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Truth be told the blogmaster thought he had witnessed it all – Greenland, GEMS, Golden shower, police station at Crab Hill to name a few. Today’s Nation newspaper front page has knocked the blogmaster for six.

For the last two years of the DLP’s ‘lost decade’ period and the first two of the BLP, a building estimated to cost 28 million dollars, constructed with tax payers Rh dollars has been labelled a sick building with not one Rh person or stick of furniture having graced the doors of the new Sanitation Service Authority HQ.

#WTF

 

SSA Sick Building

https://www.nationnews.com/nationnews/news/244191/usd28m-ssa-building-sick

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124 responses to “28 Million Taxpayers Dollars …”

  1. Tron Avatar
    Tron

    Tonight the whole world is on fire. So I’m in a good mood because I love chaos and change so much. That explains the mildness of my following words…

    So listen carefully. We can’t really blame the DLP for the disaster of the 28 million for the SSA ruin. What else should we expect from any blue minister? If you grew up in a hole in the ground and had nothing to eat as a child, you just can’t tell if a building is any good. It’s funny to see how the blue masses always want to imitate their white masters from the north. Instead of constructing buildings that are well ventilated and shield the sun in view of the tropical climate, they copy buildings from the USA or Great Britain. Must be some kind of Stockholm syndrome, you know, LOL.

    All the talk about Barrow, education and independence cannot hide the fact that most blue natives are unable to think for themselves without the guidance of a foreign Massa. If they were capable of thinking, the builder would be liable for all the rubbish now. I suppose that either Jerkham, Baloney or the Williams brothers put the ruin there and are not liable for their mischief.

    How fortunate that we now have a Prime Minister and Ministers who are quite different. The new government does not look up to any massa, but defies them, as the case of Sandals Plantation proves.

  2. robert lucas Avatar
    robert lucas

    Was this building needed at all? The money could have been used to buy trucks instead. This job does not entail workers sitting down inside an office since it is basically an outdoor enterprise.. This seems to be a decoy set up to rip money off from the tax payers.

  3. R.G Avatar
    R.G

    This job does not entail workers sitting down inside an office since it is basically an outdoor enterprise. {Quote}

    Huh???????

    I could understand if you said the building is too big and cost too much money.

    Wait, you mean to tell me that jobs like management, accounting, human resources, typists, reception, cashiers don’t entail people in an office??? No staff quarters, no toilets, nothing so?????

    Yuh mean HR gine set up a table by Mangrove Landfill and interview a perspective employee? If a worker want a job letter, who gine type it? A fellow gine sit down outside under a tree and do the payroll? They gine put 3 cashiers pun the pasture opposite the SSA in Wildey for when people gine to pay for graves and other SSA services?

    Well, well, well………

  4. S Avatar
    S

    @R.G March 6, 2020 4:14 AM “Yuh mean HR gine set up a table by Mangrove Landfill and interview a perspective employee? If a worker want a job letter, who gine type it? A fellow gine sit down outside under a tree and do the payroll? They gine put 3 cashiers pun the pasture opposite the SSA in Wildey for when people gine to pay for graves and other SSA services?”

    Here are my suggestions:

    @R.G March 6, 2020 4:14 AM “Yuh mean HR gine set up a table by Mangrove Landfill and interview a perspective employee?
    DO INTERVIEWS AT PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATION DIVISION, THERE IS ALREADY A BUILDING THERE INNIT?

    @R.G March 6, 2020 4:14 AM “If a worker want a job letter, who gine type it?:
    A WORKER WITH A COMPUTER AND MAYBE A PRINTER SITTING AT HER OWN HOME. SHE ALREADY LIVE IN A BUILDING ENT IT?

    @R.G March 6, 2020 4:14 AM “A fellow gine sit down outside under a tree and do the payroll? ”
    A MAN OR WOMAN SITTING AT HOME WITH A COMPUTER. HE OR SHE ALREADY LIVES IN A BUILDING NOT SO?

    @R.G March 6, 2020 4:14 AM “They gine put 3 cashiers pun the pasture opposite the SSA in Wildey for when people gine to pay for graves .”
    PEOPLE SITTING AT HOME CAN PAY FOR THE GRAVES ONLINE. BETTER STILL GET RID OF THE GRAVES THING COMPLETELY. CREMATE EVERYBODY, AND SHEET WAY ALL OF THE CEMETERIES WITH BREADFRUIT TREES, AND COCONUT TREES AND MANGO TREES AND SO ON. WE CANT EAT THE DEAD, BUT I COULD DO WITH A NICE-NICE BREADFRUIT NOW.

