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Barbadians Wake Up, Time to Take Back Our Country from Ourselves

The blogmaster listened to the contributions of Opposition Senators Caswell Franklyn and  Crystal Drakes yesterday and it caused the blogmaster to pause about the state of the country in 2018. No surprise that Caswell’s response was pro labour and questioned why public sector workers are being sacrificed by BERT instead of pursuing other options. Caswell…

,
drakes
Opposition Senator Crystal Drakes – Economist

The blogmaster listened to the contributions of Opposition Senators Caswell Franklyn and  Crystal Drakes yesterday and it caused the blogmaster to pause about the state of the country in 2018.

No surprise that Caswell’s response was pro labour and questioned why public sector workers are being sacrificed by BERT instead of pursuing other options. Caswell also made the point that the BLP made all kinds of unrealistic campaign promises despite the perilous state of the economy. Senator Caswell you negated your argument with your observation.

Senator Crystal Drakes clinically used numbers which her training as an economist influenced to question the decision to default on debt and the validity of revenue projections based on BERT extracting one billion in taxes from the economy by her calculation. Again Senator Drakes although earning points for being articulate failed in her presentation to connect some important dots. What are the underlying issues that caused Barbados to be the third highest indebted country in the world Senator? Has BERT addressed  those underlying concerns?

caswell_franklyn
Caswell Franklyn, Head of Unity Workers Union

A suggestion from the blogmaster to the Prime Minister and her Jong led Communications  Team is to go back to basics with the message. What are the key performance indices we have to turn around and the behaviours at the household and business level that must be modified to trigger real change to sustain a quality of life.

 

 

 

The blogmaster is a fan of the Financial Stability Report 2017 and lifted a few of the graphs that capture the economic performance of Barbados in recent years.

Commercial bank spreads - 2017
This graph is interesting given the accusations levelled at banks and exorbitant fees being charged. 1)Interest income on loans dipped a ‘little’ since 2012. 2)The interest spread moved UP since 2015 which coincides with central bank’s decision to not set a minimum rate on savings deposits. 3) Interest expense on deposits dropped to 0%.

 

credit card transaction - 2017
A central bank report confirmed that Barbadians racked up 347 million in debt up to 2017. This graph supports the spectacular rise in debt from 2008 which correlates with the value of credit card transactions in both the personal and business sectors.
credit cards issued - 2017
A picture is worth a thousand words who said? See the spike in credit cards issued from 2015!
currency in circulation - 2017
The upward trend of currency in circulation rose from 2005 to coincide with the cooling off of the global economic boom cycle and continued more aggressively in the post 2008 period to covers the start of the global recession in 2007/8.
International Reserves - 2017
It is worth mentioning the former government inherited 1.8 billion or 20 weeks of import cover in foreign reserves and when they were booted from office the reserves had dwindled to 6 weeks and about 400 million dollars.
net interest margin - 2017
This graph is interest for a number of reasons. Will allow the BU intelligentsia to share why this is the case.
total credit card debt % of toal loans
Another interest graph when we plunk a trendline on it. What can we say about household behaviour in Barbados from 2007?
public debt
See what happens when the printing press doesn’t switch off?

The adage a picture is worth a thousand words holds true.

227 responses to “Barbadians Wake Up, Time to Take Back Our Country from Ourselves”

  1. pieceuhderockyeahright Avatar
    pieceuhderockyeahright

    @ Fractured BLP

    Bajans Expect Rougher Times NOT TREATMENT.

    That is “too long” a word for a sheeple with the attention span of a gerbil AND THE RAPIDITY OF MENTAL MOVEMENT OF A SLOTH!

    Treatment is an abstract concept that leaves too much room for interpretation.

