Owen said that land must fetch its highest economic price.
Submitted by Observing
Back in 2003 Owen Arthur touted the Pierhead Marina Development Plan. For some this was a visionary idea, for others in the years after it was a chance to get out licking. 20 years later a flurry of activity has indicated that investment development on the island’s south-west corridor is back at an all systems go stage
Savvy on the Beach
Not much more that can be said here that hasn’t already been ventilated. It is absolutely clear though that Kinch must go.
Marina shops
These shops were slowly shuttered up over a few years. A recent article with the owner of Marina Restaurant who was locked out in 2020 confirms that it too is time for him to go. Miss Daisy has spoken.
Cavans Lane renters
Though two remaining renters have vowed to fight their “sudden” eviction, they know they are only renting and they will have to go. A public notice has also confirmed that the next four years will see the entire area transformed.
Barbados Defence Force
The PM flew a kite when she hinted that BDF HQ “may” have to move. But, it is clear from the overall plan that it HAS to move. Just a matter of when.
Mrs. Ram
This property was compulsorily acquired and continues to be a battle. Hyatt will now take its place. Like it or not, this may be the way things are done moving forward.
Geriatric Hospital
This staple on Beckles Road will soon be no more, in an effort to replace it a Conference Centre and mixed facility to replace LESC which will soon be entirely in the hands of someone other than “us.”
Beckles Hill residents
These folk have been informed that they will be moved “soon.” The long promised town hall to discuss it has not yet materialised but, with construction in Waterford already started it’s only a matter of time. Their space is needed.
Now for clarity, this is not intended to be a criticism (that’s for you Artax). Instead it hopefully serves to highlight and connect some dots. Development is good when done well. It can bring much needed investment, employment and economic activity. The investment plan for the entire stretch of town to Harts Gap is unbelievably ambitious and will change that entire landscape in MAJOR way. But some features of progress should always merit attention
1. The lack of open communication with the public and potentially impacted stakeholders about the overall plan
2. The need for thoughtful consideration or involvement of persons who made this stretch their homes, their workspaces and their own investment.
3. The usual concerns raised about “how” and “by who” these projects are being done
4. Ongoing debate about a Government’s right to acquire any property it deems necessary for “public” purposes (a la Mrs. Ram and others).
Gabby sang “that beach is mine,” at the end of the day we would like to think that Barbados belongs to all of us.
Owen said that land must fetch its highest economic price. Agreed or not, this mantra resulted in alot of people being left without a piece of the rock..
David [Thompson] said it’s more than an economy, it’s a society. But, we must ask in 2023 what type of society do we have? Do we want?
Freundel said…well…nothing much.
Mia has a vision, but let’s hope that alot more persons don’t get left behind, placed on the side or booted out in the name of “visionary progress.”
Link to Investment Opportunities
You might like this mapping I did for the Trailway in which the 1951 aerial photos are superimposed on Googe Earth and other current digital imagery.
https://www.barbadostrailway.org/maps/field-names
Nothing confirms the fact that Barbados is a unique repository of idiocy, than this penchant to sell our VERY LIMITED land to foreigners – mostly for laundered money of questionable origin, and ALWAYS our best lands.
Only a complete, mindless brass bowl would sell the inheritance of his children and grand children to people whose fore parents – for four centuries, terrorized OUR OWN fore parents on these same damn lands….
NO SANE person could make this shit up…..
Dr Trevor Shepherd in todays Nation demonstrates that a (very) few of us have eyes that can see.
Big joke is … Most of those LARGE countries restricts sale of land to foreigners…. wonder why..?!!!
While it is not surprising that the albino-centric land speculators among us have been pursuing their goal of selling our land to white foreigners, while at the same time, selling our businesses to the same suspects. The REAL SHAME has been the political representatives of the mindless brass bowls who have jumped onto the band wagon of Judases…. generally with pieces of silver in mind…
Having borrowed her way into serfdom, poor auntie Mia is now just a global mouthpiece of the great Satan (called IMF/World Bank/WHO) who will be used to push THEIR agenda on the world stage, while selling out local brass bowls on the home front…
Barbados – the ‘Radical’ experience of returning to slavery
@Bush Tea
You operated in this space back in OSA days when land on the West Coast was a big topic. Before the existence of BU back in Billie Miller and Henry Forde time there was a debate about the merit to introducing Alien Land Holding legislation. The consensus was, it would negatively impact our economy because of heavy reliance of FDIs. Ironically Billie Miller – a BLP Elder – in her twilight years finds a reason to loiter around government as a consultant.
Somethings never change.
David, I’ve ‘said’ in this forum on several occasions that Neil Rowe told a constituent, who was 54 years old at the time, ‘government ain’t hiring old people.’ Mottley subsequently decided to ‘stop’ paying pension to a ‘handfull’ of retired former National Assistance Board employees, AFTER many of whom would’ve received payments as long as 12 and 17 years. But, Mottley could find money to reward BLP stalwarts, ‘OLD PEOPLE,’ such as Johnnie Cheltleham, who was appointed as president of the senate, and Billie Miller as some shiite called ‘Ambassador at large,’ (“whatever the hell that is,” according to Bushie).
@Artax
Cappy Greenidge et al. The list is long.
Observing, the remark you directed to me specifically, re “this is not a criticism,” is a essentially a sly, vicious insinuation that I am a BLP supporter who becomes offended whenever you criticise the current BLP administration. However, I prefer to use fairness, reason and balance as my guide before criticising. Whereas you, on the other hand, rely on ‘manipulating the truth,’ innuendo and “any means necessary.” It all goes back to ‘when the playing field was level,’ you promised to critique two documents, but found all types of excuses not critique that from the organisation you favour.
@Artax
You maybe aware Dr. Kristina Hinds shared recently that a doctoral candidate at UWI completed research going back several election cycles and concluded the majority of promises made in the respect manifestos of BLP/DLP were not kept. One may conclude that it then becomes an academic exercise to debate such.
Your thoughts?
David, perhaps you may want to remind me when or where I mentioned anything that would suggest a reference to election promises fullfilled and unfulfilled by both BLP and DLP?
@Artax
You didn’t, take the comment in the context of ongoing public exchanges about the relevance of political manifestos, covenants of hope or whatever.
David, public debate about manifestos has been ongoing for several years…… and will continue. But, more importantly, it is the path where some people intentionally want to take and control the narrative, or structure those debates. For example, recall the DLP promised in their 2008 manifesto, to enact integrity and freedom of information legislation within 100 days if they won the elections. They won, and that promise, which remained unfulfilled after 100 days, was the main topic of debate. Recall at that time, Peter Wickham was in the DLP’s ‘bossom,’ and how he used his ‘expertise’ as a political scientist, to control the narrative of the debate by manipulating the facts (a political strategy often used by your friend, ********g), in his attempt to downplay and shift the focus from the 100 day promise. Since then he has ‘changed bossom’ and I’m sure he would employ a similar strategy to convince us otherwise, if that debate resurfaced.
Bush Tea
It is all about money laundering and who has money to launder!!
Colour is irrelevant.
@ David
You will not live to see Alien Land Owning Legislation here as we need the FX way too bad to let that happen. I for one am against touching the defence force area as that forms the historic military area of the Garrison. Also when we build all these hotels who we plan to put in them? Airlift is an issue and we struggle to get a decent annual occupancy rate now with the hotel stock we have.
@John A
This was told to the blogmaster many years ago, the person at that time referred to it [FDI] as high powered money whatever that means.
“…the person at that time referred to it [FDI] as high powered money whatever that means.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It means that it has POWERFUL BRIBERY IMPACT ON hand-to-mouth politicians who are almost exclusively in position because the have been unsuccessful in other areas of life.
What a cursed place!!!
@ David
How many years have we been told the Pierhead project will soon start? If it isn’t 20 years it isn’t one. Then we had the Mrs Ram land bought for $160 dollars a square foot by government to be part of a project, that after years only has a pailing to show as a construction site.
Then we have land further up the road that the government sold for $31 a square foot on the same beach as the land they paid $160 a square for further north. Not same party but still our government. There is no logic to all of this.
@John A
To be fair Covid 19 interrupted investor plans. Who can blame them in an uncertain situation that was created?
What land further up sold at $31/sq ft?
