As CLICO's lawyer, PM Thompson helped to build the CLICO house of cards

“Can anyone say what has happened to the 2008 financials of Clico Insurance Barbados, Clico General Insurance and Clico Mortgage and Finance? According to Barbados law the financial statements for these companies should have been made public by April 30, 2009″

… comment left by BFP reader “Donald Duck, Esq”

According to research by independent citizens like “Donald Duck, Esq”, CLICO and associated sub-entities haven’t filed their bookkeeping accounts in 2 years.

That’s actually just following the old pattern established when David Thompson was CLICO’s lawyer in the days before he became our Prime Minister. Consider this folks: CLICO filed it’s 1993 financial statements in 2006 so the monkey-business has been going on for a long, long time.

The events surrounding CLICO, parent company CL Financial and all the other associated entities are, thus far, the scandal of the century – but you’d never know that by reading the Barbados news media where “investigative reporting” is confined to regurgitating government press releases. Both The Nation and The Barbados Advocate newspapers continue to sanitize anything they write about the CLICO – CL Financial mess – and neither paper asks any questions.

Questions such as “Why is the Barbados Government bailing out CLICO when they can’t even produce up-to-date accounts?”

Oh… the papers do continue to print adverts for CLICO and receive payments for the same. Golly… do ya think that the advertising revenues are connected with the absence of real reporting on the CLICO story? Nah… couldn’t be. The journalists and editors of the Barbados news media are far more ethical and professional than to kill a story for advertising revenues… aren’t they?

As to the reason why the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) doesn’t do any in-depth investigative reporting on CLICO or CL Financial, I’m sure it’s just an oversight that has nothing to do with the fact that CLICO big guy Leroy Parris is in charge at the CBC thanks to his friend Prime Minister David Thompson.

The CL Financial – CLICO scandal is huge and the people of Barbados deserve better from their news media than they have been getting. C.L. Financial’s assets vanished into thin air – $100.7 billion down to $23.9 billion in just 12 months! There were phony shell companies, executives who took bribes to have the company purchase land in Florida for more than its real value and on and on and on.

When compared to the CL Financial – CLICO scandal, Sir Allen Stanford looks like a kid who pocketed a sweet without paying – but until the Barbados news media decides that they serve the public interest, Barbados citizens will continue to be kept in the dark about how much of their money went missing, where it went and who profited from their losses.

Further Reading

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PM David Thompson & Henry Hartley

Sorry folks, I couldn’t leave this one alone so I’ll make it quick.

In his new Barbados Advocate column Strange Move by Mottley, DLP front man Hartley Henry expresses dismay that BLP Leader Mia Mottley is calling attention to the $63 million dollar judgment that Barbados owes to contractor Al Barack (or Al Barrack – both spellings abound).

According to Hartley, he couldn’t believe his eyes because “when the true story is told and whatever normally hits the fan, smashes into it, that some will splash on her.” In other words, Hartley is saying that the BLP has done so much wrong and corrupt in relation to the story surrounding Al Barrack that Mottley should keep her mouth shut in case the truth outs and the public finds out.

Now THAT is truly the cow dung in this piece and it is Harley Henry that is shoveling it.

You see, in the two years that the DLP Thompson government has been in power, no member of the previous BLP government has been charged with any offense by the DLP government. Oh, there’s lots of evidence alright, but the DLP has agreed with the BLP that there would be no charges filed – only strong words. The DLP doesn’t want the same treatment back when they lose office.

My friends, in that context the latest column by Hartley Henry becomes just so much noise and cow dung. Mia Mottley isn’t worried at all about the DLP posturing regarding Al Barack.

The DLP is NOT going to do anything about BLP corruption. They haven’t in two years and they are not about to start now.

BLP = DLP = Elites.

Same old, same old ’bout hey!

Errol Barrow Day

Every Bajan should celebrate in a special way
Remembering our hero who was born on this day
Realizing the wonders that he had done
Opportunities sowed from whence our pride sprung
Lords and Sirs, Honorable and the ordinary man too

Barrow lived to uplift all of you
And freed us from our Imperial ties
Royal chains which limited our mind’s eyes
Restrictions no longer bind our hands
Our skills compete favorably with foreign lands
We have progressed to be a number one country

Developing in our social standings, education and economy
And as you delight in your successes tomorrow
You must remember we owe it all to Errol Walton Barrow

Submitted by Khaidji of Bajan Poetry.com

Murdered Canadian tourist Terry Schwarzfeld

Curtis Joel Foster 25, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in Barbados High Court on Wednesday, January 20, 2010. He will be sentenced on February 17th next. (Canada.com news here)

Canadian tourist Terry Schwarzfeld was walking at Long Beach at the south coast on February 28, 2009 with her daughter-in-law when Foster attacked and robbed them in broad daylight. When the women resisted, Foster used a piece of wood to club them. Mrs. Schwarzfeld never recovered from her head injuries and died in Canada after she was flown back in a coma.

