est. 2007

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Silver Sands Hotel Closes After Receiving $753,047.85 In Government Relief

Silver Sands Hotel

In the face of the worst global recession since the Great Depression if we are to believe the economists, the government of Barbados felt duty bound to protect the productive sector which is the life-blood of the Barbados economy. The tourism industry is reported to contribute 15-20% of  Gross Domestic Product and it is a significant foreign exchange earner.

Tourism is an industry which thrives in a buoyant global economic climate and the global recession has impacted discretionary spending of world travellers in a significant way. In an effort to create a safety net for establishments affiliated to the Barbados Tourism Authority (BTA), Barbados Tourism Hotel Association (BTHA), and Small Hotels of Barbados Inc (SHBI), the government established the Tourism Investment Relief Fund (TIRF). The fund is administered by the Enterprise Growth Fund Limited (EGFL) and based on a formula of of historical revenues and stated cash losses in a determined period  funds were distributed to those tourism players who applied.

The recent announcement that one such player Silver Sands Hotel listed as having received TIRF monies $460,240.70 on the 27.05.2009  and $292,807.15 on 18.11.2009 was closing its doors has caused eyebrows to be raised. As if that news was not enough BU sources confirmed that the owners of the hotel shared in the purchase of a 56ft cabin cruiser which is based at Port St. Charles. BU is therefore forced to ask the $64,000.00 question. Should the Wards who own Silver Sands Hotel be forced to repay $753, 047. 85? Why would a 130 room hotel which received an injection of funds of such a significant amount have failed so quickly? Bear in mind the objective of the TIRF  is the protection of employment levels within the sector.

BU reviewed the list of tourism players which received TIRF monies and frankly was floored at some of the names – we have listed a few below:

Date Company Amount
10.1.2009 Skeete, Best & Co $60,000.00
10.1.2009 Skeete, Best & Co $40,000.00
27.5.2009 Silver Sands Hotel $460,240.70
27.5.2009 Indar Weir Travel $10,937.68
27.5.2009 WMB Financial Tech – Indar Weir $12,000.00
27.5.2009 All Seasons Resort $53,966.60
28.5.2009 MDG Corp Service – Tech Ass WSB $1,462.00
04.6.2009 Elegant Hotels $1,107,102.77
26.06.2009 Skeetes, Best & Co $60,500.00
18.11.2009 Elegant Hotels $575,764.82
18.11.2009 Executive Rentals $104,178.03
18.11.2009 Cliff Restaurant $231,269.40
18.11.2009 Sandpiper Inn $264,429.77
18.11.2009 Radical Watersports Inc $11,093.62
18.11.2009 SCC Ltd $244,095.57
18.11.2009 Casa Grand $53,545.00
18.11.2009 Silver Sands Hotel $292,807.15
18.11.2009 Travel Essentials $27,189.88

In future if the government sees a need to provide TIRF monies to any sector, BU recommended that directors of companies who apply sign off on personal guarantees among others. Taxpayers money is not monopoly money!

55 responses to “Silver Sands Hotel Closes After Receiving $753,047.85 In Government Relief”

  1. Anthony Avatar
    Anthony

    well i can understand casa grande. But Cliff, Elegant hotel and Executive rental are some shockers. As for the amount that could amount to 1/2 years salaries at best. not knowing occupancy level for the hotel leads to unknown picture of the finances. As such hotel are expensive to run and maintain especially seaside ones. now as for the dates the first entrenchment was in may last year so that could have been used for the low season may to November. second entrenchment was in November that could been used to for this last year to shore up net cash, plus this year low season until they closed. So the question is to first look at the financial report then after you can say if they should repay or not.

  2. David Avatar
    David

    @anthony

    Your assumption that the amount represents 6 months salary is assuming that hotel attracted zero occupancy.

  3. Clowning around Avatar
    Clowning around

    What a disgrace this is, very often governments are complained about for not taking actions quickly enough and in this case the government reacted before a call was made by anyone at the BHTA to provide a safety net for anyone involved in the business of providing services to the tourism sector not hotels alone, as was clearly stated by the Prime Minister that it was intended to keep people working.

    But instead we have on our hands a group which have wickedly undermined the system and have taken delivery of over $ 750,000.00 and ran.

    I hold no brief for the owners of Silver Sands but I am ashamed as a Barbadian that they could do something such as this to our people.

