The Democratic Labour Party’s (DLP’s) 60th annual conference opened with the party’s President, Prime Minister Freundel Stuart, jabbing at Opposition tactics.
In an address to delegates, Stuart spoke of the party’s […]responsibility to come up with solutions to situations that ordinary Barbadians face from day to day – Barbados Today 4 August 2015
My, my, my, what superciliousness!
The Prime Minster is effectively telling us that he only needs the votes of DLP members in the next elections. The editorial in the same edition asks the question – “Will we see Mr. Stuart off his horse?”
From this disdainful speech that clearly will not be the case!
First he should explain to the country where the jet skis were when he was growing up, because he is at that age where his Government is putting people out to pasture. However, he knows that that won’t happen to him yet. So, to learn about the DLP’s strategy for carrying forward OUR country, every man Jack must join the DLP.
How interesting!
I, for one, do not intend joining any party – unless it is a birthday one or such like. Mr. Stuart had better wheel and come again, because his speech was the epitome of haughtiness and self-aggrandizement. He wants to take OUR country forward, but the way will be privy only to those of us who hold a DLP membership book. The rest of us can stand outside and beg to be allowed into this hallowed sanctuary.
The people of this country are already begging enough.
They are begging for relief from overburdening taxes which the Minister of Finance gives away as it pleases him.
They are begging for their welfare cheques to be paid.
They are begging for things at our lone hospital – the QEH – to be brought back to normal, and for it to be given enough funding to bring it back to the institution it was before 2008, instead of people having to eat cold food and drink cold tea because the cooking services have been outsourced, and the doctors/nurses need the equipment to carry out their duties in a proper manner.
They are begging because having sent in sick note after sick note – some of them since May – they have not received one red cent.
The pensioners are begging for their cheques to be sent in a timely manner – especially that some of them don’t receive anything more than a pittance.
We have a Psychiatric Hospital in which it is not even suitable to keep animals. We have a Child Care Board which lacks personnel and funding – especially seeing the number of children who are being abused.
Yet, the Minister of Finance, while on the one hand is whining about “a low cash flow” when it comes to the populace of this country, on the other has millions of dollars of our taxes to give away to every Johnny come lately.
Every day one sees more vagrants on the streets – and the most hurtful part is that women are now joining the number.
This country has been brought to its knees during the last seven years, and we have a Prime Minister who has the audacity to tell us that only by being a member of the DLP can we know what he is going to do about its downward spiral into the abyss.
“The value of a man resides in what he gives, and not in what he is capable of receiving.”
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94 responses to “Fruendel Stuart: DLP Party Members Will be Protected”
Donna
David,
Don’t worry! Some of us have caught on to what kind of guy you are. We can tell that even though you are critical of this government’s performance you would be so happy if they had a “Damascus experience” and turned this country around before it is too late. Many of the contributors here I can tell are of the same ilk. It’s not about DLP or BLP. It’s about Barbados.
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Artaxerxes
“You might choose to forget but history records and decide who was right and who was wrong…”
Thank you for the information.
As it relates to the BLP opposing independence, unfortunately I do not have any knowledge of that situation because I was too young to remember. However, I heard this from the older folk, many of whom are/were obviously DLP supporters.
I find it extremely difficult to believe that the BLP opposed free education, since they were responsible for extending this initiative to tertiary level.
Moreover, it would have been an idiotic endeavor for any political party to oppose free health care, NIS, the severance payments act, maternity leave with pay and school meals, because members of the party, their relatives and friends would be able to significantly benefit from these policies, as well as ALL Barbadians, since it is from these people the BLP would want to solicit votes.
Furthermore, in an environment where Barbadians are not prone to forgive easily, I’m sure if the BLP did actually oppose those policy initiatives, (from which Barbadians would have derived essential benefits), that political party would not have been obliterated each time they contested the elections.
Additionally, you have not presented any supporting documents, excerpts or referrals to substantiate your comments, (re: all of which [were] opposed by the BLP), which suggests you are going by “hear say” or relying on DLP propaganda. Also, for individuals who are always mentioning “truth” and “facts,” this was an excellent opportunity for you to lead by example.
Yes, I agree that the BLP opposed the “free bus fares.” However, I believe they did so for good reason, since it was a political gimmick that was not well planned.