Surely this is not correct.
‘and concluded the majority of promises made in the respect manifestos of BLP/DLP were not kept.’
Do you think doctoral research was needed to reach this conclusion?
Hush! It explains a lot …
No wonder that Ms. Moore, the General Secretary of the Barbados Workers union has said that some Massas now look like her (Black). We are running like Usain Bolt from the truth and making excuses every day that have become embassingly pathetic.
We all saw what happened down by the Marina; permission was given to build a bridge that apparently opened up when necessary and traffic comes to a standstill. And yet we continue to basically try to sanitise such brazen deviancy with pretty talk .
In a very sinister way we have become the enemies of our country and future generations will not and should not forgive us for the wholesale disposal of our country and the ruthless socio economic displacement of those who are the most vulnerable.
It is pitiful to see how we are squirming as we become more disillusioned.
@ David That beach is one of the last ones with any real development potential and if we go by Owen’s logic must therefore fetch the highest return. I recall Sarah at Savvy saying that Mrs Ram was paid $160 a square foot for land and they were offered $100 sq ft, yet land on that same beach was sold at $31 a square foot a few years back before covid in the boom. Where is the logic and what really is the value for land there?
@John A
You may recall talk on the 2018 election platform about a former executive at Coca Cola who now resides in Barbados who is investing on that side of town? The recall is fuzzy.
Everything will be revealed in the light after the highly favoured get what was promised. It is how business is done a la cattlewash. Doesn’t matter who is in seat.
This morning I stumbled on a page where an elderly lady (81) was complaining that she was no longer able to access the beach.
Someone in a comment told her that all she had to do was get on a bus (free bus ride) and go to a next beach.
In a few years, can you see how easy it will be to have all of Barbados going to a single beach after getting off buses?I hope the gate to that single beach is very small.
The big joke is, some are not even getting thirty pieces of silver.
We have telegraphed or desire and desperation for this project for the past 20 years. We start of with a huge handciap
Plus everyone knows what Butch Stewart got from the last admin, does anyone think bigger investors will take less.
The fact that we don’t even know their names tells me all I need to know.
Whatever they want they will get.
We don’t do business with Indians, deal with them for us.
Allan isn’t one of us, deal with him for us.
Knock down everything and then we will talk. This is no guarantee, we just need to see how committed you are.
You prostituted yourselves for a small fish like Butch, we expect your soul and nothing less
@ Theo
This Sunday I was on the south coast and came through town to go there. When I passed the government car park before the lights on upper Bay Street, it was ram off with hardly room for a snow cone cart.
Your point is well represented in areas like this.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/labour-slaps-down-slavery-reparations-call-as-mp-voices-hopes-of-settlements/ar-AA1gQGoo?ocid=msedgntp&pc=W069&cvid=90c834692336445c94360b0463a3dc98&ei=19
Barbados ent getting no $$ here!!
So where is the $$ coming from?
The amazing thing is all is being done by an unconstitutional parliament.
There is no opposition!!!
Any citizen can go to court and end this crap …. if they are really so minded.
BTW, the Pierhead Project was around since the days of SBG and Kingsland in the late 1980’s.
The 2,400 acres (including the 1041 acres of Kingsland) which the then Deputy Prime Minister and future Chief Justice were endeavouring to control was a part of an overall project.
The sources of funding were at that time Canadian, Ukrainian and Chinese and probably others. The collapse of the USSR in that period threw up many billionaires who had $$$$$$$ to launder.
My bet is today there will be an African component given the billionaires Ms. Mockley has been courting and have been showing up here in recent times.
Is the quotation attributed to OSA accurately reported? I know OSA knew Economics.That statement does not reflect the opinion of OSA. RIP.
I believe it is a ‘political over-simplification’ of a comment Arthur made about the possibility of relocating the Ministry of Agriculture from Graeme Hall, Christ Church, which was said to be ‘in the heart of the tourism belt,’ so as ‘to allow the land to fetch its highest possible economic value.’ The ‘political strategists and spin doctors’ manipulated those comments to suggest Arthur implied land on the West Coast should be priced out the reach of ordinary Barbadians, and sold to rich white people.
@ Conflicted
$31 bds a square foot is what Kinch paid for the lots of land and the old eye clinic building in Bay Street.
All this expensive development unfortunately will not solve Barbados financial problems. Government officials have consistently promoted TOURISM as the method to put Barbados on a stable financial footing, however this practice has resulted in a continual deterioration of long term finances. It’s a case NOT SEEING THE FOREST FOR THE TREES. TIME to fundamental changes and get of the TOURISM idea will be the savior.
“Barbados – the ‘Radical’ experience of returning to slavery” said the great Bush Tea.
For those of you who have forgotten the dark times encountered by our ancestors. Here’s a snapshot of past times or some may say a return of back to the future for Barbados current/future negro population.
https://youtu.be/SHhYpwO7wIg?t=4648
At the risk of being called ‘narrow minded,’ I’m politely asking for an explanation of any intended correlations between the video and Barbados. The topic of slavery reminds us of that brutal, inhumane system and life on planations. I realised that, unlike their foreparents, many of whom did not have other options, several young Barbadians are not too fond of agriculture and plantation work. This could be objectively substantiated by the fact that people from other regional territories, such as SLU and SVG, came to Barbados to work in agriculture and ‘cut cane.’ During the early 2000s, several male Guyanese came here as farmers, while the females concentrated more so on ‘selling meat.’ The island has an extremely high food import bill, which suggests importing produce that could otherwise be grown locally. There continuos complaints about young people unwilling to work in agriculture. Bearing this in mind, would future generations allow themselves to be forced into labour, similarly to our ancestors, or become as enthusiatic as our forefathers to work in agriculture?
We have a view here whose undying commitment is to squeeze every issue raised into some narrow agenda.
@Wily
Nothing is wrong with tourism being the “Saviour” but the government of the day would have to go ALL in with it, and also accept its fickle nature that could wipe out the economy one year “just so”. What options could we explore to help balance/transform the economy that Owen was supposed to since the mid 90’s when things were booming?
@Artax
The ‘political strategists and spin doctors’ manipulated those comments to suggest Arthur implied land on the West Coast should be priced out the reach of ordinary Barbadians, and sold to rich white people
But isn’t that what happened even if it wasn’t said?
https://www.nationnews.com/2016/06/28/editorial-foreign-investment-is-essential-for-us/
And by the way, I wasn’t being sly at all. Just proactive.
@Bushie
On the ball as usual.
@William
“In a very sinister way we have become the enemies of our country and future generations will not and should not forgive us for the wholesale disposal of our country and the ruthless socio economic displacement of those who are the most vulnerable.”
Unfortunately this snowball has been rolling downhill for years. In another post sometime I will touch on the social side of “progress”
@David
Since self sufficiency in a small island state such as ours is an elusive illusion, what’s the solution other than sell sell sell? Just playing Devil’s advocate
Observing
@Observing
We have created a consumption monster based on our economic model that has to be fed. Based on what is before us we may have to hit a base level to shatter expectation/attitudes.
A response of ‘political spin,’ which I anticipated. You researched the comment AFTER referencing it, to ask, “but isn’t that what happened [….],” to justify a dishonest attempt to juxtapose the comment with the sale of land. You either conveniently or purposely ignored the 2016/06/28 editorial also mentioned, “…… an emotional argument that was designed to prey on the sentimentality of ordinary Barbadians, for the benefit of people whose primary interests were political.” This is descriptive of your intentions by prefacing your article with Arthur’s comments. Based on variating deliveries, you are a clever bowler with skills that could equal those of Muralitharan, ‘suspect action and all.”
Here beginneth the real regeneration of Bridgetown. Those of us familiar with the transformative impact of such exercises simply yawn at the nonsense being spouted. Watch muh catspraddling wunna again.🤫
Cleaning up
https://www.nationnews.com/2023/09/18/heavy-toil-speightstown-clean/
The problem with tourism is that for every dollar spent on accommodation and other services, probably more than 90% or more ends up outside.
For agriculture, less than 10% finds its way outside but horror of horrors, the foreign exchange earned is (or was) in the hands of the GOB.
The owners of the means of production in the tourist “industry” ensure payment is made outside and the GOB has no control of those funds. No way they are going to let the GOB get their grubby hands on it, you think they foolish.