On the surface this brings some small resolution for the victim’s family and friends, but as much as the word “closure” is thrown around by the news media, we know that the people who loved Terry Schwarzfeld will never forget the circumstances of her passing. Good Bajans everywhere offer their sympathies and regrets and pray that her family and friends will not be lacking in strength and support.

Tourist Murder happened after police ignored a year of robberies and rapes at Long Beach

As much as everyone now regrets the murder of Terry Schwarzfeld, it turns out that a blind man on a fast horse could have seen months in advance what was eventually going to happen to some poor soul at Long Beach.

The Royal Barbados Police Force had to admit publicly that the organisation failed to note the violent crime rampage against tourists at Long Beach for over a year preceding the murder. Long Beach was a robbery and rape “hot spot”, but we Bajans and the tourists were never warned. Neither was there a coordinated police response to stop the attacks.

It turns out that the Commissioner of Police failed to appoint staff to record and analyze crime types and locations to note “hot spots” so that sufficient police resources could be assigned to protect the public or to arrest Curtis Joel Foster and stop his reign of terror. It took the murder of a tourist before anyone paid attention, and even then the police, the government and the Bajan news media initially went into their standard “cover-up” mode that happens when a tourist is attacked. (See BFP’s article Ottawa Citizen Newspaper, National Canadian Coverage: “Bajan Media Ignores Attack On Women. Feisty Barbados Free Press Only Outlet To Speak Out For Schwarzfeld”)

Have Barbados Police Ever Heard Of A Crime Map???

Locating crime hot spots and detailing sufficient officers to protect the public and arrest the culprits is not rocket science, ya know.

As we’ve seen in countless television shows: the police put a big map of the area on the wall. When there is a robbery or violent crime, the officer puts a pin into the map at the location. The colour of the pin tells the type of crime. Then the officer says, “OH! Look at all the pins at Long Beach over the last few months. Rape, robbery, assault. I guess we’d better have a closer look.” Then the officer reads the descriptions of the culprits as given by the victims, notes the time and day of the week and other circumstances and says, “Hey, this looks like one guy is doing this, does his attacks late in the afternoon against lone women tourists at Long Beach. I guess we’d better watch the place or dress up a female police officer like a tourist, have her partners remain hidden and see if we can arrest this man before he kills somebody.”

The police don’t even have to use a fancy computer program, just pins on a map. If our police want a fancy program to map out the crimes, they might want to try using Google Maps for free as many other police forces do. It is really disgusting that Google offers a solution that could have saved Mrs. Schwarzfeld. But, hey – Commissioner Dottin didn’t see fit to put up an ordinary map and some pins on the wall so ya can’t really expect him to be knowledgeable ’bout something as sophisticated as Google Maps that children use to assist them with their school geography projects.

“Somebody” failed to note the violent crime rampage against tourists at Long Beach for over a year. “Somebody” failed to detail sufficient police resources to protect the tourists and arrest the suspect.

And because of those police failures, Canadian tourist Terry Schwarzfeld died – and our most important industry is further imperiled as it is being pummeled by the economic crisis.

“It is time for the Royal Barbados Police Force to have the dynamic leadership and resources that it needs to protect Barbadians, our visitors and our economy. It is time for our government to realize that policing and public safety are more important to our economy than our beaches. It is also time for Commissioner Dottin to do the honourable thing.”

Further Reading

For more background on the year of violent crime at Long Beach and crime statistics, check out BFP’s article Barbados Advocate Covers Up Police Failure To Respond To Theft, Gunshots At Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary

BFP articles about Policing and the Terry Schwarzfeld Murder

October 12, 2009: Police urge Bajans to not walk alone in secluded areas, be wary of strangers approaching your home

September 7, 2009: Terry Schwarzfeld Tourist Murder: Preliminary Hearing Begins against accused Curtis Joel Foster

August 30, 2009: Murdered Canadian Tourist Terry Schwarzfeld Called “White Trash” – Senior Advisor to Barbados Prime Minister Publishes Articles on Same Racist Website!

June 29, 2009: British Tourist Shot, Robbed Near Sandy Lane Resort Barbados On June 4, 2009 – Victim Alleges Silence By Barbados News Media, Hotel, Tourism Authorities

March 23, 2009: Arrest In Terry Schwarzfeld Barbados Tourist Murder – But Can We Trust Our Police?

