are shouting for murder should remember Jamaica is a destination where drug mules originate in abundance. It is no excuse to profile people to the extent they are victimized or dehumanized,  however simple logic says Barbados must protect its borders. If an immigration officer is found to be overzealous in carrying out their duty, there is a process to seek redress. The Jamaica Observer’s article is therefore alarmist, sensational and smacks of  Jingoism.

Oh No Parris Must Go!

Leroy Parris

BU has made the call already but sometimes one has to be as strident as one can be to be heard above the din. BU is absolutely clear in light of recent events that Leroy Parris must resign from the board of directors of the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) with immediate effect. Each day that passes his tenure represents an embarrassment to the people of Barbados. The fact he was forced to resign as director of CLICO last week would have come as a surprise to many. Commonsense if nothing else should have guided all right thinking people to have viewed his retention on the CLICO board as a stupid.

More than most BU has defended Parris and CLICO in the past for what both have achieved, often times having to confront severe challenges. The failure of the Office of Supervisor of Insurance and politicians positioning personal above national interest has seen the demise of a regional (and international) company which has been a beacon of success. The achievement would have been all the more satisfying to many in the Caribbean because it was built because of the vision of a Black man, Cyril Duprey. While the focus is on the financial implication of the CLICO, there is a psychological factor which has not even been discussed by social scientists.

Female Abuse

Submitted by Charles S. Cadogan

I would like to touch on a very important subject, which I must confess I too was a part of; female abuse. My parents broke somewhere between the ages of 8 and 10 years old.  My mother after some years separated from my father got into another relationship. This guy was very quick with his hands.  I can remember the first time he hit my mother I cried and wanted to do something really bad to him. On one occasion when they were going at it, I hit him in the back with a plant pot. One thing for sure that got him his attention from my mother.

As the years went on the fights continued but not as frequently.  However I realised I had built up this hate to punish all women for what my mother had to suffer.  I felt if I did the same to other women I got involved with it would be repayment for what my mother had to endure.  When I turned 14 my mother told him he had to go. Guess he thought that he was so tough for all the years he told my mother it wasn’t going to happen. My mother grabbed him by his neck and the back of his pants and threw him out the door along with his clothes;  My mother told him that it was over and she had enough of his mess.

Later on I asked my mother how come all these years why she allowed him to beat her up like he did and never did much of anything to defend herself.  My mother told me, son I always thought that if I did what was in my heart to do to him, I would be in jail. I didn’t want to go to jail not knowing what would happen to you. But now you are everything to me, and all that matters. So I no longer need anyone else in my life.  My mother was in her late forties early fifties and she never got involved with another man.  She died at age 80 GOD rest her soul. I Love my mother with all my heart and she will remain with me for as long as breath remains in my body.