The Human Unemployment Rate in Barbados – a cause for serious concern
Walter Blackman – Actuary and Social Commentator
The following submission is reprinted from May 2014. Walter’s view: “As an update, the situation has worsened. At the end of March 2015,
the amount of Barbadians who are of working age […] = 222,400. Of that number, only 127,900 found employment. Therefore, 94,500 Barbadians are unemployed. This means that, today, Barbados has a gross Human Unemployment Rate (HUR) of 42.5%. It was 41% for 2013. The amount of unemployed persons at the end of 2013 stood at 88,000. At March 2015, it is 95,000. At August 2015, it must now be higher because young adults recently left school and there are no jobs available for them!”
Reprinted from May 2014:
Based on official demographic numbers put out by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs recently, I have calculated that there were 214,100 Barbadians available for work in 2013. Out of that number, only 126,300 persons were actually employed.
This means that 87,800 Barbadians of working age did not have jobs in 2013. When translated into a concept that measures the wastage of our human resource, this also means that the Human Unemployment Rate (HUR) for Barbados was 41% in 2013.
All Barbadians, on one hand, should justifiably feel a sense of pride in the fact that Barbados has attracted immense global respect for its high ranking based upon the United Nations’ Human Development Index. On the other hand, however, a Human Unemployment Rate of 41% demonstrates to the world that whilst our governments have provided, and are continuously striving to provide, critical developmental services for our citizens (education, health care, security etc), only about 59% of our workforce is being utilized. Put differently, we are investing millions of dollars in raising and educating our people, but no successful policies are being implemented to enable them to work and make a meaningful contribution to the economic development of their country.
Out of the 3,500 students who finished school in 2013, very few have succeeded in getting jobs. How many school leavers will get jobs in 2014? Fewer still. To give you an idea of how serious our unemployment situation is, imagine that for the past 25 years, not one student leaving school in Barbados has been able to find a job.
Given the destructive, wasteful, and corrupt practices which have seeped into the area of public finance in Barbados over the past 35 years, a Human Unemployment Rate of 41% at this time is almost fatal economic news for our country. The cumulative effect of these practices are now forcing us to stare some serious questions in the face: Can the government of Barbados adequately service a debt burden of $10 billion, repay its $2 billion obligation to the NIS fund, meet its mounting, unfunded civil service pension obligations, and pay for salaries and services with only 59% of a small workforce being employed? Can we, as a country, earn enough foreign exchange to support our 2 to1 peg to the US dollar with a whopping 41% of our workforce remaining idle? Can we achieve these national objectives in the presence of widening fiscal deficits, paltry global exports, and limited borrowing options triggered by government’s inability to pay its debts?
If the answer to all of these questions is a resounding “No”, then, given our current human unemployment rate, there is no feasible solution to our public finance and national economic problems. Looking at our situation from a black hole perspective, we are now heading towards the event horizon. A downward spiral has started in earnest, and in many cases, an already bad situation is going to get worse. Let me give you an idea of what I mean.
The fiscal problems confronting the government of Barbados cry out for a solution that involves job creation and attendant expanding government revenues. At the same time, unfortunately, diminishing exports, excessive borrowing, poor planning, and low international credit ratings have combined to create a foreign exchange crisis for Barbados. The foreign exchange crisis, in turn, has become the most urgent and overpowering force in the local economy and it has brought in the IMF, the ultimate lender of last resort, to make financial and economic decisions for us that our leaders were not capable of making. In an attempt to inject some measure of fiscal responsibility into the management of our country’s public finances, and by extension, to safeguard the interests of our foreign creditors, the IMF has effectively initiated a series of layoffs in Barbados. These layoffs, along with other financial problems confronting the government, have depressed aggregate economic demand, and have directly triggered layoffs in the private sector as well. The Human Unemployment Rate which stood at 41% in 2013 is therefore rising appreciably in 2014. An already bad situation has worsened, and there is no relief in sight.
Given the fact that we have 88,700 able-bodied Barbadians who are not working, what policies and ideas are being highlighted and pursued by the government with the aim of solving the problem?
A few weeks ago, we were treated to a somewhat instinctive proposition which came from the Honourable Mr. Ronald Jones, Minister responsible for Education. Ostensibly inferring that the government does not like the idea of cutting its expenditure, the minister argued that Barbados needs more economic activity which would enable the government to collect more taxes to cover its expenditure. Fair enough, up to that point. However, where the minister started to raise the cynical eyebrows of his detractors is when he recommended, as a solution to the problem, the production of many more babies than are being born currently in Barbados.
The minister’s recommendation of an increase in baby production in Barbados (whether by fornication, adultery, hook, crook, or traditional marriage) as a solution to our current economic problems, must have sparked some interesting conversation and responses in the offices, rum shops and living rooms across Barbados.
On the religious front, the Church has always held the position that sex and procreation should be reserved for married couples only. Yet so far, the voices within the Church, the traditional bulwark of our societal morality, have remained relatively silent in the face of a deafening cry from a minister of the Crown for engagement in indiscriminate, wanton, baby-producing sex.
On the family planning front, we have been advised for the past 40 years, that it is of extremely critical importance for Barbados, a small island state with scarce limited resources and with one of the highest population densities in the world, to keep a firm lid on the growth of its population. The minister’s solution represents a shot across the bow of the Barbados Family Planning Association’s efforts which are aimed at keeping our population from exploding.
In Barbados, health practitioners and AIDS counselors have been highlighting the risks associated with unprotected sex, given the presence of the AIDS virus in many fertile Barbadians. The minister’s call for an upsurge in unprotected sex, to produce more babies, amounts to an invitation for Barbadians to increase the incidence of AIDS in their country.
On the human unemployment front, therefore, it is fair to conclude that the honourable Minister of Education has more faith in the strategy of waiting for babies to grow up and revive the national economy than in coming up with policies to generate jobs for the 88,700 Barbadians who are currently waiting to be employed. We can only hope that the other members of the cabinet hold a different philosophical position on this matter.
For the unemployed in Barbados today, the future looks rather uncertain and bleak. At the individual level, some of our jobless are hearing daily about the need to become entrepreneurs, but they have little or no experience, no guidance from a successful model in place, no business skills or training, and no finance to transform themselves from being ‘dreamers’ into successful entrepreneurs. Others are trying a ‘thing’ in the underground economy. Others are sending out hundreds of job applications and are hoping against hope that a few big projects would open up and create some jobs, even if temporarily. After many years of trying, others have given up and have decided to rely on someone else for support.
The future of the entire country depends on our ability to put these 88,700 people to work. Somehow, we have to wrap our collective minds around the central objective of coming up with ideas that can generate jobs for our fellow Barbadians and that rely on no financial contribution or commitment from government.
Can we do it?
Barbados Underground 
Quite a knowledgeable post above Bushie but for the record Mr Wynter Crawford was not a fan of Mr Barrow neither was Mr Hilton Vaughan nor Mr Theodore Brancker the initial compromised leader of the DLP going into the 1961 elections who opted for the speakership rather than a cabinet position.
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Bushie, when you so glibly say that “Barrow’s error was that he thought that he would live forever …” and also speak of his college mate Lee Kuan Yew as building ” a disciplined meritocratic, GOVERNANCE system, based on PERFORMANCE,” can an uneducated, ingrunt fellow like me look at the voluminous data available and draw the conclusion that you wanted Mr Barrow to be a benign dictator like LKY?
These wondrous comparison to Lee and Singapore are sweet but a look into the eyes and hearts of these men show a very complex process of governance and life.