For the politicians, the only way of getting their cut of the $$$ in the tourist industry is to require planning permissions and extract their cut from the “Foreign Direct Investment”.
….. but for a miniscule piece of real estate, there is only so much to sell!!
Our leaders have learnt nothing from Covid.
We had a tourism dependant economy that collapsed for 2 years thanks to external forces and yet what have we done to diversify the economy?
When ever little rain fall I still got to buy imported tomatoes and vegetables. All the talk then about taking agriculture seriously, was just talk. Nearly 4 years later and what has changed? All we can hear is talk about more hotels and tourism based operations as our salvation. Don’t mind our average room occupancy currently can’t get pass 60% in summer.
The writing was on the wall from the days of the aristocratic Barrow when he looked outside for new blood to “develop” Barbados.
Mia, from the start of her premiership, stated emphatically that she was in favour of black Bajans migrating to foreign pastures to earn their keep whilst stating that she wanted an influx of immigrants to increase the population and to bring in new blood. I believe that Mia instructed the President of Guyana to set aside some land for Bajans to work. This was hardly a ringing endorsement for her own black people.
Barbados measures 166 square miles. One cannot put a price on every square mile of Barbados when land on the island is SCARCE! Especially when one considers that Barbados has become a destination for extreme money laundering.
When Mia stated that her ambition was to see Barbados become a wealthy country with the highest standard of living she was not referring to the existing population. She was merely stating that her ambition was to build a Barbados around a fresh group of new arrivals. This was code for her meaning she would like to see Barbados majority population disappear in the ether whilst being replaced by incomers with wealth.
The fact that we are in open negotiations to borrow money from the UAE, a country notorious for money laundering, is indication that our economy will be geared up to support a monied foreign class. We are half way there already.
In brief: we can wave a goodbye to the negro Bajan; whilst hanging out a welcome sign to a host of foreigners irrespective of there race.
@ David
Let me ask you a question on what basis should we value land?
Sounds like a straight forward question but is it really? So let’s say we sell an acre of arable land to a foreign buyer on a brow somewhere on the west coast and he pays $500k USD for it, one can argue assuming all comes through the central bank that Barbados gained $500K USD from that sale. Then what? The man keeps the land puts a house on it and for the next 20 years the island get land tax on the said land probably in Bajan dollars, as someone offers to pay it for him here if he deposits the money outside for the said party.
What would of happened say if that same 1 acre lot was bought by a bajan for $150k USD and in the next 20 years he generated $650K usd in food production for the island, which sale do you think would benefit Bim the most?
My point is we seem to be looking at the quick money grab as opposed to the long term benefit to the society on a whole. Land sales to foreigners is a one time gain and that’s it. The same land in agriculture however, is a case of long term continuous yield and foreign exchange protection on the food import bill.
You remember in Covid when many food shelves had holes in them from shortage of products? Then we had massive price increase due to high freight rates and supply shortages when thinngs reopened, remember that?
So yes in closing I have to ask what have we learnt from covid regarding food security and the value of land?
@John A
We are looking at ‘a quick money grab’ but what you omitted from your comment is that it is a ‘a quick foreign exchange money grab’. Is a foreign dollar equal to a local dollar in real value in the context of Barbados economy?
John A, food production is one of your ‘pet topics,’ and perhaps why it formed the basis for your example, which would reasonable, if the Bajan intends to use the land for agricultural purposes. The situation with food you alluded to that occurred during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, clearly indicates the reality that many Bajans are not interested in farming, and probably not beyond a ‘kitchen garden.’ And, using phrases such as ‘food shortages, high food prices, protecting the food import bill or long term benefit to society,’ has proven not to be enough convice or force people into farming. During the early 2000s, several came to Barbados to become involved in farming, either to work on farms or lease land to grow produce. Those lands are now covered with bush, proving the hype, though beneficial for the time it existed, was short lived. So too was the ‘land for the landless’ project. We are now importing fruits that could have been found in abudance, such as pear, golden apple, peppers and even breadfruit. Another reality that people cannot be forced farm against their will.
David, a few years ago, Michael Pemberton wanted to build a beach house in Mount Standfast, St. James and offered to purchase the land at above market price and relocate the owners. I believe at least one person refused the offer. A friend of mine sold her late mother’s Fitts Village, St. James beach front old house property, for $1.5M. She bought a house in St. Philip and invested the remainder. Let’s face reality. Poor people being offered that type of money, won’t give too shiites about public access to the beach.
@Artax
The same can be said for the government/NIS and high income people when EMERA came calling?
Something has long been wrong with capitalism. Despite the nonsense by the racist Winston Churchill about democracy being less worst than the rest. For there is no such evidence.
Yet we persist.
And regardless to how much our efforts thereunder fail, the pragmatists, the socalled democrats, with a small ‘d’, not for “deckie”, persist.
OSA was arguably one of the best at making the models, if one is guided that economics is a real science, mek political sense, for him.
During his regime however, Barbados had some of the highest costing real estate in the world. Higher than Dubai. Higher than Japan.
That at our centre, under the rubric that the country has to find ways of paying the bills. A mantra which up to this day remains the guiding organizational principle, land was to be sold to the highest bidder, even as deadended as such has been, proven and continues to be.
We’ve long known that capitalism and democracy cannot coexist. For capitalism is given to the pragmatic, the permanent disposition for the deal, acceptance of the money bag, and the bag men.
Can a real country be so built in circumstances where, even when you have a constitutional right to own that a Mottley regime could say to otherwise powerless people that they must now load their chattels upon their backs and move to a strange land, not unlike weekend tranfers which happened when one fell out with the plantation owner and which was a feature of Bajan culture until quite recently.
Like OSA, Mottley knows no hard limits to her social ruthlessness. And still, questions remain in yhe minds of some as to manner of man is she.
We could go on and on. But if there is to be a social fabric which we sometimes want to exert pretense, catching at the shadow of capitalist bone can only mean surrendering all else in our determination to serve White people’s interests, taste, needs.
Long gone are pride, industry. Enter, begging and whoring!
@ David
Good point so let me ask now in response is not a USD saved the same as a USD earned?
My point is we see the up front gain but do not look at the long term benefit and compare them accordingly.
So we say Barbados has progressed with high internet availability, free education and health care, relatively good transport system and so on. All undeniable facts I admit. But do you know in the 2nd world war Barbados fed itself when food shipments could not enter? Ask any that lived through that period and they will tell you they had ample food supplies locally grown. My grandfather spoke of it often. Every piece of land be it large or small had something to eat growing on it he would say. Although you had to stuff car tyres with cane trash and grass as no new tyres or tubes were available, people survived LOL. Can we say today if that occured, we could do the same? So what exactly then is progress? Yes we will have all the imported luxuries next time around, but God forbid we don’t have to eat brand name clothes to fight hunger.
@John A
You have retreated to being philosophical which is not bad mind you.
The time of which you referred Barbados managed an agrarian system? As you know Adams transitioned to a mixed economy with OSA taking it pretty much to services – fast tracked by the Globalization construct.
Have we progressed is one of those circular debates that will garner support from both sides.
PMMIA delivers
https://www.nationnews.com/2023/09/18/mackie-holder-take-new-position/
@ David
I agree my above comment did contain facts from the past, but it does bring to question what exactly is progress, if as a result the people become more deprived of what is theirs. In other words we can now buy a brand name phone, a beach chair and cooler from China, while packing it with imported drinks, yet we can’t park our new German car close enough to a nice beach to enjoy our foreign items, while wearing our designer swim wear. So tell me what makes sense there?
We are losing large tracks of land inland to golf courses and other developments, while at the same time losing public beach access to developers, who use the law of accretion to questionably gobble up public beach land when our backs are turned. They then tell us “you can’t put that beach chair and umbrella there no more, dat is private land you got to rent one of we chairs and umbrella now.” Lord we losing all around it seems and just can’t catch a break.
@John A
We need to agree what we want Barbados to look and feel like. Do we?
How we want to carve a niche in the world that allows the country to compete and at the same time achieve the first point.
@ David
Yes that is it. The word is balance. Development must not alienate the local to benefit the foreigner. At the same time the foreigner must not be hindered by the local either.