    NO STEEL REQUIRED FOR ANY OF MY SOLUTIONS.

  5. Mariposa Avatar
    Mariposa

    Prescod u got bigger fish to fry
    Nobody has been said to be sick because of the building reason being that the building has not been occupied
    However the landfill controversy that was brought to your attention by Kerrie Symmonds giving evidence of people being infected from the smell and pollutants daily having sufficient reason to sound the alarm bell needs immediate resolution
    It is obvious that this govt from day one having no clue on managing the country social environment finds its easy to point fingers away from their faults in manner and ways of distraction
    Right now globally all countries main focus is finding solutions that would free the environment of contaminates which are major negative causes against the good heath and the well being of people
    However barbados has a govt spending millions pushing down buildings and spending more millions on parks
    Go figure

  6. robert lucas Avatar
    robert lucas

    @ RG March 6, 2020 4:14 AM

    The job of the persons removing garbage is strictly an out door enterprise. I am wondering if you originate from Mars. You are trying to be facetious but you come across as being quite silly. truth be told.

  7. Mariposa Avatar
    Mariposa

    Prescod here is a memo to you

    Prescod urged to take urgent steps to fix landfill
    barbados today Kerrie symmonds / landfills from barbadostoday.bb
    1 day ago · Minister of Tourism Kerrie Symmonds wants action on the Mangrove Landfill from his colleague Trevor Prescod, the Minister of Environment and National Beautification. He described the St. Thomas dump as “a matter of specific and palpable pain”. During debate

  8. Mariposa Avatar
    Mariposa

    Prescod

    Start doing yuh job Kerrie suggest

    Prescod urged to take urgent steps to fix landfill
    barbados today Kerrie symmonds / landfills from barbadostoday.bb
    1 day ago · Minister of Tourism Kerrie Symmonds wants action on the Mangrove Landfill from his colleague Trevor Prescod, the Minister of Environment and National Beautification. He described the St. Thomas dump as “a matter of specific and palpable pain”. During debate on the enviroment

  9. TheOgazerts Avatar
    TheOgazerts

    @RG
    After all of that brilliance…the fact remains that the building was not used.

    So it appears that “jobs like management, accounting, human resources, typists, reception, cashiers were done elsewhere”. Staff quarters and toilets were locates elsewhere.

    One blogger here use to say “wheel and come again”

  10. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    Well it’s the truth, did they not make laws to lock up people for lying, there are palace pimps everywhere, why is nohing ever working in favor of the population, they always lose out and the leaders who always pledge allegiance to the cousins in the palace are the ones who continue to perpetrate these crimes to benefit themselves.

    https://www.facebook.com/groups/700483303806137/permalink/872655043255628/

  11. TheOgazerts Avatar
    TheOgazerts

    It is amazing the amounts of multi-million dollar deals that seem to be done and can can be questioned. This building, the overpriced port scanners, White Oaks, the procurement of garbage trucks, the Cahill deal….

    If you add the cost of these deals together, I am quite certain it is more more than at least one of the “drawdowns” from the IMF that we seem so gleeful to recieve:
    “The IMF said the country passed its first quarter review, triggering an immediate injection of about $97.40 million (US$48.70) into its growing international reserves.”

    Good management and honest government may help us out of our dire situation. At some stage our politicians must realize they are running /ruining a nation. These deals should be about nation building and not skimming off the top or self enrichment. The monies of the nation are not those of a personal piggy bank.

  12. R.G Avatar
    R.G

    @ S

    Brilliant ideas!!!

    I see our taxes were not wasted on your education. So, what we gine do now, is send home all the office staff from all the other government departments, do all the interviews at PA, and somebody at home gine do the typing, payroll and all the other things done in the office.

    @ Robert Lucus

    Truth be told you come across as a TOTAL JACKASS for saying This job does not entail workers sitting down inside an office since it is basically an outdoor enterprise {Quote}, which is shyte. ALL the people employed by SSA do not collect garbage and that’s fact.

    Face facts, it was a STUPID comment.

    @ TheOGazerts

    Wheel and come again, what. You hypocrite.

    You play you en see where I talked about the building too big or cost too much money.

    I always say BU is full of hypocrites, and you’re one of the biggest. People like you always wait for an opportunity to drop yuh remarks and come out to defend CERTAIN PEOPLE, even when they talk shyte.

