Publisher of the Nation newspaper Viviananne Gittens
The theatrical production of two St. Leonards Boys recorded on video being flogged by a teacher was confirmed to be a prank by the Nation newspaper today. The video first appeared on Facebook and was subsequently downloaded and posted by an over zealous and exuberant blogger. BU first heard about the video when Anthony ‘Admiral’ Nelson discussed it on his morning show early last week, this would have been before the video was published by the blogger. Given the damage to the reputation of young children, a school teacher and a school which has always gotten a raw deal in Barbados, BU took a decision not to publish the video until we could confirm its authenticity.
The difference between the blogs and traditional media we are told is the extra-mile which is traveled by them to verify stories and be responsible in reporting. The Nation newspaper in its article today which condemned the video as a prank took the opportunity to name blogs and websites which would have published the video. It was obviously a deliberate action by the editors of the Nation to smear the non-traditional media because of their injudicious action.
The Nation is entitled to punch back because it is usually at the receiving end from us.
Chairman of Caricom and President of Guyana Bharat Jagdeo
Barbados has received a lot of licks from many quarters on the immigration issue. Come January 1, 2010 the much discussed amnesty will expire and illegal immigrants residing in Barbados before January 1, 1998 who have not processed an application will be deported. A recent poll by CADRES indicated Barbadians across the political spectrum were supportive of government’s new immigration policy. The Auditor General of Barbados confirmed the fears of many Barbadians that the system of managing people flows in and out of Barbados is inefficient.
One of the disappointments since the Barbados government rolled out its Green Paper on immigration has been the lack of serious feedback by stakeholders in civil society and ordinary Barbadians. It was embarrassing to listen to a callin program on Voice of Barbados yesterday (27 December 2009) when leading voices in Barbados asked if they had read the Green Paper on immigration admitted they had not.
Immigration matters continue to occupy many countries around the world especially those countries labelled as magnet countries. In all the emotion which has been attached to the issue of Barbados immigration, many of the players in the debate admit a managed immigration policy is a must; BU’s position all along.
The verdict on the recent application by the Barbados Light & Power Company for a rate hike promised by the Chairman of the Fair Trading Commission (FTC) Sir Neville Nicholls passed without any serious notice by the media earlier this month. The media given its responsibility within the Fourth Estate of the Realm has failed the PEOPLE yet again given its responsibility to keep us informed. The blatant renege by the Fourth Estate of its important civil responsibility means that most Barbadians remain ignorant to the important issues affecting them.
The Head of the Barbados Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (BANGO) Roosevelt King when asked by BU the possible reason for the delay gave the following response:
“Through fear tactics, psychological warfare, oppression and violence many people have been forced physically and mentally, [to not exercise] their right to voice their opinions or their desires to fight against the oppression that they experience. The people are forced to believe, and later come to identify with, the idea that the oppressor has supreme power and is working in the favor of the people. As a result a culture of quiet, non resistant, passive if you will, people are born. This Culture of Silence is longstanding and continues because the people continue to allow the destruction and the oppression to occur, not because they want to, but because fighting against the oppressor seems futile. Those that do fight are eradicated and made examples of in the attempt to silence future attempts at reform. – Author unknown – internet posting”
Be reminded Mr. King’s BANGO participated in the just concluded FTC/BL&P rate hike application.
[Christ Church,BARBADOS Dec. 15, 2009] The Barbados Water Authority (BWA) cut water service to the Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary last week without warning, sending Sanctuary workers scrambling to implement the Sanctuary’s Emergency Management Plan. At stake was the health and welfare of the endangered and captive bird populations in the captive breeding facility, and the Marshland, Gully and Migratory Aviary Exhibits.
BWA apparently shut off the water over a sewerage billing discrepancy. However, Sanctuary officials insist that they repeatedly made good faith requests to the BWA for a review of Sanctuary sewerage charges, and that water and sewerage billings were being paid pending that outcome.
“They never even talked to us about the merits of our requests, they just locked down our water valve and actually cut our main pipeline,” said one official at the Sanctuary. “We had to carry clean water from our homes to take care of the birds, and use emergency pumps and hoses from our water tanks to maintain the Aviary systems.”
Recently Mr. Richard Cox, Head of News and Current Affairs at the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) passed away. Last week BU learned that veteran Nation newspaper journalist Albert Brandford was put out to pasture and is currently freelancing at the Nation (seems a little strange). Despite BU’s disagreement with many Brandford’s positions on political matters, we concede that his ineffectiveness over the years may have been caused by the lack of support from his colleagues. Wow, if David Ellis were to exit the profession next, the talent level of the Fourth Estate would be less than mediocre. As if to support the point BU read a story which was reprinted by the Nation from the Associated Press (AP) which questioned Tiger Woods proclivity for fraternizing with White women.
