The government delivered the much anticipated Financial and Budgetary Proposal for 2011. The unprecedented financial support to the cultural industry in the amount of 50 millions dollars financed over fiver years, and the commitment to integrating an alternative energy solution are the notable deliverables. We are told it is a tax free budget. Read full…
The government delivered the much anticipated Financial and Budgetary Proposal for 2011. The unprecedented financial support to the cultural industry in the amount of 50 millions dollars financed over fiver years, and the commitment to integrating an alternative energy solution are the notable deliverables.
We are told it is a tax free budget.
Leader of the Opposition Owen Arthur gave a more spirited reply when compared to last budget but he had to spoil it close to the end by pulling the immigration card and his continued promulgation that if Barbados is to develop it must invest its land to ensure its highest economic return.
I plan on starting a NP VOTE campaign for the next general election, who wid me? I plan on printing T-Shits and news letters, the works. The goal of course would be to drop the turn out to below ten percent of the overall population. That should say something …!
David wrote, “it must invest its land to ensure its highest economic return.”
Exactly what does that mean?
Develop Agriculture and build greenhouses and fish farms all owned by Bajans?
Why is it that these ministers do not address the areas of responsiblity during the budget presentation. Donot they know that we are tired of this attack process that they use year after year.
Richard Sealy a young man with great potential just wastage a grand opportunity to account for his stewardship with a wishy washy presentation are hardly any thing said about tourism.
I remember fondly his debate against Dame Bille Millar leading upto the 2003 elections he was well prepared i wonder what has happened since then. Is it a case of extreme lasiness that he cannot do his homework and
come to these debates prepared?
Dennis Kellman – Mr faithful not a word said about his portfolio commerce. You guys need to step up your game .
@BAFBFP: “The goal of course would be to drop the turn out to below ten percent of the overall population. That should say something …!
Yeah. It would say you’re stupid.
Do not try to discourage voting; try to encourage true debate amongst the electorate, and high voter turnout….
@Watching
Could not agree with you more:
Minister Sealy – F
Minister Kellman – F
@ david
Did he not say highest SOCIAL & ECONOMIC return? Further, is the redevelopment of the Scotland District (raised four straight Budgets now by the Opposition) not a credible land use argument that promotes agriculture and food security and shows there is balance to his position?
Is the construction of a cultural centre on the only open green space/playing field for the residents of Deacons/Brandons good land use policy? Does it enhance/fit the character of the area? What impact would it have on the views/amenity of Deacons Farm and their usual access to the beach? Parking and site access? What is the existing land use for that parcel of land? If it is open space would the construction of a cultural centre not indicate “flexibility in land use policy”?
David when Arthur spoke about investing land for highest ecomonic value this evening was he what speaking about the development of the Scotland District ?
sorry should be “not speaking”
@ Enuff
Why put another culture centre in North-West when the greatly under used Errol Barrow Centre for Creative Imagination is partically a stones’ throw away?
@Watching
It was not clear to BU, he stressed that a country as small as Barbados cannot afford to have 1/7 of its land not fully utilized.
He made the corollary point that agriculture in Barbados will never be a profitable enterprise unless crops are niche or meaning to that effect.
David,Yes he did but he also said that an extensive survey was done and they sought the advice of the FAO to determine which areas of the scotland District are best suited the planting of fruits, vegetables which areas should remain as forest among other things. ,
@ watchin
I agree, but I was trying to left out the politics. Apart from it being in SMNW too, I am not so sure that site can accommodate the type of facility needed. I get the impression we need a facility that can host large productions with elaborate stage sets etc
David wrote “He made the corollary point that agriculture in Barbados will never be a profitable enterprise unless crops are niche.”
The day will soon come when Bajans will appreciate the value of investing in Agriculture.
I am not being political here I just notice the proximity of the two sites. Was not too clear where the proposed site will be just know that it was to some where in the minister’s constitutency. The Centre at UWI I believe can hold quite large productions. The ideal site was at Sir Lloyd Centre was converted to a car park which Sir Lloyd himself express disgust at . What were they thinking ? What income can the car park generate?
Sorry Halsall
A choice between six of one and half dozen of the other is not choice at all. TO believe that their is actually a choice is stupid. I say debate yes, but DO NOT VOTE fah shite …!
The site may very well be a watercourse too
If the rest of government MPs debate like Kellman and Sealy I will have to vote for the BLP, regardless of what Arthur said!
@BAFBFP: “TO believe that their is actually a choice is stupid. I say debate yes, but DO NOT VOTE fah shite …!
But to not vote can be read simply as apathy; and still one of two will be elected…
Perhaps serious players would try to find a third place where their votes would have meaning….
I am trying to find the focus on revenue raising in the budget that Dr. Francis speaks to. Can someone please point it out to me?
