I do agree with you 100% Mr. Brathwaite. To gain the people’s votes you should present an outline of what you have in mind to help give them a better quality of life; What who did, or didn’t do isn’t what’s going to make anything better. I feel that all people who are seeking office needs to understand, that they will be working for the people, and should keep the people in the forefront when it comes to making choices that they the people will have to live with even when that person, or persons are no longer in office; Barbadians let’s be first to show the other islands that we can get things done the right way without all the other mess and BS. Time for change is **NOW**; Let the world see that we know what we are doing;

It is indeed disappointing to listen to the campaigns of both political parties. This is at a time when the economy of Barbados is experiencing challenges like never before in our history. What does this say? The irony is that both parties are being led by ‘elder’ politician.Congrats to David Commisong for going public by voicing his criticism.

This has been one of the most unpleasant by-election campaigns I can recall. It is my prayer that the candidates and others speaking on their behalf on the platforms get away from cussing out each other, stay focused on doing what’s best for the people of St. John and keep their word. It’s time for us to move from the era of “gutter politics”.

I agree with you George.

Isn’t Mara wonderful?

See her here:

Time is running and passing and I need to establish my legacy. It is a right, not a privilege and I don’t care if it is achieved for the wrong reasons. Furthermore, I will deport all Guyanese, Caribbean, English, American and other foreigners even if they are married or cohabiting with Bajans.
My ears are closed to arguments that these people contribute to all aspects of the island’s economy and constitutionally can sit in Parliament.
I will cleanse this island of all things foreign – stop tourism, curtail the importation of food, goods and services from beyond our shores. We are self sufficient and even though the world and his wife would like to be our friend we don’t want to have anything to do with them.
In the unlikely event that electors give our son of the soil the nod on Thursday, I will introduce this edict on the morning of 21 January 2011.
Mind you, if a major disaster should hit Barbados remember to hold hands and jump in the Atlantic Ocean for that will be our only ally or saviour. With a literacy rate of 98 per cent, these foreigners – the scourge of our lives – must be regaling in the fact that we have systematically excluded the voices of sanity from rational thought.

@Jenny M
You wrote: “The Dems are doing more bashing and cursing than the Bees.”
That is exactly my point. There are so many issues to be discussed that relate to the economy and society; too many issues that barbadians need elucidation on for the politicians from both sides to bamboozle the people with bullsh**.
In any event, you do not have to defend Owen or the BLP. I remain a member but I will not accede to what I think is not progressive.
Finally, I remain more engaged with what occurs, is said or written in Barbados, than you may think. Nonetheless, I do take your point that the full text of anything may change the context. May I remind you that at the end of the day, perception is very much part and parcel of politics.

Jenny M re. your post of January 13, 2011 at 7:52 PM;

That is the fairest comment I’ve seen so far on the BLP campaign. I’ve only just listened to Owen’s College Bottom speech that is producing all the negative comments and you are dead on target. The speech was a good one that only tangentially mentioned Mara and dwelt on the issues. It did’nt even mention the Polyclinic.

I think all of us should listen to the whole speeches, on both sides, before commenting. WE might find that we are being taken in by the spinners on both sides.

From what I have seen Mr. Arthur is overshadowing his candidate. Does he even spend 5 mins endorsing him in his speeches? But that is not my point. I can’t remember hearing Hudson Griffith attacking Mara Thompson’s St. Lucian origins. Generally the BLP camp has taken us from the polyclinic, to representation, to Mrs. Thompson’s origins, to breadfruit and cow heel soup, to national issues. This is the same lack of focus that caused them the government in 2008. I suspect it is due to Mr. Arthur not sticking to the script of the campaign manager and team. Just a guess because it could actually be a plan to appear unfocused until the last minute.

So anybody knows who the gov’t official that the article in today’s Nation refers to. Apparently the official’s 10-year-old child took to school a bullet and it was reported to the police. Now certain police records pertaining to that incident is missing.

http://www.nationnews.com/articles/view/pages-probe/

@Chris

I suppose that is how things are done in a professionally run law enforcement dept., but bout here is a different story. Even at the courthouse and immigration office they lose and misplace important files and documentation whether deliberate or accidental.

@BU.David…

Your “studs” just came on me because I posted on another topic.

BU.David: Is there any chance you might keep your studs from coming on me?

I think a lot of people missed the point on this whole nationality issue.

From what I gleaned from the BLP platform, they took issue with the DLP and their St John supporters declaring Mara as the queen. Maybe, for the Dems, it was a silly thing to do knowing how raw Bajans’ nerves are when it comes to those from outside.

But wait, weren’t these Dems, the same Dems who now declare Mara to be their queen, the same ones who demonised the Guyanese and whom Mara’s husband kicked most of them out of Barbados? Where was the compassion and CSME love when the Guyanese were singled out to be bundled out of Barbados at 2 and 3 o’clock in the morning having to leave all their possessions behind?

