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Can Barbados Be Run Like a Company? If MP’s Would Learn to Leave Their Egos at Home

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Ian Bourne – Bajan Reporter

Ian Bourne – Bajan Reporter

DISCLAIMER – I.A.N.A.E!

Like my old pal from Pull-Push, I also am not an Economist, but instead I wish to provide someways and means I have been mulling in the hopes Barbados would flourish once again, if they are used or adapted then at least progress is made – everyone is operating too close to the chest, as they seem to want to be the sole savior, Barbados needs to open up and thus advance in making the way forward as clear as possible!

DISAPPOINTMENT: BLP FAILS ALSO!

It is sad that David Estwick changed his mind so drastically from Saturday at 2 p.m. We may never learn what fair means or foul were used to achieve the base result which leaves more bitterness in many Bajans’ mouths already soured by the gall of hardships that continue to appear so odd when compared with the rest of the world, which appears to be mending at a steady pace…

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47 responses to “Can Barbados Be Run Like a Company? If MP’s Would Learn to Leave Their Egos at Home”

  1. Just Commenting Avatar
    Just Commenting

    Ian, Ian, Ian.
    You CANT really be serious!
    Leave their Ego’s at home? And come to work with what? What’s left when they leave their ego’s out of their work? They are just a bag of ego and pomposity. No substance! Nothing else(useful that is).
    Yes, Barbados can run like a Business. We love to brag about how Singapore is just a little bigger than we are and tout their success like we’re heading down their path.
    Perhaps we pride ourselves on the fact that the model on which Singapore is built, emerged from the minds of Caribbean nationals who hypothesized on a novel form of governance. Pity that it wasn’t implemented in its birthplace first.
    I believe Dr. Estwick was asked if not strongly urged by his colleagues to take a backseat for a bit if not begged to do so. Take a look at the picture in the Nation Newspaper and the body language speaks volumes. All of the other ministers are laughing, grinning, frolicking and showing their “teeth” while Dr. Estwick is just smirking.
    Suggest to me that he isn’t happy with the decision he took, but he’s probably “taking one for the team!”
    So to answer your question in a nutshell, I would say YES. We can operate like a business. But we’d have to hire CEO’s, CFO’s and CTO’s to run government as opposed to Career Politicians, Jokers and spineless clowns!

  2. Kevin Avatar
    Kevin

    If Barbados was like a business then we’ll have greater efficiency in the civil service. However each and every one regardless of social status will have to pay market prices for healthcare, transportation, education, garbage disposal. So if you say A, people would say B.

  3. David Avatar
    David

    If Barbados was a business how does one explain the minister of education lecturing that school children will have to pay if caught late on the TB buses? How does his statement reconcile with the MoF’s recent statement about the reason why the government took the decision to make transportaion free for school children? Are the very children who are habitually late the ones we want to assist? How does Jones’ statement reconcile with building a society? If Barbados was a business what would be the commonsense decision to respond to the students who enter school late?

  4. The Fan Avatar
    The Fan

    Bourne asking politicos to leave their egos home its like asking you to dress properly no offense intended.

    Dr. Estwick is a difficult politician in the extreme and the island have thrown up quite a few . He ebbs and flows as a team player it must be a horror to keep him in line with majority decisions. No one in government persecutes him ,he seems to get his way by throwing temper tantrums. All of this is unbecoming of a Minister of government who is looked up to by Barbadians as a source of guidance and as a role model. When decisions are taken in a Cabinet government and the majority agree every man jack sinks their differences and gets on with the collective decision and responsibility. Estwick breaches that precept with impunity. Its one rule for Estwick another rule for the rest.

    Estwick ought to settle down he is not superior to anyone. He is a likeable and smart guy use those attributes instead of temper tantrums and threats. The party backed him in the unseemly gun issue which from all accounts he emerged in the worst light. Estwick there is a lot of work to be done. Barbadians are losing their jobs settle down work with your team. For God’s sake give us a break with your on again off again nonsense.