For sometime BU has been discussing race issues and we have been labeled racist by some. It is interesting the Nation newspaper would highlight the Tiger story verbatim from the AP wire, but would hesitate to publish local stories which highlight the hypocrisy around race relations in Barbados. The conspiracy to prop up the status quo maybe?
Our journalists today seem happy to run with stories which appeal to the fast food diet of readers. Recently, a caller to a talk show made the analogy of patients doing research before visiting the doctor and consequently keeping the doctor’s diagnosis honest. The same is occurring within the media sphere. A knowledgeable and discerning public now has access to news and information on the Internet more than ever before. There is the current readership who will continue to prop up the membership of the local media but BU sees it declining overtime with a changing demographic.
You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for,that my dear friend, is about the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.
- Dr. Adrian Rogers, 1931
Yesterday the Nation newspaper featured a story on the frontpage Baby John Doe. The essence of the story, to highlight the plight of a mother who is has been unable to register her baby, eight months now and counting. At the core of the problem is the fact the mother is an illegal immigrant, for over TWENTY TWO years and has become a statistic in the government’s new immigration policy. BU admits it is a good human interest story and we hope a solution is found to ensure the child and her mother are removed from the inhumane position they currently find themselves.
The Special Audit Barbados Road Network Infrastructure Improvement Project Report has been updated on the Barbados Auditor General’s website. The report gives an unflattering summary of how one of the largest capital projects (ABC Highway Project) in Barbados was managed under the former administration. After reading the report we are tempted to blame the many senior civil servants who would have worked the project which has led Auditor General Leigh Trotman to issue such a negative report. Why would the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance and the Director of Finance have presided over such a project where such obvious incompetence and inefficiency were commonplace?
The Democratic Labour Party (DLP) government when in opposition made much political mileage on the campaign trail about the ABC Highway Project. When the DLP assumed office Prime Minister David Thompson in unprecedented fashion fired 3S from the floor of parliament, the company responsible for managing the ABC Highway project. Months later Barbadians have heard nothing about the status of the 3S relationship. BU sources confirm the government of Barbados is close to agreeing to a settlement with 3S; more tax dollars down the toilet!
As usual with this project like others preceding it the malfeasance attributed to the former government will die a natural death.
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?
Recently there was an exchange on a BUblog 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.
Recently one of Barbados’ leading developers responsible for obliterating the West Coastline of Barbados made the statement he has a vision for Barbados being transformed to a Monaco. In the month of November when Barbadians will be reminded of the Mirror Image speech, is this ‘our’ vision for Barbados and is it what our 500,000 long stay visitors and 700,000 plus cruise ship passengers are expecting?According to our West Coast activist Save Mullins it is business as usual on the West Coast.
Today’s Nation editorial makes for interesting reading. On another blog BU made the point that our Fourth Estate needs to demonstrate a duty of care when reporting news. If it does not it will have the inevitable effect of diminishing the integrity of the profession. The topic of the editorial is worthy but the content has fallen woefully short in our opinion.
Not to bore the BU family we have snipped extracts from the editorial to demonstrate our point:
Just this week, the acting general manager of the Barbados Water Authority (BWA), Dr John Mwanza, advised Barbadians that if they didn’t stop wasting their precious water, they could face another rate increase.
One possible reason for the hike: the BWA might have to import water from neighbouring Dominica to keep local levels up. Well, what could be wrong with a neighbourly solution to one’s island problem? Nothing, really, short of a military invasion or intervention.
How many times have Barbadians been told not to waste water? This maybe true but how will such a call resonate with Barbadians when it is known 60% of the water escapes from our distribution system because of leaks? What about the fact burst water mains are sighted daily all over Barbados and Barbadians have to literally beg Barbados Water Authority personnel to repair the bursts? How will this state of affairs create a culture of water conservation in Barbados?
In the matter of the application by the Barbados Light & Power Co. Ltd., the Commission held a Rate Hearing in which the Applicant put forward its case for a raise in rates. During the Hearing, the Applicants main theme was that it needed to show a greater rate of return from its operations and that this would help it attract debt rather than equity; since equity is more expensive.
Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance Darcy Boyce
Maybe BU missed it and if we did we are willing to apologize to the government. It is approaching two years since the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) took-up the reigns of government and we arestill to sense the urgency of its renewable policy. So far all we have read about is the wind farm program being piloted by the Barbados Light & Power Company which if we understand correctly is locked down in the bureaucracy of Town Planning and by extension government.
