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Numbers Don’t Lie. People do!

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We apologize to Walter Blackman for picking up his submission several days late – David

Walter Blackman
Walter Blackman

His silver hairs will purchase us a good opinion, and buy men’s voices to commend our deeds.

William Shakespeare: Julius Caesar

I make reference to a Nation News article dated November 4, 2013, entitled “Numbers don’t lie” and written by Sanka Price. In that article, Mr. Erskine Griffith is highlighted as a top‐level civil servant who served as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance under six Ministers of Finance and five Prime Ministers, dating back from his appointment to the post under Tom Adams to Owen Arthur, under whom he retired as the Director of Finance and Head of the Civil Service in 2000.

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121 responses to “Numbers Don’t Lie. People do!”

  1. Alvin Cummins Avatar
    Alvin Cummins

    To continue:
    The BLP demits office in January 2007. The economy is already on a downslope. The incoming administration inherits the following:
    Debt to Al Barracck..Due to be paidas ordered by the arbitrator in the final decision two years before the DLP assumed office
    Debt of over 700 constructed by a company that did not have a signed contract with a cost over run of almost 250 million dollars.
    A world wide recession with a drop in foreign exchange earnings, accompanied by a drop in tourism earnings.
    a decrease in sugar production, an increase in food imports, a reduction in lands planted in food crops.
    Burgeoning fuel costs, and the severe illness and death of the prime minister.
    You think; :in fact I know that you know, that these things ent easy to handle, and will take time to make right, But they wll be made right.
    By the Way Miller, How come you are talking about IMF in December when earlier in the year you were predicting doom and gloom, with a devaluation by June or July.
    Balance go back and do your research. In 1961 only a very few black people worked in any bank in Barbados. Black people only began to progress in terms of such employment etc, after 1966; after everyone had the opportunity to go to secondary school. You are very young, I am very old so I know what is was like in 1961. Have you ever heard of Mirasmus? Well Mirasmus was rampant in Barbados at that time. Have you ever heard of “white mout”, when the cdorners of the mouth are white because of the lack of calcium in the diet? Well that was common in those days. Did you ever know of having to buy “hard coals” to cook on? Check that out too. You ever hear of having to cook with “cow patties”? That used to happen in those days. You would prefer those days to these? Learn more..
    @Miller,
    “…to save your tourism souls” ? Unless you do not consider yourself a Bajan any longer it is OUR tourism souls. We are all in the same boat. You might as well put your oars in the water and pull in the same direction.

  2. ac Avatar
    ac

    look balance them numbers does not impress or tells a true picture, and the cause and reason behind govt spending, what you have put up there would only appeal and impress the economist like mascoll and the blp yardfowls who like to spout statics without facts, , . the question which i would asked you ,does it seem sensible that a govt would deliberately or intentionally overspend in times of high crisis ,then if the answer is yes your stupidy and political yardfowlism holds no bounds , really what is your point in showing numbers without the rationale or reason for such spending,the fact is that govt overspending is in part due to the cost of the high debt left behind by the BLP and which had to be serviced by either loans or other means because of loss revenue, numbers don;t mean a thing unless accompanied by facts to form the true picture, you have being reading the mascoll handbook of economics too long called “Short on FACTS Long on rhetoric”

  3. Alvin Cummins Avatar
    Alvin Cummins

    @Miller,
    Have to do some editing of the previous contribution I typed…” Check toronto transport costs and the measures put in place to assist in covering these costs. Right now bus fares are over 3 dollars per trip, Seniors and students pay 1.90 and monthly passing they stick to their schedules even though the busses run empty.s are over a hundred dollars a month for unlimited rides. In my area we also have 24 hr service, and even at three o’clock in the morning the run according to the schedule.”
    It should read”…Check Toronto Transit transportation costs and the measures put in place to cover these costs. Right now bus fares are over three dollars per trip. Seniors and students pay $1.90 and monthly passes are over a hundred and twenty dollars. In my area we also have a 24 hour service and even at three in the morning the buses stick to the schedule, even if they are running empty.” Bus transportation is a “service” to the public.