  5. Permanent Secretary Avatar
    Permanent Secretary

    While I note all of what you are saying, let us be practical. The fault of all that is happening is as a result of arrogance…..plain and simple! Added to this is a large dose of patronage……..so…… people that are really working in the service are now being laid off because of all the family, friends promised jobs over the last two elections!

    The stately gentleman has stated that the workers will be adequately compensated as they were in 1991. Really? Seriously?

    Who will do the work to ensure that these persons are compensated especially through the NIS? I am sure I heard that workers from that department have been severed and the irony is that persons replaced them who that department now has to train. So you know what? All the time and money invested in these officers have to be written off, since you now have to go on and train the new ones!

    I have news for you all…………..that is NOT efficiency in any forms or fashion! Productivity will be down! Those left behind in ALL the places affected WILL NOT WORK!!!!!!

    Where are the counselors for the workers? How come we have not heard another word out of the Reform Director after his two well timed rants? He gone mute all of a sudden? He has been calling for more productivity in the service and the rise to arms for customer service and blah, blah, blah….. So where are you now, Director?

    What is your office doing to minimise this pain on all of your fellow public workers? Or were you and your staff part of this exercise of ridding the service of the ‘bad apples’?

    All of a sudden now, interviews for posts flying left right and centre yet nobody wanted to fill posts before! When I was advocating for posts in my ministry to be filled as a matter of urgency so that the business of the country could go forward, my colleagues laughed me out of the room! Now all of a sudden, appointments floating bout! Is this also a way of ensuring that members of the commission and politicians families were appointed and therefore not touched in all that is happening? And we call this transparency? Really!!!!!! Please, do not insult my intelligence!

    But i went off down the wrong path! I am however thankful that I am no longer a part of the service……….no longer a part of the lot of long talk…….Colleagues, I say to you………please, please get a grip of what your responsibilities are and WORK for the large salary you get! DONT ALLOW the politics to invade your brain!

    Stop the rantings of a mad man who recently said that he will be ensuring that performance is top notch in his Ministry and all will be accountable including him! Really? Seriously?

  6. David Avatar
    David

    There is at least one flaw In your comment, the political hirings have occurred for years, it is dishonest to locate the problem at the last two elections.

  7. Observing Avatar
    Observing

    @David | February 4, 2014 at 10:01 AM |
    Amazing isn’t it?
    This was one of the points being put to Alvin in an earlier argument. “Solve” one problem, create a bigger one.

    btw, did you notice the $3??? lol

    Just Observing

  8. David Avatar
    David

    @Observing

    There is a level of hypocrisy which is now overbearing. Us doom and gloomers will continue the fight.

  9. Observing Avatar
    Observing

    @David
    What amazes me is that this is the START of the austerity/retrenchment programme. We haven’t even seen the full extent of what will be needed and the consequent impact.

    There’s much more in the mortar than the pestle.

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

    David; Re your comment at 10.01 am.

    Minister Jones strong admonition to students who use buses and get to school late on a habitual basis yesterday is one more instant policy prescription that IMHO will not see the light of day, like the DT Cellphone Tax.

    How does one get students to pay for bus rides to school if they are 2 minutes late on arriving at school? Does the Conductor charge them the going rate when they get on the bus knowing that they can’t get to school at the prescribed time based on the normal time it takes to get to school? Did the Minister discuss the new strategy with the PSV owners and drivers before coming up with the strategy? or with the Transport board? or with the teachers? How about the financial accounting for the system? What would be the extra duties of the Conductors? Is the proposed system at all workable or feasible?

    If it was a private sector initiative how would it have been tackled? By making late students clock in? By issuing tickets to students valid between certain times only? By having systems to check exactly when students got on or off the buses? Would it be worthwhile for them to institute it for what might be a relatively small proportion of all students using buses? Is there another simpler and do-able system that could satisfy the gallant objectives of the Minister? Are the objectives more to do with reducing costs of the subsidy for the transport board rather than lateness per se?