    I have to compliment the owner of this blog for bringing this to the publics attention and letting people know that despite the best and well intentioned efforts of the government to put help where help is most needed that they are ones like these the owners of properties like Silver Sands Resort who will use the opportunity given by government to help themselves.

    I say were the govenment not to be quick to provide another TIRF it could be very well understood and supported as to why they would refuse to do so, my advice would be insead of offering these types, cash in hand again that the government now looks to redirect any help it maybe willing and able to help in a different area and my call would be for the government to put any future funding into marketing and promotion where it has control of its use and direction and it can be more directly targeted and gain more bang for its buck.

    This effort as worthy and well meaning as it was was abused in no small way and it cannot be allowed to happen a third time, let us put every cent into marketing our Barbados product where there is full control of how the money is spent and where it is spent.

  4. anthony Avatar
    anthony

    @david
    during that time there are also utilities to pay. corporate tax. land tax etc. I was only using employee salary since i have no idea of land tax and rest estimates. Which is why I said before we go suggesting wrong doing that we get their financial report first. from that you can see if the money was well used or squandered.

  5. Clowning around Avatar
    Clowning around

    Anthony, with the report that a Cabin Crusier was purchased in my view it is going to be hard to say that the money was well used !

  6. Opposition at sea Avatar
    Opposition at sea

    David, is the Skeete and Best listed on this sheet above not the same person Skeete who was vying for a BLP ticket to run for a seat in St James North, is the Indar Weir Travel Agency not the guy trying to run against Michael Lashley and is the Executive Rentals not one Rodney Wilkinson seems that the DLP are more than fair in their dealings with the opposition people.

  7. Anthony Avatar
    Anthony

    But unless you can prove that some of TIRF money went to purchase there is nothing wrong with the purchase. If a buisness is unprofitable it up to owners to decide whether to inject money into the buisness or to close it down. If they see no profitable future why do you want them to waste their money to keep it open. If the TRIF money was all that stood between them closing last year and this year was it a good use of money then?

  8. J Avatar
    J

    Opposition is at sea wrote “… seems that the DLP are more than fair in their dealings with the opposition people.?

    My question is not whether or not the oppostion people were treated failly, but WHETHER THE TAX PAYERS WERE TREATED FAIRLY?

    It looks to me as though the accountant boys were just looking out for each other, and hoping that we ZR catching TAX PAYERS would not notice.

    Tell them that we have noticed.

    Tell them that we will remember when we go to the voting booth.

    Tell them also that God doesn’t like ugly.

    Tell them that money can’t buy good health for them or for THEIR FAMILIES.

    Tell them that I say that LARGE LIVING will kill off some more of them.

    Tell them that God (and the people) will punish them for their sins.

  9. J Avatar
    J

    But Davis so far only 3 million, 196 thousand has been accounted for including multiple paymens to Silver Sands and Elegnat hotels, so where did the other 11 million 804 thousand go??

  10. anthony Avatar
    anthony

    well i can understand casa grande. But Cliff, Elegant hotel and Executive rental are some shockers. As for the amount that could amount to 1/2 years salaries at best. not knowing occupancy level for the hotel leads to unknown picture of the finances. As such hotel are expensive to run and maintain especially seaside ones. now as for the dates the first entrenchment was in may last year so that could have been used for the low season may to November. second entrenchment was in November that could been used to for this last year to shore up net cash, plus this year low season until they closed. So the question is to first look at the financial report then after you can say if they should repay or not.

  11. Clowning around Avatar
    Clowning around

    What a disgrace this is, very often governments are complained about for not taking actions quickly enough and in this case the government reacted before a call was made by anyone at the BHTA to provide a safety net for anyone involved in the business of providing services to the tourism sector not hotels alone, as was clearly stated by the Prime Minister that it was intended to keep people working.

    But instead we have on our hands a group which have wickedly undermined the system and have taken delivery of over $ 750,000.00 and ran.

    I hold no brief for the owners of Silver Sands but I am ashamed as a Barbadian that they could do something such as this to our people.

    I have to compliment the owner of this blog for bringing this to the publics attention and letting people know that despite the best and well intentioned efforts of the government to put help where help is most needed that they are ones like these the owners of properties like Silver Sands Resort who will use the opportunity given by government to help themselves.