  4. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    @ Alvin Cummins | November 20, 2013 at 10:31 PM |

    After all the bull crap you wrote you are certainly too exhausted and bereft of the vitriol to attack Standard & Poor’s for downgrading Barbados.

    We expect you to go on a tirade and blame the downgrade to events prior to 2008.The DLP is responsible for nothing going south in Barbados today. From the demise of the sugar industry to the failing tourism to financial meltdown while increasing the national debt by 100% is all the fault of the incompetent corrupt BLP and the poor miller.

  5. Alvin Cummins Avatar
    Alvin Cummins

    2miller,
    Why should I attack Standare & Poors for downgrading Barbados. It is not the end of the road, and you should note that the rating for the short term is still the dame..that was not downgraded. I seem to remember that the mighty U.S. got downgraded last year by the Same Standard &Poor sand were sued by the same U.S. government. POOR Mjller my ass.Miller knows the facts very well.
    And Balance, and Are we there…Prior to 1966 Barbados was a colony of Britain who managed its affairs. Even if we wanted to buy one of Bushies favourite utensils, a Brass Bowl, we had to purchase it through the Crown Agents, who sourced the cheapest source for it.Now, according to Bushie, we have them in abundance. See what happens with the passage of time?

  6. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    @ Alvin Cummins | November 20, 2013 at 11:18 PM |

    If your short-term rating is the real McCoy so how come no one wants to buy Bajan bonds on the international markets? Do you really understand what is the short-term rating vis-à-vis long term investments?

    If S&P has it wrong in relation to Bim why not advise your beleaguered administration to sue their blasted ass and ‘blacklist’ the rating agencies?

  7. Notary Avatar
    Notary

    miller you are a genius in all subjects tell us how Standard’s and Poor’s works do they rate Barbados every two months? The question is asked because we never hear of them rating countries with this regularity. Don’t the S&P give gob’s financial policies, the budget for instance a chance to work. Its as if S&B are ruthless bounty hunters and their prey is Bdos.

    Why doesn’t UWEE fire Straughan and Belle wouldn’t their dismissals help with the deficit.

  8. David Avatar
    David

    @Alvin

    Curious why the DLP has not released the St. Joseph Hospital report. As far as BU is aware a Ministerial Statement was issued.

  9. enuff Avatar
    enuff

    @Alvin
    “At least we would be able to reduce our food import bill.”

    And almost everything else too!

  10. David Avatar
    David

    @Alvin

    What is our definition of ‘progress’ anyway? Is it our capacity to borrow to support consumption? Especially consumer items purchased overseas?

    What should be our (Barbados) definition of ‘progress’?

  11. enuff Avatar
    enuff

    @David
    Yes the bubble bust and when it was being said that the air would be released shortly, certain political leaders laughed and that is why we are where we are today. Wrong attitude and philosophy from the outset, hence bad policies, programmes and plans–failed MTFS, failed RMTFS, failed or unimplemented Budget proposals etc etc

  12. balance Avatar
    balance

    You had nothing to go on from the report so YOU never disclosed the contents of the report, either in the 2008 election or in the 2013 election campaign.

    Mr Cummins. You write as if you are endowed with thought albeit your political hat tend to cloud your judgment at times so I know you know better. Has the St Joseph report ever been published and if not why not? because it is better to the impression of much ado about nothing to circulate rather than having the character of an icon held up to scrutiny. Had those who initiated exercised due diligence in apprising themselves of the revelations would have led; the enquiry would never have been initiated in the first place.

  13. balance Avatar
    balance

    “look balance them numbers does not impress or tells a true picture, and the cause and reason behind govt spending,”

    Ac I hate to say it but sometimes your rantings and ravings can be likened to the efforts of a fast bowler like Tino Best who runs in with his head down and delivers the ball anywhere. Ask anybody to comment about Tino’s behaviour and they will say ‘He, man he head in good’.