Barrow acted in the same arrogant way as Lew did so maybe he also thought that he would be PM or in control of B’dos for 50+ years as his friend was of Singapore. That ‘performance’ came with a price.
Dig a little deeper of course and its clear that the entire crew – Burnham, Manley, Barrow,Yew and a few others – of highly motivated and supremely intelligent colonial students who befriended each other in England in the years after WW II were all ‘little dictators’ back home when they ascended to lead their countries.
Burnham and Yew were the two that imposed their will imperiously over their ‘democratic’ governance system for many, many years.
So was that an error on Barrow’s part or just his humanity, or practicality not to embrace any form of ‘dictatorship’ considering that he did not have the territorial political or ethnicity issues to buttress such a power grab?
Just a different perspective Mr. Bushie. It would be great if the politics of our lives could fit so simply into glib sound bites!
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Dompey,
I don’t think Bushie thinks so. He’s suggesting that Mr. Barrow thought so.
On a positive note, I couldn’t find any unforgivable mistakes in you grammar etc.
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Bush Tea
” … He did not build a sustainable system of governance to ensure the longevity of his vision…”
This statement above belies common-sense and the tool of reason because really, who can know the lasting impact of a newly planned idea? Those who launched new ideas do so with intent that their will have and enduring impact, but there isn’t any barometer which man can employ to peek into the future to determining their lasting impact. Bushie, when we plant our seeds in our own gardens, we wait with the anticipation that their well yield the necessary fruits we are anticipating, but we do not know beyond a reasonable doubt if their well yield the fruits that we are hoping for. So this example above is analogous to the idea Barrow planned many decades ago; how would Barrow have known whether his idea would have had a lasting impact in the present? Bushie, there is any logical way of determining that if you launch a business idea today, whether ten later that same idea would have had a lasting impact into the distant future.
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Walter,
Not “unwittingly” actually.
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Dompey,
That’s in YOUR grammar.
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Thank you Donna!!!
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price.
”
Dig a little deeper of course and its clear that the entire crew – Burnham, Manley, Barrow,Yew and a few others – of highly motivated and supremely intelligent colonial students who befriended each other in England in the years after WW II were all ‘little dictators’ back home when they ascended to lead their countries.”
You omitted Pierre Trudeau from the line-up all products of their mentor Harold Laski. Students of Laskiism were taught to galvanise support through charisma and cult like promotion of self as maximum leader and saviour of the downtrodden from the wickedness of the wealthy and not to lose elections. Lee quan yew was the most successful; Burnham resorted to oppressive policies to remain in power; Manley and Trudeau lost their way caught between the devil and the deep blue sea and Mr Barrow to his credit was cleverly able to balance the act between rich and poor.
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This grammar business has reached a point where it distracts from topics being discussed. BU has given latitude for the rubbish exchanges, you have the rest of the day to empty it from your systems. We have to be considerate of others who read, we are engaging in a selfish exercise on the wings of free speech, BU will exercise our right to ensure the quality of the blog if the incessant crappie persist.
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@Balance, yes I did and deliberately so really. No harm.
At some point when you have the time you do need to expand on:
–“Manley and Trudeau lost their way caught between the devil and the deep blue sea”
–” Mr Barrow to his credit was cleverly able to balance the act between rich and poor.”
Manley with a gangsta gun culture of political warfare and Tradeau with his high glamour, playboy, highwire style are interesting to couple as ‘lost their way’. True that may be but surely the scenarios started and played out quite differently.
And Barrow and his clever balance between the rich and poor, that’s so loaded. Is that another way to say between white and black and all the societal issues he confronted as did the others (excluding Tradeau again)?
You must break those down for my benefit!
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David,
I think it’s probably done now.
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“Locked out” by who? good question Balance ? since you seem to be a learned scholar of history check time and events the answers lie within your reach.Trying to remove facts of relevancy to compensate is disingenuous and a deception used by twistorians
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Balance,
Very interesting! I’m listening.
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@ balance
The study of interpersonal relationships and management at that time (highly influenced by the military after the war) suggested that the most effective leaders were ‘benign dictators’ like General Montgomery – and that this was best achieved “through charisma and cult like promotion of self as maximum leader and saviour of the downtrodden…”
Barrow’s approach was complicated by the complex racial divide in Barbados, where whites owned every shiite and blacks were barely out of slavery.
His strategy was to quickly improve the intellectual and social level of blacks, while keeping whites on board to avoid violent, sudden disruptions on the economic front (as happened later to Zimbabwe)
This was a complex and ticklish long-term plan which would have worked but for a few hiccups:
1 – He was surrounded by large numbers of political pimps and idiots who had NO IDEA what he was on about.
2 – Everything depended on HIS charisma and leadership, but politically he soon found that he could only retain leadership by making concessions to the hoards of idiots around him – and not always even then…
3 – No man can live a full life under such pressure – so he died too soon.
What he SHOULD have done was, having established himself as MR BARROWBADOS, taken ten steps back ..and use his position to INCLUDE persons such as Tom, Richie, Wynter etc to execute the plan while he focused on sharing and selling his great VISION.
In other words, he should have taken up the position of first “Chairman of the National Supervisory Committee” and left the hard work to the most intelligent and capable people he could find, rather than entering into political battles with clearly competent and influential Bajans and creating political enemies and lots of unnecessary stress.
But such was the nature of the science at the time…to conquer one’s enemies on the battlefield and march on to glory.
To his credit, Owen came with a different plan of ‘inclusiveness’ which unfortunately was politically driven rather than VISION driven, but at least he has managed to survive BEYOND prime ministership 🙂
There is NO MERIT in dividing any entity into multiple camps to fight against each other. Only a j(AC)kass can see value in persisting with this BLP/DLP shiite….
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Also an interesting perspective, Bushie. I will think on these things. Except for the BLP/DLP shiite part. Those only need flushing.
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Barrows thoughts are indicative of his beliefs some of which were implemented and are still active.Others which were discarded and disregarded by actions put in place with intent to derail Barrows vision.
Barrow, s only failure was taking for granted that those whom he trusted in and outside politics would have carried and shoulder some of the burden and responsibilities that creates and formulates a self reliant society
Barrow achievements are many and still stands as a force as a guide and to transformation vision and good leaders.
Whatever failures perceived on account of Barrows vision can be directed and attributed to those who have and still continue to stand vanguard against change
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@Bush Tea
What you are saying and sensible will agree, we have seen no vision from our leaders since maybe Tom Adams.
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Bushie, it’s good to see that you continue to wax sweetly and offer your brand of sunshine with enthusiasm to dwellers long accustomed to another brand. Your treatise on Barrow is amazing.
Bit who are you trying to dissemble with such amusing obfuscation?
You said, –– He was surrounded by large numbers of political pimps and idiots who had NO IDEA what he was on about.—-
Aren’t all politicians so afflicted? And wasn’t Barrow also assisted by a cadre of intelligent and smart people just like himself who definitely shared his road-map?
You said, – Everything depended on HIS charisma and leadership, but politically he soon found that he could only retain leadership by making concessions to the hoards of idiots around him – and not always even then…—–
Ok, this is also unique to him as a politician?
You said, —– No man can live a full life under such pressure – so he died too soon.–
True he did, but how would running the country itself cause a man who managed the adrenaline and stress of bomber missions during WWII feel so pressured that it pushed him to an early grave.
Love to read your stuff Bushie but this selling ice to Eskimos thing is below your level of intelligence. If AC had written this I wouldn’t bat an eyelid but YOU…. writing such platitudes.
