I agree with most of your points about the Nation newspaper. It is very negative towards Barbados. Most of the journalists along with the editors seem to be anti DLP.
The real news can be gathered on the internet and therefore no need to really buy a Nation or Advocate.
That being said the DLP cannot win the next election on the economy because things are tight although we are doing better than was expected.
A reality check has surface according to Barbados Today that the BLP can win the government with either Owen or Mia.
So please beg the DLP to introduce the promised Integrity and Freedom on Information legislation. Those DLP parliamentarians who are opposing it will find themselves out of parliament.
If they achieved this then they will get my vote and a lot of other people.

More political hogwash. Read the DLP manifesto. What did they promise BIM?!!??

All the people want is for them to deliver!

A bad Communications Strategy was partly responsible for the fall of Sandiford.

PM Stuart is a student of history, politician beware!

@David
You would have to be living on Mars to not think that the economy will cause the DLP much difficulty in being re-elected. We all understand that the global economy is the core reason for the poor economy in Barbados, but like elswhere where all current politicians are facing the same potential outcome, voters always feel the need to exercise their angst towards those in office. The sales clerk don’t set the price of products, but who gets cuss for high prices in the store?

No a bad economy cause Sandiford stumble, and he completely fell over with a push from his parliamentary collegues via a no confidence vote. I call this one correct on Facebook where I said that the DLP will have to fight like they had too in 2008, this time to be re-elected.

So I take it that according to the poll and Sanka Price, the middle class voters whose travel and entertainment allowances are now taxed, either prefer thousands of their fellow citizens to face unemployment if the fiscal deficit is to be reduced, or have concluded that a change in leadership would restore economic growth and government revenues to pre -recession levels.

I hope the latter is correct, and the spirit of joint sacrifice for a greater good is still alive.

Price has still not found it fit to revisit his position on the reforms to the Drug Service in light of the comments made by Prof. Henry Fraser. is he serious about analyzing issues or scoring points?

Interesting piece on Ratings Agencies

The European Commission has strongly criticised international credit ratings agencies following the downgrade of Portugal by Moody’s.

The Commission said the timing of the downgrade was “questionable” and raised the issue of the “appropriateness of behaviour” of the agencies in general.

Earlier, Greek Foreign Minister Stavros Lambridinis said the agencies’ actions in the debt crisis had been “madness”.

Ratings agencies have downgraded Greece and Portugal many times recently.

The three main agencies are Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s Investors Service and Fitch.

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble told a news conference that he wanted to “break the oligopoly of the ratings agencies” and limit their influence.
‘Speculation’

On Tuesday, Moody’s downgraded Portugal’s debt to “junk” status, citing worries that the country may need a second bail-out.

“The timing of Moody’s decision is not only questionable, but also based on absolutely hypothetical scenarios which are not in line at all with implementation,” said Commission spokesman Amadeu Altafaj.

“This is an unfortunate episode and it raises once more the issue of the appropriateness of behaviour of credit rating agencies.”

Commission President Manuel Barroso added that the move by Moody’s “added another speculative element to the situation”.

He also said it was strange that none of the ratings agencies were based in Europe.

“[This] shows there may be some bias in the markets when it comes to the evaluation of specific issues of Europe,” he said.
‘Self-fulfilling prophecy’

Earlier, Mr Lambridinis told a conference in Berlin that the agencies had exacerbated an already difficult situation.

He told the conference that Moody’s decision to downgrade Portugal’s rating was not based on any failure to implement economic reforms.

He said Moody’s made an “assumption that Portugal would need a second bail-out”, a move that had “the wonderful madness of self-fulfilling prophecy” – because it made it harder for Portugal to borrow to keep afloat.

Portugal’s downgrade has led to the yield on its 10-year bonds exceeding 11%. German 10-year bonds – deemed the safest in the eurozone – have a yield of about 3%.
Avoiding default

Greece and Portugal – with the Irish Republic – are the eurozone countries whose finances are so weak that they have received assistance from the European Union (EU) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Greece is currently in the process of negotiating a second bail-out. Rating agencies are watching this closely, as commercial lenders are discussing how they can contribute to the bail-out.

Later on Wednesday, senior executives from European lenders will hold a meeting to discuss how to agree repayment terms which would fulfil both their need for repayment and Greece’s need to access funds.

The agencies have voiced doubts that this can be done without them declaring that Greece has defaulted on its debts.

That would spark a round of write-downs of Greek debts held by state and commercial banks, potentially causing mayhem on the financial markets.