  14. ac Avatar
    ac

    nice answer balance but your numbers does add up to a hill of beans or give the reasons behind govt spending until you can give such reasons all you have done is spouted or rehearsed a bunch of numbers with no accountabilty, …

  15. Tell me Why Avatar
    Tell me Why

    Walter:
    You said “…….get your hands on the various totally disregarded Auditor‐General’s  reports from 1982 to 2008. As you pore over the material, see if 
    you detect a pattern of increasing levels 
    of infelicity, malfeasance, greed, graft, and corruption.”
    ……………………………………………………………………………………….
    Walter. One simple question. Why de hell you wait until 2013 on the eve of another down-grade to deal with issues way back in 1982 – 2008. Surprisingly, the only issue you are dealing with is the NIS. Could one division of Government cause our financial position to deteriorate to the extent that we are now relabelled BB-? Walter, can you state if NIS funds were used in any Private/Overseas funding like Four Seasons? Was these loans repaid? What about funds since 2008 that are being used like a ATM?
    Let’s put our heads together and forge forward instead of the blaming game. Other countries went to the bottom of the bucket but did not play dead, instead these other countries patch the hole at the bottom and stop the financial haemorrhaging which our present MoF and his advisors, consultants, operatives fail to accomplish or don’t have a clue in accomplishing.

  16. Just Commenting Avatar
    Just Commenting

    Excellent article sir. Simply excellent.
    I wonder how many people’s heads this article just simply went stratospheric in relation to. While it was well written and presented, I fear that the pubescent minds that dwell aimlessly and gleefully in the embrace of the counsel of the voluntarily ignorant and blissfully stupid, didn’t get a data bytes worth of value from it.
    However, it touches with the precision of a neurosurgeon, the core of the matter at hand.
    Id like to just add one thing here. Its a question that has been nagging me for sometime now.
    The question is, What is all the silence regarding these vast oil and gas deposits supposedly in existence off the coast of Barbados? Why isn’t this being explored as an alternative to generating foreign exchange in place of Tourism?
    Are we(all as a country) awaiting the “right” opportunity to sell our birthright to Trinidad or some foreign Caucasian entity again like we’ve done in the past, all in the name of retaining the status quo?
    Someone has suggested that 1937 was a good year and pivotal turning point for our society. I’m inclined to agree wholeheartedly.

  17. Walter Blackman Avatar
    Walter Blackman

    The objectives of my article were:
    1. To make readers aware that that the predicament in which Barbados now finds itself did not occur overnight, so a focus on events after 2007 alone would rob us of the opportunity to trace the roots of institutional decay and self-defeating practices within the civil service.
    2. The rot has continued unabated since 2007 to the present day, so no one can claim that the David Thompson and Freundel Stuart administrations are guiltless. Similarly, no one can argue that they are totally culpable.
    If we use 1976 as the base year, and spread accountability and responsibility for our current problems among our nation’s prime ministers since then, we can ascribe blame in the following proportions:
    Owen Arthur 35%
    Tom Adams 24%
    Erskine Sandiford 19%
    David Thompson 8%
    Freundel Stuart 8%
    Errol Barrow 3%
    Bree St. John 3%

    Note that since 1976, members of the BLP have been in charge of the government of Barbados 62% of the time.

    Finally, an analysis of the comments on my article revealed the following:

    Focused on the article’s content & related issues 38%
    Blamed the DLP 22%
    Defended the DLP 16%
    Irrelevant to the article’s subject matter 13%
    Ad hominem (personal) outbursts 6%
    Accused me of defending the DLP 5%
    As a group, we managed to achieve this 38% level of “relevant” focus through a process of periodic nudging and reminding from David about the context and content of the article. David is worthy of our thanks and appreciation.

  18. Gabriel Avatar
    Gabriel

    Walter
    Thanks for your insight and the subjective attempt to exonerate the incompetent current administration.It won’t work.
    Btw ,are you still missing exams claiming that you had the wrong time,giving yourself some extra preparation?

  19. David Avatar
    David

    @Gabriel

    Is that ad hominem necessary? Why can’t we just focus on the analysis which Walter provided and comment accordingly?