    Setting up such a system would be typical of the chaotic systems in almost everything this Government has done. It would be too complex and time wasting to work especially since it would involve a number of workers monitoring and ensuring the system worked.

    I suspect the simple current system of free bus rides for school children without the embellishment of time constraints to free rides will remain.

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

    Observing;

    It was clear that there was much more in the mortar than the pestle when this Government ostensibly abandoned its long term primary policy of free education to all and announced that it was going to lay off 3000 workers two weeks before Christmas. No DLP government would do this unless it had no other choice. What we have seen in the past month or so just corroborates this. When the Credit Suisse prop to the FX reserves run out in a few months look for more unbelievable actions for a DLP Government. Check it out.

  12. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    Wunna people are truly amazing…..

  13. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    ” this is the START of the austerity/retrenchment programme”

    Observing, for your information, we are now WELL INTO a much documented and highly prophesied phase of human development that will make these “problems” at which we are currently pulling our hair, look like the good old days…..

    If all the storm clouds, lightning, winds, and the even more frightening satellite pictures before us are not enough to warn us of the imminent storm, then perhaps we are indeed brass bowls enough to consume ourselves with petty shiite – like excess temporary workers who were not needed in the first place, being released.

    The good times are OVER folks…..it is time for accounting.

    …don’t try and board up wunna bungalows, tie down wunna asse(t)s, and stock up some oil in wunna lamps……
    …..Mind Estwick talking shiite…..

  14. David Avatar
    David

    @Observing

    Why are we releasing workers in ‘drips and drabs’? It must be the source of great anguish.

    @Are-we-there-yet

    If it were a private company the prinicpal of the company(school) would be empowered to discipline the children (employees) when they enter late. Hell but they are empowered so to do!

  15. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    @. David
    Why are we releasing workers in ‘drips and drabs’? It must be the source of great anguish.

    As opposed to what David?
    Letting everyone go all on one Friday afternoon?
    Not letting anyone go?
    Pressuring the Press to not highlight it…?
    Was it any better with LIME?

    This cannot BUT be a source of great anguish…however you cut it…

    It is in drips and drabs because the Government is clueless; the opposition is clueless; the public service is clueless; the Unions are clueless; the press is clueless; and the workers themselves are clueless.

    NOBODY KNOWS WHAT ELSE TO DO.
    We have a perfect recipe for total chaos.

    Have you been reading what the great Annunuksi – Miller writes?
    ….the nuksie is clueless. He has NO answers. His solution is to cuss poor Bushie, – and to remove Freundy (who cant drive), and install another incompetent who already has a long string of previous driving infractions, and who,, like Freundy, is a lawyer with ZERO practical successful business leadership experience.

    EVEN if a brilliant Moses (like Caswell and BUP) comes along and turns the economy around…..
    …who will save the USA?
    Who will save Europe?
    The rest of the Caribbean? South America? Africa?

    Do you think we have ANY chance of survival when every shiite else going under…? The game is up! The dog is dead!
    Time may be linger than twine, but it too has an end….

    Fortunately, there IS a bigger picture….and a damn positive one too…if Bushie says so himself…. 🙂

  16. David Avatar
    David

    @Bush Tea

    One has to consider the workforce remaining. In all actions of government there must be a feeling that there is efficient decision making. What is your sense? With our level of ‘education’ there is nothing to say our economic model cannot be trail blazing. We are small in a globol context, we do not need ‘much’ to exisit comfortably.

    We need leadership Bushie!

  17. Georgie Porgie Avatar
    Georgie Porgie

    david
    what you worrying about?
    JESUS IS COMING SOON TO REIGN AND RULE UNIVERSALLY

    BARBADOS AS WE USED TO KNOW IT——-DONE.