However, you must admit that many school children do not take advantage of facility and prefer to pay $1.50 and pack themselves in overloaded mini-buses and ZRs. Then there are disadvantages to ordinary commuters who experience difficulty in arriving at work on time, as a result of an unavailability of buses, many of which are deployed to service school bus routes.
Recently, Sinckler admitted the government has to review the “free bus fares” since it was unsustainable.
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Artaxerxes
Give or take let’s assume you are correct in stating the BLP opposed these policies. Then we, as Barbadians, are within our rights to have been disturbed by those developments and our anger vented at that political organization.
Of course, you should be equally disturbed, and even more so, that the DLP was instrumental in reversing the progress gained by those policies you mentioned.
For example, was it not Sandiford and the DLP that amended the Severance Payment Act, to legislate a REDUCTION IN THE AMOUNT OF SEVERANCE PAYMENT AN INDIVIDUAL COULD RECEIVE?
Was it not Sandiford and the DLP that REDUCED the period in which an individual was eligible to receive unemployment benefits?
The level of service relative to health care in this island has rapidly deteriorated under this administration, and against the background of THREE ministers of health at the helm.
It is rather ironic for you to state the BLP opposed free education, yet you SUPPORTED the DLP for putting an END to free tertiary level education.
The NIS is also in shambles under this DLP administration. Women are experiencing much difficulty in receiving their maternity benefits, people are experiencing difficulties in receiving their sickness or unemployment benefits, while pensioners can be heard constantly on call-in-programs asking for some explanation why they have been unable to receive their pensions on time.
Lest I forget, was it not a BLP administration that implemented a policy whereby a man whose wife/girlfriend is pregnant and unemployed, could receive maternity benefits on her behalf? And you say they opposed the NIS?
When I take the above information into consideration, perhaps you are correct in mentioning “You might choose to forget but history records and decide who was right and who was wrong.”
Finally, if we take the politics out of these situations and look at them rationally, surely we must agree that many of Barrow’s policies were intended for the times in which they were introduced. But for an island with no natural resources, successive government would have had to borrow to maintain this vote “catching freeness.”
We could continue with this political jousting match, but in the end we all have to face reality.
As time progresses and the population increases, there would be a corresponding increase in demand for these goods and services. This where the theory of opportunity cost raises its head.
In an environment where resources are scare, it is impossible for governments to satisfy all the needs of society. As such, in order to make choices, we must sacrifice “something for something.” We must forgo, for example, financing health care to continue financing school children travelling free on government owned buses.
Although these policy initiatives are important, like it or not, whether you support the BLP or DLP, these social services have become unsustainable.
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de Ingrunt Word
Artax, that is exactly the point: “Although these policy initiatives are important, like it or not, whether you support the BLP or DLP, these social services have become unsustainable.”
As you said, none of the policies were “free”. Barrow simply adopted the basic mantra of governance and used the collective of the country’s tax base to bring on-stream needed programs to stabalize and then propel Bajans to greater growth and development.
The BLP of the day surely questioned how these programs were going to be funded. But of course the programs were necessary. As you allude to, I imagine that the BLP’s disagreements were more about how to implement the programs to best manage the expansion of the country debt and the burden on the income base; in short about balancing the ‘business’ side of the ledger. Rather than broadly about not bring important social change to the country.
But at the end of the day it can be argued that they were ‘against some overall policy’ rather than define specifics so AC’s is standard political posturing to the lowest common denominator.
But what must be dealt with now is as you said, “these social services have become unsustainable.”
On the matter of independence, I too am a bit short in the tooth to also remember anything on the discourse of the day, but nothing strange there as I recall from reading the history of the activity.
Grantley was the older head who considered that our path forward was to remain in a firm union of the awesome British empire and then there was Errol, more recently out of uni and full of that independent vigor.
Because Grantlley wanted to stay his BLP down throughout history can be ‘rightly’ labelled as being against Independence.
But again, that is standard political posturing to the lowest common denominator because we should be able to bring a more discerning eye to the period, events and the people.
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Prodigal Son
@ Artaxerxes
Two excellent posts at August 28, 2015 at 9:27 AM and at 8:44 AM
I saw the yardfowl’s response and could not be bothered to respond.