March 19, 2009: Barbados Tourist Attack Now Murder: Canadian Victim Terry Schwarzfeld Dies In Ottawa

March 9, 2009: Ottawa Citizen Newspaper, National Canadian Coverage: “Bajan Media Ignores Attack On Women. Feisty Barbados Free Press Only Outlet To Speak Out For Schwarzfeld”

March 8, 2009: Update – Barbados Tourist Beating Victim Terry Schwarzfeld – Condition Worsens “Significant Brain Damage”

March 5, 2009: Canadian Women Attacked On Barbados Beach – Shocked Barbadians Offer Regrets, Sympathy and Best Wishes To Victims, Families and Friends

As reported in the Barbados Advocate, Mia Mottley spoke at Trevor Prescod’s nomination meeting last Sunday:

Mottley urged “this island is crying out for a new type of government”, elaborating that Barbados “deserves a new politics and a new form of development” and reassuring that “the long march has started tonight”.

Hmmmmm…. “crying out for a new type of government”, “new politics”, “new form of development”

That sounds very inspiring. So very, well – NEW!

“New” is the number one attractive word in marketing. It’s New! Buy Now!

It would be sooooo nice to hear some substance once in a while from Mia, because most of the time she comes across like she’s selling the same old laundry detergent in a new box.

Which, of course, is closer to the truth than Mia and the BLP care to admit. Same old, same old ’bout hey!

Taken from the Barbados Allegiance blog (and yes, we’ve added their link to our sidebar)…

Allegiance Town Hall Meeting

Ready or not here we come!! In order to bring this dialogue to the people of Barbados ALLEGIANCE will be holding its first Town Hall Meeting during the first quarter of 2010. We are working on getting participants together so much will depend on their schedule. We propose that the topic will be the first one discussed in this Forum.
Is there room for a Non-Partisan Political Dialogue in Barbados?

We propose that there should be one speaker and two commentators. Most of the time during the session will be allocated to open discussion. Let’s have your thoughts at Barbados Allegiance blog

Former PM Sir Lloyd Sandiford

I am hurt like any other rational thinking patriotic Barbadian at the pronouncement by Mr Trevor Prescod in the Tuesday`s Daily Nation under the caption “Prescod: Why Honor Sir Lloyd?”

Mr Prescod you should tell us what you would have done? Devalue the dollar or cut the government`s wage bill. I shudder to think what damage you would do to our country if you were to given oversight of the country`s affairs.

Grassroots thinking Mr Prescod cannot be responsible for this sub base level of ungrateful thinking in the history of our politics as a former member of the DLP. If its one person who deserved a Knighthood its Sir Lloyd. He made a tremendous sacrifice to the whole country`s benefit. Prime Minister Owen Arthur as the great economist he is recognized to be, appreciated the sacrifices of Prime Minister Sandiford. The most honorable thing Barbados could have done for him was to offer a knighthood.

What has me more disappointed is that you failed to express your disapproval of this appointment to your leader. Are you the same Trevor Prescod who was in the DLP, NDP and now BLP. What is your legacy? Is it empty eloquence and manipulation of the mind of voters. We need to say to all who aspire to serve as politicians we need a new level of representation. The times of flowery talk, manipulations of minds and offerings of rum are no more. A Non Partisan Movement is the only option if we are to keep 30 persons from destroying these fields and hills we call our own.

What the Political Parties in Barbados need to be concerned more about is their inability to show Transparency be it the publishing political donations and the introduction of Integrity Legislation. The person who pays the piper calls the tune . I will not accept that bribes,corruption and a lack of transparency is the acceptable norm in politics worldwide. Corruption is just as devastating as money laundering and we only need to look at Haiti, Guyana, Trinidad, Nigeria and others.

You can make a difference by finally saying something that makes sense as flowery words are most often empty. I invite more persons to respectfully speak out in the best interest of our country. Too many Politicians aspire to office and have not a clue about managing people or even solving problems. Oh how sad!

Submitted as a comment by a BFP reader using the name “Kammie Holder”

A marvelous article about the Future Centre’s leadership in recycling appears in the current edition of the McGill Reporter – the newspaper for McGill University in Montreal Canada.

Writer and undergraduate student Sibeal McCourt spent some time in Barbados last fall during a Field Study Semester and she was some impressed with Vicky Merrick and Nicole Garofano.

Sibeal McCourt

“…I also did an internship with the Future Centre, a local, not-for-profit organization promoting sustainable/environmental initiatives in Barbados. They were focusing on recycling while I worked with them.

Vicky Merrick and Nicole Garofano, who run the Future Centre, are so energetic and driven that you can’t help but be swept up in their mission to get Barbadians (locally referred to as Bajans) to recycle. Under the tutelage of Vicky and Nicole, my eyes were opened to the serious waste management issues present in Barbados. Their main landfill, the Mangrove Pond Landfill, is so overflowing that Bajans refer to it as “Mount Stinkaroo.”