    I say were the govenment not to be quick to provide another TIRF it could be very well understood and supported as to why they would refuse to do so, my advice would be insead of offering these types, cash in hand again that the government now looks to redirect any help it maybe willing and able to help in a different area and my call would be for the government to put any future funding into marketing and promotion where it has control of its use and direction and it can be more directly targeted and gain more bang for its buck.

    This effort as worthy and well meaning as it was was abused in no small way and it cannot be allowed to happen a third time, let us put every cent into marketing our Barbados product where there is full control of how the money is spent and where it is spent.

  12. anthony Avatar
    anthony

    @david
    during that time there are also utilities to pay. corporate tax. land tax etc. I was only using employee salary since i have no idea of land tax and rest estimates. Which is why I said before we go suggesting wrong doing that we get their financial report first. from that you can see if the money was well used or squandered.

  13. Clowning around Avatar
    Clowning around

    Anthony, with the report that a Cabin Crusier was purchased in my view it is going to be hard to say that the money was well used !

  14. Opposition at sea Avatar
    Opposition at sea

    David, is the Skeete and Best listed on this sheet above not the same person Skeete who was vying for a BLP ticket to run for a seat in St James North, is the Indar Weir Travel Agency not the guy trying to run against Michael Lashley and is the Executive Rentals not one Rodney Wilkinson seems that the DLP are more than fair in their dealings with the opposition people.

  15. anthony Avatar
    anthony

    But unless you can prove that some of TIRF money went to purchase there is nothing wrong with the purchase. If a buisness is unprofitable it up to owners to decide whether to inject money into the buisness or to close it down. If they see no profitable future why do you want them to waste their money to keep it open. If the TRIF money was all that stood between them closing last year and this year was it a good use of money then?

  16. J Avatar
    J

    Opposition is at sea wrote “… seems that the DLP are more than fair in their dealings with the opposition people.?

    My question is not whether or not the oppostion people were treated failly, but WHETHER THE TAX PAYERS WERE TREATED FAIRLY?

    It looks to me as though the accountant boys were just looking out for each other, and hoping that we ZR catching TAX PAYERS would not notice.

    Tell them that we have noticed.

    Tell them that we will remember when we go to the voting booth.

    Tell them also that God doesn’t like ugly.

    Tell them that money can’t buy good health for them or for THEIR FAMILIES.

    Tell them that I say that LARGE LIVING will kill off some more of them.

    Tell them that God (and the people) will punish them for their sins.

  17. J Avatar
    J

    But David so far only 3 million, 196 thousand has been accounted for including multiple paymens to Silver Sands and Elegnat hotels, so where did the other 11 million 804 thousand go??

  18. Carson C. Cadogan Avatar
    Carson C. Cadogan

    Even in Opposition the crooked members of the Barbados Labour Party continue to take the people of Barbados for an expensive ride.

    These are the same criminals who are now fighting tooth and nail to be returned to office at the next General Elections. God help us if we are so stupid as to heed their obscene call.

    I have always said that all the crooked Barbados Labour Party wants to do is to be back in office so that they resume their plunder of the Barbados Treasury. Their secret offshore bank accounts which were once full of taxplayers money are dwindling and they want to replenish them.

    These BLP people are corrupt to the core.

  19. Bds Hot Sauce Avatar
    Bds Hot Sauce

    Wow. A statement of accounts would be nice to see or rather would have been nice at the time of applying for the monies followed by an audit supported by receipts. Not meaning to stray to far off topic, however their are many businesses considered to be small businesses that indirectly and just as importantly support the generation of foreign exchange that need to provide more transparency for 1,000.00 injection that what I am gathering from the article here…

  20. Ready Done Avatar
    Ready Done

    Hi guys.
    I want to state that I know of small farmers that have been trying to get rebates for allot smaller sums of money, and they have very stringent procedures. That money would help a lot of farmers stay productive if only the government wanted to give it out.

    Thanks to government for doing something to keep people employed in these harsh times.

    But if a blog owner can spot these unusual trends, can’t someone with the authority to correct them see the misuse also? Does the government just give money away because your in the tourism sector? Doesent anyone check up on the spending of the money? Who is responsible for checking to see if the money gets spend on its intended uses? What was the intended use? Is the moneys to pay wages? Wouldent a more direct approach be better, paying the workers and not the hotel?