Please give BU ingrunts like myself more provocatively insightful and valid analysis, fah real.
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Bush 1-3 states all of what ac has alluded to in all comments up to present. Anyhow your tenacity to be boisterous and contrary might have blinded your intellect for objectivity.Carry on smartly
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The problem with “benign dictators” is that having handed them power, how do you ensure they don’t become malignant?
Politicians and political parties have a tendency to malignancy. The longer they are in power the more malignant they become.
The best weapon the people have is their ability to vote politicians out of office and they need to be able to do this when their leaders start to look out of touch and dictatorial.
How is the Prime Minister these days?
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David, no sir that is not a fair assessment. The leaders since Tom have battled a different type of threat and the country has evolved significantly since his time and faced different lending and planning issues.
We may not agree with what the folks like Bree, Sandi or Owen may have done in every case but each one of them championed ideas and had road maps which showed vision and a plan for a better future.
Agree or disagree with how some of those things were executed but we can’t just dismiss them all.
No sir.
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Yes D ugrunt. You are. Correct after a read of bush.it speech I was believing that I had become his speech writer . Politics does make strange bed fellows.
Some of his comments negates and solidify the tenactles involved to derail barrows vision
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@ Dee Word
…actually bushie was talking to balance …a blogger who clearly has deep insight and who thinks beyond the obvious…
Not sure why you think that every post must explore all the possible tangents just because you make it your business to seek them out….
Obviously we were exploring the likely inner thoughts of EWB; the various influences that would have driven him; and the resulting impact on the last 50 years of our history.
That there were a number of quality people around him is not the point….. which is that there were too many idiots around….
Burnham had his way of dealing with his idiots …as did Lee, but Barrow by and large, did not have such options available…..he tried the public order act but that only made matters worse.
Burnham’s approach destroyed Guyana, while Lee benefited from a willing and compliant national psyche that was (is) open to dictatorship. Barrow was limited to playing politics…
When Barrow lost elections he was devastated. One has to experience that feeling of giving everything for a people, sacrificing one’s very life – only to be rejected by those SAME people out of ignorance, envy and greed…
He was never the same after that….
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@
It was Plato who said that the best form of government was a “benevolent Dictator” Not a “benign” dictator. Just a slight correction. And Barrow’s vision with regard to Secondary education is still alive and well. I think that persons are referring to Tertiary education that has suffered a slight set back.
This setback is actually good for the young people. they need to become more self reliant and forward thinking.
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Alvin Cummings wrote, “This setback is actually good for the young people. they need to become more self reliant and forward thinking.”
Barbados is not Canada. Young people can’t get a job at Tim Hortons or Walmart to help pay for their University or college education.
Bajan youngsters need who are qualified to go to University should be given the help they need to do so.
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@Hants
Because of the incapacity to absorb graduates what the situation will eventually lead is emigration and brain drain.
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David; You said above
Because of the incapacity to absorb graduates what the situation will eventually lead is emigration and brain drain.
Yes! Eventually, but before that something else might kick in. Yuh ever heard de old people say “De Devil will find work fuh idle hands”.
There should be a plethora of projects going on now-so to provide something for the young people to do. Why can’t Government try providing token stipends (lunch money and bus fare) for structured programmes designed and implemented by the Defence Force and other community based agencies to take up the slack? sport, apprenticeships, calypso singing, community assistance, etc.
Perhaps what we really need now is a strategic natural or unnatural event that can absorb and focus the people’s energies while teaching us all a number of lessons that youngsters know not and oldsters have forgot.
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“Self Reliant and Forward thinking…. Alvin Cummins vis a vis “Why can’t Government try providing token stipends…are we there yet
Self reliant and government in this Barbados CANNOT GO TOGETHER.
Why not?
Government, successive governments of the BLP and DLP DO NOT SEE THEMSELVES as facilitators of the process of national development the oil so to speak, NO they see themselves and the GEARS and the COGS.
I will give a simple and simplistic explanation so that there can be clarity to that statement
In 2007 the Faculty of Social Science of the University of the West Indies under Dean Belle decided to implement a practical exercise which in essence sought to “bring the academics down from off the hill” into the homes of Bajans.
In brief simple exercise, Transport is critical to the development of our nation, public and private transport in shambles, therefore put UWI minds to problem, UWI develops two pronged approach for management of vehicles on roadways (EVR Electronic Vehicle Registration system with Transcore largest EVR company in world) and AVL (Automated Vehicle Location System using radio backbone, not SIM Card technology to regulate Public buses and Private minibuses and permit Jane Doe to pick up cell phone and see when next bus in going to pass her house in Union.
System costed $6-8M and, at a conservative projection, would have made MTW $60M per year. UWI Consortium got C&W England to finance the $6M. Final construct would allocate 6:3:1 Govt:C&W:UWI.
Well since i dont want to be sued for libel, by the Office of the Attorney General who threatened to lock me up when I sought the copies of the Articles of Ratification of the Caricom Treaty, I will not say what 2 government administrations did, but suffice it to say that (i) we are still being pulled off the road to check if you have paid your insurance/Road tax/License (ii) we still do not have a harmonized public transportation system notwithstanding there being the greatest number of public service vehicle licenses in Barbados in the history of public transport and (iii) the UWI which everyone is always saying should be putting the minds of its graduates to use and generating income is now eking out a survivalist path in these times of austerity.
The point that this should make clear is that our governments do not act as enablers they act as gatekeepers and take an active role in and some might say that their functionaries must benefit from the coffers of government above and beyond the salary on the 26th Day of the month.
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Bushie, it’s always interesting to talk to you, so apologies for butting in to your chat with Balance but your remarks caught my attention and too I had previously posed a question to you.
I must admit that I am not sure either how YOU could expect that I believe every post can possibly explore all possible tangents. However, I do expect that a man of your gravitas would not present generalities as deep analysis.
For example, what exactly are you suggesting with your statements as taken together: “Burnham’s approach destroyed Guyana, while Lee benefited from a willing and compliant national psyche that was (is) open to dictatorship. Barrow was limited to playing politics…” AND “When Barrow lost elections he was devastated.”
No tangents sought here just a reality check of the main point.
Are you saying that EWB, who embraced free and fair elections, expected to be PM for life like Lee or Burnham thus never anticipating defeat — or he should he have played politics like Eric Williams and rig the elections? Or are you saying that he was devastated because Grantley’s son won after fooling the people like his Dad?
Which passionate politician is not devastated when the tide turns against them? The same Grantley work assiduously for the poor and down trodden and later when Barrow deemed him to be an old-man tied to colonialism he would have been as devastated as events passed him by.
And although different circumstances, Churchill took his country through a debilitating war; was heralded as a giant among men for those efforts and yet was unceremoniously booted from office thereafter.
That is the nature of politics.
There is no dispute how much EWB gave of his life for this country or that electoral defeat was devastating, but it’s impractical to speak in your hallowed terms as if his tenure was some special dispensation never to be ended.
It is a disservice to him as it is to your review of the times and the world of politics.
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David August 11, 2015 at 12:39 PM #
“Because of the incapacity to absorb graduates what the situation will eventually lead is emigration and brain drain.”
Your comments are true, David, but governments have allowed their backs be pushed against the wall by specific business sectors in this island, and this is a contributing factor to “the incapacity to absorb graduates.” The hotel sector immediately comes to mind.
Over the years, successive governments have given the hotel/tourism sector numerous concessions, without any meaningful benefits being reciprocated.