Is Francis suggesting that we can cut expenditure to get the deficit below the 5.6% Sinckler says he is targeting without plunging the country into an even deeper recession?
What are the economy stimulating measures that would not drain foreign exchange? Francis’ critique would be stronger if he could point out some.
C H
BAFBFP is right, there are a number of disgruntled DLP supporters who are trying to encourage voters to stay away from the poles. It appear the DLP realise they are losing the next general elections if things are not turned around soon in Barbados. Right now, it is not possible for that to happen, I was saying for a long time the DLP has to come clean with bajans, that’s their only hope of winning the next election. Owen Arthur was stinging this evening, the general elections is going to be hot hot hot.
It seems that Mr. Arthur cannot give up his nonsense about using land to ensure its highest economic return, Tonight, he made some silly comparison between Bermuda and Barbados which should not be taken seriously. He stated that Bermuda has a higher percentage of its land in golf courses than Barbados in order to justify his position.
He must be aware that Bermuda does not use ground water as a source of drinking water. They import water and capture rain water for domestic use. Barbados use ground water and the chemical fertilizers used to maintain golf courses find their way into the water supply. If Arthur gets his way, we would have some very beautiful golf courses and a population being slow-poisoned by chemical fertilizers.
He went on to say that agriculture was not profitable even when labour was free, plantations were going bankrupt then. That is a very simplistic analysis. I subscribe to a school of thought that slavery was only abolished because it was cheaper to pay wages than to feed the slave population. To illustrate that position, the following quote is taken from an article written in 2002 by the late Tim Hector:
This is what Otto Baijer told his fellow planters and Governor Ross in the Assembly on September 11, 1833 when the Antiguan planters were persuaded by him to adopt full and immediate abolition of all slaves, without apprenticeship.
Said S. Otto Baijer:
“Gentlemen my previous sentiments on this subject [Emancipation of slaves] are well known to you all: be not surprised to learn that they have undergone an entire change. I have not altered my views without mature deliberation. For several days past, I have been making calculations with regard to the probable results of emancipation and I have ascertained, beyond a doubt, that I can cultivate my estate at least one third cheaper by free labour, than by slave labour.”
Mr. Arthur is therefore starting his argument from a false premiss. Barbados needs food security which cannot be obtained if we depend on food importation.
The once middle class in Barbados is now living from pay cheque to pay cheque and fibding it hard to survive. I checked on the possibility of installing a solar system for a simple three bedroom, two bathroom house at BIMEX and was given a quote of around bds $ 15,000.00 to $ 20,000.00. Can the average bajan afford that?
Owen Arthur is the onluy politician who gets an A for his presentation.
The others were woefully inadequate. Can anyone really pin down what was the main point of this Budget. It really does not change anything. It was simply a budget to set up an election environment fo rthe elections next year. a waste of time……
Actually Scout I am NOT right.
If it does happen that DLP supporters would rather not vote than to vote for the opposition, God damn it, it would make things far too easy for the committed BLP crowd. I am neither a DEM nor a B, but lemme tell you, the likes of Arthur, Payne and Marshall disgust me to the core …!
Where else in the world would these woefully inadequate ill-prepared boring persons would have been elected to serve a country as representatives. I am very disappointed at these presentations heard in parliament. When these persons go overseas to represent us what impressions do they leave with those that they dialogue. We are wasting money on education because if this the best that we can do for representatives we are up a creek. They not know how to formulate an argument cannot speak properly the intonation poor in other words as Mr Arthur said come time ago they are” poor rakey”. The only presentation that I could follow was Mr Arthur’s whether you like him or not his presentations was well thought out. This tells me that they do not read nor do homework. SAD!!!
The insincerety of this present Government boggles my mind, and it causes me very much to doubt their calls for bi-partisanship. At a time when our country begs desparately for leadership and solutions, and the government is almost pleading for the Opposition to join something called “Team Barbados”, the Finance Minister very early in his presentation, unleashes a lengthy personal attack upon the Leader of The Opposition.
I just heard Minister Stephen Lashley speak glowingly of The World Heritage Designation for Bridgetown, which was just achieved after many years of preliminary work, hard work, that had to be initiated and sustained by the last government under the leadership of persons like Dame Billie Miller, Mia Mottley and Barbados Museum personel.
In view of that necessary process, I thought the decent thing to do would have been to at least acknowledge the sterling policy contribution of the BLP and those persons mentioned above.
INSTEAD, Stephen Lashley hogs the thing and clearly gives the impression that STEPHEN LASHLEY achieved the designation on his own! How arrogant can one man be? LASHLEY even stated that the designation was achieved even though the BLP HAD DESTROYED KENSINGTON OVAL! Does anybody understand this foolishness?