She/he and all of dems have conveniently forgotten that most of the gains made under the policies introduced by Barrow have been systematically removed from the people piece by piece under every succeeding DLP administration since Barrow.
……………….Poor conditions and poor service delivery at the QEH due to lack of basic supplies and medicines and now payment for some services
……………Because of the government’s hogging up of the NIS funds (some 73% at the latest revelation), the department is finding it hard to meet the claims of ordinary Barbadians daily
……..For the ac’s benefit, it was Grantley Herbert Adams who first introduced free secondary education. Barrow won the election and continued the process. You dems should be ashamed to tout education after you have massacred the hopes and dreams of thousands of poor Barbadians’ children. Now even you dems have now placed fees on students going to BCC so not even an associate degree is available for poor people’s children. If the parents are not working, it is obvious the children cannot get a tertiary education.
………….Free bus fares was another of the political gimmicks the lying dead king played on Barbadians. It was not in the DLP manifesto, it was a gimmick. After this, look at the state of the Transport Board’s finances and the Ministry of Education’s budget as the money had to come from the education budget.
You ac’s can gloat all you want but facts are stubborn things. Under Sandi, Thompson and now Stuart, Barbados has been made the poorer. Just look at the state of Barbados today and see the hopelessness, the frustration and the despair on the faces of the once so proud people.
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Artaxerxes
@ De Word
An excellent contribution, De Word. Your impartiality/neutrality, especially when commenting on issues such as this, is always welcomed.
I was a baby when Barbados became independent, so I had to rely on reading and reports from older folk, to get an idea of the island’s political environment during the 1960s and 1970s. Although I was too young to vote in the 1981 general elections, I steadily became aware of Barbados’ political system, which I progressively resented as I became older.
One of the reasons for this resentment was that Barrow articulated a system of independence whereby Barbados would be free from depending on the former colonial masters. Yet, he (and subsequent DLP and BLP administrations) created a political system and social environment, whereby dependency was transferred from the colonialist to the politicians and as a strategy to secure votes.
In other words, during election campaigns, political parties always promise some sort of “freeness” to entice the electorate to vote for them. They have never reinforced the true meaning of independence and making Barbadians aware of the importance of self sufficiency. Politicians have created a mendicant society.
Let’s examine a social service as it relates to the Transport Board, for example. It is my understanding that prior to 1976, Barbadian commuters paid bus fare according to stages; there was a proportionate increase or decrease in bus fare depending on the destination.
Prior to the 1976 general elections, Barrow standardized bus fares to 25ȼ irrespective of destination. Obviously, this policy was welcomed by DLP supporters, who may have hailed it as a good initiative, but never had the foresight to anticipate the “detrimental implications” this policy would have on the Board’s future operations.
During the use of fare per stage, the fares were not reflective of market prices and warranted a subsidy as a social benefit. The fares being reduced to 25ȼ created a situation whereby the government had to look for additional funds to further subsidize fares and finance the Board’s operations.
This could only be have been done by borrowing or increasing taxes.
Criticizing Barrow in Barbados is tantamount to someone criticizing the Prophet Mohammed….. it produces similar wrath from his supporters. In my opinion, Barrow was similar to any politician; he capitalized on the socio economic environment at the time to do what he was paid as a politician to do, and that is implement policies to help the country.
It’s all good to talk about a “man’s vision,” but what is this vision worth when certain variables are not taken into consideration. Variables such as an increasing population, inflation and cost-of-living, which would ultimately affect the sustainability of the “vision.”
Say what you like ! say what you like! there is no disputing the Facts that the DLP in its sixty years of being an organization have put people first implementing policies whereby All have been become beneficiaries from free education to free bus fares , from severance pay to the maternity leave with pay. The DLP List is much longer than the BLP who had longer reigns of governance and plenty years of financial prosperity and stability to show except a proud and boastful record of decadence aide
Say what you like BLP misfits the records are there for all to gaze upon. Unfortunately over the years these policies were weakened by govts negligence in implementing policies that would have been the bedrock to creating long term and sustainable growth,, Growth sufficient enough to keep these policies strident and beneficial to an economy .but rather stubbornly remained out of ignorance or lack of vision to stay grounded on a one way path relying heavily on one sector to be the economical breadbasket.