    TIMES now there is a short word that is part of a lumen of association “Bajans Expect Rougher Times – BERT”

    I think you have just created the response letter from the Governmdnt of Barbados to the Sesame Street people indicating why the former considers BERT to be truly theirs

    The Honourable Blogmaster has dubbed them “CLASS IDIOTS”

    Maybe just maybe when people sit down and dispassionately look at this idiocy, they will jump up and say “let’s change this stupidity”

    But please dont hold your breath on that one…

  2. WARU Avatar
    WARU

    Frauds and thieves always recognize each other and love to flock together and call themselves THE Who is Who….in this case this woman is going to get hauled in by the feds anyway so she may as well tell them which of the Who is Who in Barbados wanted bribes using EXTORTION…..to process paperwork…for this centre..

    …..we know their hands are ALWAYS outstretched for bribes, from the parliament on down, so we know she is not lying.

    “Debt trail
    MARIA BRADSHAW, mariabradshaw@nationnews.com

    Added 21 October 2018

    4 0 0 0Google +1Instagram0Print
    villa-nova-and-melissa-jerace-102118
    Villa Nova was earmarked for the planned drug treatment centre (FILE). Inset, American Melissa Jerace has left a trail of angry investors after soliciting thousands of dollars to open a drug treatment centre in Barbados. (Internet image)

    An American woman who lived a lavish lifestyle in Barbados, rubbing shoulders with the who’s who, is facing lawsuits in the United States by several people who invested more than US$1 million to open a drug treatment centre and pharmaceutical company here.

    Melissa Jerace, chief executive officer of Melissa Jerace Intervention in Florida, has left a trail of angry investors in the US and reportedly owes an expatriate in Barbados over $160 000 for a loan and rent of his up-market house.

    NATION investigations revealed that several Barbadians left their jobs to take up various positions at the planned treatment centre while Jerace also solicited the services of at least three high profile members of the medical profession.

    Jerace, a recovering addict, said her dream to open Casa de Luz Treatment Centre at the former Villa Nova property in St John, as a medical tourism project, failed because of too much governmental red tape and her refusal to be bribed.”

  3. Mariposa Avatar
    Mariposa

  4. Artax Avatar
    Artax

    You continually brag about living a much better off, bountiful, successful, stress free life in the “land of milk and honey,” while Barbadians are living and suffering in purgatory.

    But the anomaly in your situation is, rather than use terms or phrases that denotes happiness and contentment……..

    ………….you come across as being disgruntled, hateful, spiteful and bitter…………. while using vicious ad hominem attacks. Why???

    Some people subconsciously employ a defense mechanism in an attempt to cope with difficult feelings or emotions. In the “psychiatry world,” this is commonly known as “psychological projection,”………. symptomatic of an individual projecting his/her undesirable feelings on to someone else, rather than dealing or admitting to those feelings.

    So……..I understand why you believe I’m an “appallingly ignorant, arrogant, hypocritical, lying bullshitter.”

    I’m not offended.

    It’s clear YOU DON’T LIKE WHAT YOU SEE when you look into the mirror.

  5. Fractured BLP Avatar
    Fractured BLP

    Piece of the rock

    Kudos

    TIMES

    Yes

    👍🏽

  6. Dishonest Bajans Avatar
    Dishonest Bajans

    @ Artax

    You are a typical small minder islander and petty bullshitter.

    When Grenville Philips wrote his Topic on providing free 4 months training for the youth and others on the island of 🇧🇧 I was among the first commenters to commend and applaud his plans in helping to develop the island.

    Between you and your cohort Donna you want to call me bitter and the other adjectives because I encourage disenfranchised youths to travel to greener pastures because there are genuine opportunities of which I can personally attest.

    As @ Hal Austin aptly describes you are a stranger to the truth and previously pulled up a comment you made in the past condradicting yourself and proving you a liar on Barbados Underground.

    So Sir with your wonderful track record you are entitled to believe whatever you care to.

    Fact remains 🇧🇧 is a Shithole island in the control of the IMF with a lot of people who will suffer but should know not to bury their heads in the sand that there are much greener career financial pastures elsewhere.

  7. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    INNOCENT IF YUH WHITE until proven guilty.