Just recently we had the blockage of a road by Edge Water in St Joseph, the Savvy Issue, then there was the blocking of beach access opposite the old Coach House a few years back and on I could go. I saw a picture a friend of mine took from the sea of Carlisle Bay in late January or early February this year, all you could see was bright umbrellas and beach chairs, with small openings between the clusters. I mean do we need more of that down there? There has to be balance in Development so that both locals and visitors feel welcome. If this is not done then animosity arises between the property owners and the locals, with the visitors smack in the middle.
@John A
At the root of our challenge is the lack of a shared vision for Barbados which started about the 80s.
I am amazed that a meeting that was intended for the diaspora did not have a link to the public event. I made every effort to get a link but it appears (if there was one) that I do not have the right connections.
And, if there was not one, then this would suggest that Mia vision of the diaspora is limited to those in the same room as her when she is overseas.
Indeed! Things are suspect, when a person whose first loves are a microphone and a camera would not use this great opportunity to spread widely spread her message.
At this time, the way Mia handled the Mackie Holder issue does him no favor. She has opened this up for further speculation.
Those of us who were contented to give him the benefit of the doubt must now wonder if this move was requested by New York officials.
Are Mackie’s days numbered? Was this a move to first save face for him, followed by a hard cold boot a few months later.
We wait and see.
Increased exposure for our foreign diplomats is essential to their development.
This is a natural exposure change.
We are static.
buy some Cling Guard
Meanwhile, in “the House”
BE IT RESOLVED therefore that Parliament approve the subscription to 3,522 further additional Series “C” shares of Common Capital Stock of the Bank for the value of USD 50,012,400.
This increased ownership in the Latin American Development Bank will increase access to funding from USD 200,000,000 to USD 400,000,000.
The purchase will be made over 3 years, in equal installments.
De borrowing can’t over.
In what sense is the word development used? I struggle with the idea that if we put up a hotel then we have developed in some way
In fact, I wish to argue that an increase in doormen, maids gardeners and butlers, though desired, is not development.
The fact that when higher level jobs are available these hotels then seek employees from overseas tells me our tourist industry itself is not developing.
I would love to see an independent survey paid for by the state and done by a recognised audit firm, to determine what percentage of each USD generated through our hotel sector ends up in Barbados.
@David
Apart from FDI, recycling of land and intensification are key features too. But such observations may be too high for simple minds.
@enuff
You have tried to explain this concept many times during the acquisition of Miss Ram’s former place of business.
Turning North, St.Lucy that is,
The Ward family, of Mt Gay fame, like they don’t “get on” with either the B’s or the D’s?
In 2008, Arawak bought 90 acres of land from them for a quarry for $7M. Shortly thereafter, the GoB used the Land Acquisition Act to acquire 10 acres for housing from Colleton. (Fairfield Investments)
Then after this new administration of GoB was elected in 2018, the Harrison’s Point “investment” appeared as a public-private partnership [PPP] between GoB and Fairways Development (a Ward owned company I assume? seems Fair?). Next thing, the GoB is using the land acquisition act again, to acquire 9 acres which was part of the PPP, from Fairfield Investments, which we all know is the Ward entity spun off in the 70’s to own their lands.[separate from Mt.Gay Rum]
I still haven’t figured out [ok I know DooGood is a dentist] why a dental school needs 83 acres of land or why the 9 acres from Fairfield was essential to the deal.
“I still haven’t figured out [ok I know DooGood is a dentist] why a dental school needs 83 acres of land or why the 9 acres from Fairfield was essential to the deal.”
83+9=92.
As a family of three has 96 teeth, your question should be “where are the other four (4) acres coming from?”
@ Northern
I shame of you the answer is simple. They need I acre for the school and the rest is housing for people, so the dental students got real persons to practise on! Lol
It is what you call a “hybrid example of dental education with a human component.” You that sound real good for true! If I hear that being used by the big ups I coming for a few dollars under the copyright act.
see your buddy Sinkyuh is keynote speaker at SBA week. I expect you to be in the front row heckling
Sinkyuh’s experience of what not to do must be priceless.
It will be a long day if he ever admits to doing anything wrong. After all, he redirected millions of dollars, which the next CEO deemed to be ‘in trust’. I wonder if all the CBL money was ‘in trust’ too? Maybe they could issue Series T Bonds to cover that.
was said to be 74 + 9 = 83
but your knowledge of the human mouth is interesting
I include baby teeth that the tooth fairy pay for. Lol
Life without laughter is pointless.
NO
Here’s what is happening at Colleton using Google Earth imagery. Pretty clear they have in the roads and their intention is housing.
https://imgur.com/uKqEpGc
Now look at how the area looked in 1951!!
https://imgur.com/fzcyFt3
Fields are being obliterated and physically made beyond recall!!
Here’s what Arawak looked like in 1951, up to St. Lucy’s Church.
https://imgur.com/lYwz1V1
… and here’s what’s left!!
https://imgur.com/Qi4rlyH
Hahaha! My great grandmother’s favourite song – Enjoy yourself! It’s later than you think. Just hours before she died, she was serenading the other QEH patients.
Went out with all the New York style she had acquired in fifty years of “exile”.
1973, it was. And I intend to enjoy myself because my thermometer tells me “it’s later than you think”.
Humans are too stupid to save themselves. I prefer dogs, even cats. More loyal and more beautiful too, most of them.
Humanity has had enough time to evolve. Still don’t know how to really enjoy themselves. Miserable creatures!
Harrison’s Lighthouse 1 c. 1850,
Harrison’s, Husbands, Bromefield, Friendly Hall all Quaker!!
https://imgur.com/II9fb3H
https://imgur.com/2EuuQcO
Enjoy yourself it’s later than you think….earlier this year the rumour mill among the regulars at Miami Beach was that the whole area including the Police station, Court and stretching down to the site of the old “Alms House” was to be taken over for development of a hotel complex. I couldn’t find anyone to confirm the rumour but stay tuned.
Earlier @NO wrote about being able to walk once upon a time from Paynes Bay to Holetown along the beach, alas but no more. As a boy I used to spend the occasional Sunday in Paynes Bay at some relatives. Travelling there involved taking the route 24 Bus to Paynes Bay which meant walking from the Fairchild St. Bus stand to the Lower Green to start the last leg of my trip. The most enjoyable part of the trip came just after the bus passed Walmer Lodge and I got the first view of a “window to the sea”. I enjoyed my beach time walking on the beach past Sandy Lane and then Tamarind Cove was built, and slow pressure was placed upon the folks who lived on the beach next to the hotel to relinquish their property. I write this because the effort to limit Bajan access to the beach isn’t a recent occurrence but is many years in the making, we are like frogs in a pot of water with the heat being gradually increased until…..
The years go by, as quickly as a wink
Enjoy yourself, enjoy yourself, it’s later than you think
Local Politics
Barbados is a little Little Island in the Caribbean
Geo Politics
I’m in a dancing mood
How many Barbados’ could fit into an Africa.
Why settle for a little Island when you can have a whole Continent
@Sargeant
Where there is smoke there is usually fire.
I assume we will hear more about this. Interesting point is that this was on the cards for “some years”
https://www.nationnews.com/2022/04/18/plan-new-look-oistins-still/
Just Observing
David,
Off topic but brief. Mackie Holder is being moved to London.
I take it as confirmation that he behaved like a fool in New York, just as I thought.
Some stories just ring true.
@Donna, see the original blog below.
I stayed at Oistins a couple of years ago. During this period the government announced that it wanted to relocate the government buildings: the post office, the magistrate court, the police station (?) and the remaining buildings that were present on the parcel of land.
Their argument was that it would make economic sense to relocate these historical landmarks that where at the time and still are a good example of successful modern urban planning during a nostalgic period in a post-independent Barbados. In their place, you guessed right, the government wants to build A.N.OTHER hotel.
One would of thought that the natives would have taken a stand way back from the early eighties to stop this crazy development along the west coast. Beaches, are free, and are a jewel in a crown for any nation and allows the common man and the poor to enjoy the calming and the healing powers of the sea unhindered.