Barbados and all small Carribbean nations living and surviving in a global community felt the wrath of the howling financial meltdown which took away many gains which were bread and butter policies to help the poor , leaving in the way devastating effects and unsustainable drops in performance of which many govts were unprepared and unable to carry the heavy burdens of social maintenance
Be that as it may No one can truthfully or rightfully argue that the Dlp did not set a path of provision/s with determined and specific and positive formulas /obectives to give the poor person a living chance to rise out of the ashes of despair on to a meaningful future of hope and security for generations to come,
Yes say what you like BLP foot soldiers the Dlp has a stellar record of implementing policies to help the poor and downtrodden Unfortunately the same can not be said of the BLP whose record shows waste and decadence with a few sprinkles of good measures toss in only to appease a few,
Say what you like ,the DLP actions to help eradicate poverty are written in the history books where all and sundry can gazed upon(education)
Say what you like misfits it takes that kind of intestinal fortitude initiated by vision and implemented through progressive frame of mind to believe that a small island with limited resources can offer anything free of value, heath and education to its people
Say what you like the fruit have been borne !The evidence is there ,Your sons and daughters have benefited from all of the valuable policies of the DLP whether B or D the Dlp govt has always put its people interest first even when their was a visible eclipse overshadowing both interest
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balance
“As it relates to the BLP opposing independence, unfortunately I do not have any knowledge of that situation because I was too young to remember. However, I heard this from the older folk, many of whom are/were obviously DLP supporters.”
My understanding from attending meetings in those days was that the BLP did not oppose independence per se but clamoured for independence within a federation which was fought for more intensely by a group referring to itself as “The under forties”. This group was made up of a cross section of personalities who later allied themselves or joined one or both of the political parties.
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balance
“The DLP List is much longer than the BLP who had longer reigns of governance”
If history does in your book records and decides the right to know; then the records of history of parliamentary governance by political parties in Barbados would record that the BLP held the reigns of Government for about 28 years between 1956 and 2007 whereas the DLP has held it for 30 years between 1961 and present.
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balance
Then too are we to say that Mr Barrow opposed independence because he was part of the attempt by the remaining eight smaller provinces of the defunct Federation of the West Indies, which struggled unsuccessfully to form a smaller federation of the so-called Little Eight.
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Donna
What was done over the course of twenty years has been SUDDENLY undone over the course of the last seven. And therein lies the reason for our criticism. There was no weaning off the breast.
I doubt that Mr. Barrow intended for all the freeness to continue indefinitely for all citizens. It was probably unsustainable. It was meant to give the people a chance to become self-sufficient. Provision would have remained for the most vulnerable who hadn’t yet made it.
And into the fray rode David Thompson with grandiose promises that I dismissed as totally unnecessary and unsustainable. Interest free car loans for all civil servants and the like.
Now the civil servants are struggling even to pay bus fare.
Stop harping on past glories and face the reality that the people are facing every day. What is the way forward. Any other discussion at this time is irrelevant.
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Artaxerxes
Rather than repeatedly mentioning “say what you like,” your contribution would have some meaningful value if you had listed the all those policies “written in the history books” you said the DLP introduced to “eradicate poverty” and present “the evidence” to BU to substantiate your claim.
Additionally, could you PLEASE desist from including so many metaphors in your contributions? This is BU, not a damn novel.
The DLP and its supporters need to STOP LIVING IN THE PAST and admit that the party has not implemented any NEW innovative policies since the ones you DEMS have constantly mentioned (NIS, NHC, school meals, etc.). And by continually mentioning them, it seems as though the DLP is of the opinion Barbadians are OBLIGATED to vote the DLP.
Fast forward to this present era and tell BU what are the “positive formulas /obectives to give the poor person a living chance to rise out of the ashes of despair on to a meaningful future of hope and security for generations to come,” that the DEMS implemented recently?
Are you referring to the same poor people who, in response to their queries about their temporary employment in the civil service, the heartless, arrogant moron, Freundel Stuart, said “Let’s be very frank – there are people in the public sector who are temporary employees. WHEN I LAST CHECKED THE DICTIONARY, TEMPORARY STILL MEANT ‘FOR THE TIME BEING’….?” [Barbados Advocate, September 3, 2013]
Are you referring to the same poor people who, over a year after being retrenched from “Beautify Barbados” are still awaiting their severance payments? Or the former NCC workers who were referred to a non-existent ERT?