    An American woman who lived a lavish lifestyle in Barbados, rubbing shoulders with the who’s who, is facing lawsuits in the United States by several people who invested more than US$1 million to open a drug treatment centre and pharmaceutical company here.

    http://www.nationnews.com/nationnews/news/206436/debt-trail

  8. WARU Avatar
    WARU

    Ya can guarantee she is not innocent and is just as crooked as the Who is Who that were wining and dining her, it id just that she had no plans to pay those negros any bribes at all, at all.

  9. T.Inniss Avatar
    T.Inniss

    Caswell Franklyn – Who God bless no man can curse.

    You walk good my friend.

  10. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    @ T.Inniss October 21, 2018 12:21 PM
    “Caswell Franklyn – Who God bless no man can curse…”
    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++=

    Didn’t “God” also “bless” Mia Mottley by telling the people to make history on 25th May 2018?

    After all, isn’t “Vox Populi, Vox Dei”?

  11. Dishonest Bajans Avatar
    Dishonest Bajans

    @ Waru aka Well Well

    she had no plans to pay those negros any bribes at all, at all.
    xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

    This should be another reason foreigners unless looking to be fleeced should not invest and do business in Barbados especially if having to deal with Government the bribery and local extortion are real.

    This is no exception but the rule.

    Barbados is a failed island which is why it is in the hands of the IMF.

  12. T.Inniss Avatar
    T.Inniss

    Mia Who . Boy look.

    Stop smoking that Jamaican special.

    People are so angry now with Mia ‘gimme de vote and watch muh’ – that I got a strong feeling that dis ting ain’t goint to end well.

  13. WARU Avatar
    WARU

    A real old feud and crook and the fools who deserved to be robbed for believing all those lies she told.

    Dishonest Bajans…they deserve frauds like her who only want to see white faces or any faces that are not black in front of them when they ae in parliament, she recognized them as frauds like herself and there is no way she was going to allow them to extort her stolen money..

    … maybe we will hear just how many more of them she robbed, apparently she robbed a lawyer on the island, some Justin Delaney…lol..hopefully she soaked the known crooks for a few million dollar well before she left Barbados, she is in Thailand right now but the feds will get her eventually.

    “Having both been sober for decades, Kelty said he warmed to Jerace as they talked about their shared desire to help others beat their addictions. When Jerace showed him her detailed plans to establish a treatment center in Barbados to serve drug ravaged children of wealthy parents in the Caribbean and south and central America, he was intrigued.

    In early summer 2016, he loaned Jerace $220,000 to help her establish a pharmacy that was to be part of her luxury treatment center, Casa de Luz or House of Light.

    Two years later, Kelty believes his initial doubts may have been right.

    He is among a group of recovering addicts, including a physician and one of Jerace’s former boyfriends, along with several other businessmen who say they were duped out of roughly $1 million by the friendly and earnest 49-year-old West Palm Beach woman who never established the promised treatment center in Barbados.

    Attorney Andrew Fine, who represents businessman Charles Kelty.

    “The list of people she ripped off is very long. She’s run through a couple of million dollars,” said attorney Andrew Fine, who reviewed Jerace’s financial statements as part of the lawsuit he filed in Palm Beach County Circuit Court on behalf of Kelty, who goes by the nickname “Chic.”

  14. Dishonest Bajans Avatar
    Dishonest Bajans

    @ Waru aka Well Well
    she recognized them as frauds like herself and there is no way she was going to allow them to extort her stolen money..
    xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

    Need I say more, you have outlined the real real 🇧🇧

  15. Hal Austin Avatar
    Hal Austin

    How can a true Barbadian abandon their country?(Quote)

    Another example of appalling example of intolerance and ignorance. What are the qualities needed to b a ‘true’ Barbadian? What is ‘abandon’? This semi-fascist nonsense is straight out of Trump’s book. The virus of nativism has spread even to a little isolated island.

  16. WARU Avatar
    WARU

    DB…we have been on here for years talking about all the crap they do from inside the parliament coming all the way down…, they deserve a criminal like themselves ripping them off..

  17. Artax Avatar
    Artax

    “As @ Hal Austin aptly describes you are a stranger to the truth and previously pulled up a comment you made in the past condradicting (contradicting) yourself and proving you a liar on Barbados Underground.”