Recycling in the Shadows of Mount Stinkeroo

The article goes on to talk about Miss (?) McCourt’s surprise that the Barbados government is not showing leadership in recycling and that we lack a government recycling programme…

“Coming from Canada, where recycling is government-run with scheduled pickups every week, I took waste management for granted. I thought that Vicky and Nicole were simply trying to expand on an already present recycling program, or educate people on how to recycle more efficiently. As it turns out, there is NO state recycling program in Barbados.”

Barbados: A country with no Environmental Laws

Although Miss McCourt’s article shows a very positive image of the folks who do such good work at The Future Centre and of Barbados and Bajans generally, left unsaid is the big truth about Barbados: Our country has no environmental legislation.

Oh, we’ve been promised environmental laws by every government since we gained independence back in 1966, but so far promises is all we have. I wonder if Miss McCourt is aware of the Shell Oil pipeline spill in Barbados where our impotent government has done nothing while Shell ruined the land and water and then pulled out leaving a big mess?

Shell could only do that because we have no environmental laws.

So thanks to Sibeal McCourt for her positive article and well-deserved congratulations to Vicky Merrick, Nicole Garofano and all those heros at The Future Centre. We hope that Sibeal will return to Barbados in 2010.

We also hope that the long promised Environmental Legislation is delivered soon by the David Thompson government and that it doesn’t have so many holes in it that a Shell tanker could motor through.

Well, Environment Minister Lowe… where is the legislation?

Further Reading

McGill Reporter: Recycling in the Shadows of Mount Stinkeroo

Royal Caribbean’s Haitian response called “A Sick Joke”

Our article Royal Caribbean passengers frolic in Haiti as the screams from the rubble continue touched a few raw nerves, but BFP isn’t the only blog questioning the cruise industry’s failure to respond with their full might to the mass deaths still happening in Haiti. As a matter of interest, a Google search reveals dozens if not over a hundred critical articles out there so far.

Maritime lawyer Jim Walker runs Cruise Law News blog out of his Miami law office where he specializes in representing crew members and passengers who have been injured, assaulted or otherwise had a bad experience with the cruise line industry.

Mr. Walker is naturally much more knowledgeable about the cruise industry than we are, and even if he is normally on the opposite side of the industry, when you read his articles, you’ll pay attention. Here are some samples from his article Royal Caribbean “Returns” to its Trademarked, Private Fantasy Island of Labadee® – While Haiti Suffers.

The photos are supplied by Royal Caribbean through Mr. Walker. Royal Caribbean probably intended that the photos would be evidence of their worthy response, but we at Barbados Free Press find them totally pathetic…

“In the last few days, Royal Caribbean has made a big deal talking about offloading pallets of food for Haiti. Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas sailed with only 60 cases of food and water  last Friday according to the Royal Caribbean President’s “Nation of Why Not?” blog. That’s just four pallets. The blog has some photographs of the few pallets from the Independence of the Seas – four pallets of flour, tomato sauce, can goods, and water bottles. Four pallets? 

Considering that on a typical seven-day cruise Labadee – Haiti – Royal Caribbean “Private Destination”the cruise ship’s passengers consume over 100,000 pounds of food and 12,000 gallons of alcohol over the course of over a hundred thousand meals- the photograph of the meager provisions sitting on the dock dwarfed by the huge Independence of the Seas seems like a sick joke.”

“Now a million dollars is a lot of money to me and probably anyone reading this article, but it is peanuts for a cruise line like Royal Caribbean.

Royal Caribbean collects around $6,000,000,000 (billion) a year.  And because it registered its business in Liberia and its cruise ships fly the foreign flags of Liberia or the Bahamas, it pays $0 in federal Income taxes. $0.

Why only a million dollars?  That will accomplish little. Even Royal Caribbean’s competitor Carnival promised to send $5 million to Haiti, and it has no relationship with Haiti.  The $6 a passenger deal which Royal Caribbean struck with the leaders of Haiti rips the Haitian people off.  $6 to go into a 260 acre private paradise?  Well established ports in Alaska collect $50 a passenger in head taxes just to step off of the cruise ship.”

Royal Caribbean tosses a few coins to the native swimmers.

“The executives at Royal Caribbean know how to make a hard bargain with Caribbean islands which have little economic bargaining power. CEO Richard Fain cut a deal where for only $6 a passenger (paid by the passenger), Haiti turned over a 260 acre tropical waterfront paradise of Haitian sovereign land for Royal Caribbean to consider it “private property” bearing the trademarked name “Labadee®.“ Yes, that’s right.  This is a name that Royal Caribbean trademarked as a variation of the French slave owner Marquis de La’Badie who settled in Haiti in the 1600’s.