    Witch leads me to the question I really wanted to ask. I am doing some research on barbados governmental policies toward agriculture, past and present. Does anyone know what effect did st. Lucian born developmental economist, Sir Arthur lewis, noble prize winner and chief of caribean development bank, have on barbados, his view was basically that agriculture is unproductive so take the labor from there and put it in other sectors, I want to know of policies directly enacted by him and the effect they had on barbados.

    Or point me in the right direction.

  21. anthony Avatar
    anthony

    well according to the guidelines of the TIRF they were required to send in independent auditors report to support their claims. Getting a hand on those would solve alot of questions.

  22. The People's Democratic Congress Avatar
    The People’s Democratic Congress

    Given the lack of quality of some of the comments by some commenters under this thread, it is obvious that they are really and truly showing a great and unsettling naivety about TAXATION matters as it applies to the Government of Barbados continuing to wickedly steal millions upon millions of dollars of income on daily basis from the general income of the relevant people, businesses and other entities in this country.

    Moreso, all of them – at the time of our writing this commentary – have failed so far to write about the fact that it is clear that evil wicked TAXATION is helping to kill off substantial levels of activity in the sector that is supposed to be the most important productive sector in the country – the Tourism sector.

    And that the application of Western Financial methods ( like Barbadian hoteliers being forced to repay institutional productive loans ) has also been helping to do the same.

    This wretched DLP government’s continuing of the evil unproductive totalitarian process of stealing countless portions of income from the general income of the relevant people, businesses ( including hotels, restaurants, etc.) and some others, whereupon setting off massive material and financial problems within the productive and social sectors of this country, and then proceeding to set up welfare-like funds (like the said TIRF) is even worse than imposing this evil wicked TAXATION itself – very gigantically appaling.

    The fact of the matter too is that the Tourism Industry Relief Fund (TRIF) was never ever necessary.

    It was NOT ONLY unnecessary because of the fact that Government steals more income on an annnual basis from the tourism sector than the amount that was said to have capitalized the fund ( BDS $ 15 million ) ( what a sick stupid joke), BUT ALSO because of the fact that, like many other public and private sector managed funds, it was set up for primarily political reasons and purposes, and like many other of the same public and private sector managed funds too related to other sectors/sub-sectors, without the express cardinal purpose of remedying the fundamental causes of the particular problems faced by the particular institutions, sectors, people concerned in the tourism and ancillary services sub-sectors, and over which this Fund was so improperly unrationally set up.

    Indeed, what needs to be done in this country is the election of a PDC Government that will TOTALLY ABSOLUTELY ABOLISH TAXATION in Barbados, and that will TOTALLY ABSOLUTELY DEEMPHASIZE the practice of Western Finance in this country.

    The tourism sector and all other production and distribution sectors of Barbados need to be given the necessary incentives to produce and distribute far more than they are doing now, and need to be allowed far greater political financial space than they have now to develop and prosper far more than they are presently doing in this country – via the removal of TAXATION, INTEREST RATES, INSTITUTIONAL REPAYABLE PRODUCTIVE LOANS, etc.

    Where the closure of the Silver Sands Resort is concerned, it has been said that it was closed for financial reasons, and that it was sustaining huge money income losses in this localized economic depression – with close to 120 workers having to go home (businessbarbados.com).

    Where the tourism sector in Barbados and the wider Caricom region are concerned, according to Director and CEO of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association, Alec Sanguinetti, these tourism sectors are in serious trouble and not just because of the recession.

    Hence, in recently addressing hoteliers at the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association’s quarterly meeting at the Hilton Hotel, he was reported as pointing to Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) statistics that showed that, whereas tourist arrivals in 2000 stood at 20. 3 million, tourist arrivals in 2009 stood at 22.0 million.

    He was also reported as drawing reference to more statistics which showed that, whereas up to May this year 2010, hotels had an average occupancy rate of 58 % , in 2006 in May, the average occupancy rate was 70.3 per cent, and in 2007 in May, it was 64 per cent.

    With regard to construction related tourism projects, he was also reported to have used figures to show that, whereas in May 2009 there were 68 of them in the region, in 2010 there were only 24.

    Mr. Sanguinetti was reported too to have said that, whereas in 2009 there were 137 construction related tourism projects that were actively in the pipeline, in 2010 there were only 37 of them.

