Are we not a little ticked off at the lack of respect elected politicians and others have for us, the electorate? Why do many of us allow political partisanship to influence good reason and in the process give politicians especially a free pass.
BU recalls when the Eager 11 story broke a few government members of parliament claim the article damaged their reputation and promised to sue the Nation newspaper. To quote Minister David Estwick, “this is innuendo and is defamatory in law. Pleased be advised that I have given my lawyers the instruction to see that my integrity in public and private advocation remains untarnished and unsullied”. Dr. Estwick went on to indicate there are one or two other members who have been implied to be part of that 11 who will take similar action.
What happened Dr. David Estwick?
In the build up to the last general election there was the hot issue of the Democratic Labour Party accusing the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) of retrenching “10,000’’ public servants if they were voted to office. In response Opposition Leader at the time threatened to sue Minister of Finance Chris Sinckler.
What happened Owen Arthur?
Again in the lead up to the last general election two BLP candidates and lawyers Kerri Symmonds and Gregory Nicholls filed an injunction in the High Court on behalf of six residents requesting a judicial review of Cabinet’s decision to allow B’s Recycling to operate a recycling plant at the St. Thomas location. It is ironic two years after the injunction was filed the Bynoes are embroiled in a disagreement with government and the Town Planning Office over the length of time it is taking to to erect a recycling plant Bennetts in St. Thomas.
What happened Messrs Symmonds and Nicholls?
Engaging in frivolous law suits is not the preserve of politicians, a suit filed by local undertaker James Wilson versus Rihanna comes to mind.
115 responses to “Remembering What Politicians Do”
[…] Remembering What Politicians Do […]
http://www.nationnews.com/articles/view/no-to-funds/
enough said
We continue to let politicians off the hook and as with this case the PM will not act to discipline an errant minister. How are the public to take these guys seriously? A cabinet the largest in history even as the economy shrinks as well as the public service.
So deeply entrenched is this sycophancy we call party loyalty that my late father was ready to evict me from the family home for my public criticism of the late Dr. Haynes just before he broke ranks with the DLP. As a people our claim to be the best educated in the region is certainly questionable. What is not though, is the fact that we are truly the craftsmen of our fate. Here we have a group of charlatans brutally inflicting what can be seen as nothing short of torture on the most vulnerable in society, while they mark time just waiting to be rewarded by way of pension for life. We sit back and do nothing for its the system that needs to be changed. UWI students marched….twenty of them. Beautify Barbados same thing, same number. NCC, Transport workers, UCAL and the list goes on and on. Will there be anything left for those who have made and those who are presently making contributions towards uplifting this country before we change the system ? Apparently the only strength in numbers to be seen by an educated people is the addition of the expenses incurred by the best known frequent flyers in the country. If nothing in Barbados is working for the average barbadian, exactly what are we waiting for ?
Just reading the above link taken from Nationnews.com lends credence to the question posed by David.” How is the public to take these guys seriously?” DO NOT,FOR THEY ARE NOT. There has got to be a peaceful avenue that leads to relief. Find it or else many more than five million will be found in personal bank accounts.
look david are you still calling bajans stupid, listen up bro,bajans and people in general not really interested in the “side shows” that politicians put on.only on the issues that are relevant to their pocket books ,the issues which you have highlighted in the article does not and i repeat “does not” help pay the bills or put monies in people pockets,as far as the general populace is concerned these are side shows which can be distant and at times use to muster up “yardfowl frenzy” at political meetings and good for casual rumshop banter ,and social media posturing! a rallying cry on those issue not really ! most likely an exclamation mark.
@Hamilton
Don’t these guys sit in cabinet meetings every week? A simple conversation to align on positions before going public is so difficult a task? May God help us.
Barbadians need to hold politicians accountable for their actions. We have too many crooks posing off as honourable gentlemen. The problem comes because politicians have made sure that all roads lead to them so there is no one who is willing to go after them out of fear. Let me give examples:
Politicians decide who would Commissioner of Police so an aspiring junior policeman will not risk his career by tackling political corruption.
Politicians have the final say on who becomes Director of Public Prosecutions, and DPP is not the end of the possible career path of a person in that post, but every promotion beyond that comes from the hands of the Prime Minister. So a DPP might not be tempted to rock the boat out of fear of remaining where he is.
The PM makes the decision on who becomes a judge, and he is not likely to promote a person who would upset the applecart. After a judicial career comes the lucrative commissions of inquiry and different chairmanships and the fellows don’t want to lose out on them.