Is there more Barbadians should know about our RE policy and if so why not have a national discourse to ensure top of mind awareness? Is there a role for the Fourth Estate of Barbados? Hell yes!!!
Barbadians remember the urgency to discover renewable energy sources and the public fear which was fuelled when the price of a barrel of oil jumped to USD147 just over a year ago. In the post-global financial meltdown there has been a significant reduction in the oil price which at last closing indicated USD78.30. Although BU concedes most governments around the globe have had to allocate unplanned resources to survival and not growth initiatives, it does not explain why our government supported by traditional media would not articulate, distil and or communicate to Barbadians some urgency about our renewable energy program.
The logic used over one year ago to shift Barbados’ dependence from fossil fuel is the same today is it not?
In a call-in program yesterday (November 8, 2009) on VOB there was consensus it seems that our media houses are hamstrung by the lack of resources to follow-up on stories. This admission alone paints a worrying picture for the state of health of the Fourth Estate in Barbados. It is significant that in the month of November when Barbados will celebrate 43 years of Independence our thoughts as a nation should be about energy dependence. Energy cost is the key input which drive prices in Barbados and a significant slice of the import bill which requires foreign exchange support. How can Barbados claim to be a progressive country in this part of the world when we continue to build our economic success on legacy models which are quickly becoming redundant and unstable given the reality of the non-renewability of fossil fuels.
The following comment was posted by BU family member ROK. We invite the family to share feedback before and during the show if they can to represent the views of the BU family. Hopefully ROK will be given some latitude to represent the Bajan blogosphere. Here is the link to VOB to the 12PM EST show for those who are off-island.
@David
Sorry to be off topic here but I just got a call from VOB inviting me to be on the phone during their call-in program after the news (11:40 am) tomorrow morning. The discussion is on the media and this time includes the blog.
Apparently Denis Jones will be in the studio along with Julius Gittens and Amanda. If you are game, maybe we can set up a thread that will feedback as the program is in progress. Any BU Bloggers could make comments which I would refer to while on the phone. Not a problem with me.
Credit has to be given where it is due. The local media has developed in recent days a frenzied pursuit of a story which details how a man rose from the dead and waltz out of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital morgue. Of course BU is NOT suggesting we should trivialize the story of Mr. Scantlebury. Whatever the outcome we hope the truth finds its way to the fore.
What is interesting about the case of the dead man who rose again is the important role of the Fourth Estate in the gathering of news and stoking public opinion. It is refreshing to observe the bulldog determination which the local media has shown so far with the Scantlebury story. Should Barbadians reasonably expect that after one week all the questions still being asked should have been answered? A scan of the hospital record-keeping of the morgue and or a view of the surveillance records should easily have resolved this matter by now.
Back in May 2009 we underscored the The Important Role Of The Intervenor At FTC Hearings as advocates for the PEOPLE. The fact they are not paid and are expected to engage corporate entities with significantly more resources makes the Intervenors heroes in our eyes.
The long awaited BL&P Hearings under the aegis of the Fair Trading Commission commences tomorrow (2009.10.07), from 9.30AM at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre. The Hearing is expected to continue week-days until 2009.10.23.
The Intervenors are:
- Barbados Association of Retired Persons Inc.
- Barbados Small Business Association
- Barbados Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (BANGO)
- Barbados Consumers Research Organisation Inc.
- Dr. Roland R. Clarke.
- Mr. Errol Niles.
- Mr. Douglas Trotman.
- Canbar Technical Services Ltd.
- Sentinel Group Caribbean Inc.
BANGO has promised to record the hearings as is practicable and make available for the PEOPLE for following. We wish all of the Intervenors the very best. Many of us talk but few are forced to act.
Minister Arni Walters who is responsible for immigration has clarified the current fingerprinting operation at the airport as a pilot. He further shed light by indicating it is not mandatory to participate. Based on the hue and cry by Barbadians in recent days we are therefore forced to ask what is the problem?
In the absence of proper communication from Senator Walter’s ministry, the public has been left to speculate where is the government going with this fingerprinting pilot! It is evident the current concerns being presented by Barbadians can be linked to the lack of proper communication by government on the matter.
The Opposition some may say have capitalized on the blunder to make political mileage. The honeymoon period for the Thompson government is over and it must be prepared to respond to legitimate criticism from the Opposition. Within two weeks the government in our opinion has made two obvious blunders, the other is the late delivery of invitations to the Opposition to attend the Ryan Brathwaite Tribute.