  20. balance Avatar
    balance

    Alvin- let me share with you an excerpt from the Nation newspaper of 11th May 1994,attributed to respected medical practitioner Oscar Jordan and I quote- ” Speaking at BAMP’s annual general meeting at the weekend, Jordan recalled that a year ago, the BAMP council offered to meet with the St Joseph Hospital administration in order to set up systematic discussions on methods effecting better utilisation of the facility. But it has heard nothing, he reported.
    He said few members of BAMP had been psychologically prepared for expenditure of nearly $30 million of public funding” on what is tantamount to a private institution being used by a small number of private practitioners”
    He declared: “I am of the opinion tat the use of public funds in this way is morally bankrupt. The massive sums of public funds already spent can never be realised as gross under-utilisation of the hospital continues to be the norm.”
    Jordan then contrasted developments at the St Joseph Hospital with the “impeding” of programmes at QEH.

  21. Walter Blackman Avatar
    Walter Blackman

    @ Gabriel

    Your comment serves to reflect two deadly twin characteristics that Barbadians possess in abundance – envy and malice towards each other.

    Here is a brief account of my exams history:

    I sat the screening test and common entrance exams at Wesley Hall Primary school (at age 10) and passed both on my first attempt. I had no control over the dates.

    At Combermere, annual promotional exams in each subject were set with a fixed date. I never missed an exam.

    At UWI – Cave Hill, and the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, I never read, used or heard about any policy which would allow a student who claimed that he or she “missed” their exam date, to proceed to take the exam on another date. You missed your exam, you failed. Full stop.

    All exams set by the Society of Actuaries must be taken on the date earmarked. If you missed the exam, you failed. Full stop.

    I sincerely hope that this response permanently destroys your nasty, slimy and pathetic attempt to cast aspersions on my academic achievements.

  22. Gabriel Avatar
    Gabriel

    Walter
    I stung you obviously.You and Sinckler can hold hands…cut of the same cloth.

  23. David Avatar
    David

    @Gabriel

    Can you refute anything that Walter put in his last comment? Why is it you guys go after personalities and not the substantive issues? No wonder the morass.

  24. Gabriel Avatar
    Gabriel

    David
    I have no truck with Walter’s scholarship.He always had a penchant for above average performance and results and I am not surprised at his success.Nothing personal but he is showing a weakness in his commentary and which I found subjective.He might cast his mind back to a paper at Cave Hill.

  25. David Avatar
    David

    @Gabriel

    Don’t agree, his analysis was always easy to follow. We have structural issues which can be tracked back for decades. He has clearly fingered the current administration for where we find ourselves but his central point is the Arthur years was about riding an economic boom without dealing with the system issues. It is why you party faithfuls want to crucify him 🙂

  26. Alvin Cummins Avatar
    Alvin Cummins

    @Balance.
    The comment attributed to Dr. Jordan is very strange. When was the St. Joseph hospital purchased (from the vatican) by the DLP government? When were refurbishment and rebuilding begun? When were they completed? Was BAMP functioning during this period? Why did BAMP choose to comment in 1994? Were’nt the plans at that time, based on the objectives of the program, to run the hospital as a government hospital, with some private input? At the time it was purchased wasn’t part of the intention to put great emphasis on Health tourism, n objective that is NOW being discussed here and in other countries? Wouldn’t this reinforce the fact that the DLP was far ahead of its time with regaard to that institution?

  27. Gabriel Avatar
    Gabriel

    David
    Lay out the facts.Don’t glibly write,glossing over what you think your message should be.The data presented assumes whoever reads it has access to the AG’s reports.Detail that data for a comparative analysis.Use examples to bolster your argument.The problem with figures oriented training is the inexpressiveness of the presenter.The mighty EWB described the CS as an army of occupation.He could’nt get things done so he changed the system of Local Government to be rid of the Mottley influence in the city.He could’nt get things done so he changed the constitution to make diredt appointments in the Public Service.I have a difficulty with blaming by the crappy present MoF and PM on the 14 years of Government of OSA.It’s a stupid vapid argument.It’s clear to all in Barbados and in Trinidad and in Jamaica and in St Vincent and in St Lucia and in Wall Street that Barbados is suffering from elective politics or as Burnham aptly put it from the ‘vagaries of the ballot box’.All the insipid spin by Walter cannot undo the fact that when the history of this period is written,this current administration will be seen as the most destructive in post independence Barbados.Walter don’t live here.We can’t pay him and he won’t want to make the sacrifice to return to live in this one eyed town anyway.