It is you the common people who have aided and abetted in the destruction of your own country. You chose not to speak out, not to question, not to agitate, not to become pro-active in the state of affairs in your country. The canary in the mine keeled over many decades ago. Taking with it swathes of Bajans who to this day show little appetite to do more than to plough their apathy in liming, the church, music and carnival.
Meanwhile, the don is in the USA fixing another problem with one of her enfants who disgraced himself over there. She has arranged to send him to the cold lands of Siberia (the UK).
The plantation queen, Mia Mottley, is in a frenzy to offload all of the cargo on the ship to avoid it from sinking. Let’s face it people once she achieves her goals and satisfies her paymasters there will be nothing left for perhaps you, however be in no doubt your children and their children will have nothing to cling onto in the Barbados of the future.
@TLSN
How come you didn’t demonstrate Initiative by showing them how?
@ David,
I was born and raised in the “mother country”. The natives have always called us mad.
@TLSN
Thanks for disowning any interest in what happens in Barbados.
1) ‘Those of us familiar with the transformative impact of such exercises simply yawn at the nonsense being spouted.’
2)’But such observations may be too high for simple minds.’
Why must this guy insult us every chance he gets. We are either (1) talking nonsense or (2) too ignorant to understand the schemes and scams of our politicians.
I would bet my last dollar that if you search the archives he, at several times, reminded us of our lack of intelligence.
We can see you.
We are wondering ‘how you are so goddamn smart when dealing with some locals and yet others run rings around you’
Our simple minds understand the vaccine scam.
@ David,
As you know, I tend to follow world news. Barbados became independent in the year that the “mother country” won the world cup. Over this timeline we have witnessed hideous conflicts from Vietnam, the killing fields in Cambodia, war in Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Rwanda, the list is endless.
Currently, our environment is under siege by the weather. We are witnessing devastating floods, hurricanes, landslides, fires on a weekly basis. Countries are experiencing famines, some are struggling to feed their people.
Since Barbados became independent in 1966, it has quite literally, avoided all of the above. From time to time, it has received a haircut from a hurricane but nothing of any significance. Barbados is blessed. Just like Daniel in the fire, God has truly looked out for and protected Barbados over the years
With all of these inherent advantages why has Barbados remained underdeveloped for the black masses. And why has it become a basket case? These are profound questions. This is why I’m extremely pessimistic for the future of the black Bajans residing in Barbados.
“With all of these inherent advantages why has Barbados remained underdeveloped for the black masses.”
Capitalism + Racism
“The Fix” is in.
The system developed by the white massa was designed to fail from it’s handover.
Murdaaah! Save yuh pessimism fuh yuhself! A basket case? Yuh mean like Britain?
@ David,
I have always ben confounded by the complacency of the natives. They have a misplaced pride. It’s a crying shame that most of them did not take the opportunity to spend sometime to live in the mother country to see what life was really like before heading off to the friendlier pastures of North America. Back in the days there were a number of Bajans who tried their luck in England and hated the experience. They met with more favourable conditions in the USA and Canada as they were not from traditional African American stock so they were able to progress further due to the endeavours of the aforementioned group.
If every Bajan had taken this opportunity they could have returned to Barbados with the aim of creating a new and glorious Barbados fit for their own people. The majority of those poor indentured South Asians who travelled to Barbados on their own free will came from dirt poor, illiterate backgrounds. They hit the jackpot when they arrived in Barbados; and they knew it.
The majority black population have become a background/neutral wallpaper covering. I believe the cast is set. And there’s nothing more that can be done for them to ameliorate their situation.
Pessimistic about blacks in Barbados but living in the UK. You can’t make this up.
Whatever it is that the local blacks have swallowed (that they were probably intended to ‘rub wid’) may have eluded those living in the UK.
This may well explain their pessimism about a people whose leaders seem Hell-bent on handing the family treasures over to the same damn white people who used those assets, vi et armies, for 4 Centuries – to treat our grand parents like dirt.
Perhaps YOU can’t make it up. But for some of us with eyes to see, there is more than Enuff merit in TLSN’s pessimism…
Bushie, however, is well past pessimism, and indeed now fully convinced that our leaders are demon-possessed….
“Over this timeline we have witnessed hideous conflicts from Vietnam, the killing fields in Cambodia, war in Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Rwanda, the list is endless.”
57 years (2023 – 1966) is nothing compared to 400 – 500 years legacy systems of capitalism colonialism imperialism etc.
the above conflicts should be viewed from their backstory of legacy of divide to rule book of dirty tricks from schools of capitalism, colonialism, imperialism and the manipulation and interference of self-appointed police / warmongers stirring up trouble supporting and picking sides
TLSN
Bajans are terrified of the sea, they were brought up with the philosophy “the sea ent got nuh backdoor”.
That’s not to say that there are no Bajans who are fearless of the sea but the land lubbers do not relate well with beaches and the sea.
After all, it was maritime trade and not sugar that put Barbados on the map. So you will find that love of the sea handed down in certain black and white families.
It is ironic that the hotel/condo mega projects wait till now to arise when there is no water remaining to be allocated and the sewage infrastructure is crapped out through mismanagement.
If you look at the land side on Google Earth you will see that most of the land has been destroyed by development.
The opportunities to make a quick buck are few and far between but the megaprojects present an opportunity for a real killing, maybe the final kill.
It is unbelievable looking at the order in land use from the 1951’s aerial photos could be replaced by the total chaos and destruction evident on current satellite imagery.
It is as if we have incompetents running things here for the past two generations.
Oistins was a port town in the 17th century as were Bridgetown, Holetown and Speightstown. There was no coast road on either the South or West Coast and communication between them was by sea.
Building hotels will not revitalise any of these port towns because if current trends continue there won’t be the disposable income for people to take holidays in what is an overpriced destination.
Only the rich can afford that luxury and the rich may very well want to own a residence on the island … and unless they fork out the $$ for desalination and sewage control, they too will smell hell.
…. so scratch the “poor black man”, or for that matter the poor Bajan man … and perhaps even the rich foreigner!!
Now if Barbados were a hub for international trade into South America the life that once existed in Bridgetown might return.
Barbados was successful in Collateral Wealth Management and Offshore Banking, but whenever the powers that be start to lose they change the rules.
Extra-legal Wars
The PNAC project for the new millennium of continuous wars to boost the Military Industrial Complex started a “War on Terror” to Rob Oil from ME and a new form of old racism was introduced called Racism 2.0 where the followers of a primarily brown and black religion were scapegoated terrorists to replace the white supremacy racism that spread across English Speaking Countries and Europe.
Terrorists Terrorists Terrorists
Slipped into these shenanigans were statutory Financial Banking Laws for Client Income Reporting, anti-money laundering as well as spying on all.
USA wanted to be the biggest gangsters in the whole world.
Barbados, Caribbean and Channel Islands were listed as a global financial centres for offshore banking and forced to get in line. This effectively was death sentence for their Banking.
Looks like we get a little rain if the satellite image is anything to go by.
TLSN on September 19, 2023 at 8:12 AM said:
1 Vote
If every Bajan had taken this opportunity they could have returned to Barbados with the aim of creating a new and glorious Barbados fit for their own people.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
If every Bajan had taken this opportunity and left Barbados there would be nothing to come back to!!
Disappointed
.
Paul Laurence Dunbar
1872 –
1906
An old man planted and dug and tended,
Toiling in joy from dew to dew;
The sun was kind, and the rain befriended;
Fine grew his orchard and fair to view.
Then he said: ‘I will quiet my thrifty fears,
For here is fruit for my failing years.’
But even then the storm-clouds gathered,
Swallowing up the azure sky;
The sweeping winds into white foam lathered
The placid breast of the bay, hard by;
Then the spirits that raged in the darkened air
Swept o’er his orchard and left it bare.
The old man stood in the rain, uncaring,
Viewing the place the storm had swept;
And then with a cry from his soul despairing,
He bowed him down to the earth and wept.
But a voice cried aloud from the driving rain;
“Arise, old man, and plant again!”
.
I suggest all take a look at page 6 of Barbados Today and read the comments of the BHTA boss. 60,000 tourist needed a month to be be viable and we had 30,000 odd in June. Summer occupancy struggles to clear 50 percent, yet we hanging our future on tourism and building more hotels. The industry can not survive on 4 months of winter. His comments not mine.