I hope the poor people you alluded to are not among the over 4,000 that were retrenched from the civil service, many of whom had to wait over six months before receiving their severance payments?
Or the poor people who have not received an increase in salary since 2009, but are being burdened by a continual increase in taxation?
Or the poor people whose children cannot attend UWI, Cave Hill from this academic year (2015 – 2016) and how it would impact on their “meaningful future of hope and security?”
What about the poor people employed by UCAL that are owed millions of dollars by the government, often causing them not to be paid on time and have prevented them from receiving their share bonuses for the past 4 years?
Look, stop coming to BU with a lotta party political rhetorical diatribe and shiite, trying to defend the indefensible.
lets start with Free Education and Health, those are visible policies which All have been given and accessed extensively! true and tested! a catalyst designed to uproot depression! neglect ! low self esteem. and poverty,
No one can deny that those two policies have been the standard bearer to which many barbadains have benefited removing them out of poverty and putting them on a progressively successful life .
Yes forgetting how it all began might be a political tool to remove and rewrite history but fat chance for removing successful policies out of the hearts and minds of barbadians who not only seen or heard but have lived and benefited including YOU
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Dompey
Donna, your absolutley correct about our discussion moving forward which seems like the pendulum which oscillate back and forth.
now it isn’t no surprise that the present state of affairs have much bearing upon the past and this is evident in every facet of the human life. Take for example: the serial-killers throughout American history and the factor which has had a significant bearing on their pathology.
The social-scientists have founded a common-denominator between them all, and the important factor which has contributed to their psychopathic behaviour stems from their childhood.
Now, Donna, I have stated that fact to say this truth: the past with its good and evil lives in the present state of affairs; there is no getting around this fact. The state of affairs in Barbados didn’t just occurred overnight, it has been stewing in the pot for decades. A disease in its initial stage of diagnosis,if it doesn’t kill you on the onset progressively does so in the long run.
The Under Forties actually campaigned on a platform of Independence within a Federation, but they also campaigned against Independence, when the aborted Federation of the Little
Eight, was a still birth. They were all members of the BLP: Lindsay Bolden, Bree St. John. Lester Whitehead, Colin Williams, among others. The BLP actually sent a delegation to England in opposition to Barrow’s presentation of Barbados’ case for Independence.
Up until Barrow and the DLP’s decision to introduce no charges for secondary education, ALL secondary; such as Harrison College, St. Michael Girls, Combermere, (as opposed to so called secondary modern; Princess Margaret, St. Leonard’s etc) charged school fees.Contrary to your belief it was not done as a political tool. There was a social need for it to be done.
Re poor people and taxes, remember that there are allowances and deductions which move the “poor” out of the category of direct tax payers.
One New initiative is the new Labour laws, and the same ERT you mentioned.(Just one among many)
The ERT cannot be nonexistent when it has recently rendered a decision.
The way out of poverty is EDUCATION!!! Too many young people waste their time at school; primary and secondary and leave school with nothing to show for the time that they were supposed to be in school. By the time they reach the age when they should be in University; even if they have to pay part of their tuition, even if it was free they could not qualify to enter.
The Government; neither BLP nor DLP owes anything to anybody for free. If they institute social policies to ease the burden of day to day existence, someone has to pay for it, and if the young people don’t want to contribute to the costs then the problem is their’s
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Artaxerxes
Alvin Cummins August 30, 2015 at 7:54 PM #
“Up until Barrow and the DLP’s decision to introduce no charges for secondary education, ALL secondary; such as Harrison College, St. Michael Girls, Combermere, (as opposed to so called secondary modern; Princess Margaret, St. Leonard’s etc) charged school fees.Contrary to your belief it was not done as a political tool. There was a social need for it to be done.”
Alvin Cummins, I think you are unable to comprehend what people write or you are deliberately misinterpreting contributions to suit your political agenda.
WHERE DID I STATE IN ANY OF MY CONTRIBUTIONS that “the DLP’s decision to introduce no charges for secondary education…… .Contrary to your belief it was not done as a political tool?”
I think you should DESIST from commenting/responding to my contributions, because you CONSTANTLY MISREPRESENT what I write and attribute things to me that I did not write, while responding according to suit your political agenda.