You know the Dems can get away with anything in Barbados, I dont know why the Bajan public holds them to a different standard than the Bees.

The more the Dems focus on this issue, the less time they have to defend their stewardship. I want to hear the Dems account for:
1. The Clico mess
2. The mess at the QEH
3. The confusion with the UWI
4. The high cost of living and dont insult my intelligence by highlighting 3 or 4 items, the cost of living did not start to go up in Dec and if the DLP knew this, why increase the VAT? Dont make sense.
5. Tell the people how much money is being spent on the highway, where are the contracts and who is getting them? The higgest bidders?
6. Explain why Freundel only has a ministry a dying PM held, what does he do all day long?
7. Explain the Coverley land give away.

Barbados seems to be on hold, one cannot point to any thing that is going on. There are some ministers you don’t hear from like George Hutson, what does he do?

Each night if I were the BLP, I would highlight the mess this country is in and let the Dems keep noise. But wait, how in all good conscience could David Estwick defend Mara after the cussing he put down on DT even on DT’s dying bed? He should know that Mara is just like her husband.

@check-it-out,

we know that the spin doctor is the sane one who fell short of saying he had a heart attack and on pun the platform every night jumping bout like a chicken.

My problem with Mara is, will we see her speaking from speeches prepared for her all the time, or does she have an independent thought.

as for Griffith, his inflections are a too bit low- keyed for me

Sent by DLP people obviously:

Next stop on the Mara Thompson campaign trail – a relaxing cultural extravaganza on the Bay, Martin’s Bay. Bring out the family for this entertaining and informative event. Relax to the sound of the breaking waves and the and enjoy some of Barbados’ best entertainers.
When:
Saturday, 15th January 2011

While you are there, enjoy the Laff it off Promo compliments the other candidate and clown in the election.

How Hudson Griffith Views The St. John People –

Owens Rage 2 –

Mr. Impolite Owen Arthur –

Mr.Brathwaite
As a friend of Owen Arthur could you please speak to him about how he is perceived by Barbadian school children? Since he is on television and now on YouTube so regular because of the bye election they are saying he always behaving like he is drunk.

David re. your post of Jan 14, 2011 at 4:20 PM;

I have’nt been to any political meetings over the last 2 campaigns and I haven’t seen Barney Lynch’s speech on the web. Grateful if you could point me (us) to where I (we) can see it on the web.

David;
I found this one by Noel Lynch on Bajan Reporter
http://bajanreporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Absolut-Lynch.mp3

This probably wasn’t the one you were referring to.

@checkit-out

That was not the clip but have you noticed how turned-off many have become at the political campaigns being mounted by both parties? BU as an example has not felt inclined to blog about the St. John by-election to any great degree.

@ david

Be naive not!!! There will never be a discussion, as one person noted above–the DavidLP got Bajans in a trance. How many people are willing to admit that this government has been poor so far? Apart from telling us how many forex we have, what other positive stats the governor of central bank announces? Imagine if the Bees did really leave a mess, our ass would be grass by now!!!

This DLP Government is NOT A GOOD GOVERNMENT
Ask the Question and you would get an answer from all right thinking BJs (Bajans) that is similar to the one below.
What Is A Good Government?
——————————————–
NOT THE DLP GOVERNMENT

The DLP is the worse (WORST) Government in the history of BARBADOS.

TALK ABOUT GOOD
THERE IS NO GOOD IN THE DLP that we can see.

The DLP has always operated on lies LIES lies LIES–however you look at it
LIES and liitle substance. One of the bad things about when one man dominates an institution to extent that the Right Excellent Errol Walton Barrow dominated the DLP is that in his absence, the institution loses its soul. The DLP lost its soul in 1987 and subsequent events confirmed this..

The demise of Richie Haynes and the fragmentation in the DLP since that time has rendered the DLP illegitimate in refernce to the ideals of the founding fathers and the legacy of its dominant figure head. Richie’s demise ? (this is where and when the rot really started)

Every thing since then has suggested that the DLP should really in all fairness disband.
The lastest act of running Mara Thompson in St.John smells bad; it smells stink. (That is my way of putting it)

Inasmuch as it might please Hartley Henry and his crowd , one can sense a similar feeling to what has transpired before with regards to the former representative for St. John and his clamour for the position he eventually attained.

KISSMYA predicted what eventually happened to that representative and I am saying now without trying to explain what it means that the situation here with Mara Thompson running in St.John smells “STINK”

It smells “STINK”
It smells “STINK”
It smells “STINK”
and I really dont know what that means

David, You said at 10.21 a.m.
” have you noticed how turned-off many have become at the political campaigns being mounted by both parties?”

Yes! and I think it is a sorry state of affairs. Not from the standpoint of the gutter type attacks by the parties on each other, as I think that is merely traditional politics dating from cave man days, but because it allows the party with the best spin machine, more attractive campaign, more money to spend, and perhaps speakers with the best delivery, to win irrespective of whether or not the “facts” spouted can stand up to in depth scrutiny (The Americans would say fact checked) or the preferred party is objectively the best to lead at any particular juncture. This is true for every country that practices any variant of westminster politics, including the USA.