Many years ago an article revealed the hypocrisy of this whole endeavor.  Entitled “Fantasy Island:  Royal Carribean Parcels Off a Piece of Haiti,” the article explained that Royal Caribbean began docking in Haiti in January 1986 after the ruthless dictator Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier leased the land to Royal Caribbean.  He thereafter fled to France and the country turned into chaos for the next decade.”

… read the entire article at Jim Walker’s Cruise Law News: Royal Caribbean “Returns” to its Trademarked, Private Fantasy Island of Labadee® – While Haiti Suffers.

Caribbean Cruise Ship Fleet could save Haitian lives or entertain tourists out of Miami. What did they choose? You guessed it!

Labadee Beach, Haiti

Passengers from the Royal Caribbean cruise ships Independence of the Seas and Navigator of the Seas continue to enjoy themselves at the “five pristine beaches” leased from the Haitian government.

No need to worry about the tourists being bothered by those pesky injured and starving Haitians because the Royal Caribbean beaches are surrounded by 12 foot high fences and armed guards.

Two people pulled from the rubble and brought to the Haiti Rescue clinic Sunday, January 17, 2010. (Click the photo to visit the Haiti Rescue Center blog by missionaries Licia & Enoch Betor.)

And the screams from the rubble? No problem there either: the happy tink of steel pan covers any moans or pleas to “help my son who has to have is leg amputated“. I guess the fences are far enough from the beaches that the overweight retired whales sunning themselves and downing rum drinks with little bamboo umbrellas won’t see the barbed wire and shotgun toting guards.

You can read the Guardian article yourself and see where Royal Caribbean is saying that 40 pallets of food were dropped off (or maybe “are going to be”) – but many are sickened at the decision by Royal Caribbean to continue with business as usual.

Oh sure, Royal Caribbean did the big press release saying they are going to donate US$1 million and each ship that visits Haiti will drop off a few pallets of beans and rice – a few deck chairs. Whatever they can spare without disrupting the party too much. Considering what they could do, the size of the company and the resources at their disposal it’s much like tossing some coins over the side to watch the happy darkies dive and surface with de big smile for to get de shiny coin.

You think that’s too harsh? Do a little online research about the capabilities of Royal Caribbean and then apply it to the entire industry.

Coins over the side for the happy darkies.

There are only two entities that had the ability to deliver major quantities of food, water, medical supplies and shelter to the Haitian people during the first week of the disaster: The United States military and the Caribbean Cruise Ship industry.

President Obama waved his hand and the might of the United States headed for Haiti. American Special forces teams secured the airport within hours of the earthquake and the airplanes started to arrive shortly thereafter. The US Navy and their helicopters started to arrive before sun-up the next day and a carrier group arrived on day 2.

Say what you will about history, the past US abuses in Haiti, and the concerns of the pundits (but not those trapped in the wreckage) that the US has just invaded again: the bloody Yanks are coming through in Haiti like nobody else can. Donating money is all well and fine, but thousands more will be dead before the money can do any good at all. Those people need supplies and feet on the ground now and the USA has come through in a big way.

Yes, other organisations are loading airplanes and sending them too. The Canadians are on the ground and more are going to arrive tomorrow. The Jamaican military are there or soon will be.

Now consider the cruise ship industry.

The Port of Miami is the world’s largest cruise ship port and it is not unusual to see seven to ten cruises departing in a single day. Royal Caribbean alone operates six super liners from Miami that I can find and they have the infrastructure and personnel in place to stock these ships with military efficiency. (Royal Caribbean operates 42 ships total and owns 25% of the worldwide cruise ship travel market. They are huge.)

Now think about this: On January 22, 2010, the Royal Caribbean Jewel of the Seas will depart Miami and again head to Labadee Haiti for fun on the beach.

Adam Goldstein, CEO Royal Caribbean - Doing just enough in Haiti to sound good on his blog - Decided that tourists were more important than using the full resources of his company to save more Haitians

Will God damn Royal Caribbean & the cruise ship industry?

Here’s what should be done:

The CEO of Royal Caribbean, Adam Goldstein, should order that the January 22 cruise is canceled. Refund the 2,500 passengers or send them to Orlando Disney World or anywhere.

Royal Caribbean should coordinate with the US military who seem to be in charge. Load the Jewel of the Seas with everything it can carry. Ask for medical volunteers from Miami. You’ll get lots. Take the ship full of food, water and medical supplies to the people of Haiti. Anchor it offshore and do what you can for a few days then head back for more, or perhaps fill it full of children and feed and care for them. Think “floating orphanage” or “floating hotel” for the rescue workers.

Anything but depositing more tourists on the beach. Anything but continuing to cruise the Caribbean and Panama Canal with tourists instead of devoting the entire might of the largest cruise ship company in the Caribbean to saving lives now.