  28. David Avatar
    David

    @Gabriel

    Perhaps you are not giving due consideration to the fact that we are positioned high on the HDI and as a consequence the harsh economic conditions will impact us differently to the lesser developed countries. We have an enormous social services bill.

  29. are-we-there-yet? Avatar
    are-we-there-yet?

    Walter Blackman; re. your 4.59 post

    You said “If we use 1976 as the base year, and spread accountability and responsibility for our current problems among our nation’s prime ministers since then, we can ascribe blame in the following proportions:
    Owen Arthur 35%
    Tom Adams 24%
    Erskine Sandiford 19%
    David Thompson 8%
    Freundel Stuart 8%
    Errol Barrow 3%
    Bree St. John 3%”

    How did you arrive at those proportions? What data was used to ascribe blame for any of the PM’s

    You also said
    “Finally, an analysis of the comments on my article revealed the following:
    Focused on the article’s content & related issues 38%
    Blamed the DLP 22%
    Defended the DLP 16%
    Irrelevant to the article’s subject matter 13%
    Ad hominem (personal) outbursts 6%
    Accused me of defending the DLP 5%
    As a group, we managed to achieve this 38% level of “relevant” focus through a process of periodic nudging and reminding from David about the context and content of the article. David is worthy of our thanks and appreciation”    .

    Grateful if you would also explain how you arrived at these figures.

  30. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    @ Walter Blackman | November 21, 2013 at 8:32 PM |

    Since you and Gabriel seem to be of the same academic generation and made from the same basic intellectual cloth why not call a truce and direct the debate to a more scholarly level?
    Why not discuss the devaluation options the IMF have put on the table for East Caribbean economies (and certainly Barbados) to choose from?

  31. balance Avatar
    balance

    “Don’t agree, his analysis was always easy to follow. We have structural issues which can be tracked back for decades. He has clearly fingered the current administration for where we find ourselves but his central point is the Arthur years was about riding an economic boom without dealing with the system issues. It is why you party faithfuls want to crucify him :-‘)

    I did indicate that there was merit Mr Blackman’s article but I do agree with those that much of the logic was speculative. The notion that Mr Arthur rode on an economic boom for 14 years is a myth since even if we are to believe that the draconian policies to correct Mr Sandiford’s mismanagement of the economy were in place on Mr Arthur’s assumption of office, it would have take time for the measures to bare fruit provided they were properly managed and Mr Arthur must be given credit for that. Just putting measures in place could not realistically have been all that was needed to bring us out of the hole the then Sandiford Administration placed us. I recall distinctly during his short time at the helm Mr Sandiford boasting that the economy batting better than Gary sobers. Mr Blackman’s philosophical but speculative discourse need to take these facts into account. We are where we are at present because of an administration and its advisors unable to manage an import based economy dependent for its survival on a vibrant at all times domestic phenomenon. Money must like a meeting-turn circulate /change hand at all times to fuel the economy, the heat on which must be skilfully kept at certain levels otherwise the food would burn. Except for a few instances since 1961 our economic management has been generally praised internationally and the envy of our brothers and sisters in the diaspora . So i am not buying that crap of spreading blame to exculpate those who through their immediate policies have now made us the laughing stock of those who normally cling to us for guidance. Obviously there would always be arguments some with reason, that things could have been done differently in some areas of our development but as the current administration have now perhaps recognized in hindsight that political savvy is one thing but managing a two by three economy like Barbados’s is another certain Again I say, no amount of diatribe can defend the indefensible and that too is one of our problems when the DLP is in charge, their intellectuals seem to support everything nonsense or otherwise the politicians do for sake of party.

  32. balance Avatar
    balance

    ALVIN- I JUST QUOTED FROM A NATION NEWSPAPER. AND DIRECTED THEM TO YOU BECAUSE YOU WERE ON THE ST JOSEPH HOSPITAL ISSUE. ADDRESS YOUR COMMENTS TO DR JORDAN IF HE IS STILL ALIVE.

  33. David Avatar
    David

    @balance

    Hogwash

    Arthur benefited from a reduced public sector wage bill post Sandiford which gave him wriggle room to do what he wanted.