    Dishonest Bajans

    As far as I can remember, Hal Austin has NEVER pulled up any comment I or ANYONE made in the past CONTRADICTING either they or myself and proving us as lairs on Barbados Underground.

    What you should DO is to PRESENT the EVIDENCE to BU. It’s that simple. Otherwise, you’re just “another typical small minder islander and petty bullshitter” living in an imaginary wonderland.

    As it relates to your comment re: “Between you and your cohort Donna you want to call me bitter and the other adjectives because I encourage disenfranchised youths to travel to greener pastures because there are genuine opportunities of which I can personally attest,”……….

    ……..is far from the truth.

    I can’t “speak” for Donna………but my OPINION, as I ALLUDED to in my contribution, was BASED on the language you used to express your “holier than thou” success, which was not that of happiness and content.

    You have introduced yourself to this forum as someone who has achieved an overwhelming, over exaggerated level of personal success, which eludes anyone living in Barbados, simply because you believe you live in the “big city” and we are “small island bullshitters.”

    Uh mean, if what you wrote is indeed the truth, then why would you find it NECESSARY to CONSISTENTLY and REPEATEDLY make such references in SUCCESSIVE contributions, irrespective of the topic? Unless you’re trying to convince yourself? And you refer to people as the “typical small minder islander and petty bullshitter?”

    You don’t hear rich men telling people everyday “I’m rich.”

    I also believe it’s the “height stupidity” for anyone to claim superiority and compare himself, in a forum, with people he DOES NOT KNOW. Do you know, for example, what are the personal or academic achievements of Donna, Bush Tea or any other anonymous contributor?

    Why would anyone ask a “source” about an individual he DOES NOT KNOW, based on evidence he“fabricated” and in the absence of information that would directly or indirectly identify that individual?

    My friend, you have a serious problem. In the “psychiatric world” it’s known as an “inferiority complex” or you’re “insecure”………consistent with the vulnerable narcissistic trait……underneath your bravado and grandiose self-proclamations, you actually feel weak and helpless. And this weakness manifests itself in your contributions.

  18. Dishonest Bajans Avatar
    Dishonest Bajans

    @ Hal Austin
    How can a true Barbadian abandon their country?(Quote)

    Another example of appalling example of intolerance and ignorance. What are the qualities needed to b a ‘true’ Barbadian?
    xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

    Hal a true Barbadian is someone who just follows like sheep to be slaughtered. To blindly follow and not rock the boat.

    There is a reason why Barbados is a failed island they don’t like the truth even when staring in their faces which is why the people they vote for will continue to take advantage of them.

    Instead of facing and dealing with the truth most like to attack digging a deeper hole for themselves in their idiocy.

    There will be no recovery for 🇧🇧 IMF will be there for a long long time.

  19. Mariposa Avatar
    Mariposa

    Do not know if patriotism should be the passing test when a man belly empty
    Can’t see by looking at the Caravan of Hondurans fleeing their country for greener pastures how anyone can call them unpatriotic
    The problem with most bajans is there pompous judgemental way of thinking
    It is as the realities and challenges of life never fits into the equation

  20. T.Inniss Avatar
    T.Inniss

    Mia fired bajans -most if not all who voted for her.

    Mia promised to give them their cheques when they were leaving the job

    Mia promised it would be the last person who came in who would go first

    Did she do any of that ?

    Nope.

    Can she be trusted in her promises ?

    Nope

  21. David Avatar
    David

    @T.Inniss

    Did you hear Dr. Belle’s comment clearly directed at Senator Caswell? He was if the view Caswell was not being strategic in his comments given the transformative and developmental approaches that are required to shift gears.

  22. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    @ T.Inniss October 21, 2018 12:47 PM
    “People are so angry now with Mia ‘gimme de vote and watch muh’ – that I got a strong feeling that dis ting ain’t goint to end well.”
    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Now here is another great opportunity for you and Verla DeP and her unrepentant band of incompetents to make history, (again).