PLEASE MR. CUMMINS, YOU NEED TO STOP DOING THAT.
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Artaxerxes
Alvin Cummins August 30, 2015 at 7:54 PM #
“One New initiative is the new Labour laws, and the same ERT you mentioned.(Just one among many). The ERT cannot be nonexistent when it has recently rendered a decision.”
I believe you have a problem with comprehension, because once again you have misrepresented what I wrote.
“The dispute at the National Conservation Commission (NCC) has been referred to the Employment Rights Tribunal, which will begin reviewing the matter tomorrow (Monday, May 26, 2014).
Prime Minister Freundel Stuart, who made the announcement this afternoon after meeting with representatives of trade unions and the NCC management at Government Headquarters for close to four hours, said the retrenchment issue would be the tribunal’s top priority at this time since “a number of missteps were made in the process.” [Barbados Today, May 25, 2014]
When Fruendel Stuart referred the NCC matter to the Employment Rights Tribunal in April 2014, the Tribunal had NEVER convened a meeting.
The Act was passed in 2012 and the ERT established in July 2013. The Tribunal had no printed application to facilitate an aggrieved employee filing a complaint in a structured/organised manner.
The NCC case was set to be heard before the ERT in November 2014. However, CTUSAB was critical of the government for failing to provide the ERT with “the necessary office accommodation, a venue for the hearings of the Tribunal, and the required administrative support staff which is necessary to the functioning of the Tribunal.”
“The Congress understands that the Employment Rights Tribunal was ready to hear its first cases in the month of November 2014; one of which was that of the NCC workers, BUT HAS BEEN UNABLE TO DO SO, AS THE REQUISITE INFRASTRUCTURE AND ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT STAFF WAS NOT IN PLACE.”
The original members were “resigned” to make way for the selection of new members. Nine members were subsequently selected, with Hal Gollop being appointed as chairman, and February 1, 2015 was the proposed start date for the tribunal to commence its functions.
Now, please tell me Cummins, was the ERT functioning when Stuart first referred the NCC matter to it?
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Sunshine Sunny Shine
@Artaxerxes
Alvin Cummins knows exactly what he is doing and what he wants to interpret from your contributions. Alvin Cummins is doing what he does best i.e. manipulate and distort facts to either destroy or render useless. I told you before that he is an apostate; one who serves a specific agenda for his own aggrandisement. He is nothing but a pathetic puppet.
it is amazing how the the speculators and percolators of barbados politics use their spin to diffuse opposing comments, Mr, Cummins points concerning what and how and who were the dissenters and distractors opposing Independence is correct , also his response on free education connect the dots .
The following article found in the Archives of the Internet is education especially the last paragraph. It is a pity we have to become mired in decisions of the past when hugh challenges confront us in the present.
Another jackass misrepresenting what people contribute, all in an effort to score political points.
These ACs exhibit ALL the characteristics that serve as a constant reminder why I would never support any political party, and to the extent where my stupidity is paraded when I write anything.
Do you people eat, drink and sleep DLP? You guys are “DLP fundamentalist.”
The “Urban Dictionary” defines “fundamentalist” as follows:
“A person who takes their (DLP) religion so literally and to such extremes that they contradict the very basis of their (DLP) faith. They typically believe in a literal, verbatim interpretation of their (DLP) scripture. They also have ridiculous, childish defenses to intelligent criticism of their (DLP) beliefs that border on insanity. The level of hypocrisy and stupidity most of these people exhibit is truly profound.”
The above definition “fits you guys to a T.” Shiite, people, you need to a life.
To be expected the PM addresses crime and other societal ills at a party gathering. When will he ever learn how to use the weight of his office to pull a country together.
Alvin Cummins has the right to interpret as he see fit and so have you, but this idea of being the blog police really speak to a personality which hasn’t any respect for the principle of democracy.
You write as you so desire and let the chips fall as their may, but it is an affront as well as it befouls collegiate discourse when you try to appiont yourself the final arbiter over what one ought or ought write on a public blog.
Now, I am quite sure Alvin can care less about you critique, but it is important that one make you aware of the fact that your out of order, and your failing attempt to impede one freedom of expression should and ought not be entertain on any social media blog.