So yes, I think there are several people turned off of politics because of the general nature of politics and a few more turned off because of the specific nature of the current campaign as publicised and spun, primarily by HH, but with other media practitioners being involved in the dirt and misrepresentations as well.

Do you really think that it matters to many people outside of St John, if the BLP speakers say ill or are inputed to say ill about Mara. In St John it matters but there willprobably be other concerns that matter to them that have not been spun significantly yet and that may have some impact on the election.

The result of this is that we may reach the sorry stage where only the yardfowl on either side bother to vote, supplemented by a few people in the middle who try to get a valid, balanced picture of the relative strengths and weaknesses of the protagonists.

The portents of this bye election do not seem to be good for the BLP at this juncture (based on the relative severity of the expected loss). I think they will have to revise their strategies to stand a chance of being competitive when the General elections are called.

If David Thompson had a so-called St. John Development Plan, and given that the DLP’s candidate wants to be elected simply to continue his legacy – then why is that candidate said to be bringing yet another ‘Thompson Development Plan?’ What happened to the first one!
Secondly! Why new plans for the youth of St. John when there is already a ‘DLP Youth Manifesto?’

And if this candidate now has a new ‘Thompson St. John Development Plan’ for the same St. John Constituency, when the first one is yet to be implement, does this new ‘Thompson St. John Development Plan’ mean that the old ‘Thompson St. John Development Plan’ was pure crap? How then can anyone justify the allegation that there could be a David Thompson legacy?

Is that so-called legacy in St. John, which shows no signs of development or is it at the national level? And how could it be nationally when the manufacture economic crisis within the Barbados economy started under David Thompson’s watch with his 77% increase in the price of diesel and other inflationary fiscal polices, which were compounded by bad decision and poor judgment that have resulted in a $538 million deficit and over 10,300 being placed on the breadline by the DLP since 2007, which is far more than the 4,000 the DLP caused to lose their jobs between 1991-1994?

Since the first ‘Thompson St. John Development Plan’ did not work, even after 23 years, what guarantees are there that this one could, especially given that David Thompson was Leader of the Opposition, Prime Minister of Barbados and Minister of Finance? Already the DLP is borrowing to pay bills (domestic consumption and not to build productive capacity) with things getting worse daily and will continue to do so because Barbados is saddled with this government it cannot afford?

It is known that Owen like his “see-through” but few people knew that David was a strong Vodka drinker. These little things means little to me, I judge persons by their tenure of office,

Enuff re. your post of Jan 15, 2011 at 2:32 PM;

Reading back the post, which was a hurried one as I had to drop someone to an appointment, I agree with you that the arguments in the main body of the post do not entirely mesh with what I wrote in the final paragraph.

Essentially, what I was trying to get across was that I feel that the mouthings by both BLP and DLP in this bye election campaign are par for the course and no more egregious than various things said in previous campaigns. What makes them seem so bad is the current wellspring of sympathy for the late David Thompson, the vigour of the pushback by the DLP to hide a number of inadequacies in the DT legacy, an attempt to mask the moves being made for the development of a dynasty and an inability to show any real developmental progress in the last 3 years or reliable promise of such (outside tourism) in the next 2.

On the BLP side I sense a frustration because of an apparent inability to connect with the electorate on several matters that should be of concern to the country and a realisation that the aspect of their strategy that targeted Mara’s ascendancy to the “throne” does not appear to be working well at this time.

The Mara issue, at the present time, is merely a parochial one, but it has the distinct potential to take on significant national importance if other moves towards a dynasty, such as an early ministerial appointment and provision of a seat for Mara to oversee everything the Cabinet is doing in detail, and thereby to put into flesh the feeling that DT is still ruling the DLP and Barbados from the grave by not allowing the current cabinet to make decisions in the absence of e.g. someone involved in the CLICO situation. Indeed, Mara has to be given a cabinet position to ensure that the Thompson legacy lives on. A mere seat in the House of Assembly will not cut it.

Given the above, if Mara wins with an increased plurality, the BLP will have to modify their strategy to more frontally, but delicately attack Mara and the so called Thompson legacy in the general election campaign whenever one is called.

Checkit=out
I know nothing about Stuart except that he was dropped by the voters in St Philip because of his aloft appearance and behaviour. I see he, now wearing a ring on his “marriage” finger, just hope this is for real and that he’s not sleeping in Illaro Court alone. Campaigning is such sport, i heard he referred to Owen as a lonely man. Is it that we have two lonely leaders facing off against each other? ” lonely, I’m Mr lonely, I have nobody to call my own”, I’m just a lonely man, lonely a blue, I’m all alone with nothing to do”, I don’t like to sleep alone, our leaders in trouble, when you’re lonely you can’t think straight.