    That is your role on BU, the SELF-APPOINTED BU POLICE.

    Watch how yuh gine come out now and drop yuh nasty remarks.

  13. David Avatar
    David

    The substance of this matter is that successive BLO and DLP governments have not done good job spending tax dollars and holding those responsible for malfeasance accountable. Some comments on this blog so far is clear evidence.

  14. John A Avatar
    John A

    @ David.

    There is a lovely view from there so maybe the BLP can do as they did with the old NIS building and turn it into THE TOM ADAMS PARK FOR REFLECTION. After all they got a carpark and a few trees plant already. Lol

  15. David Avatar
    David

    @John A

    What has happened with that building is an indictment on all Barbadians. Instead for many of us it is business as usual.

  16. Greene Avatar
    Greene

    when govt or private businesses construct buildings they are not only for the usage of govt or the particular private entity but a major portion is rented out to the market to help offset the cost of the building.

    that said i didnt see the need for this building.

    whenever you see govt engage in a bevy of capital projects, look out, a lot of steeling is in the works

  17. Greene Avatar
    Greene

    when govt or private businesses construct buildings they are not only for the usage of govt or the particular private entity but a major portion is rented out to the market to help offset the cost of the building

    that said i didnt see the need for this building.

    whenever you see govt engage in a bevy of capital projects, look out, a lot of steeling is in the works

  18. John A Avatar
    John A

    @ David.

    Yes I agree with you but we have no value for our assets. From the time we decided to demolish a building in town that could of been rehabilitated to house several departments of government which we currently spend millions renting office space for, everything else became fair game.

    The new rule seems now to be if you want to get rid of a building deem it sick and level it. Option 2 would be to offer it for public sale and see if anyone buys it and takes on the industrial retrofitting and cleaning of it.

    We have clearly lost our way in terms of priorities yet again.

  19. Indian Dancer Avatar
    Indian Dancer

    All a dem Fuk Up https://youtu.be/WQYT7MIPHtk

  20. Mariposa Avatar
    Mariposa

    We have landfills that are more catastrophic than sick buildings and that target ever persons immune system silently
    Yet we have ministers of distractors for two years talking over people heads about sick buildings
    No one expect that in the year 2020 a virus as deadly as the Corona would have evolved and envelope the lives of so many people a virus unheard of which have those in the medical field heads rolling looking for how when and where
    The lands fills has already revealed its negative consequences towards people living in the surrounding area
    Ut is just a matter of time before it unleashes its most potent effects to the country
    God help us all

  21. john2 Avatar
    john2

    YET THE DLP DLP DID NOTHING ABOUT IT BUT SPENT /WASTED MONEY ON BUILDING A SICK BUILDING – 10 YEAR

  22. john2 Avatar
    john2

    THE FLU VIRUS IS MORE DEADLY THEN THE CORONA

  23. Vincent Codrington Avatar
    Vincent Codrington

    @ Tron at 11:48 PM

    I agree with you. It certainly is a model of chaos and change. We, the people, prefer@ John A more change though. How and when are we going to change this mix?

    @John A

    We need to rearrange our priorities. I agree that the taller the buildings the greater is the use of steel. Thanks for pointing out another fundamental truth.

    @ David BU

    Good one this. The difference between the epidemic of the sick building and the Corona virus is the sick building epidemic is bacteriological and should be curable. LoL!!!

  24. Vincent Codrington Avatar
    Vincent Codrington

    Correction. The gremlin is at work again.

    We the people prefer more change than chaos.

  25. Miller Avatar
    Miller

    @ John A March 6, 2020 8:37 AM
    “@ David.
    Yes I agree with you but we have no value for our assets. From the time we decided to demolish a building in town that could of been rehabilitated to house several departments of government which we currently spend millions renting office space for, everything else became fair game.
    The new rule seems now to be if you want to get rid of a building deem it sick and level it. Option 2 would be to offer it for public sale and see if anyone buys it and takes on the industrial retrofitting and cleaning of it.”
    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    When you can come up with a means of making the planned maintenance and renovations of government buildings a profitable enterprise for politicians then you will see the abolition of the political party system.

    There are no major kickbacks in the award of contracts for maintenance and repairs.

    Why do you think the old general Hospital building is still standing like the Coliseum in Rome?

    Politicians can only make their fortunes while holding office by way of awarding large construction contracts like the same unfinished SSA concrete outhouse for an HQ even if under a PPP arrangement like the DLP-ordained BWA Mausoleum on the hill.