If you steal massive amounts of people’s money, it is best to make sure that you have friends in both political parties. Just observe the different handling of the CLICO scam and the current car racket. Clico’s people made sure that they gave campaign donations to both political parties. Mind you, they gave more to the DEMS but the pittance to the BLP was enough to buy protection when the BLP was in office.
@ ac… I am thoroughly convinced that you are driven by the last vestiges of an emotion known as shame, hence your paltry defense of this Circus Clown Conundrum that still can’t be figured out, even after six tedious years of leadership. The hallmark of this administration has always been INDECISION. That’s why they have perfected the art of silence. Should I give you a few examples ac? You are so ” on top ” of what goes on you would not need my reminders. Start with the issue of privatization and then move on to the first pronouncement of fees for UWI students. Before you are done please tell us what money in people’s pockets you talking bout? Then again Dennis Lowe is people too!
The issue of media activism raised by enuff on another blog is a serious point. A healthy democracy is designed to embrace an active fourth estate. Because of our smallness and incestuous state who will fill the void?
Don’t make me laugh David. Media activism is about suppressing anything that might shine a negative light on politicians and the well-to-do in this society. Just let me give one example:
On Friday I called Brasstacks and complained that the politicians were deceiving us by publishing a notice to place the Barbados Water Authority under the control of the Fair Trading Commission. I pointed out that they had already done so and illegally removed it. As a result, they have overcharged for water since 2009. In the news, however, Starcom ignored that and published an upbeat piece ignoring that they would have taken this action twice and that they owe a refund to everyone in Barbados who has a water supply.
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@Caswell
Enuff is more correct than we want to admit, do not offend the establishment. What it means is that we need whistleblowers (anonymously if necessary) to use social media to blow this establishment rock to bits. BU will leverage our niche in the days, weeks to come to push this message. Maybe we are being too harsh and VOB is checking with legal first.
On Sunday, 5 October 2014, Barbados Underground wrote:
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Wait Caswell cross hey … Look bro, before I cuss you again, refer to the tail end of the NIS article and tek it dey .. You are some piece of work … If you know that Starcom is a PR facility in disguise, why the hell did you proceed to compliment one of their most deceitful advocates .. AT MY EXPENSE …?
The problem with the Westminster system that we promote culminates with the realization that one man, ONE MAN not only determines who is DPP, CoCB, Chair of the NIS, CoP, the Judges and the Commissioners…. but gets to determine who sits in Cabinet, the policy setting and only relevant working assembly in a political administration.
There is or course an alternative, which has to be articulated to the public, and then the public should be asked to respond in a general election by with holding their “vote”
@Baffy
Sounds like a medieval monarchy in disguise!
Just observing
The Nasty 11
Observing; Re. your 7:13 am post, Yes! Enough said to demonstrate that the lack of funds is deep and can explain the NIS debacle and is so deep that the MoF can clearly disagree with his MoE colleague in a matter that had to become public.
Could we hope that the supporters of this Government, the opposers of this government, and all others, can read what is clear in the tea leaves and recognize that, for Barbados to surmount the various challenges related to our plummeting economy and seriously wounded society, we will all have to play our part in a sensible manner. That includes the BAMP doctors who must recognize that some of their statements over the preparedness of the Island for any arrival of Ebola here should have been withheld in the interest of ensuring that everyone in the health services were essentially on the same page and would do what their Oaths of service required to protect the Island. IMHO, Those doctors showed themselves to be just as selfish in this instance as our politicians have consistently proven themselves to be.
de Treasury empty, empty……..EMPTY.
Owen Arthur stood opposed to the CCJ as long as the Prime Ministers were kept away from influencing the selection of judges …
Seriously .. why should such egomaniacs be left in charge of the cookie jar … huh?
There are about six more family jewels to be sold off to keep the import cover healthy (and in favour of the construction and domestic consumption oriented class of businesses in Barbados); the BWA, the Port, the GAIAC, the NPC and the two oil companies. Are people really going to wait until they are all sold off before they realize that Westminster is a destructive monster ..?
So the recent plans by PSV operators to take the Law Courts of Barbados to court, because of the heavy fines imposed on them for consistently breaking the law, is not so ludicrous after all, since our hallowed laws makers are,themselves, making ‘laugh and sport’ at the same law courts.
At a time when Barbados should be flexing its intellectual capital to create a new model for recovery in a modern global space the conversation is about going to the IMF on national radio. Really!