@spratt

Not at all but there is a difference between a leaning and being professional.

For example, BU household has ‘positions’ we hold but we try to be fair anyway.

Peter Wickham confirms a poll was done but challenges the conclusion of the Nation media house chalenges the conclusion of the Barbados Today Online media house.

I have great respect for Peter Wickham as a pollster.I disagree with many of his political views especially his views on immigration,however his opinion polls are usually accurate
It is a given fact that Christopher Sinckler is the prefer choice of leader for the Democratic Labour Party gauging from the results from the opinion poll held last year September by the said Peter Wickham.In that poll Prime Minister Freundel Stuart was not given much credit.
It must be admitted that Prime Minister Freundel Stuart has not done much since assuming the post of Prime minister to enhance his image.He continues to be laid back as a leader and we Barbadians prefer a more flamboyant type of leader.Freundel Stuart definitely does not fit into that image.However,within recent months and especially at his first CARICOM Summitt as Prime Minister,his performance was polished and he did us proud when he stood up to Trinidad & Jamaica.I think he did a fantastic job at that recently held summit
I do not have any information on the opinion poll done by Peter Wickham but I believe the data collected is being manipulated to convey the impression that the Barbados Labour Party is the prefer party Barbadians will vote for if an election is call now.I suspect that the Barbados Labour Party might have gain some ground hence the impression that the Barbados Labour Party is poise to regain power.
I am eagerly awaiting Peter Wickham analysis on the poll,.It should make interesting reading..
David & BU,I did not get the chance to listen to the 12.30 news on VOB,but I heard Peter Wickham responded to the article in the Barbados Today.I see you also indicated he made a response.
Is it possible that what Peter Wickham said can be summarise by you in a little bit more detail so as to give us an idea of what he actually said?

When it suits his purpose, Peter Wickham extrapolates polls using small samples to give them national significance, but claims that it can’t be done in this case. How convenient. It seems this issue is so critical that he is willing to put his credibility on the line.

I dare say he had no intention of publishing the results of this poll, and now that it has been leaked, he has to play Harbhajan, but I think he will find that this wicket aint taking spin.

What a hypocritical post by Peter W. Gilkes. Pray tell who the Advocate and CBC supports?

I don’t think a poll was needed to tell us that the current government will have to fight to retain the reigns of power given the current conditions. Next!!

In the late 1990s and up to this most recent recession barbados benefited from massive private capital inflows, mainly for real estate development. The recession has put a serious dent in these inflows. What it means is that foreign exchange reserves are now a constraint on domestic economic policy in a way they have not been for a while.

The policy options for a country with a fixed exchange rate are not the same as those for countries with floating rates or reserve currencies. be careful how we copy the debate on the impact of taxes and government spending from countries that have floating exchange rates and reserve currencies.

The Peter Wickham story is an interesting one.

It seems he has become the goto man for media houses in Barbados to comment on any and everything under the rising sun.

Some believe his mouthings and polls maybe influencing the landscape.

POOP-AT-SEA
What a funny man you are, posting this DLP “Mount Stinkeroo” garbage
about Liz Thompson! If you think your piece is funny, what about this: You speak of the Decaffeinated One, but more importantly, what about Barbados’s largest ever green-verb, Mr. Malapropism buffoon, better known as the “DECAPITATED ONE?”

That’s how he used to tell his office maid to bring his coffee: “DECAPITATED”.

And the BUFFOON wasn’t caught at the Photocopier. He was caught at the shredder, hurriedly destroying all those important documents that he and the dear departed one signed, and could not be found by the oversight committee.

Of course he kept the big one (only God knows why) that the court and the defendant’s lawyer even now cannot find, and that is the CONTRACT FOR THE TEN MILLION DOLLAR BONUS, prepared by the dearly departed one, signed by both of them ……. imagine …. a contract for a BOGUS BONUS OF TEN MILLION DOLLARS …. monies demanded years down the road AFTER the so-called signing, for a miserably failing performance PLUS PLUNDERING, resulting in his policy holders and annuity plan holders inability to get a single cent of their hard earned invested money.

@Tarained Economist

I agree with your reasoning. I am not an economist, but understand development issues. I argue that point with one JosquIn Despperez(desperate).