    WE EDUCATED MEN AND THEN WONT GIVE THEM WORK JUST BECAUSE THEY WERE SHARP AND NOT CLONES OF THE SENIOR DUMMIES

    WE FIRED MEN AND REPLACED THEM IN ONE CASE I KNOW OF BY A WOMAN WITH A SERIOUS NERVOUS BREAKDOWN
    I COULD GO ON, BUT I WONT

    THE CHICKENS ARE COMING HOME TO ROOST——– SOME WILL ROAST TOO!

  18. Mark Fenty Avatar
    Mark Fenty

    @ Georgie Porgie
    KJB ……..Mark 13: 32……..
    But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the son, but Father.

  19. Mark Fenty Avatar
    Mark Fenty

    @ Georgie Porgie
    KJB ……..Mark 13: 32……..
    But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the son, but the Father.

  20. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    It is too late David.

    We had the opportunity.
    We had the talents
    We had the start

    We messed up BIG time – as GP said….
    We did not value leadership
    We do not value JUSTICE, FAIRNESS, HONESTY
    We do not love one another

    …hard to understand what exactly it is that you are hoping for…..
    You ever heard of karma?
    …that is what we must expect….

    What leadership what?!.
    From where??…….China?

  21. Mark Fenty Avatar
    Mark Fenty

    Georgie Porgie, not even Jesus who is God’s only begotten son, will know when He will return to reign and rule universally.

  22. Mark Fenty Avatar
    Mark Fenty

    Georgie Porgie, not even the angels that are in heaven will know the time and hour……But a mortal soul like you yourself are confident of His return….. lol…..

  23. charles skeete Avatar
    charles skeete

    “There is at least one flaw In your comment, the political hirings have occurred for years, it is dishonest to locate the problem at the last two elections”
    Kudos to those who have been able to cleverly shift the debate from mismanagement of the economy as intimated by Mr Estwick in his ‘ i am a man’ recent pronouncements to over-bloating of the public service. I fail to see how out of 28000 thousand public servants how a modicum of political hirings could impact to such an extent to our macro-economic problems.

  24. David Avatar
    David

    @Charles Skeete

    You just don’t get it do you?

    Once you have to go to the IMF you subject yourself to rule of thumbs, in the case of Barbados we are spending above the accepted number to pay public workers. It is not rocket science.

  25. Georgie Porgie Avatar
    Georgie Porgie

    TO THOSE ON BU WITHOUT BETZPAENIA

    IF I SAY THAT MY DADDY IS COMING HOME SOON FROM WORK, DOES THAT MEAN THAT I KNOW THE EXACT TIME OF HIS IMMINENT ADVENT.

    HAVING BEEN EDUCATED IN BARBADOS WITH SOME OF THE BRIGHTEST BOYS IN BARBADOS AND AT UWI MEDICAL SCHOOL WITH SOME OF THE SHARPEST MINDS IN THE REGION, IT PAINS ME TO HAVE TO READ THE BOVINE EXCREMENT POSITED ON BU FROM PERSONS WHOSE BRAINS IS COMPOSED OF TISSUE THAT ONE ASSOCIATES WITH THE SHELVES OF HOUSTON.

  26. charles skeete Avatar
    charles skeete

    “Once you have to go to the IMF you subject yourself to rule of thumbs”
    I am not questioning the correctness or incorrectness of the IMF ‘rule a thumb’ imposed number; but the notion that the accepted number is bloated because of political hirings. What empirical evidence has been produced to show that the public service has been indeed bloated to such an extent as to cause unnecessary expenditure on wages/salaries. Hasn’t the public service expanded considerably over the years? aren’t there now an unprecedented proliferation of Ministries? Wouldn’t these developments require as a consequence an increase in Staff complement.

  27. David Avatar
    David

    @Mr.Skeete

    One does not need empirical evidence to know that the public sector is affected by political hiring which has led to bloating. If you want to argue this point then feel free to do so with others.