Caswell Franklyn | October 5, 2014 at 8:34 AM |
Barbadians need to hold politicians accountable for their actions. We have too many crooks posing off as honourable gentlemen.
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And our elected politicians sit back and allow crime and violence to fester unchecked in our society. As most of them are lawyers the proliferation of crime is their Bread and Basket with a ready supply of clients,when they finally,,or kicked out,of office.
We should be careful ,in future ,in electing Lawyers to represent us in parliament. One fellow did not even know the difference between a Bajan Dollar and a US Dollar, but he was overseeing a project costing some US /BDS $750 Million.
It is a terrible situation with those former public sector employees who, after being retrenched from the Transport Board, Beautify Barbados and NCC almost 7 months ago, have not received their severance payments as yet. In order to be heard, these people have to make spectacles of themselves in public.
Rather than investigate why government has been tardy in paying these people, the media prefers to highlight these ex-employees actions in the press or on television during the news. In this instance, it appears as though the media is protecting the politicians.
The prime minister saw it fit to become involved in the issue between LIME and BWU, but neither him nor the relevant minister has seen it fit to take time out to meet with these people and discuss the difficulties that are preventing them for receiving payment. Instead, they are being given different dates by management to collect payment due, on each occasion they enquire about their severance.
Who is to be held accountable for this debacle of these poor people not being able to receive their money, and why are we not hearing from any minister?
What role does the minister of labour in this situation, after bragging about the new employee’s rights bill, as it relates to the payment of severance 2 months after the employee has been terminated?
Why have the BWU and NUPW not been propositioning the government of behalf of these workers, since many of them would have had union dues deducted from their salaries/wages even before receiving payment?
@ BAFBFP | October 5, 2014 at 10:52 AM |
“There are about six more family jewels to be sold off to keep the import cover healthy (and in favour of the construction and domestic consumption oriented class of businesses in Barbados); the BWA, the Port, the GAIAC, the NPC and the two oil companies.”
At least there is another prophet who has seen the light of what is facing poor Bim.
What else can you see, Jeremiah the second? The ‘looking-back-should have-would have ‘Jeremy Stephens might soon be challenging you for the position.
Can you really see the present crop of nincompoops in Cabinet overseeing such a divestment programme (sell off of the family silver at give-away prices) without IMF direct supervision?
Does the BWU have credibility to strongly negotiate with government given the front page story in todays press?
http://www.nationnews.com/articles/view/housing-horror/
Dennis Clarke can be seen driving an Audi and Sir Roy Trotman BMW, as benefits from unions dues of workers.
If employees from the Port Authority had been affected, Trotman would have been threatening to shut down Barbados.
Jeremy Stephens confirmed our economy is government led and there is little mobilization of capital by private sector. Bottomline, the government is not capable of generating economic activity unless it sells assets.
@Artaxerxes |
The prime minister saw it fit to become involved in the issue between LIME and BWU, but neither him nor the relevant minister has seen it fit to take time out to meet with these people and discuss the difficulties that are preventing them for receiving payment.
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When history is written, it will be seen that Barbados since 1950 has had three Adams as Head of Government.
(a ) Adams, Herbert Grantley
(2) Adams, JMG ”Tom”
and (3), the incumbent , Adam , In-the -Garden -Hiding.
David | October 5, 2014 at 11:53 AM |
“Jeremy Stephens confirmed our economy is government led and there is little mobilization of capital by private sector. Bottomline, the government is not capable of generating economic activity unless it sells assets.”
Your comments are very true, David. Government has to create an environment that is conducive to private sector investment in the economy. One of the ways to facilitate this process is by privatizing some quasi government organisations, such as the Transport Board, NCC, NCF, BWA and CBC. However, I’m not in favour of privatizing the National Petroleum Corporation.
For example, as relates to the NCF and its role in arts and culture, the current situation sees a minister implementing knee jerk policies that are not always in the best interest of culture, but for him to create his own legacy. Private sector involvement in these areas, as is done in some other Caribbean territories, will see a different level of innovation that would be better for all those who are intimately involved.
The Crop Over Festival would no longer be controlled by the confinements of government policy, but by stakeholders, who would be in a better position to know what is best for them and to solicit sponsorship from those organisations that prefer not to contribute to anything involving politics.
@Artax
Is it more about a laid back private sector based on innate conservative DNA as well as conservative banking system made worse by the absence of true venture/developmental funding?
David wrote “there is little mobilization of capital by private sector.”
So the private sector will not “mobilize capital” unless they can buy existing government owned entities.