People who walk about talking bout eocnomics like if they know. What a load of crap. If 75c out of every dollar is spent overseas then how do you justify hiring alot of people to do non-work. They ain spending the same money that leaking foreign exchange. DLP ha sno sense and their advisers seem to be idiots or ar enot being listened to. You do not tax your middle class to death, so the business could keep employing people then gov’t would not have to be hiring thousands of people. To stop foreign exchange leakage you tax unnecessary items to discourage purchase and loss of foreign exchange or block importation altogether. Ease tax on essentials so everybody can eat. DLP has been on a spending spree to prop up their political chances at the expense of the economy, hiring gone mad, camps, busfares, councils. This self-serving drivel about being commended by Courtney Blackman, the man as good as said they are bungling idiots but he will not it criticise them.

Now I miss the thing on the poll, and I do not trust Wickham or his polls. It could say good or bad, he is not a trustworthy or professional person. I have listened to political spin he puts on his polls to shape the opinion not report the opinion. It does not take a genuis to read that Bajans are disillusionned and will pitch out htis gov’t. The only thing I noted recently is that Wickham talking everything but local politics and hinted that this is a one time gov’t. People shame, the media people who got into bed with the Dems to try to shape public opinon instead of doing their job. Embarrassed and always got to apologise and excuse this gov’t and paint BLP black or Arthus some other colour or try to stir the controversy between Arthur and Mottley. That bugs me as much as others promoting the BLP. Just report the facts without trying to hoodwink people. Sad, sad thing in a country that professionals take sides.

I don’t see any related info regarding the proposed 92 million medical facilities at the old St. Joseph Hospital. However, I have a fundamental concern regarding the funding of this project, the participation of Government and the statement from AWC regarding the freedom of tax treaty, problems associate with the US government Health Care system, administrative hassles, less government interference, less liability, tax advantages, and the ability to make nuff money in Barbados. Now I am asking, what about the existing health care facilities like the Sparman Clinic, Bayview Hospital and even our own QEH? David, let’s here your views on this AWC that has been in operation from only February 2011.
Please check the below sites for more information
http://www.thirdevo.com/awc_facts.htm
http://www.thirdevo.com/awc_main.htm
http://www.awc.sonetwork.co.uk/medical-practice/business-model

trined economist, i find your eferences to ‘policy choices’ in your comments quite interesting and in this regard i would like to share aspects of the international monetary fund report no 9/291 of september 2009 on barbados. the report recognises the difficulties faced by the barbados economy as a result of theglobal recession but notes that ‘the authorities are reluctant to tighten fiscal policy on the grounds this would deepen the recession and weaken confidence and are confident that they can secure foreign financing to cover the budget shortfall and stabilize reserves’. the I.M.F MISSION recommended early tightening of the FISCAL STANCE within a credible MEDIUM MID-TERM FISCAL CONSOLIDATION framework.THE MISSION encouraged the AUTHORITIES to aim for a lower FISCAL DEFICIT in the FINANCIAL YEAR 2009/2010 BY trimming the fat(my words)of such entities as the TRANSPORT BOARD and the B.A.M.C among other things given the uncertainties about the strength of the global recovery.The Mission supported the efforts of the AUTHORITIES to intensify its engagement with multilateral institutions but noted that some uncertainty persists with respect to to the financing of 5the FISCAL DEFICIT next year.THE MISSION also noted that there was a risk that under current policies, PUBLIC DEBT would gradually grow to unsustainable levels. page 14 of the report makes interesting reading. in looking at the barbados economic performance in a REGIONAL context BETWEEN 2004-2009, it notes’ like other Caribbean countries,Barbados has been buffeted byb the Global crisis and tourism arrivals which experienced slow growth over the last five years has contracted sharply so far in 2009.barbados’ position has deteriorated significantly even compared to its neighbours further exacerbating an already dificult public debt situation.( please also note that public spending rose by 9.1% during the first quarter of 2009) and this was in a recessionary period. choices, choices

thank you david, i was not aware. i was only providing information with a view of showing that our problems were not strictly the global recession but about policy choices as trained economist indicated.do not for one moment believe that my comments placces the level of public debt at the door of the dlp alone. not at all. as much as i give mr arthur credit for his overall handling bof the economy between2004-2009; expenditure on such non-productive ventures as greenland , kensington and the carteblanche permission to the BTA to borrow as they like do contribute to our fis cal problems to which the present administration seems to have no answer.

@balance

this is true but by the mouthings of the opposition it shows itself as a credible government in waiting.

And the knowledge that they will resume the wholesale theft and corruption once they were returned to power ?
Arthur and Mottley are only in it to enhance their bank accounts and corrupt the morals of society, Mottley with her Gay and LESBIAN THEME and Arthur with children arriving from nowhere even while married to Beverley.
TWO CORRUPT AND RUDDERLESS AND MORALESS BEAST.