  28. Mark Fenty Avatar
    Mark Fenty

    @ Georgie Porgie
    You were educated with some of the sharpest minds in the region…. lol…. don’t make me laught… but your education is as small as your tiny mind Mr. Your three cent education impresses me not Georgie Porgie….

  29. NationBLPnewspaper Avatar
    NationBLPnewspaper

    Is it not ironic that UWI lecturer and well known BLP supporter Tennyson Joseph can accuse the duly elected government of Barbados of fascism ?

    Where was Tennyson Joseph when the BLP was calling journalists indentured servants and negrocrats?

    Where was Tennyson Joseph when a former BLP PM ordered a UWI lecturer out of Barbados ?

    People like Mr. Joseph can spend week after week criticizing ONLY one political side for which he is being paid and yet he can move and live in Barbados without the harassment that he would face if he spoke against some former leaders.

    If this is the type of opinion that UWI Cave Hill lecturers are pushing to our students, then we are not getting value for money.
    Tennyson Joseph – your political slip is showing.

    But we should not be surprised as he joins the long list of BLP supporters masquerading in the Nation newspaper as independent writers : Sanka Price, Pat Hoyos, Glyne Murray, Caswell Franklyn, Ezra Alleyne, Clyde Mascoll, Albert Brandford and Harry Russell.

    The Nation newspaper is truly the mouth piece of the BLP.

  30. NationBLPnewspaper Avatar
    NationBLPnewspaper

    Has anyone noticed how many of the Nation newspaper “columnists” have spoken at the BLP political meetings?

    Harry Russell, Clyde Mascoll, Peter Wickham and Tennyson Joseph.

    The Nation newspaper is clearly in bed with the BLP. The evidence is clear and overwhelming.

  31. Mark Fenty Avatar
    Mark Fenty

    Georgie Porgie, if your education is that great, then what are you doing on this semi- illiterate blog? Yale, Harvard and the London School of Economics, have they individual blogs to accommodate your kind of an education Georgie….lol…. Man think about your thinking because you’re beginning to sound like an egotistical nincompoop.

  32. Georgie Porgie Avatar
    Georgie Porgie

    I AM A BAJAN SIR THAT QUALIFIES ME
    BESIDES
    SOME OTHER FORMER HARRISONIANS AND SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS AND PROFESSIONALS ALSO VISIT BU

    BUT DAVID ALSO ACCOMMODATES SEMI- ILLITERATES

    BACK TO THE TEST IN AUKLAND

  33. Mark Fenty Avatar
    Mark Fenty

    @Georgie Porgie
    I do not know where and when you were educate but the “critical thinking skills” their ought to have taught you. You said a few day ago that you taught briefly at St. Leonard’s Boys Seconday back in 1974 right? Now, that is 40 years ago if my math skills serves me correctly. And if you were in your twenties at the time that makes you close to seventy years of age right Porgie? Ya! There were no such thing as critical thinking skills during your years of education.

  34. Georgie Porgie Avatar
    Georgie Porgie

    40 +20 =60
    EXPLAINS WHY YOU WENT TO ST LEONARDS?

    RE There were no such thing as critical thinking skills during your years of education.

    THAT’ S WHY THE DLP HAS DARCY BOYCE AND JOHN BOYCE RUNNING THE COUNTRY WITH FUMBLE STUART AS PM. LOL

    INCLUDES OTHERS OF YOUR TEACHERS AT ST LEONARDS AND MOST OF THE STALWARTS IN THE CIVIL SERVICE, AND HEADS IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR

  35. Mark Fenty Avatar
    Mark Fenty

    @ Georgie Porgie
    It is clear to me that you have placed your self -worth in your three cent education? And it does not impress me at all Mr. My friend, a bit of advice: that which is woven in ignorance, must one day be weaved in enlightenment.

  36. Mark Fenty Avatar
    Mark Fenty

    Georgie Porgie, that is where the critical thinking skills comes in Sir. I said close to seventy…. meaning that you could have been twenty- nine years of age at the time sir.