If the BHTA thinks we need to fill the rooms we have first, how come the politicians think the answer Is to take up the little beach land left for locals and build more hotels?
Mindsets Energies
Pessimists can never be disappointed as they always expect the worst outcome
Optimists can sometimes be disappointed as they expect the best outcome
If you aim high you may not achieve your goal but you have still improved your situation
Life is a bitch and then you kick the bucket like long shot down a Caymanas Park race track
The popular horse Long Shot died during a race while hugging the rail down the last straight, inspiring the hit song ‘Long Shot kicked the bucket’
Bushie
As usual, nuffinness. I repeat, a black man living in the UK pessimistic about the future of Black Barbadians in Barbados is hilarious when their future in B’dos is much brighter than that of their black brothers in the UK. Sue me.
Yuh dun know that as long as somebody say something NEGATIVE bout Barbados, Bush Tea gine AGREE with them.
NEGATIVITY from three people that believe them got more sense than everybody. TLSN, Bush Tea and William Skinner, the political failure.
Life is a bitch and then you kick the bucket like long shot down a Caymanas Park race track
The popular horse Long Shot died during a race while hugging the rail down the last straight, inspiring the hit song ‘Long Shot kicked the bucket’
Long shot… I like um. Great stuff.
@longshot
Just for you baby
They told me life is a bitch and i didn’t believe, then life bit me right in the ass like only a bitch could. I was mad at them for warning me about life and not about my wife.
— Some old time comics had their routine as just one liners —
( Don’t confuse reality with BS.
Miss TheO is a good woman…
A good woman is hard to find, and worth far more than diamonds. Her husband trusts her without reserve, and never has reason to regret it.)
“Building hotels will not revitalise any of these port towns because if current trends continue there won’t be the disposable income for people to take holidays in what is an overpriced destination.”
“I suggest all take a look at page 6 of Barbados Today and read the comments of the BHTA boss. 60,000 tourist needed a month to be be viable and we had 30,000 odd in June. Summer occupancy struggles to clear 50 percent, yet we hanging our future on tourism and building more hotels.”
————————————————————————————————–
Both ah wunna need to be more granular with your analysis. These arguments are thin. For example which hotels/accommodation are scrambling to get 60% and why? Are any of the new hotels proposed similar to those scrambling?
@enuff
You will agree our tourism product needs a revamp? A compelling product and expanding accommodation should go hand in hand?
I aqree with you, David. It does not make sense increasing the hotel stock, while relying on the old, worn out 1950s or 60s slogan, ‘sand, sea and sun.’ Antigua, for example, has 365 beaches. Tourism authorities seem to believe by constructing more hotels and creating several tourism corridors, would somehow influence tourists to visit the island, under circumstances where Barbados is an expensive destination, without a viable tourism product.
I admire folks like John A and a few others who try to right the ship.
Alas, they are all mad … doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
The captain does not listen and the one crew member on deck thinks ” wunna need to be more granular with your analysis. These arguments are thin”.
How many ways can he say “wunna stupid”? I think wunna mad.
A PESSIMIST sees a dark tunnel
An OPTIMIST sees light at the end of the tunnel
A REALIST sees a freight train
The TRAIN driver sees 3 idiots standing on the tracks
@ Enuf
The BTA boss man said that THEIR June occupancy barely cleared 30%. Now the last time I checked the BTA was made up of the majority of hotels on this island. So if the AVERAGE was 30 plus a few points, well cuhdear that means some would be 80%, but guess what some could of been 10% too!
One song does not a swallow make my friend and that is why a percentage is so critical of total membership. It throws out the highs and the lows and speaks to the total gross average of the body.
So no problem if you say some was 80% I could say some was 10% and we both be right. The average however would still be 30% or what ever it was.
David
And what does new, modern hotels represent, if not a revampment? That’s why I asked which hotels are struggling and why? Dated, low star properties? The redevelopment of the Oistins site would be another master stroke. Just imagine what another hotel that stitches Abidah and Little Arches and Oistins together would do for Oistins, especially if govt can get private developers to fund the hotel, a replacement civic centre, bus terminal, improved beach access and facilities etc? Sit down Winstons! Y’all ain’t ready.
@Enuff
The point was about improving the product to support the sector. When tourists visit where are the amusement parks and other attractions? Still contemplating casinos?
They are hotels than need work of course. But that does not mean the occupancy figures support more hotel rooms. The BTA boss made it clear that hotels can not survive on these summer occupancies and the 4 winter months can not carry the sector.
So what part of that speaks to a need for more rooms? What can be done to bolster arrivals in the summer would be a better question to ask? What bank would lend money now to a hotel that can not clear an annual occupancy of 60%, but can only fill 3 out of every 10 rooms for 5 months of the year?
We hear all the time ” flights full”, no doubt as jumbos have all been replaced by smaller planes. We complain constantly about airlift so even if you got more visitors how wunna bringing them here?
Look talk cheap but any Banker or accountant looking at this situation would say ” don’t see any headroom to support a loan sorry.”.
Think about it a more simple way based on this example.
Suppose a store owner in Bridgetown went to a banker and said ” my store is busting in December I need a loan to expand, don’t mind 6 months of the year it so empty you could run rats through it and it don’t sell enough to even cover the rent.”
It is a simplistic way of looking at it yes, but the problem with a business that exists on major peaks and troughs, is that if anything happens in the 4 peak months globally you tail bust!
I keep saying we have learnt nothing from covid and there is no bolder example of this than the myopic way we view our economic growth going forward.
@ Theo
Thanks for your kind words and to some I may come across as a pessimist, however that is far from the truth. It’s just decisions should not be made based on belief without being supported by data. This data must also have a historic factor, a current factor and a projection that takes into account ALL factors.
I feel our biggest potential for growth and FX retention lies in agriculture. Not however the old way of ” let all we plant the same thing and create a glut”, but a structured approach based on a close analysis of our import bill for food. We then identify the items we can grow locally and target them as a start. If greenhouses are needed we build them. Every dollar in Fx this saves is a dollar less we need from toursim. I am not saying to turn your back on tourism, by no means should we do that. After all Toyota did not build the Corolla and stop there did they?
@John A
You are aware the experts say we don’t have the scale to move the forex needle in a material way? The blogmaster will leave that debate to the experts.
John A, I know you won’t respond because you dismiss certain people who question your suggestions. But, I’ll ask you three questions. Who do you propose should build the green houses, farmers through special financial arrangements, or the state? How would you go about implementing the ‘agricultural model’ you’ve been articulating? What methods would you use to motivate people into farming, since such a task requires much more than mentioning the food import bill and saving foreign exchange. I am not against agriculture.
David, my comments on agriculture is based on observation. People seem reluctant to become involved in farming. Therefore, methods must be developed to motivate them. Both the ‘Guyanese initiative’ of the early 2000s and government’s ‘land for the landless’ project are two examples of failure. The land in Pine Basic is over run with bush, so too are other lands allocated to that project. Plantation lands at Adams Castle and Black Bess are being divided and sold as house spots. All I am ‘saying’ is there needs to be a serious dicussion about agriculture.
@ David
We don’t have to move it in a big way. What this does is help. It also helps with employment and improves our food security.
We then look at another sector and try to do the same there.
Development by any means is anti-development.
Has always been.
Certainly not all developments add value to the general community.
They never seem to create the critical mass of circulary flows before exiting in order to aid real growth, mass community development.
The abundance of evidence clearly shows this. Inspite of the same promises being made, decade after decade, by the Mottley type about growth, wealth spread and the like.
Indeed, such “developments” overwhelmingly serve to extract higher than surplus value, never tiring of so doing and leads to more poverty.
In these circumstances, government is the vehicle for the transfer of assets to corporates. Transfers outside of the country by means of a wide range of concessions.
Is this not the current stanza in relationship to the socalled third world and the West. Generally, peoples of colour, on the one hand, against Whites.
Recall, that socalled third world or developing countries, after decades of “development”, still suffer increasingly escalating net outflows of resources.
It’s an arithmetic which never loses It’s stock value!
This has not occurred by accident, happenstance, a force of nature, some innately recessive disposition of countries from the South.
It represents a construct, to which Mottley and crew are still firmly wedded. As new memes like Orange, blue and green socalled economies serve well to mislead.