And finally, who cares what the hell you think or what you believe to be fact or fiction, true or false? You’re not a locke, Kant or Jasper that one ought to pay homage to your third class opinion, say what you have to say and then get stepping stupid.
“Re poor people and taxes, remember that there are allowances and deductions which move the “poor” out of the category of direct tax payers.”
SSS wrote: “Alvin Cummins is doing what he does best i.e. manipulate and distort facts to either destroy or render useless.” Apparently her assessment of you seems correct thus far.
Firstly, as it relates to “allowances and deductions which move the “poor” out of the category of direct tax payers,” you are INCORRECT. For your information, no individual can be “moved out of the category of direct tax payer.”
There is a difference between “direct taxes” and “indirect taxes.”
Direct taxes are the taxes that are levied on the income of individuals or organizations (i.e. income, corporation, land or inheritance tax). A direct tax is one that cannot be shifted by the taxpayer to someone else.
An indirect tax is a tax collected by an intermediary (such as a retail store) from the person who bears the ultimate economic burden of the tax (such as the customer). An indirect tax is one that can be shifted by the taxpayer to someone else. An indirect tax may increase the price of a good so that consumers are actually paying the tax by paying more for the products. VAT is an indirect tax.
Secondly, Cummins, please tell me what “are (these) allowances and deductions?”
Perhaps you failed to listen to or read the 2015 Budget Speech re:
“Therefore, it is proposed that with effect from Income Tax Year 2015 that only the following deductions will be allowed along with the existing personal allowances; contributions to trade unions and statutory associations, donations to charities including the church, and energy audit retrofits. Other special credits such as foreign currency earnings allowance and double taxation relief will also remain in keeping with Treaty arrangements.”
This means, Cummins, that from this (2015) income year, Barbadian will no longer be able to claim:
………. Home improvement and mortgage interest allowance
………. Tax deduction for a registered retirement plan
………. Donations to registered and exempt charities
………. Approved provident or superannuation fund contribution
Why don’t you take sometime and read the disparaging comments Artar levels against people who have a democratic right to choose to support a political of their choice rather finding fault with my honest reply to the disrespectful and unjustifiable sentiments you guys levels as the DLP administration continually.
David, you’re the blogmaster and it is therefore incumbent on you to try to be impartial in your distribution of critique. You haven’t been in quite sometime now, and it is therefore apparent to the outside observer that you’re leaning more to a specific political following, when your job of the blogmaster is to stand aloof, and dispense your critique with the utmost of impartiality.
All you do all day long is to write a lot of bull, as those someone has time to read your nonsense. Man get a life, and you can’t find their are sold on Ebay these days.
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Artaxerxes
@ David
Do you expect anything less from Ms. Dompey?
She behaves like a whore…….. always ready to “hold up she dress and block.”
BU provides her with a forum to exhibit her “intellectualism” and criticize or challenge those who fall within the groups who find her either repulsive or are intolerant of her. Being the coward she is it also provides her with a sanctuary whereby she does not have to undergo the humiliation of facing them.
No disrespect to women, but based on the way this individual behaves on BU, it cannot be a MAN. This individual’s reactions are characteristic of a homosexual. Perhaps her femininity evolved after years of being sexually molested by those big policemen at District A, in whose arms she ran to find the love that could not be found at home.
Lol lol …. Oh God … am laughing my belly full… man your sound more like a bulla …. you seen to know those intimate details regarding the homosexual life. Good God help the she she …
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Donna
So, I take it there is no way forward since you are still discussing the glories of the past. ERROL BARROW IS DEAD! GRANTLEY AND TOM ADAMS ARE DEAD! What has the current lot to offer us? DEATH?!!!!!!
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Bush Tea
@ David
“…every single blog’
++++++++++++++++
…man ban the donkey’s ass nuh!!!
Day does run til night catch um….
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Dompey
Atax
My behaviour has little to do with being a homosexual, and more to do with defending oneself in the face of ignorance. And by the way you’re no different than the white southern racist American who arbitrarily attributes a certain stereotypical characteristic to the black man in America, as you have done here to the homosexual on BU.
You ought to be ashamed of yourself because you have insulted the collective intelligence of the woman by employing the old adage (no disrespect to women on the one hand, while on the other hand, employing chauvinistic epithets which you have attributed to the homosexual.