    Cost overruns are not only those related to materials and labour but also to those seeking to recover the cost of the kickbacks employed to grease the political palms of those demanding their cut of the deal.

    Why do you think the low(e) down man is well known not as the den(n)is the LEC menace but as the guy who likes to ask behind the scene: ’Where is my 10% cut?’- to be credited to a certain ‘deadly anonymous’ bank account.

    $3 million is not a bad cut to demand for a $30 million job costing $20 million to complete and deliver at a handsome profit; overruns and all.

  26. David Avatar
    David

    At the root of this issue is a prevailing culture of corruption.

  27. Mariposa Avatar
    Mariposa

    If there are sick buildings these buildings can be easily cornered off and no entry signs placed on them or in the case of the NIS building blown up to build a park
    But what happens when years of pollutants and toxins coming from land fills attack people immune system after years of deafening silence to seek resolution from govt

  28. Artax Avatar
    Artax

    @ John A

    To be FAIR, people working in the old NIS building were complaining of various illnesses, even after the building was given a thorough industrial cleaning. Eventually government made a decision to abandon the building sometime in 2011.

    That’s why the Land Tax, Data Processing, Electoral, Welfare departments, Vector Control Unit, Statistical Service, Division of Labour and Community Development, Bureau of Gender Affairs, Agricultural Credit Bank, Valuation Division, and the Electoral Office among others, had to be relocated.

    And, I’m sure you’re also aware of the situation at the Louis Lynch Secondary School that led to its closure. Recall the school was at the centre of a national health and environmental controversy and was subsequently closed after serious health concerns prompted an environmental assessment of it in 2005.

    Let’s look at the old NIS building from another perspective.

    With all the concerns expressed by employees and the workers’ unions….. the ‘walk-outs’ and protests, and taking into consideration the building had undergone a thorough industrial cleansing, do you believe it’s worth risking people’s health just to “rehabilitate” that building?

  29. Artax Avatar
    Artax

    Miller’s comment re: “Why do you think the old general Hospital building is still standing like the Coliseum in Rome?”…… reminded me of the “Old Eye Ward” that used to house NAB and the Welfare Department.

    In 1988 NAB offices moved from the “Old Eye Ward” to the old prime minister’s residence at Culloden Farm. After spending thousands of dollars refurbishing and maintaining that building, the NAB subsequently moved to “Murrell House” on Country Road, which now costs government thousands of dollars to rent.

  30. Vincent Codrington Avatar
    Vincent Codrington

    @ Artax
    No one should want to risk the health of its employees when a building is assessed to be a “sick” building.Were these findings made available to the public? Were the causes of these “sickness ” scientifically evaluated?. If they were ,how come buildings constructed since then did not benefit from these findings? Why then are we continuing to build structures with an inclination to be “sick”?

  31. Mariposa Avatar
    Mariposa

    Has the soil were these buildings are /were situated tested for toxins or pollutants to access the negative envirconmental impact on these building
    For years the use of agriculture as well as commercial buildings have been given an all clear to abuse the environment
    Could there be a possibility that now newer buildings are being situated on those lands
    The moulding effects take place
    My mind focus on the Careenage closely situated to those buildings deemed sick

  32. David Avatar
    David

    The next building under investigation is the Treasury Building. Costing taxpayers money because workers have been deployed to privately owned offices across the street.

  33. Mariposa Avatar
    Mariposa

    All including media should be asking of govt for full transparency with scientific findings as to the cause / causes of these sick buildings
    It is not sufficient and enough for govt to use political bull dog attempts to point fingers while disregarding the real issue or reasons for contaminated buildings

  34. Vincent Codrington Avatar
    Vincent Codrington

    @ David Bu at 11:04 AM

    Remarkable! How much of this Sick Building Syndrome is mass hysteria?
    And In the same geographical location?

  35. Mariposa Avatar
    Mariposa

    Inquiring minds want to know

    Rodney Hinds

    The SSA is no longer in debt there is no sewage running in the street even if it running in the sea the garbage trucks have been bought so why are we still paying sewage tax ?

  36. James Quintyne Avatar
    James Quintyne

    The owners of this building are charging the SSA bds$450,000.00 a month to rent it. The rental contract between SSA and the Edghill owners is for 30 years. $450,000.00 x 12 x 30 = bds$162 MILLION DOLLARS.

  37. John A Avatar
    John A

    @ Artax
    @ Vincent
    @ Miller

    What i would of like to of seen is an independent assessment made by a foreign company as to the cause and cure for the sick building.