These forces even today meet on the battlefield of Ukraine, in the South China Sea, in the French colonies in Afrika and elsewhere.
The liars about our centuries old anti-development are seeking to keep this game going.
What is generally referred to as development represents just another trick from the quiver of Whitey.
It sits well along with other deadly weapons like Christianity, democracy, freedom, wokeism and capitalism itself.
Tell us this. If we were about development, as a genuine plan, then why would we never cease from moving poor people who sit on attractive lands to free them up for others.
Why could these same poor people, and others, not be partners in such projects, so that they can truly benefit from the fortune of sitting on a fortune?
Only the big, mushroom-headed, deckie can cure these maladies!
We actually once managed our land to be able to plant, harvest and process cane.
More small farmers had land back then than now and they too also grew cane.
The critical mass for sugar was placed at 30,000 acres. Below that it made no sense.
Take a look at what 1951 looked like vs today.
Here is the heart of St. George, Jordans Plantation and nearby smallholdings.
No one seems to realise that our agricultural output has dropped because small holders have been able to get permissions for change of use.
All, or mostly all small holders have cut up and sold off their land.
It makes no sense putting small areas of land into the hands of the “poor black man, ….. or white man”!!
We are screwed because our thinking is screwed.
https://imgur.com/6cEt1by
https://imgur.com/owxvCW3
It is the poor black man that has sold out Barbados!!
Look at Skeete’s Bay.
Again, the same Modue Operandi is evident.
The smallholders from 1951 and their descendants sold out, converted their land to housing and cash, blew the cash and now their descendants squeal about land for the landless.
Smallholders controlled more of Barbados in 1951 than people think.
Once they come out of agriculture, then the critical mass for sugar acreage is approached because of the sizeable amount of land they controlled.
https://imgur.com/vPvh4Ph
https://imgur.com/kBczSJP
Unfortunately, nothing will grow on concrete!!
The “small black man” mentality has practically destroyed agriculture in Barbados.
@ Artax
I don’t think I dismiss arguments I just like them supported by facts.
Your question is a fair one to ask. We have a large area of arable land being held in the state land bank. What I am suggesting is you take the best of it and enter into a green house project that could fall under the NCC for example. The state would build the green houses say 3 sizes, 1000 sq ft, 5000 sq ft and the largest one being 10000 sq ft to start with. They would then supply water to these green houses. Once this is done you then offer them for rent based on a price per sq ft. Water would then be based on usage.
They are many out there who still like agriculture. They are so many groups out there of small farmers that I believe would pick this offer up, if it was offered. The cost of a green house though is prohibited in many cases. The NCC could then supply the inputs like seed, fertiliser etc to the farmers at a direct price, hence making the whole operation a one stop shop.
I mean we got to bring the Guyanese now to show us how to grow food? I am not saying Artax it would not have some challenges, but we can’t just say this can’t work and continue to buy American tomatoes.
Okay, John A, you’ve provided the forum with a clear explanation of your ideas. One of the problems we have in Barbados, which I’ve mentioned on several occasions, is allowing foregn owned companies to control certain sectors of the economy. Massy, for exmple, is involved in manufaturing, wholesale and retail. They could manufacture products cheaply in Trinidad, use CARICOM arrangements to import them, which are sold to other wholsalers for redistribution or to the consumer via Massy owned retail stores…… all at the expense of locally manufactured products. The average consumer is more price conscious than patriotic, and would purchase a cheaper TT brand seasoning, rather than ‘Star’ or ‘Aunt May.’ Massy, PriceSmart, ShopSmart, Cost-U-Less etc, import vegetables, poultry, pork, beef and lamb. Herein lies a problem for local farmers. Government subsides, which is what your green house initiative essentially suggests, would reduce operating costs, thereby reducing prices and creating a competative agricultural environment.
“Men at some time are masters of their fates: The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings”.
Liking agriculture and growing on a scale we used to grow are two different things.
Cane should be used as a cover crop once we meet the demand for molasses,
Cane makes it easier to keep the land in good husbandry at a large scale.
Crop rotation can then produce food.
Remember too every major agricultural based economy overseas is subsidised by their government in some way. Maybe on the green house project I am proposing water could be free, or fertilizer free, some assistance could be offered to encourage the entity in terms of offering a competitive edge to the tenants there.
I just feel with help people out there would be willing to make a go of it. For many years did we not support a sugar industry? Let’s start say with one project consisting of 36 greenhouses of various sizes and see what happens. Also fence it with a 6 ft fence and razor wire with motion lights and place a gate at the front with digital entry that one can change monthly. That way you lock out those that thief or tenants that don’t pay on time..
@ John
You have way more experience in this than me so I will take your guidance here. I just feel a greenhouse project would work. Especially if we focused on crops that are washed out with heavy rain fall and other items we currently import, that could now be locally grown with a proper green house program.
wishing hoping and deaming.
” Already struggling to fill the more than 5 200 hotel room stock on island, Barbados is set to get over 1 280 additional rooms in the coming months – from the 422-room Wyndham Grand Sam Lord’s Castle Resort, 131-room Hotel Indigo, 120-room Pendry Barbados, 380-room Hyatt Ziva and the 230-room Royalton Resorts”
David
Ain’t y’all cuss Chukka and the Caves? And yes the attractions need updating but I think Bdos’ strength would be tge historic attractions coupled with boutique and contemporary styled hotels/villas, restaurants and high-end shopping. Remember spend not visitor numbers matter.
@Enuff
Nobody cussed the Caves as you say except to highlight lack of timely financials. What some questioned is why the management of the Caves had to be outsourced.
@enuff
When the RFP, Expression of Interest ( or whatever it was called) was issued, there were NO FINANCIALS. Then in a short time, like magic, many (possibly all) of the missing Annual Reports appeared. No talk about cash vs accrual accounting methods as the public is fed for so many others missing AR’s.
They showed, amongst other things, that annual GoB Grants to the Caves exceeded revenue!!!
While I am only aware of a single other potential bidder (I say that because I never saw their bid nor can confirm it was submitted) it was an “open secret” that Chukkah had this one ‘covered’ (whatever that meant).
Any negative comments were the typical ‘a Bajan firm ain’t get it’.
Offloading it seemed a wise thing to do.
“…..It sits well along with other deadly weapons like Christianity, democracy, freedom, wokeism and capitalism itself.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LOL
99% right!
BUT…
Trust Pacha to start off with the ‘weapon’ that stands us in the best stead of winning the REAL battle, (Christianity) …and completely ignoring the one that is most responsible for our demise… (eddykashun).
Alright Bushie
Then ask your Boss man to mek Putin put Pacha in charge for 5 minutes.
You will have a personal insurance policy. LOL
somebody mekkin nuff money.
https://barbadostoday.bb/2023/09/19/auditor-general-issues-warning-as-procurement-weaknesses-uncovered-at-ncc/
@ David on September 19, 2023 at 4:53 PM said:
“@Enuff
Nobody cussed the Caves as you say except to highlight lack of timely financials. What some questioned is why the management of the Caves had to be outsourced.”
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Every SOE of a ‘commercial’ nature will be outsourced under the existing IMF programme. The Caves of Barbados just happened to be easy pickings.
The country is in the tight grasp of the IMF loan-shark jaws and whoever is shoring up Barbados’s Balance of Payments will be calling the fireside-sale song.
It would be most interesting to hear what that Mr. big ‘Enuff’ is going say to justify the coming ‘forced divestment’ of the BWA.
BTW, Blogmaster, your captioned depiction of that fancy-looking Merc is rather apt in showing a country really living above its means.
Do you know where the driver of that sleek-looking Benz is still employed as the Sales (and marketing) Director of that pie-in-the sky called the Hyatt Dream-of-a Skyscraper?
How many years have gone by since that Sales Director of a ghost has been working on lower Bay Street erecting paling?
Maybe it’s time to replace that duty-free Merc with an electric model at no cost to taxpayers, don’t you think?
@Miller
MAM2 is still seen zooming around the streets of Barbados in the duty free Merc.
Take a look at Coogle Earth and you will see many greenhouse projects.
Drive by Brighton in St. George and you will see many.
Stop in at the Farmer’s Market open every Saturday morning at the said Brighton.