For example, we have students graduating with degrees in Hospitality Management, Hotel & Tourism Management, International Tourism Management and Tourism Management. Yet, a few weeks after advertising vacancies in the press, 99% of the hotels in Barbados always conveniently propose to recruit a non-national after not receiving suitable applications. There are usually no objections and a non-national is recruited.
The government has allowed Sandals to recruit management personnel from Jamaica, offering them duty free and other tax concessions. Where do such policies leave Barbadians who are actively seeking employment?
Also, we must take into consideration the CSME free movement of skilled nationals within the community. “University Graduates should be able to work in all Member States without the need for a work permit and permit of stay.” This fact makes “the incapacity to absorb graduates” much less complicated.
We are all aware that Barbados’ financial services, wholesale and retail industries are owned predominately by Trinidadian conglomerates. What laws are there to prevent Trinidadian parent companies from recruiting Trinidadian graduates for positions within their Barbadian subsidiary companies and successfully arguing they are within their rights, as stipulated by Article 45 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas?
Supposed the Trini relocates his family to Barbados and his child attends university. Upon graduating that child has an opportunity to gain employment in Barbados or in Trinidad.
Based on the above examples, Barbadian graduates are competing for jobs, in Barbados, with nationals from Trinidad, Jamaica and the international arena.
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Do you know what treason is?
Treason “the crime of betraying one’s country, especially by attempting to kill the sovereign or overthrow the government…or conduct acts of sabotage against its people”
We have been practicing treason as a nation and I will show you how
Earlier I commented regarding “government’s role” but i now cite this example to give an alternative perspective on a blogger’s statement on “Government’s incapacity to absorb graduates spoken of earlier.
Precis of a conversation I had with a UWI Graduate Female MBA. Profile: “Not worked” for 3 years, mother Clerical officer) working, supporting her (24) sister 11 and brother 14.
I ask her, you are an accountant? Yes I am,
Why you not working? Cant find work.
Do you know how many Small businesses there are in Barbados? Roughly 40K (her)
Of those, how many have accountants? About 10% (her)
So tell me, suppose you were to put together a team of 19 more unemployed Accountants like yourself do you think you could travel across Barbados to say 200 of those SB owners and get them put their receipts and expenses in a box which you retrieve every two weeks and charge them $200 a month to do their financial statements?
Even if she were to charge $100 a month, 200 x100 is $20K enough to employ 10 of them comfortably for just doing 2 hours of data input. Do you think she ever heard of Quickbooks?
@ Mr. Cummins and Are we there yet
What is of continuing concern to many people, including you, is that somewhere in all of this experience that we call our “culture” and nation building, we have lost that “self actuation” In fact it is now being suggested that we never had it!
Now I am among those who say I don’t know where self actuation comes from, but I do believe (hope springs eternal…) that it is something that can be nurtured
Having said that, I have to say that government and the nurturing of that self actuation “psyche’ are like the oil from the BP spill on the surface of the water in the Gulf of Mexico – the two substances do not mix.
Bus fares and lunch money are, and continue to be, a waste of time if doled out into this same simple system.
What we see tantalizing the US, England and Canada – the radicalism of their youth to ISIS starts like this and is a natural progression of youth unchallenged first apathy then anarchy.
Where do we start?
Primary school for example Arduino programming and a $5 Raspberry computer, the cost of a box of Chefette or KFC.
That is where our children should be spending their lives and nurturing their minds instead of these useless summer camps but of course I will prefer to spend $750 on a Wuk Costume for Crop over than $25 on my son’s/daughter’s education!.
Next stop Secondary school and making our “subject real” instead of disconnected. For example Social Studies SBA at 14 years What is the quantum and constitution of the waste on my street going to our landfill? what project can my cluster of 12 students in Gall Hill develop for 40% of the marks for my SBA submission? For Chemistry how can I reduct glass refuse or tyres and effect a practically project with Jean Balleau of the barbados WildLife Reserve to extrude garbade bins?
This is not a time where our education system should have been elitist with Toughbooks and $200M in Edutech!
That failed abysmally sorry that failed 95% of the population of Barbados abysmally while making multimillions for certain big name businesses that are no longer Bajan Businesses.
500 Billion dollars a year and we still have unemployed University graduates. And you wonder why??
The punishment for treason, and these collective acts of betraying our own country, in time of war, is death!!
To all intents and purposes, you and I are at war, certainly, with the gangs in our main streets, and the deaths every week, those of our citizens who while “owing allegiance to the flag of Barbados, actively levy war against Bajans are committing treason!!
Treason speaks of the state where a Bajan adheres to Barbados’ enemies, giving such persons and things (drugs) aid and comfort within the these shores, shores WHICH as evidenced by the daily anarchy ARE NOT OUR VERY OWN….
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David Weekes; you said
Where do we start?
Primary school for example Arduino programming and a $5 Raspberry computer, the cost of a box of Chefette or KFC……..
Next stop Secondary school and making our “subject real” instead of disconnected. This is not a time where our education system should have been elitist with Toughbooks and $200M in Edutech!…………….
All good and proper, but I think that this goes to only one aspect of the problem that Barbados currently faces. There is an immediacy to the current situation that you have not touched in that post. That immediacy relates to the social problems that have their roots in the annual disgorgement of thousands of high school graduates into a toxic vortex of high unemployment, plummeting economy and apparent inability of the Government and the private sector to make substantive improvements in a timely manner.
Lets look at the main problem in a little more depth while conceding that the problem has indeed been exacerbated by past initiatives which you consider to have failed but we have to work with what we now have or see the Island slide into a the status of another failed state. It is what it is.
Here is a very brief outline of how this situation could be compartmentalized and ultimately tackled with inputs from several actors.
The Problem; Perhaps around 4,000 (just guesstimates) young adults and children will graduate from High School in Barbados this year with perhaps 1,000 of them going on to post-secondary studies or getting starter jobs in the private sector. This leaves around 2,500 many of whom might become recruits to join the army of “youth on the blocks”. Since the Economy is currently in the doldrums there is stiff competition for the few jobs available, neither the Private sector nor the Government is creating enough jobs to take up the slack and there is little room or scope for the majority of these new entrants to compete for a diminishing pie with the army of hairdressers, ackee sellers, car washers, itinerant food vendors and other able bodied laid off workers in several fields and thereby earn a living. Every year similar numbers are added to the unemployed thereby adding exponentially to the social problems.
Perhaps you could design a holistic strategy to provide work for the 2,500 new high school graduates who are unlikely to find work on the job market at this time. While avoiding the clear mistakes that have been made in the past few decades, indicate how the majority of these school leavers could be weaned away from the attractive pitfalls that are waiting for them. Indicate how you would attract the youth to use computers gainfully instead of playing games and engaging in unwholesome practices. But do not limit your strategy to computer based solutions, try to include other ways of keeping these unemployed youth busy and in productive, perhaps part time, learning systems for at least a year. Be aware that Government has clearly shown that it does not have the resources to engage in “make work” solutions but it might yet be able to provide some funding for good projects or direct you to funding agencies that will do so if Government makes such a recommendation. You may also consider that a reasonable percentage of the parents/guardians would be willing to provide some small funding for any reasonable project developed and that small amounts could be sourced from ordinary public spirited donors and larger amounts from corporate ones.
Present the strategy in the following segments:- Short term, dynamic, interim, pilot project strategies to take care of new (eg.2015) school leavers; Medium term; for primary and current secondary students; and Long term; for the entire system but only doable when the economy has stabilized.
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@ Who chooses to understand.