    Based on that I would then of liked to have seen a report from the Barbadian engineer group as to the cost of fixing the problems outlined in the above report. P

    Also make available the total square footage of the old NIS building and what we ‘re paying to rent buildings annually to the tune of that square footage.

    Finally I wished published the cost of the contract for demolition, removal and implementation of the park.

    That way every bajan could review the figures for dem self! Hold the Koolaid for somebody that want it.

    Ask yourself after the hurricane flooded New Orleans how many government buildings were deemed sick buildings? Even the hospital was retrofitted and put back into service. Wunna better ask the American EPA for help with these corona buildings!

  38. Artax Avatar
    Artax

    @ Mr. Codrington

    You posed some good questions, for which I don’t have the answers at this time.

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    “It is not sufficient and enough for govt to use political bull dog attempts to point fingers while disregarding the real issue or reasons for contaminated buildings.”

    @ Mariposa

    Perhaps you could inform us what were “the real issue or reasons for contaminated buildings” that caused your administration to abandon the old NIS building in 2011.

  39. David Avatar
    David

    @Vincent

    If you do a search of BU Archives for Treasury Building you will not this building has been under environmental stress for some time now.

  40. Mariposa Avatar
    Mariposa

    Most likely when that building or project was being proposed no one cared about the environmental question or impact on the building
    Which begs the question why didnt the then blp opposition asked of then govt to provide such documentation

  41. Mariposa Avatar
    Mariposa

    It must be a curse whuch has fallen upon the barbadian people to have politicians whose only concern are their political moorings
    How could it be possible that buildings most likely built on contaminated land be approved for human purposed without a environmental evaluation of the lands
    Jesus take the wheel

  42. Vincent Codrington Avatar
    Vincent Codrington

    @ David Bu at 12:32 PM

    What is the nature of the “environmental stress”? Did BU conclude that the ES was genuine, and justified by a scientific report?

  43. David Avatar
    David

    @Vincent

    The public must assume that an environmental report affecting an important matter like occupational health and safety at the treasury building was conducted by qualified personnel. Do you know this not to be the case?

  44. David Avatar
    David

    The new SSA headquarters is another example for this government to hold some people accountable. We know that the fact the BLP actor responsible for constructing the building will not serve as a blocker to justice being carried out.

  45. Vincent Codrington Avatar
    Vincent Codrington

    @ David BU

    I really do not know what your expectations are when you introduce these topics for discussion.
    We the public are not looking for persons to blame. We expect proper management of our affairs. We want each tax dollar to be properly spent and public assets to be properly maintained and used.

  46. Artax Avatar
    Artax

    @ Mariposa

    It’s clear you also “make up things as you go along, just to make things interesting.”

    Do you know what is actually meant by conducting an environmental impact assessment?

  47. Greene Avatar
    Greene

    this govt has been in power for close to 2 years and it is now learning of these issues? gimme a break. this is a distraction from the Cin Cin matter.

    i expect that whenever an issue detrimental to the BLP or where it perceives such they will trot out one of these “problems”.

    just do something about it and stop yapping about them on selected occasions

  48. Tron Avatar
    Tron

    We need to bring the blue grandees to justice for the SSA crime. Why isn’t the DPP investigating? The people and their democratically elected Prime Minister no longer want to watch long-overdue criminal investigations being obstructed.

  49. Mariposa Avatar
    Mariposa

    Artax where did i make mention of an environmental”IMPACT”
    assessment in my comments
    I simply made a point of an scientific ” environmental assessment of the soil
    Seems in your rush to defend govt actions a govt who nows looks clownish when in opposition did not challenge or ask then govt to do an scientific assessment of the soil
    Like wise as Mia now presses toward to build a Park for human access without having or presenting to the populace full transparency as to whether the soil upon which the park is built does nit contain hazardous components which over time would effect individual health negatively
    Moan or bemoaned whatever u want from my comments not surprising that only in barbados one would find braying yardfowls wrapped in so called intellectual utterances lead the way forward

  50. Silly Woman Avatar
    Silly Woman

    @David March 6, 2020 11:04 AM “The next building under investigation is the Treasury Building.”

    Stupssseee!!!

    I worked in the Treasury building for years. I wish that I could let you look at my NIS file. It contains zero sick leave over 43 years and 3 months. Looking forward to celebrating my 70th birthday soon.

    Oh for the good old days when neither people nor buildings were sick.

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