Will God damn Royal Caribbean and the rest of the cruise ship industry? I don’t know, but I do. No no doubt the people on the other side of the barbed wire and shotguns at Labadee will too.

Further Reading

Personal Blog of Royal Caribbean CEO Adam Goldstein (Hmmm…. no comments on the guest post yet. Maybe the people of the Caribbean can say a few words to Mr. Goldstein and John Weis, Associate Vice President, Private Destinations, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.)

Pray for missionaries Licia & Enoch Betor at Ground Zero in Haiti

If you can take reading her words, seeing her photos: Real Hope for Haiti Rescue Centre blog

“We are asking you to pray about..

• The Rescue Center location.  The damage is getting worse with each tremor that we have.  We need to make some decisions soon.  The kids have been living and sleeping outside since Tuesday night.  We are thinking a new location that is not far away.
• Infant formula and food for the kids
• fuel for generator and vehicles
• the kids in the RC and my kids peace in their hearts
• some way to be able to get some Haitian cash.  All banks and places we usually exchange money are closed.

I am a wife and mother to three wonderful and wild boys. I have lived in Haiti since 1995 and run a Rescue Center that houses around 60 children that are sick and suffering from severe forms of malnutrition.”

“I do not pretend to understand the suffering that is happening right now in this country.  I know we all feel like we had had enough over the years.  The staff has come in to work. They are praying for their loves ones in town.  They are hoping for news and believing that they will soon here from them.  Mothers and father are weeping for their lost children.  Children are crying for their lost parents.

One of Enoch’s friends was trapped inside his house with his (the friends) two brothers and his mother.  They all died and people were trying to rescue him.  He kept yelling at them to stop and leave him alone.  He wanted to die with his family.

The reality is even when the outside world begins arrives what can be done.  Most of the city is damaged and needs to be torn down.  Thousands upon thousands of dead bodies are laying all over the place.  We have heard they are digging huge mass graves in the dump area.”

"We are still having patients coming in from Port-au-Prince, most are from the village out here but just live in town. This boy got here yesterday afternoon. He had been trapped under blocks at his house. His right left was broken in two places. He left leg was smashed below the knee. It was cold and turning black. His father walked into the yard and just fell apart. He lost his wife and four other children. He was so thankful that he was able to pull out the son above. He just wanted to go someplace other that back to Port-au-Prince. Then we had to tell him he had to return to the hell he had just left. He son’s leg needs to be amputated for him to survive."

“Only a Government entity could consider hiking rates by 50% in the worst global economic recession in more than eighty years.”

Adrian Loveridge, small hotel owner

Sometimes, (make that frequently) I really question whether or not ‘we’ are serious about tourism, even though we are constantly reminded that it is our single largest generator of foreign currency!

We recently received a letter from Caves of Barbados announcing that while they are not sure when the enhanced facility will re-open, when it does the entrance fee will be increased by 50% to BDS$60 per adult.

Only a Government entity could consider hiking rates by 50% in the worst global economic recession in more than eighty years.

Government and other social partners have pleaded with the Hotel sector to maintain employment, almost at any cost. That has only be achieved in many cases by dramatically discounting room rates and/or adding value with free nights, meals and other incentives.

Obviously this comes at a cost and you only have to read the recently released financial highlights of Almond Resorts Inc, to see this.

Even based on an overall annual occupancy of 75% across five properties, the BDS$62 million in revenue would only equate to US$74 per occupied room for an all-inclusive property.

Yes! there has been a significant investment in the Caves infrastructure, but will glass fronted elevators attract more visitors?

Correct me if I am wrong, but average visitation of the caves has rarely exceeded 150,000 persons per year.

With child, tour operator, local and other discounted rates even if the net admission price of BDS$50 per person is achieved, that is only an annual turnover of $7.5 million before repayment of interest and capital on the loan and operational costs. What contribution are the new shopping and restaurant facilities likely to make?

Once again, as with Hotels and Resorts Ltd (GEMS) the poor old taxpayer is being kept in the dark with regard to their investment.

Adrian Loveridge
15th January 2010

Anarchy as machete-wielding gangs fight to establish turf, loot.

Obama pledges US$100 million “to start”

US Special Forces Teams seize and secure airport

Two days after the earthquake, current aerial photographs of Haiti show a country a place so utterly destroyed that one wonders if any buildings will be found worth preserving when some assessment is done years from now.

There is no Haitian government emergency response worth talking about. The government and infrastructure were never worth talking about anyway, and I’d bet that the government no longer exists as a real entity. That is the situation being reported from the rubble. Haiti right now is not a country in the organised sense of the word.