There is a web site called “Study Abroad”. This gives access to all the colleges all over the world that award scholarships, fellowships, and awards, to universities all over the world. My advice to all students who wish to further their education is to look through these sites. I am sure there will be a school, university, college somewhere that can satisfy their needs. Check it out.
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Ms Donna no need for me to expand — Mr Bush tea explained it all in one of his less complicated and enlightening posts to date. Step pun the wire and the wire wouldn’t bend that’s the way the story ends.
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Wow Bushie you are really on a roll; your post at 11.50 am is required reading and does indicate that you are indeed a deep thinker and not a parrot but on a lighter note Mr Arthur was never the same after Mr Thompson displayed that cheque in his reply to the budget of 2007 and it could be said that he lost his way since then and never recovered as a politician.
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“This setback is actually good for the young people. they need to become more self reliant and forward thinking.”
Blatant DLP propaganda and nonsense like country a society and not an economy not worth a response but just wanted to support Hants apt comment. When they wanted to make Senior citizens pay for their drugs the propaganda was that people get free drugs and do not use them. Where was the empirical evidence to support this notion and yet people like Mr Cummins who write books and should therefore know better actually try to sell this stupidity to the gullible.
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@Balance,
Why do you think that everything I write is DLP propaganda?
You ask:”…. When they wanted to make Senior citizens pay for their drugs the propaganda was that people get free drugs and do not use them. Where was the empirical evidence to support this notion”?
The evidence is in the test results. If a diabetic (Type 2) is on Glyburide and Metformin, to be taken one tablet twice daily, and this regimen is followed, according to doctor’s orders, then his glucose level should show a significant decrease to a level where it is under control. These are the types of results that indicate whether or not the medication is being taken. When people are given the generic drugs; efficacy the same as the more expensive drug, and people get on the call in programmes and admit that they do not take the medication ordered and have to go back to the clinic or the doctor, that is the empirical evidence. And who is the “they” you are talking about who wanted to make senior citizens pay for their drugs?
Instead of dismissing what I write as “DLP Propaganda,examine the merit of the contribution.What I wrote about Study Abroad is factual. I obtained my Tuition Waiver to study for my first degree in 1958; from the book by the same name published by the United Nations. The programmes are still going storing and still available to whoever wants to take advantage of it.
Propaganda? Highly unlikely.
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Al Capone August 6, 2015 at 12:21 PM #
snip >
11th November 2011
Nation News (above)
PRIME MINISTER FREUNDEL STUART says tertiary education in Barbados will remain free across the board, dismissing suggestions that only the “less well off” should receive state subsidies. And, he insists that reintroducing tuition fees would be a step backwards in the country’s development.
Pray tell me Alvin if dismantling and repudiating the above is a continuance of Mr Barrow’s vision
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“Why do you think that everything I write is DLP propaganda?”
because in the last eight years the DLP because of bad management has managed to significantly dismantled many of the social gains which have been systematically put in place over the years which would have been to the benefit of mostly the have-nots even though the have would have benefitted as well. Your own Dr Estwick said that things could have been done better and he has been on the inside at a high level both in opposition and as Minister of Economic affairs and yet you find excuse for every foolish thing they do or mistake made and they have been several.
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@ balance
…mean you can’t see that Alvin is an idiot…? 🙂
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@Balance.
This “idiot” points out the difference between what you wrote and the facts. Mr. Barrow’s vision:was about an education system where “every child in a household could go to secondary school, without the parents having to decide which one could go. In those days all secondary schools charged fees which many families could not afford, thus the need for Free Secondary education. They could not even aspire to University because ALL universities were overseas.
PRIME MINISTER FREUNDEL STUART says tertiary education in Barbados will remain free across the board, dismissing suggestions that only the “less well off” should receive state subsidies.
The operative word in the above is “tertiary”, quite a difference between secondary and tertiary.
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who was the first person known to have said that the BLP has lost its soul. mind you that over the last six years the BLp have stepped up to the front of the line pointing fingers unaware that one of their very own was pointing back at them.
So whatever theblp wants to say they say with little gain.
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Shiite man…. what is this bozie…?
TWO ACs (Asses) yoked together with BLP paranoia?
Alvin, the FACT is that between you and the other AC jackasses, wunna have manage to piss Bajans off to the extent that however shitty the BLP has been, is, … and can be; right now they are preferable to the donkey League Party that entertains complete morons like you and the retarded jokers wunna have as ministers.
Boss, if you and AC were to simply GO AWAY, the DLP would immediately enjoy a major improvement in its image… Carry Froon and Stinkliar wid wunna …and Barbados has a fighting chance at survival….
Dompey could stay…
Every court needs a jester… besides he can’t burn down anything here …as long as he stays ‘connected’…
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Bush Tea
Thanks for the invitation Bushie but not thanks because you see, I value my intellect much more than you obviously think. Listen AC! To chat with a person with the intellectual-capacity of the makings of a Bush Tea, is liken to a pension plan which forced you to retire at a designed age, or else you forfeit a certain percentage of your pension the moment you decide to hang around beyond the prescribed time allotted, but only in this case, it is your intellect you forfeit if you hang around the likes of Bush Tea for too long.
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Where is my good friend Robert Ross? Is he now in the Great Beyond, or has death caused my good friend to shed his earthly tabernacle? Friend where might you be, in celestial or terrestrial sphere? I often wonder my friend and supportive presence.
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“The operative word in the above is “tertiary”, quite a difference between secondary and tertiary.”
The issue is that access to education should remain free whether primary, secondary or tertiary. If you want to continue to support a visionless group of people masquerading under the banner of DLP ; continue it is your right.
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Balance
What is wrong with teaching kids the work-ethic by encouraging them to work and pay for their own education at the same time? In this country kids who parents making under forty thousand annually receive what is called the Pell-Grant and those whose parents make above forty thousand annually, have to find their own brother. So it is time to abandon the mindset that government has to cloth, feed, shelter and educated the masses.
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“So it is time to abandon the mindset that government has to cloth, feed, shelter and educated the masses”
Your view might very well be true but Governments are elected to make things better not worse and when you have a party blatantly speaking untruths to the electorate which could negatively impact on their livelihood in an effort to retain power is disingenuous at the very least. How can you support such deceit.
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Mr Dompey. I abandoned that mind set many years ago when I recognized that Mr Barrow’s theory of shoring up salaries to offset the rises in cost of living could not be sustained. I am a proponent of means testing in the dispensing of social programmes for countries like Barbados who have little resources and rely heavily on taxation or borrowing to fund such programmes; but to set up an unsuspecting electorate to believe that education would remain free in all respects and then uncaringly throw them to the wolves without offering alternatives is nothing short of despicable.
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And I would say you now what I said to Alvin if you want to support a visionless bunch masquerading under the banner of the DLP you are free to do so.
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Why and how can tertiary education remain completely free? Surely there can be a rational, non-political debate on moving forward with this aspect of society’s development.
The point was made by Bushie that Barbados should be establishing a practical competitive advantage in order to develop and grow. He was talking about tourism at that time and the benefits we could accrue if we were a well ordered, green-energy proponent with battery operated cars being ubiquitous on our mostly flat road-ways and other similar green technologies like solar and WTE processes firmly entrenched.
This he opined is the type of sustainable advantage for a society like ours.
That said to circle back to the free secondary education: we are long past the stage where we that should be rehashed. We have to continue to focus our students in areas that will give the country the type of competitive advantage in the sciences and developing green technologies to which Mr Bushie speaks and has been touted in the past.