The “private sector” has created wealth on the backs of Bajan workers, consumers and taxpayers ?
The concentration of real wealth in Barbados is an issue we should be discussing.
@Hants
In the same way we have to hold the political class to accepted measurements we have to do the same of the private sector. One of the problems over the years is that government has been happy, in the good times to fuel the economy with the international business and construction sectors.
[…] David Are we not a little ticked off at the lack of respect elected politicians and others have for us, […]
David | October 5, 2014 at 12:49 PM |
“@Artax: Is it more about a laid back private sector based on innate conservative DNA as well as conservative banking system made worse by the absence of true venture/developmental funding?”
I believe that if new business investment ventures become available, the private sector will make significant investments and the banks may be willing to provide the necessary funds to finance these ventures. Over the years, we have witnessed a lack of innovation amongst the private sector that seems to prefer remain within the “safe zone” wholesale and retail sectors, causing these markets to become saturated.
Obviously, the banks will have information on these businesses relative to rates of success or failure. Some loans officers will review this information as a guideline for their judgment and if an entrepreneur seeking loan funding has a business model similar to those that have failed, his application will be denied.
Many of the personnel employed as loans officers have never ran a business or know about business in general, and in some instances cannot understand a business plan. They often rely on the accompanying projected statements of income and expenses or cash budgets as a basis to determine loan eligibility. If in their judgment the projections are unrealistic, they refuse to approve loans, without consultation of the applicant as to the methods used to calculate projected income. This can be easily analyzed by reviewing sections in the market summary, such as target markets, competition, market demographics, marketing strategy, pricing policy as compared to competitors, or creating a niche in the intended market.
Conversely, entrepreneurs entering markets that are unfamiliar in this region will also have difficulty trying to access financing, since there are no comparative information on these ventures and financial institution will play it safe by also denying loans.
Under these circumstances the private sector will be unwilling to undertake new business ventures, unless they can finance such ventures themselves.
Barbados needs more financial institutions like the Cherry Tree Trust, which offers financing at terms and conditions that are far better then banks, finance companies or those institutions that are owned by government.
@David
Barbados is a democratically governed capitalist country.
The private sector with the real “Capital” is only concerned with the growth and profitability of their businesses.
The financial services commission and Central Bank of Barbados should be at the forefront of formulating regulations to control loan eligibility and ensure financial institutions employ personnel with the requisite qualification in business and possess some level of business acumen that would put them in a better position to be a bit more analytical and sensitive to applicants.
@Artax
The issue maybe more encouraging financial institutions designed with an appetite to take on risk, commercial banks are not set up to do so, especially the foreign entities we have here.
Something ought to be made clear regarding the privatization of government run departments. Privatizing does not necessary mean that the government has to give up total ownship.
For example: the federal government here in the United States outsources a lot of its jobs to the private sector. All that really means is that a private company is given a 5 year contract etc, to manage, let’s say the Security Department within a specific federal agency. Now, also bear in mind that the people who are employed by the private company that is contracted with federal government, aren’t federal employees and therefore, their not entitled to the good federal benefits. And finally, the federal government exercise some measure oversight over this privately contracted company.
Another example would be a transportation department within a state government outsourcing the entire transportation department to several private companies bus companies to operate the entire transportation within the state. Yet, again, the people who are employed by this privately contracted company aren’t public employees and therefore, aren’t entitled to the good state benefits. And as in the case of the federal government, the state government exercise some measure of oversight over this privately contracted company. The is cost reduction method the federal as well as the state governments, has been employing in recent years.
who ever blocking , thanks for the worry of your end , Jail coming for all of you and the World knows
@ Dompey | October 5, 2014 at 2:19 PM |
“Something ought to be made clear regarding the privatization of government run departments. Privatizing does not necessary mean that the government has to give up total ownship.”
Dompey, the intellectual ass, what you are alluding to is called outsourcing.
We are referring to the future ownership and management of those commercial entities currently owned by the State such as CBC NPC, BNOC, BNTCL, GAIA and Barbados Port Inc..
Can you suggest what should be done to those entities other than what the IMF has in store for them?
If you want foreign money to pay for your extravagant and lavish lifestyle then sell what you have. Do you Dopey, the Clown Prince of BU, remember those costly electioneering ads about Paro Economics à la Owen Arthur? Since there is no more to sell other than the Four Seasons graveyard for real estate developers what else is there to sell at knockdown prices?
Retribution is a bitch isn’t it! Now who will be preaching and practising the real ‘Paro’ politics and economics? OSA or Fumble & Sinliar?