    Arthur build out a services economy period with no focus on niche sectors like manufacturing and agriculture. The BWA, Transport Board and many other government and quasi government agencies contiued their wastage and public sector reform was a farce. The histoprical records are their to show the climbing debt burden under Arthur and we were warned by the internation financial institituions, in case you have forgotten Barbados suffered about 3 downgrades under Arthur.

    Note BU did not mentioned the need for institutional strengthening in Insurance and Credit Unions which probably resulted in the CLICo mess.

  34. Common sense is not common Avatar
    Common sense is not common

    David

    Wow!

    Your post above @ 6:30 a.m. goes to the heart of the matter and sets out the argument succintly.Well done!

    You know why I like bloggers like Piece Under the Rock he/she holds nothing back and is an equal opportunity criticiser of both parties.The BLP men and women on this blog like Miller,Gabriel Prodigal person,enuff (I leave out old onions since he seems to have gone through some metamorphosis)and others who cannot help but be nasty and personal and spread lies on individuals who can’t represent themselves and you David allow them to do this willingly,although in this case you spoke up for against Gabriel but not in the harsh way you deal with AC and Carson Cadogan.A clear case of who the dog like – he licks.

    Here Gabriel is so stung by Blackman’s presentation that the only thing he can do is raise some fictitious claim about setting back an exam date trying to insuiate some dishonest move by Blackman.Plus we have no record of anything Gabriel is saying.Typical BLP poison.

    So what does that have to do with the price of tea?Steupes

    BLP supporters like to spread lies on people and send out nasty rumours and we have all the posts about Michelle Arthur,Joanne haigh,Irene Sandiford,Donville Inniss and his wife etc as clear eveidence of this.

    Soon no one of merit outside of the BLP yardfowls and the odd DLP apologist along with the ‘noun,verb and the horrible BTA and minister sealy sentence man’ tourism writer adrian loveridge will be posting on this site.

    I think there should be no more than 2 posts from each political party every week since this site is in danger of being taken over by yardfowls.

  35. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    @ Common sense is not common | November 22, 2013 at 8:50 AM |

    Who is more politically partisan in contributions other than you outmatched only by ac and CCC? Any time you criticize this DLP administration for the crap it is doing and the awfully stupid and inappropriate utterances from the members of cabinet you are automatically deemed pro-BLP, anti-government unpatriotic in need of your head being cracked and shot at. Even David the blog master is deemed anti-DLP.
    Instead of all the ad hominems, personal attacks and name-calling you have engaged in as confirmed in your post above why not come up with alternatives to save the country from the clutches of the IMF?
    Let us hear you make some suggestions that would help save the economy from further deterioration since the current administration seems at a loss as to what must be done. Or do you think this administration is doing a fantastic job and the economy is stable and firing on all cylinders? And don’t tell us jack shit about giving them time because nothing is being implemented and the credit rating agencies and IMF have become too impatient and about to take away the cheque book.
    Such a request for you to contribute something of commonsense instead of name calling and attacking should shut you up while you try to get your head around the intellectual cul-de-sac you are in thinking outside the partisan box coloured “yellow”.

  36. Gabriel Avatar
    Gabriel

    David
    What I find equally absent from the posturing is the fact that the House Public Accounts Committee when led by Leader of the Opposition David Thompson failed to perform its duty in bringing any infelicities real or imagined to the attention of the public.Why was he afraid to perform his duties?OSA literally begged him to activate and convene,to no avail.When DT came with his lame excuses of failure to get a quorum,OSA changed the architecture of the committee to give DT a platform to literally find the dirt and throw it at the Government benches.He failed to do so.My point is if OSA was so poor a PM and Thompson so brilliant a LOO,why suggest OSA was behaving like a run away train driver when in actuality,the brakeman just stood by and did nothing.On the other hand we saw MAM robustly using the PAC to dig and was stopped in her tracks by this pack of jokers for an administration.The taxpayers deserve better in the here and now.Don’t tell me about 20 years ago.