    He was cited as blaming these lower numbers on the red tape that is involved in the building of hotels, and was also reported as saying that hotel brands were hesitant about building hotels in the region for that very reason – red tape.

    The source of this information has been the Barbados Today 15/09/2010 Edition

    In closing, it is clear that the CEO of the CHTA has identified – beyond the adverse affects that are happening to Barbados tourism/regional tourism as a result of this localized regionalized recession, some long term underlying structural financial weaknesses and problems affecting tourism in Barbados and in the region, and has therefore had a negative view about tourism recovery in Barbados and the region.

    PDC

  23. WTF! Avatar
    WTF!

    I admit that the fact that Silver Sands Hotel was given funds from the TIRF and that the owners of the hotel recently shared in a purchase of a cabin cruiser looks a bit fishy.
    I also think that people are jumping to conclusions. Who’s to say, as someone else pointed out, that the TIRF was used to pay staff, promote the hotel in markets and go towards maintenance of the property (I recently visited there and the grounds were still being maintained and I saw gardeners and security).
    And who’s to say that the owners didn’t use there own money that they have saved and invested wisely over the years, or maybe gotten from the sale of land elsewhere in the island, to purchase the cabin cruiser.
    Without seeing financials for the hotel we cannot make an educated guess as to what has happened to the TIRF, and to make the leaps in assumption which David(?) has made in his article is paramount to slander in my opinion.

  24. Wuhloss! Avatar
    Wuhloss!

    While PDC does tend to go on ad nauseum it makes a valid point that governments in the caribbean do not really understand tourism and tax it the same as they would any other business that is not an export industry!
    What needs to be addressed urgently is how many more will close, what effect that will have on the airlift and how will the country get back to its best arrival numbers.
    Worrying that a family with the reputation like the ward’s would use the money to buy a boat is absurd and is typical at times like these to inject absurdity!

  25. Adrian Loveridge Avatar
    Adrian Loveridge

    David,

    I think that the BHTA would be able to give you a list for their members but I am not sure about the MOT and BTA.
    Some Intimate members are also members of the BHTA.
    I still strongly believe that a list of ALL those tourism partners that recieved TIRF monies and the amounts should be published.

    Sorry I cannot be more helpful.

  26. J Avatar
    J

    Ready Done asked “Witch leads me to the question I really wanted to ask. I am doing some research on barbados governmental policies toward agriculture, past and present. Does anyone know what effect did st. Lucian born developmental economist, Sir Arthur lewis, noble prize winner and chief of caribean development bank, have on barbados”

    You might check with the Caribbean Development Bak. They have a very good library and very competent librarians, and no doubt a keen interest in Lewis’ work.

  27. checkit-out Avatar
    checkit-out

    David;
    What about publishing the full list. It shouldn’t be too difficult, especially since you have arbitrarily chosen some names to publish. We can then get a better idea of how the moneys were distributed and perhaps get a better understanding of if BLP personages got the lion share or just a relatively small percentage of the fund?
    Anyone knows of the connections of the main players in the Silver Sands hotel? Also, without further information, it is somewhat unfair to read as much as has been implied onto the purchase of a boat by some apparent principals of the Silver Sands hotel.

  28. J Avatar
    J

    Adrian Loveridge wrote “I still strongly believe that a list of ALL those tourism partners that recieved TIRF monies and the amounts should be published”

    Dear David I STRONGLY agree with Adrian. If you have the whole list, publish the whole thing. Why are you being selective?

  29. anthony Avatar
    anthony

    @ david

    Has the ward family replied to the allegations ?

  30. checkit-out Avatar
    checkit-out

    David; What about redaction of the added notes that might betray confidentialities and publishing as pdf or jpeg files?

  31. what do you expect? Avatar
    what do you expect?

    Re David on September 29, 2010 at 10:14 AM
    who wroter “This is no time to be politically correct, if we have gotten it wrong we will apologize.”

    And this is exactly the reason for the criticisms of the blogs. You publish the gossip and the innuendo as fact and then MAYBE correct later. In actuality, misrepresentations are seldom retracted. Can you really expect to be considered to be a credible forum when there is no responsibility to be factual?

  32. what do you expect? Avatar
    what do you expect?

    I support the call for the full list of beneficiaries from the fund to be published.