Drive around and look at the number of fields planted in canes to meet the November rains.
Hard to imagine sugar is supposed to be dead!!
@ John
Yes I see them but they are all privately owned by people that can afford to build them. It’s the smaller farmer that need a help up..
John A suggests where there is a will there is a way.
https://youtu.be/18apU_RDViI?si=lMAMYK5RpJ92FXbX
I don’t think it is as simple as building a greenhouse and growing produce.
If you look at the plantations where you see greenhouses, e.g. Claybury and Brighton, you will see there are many fields which are also productive.
Farming is probably the hardest activity to get right.
Weather can destroy all your efforts in days.
So, it would not be sensible for a small holder to have his eggs in one basket unless he knows exactly what he is doing and has a market for his produce.
Again, look at Google earth and view River in St. Philip.
Off topic
How does a country that claims to value education so much muck up the appointment of principals and deputies by naming them to new schools on the first day of school.
https://barbadostoday.bb/2023/09/19/bstu-but-bappss-complain-principals-deputies-informed-of-transfers-less-than-24-hours-before-school-began/
A lot more can be said about SAVVY on the bay and I will soon be saying it.
Seems like government only wish to continue to fatten their pockets and pay high fees to law firms connected to them instead of acting responsibly with the tax payers dollars. They need to admit their mistakes like grown adults and settle the matter.
So yes very soon I will have to speak again and this time it will be far more shocking than the stop notice and I will back it with documents.
They wish to play fast and loose with taxpayer dollars and whilst letting this drag on will in the end result for more $$$$$ for Mr Kinch we know those $$$$$ come from Tax payers. I am NOT satisfied for the Barbadian public to continue to have to pay for the kindergarten level mistakes that are being made and have been made by these politicians for years.
@ Sarah
Looking forward to reading more as what I have see so far has left me a bit confused. The lawyer part especially where they bought land from not the owner got me.
I don’t blame you, the government has made soooooooooo many careless and irresponsible errors its terrifying
Sarah Taylor nonstop writings reveal the thinking of our minority white community. This isn’t racism every country has its officially recognized different races.
In Barbados blacks and whites generally live in ‘peace.’ There’s minimal interaction outside of work an uneasy acceptance of you stay on your corner I stay in mine. Whites have Cattle wash lime. Blacks run the rum shops.
Years ago, Sir Hilary Beckles stated there is a white subculture with a white sub economy in Barbados. He was caught up in the Mutual affair. Sarah Taylor’s comments daresay obsession with Savvy’s neighbors’ special treatment is of interest because they are all Bajan whites (not the much-maligned foreigners buying up the place).
She speaks to $$$$$$$$ Kinch could gain the longer the savvy battle drags on. It begs the question is the white subculture in fierce competition among themselves who is the richest or can be the richest in Barbados. Mind you in a so-called capitalist democracy there’s nothing illegal about wanting a Rihanna bank account.
Dipsy doodling with Sir Hillary subculture the fight to be the richest rages. National treasury, social cohesion, equitable wealth distribution be damned. This raging struggle to be ‘the richest’ isn’t widespread among the black population. There are tens of thousands of ambitious blacks wanting as much $$$$$$$$$ as they can acquire. The bitter internal competition to be the richest isn’t there as it is within the community of whites. Sarah Taylor writings seem to indicate such.
No struggle to have more money… Money is the root to all evil and it and land mean nothing on the other side.
What I am fighting for is fairness and what has my blood boiling right now is a discovery I made…. me a little nobody had to be the one to see this thing in 2 minutes that numerous most learned highly appointed people for 24 years could not see.
What is fuelling me is my dissatisfaction and my unwillingness to accept that it is ok for elected officials to persecute an innocent man but further cause innocent tax payers to suffer because they are non men and women enough to stand up and acknowledge their mistakes and be acceptable for them.
I read in the news up to today how bad the situation in accident and emergency is. Every time I pass Independence square, Heroes Square and the treasury building it seems that there are more homeless people.
NO its NOT ok for our elected officials to act in such a callous manner that they instead of taking responsibility for their mistakes they will now reward some of those guilty for those mistakes by having this end up in a court battle which will result with high legal fees and a large pay out.
If I could look at them now I would tell them SHAME ON YOU. You are not hurting just Allan or me you are disadvantaging Bajans and Bajans who need help because in the end it is they that will be paying for YOUR mistakes.
Donks, Gripe,and Josh on September 20, 2023 at 11:58 AM said:
Rate This
Sarah Taylor nonstop writings reveal the thinking of our minority white community.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The disappearance of, accounting for or otherwise of part of the $241 million for Sam Lords reveals the thinking of our majority black elites.
$65 million worth!!
Driving the poor Auditor General mad!!
https://www.nationnews.com/2023/09/20/auditor-general-concerned-sam-lords-transactions/
I’s a good thing Four Seasons was nipped in the bud, but not before the disappearance of the title to the property with no consideration!!
https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cxa0adWtZSz/
Nipped in what bud?
Imagine…the GoB GUARANTEED, a variety of loans to REstart, the project, and EVERY LOAN they guaranteed was DEFAULTED.
Yet, multiple of these loans were UNSPECIFIED recipients. Like “general expenses”. Yet even those were somehow spent, on what we have not a clue. Remember our local accountants cannot handle the change from cash to accrual accounting. So no annual reports ever for Clearwater Bay.
It was the mass DEFAULT which triggered the Collateral, the Land. But it was barely in the GUARANTORS hands, before it was SOLD. Reportedly for approx HALF of the DEFAULTED sum of USD62M.
The Auditor General stated his office could find the deed transfers to Pharliciple, but NONE of the funds!!!!
It wasn’t title which disappeared, but the money which was ‘supposed’ to have been paid.
This was the objection of the Auditor General…you cannot write off the full USD62M because you got the LAND upon loan default. It has value?
But those approving the USD62M write off, already knew the money from the land sale had been siphoned off.
Source: Nation
@David
“we will work out our debt as we did before”
Another default?😂😂
Spending USD50M to extend your borrowing limit by USD200M suggests things maybe tight.
So good planning to be prepared. Covid thought us a lesson and a hurricane can knock us back a bit anytime.
I thought the loans contained extreme weather clauses.
Anyhow let’s be prepared. Obviously we have the ‘fiscal space’ now, and this is a ‘mission critical issue’ versus refunding the NIS or the CBB.
Cause the RH interest rates maybe flattening, but not coming down til 2024 or beyond. And those “cheap loans” are not so cheap anymore?
Let’s be clear why preparation is needed.
@NO
If interest rates don’t get you, oil price closing on $100 will. What to do?
David
Ask White Oaks. Or Avi.
The gamebook says…admit no fault, accept corruption is everywhere, and press forward.
In whatever you do, do NOT cut back. That is a sign of weakness. As long as somebody else is footing the bill, all is good. Once your loans have no collateral implications, carry on smartly.
Refunding NIS cannot be done while we are under the debt restructuring agreement. I have no doubt it will be done over a period of time after. Like OA give back the 8% pay cut in th 90s
Oil prices should soon start to reverse for season
Interest rates will also come down but I have no idea when
But understood – if it is one factor it maybe another
John2
You may know I am not one the proponents of refunding.
Yet a USD50M buy in, is not chump change. Despite the fact some have become hardened to such numbers in CBL costs, White Oaks success fees etc.
The greater point, is you are not ante’ing up, if you can get loans elsewhere? Without pot ante fees. While preparedness is a nice term, especially in a Bajan environment, one generally doesn’t part with that kind of cash (the Bank doesn’t take Bonds 😁) unless one is reasonably confident it will be required.
NO
US $50m over 3-4 yrs + over 1Bin reserves + economy growing = chump change ( when preparing for a rainy day )
IMF offer the best rates but Bajan don’t like to hear that name
Awright den.
If the draw comes 18+ months down the road…rainy day…you win.
If it comes before…I win.
Don’t let your party enthusiasm blind you from the significant financial challenges faced.
Straughn in April ’23
“one of the MDB loans Barbados received to provide critical relief and budget support to offset the significant economic fallout due to the COVID-19 pandemic increased sharply from 1.09% in March 2022 to 5.48% in March 2023. Whilst we accept the concept of how variable rates work, this is unprecedented”