It has become boring, boring, to continually hear from government speakers that the BLP did nothing in its 14 years tenure, especially when the evidence to the contrary is glaringly obvious.
The opposition’s main spokespersons seem to be arguing that Transfer and subsidies and other expenditures need to be cut drastically to address the fiscal crisis as they put it.
What programs would they like to see cut or curtailed (other than tghe ones introduced by the new govt). I have been struck by the loud critique opf any adjustments to social programs.
The most disappointing thing about S Lashley is that he is a graduate of Messiah Street High, and not Crumpton Street or Waterford High as you would expect from his effeminate demeanor. What a twit. Look, two parties, six and half dozen …!
mr franklyn sometimes it is my impressiom that you allow your obvious dislike and bias for mr arthur and miss mottley to cloud your otherwise insightful presentations on this forum. you claim not to be politically affialiated and i consider you to be sort of a maverick which allows you to speak as you see it; but somehow i do detect some bitterness in your presentations when you refer the two persons.
Watching | August 17, 2011 at 11:19 PM |
… because people that can do better hide and make their contributions here and other similar places – why not come forward and offer yourself?
@ Caswell
“It seems that Mr. Arthur cannot give up his nonsense about using land to ensure its highest economic return, Tonight, he made some silly comparison between Bermuda and Barbados which should not be taken seriously. He stated that Bermuda has a higher percentage of its land in golf courses than Barbados in order to justify his position.”
___________________________________________
The comment did justify his argument, which was NOT that Barbados ought to build golf courses like Bermuda BUT (like Bermuda) should have a land use policy that recognises its physical potential/constraints and allocates the resource the best way possible to supports its social and economic development.
@enuff
Arthur’s comment must be also taken based on the land use policy of the government he led for 14 years.
Here is a comment on Facebook Minister of Education Ronald Jones should address in the context of the high subvention given to the UWI, Cave Hill:
~ Why advertise a new Masters program, accept students and then you don’t have your shit together? In 2011 UWI needs to come better than this!!!! It was easier to apply and be accepted to a University in London – with a student advisor at my disposal than to be right here in B’dos and these people behave as though UWI was opened yesterday! I don’t think I even want to be a student there anymore!!!
Dr. Francis and Mr. Mascoll both seem to be arguing that Barbados is in a fiscal crisis not an economic crisis.
For a lay person like me it would be useful if they could spell out what they mean by an economic crisis as opposed to a fiscal crisis.
I have other questions. Does solving the fiscal crisis mean that an economic crisis will be avoided? Does a fiscal crisis inevtiably lead to an economic crisis? Is a fiscal crisis a lesser or gerater evil than an economic crisis? Can solving the fiscal crisis trigger an economic crisis?
I read Dr. Francis’ comments this morning. He said to solve the fiscal crisis expenditure should be cut to be in line with revenue. He then said that the major expenditures are salaries and wages and transfers and subsidies (cost of social services such as uwi, qeh etc.).
It seems to me that cuts in these in line with revenues will mean layoffs in the public sector. If there are public sector layoffs I suspect that private sector players who have been holding the line of employment may well take this as licence to do their own layoffs. Cuts in transfers and subsidies to my layman mind would also mean layoffs and curtailing of social services.
A fiscal crisis is certainly unpleasant, but so is the above scenario. Why is the latter a lesser evil?
If enough persons are laid off and services cut will this trigger an “economic crisis?”
At a personal level, it is not at all clear to me why its a greater evil to ask me to pay a higher VAT rate and keep me employed with most of my services intact, than to lay me off and reduce services.
My common sense tells me that this is not sustainable indefinitely, but its not all clear why you should not hold out for as long as you can.
By the way my son’s salary is paid from a “transfer and subsidy,” and he tells me their budget has been cut by 25%.
@ david
Did that policy injure or benefit our social and economic well-being? The change of use from agriculture to other uses is nothing new in Barbados as land use policy is not static but dynamic. Again I ask what percentage of new tourism ventures were either developed on new sites and or former agricultural lands?
As a champion of food security what is your take on the continued refusal of the government to do anything to the Scotland District but willing to build another cultural centre?
@enuff
Don’t know enough about the technology required to develop the Scotland District. Bit of a cynic when it comes to developing the area.
I wonder if those calling for drastic expenditure cuts have looked at the United Kingdom recently?
Was there any connection between the riots and the budgets that were brought in the UK recently?
Have the savings from the cuts for this year been eaten up by the costs associated with the riots?
David, where can the UWI facebook comment be found?
@Adrian Hinds | August 17, 2011 at 12:19 PM | @Zack
The issue that is affecting Bajans is poor health, from their diet and lifestyle. Nuh budget can’t fix that, certainly not one that will “ease” them to continue doing more of the same. It is a blessing in diguise that food items in the supermarket continue to spiral out of the reach of bajans. Should it really concern people that poisionous proccess foods are high in price? it does, but it shouldn’t.