    Why not get your well-counted thousands of “angry” people to show Mia who is boss by getting them to march from Roebuck Street to Bay Street via Palmetto Square?

    Instead of dressing them in ‘all-white’ why not put them in red to show the country how ‘blue-vex’ they are with the demon now regaled in crimson?

    When are you going to come to the stark realization that politicians are cut from the same cloth and wear the same crimson colour tie of deceit and hypocrisy in the same political to learn from the same book of corruption?

    Would you be surprised if both OSA and Fumble are awarded (in the next Muttley-type round of medal distribution) the highest honours of the Land for their meritorious service to national development?

    “The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli.

  23. Dishonest Bajans Avatar
    Dishonest Bajans

    @ Artax

    You are way too silly in your ignorance and deception.

    I have never referred to anyone’s academic or their achievements on BU including as you have named Bush Tea, Donna or yourself as they have nothing to do with me or do I care less.

    Despite your nonsense spewing I have previously operated at the top in Barbados and all I have previously referenced are fact not fiction.

    @ Hal Austin is reading the comments so if I had lied or misrepresented he is free to correct me as he has made a comment following my submission.

    You are like the American woman described you are a fraud and a typical dishonest Bajan she was able to see through.

    When I said living a life most locals would dream of I not only included myself but many blacks and foreigners who I know in the 🇺🇸 who are successful and thriving.

    However because your are deceitful you want to make it appear I was speaking solely about myself.

    You can take that bullshit chatter back to the Blocks in 🇧🇧 you frequent.

    You can have the final word.

  24. Artax Avatar
    Artax

    “Despite your nonsense spewing I have previously operated at the top in Barbados and all I have previously referenced are fact not fiction.”

    There you go again!!!

    It’s a pity comprehension was not one of your “achievements.” I never mentioned you referred to anyone’s academic achievement…..I gave an example.

    But for someone who claims to made such achievements, you are one weak, bitter, resentful individual…..who is easily rattled.

  25. T.Inniss Avatar
    T.Inniss

    Miller

    I support some of your sentiment shared in your post @ 1:59 p.m.

    David/BU

    I never pay attention to the utterances of one George Belle.He could really mount a BLP political platform and put on he red shirt – because he done give way the game.Steupes.

  26. Dishonest Bajans Avatar
    Dishonest Bajans

    Barbadians have cheated the National Sports Council (NSC) out of thousands of dollars by tampering with the token-operated lights at its various facilities islandwide.

    NSC chairman Mac Fingall confirmed the situation was so widespread that the board had recalled all the tokens and was upgrading the system to ensure the council received more revenue to pay for the electricity used.

    And he warned that from next Monday, the lights would be turned off at any of NSC’s 93 facilities where tokens which were not bought from the NSC, were found being used. Similarly, the lights would be turned off at those venues where there was evidence of fiddling with the cubicles that housed the token machines.

    “There are several ‘token boxes’ which have no tokens in them, yet the lights at these facilities are regularly turned on,” said Fingall, adding the monthly electricity bills at the NSC’s facilities ranged from $32 000 to $54 000. However, the council had only collected a few hundred dollars for the use of those lights. (SP)

    http://www.nationnews.com/nationnews/news/206723/power-cheats

  27. pieceuhderockyeahright Avatar
    pieceuhderockyeahright

    We are a turd world country so it is to be expected that bajans going jimmy the token boxes cause dem want to try a ting

    You remember when the keys to he church had to be collected from the house of the lady next to the church and returned there if you wanted to enter the church for youth fellowship?

    THe fact is that WITH ALL THE TECHNOLOGY, few understand how the systems work to ensure accountability and that we collect the $$ due for the lights and other resources.

    Tokens, or keys, or NFCs that only permit authorized parties who have credit on their phone/accounts to access the light circuits at the facility, MacFingal can put out a RFP for the cheapest and most economical solution for managing these facilities.

    THis is what McCunny was imported from Overseas and made a senator for IS IT NOT yet here we are 120 later still in the honeymoon phase

    nd the sheeple say “baaaaaaaaa…”

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