The bottomline is that we have to cut spending, we are not positioned to support our conspicuous lifestyle. We have to do it and stop fooling ourselves. Stop importing new vehicles unless fulfilling a process for proving it is necessary. In the short term it will impact jobs but in the medium long term it will result in helping to change attitudes. We have to start somewhere.
@ David | October 5, 2014 at 2:57 PM |
“Stop importing new vehicles unless fulling a process for proving it is necessary.”
Such policies are called proactive management strategies.
The present administration behaves as if it is incapable of thinking and acting along those lines unless it is for promotional electioneering purposes as in the case of RE and food security.
The only vehicles that should be imported in the future are those that can be operated on RE-based fuels e.g. solar-energy charged batteries.
The country can afford no more time to waste if it is to save itself from contracting economic AIDS and social pneumonia or Ebola resulting in it becoming a failed state of a basket case.
What has ever become of that adage: ‘An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure’?
In the age of Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Vimeo Instagram no one should be complaining about what the media is not doing. BU is a perfect example of how to utilise social media to inform the public. Those complaining about the media are merely looking for a scapegoat and instead of repeatedly grandstanding should get up and start acting. Where is Bush Tea’s BBE? Rosa Parks was not a newspaper or radio station neither is Dr. Kublalsingh. The truth is that the finger pointers are not different from the media, they too are afraid to act given the 1×1 society we live with its 6 degrees of separation.
@enuff
Yes and no, traditional media still has the sway in Barbados but social media is growing…
Is the PM back in Barbados. Heard he has diabetic complications and mia got throat cancer. can anyone confirm or deni
Using the topic of this post, I hope that every student especially those in Christ Church East Central remembers this piece of crap we have as the minister of education. What a pomp-ass, arrogant lying piece of crap he is.
Has this man no shame? We on BU knew up front that when he made that bold assertion that the government was going to approve 3000 bursaries, we knew he was lying and had just made up the plan and float it out there because that is what these wild boys do….fly a kite to cool down the complaints from Barbadians….just like Inniss and the new hospital.
Mr Inniss, since you are calling for heads to roll at the NIS……….should not Ronald Jones’ head roll for this blatant lying to the students of this country? No wonder the liar got pissed when the media asked him when would students be given the bursaries. We now know he was stalling as he knew there was no money to fund these bursaries.
Now we know from his colleague, the Minister of Finance that this matter was never discussed prior to the announcement. I still believe that Jones intended to beg for some of the solid waste tax to fund these bursaries but after the heat the government was getting for this tax and the MOF relaxed the payment terms somewhat and people stopped paying………Jones was left with no room but to lie further. Blasted liar!
Are these people whom we want to lead us? No wonder the Ministry of education is in such chaos!
I am appalled at the way this country is being governed. Nothing is working and we so called honourable men lying with no shame at that to the people of this country.
When an ardent supporter can say ” Here we have a group of charlatans brutally inflicting what can be seen as nothing short of torture on the most vulnerable in society, while they mark time just waiting to be rewarded by way of pension for life”……we know things have to be really bad!
We are doomed!
@ David
I am not denying their “sway” just emphasising the power and utility of other media. Again I use BU as an example–some of what you allow to be posted here would never see the light of the traditional media. Who is stopping Bush Tea’s BBE? Certainly not the Nation, VoB, CBC or the Advocate.
@Caswell
to the point enuff is making, we are willing to open a Frankly Speaking blog, a sapparent blog managed by BU to protect you so that you can get your weekly message out.
Think about it. You send all of your articles we will update them and the new, no charge.
Barbados is in the Market for over 100 new buses. The local bus body builder L&N is hoping that he will be given the pick to build bus bodies on imported truck/bus chassis. This can’t work in Barbados, L&N , like it predecessor ACME manufacturing ,will manufacture buses that will last as long as those which many PSV owners still now operate with ACME logo on them, long after ACME Manufacturing has wound up.
Buses ordered for the Transport Board, are given a working life time of 5 years, or the period that any particular Minister of Transport stays in that office.
Just this morning I noticed and aging Defence Force Bus,a Bluebird, manufactured by Mercedes / Freightliner in the USA. Beside the Defence Force, the Prison Service and the Police operate , similar aging buses . Is it not a shame that somebody, other than the almost 60 year state- owned Transport Board, managed to get the selection of an adequate bus for Barbados right.
But it was always said that the difference between a Statesman and a Politician, is that the Statesman looks after the next generation, while the Politician looks after his next pocket.