Mr. Barrow lambasted us all for a mendicant mentality of cleaving to the US lifestyle in that campaign speech we all know so well. Do we really think then that EWB would be so supportive of some of the ‘freeness’ and ‘go along to get along’ style we adopt now.
Based on some of his other utterances its fair to say he would be ‘devastated’ (to quote Bushie again) and rather pissed off that we seem to be standing on the foundation of that free education rather than using it to soar successfully into the new and different areas of growth.
Maybe it’s not the time for paid university education but then again change is always hard!
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@Dee Word We need to have a constructive national debate about education without mentioning Errol Barrow.
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Hallelujah and amen, David. EWB is used as a straw-man by both sides unfortunately.
Fifty years on he cannot and should not be the focus of any serious forward trending educational debate.
Artax or Walter can frame it expertly in accounting analogy better than I ever could. They would expertly define it something like: Mr Barrow can be seen as sunk costs on the educational account. There is absolutely no merit -good and vitally important though the expenditure was – to be gained now by revisiting that!
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And may I ask what is the vision for Barbados that the BLP has to offer
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de Ingrunt Word August 14, 2015 at 9:31 AM #
“Hallelujah and amen, David. EWB is used as a straw-man by both sides unfortunately. Fifty years on he cannot and should not be the focus of any serious forward trending educational debate.”
Well said, De Word. Barrow did what he was being paid to do as a politician and the social structure during his time created an environment that necessitated a change in the status quo.
We must accept the fact that Barbadians no longer have free access to tertiary level education. This also created an environment whereby a proactive minister of education should have implemented policies to assist those students who would have been affected by government’s decision.
Instead, we had a reactive Jones responding by announcing the MoE would be offering 3,000 bursaries (after UWI’s matriculation period) to students who were desirous of attending university but did not have the financial means to do so. All other policy initiatives introduced after the decision to make students pay tuition fees were all reactionary and not well thought out, planned and introduced.
As minister of education, what is Ronald Jones’ vision for the Barbados’ education system and what has he done during his tenure to enhance the system, other than rename schools after DLP stalwarts and supporters and lambast principals and teachers?
Don’t tell me he built school, because that what he is supposed to do.
So far, Ronald Jones has the honor of being the worst minister of education Barbados has ever had.
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“Mr. Barrow lambasted us all for a mendicant mentality of cleaving to the US lifestyle in that campaign speech we all know so well. Do we really think then that EWB would be so supportive of some of the ‘freeness’ and ‘go along to get along’ style we adopt now.”
Can’t you understand the above was all part of the balancing act which was taught to students of Laskiism to capture the imagination of both sides of the fence. Mr Barrow was the architect of the freenesses. The idea sold to the electorate by the DLP in 1961 was that the BLP was taking too long to address the concerns of the masses and were in bed with the conservatives.
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Balance
I remember that speech where Barrow caution Barbadians about the negative Americanism was having on the Barbadian way of life, and he was quite correct.
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Balance
Let me rephrase that once again because I just got from sleeping … I do remember when in my youth Barrow caution Barbadians regarding the American-culture, and the negative impact it was having on the minds of the Barbadian youth at the time. And time has proven our beloved leader correct because in 2015, we now have the Barbadian youth walking the Streets of Barbados with their pants hung beneath their knees.
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@ Balance. Re your above post, Mr. Barrow was absolutely correct. The evidence is there. The Royal Palms are near death.
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@ Balance:
Did you go to the Study Abroad web site to which I referred you folk?
How can you, Bushie, and the other Yard Ducks, continue to support the BLP; a party that persistently and consistently burdens the country with so much debt, that any incoming administration has to get the economy stabilized before it can get anything productive done? The BLP won the election after Mr. Sandiford’s government was defeated and the DLP reduced to 2 seats. After five years the electorate still placed some trust in the BLP; the DLP got seven seats. Hardly enough seats in the two terms (10 years) to make meaningful input in the running of the government. In other words for that 10 years the BLP did as they liked, (Remember Hardwood Houses? Remember the widening of the ABC highway and the awarding of the construction to a company without a contract? Without environmental studies? Without proper tendering and due diligence? etc. etc.). The DLP lost the following election so the BLP had another five years (a total of 15 years) to do as they liked. And, as the words of Mack the Knife come to mind ;”Mackie spen[t] like a sailor”. Remember what Mack the knife did to get the money to spend; how many people he robbed?
The result was that after the 2008 election, the job of rebuilding the economy (in the face of a world wide recession) fell to the DLP. Many young people would not be aware of this because young people born before the 2008 election are still teenagers. Those older would only know of the BLP government “providing” for them, and those older will always remain BLP supporters and Yard Ducks (Bushie, Miller, Balance (yes you) Artra, etc)
The only difficulty is that you can never be honest enough to acknowledge your own warts. But, I wonder, do Yard Ducks really have warts? Yes they do, but they are so busy reminding people of the promises made by the DLP; as if it is a crime to make promises; even though ALL promises cannot be kept, and fulfilled, immediately, that they suffer from moments of amnesia (conveniently.) However all people do not suffer from the same affliction and are appreciative of this government despite propaganda to the contrary. Have any of you Yard Ducks ever considered the unfair advantage you have, in having a forum; ready made, called Brass Tacks where every Tuesday or is it Wednesday, when Mr. Wickham comes on that he, and the first five callers: Mr. P, Winnie, Wesley, and a couple of others depending on who get in first, spend the first half hour or longer lambasting the government, and in Mr. Wickham’s case, the Prime Minister? And this has continued for the past seven years (since the DLP won the election in 2008).
We shall see.
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@ Alvin
Boss …
Every time Bushie decides to lower your BU rating you come with some shiite that put pressure on your already junk rating…
You have already forced a re-evaluation of Bushie’s nadir ranking level and, but for the AC jackasses, you would be pushing hardest on the bottom rank….
Clearly those doctors disrupted oxygen to critical parts of your brain last year during your medical challenges …. causing this unfortunate damage…
Such idiocy CANNOT be natural.
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“We shall see.”
Sorry Alvin there is nothing to see other than that you post does not merit a response.
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“How can you, Bushie, and the other Yard Ducks, continue to support the BLP; a party that persistently and consistently burdens the country with so much debt, that any incoming administration has to get the economy stabilized before it can get anything productive done?”
Sorry Alvin but I had to change my mind when I came across this information and couldn’t resist the temptation to ram it down your throat
The Slide of the Barbados Economy: Pictures Are Worth a Thousand Numbers
BU family member Inkwell has submitted the following graphs/information originally presented by economist Ryan Straughn in the local media in an article titled – Who Will Put the Genie Back in the Bottle?
Public Finances of the Grantley Adams administration from 1955 to 1962. Note that in every year, current revenue exceeded current expenditure.
Public Finances of the Errol Barrow Administration. Note that there was a deficit on current account in only two of the fourteen years and for relatively small amounts.
current expenditure in each year except 1977/78 and then for a nominal amount
Public Finances of the Adams/St John administration. Note that current revenue exceeded current expenditure in each year except 1977/78 and then for a nominal amount
Public Finances of the Barrow/Sandiford administration. Note that current expenditure exceeded current revenue in two years only and for relatively small amounts
Public Finances of the Arthur adminintratioin. Note that current revenue exceeded current expenditure in each of its fourteen years.
Then along comes the Thompson/Stuart administration and this is what happens
Then along comes the Thompson/Stuart administration and this is what happens
2008/2009. The government spends $256 million more than it receives in revenue.