Haiti is a place where eight or nine million people are sitting out in the open as aftershocks make it dangerous to seek shelter in any of the damaged buildings still left standing. Most of those who are still alive and trapped deep in the rubble will never see the sun again because it will be weeks before “rescue” teams with heavy equipment and hydraulic jacks make it to them. That’s not me talking, that’s rapidly becoming the message from those in charge of the relief efforts.

Remember how Barbados struggled when one house collapsed into a cave?

We couldn’t rescue five people with everything we had on the island and a special team in from the United States. Now think about Haiti.

(See BFP’s March 17, 2009 article Expert: Arch Cot Cave-In Victims May Have Been Killed By Wrong Decisions, Actions and Inaction By Barbados Emergency Officials)

Reports state that clean water and food are simply not available. Soon even relatively healthy and uninjured people will begin to succumb. If you think that is not what is going to happen, I hope you’re correct. But when I consider what it would take to give every man, woman and child just one bottle of water and a disaster cookie starting tomorrow and every day thereafter… Well, that isn’t going to happen for a few weeks anyway.

The world couldn’t (or wouldn’t) supply every Haitian man, woman and child with a drink of clean water and one meal a day before the earthquake. What makes you think it will happen within a few days now?

Don’t forget: it’s not as if there are warehouses and stores that have adequate supplies if the people could only get to them and dig out what they need. Haiti is was a country were dirt cookies were sold as food right up to the day of the earthquake. Haiti was a country where tons of food aid sat rotting in the sun every day because the charity organisations didn’t have enough money to bribe the government officials to release the containers so the poor could eat. (See BFP’s March 7, 2008 article Tons of food aid rotting in Haiti)

(As of Thursday, January 14, 2010 – 22:00 hours local time)

Airport Closed – Port-au-Prince cargo docks “unusable”

“Jan. 14 (Bloomberg) — Rescuers from around the world poured into Haiti, overwhelming its only international airport as the Haitian Red Cross estimated as many as 50,000 people died in the country’s Jan. 12 earthquake.

With little time left to find those still buried in the rubble, rescue teams were stuck at the Port-au-Prince airport and civilian relief flights couldn’t land after its ramps filled with craft, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said in a notice. The airport also lacked fuel for planes to fly home.”

“…the U.S. Coast Guard said cargo docks in Port-au-Prince were unusable.”

… from Business Week article: Global aid pours in as Haiti searches for survivors

Alright folks, it’s time for Barbados to put up or shut up.

After the world (read “Primarily the United States of America”) saves as many Haitians as can be saved in the next few weeks, then what?

Haiti wasn’t a country that worked to begin with. At this point, it doesn’t really matter why it didn’t work, but merely shipping in food and shelter isn’t going to solve much in the long run. It may take decades to physically rebuild something from the rubble, but unless Haiti and Haitians develop new cultural and social values and skills along the way – unless they learn to be a workable society – the country will continue to be as close to hell on earth as we have in the Western Hemisphere. (And that was before the earthquake)

So here’s a suggestion: The Caribbean community should agree to take 10% of Haiti’s population from the island and to sponsor the immigrants for five years. The number of Haitian immigrants arriving in each country would be based upon that country’s abilities and space, but in total the Caribbean community would see about a million Haitians immigrating to the various member countries for five years.

During those five years, the Caribbean countries would try to teach the Haitians skills and the cultural values that work. This would relieve significant pressure upon the rebuilding of Haiti, and in five years the 10% of the population would return and hopefully be in a better position to move Haiti forward.

If someone has a better suggestion for rebuilding Haiti, I’d like to hear it.

Meanwhile, let’s ask the question of our fellow Bajans…

How many new Haitian immigrants are you willing to bring to Barbados if that’s what it takes to save people and rebuild Haiti as a working society?

Further Reading

You must read this New York Times op/ed: The Underlying Tragedy

Constructive Expropriation happening as Bajan political & business elites look to grab Canadian’s investment and prime land

As a successful business person, Canadian Peter Allard always tries to give something back to the world. Whether it is funding medical research into cancer, diabetes and HIV/Aids, establishing University scholarships, rebuilding the coastal reefs in Barbados, saving endangered species in St. Vincent, helping to form a National Park in Dominica, promoting social justice causes or working to save children and families devastated by HIV/Aids in Africa – Peter Allard is there.

“Two decades ago, Peter Allard fell in love with the Caribbean country of Barbados and the Bajan people who make this such a special place. As he had in other countries both rich and poor, he thought he could work with those in government to make a difference in the lives of ordinary people.

Boy, was he wrong!”

A chicken for the plucking comes to Barbados

New foreign investor arrives in Barbados!