  37. David Avatar
    David

    @Gabriel

    Who is making the point that Thompson was brilliant. The simple point which party supporters need to embrace is that our rot did not begin in 2008. Arguing how the DLP added to the mess in the six years is moot. We need to accept the economy is in a hole and we need to generate constructive debate.

    To those who advocate we censor, that is backward. Yes we will have to deal with the people we disagree and those who abuse the privilege of a forum like BU, we will deal with those situations using our best judgement.

  38. Tell me Why Avatar
    Tell me Why

    I agree with “are-we-there-yet?” regarding Walter’s questionable percentage data pertaining to who created economic hardship. To come to a realistic conclusion, Walter will have to deal with successful performances where the populace are gainfully employed, money in they pockets, food on the table, businesses thriving, construction wukking, employment down and the most important taxes rolling in with sustainable forex.
    David, you talking under your breath since after the Sandiford cuts which started to stablilize our economy, it was Owen who captained the ship and maintained and even keel in managing “OUR ECONOMY”. Remember I said, “Managing our economy’ and not SOCIETY. Even if wastage was problem, the populace still had money to play with.
    However, today we are faced with a NEGATIVE outlook, Everything getting bleaker and bleaker and not a word from our captain who told us that he will be micro managing his managers. So Walter, wheel and come again with a truer percentage data based on Result Performance and not perception. I await your corrected data.

  39. Walter Blackman Avatar
    Walter Blackman

    @ are-we-there-yet?

    Prime Ministers and their years in office (1976 – 2013):
    Owen Arthur 13
    Tom Adams 9
    Erskine Sandiford 7
    David Thompson 3
    Freundel Stuart 3
    Errol Barrow 1
    Bernard St. John 1
    Total 37

    At the time, I analyzed 63 comments and here were the results:
    Focused on the content & related issues 24
    Blamed the DLP 14
    Defended the DLP 10
    Irrelevant to the subject matter under discussion 8
    Ad hominem outbursts 4
    Accused me of defending the DLP 3
    Total 63

    Hope this helps.

  40. Tell me Why Avatar
    Tell me Why

    Walter, you solve my question. How on earth you can work out percentage data based on years at the control. You might have a driver with over 10 years and cannot drive properly making bad judgements with 10 accidents and another driver with one year driving making fantastic judgement without an accident. Tell BU family who is the better driver. Probably you will say St.John as a scientific twist. When yuh too educated yuh try to fool people with unreasonable statistical data

  41. balance Avatar
    balance

    “Arthur benefited from a reduced public sector wage bill post Sandiford which gave him wriggle room to do what he wanted”
    Who says not/ no one can dispute that fact- but the point is that whatever advantage Mr Arthur inherited still had to be properly managed otherwise the time referred to as one of plenty could not have developed between 19988- 2008.

  42. balance Avatar
    balance

    and David isn’t the current administration benefitting from a surrepptitious wage cut of monumental proportions as well given the fact that public sector workers have not had increases since 2008. do the maths and see how the administration has benefitted with tacit support from the unions.

  43. balance Avatar
    balance

    “Prime Ministers and their years in office (1976 – 2013):”
    I Mr Blackman wants to be credible he has to include the 1961-76 period not data to suit his agenda.

  44. PLANTATION DEEDS FROM 1926 TO 2013 , MASSIVE FRAUD ,LAND TAX BILLS AND NO DEEDS OF BARBADOS, BLPand DLP=Massive Fruad Avatar
    PLANTATION DEEDS FROM 1926 TO 2013 , MASSIVE FRAUD ,LAND TAX BILLS AND NO DEEDS OF BARBADOS, BLPand DLP=Massive Fruad

    It seem OUR post is missing , We will keep better tack of them from now on.
    Walter Blackman | November 22, 2013 at 11:49 AM | @ based on your numbers, how does those number relate to land fraud and the use of land with out payment or owners permission,?

    We Already know that Owen and MIA came in first and the DLP was to clean up under DT, but he was killed , maybe to stop him? Now this PM joint the massive fraud of land and cash ?Now we all have to pay?