Submitted by Minister of Tourism Richard Sealy to the British Telegraph – 29 Dec 2009 When someone says “Barbados”, people traditionally think of palm trees, white sand, turquoise water and perhaps someone relaxing in a deckchair wearing a straw hat. Yes, we do have the gift of some very beautiful beaches here but Barbados is so [...]
Thanks to GoWEB Caribbean for sending the images. Recently we witnessed the spectacular but scary pictures of an American Airlines flight broken into pieces like a child would a stick of macaroni. According to other news American Airlines has suffered two other mishaps although not as serious as AA Flight 311. Should would be passengers be [...]
The issue of declining morals in our societies is one which BU remains very concerned. We have recorded our view in previous blogs; the issue of homosexuality is one of a moral flavour and not the rights issue in which the gay movement has been able to escalate this issue. The recent same sex marriage [...]
Submitted by Lincoln Lewis, General Secretary – Caribbean Congress of Labour As we close the year 2009 and embrace the New Year it is time not only for celebration of the symbolism of the season but also using the experiences we have acquired over the year in developing our resolve to meet the challenges envisage in [...]
It seems our leaders have surrendered to the many global agendas which abound. BU followed with interest Pastor Victor Roach voicing his satisfaction in the media at the soon to be introduced breathalyzer legislation in Barbados. It is generally known the leading cause of vehicular accidents in Barbados is linked to all manner of reasons BUT [...]
The theatrical production of two St. Leonards Boys recorded on video being flogged by a teacher was confirmed to be a prank by the Nation newspaper today. The video first appeared on Facebook and was subsequently downloaded and posted by an over zealous and exuberant blogger. BU first heard about the video when Anthony ‘Admiral’ [...]
Sir, as a concerned Barbadian citizen and tax payer, I hope that you will permit me enough space in your publication to discuss Al Barrack and the $60 million owed to him by our Government. I recall hearing about Al Barrack and the monies owed to him in the media a few years ago, as well [...]
Barbados has received a lot of licks from many quarters on the immigration issue. Come January 1, 2010 the much discussed amnesty will expire and illegal immigrants residing in Barbados before January 1, 1998 who have not processed an application will be deported. A recent poll by CADRES indicated Barbadians across the political spectrum were [...]
BU for sometime has featured many blogs on the obvious tension which continues to grip the world caused perhaps by the clash of the two dominant religions – Islam and Christianity. Our concern as a small island which is significantly dependant on tourism is the looming impact current tensions may have on our tourist industry. On [...]
The verdict on the recent application by the Barbados Light & Power Company for a rate hike promised by the Chairman of the Fair Trading Commission (FTC) Sir Neville Nicholls passed without any serious notice by the media earlier this month. The media given its responsibility within the Fourth Estate of the Realm has failed [...]
Submitted by Adrian Loveridge ‘He (Geoffrey Roach, CEO of the Bridgetown Cruise Terminal) reported cruise ship passengers arrivals to be 760,000 for the last financial year, and projected a six percent growth in the next financial year’. ‘But he said passengers were spending less, as evidenced in a recent Florida Caribbean Cruise Association study which put […]
It seems appropriate that we should end 2009 by focusing on the global recession which has decimated the developing economies of the world, Barbados included. The irony of it all is while some have lauded the benefits of globalization and economic partnership agreements; the resulting inter-connectivity of world economies has exposed the vulnerability of suc […]
The BU family has discussed debt in earlier blogs, BU family Green Monkey member posted the video Money as Debt which presents the dark side about how debt is created and managed in the banking system. Another family member Looking Glass recently sent us the link to the video posted. What BU found interesting in [...]
It is that time of the year when Barbadians will have the opportunity again to measure the Barbados appeal-factor through the eyes of the rich and famous. Last Christmas BU blogged about honorary Bajan Simon Cowell of American Idol fame frolicking on Sandy Lane beach with Sir Philip Green and company. This year UK’s Fleet [...]
Submitted by Terence Blackett Khalil Gibran’s famous quote – “Money is like love; it kills slowly and painfully the one who withholds it, and enlivens the other who turns it on his fellow man” – pretty much sums up the two paradigms of man’s loci in regards to the proper or base use of what is [...]
The recent announcement to postpone the payment of salaries to civil servants on the eve of Christmas has to be viewed as insensitive by the government. Bear in mind there is precedent for paying salaries early at Christmas time. There is the recession which has impacted Barbados and by paying salaries early could have served [...]
Submitted by Looking Glass Faith in the automatic forces that push tourism and the economy requires a large does of optimism. Perhaps we should look beyond our own optimism and preferences to the context in which those opinions have meaning. First Mark King, director of the Black Bess project was reported to inform the Nation that “I [...]
