A promise to retirees broken
BY DAVID COMISSIONG
| MON, JULY 02, 2012 – 12:00 AM

It would seem the leaders of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) and the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) do not even bother to read their own or each other’s election manifestos.

We say this because at no time in the heated DLP/BLP parliamentary debate over the DLP administration’s cancellation of the second pension some retired pubic servants were receiving was there any mention that the said DLP had made a promise in its 2008 general election manifesto to confer a second pension on all retired civil servants.

This is what the DLP stated at Page 17 of its manifesto:

The Democratic Labor Party is committed to caring for all Barbadians in their senior years. A new DLP Government will . . . repeal the legislation that discriminates between Government pensioners retiring before 1975 and those after in relation to their Government pension and NIS pension.

Well, the 1975 legislation is the legislation that stipulated civil servants who retired after 1975 should only receive one pension. Thus, the DLP promised to get rid of this law so that post-1975 retirees would be treated the same way as pre-1975, and get two pensions.

Of course the Dems did just the opposite after being elected to Government: instead of repealing the legislation, they have rigorously enforced it and have taken away the second pension that a number of post-1975 retirees were enjoying.

Why was none of this brought in the extensive Budget Debate?

@bushie
Everybody knows that Arthur’s flawed. Nothing new there really.

I think also there’s a slight distinction between the concepts “leadership” and “ability to lead in this climate and with the assigned team.”

The maximum “big boss” leader cultural mindset is easing out the door thanks to Freundel. (AX, Eager 11, BHTA, Estwick etc). People want and are accustomed to one but may not necessarily clamour for one this cycle given the unbelievable weakness of the overall field. Where Freundel loses is with his speed of decision making, communication ability (not speaking ability) and inability to ride waves of public opinion/sentiment on his surfboard of philosophy and principles.

As to the person who did the poll.. Where there’s smoke there’s fire but all fires don’t smoke. 🙂

PM needs to read his party’s manifesto before pontificating.

i sat in my living room an heard owen arthur said there was a report, The crux of the matter is he is the one who said so beamed to our living room and got the audacity to say that he never said so. in fact that is whyhe called a dlp meber of parliament to ask what bombshell that was going to be dropped during the Estimates.”
what bombshell you talking about. do you not understand that the people would not be sidetracked whether there is a report or not. the oncern is with making ends meet . all politicians tell lies and mr arthur is not the first and neither will he be the last. did mr sinckler lie in his budget rapup when he said that restoring the two pensionswas not feasible or was the proosl in the manifesto to restore the two pensions a lie? who lie?

Who will bell the cat with the whiskers branded BDS3.3million. That cat has a high insurable value. What would it cost to insure the life of that cat either pussy or boar? Would be glad if someone in insurance could please provide the quotes.

I want to repeat the question posed the question asked by another blogger again. Why is Stuart bringing up this FBI report at this time. Maybe he knows it shall never see the light of day. Maybe he knows that the contents about the roll of his DLP people at the Bridgetown Port shall be lost like the report. Maybe he is not aware that there were more DLP people named in the report than BLP people. Maybe, maybe …..

Lemuel…… you know something spill the beans man.

The question to be answered, did Owen tell the Public of Barbados that there was a report and why did he accounce it to the Nation and why has he susequently denied that he uttered such words? If he lied to the public of Barbados, should he be censore for so doing.?

The United States FBI and IRS officials on 08/31/2006 raided the offices of several prominent members of the Alaskian Legislation. The investigation involved allegation of illegal gifts to lawmakers from the VECO Corporation home based in Alaska. One of them, Senator Ted Stevens was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 29, 2008 on seven counts of alleging that Stevens received from VECO hundreds of thousands of dollars in gifts that he did not declare on his US Senate financial disclosure forms. Stevens was convicted on all seven of these charges on October 28, 2008. All convictions were later vacated. Another, Don Young was under federal investigation for possibly taking bribes, illegal gratuities or unreported gifts from the VECO Corporation. Between 1996 and 2006, Young received $157,000 from VECO employees and its political action committee. Also, the Alaska State House of Representatives Pete Kott, Bruce Weyhrauch and Vic Kohring were all charged with federal crimes as part of the investigation into VECO.

Senator Ted Stevens (Alaska) BEFORE persecuted and convicted by the United States had received from VECO 250,000 in home renovations of which included a $5,000 generator. Stevens received also a Land Rover (SUV) worth $44,000. VECO (Alaska) was a major contributor to political campaigns and one of Senator Ted Stevens’ biggest campaign contributors. Congressman, Don Young (Alaska) between 1996 and 2006 BEFORE persecuted and convicted by the United States received $157,000 from VECO’s political action committee. Owen Arthur, Mia Mottley and Dale Marshall gave to VECO a government contract WITHOUT TENDER. VECO built the prison at Dodds in St. Philip but had no record of building prisons. Certainly, VECO gave them something for such generosity but what??? Money? Gifts? Campaign Contributions?

The plantation deeds person no doubt can prove his claim of massive land fraud. The United States FBI and IRS officials through its investigation of VECO (Alaska) likewise can prove evidence of corruption involving Owen Arthur, Mia Mottley and Dale Marshall; all three benefited from VECO (Alaska) as did the following Alaskian government officials: Senator Ted Stevens, Congressman Don Young, State Legislator, Vic Kohring also Alaskian State House Representatives Bruce Weyhranch and Pete Kott. Stevens, Young, Kohring, Weyhranch and Kott in the United States were all persecuted and convicted. Those three vagobonds, Owen Arthur, Mia Mottley and Dale Marshall in the United States also would have been persecuted and convicted for taking bribes, illegal gratuities and gifts from VECO. Those three vagobonds [Owen Arthur, Mia Mottley and Dale Marshall] in the United States would have been persecuted and convicted. Those three [Owen Arthur, Mia Mottley and Dale Marshall] walk around Barbados with no shame, why not Leroy Parris.