  33. Bosun Avatar
    Bosun

    This comes as no surprise to me. Many of these Hotel Owners are the same people who squeezed the sugar industry dry, after receiving subsidy after subsidy and loans from the government,and fled, investing their money in hotels. Now the government and the taxpayers of this country has been kicked in the arse once more.
    I am still waiting to hear a report on the Old Garrison Barracks near TGI Fridays,can’t recall the name , that was given a lot of duty-free concessions to open up as a conference centre,only to be closed a few months after. Word was that this project was used as a ploy to refurbish a nearby hotel owned by the same people. We will never learn.

  34. anthony Avatar
    anthony

    @ david

    run the image through the ocr reader for any scanner software you have. that should help to extract data easier.

    sorry what I should of ask was did you email/call/talk to wards before you publish the article to get their side of the story and what was there response.

  35. what do you expect? Avatar
    what do you expect?

    You are playing games. Innuendo is your middle name. Character assassination is the life-blood of the blogs.

    Accept that the blogs are gossip rags that many enjoy reading but which really have no credibility.
    Source of entertainment – maybe. (Dependent on the reader’s character)
    Credible source of news and information- no.

    The gaps in the statements which are presented as information are wide enough to drive a 747 aeroplane through. The analysis of the circumstances is consistently appallingly weak; void of reasoning and logic.

    The blogs have failed in their attempt to present a balanced view that goes beyond that of the mainstream media because of the paucity of the analysis provided.

    Swiping at issues is not the same thing as presenting a reasoned and studied essay.

    It is for this reason that the blogs will continue to remain on the sidelines of the news and are unlikely to be considered to be trustworthy news sources.

    There is a very real difference between news and gossip.

  36. anthony Avatar
    anthony

    which edition david ?

  37. what do you expect? Avatar
    what do you expect?

    To David at 12:25pm

    These may or may not be FACTs. But are these so-called facts the whole story? That is the difference between truth and untruth.

    But please, don’t take my observations personally. And you certainly should not take them to heart. Barbados Free Press is no different from BU – it just has a slightly different slant.

    I routinely read both blogs and value them for what they are worth, which is not much.

    I was inspired to comment today because I had been waiting for an opportunity to do so ever since BU wrote its “story” complaining about the comments of the Commissioner of Police with respect to the blogs and their lack of responsibility. Blogs reserve the right to publish what pleases them in the manner that pleases them, yet complain when they are criticised. Curious and contradictory behaviour.

    Criticism will come with the territory. It must. And it is well earned. The glimmers of intelligent comment are rare, yet sufficiently valuable to ensure that the effort to read is not a futile exercise.

    So soldier on. And don’t mind me.
    I can’t wait to see what you all come up with next.

  38. what do you expect? Avatar
    what do you expect?

    A broad brush was very much appropriate. The Commissioner chose his tools very well. The broad brush, as you term it, is the favourite implement of use on BU.

    I am not at all confused. I am very much aware of who published what and who stayed away from THAT particular issue.

    Still, BU or BFP – six of one, half-dozen of the next. Neither can tell the other come back. (IMHO as you say)

    I remain amused. Unfortunately that handle was already taken.

  39. J Avatar
    J

    Bosun wrote “Many of these Hotel Owners are the same people who squeezed the sugar industry dry, after receiving subsidy after subsidy and loans from the government,and fled, investing their money in hotels. Now the government and the taxpayers of this country has been kicked in the arse once more.”

    Not the government man. The TAXPAYERS are the one who get the kicks.

    Same people who kick the taxpayers now kicked my grandmother then. She worked in the sugar industry from 6 to 86 and at the end of 80 years of hard work in the sun had an 18 x 10 chattle house with holes in the floor. And granny worked in the sugar industy whe it was highly, highly, highly profitable (FOR SOME PEOPLE). And no, she had NO bad habits, she did not drink, she did not smoke, she did not gamble and ain’t had no lotta children either. But 80 years of labour=a ramshakle chattel house.

    But she lived to be almost a 100, in other words she outlived her self indulgent oppressors by about 40 years. THEY could afford to eat, and drink, and smoke as much as they liked, and they never physically exerted their bodies. And most of them were dead long before three score and ten.

    God don’t like ugly.

  40. Black Cow Avatar
    Black Cow

    The owner of this blog gets a document with a FULL LIST of names.