2009/2010. The government spends $557 million more than it receives in revenue.
2010/2011. The government spends $647 million more than it receives in revenue.
2011/2012. The government spends $284 million more than it receives in revenue.
2012/2013. The government spends $260 million more than it receives in revenue.
That is a total deficit of $2.004 billion, excluding the appropriation of $100 million of NIS funds. The facts speak for themselves. What would you say about any housewife who kept overspending her income by massive amounts. What would such spending do to the family’s bank account, provided it had a banker stupid enough to let her continue to do it.
Can this be considered prudent management of the country’s finances?
Can we continue to blame the world recession for Barbados’ financial woes? Or put the blame on the profligate spending of the Government.
Also note. Maximum revenue of the Arthur administration was $2.3billion in 2007/2008
Revenue of the DLP administration as per graph was as follows:
2008/2009 – $2.6 billion approx
2009/2010 – $2.3 billion approx
2010/2011 – $2.3 billion approx
2011/2012 – $2.5 billion
2012/2013 – $1.8 billion approx
Ask yourself. Where was the money spent and was it spent wisely? Clearly it was not spent on capital works, as the graphs show.
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Alvin Cummins why are you allowing them few BLP misfits to confuse and agitate your soul
Every cat and dog knows that Barbados problems were triggered and formulated by high debt and lavish and burdensome spending brought over from previous years of the BLP govt.
Now the easy trick that the BLP misfits want to pull over the people eyes is wanting all and sundry to forget. That the tried before the last election and it backfired.
The BLP bag of tricks are over done and useless .what the misfits need to create is a bag full of solutions if they want to be taken seriously
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@Bushie,
Tough! I will keep reminding you; in the words of the Anglican Prayer book: “We {you} have done those things which we (you) ought not to have done, and we (you) have have left undone those things which we (you) ought to have done…”
It is not my fault that you cannot understand. You are a Yard Duck; maybe the chief duck, for I have no idea who you are, but where does my idiocy come in?
Are you disputing the election results that gave the DLP 2 seats? Wasn’t that factual? Could Thompson and Kellman have influenced BLP policy? What about the next election? How many seats did the DLP win? Could they have influenced BLP policy? When Arthur borrowed (excessively) and said he was “borrowing for a rainy day,” what effect could the DLP have had in reducing the amount borrowed? What was the extent of the indebtedness, What were the terms and the period of the repayments and how long would they have been for?
When you took Mascoll under your wing and he proposed the building of those Hardwood Houses was that an illusion? Did you people accept an illusion and vote money for it? Was it an illusion when the decision was made to extend the ABC highway and you people contracted with SSS; a company whose head was a convicted fraudster; convicted by the U.S.State Department? When that decision was made to include flyovers, was that an illusion? And further when you contracted with the same fraudster to build a new prison; when your present leader was Attorney General, and who should have resigned, or been forced to resign after the prison riot,Are you telling me that was an illusion? Obviously the people of Barbados were not under any illusions when they voted you out of office, and then refused to re-elect you in the election five years after.
The doctors that treated me did an excellent job because my memory seems to be even better than yours, who did not have my challenges.
When your party borrowed, who did you expect to pay back the money?
THE PEOPLE OF BARBADOS!!!
If you lost the election who did you expect would be responsible for paying it back, on the backs of the people of Barbados? However it was obtained.
THE DLP!!!
That is what I mean by your crass dishonesty.
Is it an illusion that the Brass tacks program when Peter Wickham is moderator has the first half an hour of callers all attacking the Government? I will have to listen again and count them, and see if I am mistaken that the moderator himself is always critical of the Prime Minister.
But your attitude is to be expected from yard ducks!!! Have you ever watched ducks crossing the road? They follow one behind the other. What was the campaign slogan..”Going Wid Owen”? Was that an illusion when the public went for that? Was it an illusion that the BLP were in power for 15 years? Where does the idiocy come in here.
Did I touch a nerve? Why are you people so touchous? As Colin Spencer wrote:” It not only me that vote for the DLP.” You expect to be able to say anything you like to ac, and other DLP supporters, but when you get repaid in your own coin you shout to high heavens. Well you will NOT get a free pass from me. I will keep reminding you and anyone who comes to BU of your own indiscretions until you come to a christian understanding of your dishonesty, and hypocrisy.
All your vituperative mouthing runs off my back “like water off a yard duck’s back”.
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@ac,”
John 14.1. “Let not your heart be troubled. ” I am not easily confused; especially by yard ducks.
Note they only gave figures from 2008 onward. There is nothing of the 15years previously, especially with regard to the borrowings They have made no mention of the downgrades etc. We’ll get into that later.
Didn’t OSA admonish the present administration that they have to “reduce the public debt?” Where did this come from? According to the yard ducks, the credit rating of the country was so bad that no one was willing to lend the country any money, so much could not have been borrowed. Was the debt on the books before the DLP was elected? Who borrowed it. Obviously it could not have been the BLP could it? Balance said that the expenditure was covered by revenue, so there must have been no deficits when they were in power. As Bushie would have us believe the money owed and about which OSA talks about must be an illusion.
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Some of you are pathetic. You are able to view issues through a political lens ONLY.What a waste of tax dollars educating some of you.
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Mr. Alvin Cummins i have spent six and a half years reading to the same ole tired recycled rubbish from the BLP. These jokers want to rub salt in everybody eyes, they have tried that ole sick joke over and over again forking out these horse shit numbers to prove how skilled they are in arithmetic but forgetting to publish the number that really count the numbers that show how much wastage occur under their watch, Those are the figures that have the backs of the barbadians taxpayers sucking salt ,the numbers that no one can see because they are hidden into a box labeled rubbish.
Oh David Hush do ,we now u to be a speckled fowl
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@Alvin
Do you know the DLP has accumulated more debt in 7 years than the BLP did in 13 years
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Not surprising trying to pay off that BLP gorillaphant debt handed over as a “gift” to the DLP
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@ Alvin
It is IDIOCY to keep talking shiite about ‘BLP’ and ‘DLP’ when the damn country is falling into ruins….
Look back on BU and see if you could find anyone who cussed the BLP more than Bushie.
The DLP’s performance – coming after such a background, deserves EVEN GREATER CONDEMNATION.
Continue to support YOUR half of the self-destructive idiocy. BB!
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@David,
Isn’t EVERYTHING in BU political? When have I read anything that is not?
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@Alvin
You did not address the issue, the DLP has racked up more debt in a shorter period than the BLP. The bottomline, both are guilty of mortgaging our children’s future.
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@David,
Of course they racked up more debt in a shorter period. They had a higher debt burden to look after. The repayments were even at a higher interest rate, and the wages bil was higher. What else did you expect?
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“Of course they racked up more debt in a shorter period. They had a higher debt burden to look after.”
If that was the case, the debt should have risen only by the interest related to the debt. It didn’t. It rose exponentially as a result of the DLP adding their supporters to the public sector payroll, then not cutting public expenditure when it was clear that tax income had reduced.
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Alvin Cummins August 15, 2015 at 10:42 PM #
“Of course they racked up more debt in a shorter period. They had a higher debt burden to look after. The repayments were even at a higher interest rate, and the wages bill was higher. What else did you expect?”
Cummins, YOU ARE A LIAR.
This DLP administration increased the debt at an exponential rate by financing a number of projects from which their supporters could benefit, as well as increasing the numbers in the civil service by employing additional people at the Transport Board, National Conservation Commission, National Housing Corporation, National Assistance Board, CBC and the other statutory corporations.