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Your thinking has not improved at all, and your ignorance continues to shine through. Do you think that food prices is the only concern to Barbadians? People like you who really don’t know what is going on in Barbados would do better to keep your trap shut (fingers off the keyboard).
@ David
Why the cynicism isn’t the plan based on evidence? By the way many are cynical about alternative energy too; and I hope Mia’s speech quelled your cynicism.
@BAFBFP | August 17, 2011 at 8:44 PM | Sorry Halsall
A choice between six of one and half dozen of the other is not choice at all. TO believe that their is actually a choice is stupid. I say debate yes, but DO NOT VOTE fah shite …!
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Somebody still has to run the country dude…how will that be decided?
Mr Chris Halsall You are at it again.Every Black person in Barbados knows what message is being sent when people of your ethnicity refers to us as “Crabs In a Barrel’
Chris Halsall this is just one of the numerous occasions on this blog when a stinking Canadian White human scum like you insults Black Barbadians in our own country.
Chris Halsall, your impression of Black Barbadians is reveal vividly in many of your comments on this blog.
Chris Halsall,you are just another stinking,disease carrier white stinking cum who have little regard for Black people.
Chris Halsall go & f–k yourself.
@Caswell Franklyn | August 17, 2011 at 10:03 PM | It seems that Mr. Arthur cannot give up his nonsense about using land to ensure its highest economic return, Tonight, he made some silly comparison between Bermuda and Barbados which should not be taken seriously. He stated that Bermuda has a higher percentage of its land in golf courses than Barbados in order to justify his position.
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I agree with you. I really don’t know why Owen would continue to insist on selling off bajan land to the highest bidders from outside. That is the main problem I have with him.
@CH
I guess you really pissed off Negroman again Chris.
@David
As I type, here are the headlines on tv
Stocks plunge on Wall Street due to global economic fears (CNN)
Dow Plummets on Fear of Global Recession (Fox News)
Do you know the hotline or email address of any of the offices on Wall Street? In case the answer is in the affirmative, kindly publish it so that some of our Barbadian expert economists can offer advice to the ‘dummies’ on Wall Street.
@Old School
It was a status for a Ann Marie Burke speaking from recall.
@Chuckles
Why can’t our economists be known for leading 🙂
@enuff
Have not had time to follow the debate today. What did she say?
CBC has again shown it bias for the ruling party, imagine a senior lecturer at the UWI was the main speaker on a breakfast discussion on the budget but because he was critical of the said budget, not one word about his speech was mentioned in the evening news cast. We HAVE to get away from this immature behaviour if we are to get out of this crisis.
@Negroman: “Mr Chris Halsall You are at it again.Every Black person in Barbados knows what message is being sent when people of your ethnicity refers to us as “Crabs In a Barrel’
Sigh…
@Urban Dictionary: Definition of “crabs-in-a-barrel” “A syndrome where a group of like situated people hurt those in their community attempting to get ahead.
“Often this is applied to people in an impoverished community where one person is starting to get ahead. The collective community becomes jealous or filled with a sense of self-loathing, so they find a way to pull that person back down to the community’s level.
Please do note: no where is ethnicity referred to.
And, for context, I grew up in a very small town in the interior of British Columbia, Canada. Trust me, we were also “crabs-in-a-barrel”.
@Negroman: “Chris Halsall, your impression of Black Barbadians is reveal vividly in many of your comments on this blog. Chris Halsall,you are just another stinking,disease carrier white stinking cum who have little regard for Black people. Chris Halsall go & f–k yourself.
If what you say is true (read: that I hate Black Barbadians), then please riddle me this…
1. Why is it that when I first came down to Barbados to lead a technical team to offer competition to C&W in last-mile offerings did I insist that my team was comprised of Black people?
2. Why is it that my very best friend is a Black Bajan?
3. Why is it that I have devoted the last five years of my life fighting for Barbados?
4. Why is it that I usually find myself as the sole “White Dude” fighting for the rights of Bajans (of whatever race, religion, etc), usually standing alongside Black partners?
4.1. Barbados Fair Trading Commission’s Price Cap Mechanism review.
4.2. Barbados Fair Trading Commission’s Reference Interconnection Offer review.
4.3. Barbados Fair Trading Commission’s Barbados Light and Power Rate review.
4.4. Member of the Barbados Telecommunications Act Review Committee (before it was disbanded by a recently late Prime Minister of Barbados).
4.5. Attendee of the ITU funded review of the Barbados Cyber Crime Legislation.
…now, @Negroman…
You are on record here on BU as hating everyone who is not Black.
In this court of public opinion, who do you think stands on a firmer footing for rationality?
You, or me?
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