    The owner of this blog selects a few of those names for publication and makes sure to include Miss Ram’s Casa Grande. Only because BU has a personal and racist vendetta against Miss Ram. Miss Ram is an INDIAN woman.

    Don’t ever expect to see Adrian Loveridge’s Peach and Quiet on that list. Adrian Loveridge is a WHITE man.

  41. anthony Avatar
    anthony

    Of course we don’t expect to see his name on the list as he said that he didn’t apply for any see here as for miss ram place that is expected. there doesn’t ever seem to be anyone actually there other than people going to the bowling/arcade. more shocking that miss ram being there is elegant hotel group and the cliff which i am trully shocked at.

    @ david

    article was on the 24 September page 29 . doesn’t seem malice to me as what he is saying has some truth as the printed press does do that.

  42. Capone Avatar
    Capone

    Publish the full list, I don’t care if I need a magnifying glass to read it. This list has me cruel as RH. I bussing my ASS to pay Bills and some of the names I see in this short list living a lifestyle that can now be explained.

  43. J Avatar
    J

    Black Cow wrote “The owner of this blog selects a few of those names for publication and makes sure to include Miss Ram’s Casa Grande. Only because BU has a personal and racist vendetta against Miss Ram. Miss Ram is an INDIAN woman.”

    And as for Adrian Loveridge not being on the list because he is a white man, don’t white men have interest in Elegant, the Cliff, Sandpiper etc.?

    Skeete, Best, Ward, Wilkinson, Weir are Indians too? To the best of my knowledge Ms. Ram is as Bajan as Skeete, Ward, Best, Wilkinson, Weir and the rest? She has certainly been Barbadian before most of them were born.

    Heck the only body not on that list is black women.

    So what’s your point Black Cow?

  44. The Scout Avatar
    The Scout

    It seems that these people are trying the same thing that the business people in U.S.A did to Obama; take the stimulus money and refused to plough it into the business but instead paid out big bonuses and still sent home staff. We have to plug this gap because it Silver Sands is allowed to get away with that, other businesses would follow.

  45. Barbados First Avatar
    Barbados First

    While we on this subject of government bail-outs, please do not forget the $20 Million write-off for the Barbados Turf Club. When it was suggested that dues be raised to cover operational costs, what was the majority of the horse owners’ response? What is the average winnings for an owner on race day versus the cost of upkeep and training of a horse? These majority of these people have deep pockets and often come to the government with their begging bowls under that old familiar guise of saving jobs with teh expectation that our hard earned taxpayers dollars will flow to them. Let us have some accountability and transparency.

  46. Ready Done Avatar
    Ready Done

    Thanks J.

  47. St. Georges Dragon Avatar
    St. Georges Dragon

    Government can claw back the money.
    The TIRF rules say:
    “4. Payments to applicants shall be subject to adjustment, audit and refund as maybe deemed necessary by the Ministry of Finance or its designate. In the event that the compensation to which an applicant is finally entitled is less than the amounts disbursed, the applicant shall be required to refund the overage.
    5. Applicants are directed to retain all books, records and other source and summary documentation supporting their claims for support from the Tourism lndustry Relief Fund.”

  48. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    @ David
    LOL
    You can always tell when you are on the right track…. you get new bloggers like “What do you expect?” coming with their lame apologist rhetoric bout ‘unfair comment’, incomplete facts, sub judice and other reasons to hide the truth, but the truth will set us all free.

    This is a classic example of how openness and transparency can be the true path to social justice.

    Bush Tea also agrees with your position of not compromising sources in your rush to ‘release all’. More important to have future possible sources feel confident that they can trust your judgment than to prove to some doubting Thomas that you have the ‘goods’….

    Perhaps we may not need to depend on Government to provide FOI and other transparency legislation if this kind of openness can be properly managed.

  49. anthony Avatar
    anthony

    if it failed copy to to paint and white out the notes to protect the confidentiality.

  50. Adrian Hinds Avatar
    Adrian Hinds

    Why are we surprise? Didn’t Richie Haynes lower corporation tax in exchange for sustained or increase employment, did the Bajan business people live up to their end of the Bargain? This group’s reputation should be well known.

    @David what document are you having difficulty digitizing? If you can bare the expense to fax it to 617-880-0142, It can can be in .pdf format in little time.

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