READ THE AUDITOR GENERAL REPORTS.
Only idiots would borrow to pay off debt without consolidating that debt so as to facilitate a reduced payment per period.
Cummins, you are just a yard-donkey who is trying to defend the indefensible. What a political pimp.
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Alvin Cummins August 15, 2015 at 3:14 PM #
“Is it an illusion that the Brass tacks program when Peter Wickham is moderator has the first half an hour of callers all attacking the Government?”
Cummins, you are struggling to defend this piss poor DLP administration.
“Is it an illusion that the ‘TALK YA TALK’ program when MAUREEN HOLDER and JOHN LOVELL are moderators have the FULL 2 hours of callers all attacking the Opposition?”
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” In other words for that 10 years the BLP did as they liked, (Remember Hardwood Houses? Remember the widening of the ABC highway and the awarding of the construction to a company without a contract? Without environmental studies? Without proper tendering and due diligence? etc. etc.).”
Yes I remember the sleazy campaign rhetoric quite well which was sold to the public in grand style akin to a Hollywood performance which assisted greatly in the DLP returning to governance under David Thompson. The public waited after the election for the resulting consequences arising from the allegations and we are still waiting for those who lied, cheated and stole during the BLP’s term of office to be brought to justice..
But I also remember CLICO and the involvement of Mr Thompson and Mr Parris in the destruction of a company which have robbed thousands of poor and wealthy Barbadians of their investments which they would have put aside for a rainy day.
I keep wondering after your posts about the quality of the material in the books you purport to write.
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Over two years ago on this blog I said that, to protect the economy and working Barbadians there should be legislation placed to protect homeowners who have mortgages, to regulate the renegotiation of mortgages on owners occupied properties (including regulated rescheduling of mortgages) and in extreme cases regulate the sale of properties where the homeowner can no longer pay ANY mortgage.
That, while this blog is clearly read by those in authority, was completely ignored.
Now, in today’s media, two cases highlight the angst that homeowners with mortgages are going through, in losing their homes.
What I feared is coming to pass.
It is clear also, why this was ignored and it is disgusting.
No thought for the hard working citizen that breaks their back to pay over burdening taxes, that also contribute to draining resources such that it makes it difficult to pay mortgages etc.
Every advantage to the banks etc, and no effort to assist the average citizen.
Government of the people my ….
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“Now, in today’s media, two cases highlight the angst that homeowners with mortgages are going through, in losing their homes.”
Unfortunately, for the homeowners, the houses are now offered for sale at the true value and not inflated market value. A sad tale indeed but the product of an economy with no legs to stand on. As inflation drove the cost of living up and salaries/wages were inflated to counterbalance the inflated cost of living; costs particularly with respect to property an were artificially driven up in its wake. We were consuming conspicuously and living lavishly with no thought of tomorrow. The question is how can the situation which can only grow worse in a small economy like Barbados be turned around?
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@Crusoe
How does your comment matchup against Bejerham et al who suggested a few months ago there were seeing a lift in interest shown in the high end market? Are the properties on the market the result of the initiative to encourage Barbadians to add to the room/property stock for 2006 World Cup?
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Alvin Cummins August 15, 2015 at 10:53 AM #
“………in having a forum; ready made, called Brass Tacks where every Tuesday or is it Wednesday, when Mr. Wickham comes on that he, and the first five callers: Mr. P, Winnie, Wesley, and a couple of others depending on who get in first, spend the first half hour or longer lambasting the government, and in Mr. Wickham’s case, the Prime Minister? And this has continued for the past seven years (since the DLP won the election in 2008)…”
Firstly, Cummins, I AM NOT A MEMBER or SUPPORTER of the BARBADOS LABOUR PARTY or the DEMOCRATIC LABOUR PARTY.
Alvin Cummins, I think your unwavering allegiance to the DLP has affected your memory or perhaps you chose CONVENIENTLY FORGET when the occasion suits you.
In the years prior to the 2008 general elections Peter Wickham, as a moderator of “Brass Tacks,” used to promote David Thompson and the DLP, while lambasting the BLP left right and center, spewing his venom specifically on then Prime Minister, Owen Arthur. Wickham openly stated (and as recent as last week) that he has no use for Arthur. So, who the hell is Fruendel Stuart that he can’t be criticized?
During those years VOB was the DLP’s FAVOURITE RADIO STATION, because ALL moderators were DLP apologists or supporters. From Sunday to Friday the first 10 or 15 callers to “Brass Tacks” included the same Wesley, Winnie and Mr. P, the Trinidadian Woman (in her usual hyperactive style), Taxi Man, Arthur, Tourism Man, Dennis Kellman, Denis Lowe’s former personal assistant, the late Vincent Layne, the former port worker, and the list goes on. Each day the “batting order” was consistent, all you had to do was hear the first caller and you could guess who was next. Their task was to lambast the BLP and saying “how hard” things were at the time. Wesley often mentioned things were “so hard” under the BLP, he saw people who owned SUVs picking up bottles.
The DLP supporters were ably facilitated on “Brass Tacks” by the following moderators (some of whom were subsequently rewarded, after the elections, for their sterling service representing the DLP):
1) Peter Wickham – CBC’s political analyst and moderator of “Talk ya Talk” and the People’s Business;
2) Maxine McClean – appointed Senator and Minister of Foreign Affairs;
3) Tony Marshall – Chairman of NIS board, now ambassador to the UN;
4) Harcourt Husbands – DLP candidate for St. James; Senator and Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Education;
5) Maureen Holder – CBC’s new political analyst and “Talk ya Talk” moderator;
6) Akintoolove Corbin
7) Marsha Hinds-Layne
8) Dr. Don Marshall – appointed chairman of SSA and BIDC;
9) Matthew Farley – expressed an interest to contest the St. John by-election after Thompson’s death;
So, Cummins, what is your point? Stop coming to BU with a lotta political shiite; your attempts at defending the DLP are very, very WEAK.
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Alvin Cummins August 15, 2015 at 3:14 PM #
“Are you disputing the election results that gave the DLP 2 seats? Wasn’t that factual? Could Thompson and Kellman have influenced BLP policy? What about the next election? How many seats did the DLP win? Could they have influenced BLP policy?”
By the above comments, you are once again displaying your ignorance.
The DLP won the 2008 general elections with 20 seats, while the BLP gained 10 seats. Could the 10 members of the opposition at that time INFLUENCE DLP policy?
“What about the next (2013) elections?” The BLP won 14 seats. Can they presently INFLUENCE DLP policy?
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“Is it an illusion that the Brass tacks program when Peter Wickham is moderator has the first half an hour of callers all attacking the Government? I will have to listen again and count them, and see if I am mistaken that the moderator himself is always critical of the Prime Minister.”
Prior to the 2008 general elections Peter Wickham was ALWAYS CRITICAL of prime minister Owen Arthur and the first 10 or 15 callers to Brass Tacks were critical of the then BLP administration.
What you and the DLP should think about is the fact that many of the pro DLP callers who used to be critical of the BLP are NOW critical of this DLP administration. Ask yourself what the DLP has done to influence them to change.
Cummins, you does write nuff shiite, yuh.
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@ Artax
LOL
Boss you does take these AC’s too serious…
Is Alvin not a distant cousin of Ossie Moore…?
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@ Bushie
Hahahahaha, no, Bushie, I don’t take them too seriously.
The people write a lotta shiite and leave themselves wide open for others to see their folly. It seems I have an addiction to highlight that folly… have to enroll myself in the “highlight folly addiction” program.
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