  45. PLANTATION DEEDS FROM 1926 TO 2013 , MASSIVE FRAUD ,LAND TAX BILLS AND NO DEEDS OF BARBADOS, BLPand DLP=Massive Fruad Avatar
    PLANTATION DEEDS FROM 1926 TO 2013 , MASSIVE FRAUD ,LAND TAX BILLS AND NO DEEDS OF BARBADOS, BLPand DLP=Massive Fruad

    Newer Comments →

    Common sense is not common | November 20, 2013 at 4:07 AM |

    It is commentary like this from a very informed person is what is lacking in this country.

    This was not the first comment. lets hope BU is not acting like Tony Best

  46. Gabriel Avatar
    Gabriel

    We all wait with baited breath to see what our Minister of Labour will do in this BWA/BWU posturing.If we are to believe that the Minister is the proverbial red rag standing up to the proverbial bull,the outcome should be an automatic kick up to Bay Street.If the BWU decides to pull out its “troops”(the Gen Secty words)it will be more problems for this Cabinet.The timing by the BWU is significant.Stuart jucking ‘e finga in de air and last night I see Trottie on DLPTV jucking he wun tuh!

  47. David Avatar
    David

    We are all engage in an argument of semantics. The story of the ants preparing for hard times is a good reminder. The legacy and measure of a good performance is what does one do to prepare for hard times, in this case sustainability.

  48. Clint Eastwood Avatar
    Clint Eastwood

    Walter Blackman is just a shite talker talking pretty shit and feeling good doing it
    Some people have an ability to talk and articulate well.and like Gabby can take nonsense and make it sound good but little substance abounds. When I see Walter Blackman do something, I will be convinced. Where is the creativity ?
    Such people get other people to believe that because of their ability to talk, that the world owes them something or everything for that matter .
    Walter Blackman ? Pure shite talk . His days on the call in show demonstrated that, no wonder they fired his ass
    Racoon know where chicken coop is, .Dolphin know how to swim in formation. Birds know how to fly high , swerve low and Walter Blackman know how to talk shite.

    In the beginning was the

  49. PLANTATION DEEDS FROM 1926 TO 2013 , MASSIVE FRAUD ,LAND TAX BILLS AND NO DEEDS OF BARBADOS, BLPand DLP=Massive Fruad Avatar
    PLANTATION DEEDS FROM 1926 TO 2013 , MASSIVE FRAUD ,LAND TAX BILLS AND NO DEEDS OF BARBADOS, BLPand DLP=Massive Fruad

    Walter Blackman@ Words lie , People Lie Numbers dont lie, ,Now put the Names of the Person to the bad numbers, Now where did the numbers go and go.,? Numbers dont run away, some one ran off with the numbers.
    So now you where did the money go? Who was over paid ? What bank accounts , and offshore accounts, where did all the VAT go?
    Tell Us master of the Numbers, Numbers never stop coming and going ,

    PM DAVID knew who the crooks are and so do we , Tell Us.
    who took over the Plantation Deeds and use free land to build up very fast on fraud , It too S&P and Moodys to catch these good crooks, DLP numbers do lie and the Mooys and S&P may not lie to get more money out the crooks at a higher rate and more down grades on it way ,

    Yes in DEED, all must hit ROCK Bottom for most to wake up, The CAVE IN at Brittins Hill was a clue, people died no blame no where , ASk MIA for a deed and Mark Cumming < did he approve the building on that site.

    Walter Blackman dont run stand and fight for right and justice like a Man

  50. Enuff Avatar
    Enuff

    @ David
    You and many continue to mention the lack of restructuring on the part of Arthur during his 14 years as if RESTRUCTURING is a straightforward undertaking. You posit that Arthur focused on services and not niche agriculture or manufacturing, which is true on the surface but once you engage in a more granular analysis and place the Barbadian economy within the context of the GLOBAL one I think we need to ask ourselves if he had a choice. For example what niche manufacturing and or agriculture product(s) were or are now available? Krugman and other new trade theorists are adamant that most countries involved in world trade are actually similar and trade in similar goods, but have developed specialisations because of the persistent coagulation of small and large accidental advantages over time, and industrial location. I would say in Barbados we have rum, tourism and specific services. Take those three and see if specialisation have been or could be further developed based on historical events and or location. What about sea island cotton and black belly sheep?

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