Your emotional melted-down revealed two things about your character: one that you’re homophobia and two that you’re sexist. Listen! I have homosexual coworkers whom I have never once saw behaved in the manner in which you have described and attributed to gay people in your above statement.
And your allegation that I have somehow been sexually molested by the police men At District A was made for laughs Artax. All the police men that I have been associated at District A with were all ladies men, and may have had a sister or two of yours beneath their bedsheets.
And finally, one has to question the motive of a person who attributed homosexual tendencies to other, and wonder if their hatred of homosexual and the homosexual lifestyle is a deep-seated repression for their own homosexual propensity?
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Dompey
Bush Tea, David
“Every single blog”
It is no secret that I am a staunch DLP proponent, so it ought to be self- evident that my contribution on the BU blog would constitute the counterpoise of every argument. David, I have never once heard you and your lot attributed anything positive to the ruling party, so my response is as follows: EVERY SINGLE BLOG YOU AND YOUR LOT HAVE SOMETHING NEGATIVE TO SAY ABOUT THE DLP GOVERNMENT.
@ Bush Tea
I you have been calling for my censorship for years because you well know that I am you Achilles heel here on BU.
And by the way David, I am returning to Facebook today because my absence should increase the quality and membership of your blog I hope.
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Dompey
David
so…your blog is just one out of millions … do me the favour my wife is going be please.
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Well Well & Consquences
I am told that Fruendel ought to be looking within his own DLP political party and at some of his own cabinet ministers for information on the drug and gun running in Barbados; and not only, as I myself has suggested at the minority population of whites and indians on the island, although they too are playing quite a big role.
Contrary to what Fruendel is saying, just because it sounds like good sound bites, the police have known about the gun running on the island for well over a decade, it’s old news.
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Gabriel
So the PM has thanked bajans for their support in getting the fiscal policies as implemented,working to the advantage of all.I read it thusly;the price of oil has allowed the PM with the scheming support of the minister of energy,to soak the unsuspecting public with an indirect tax by not reducing the price of petrol at the pump,in spite of the crash of the oil price since mid 2014.And so,the sleight of hand saving in foreign exchange has been credited to the reserves,and ipso facto(as Sir Frank Walcott would say)the public has helped the poor rakey fellas reduce the deficit.
Meanwhile the UWI staff had to await the payment of land tax receipts to get paid for August.No cabinet member suffers such a fate.Who will rid us of these incompetenets of Bay St.
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George Frideric Handel
@ Dompey August 31, 2015 at 10:53 AM #
David… And by the way David, I am returning to Facebook today because my absence should increase the quality and membership of your blog I hope.
Yes it is as equally and mostly important to remember the past and its fundamentals which are attached and incorporated to the future. That is how we learn. That is how we grow through knowledge and experience in our quest to separate fact fiction and truths from fallacy. There has always been an attempt BTy the blP to discard and disregard the social gains made to this country by the DLP in their haste to rewrite the history of the Barrow era an era which placed a stamp of benevolence for the poor
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Gabriel
Today Dennis Johnson is supporting the call for a regional central bank.I have held this position ever since the IMF expressed displeasure at the influence of this minister of finance in the policy direction of the CBB,which governor is compliant being a card holding member of the fatted calf brigade.
On another topic but in the subject of regionalism,according to an article in the Guyana Chronicle of August 30th the IACHR has named Bharrat Jagdeo as a culpable party in the 1999 kidnapping and presumed murder of Franz Britton,aka ‘Collie Wills’.IACHR report #80/01 petition #12.264 identifies Ronald Gajraj,former minister of home affairs,Laurie Lewis,former CoP and Leon Fraser,head of the dreaded ‘black clothes’ police and a former Supt of Police as “responsible for Mr Britton’s disappearance whilst in police custody.
It is a total embarrassment that these named persons can hold high public office,some even to this day and walking around without let or hindrance and we say let us support this talk shop called Caricom.Manley,Barrow and Williams must be wondering where they went wrong in their calculations.
The indian guyanese media consultant so called,Rickie Singh,whom Freddie Kissoon says owes Bharrat Jagdeo a humungous favour,might make the above IACHR report and findings the subject of his biased analysis.These indians are so ridiculous in matters of state in Guyana and in Trinidad.God help Caricom with lepers like these.
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