  37. Mark Fenty Avatar
    Mark Fenty

    Georgie Porgie, you’re really over -estimating your intellect because it ain’t that great sir. I’ve read: Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, the three early moral philosophers; and Hume, Berkeley, locke the three British empiricist philosophers; Kant, Hegel and Descates, the three rationalist/ idealist philosohers; Sarte and kierkegaar, the two great existentialist and these intellects really impress me sir.

  38. Mark Fenty Avatar
    Mark Fenty

    Georgie, for your information: a Harrison College education equal a community college education in the United States of America. Porgie, I’ve gather from previous conversations that you’re one of those guy who runs around the island Barbados advocating your school of national reputation.

  39. Simple Simon Avatar
    Simple Simon

    @David “If Barbados was a business what would be the commonsense decision to respond to the students who enter school late?”

    If Barbados were a business we would make the little rascals pay a late fee. Perhaps $50 per half hour, and $100 per hour. That would teach them to be on time.

    LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Raising children is not a business. It cannot be done like a business. If child raising could be done in a business like way you don’t think that Sir COW and Sir Kyffin etc. and Microsoft Coco cola and Virgin etc. would be making nuff nuff money doing it.

    Instead, child raising the non-business that it is, which never the less powers all the world’s economies is done mostly by poor people who can’t afford to do it, but who do it anyway

  40. Simple Simon Avatar
    Simple Simon

    People who think that capitalism/the ways of business is the cure for everything which ails our world are IDIOTS.

  41. Mark Fenty Avatar
    Mark Fenty

    Porgie, you ought give this St. Leonard’s boy some credit for writing on a cell phone without the help of spell – check. I guess at your age, your cognitive insufficiency wouldn’t allow you to do such a thing? ….lol….

  42. Simple Simon Avatar
    Simple Simon

    @Kevin February 4, 2014 at 9:15 AM “If Barbados was like a business then However each and every one regardless of social status will have to pay market prices for healthcare, transportation, education, garbage disposal. ”

    I like it I like it. I’ve never been sick. In nearly 70 years never even used the hospital not even to be born. My grandmother delivered me at home (no fee. I think that she was a communist). I don’t have any children in school. I recycle everything so I don’t need the garbage people.

    So where can I apply for a refund of the $35,000 I paid last year, and the year before and the year before that etc.

    I hope that none of it went to pay businessmen in inflated contracts even while they pontificate about efficiency.

    Nor to politicians.

  43. Mark Fenty Avatar
    Mark Fenty

    @Georgie Porgie
    Porgie my friend, I honestly thought about our little conversation last evening and it actually revealed to me the character of the man I am dealing with. And it’s quite disturbing to say the least sir.

    You’re obviously lost in the backwash of disillusionment, if you honestly believed that your cheap education impresses anyone here.

    Now, if there such a concept of Delusion of Grandeur, then perhaps you’re infected with it in the worse way sir. You have allowed your education to defined who your are as a person, because of the manner in which you push it in the faces of those persons you somehow assume are uneducated.

    Georgie, there’s obviously something very twisted with the way in which you advocates your Three- Cent – Education friend. I am trying to help you here buddy because I am not impress and I know for a fact that others here feels as I do.

  44. Mark Fenty Avatar
    Mark Fenty

    Georgie Porgie, your writing sucks and your debating skills leaves something to be desired. You do not impress me at all and I am not trying to besmear your character in anyway. I am being quite honest here because I am the kind of man who gives credit when credit it is due friend. You need to keep you mouth shut because you’re no intellect and sadly enough, you do not even understand the concept of Critical -Thinking.

  45. David Avatar
    David

    @Fenty

    Relax.

  46. Mark Fenty Avatar
    Mark Fenty

    @Georgie Porgie
    This is my final word to you because my time is valuable. There is an old adage which states that, ” You can take a man to university but you can’t make him think.”

  47. Mark Fenty Avatar
    Mark Fenty

    Understood David… it is senseless arguing with an educated fool….

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