By the time Canadian philanthropist and businessman Peter Allard arrived in Barbados more than twenty years ago, a huge section of Graeme Hall swamp on our south coast was little more than a festering garbage dump waiting to be filled in and paved over. I remember as a child riding by the swamp and seeing men tipping an old refrigerator and other rubbish at the eastern pathways. What a stinking mess the place was with piles of household rubbish, construction demolition materials and rusting chemical barrels everywhere. Not to mention hundreds of plastic bags blowing in the tall grasses like little flags!

But mess or not, property developers had their eyes on the shrinking Graeme Hall wetlands and watershed because it was the last large tract on the southern coast. There was talk of condominiums and a golf course, a gated community and an industrial section in the north end. As still happens all the time throughout the island, certain political and business cartels that have no concern for the public good or the need for green space decided that Graeme Hall would be developed and with the help of their friends in government they would make a fortune.

Land Permissions: Money in the bank for the government and special friends!

Land permissions are everything in Barbados. If the developers purchase land for cheap because development is prohibited, but they already have agreed with their government friends to change the law to allow development – well, fortunes are made overnight!

That’s the way it is here. Always has been that way and if you are among the privileged Bajan political and business elites who have an “in” this is how millions are created out of nothing – often overnight on the basis of one signature with authority to allow development.

Of course, if you’re the poor farmer who sold your land for nothing because you were denied permission to develop for 30 years and then the permissions are given the week after you sold out to one of the big shot BLP or DLP lawyers – well, that’s tough for you!

Welcome to the “soft corruption” of the Barbados elites that makes millions overnight for those with “friends” and keeps the ordinary people down where they belong.

Graeme Hall wetlands - the last major green space between the airport and the city

Government assurances to a Foreign Investor really said “Welcome sucker!”

The last remaining mangrove wetlands in the island would surely have been developed and met the same fate as all the other Bajan mangrove swamps had not the environmentally-minded Peter Allard in conjunction with like-thinking Barbadians believed that this precious natural treasure was worth saving for the Bajan people.

This wasn’t done in a vacuum. Allard didn’t just arrive one day and say “I think I’ll impose my will on the Barbados people and save that swamp and wetlands.” (Although if it was possible for Allard and others to force the Barbados elites to save some green space for the citizens, it wouldn’t have been such a bad thing I think.)

Nope, Allard didn’t act alone. Hundreds and then thousands of good Bajan citizens welcomed the plan to save some natural heritage and provide some green space, as did many of the politicians and other community leaders at the time. Allard and the citizens and the planners met with the government and received assurances that if the mangrove swamp and wetlands were restored and saved by Allard’s cash, it would be protected for all time for Bajans as the natural treasure it is.

“Allard was assured that the 1988 National Physical Development Plan protected the entire area, so he started writing cheques and employed hundreds of people as work progressed to restore the area and to build the Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary.”

The nature sanctuary was the showpiece that made the Graeme Hall area a national tourism asset. It provided the organisational base to perpetuate knowledge and made resources available to continue to restore and protect Graeme Hall wetlands as a natural public treasure. In later years the nature sanctuary became almost self-supporting through tourism and hosting special events, but the shortfall as well as the development and construction costs came out of Allard’s pocket.

Later, the Government of Barbados had part of the area designated as protected under the RAMSAR treaty – apparently showing a commitment to preserve the last mangrove swamp on the island…

Ahhhh…. but leaving parts of the wetlands out of the RAMSAR treaty was a deliberate strategic move by the elites who knew all along what their goals were.

The government’s apparent commitment to preserve the natural area lasted only until Allard had spent US$35 million or so saving the Graeme Hall watershed and wetlands – and establishing the Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary as a world-class eco-tourism facility.

“Thanks Sucker!” said the Barbados political and business elites, “Now that you’ve cleaned the place up, provided a showpiece, enhanced the area and made it more valuable for development, what fine condos we’ll be able to build.”

After assuring Allard and the thousands of Bajans who supported saving our wetlands that this area was protected in law, and after Allard invested tens of millions, the elites decided to CHANGE THE LAW TO ALLOW DEVELOPMENT!

That change was proposed under the BLP government of Owen Arthur and Mia Mottley – but it was the new DLP David Thompson government that acted and changed the law to allow development at Graeme Hall. That change was actually the Thompson government’s first legislative priority upon assuming power in January, 2008. And if that isn’t proof that BLP = DLP = “The Elites”, I don’t know what is.

Law Changed to allow development of the Graeme Hall wetlands

The thing about the law in Barbados is this: citizens know that the law is nothing more than a tool to be used by the elites when it suits them.

So it wasn’t much of a surprise to Bajans in January 2008 when the newly elected DLP Thompson government changed the law protecting 265 acres of parkland at Graeme Hall to allow developer friends to profit from these public lands. To make this happen, David Thompson and the DLP Members of Parliament had to set aside laws that had protected the land from development since 1988. When the government was finished, 2/3 of the parkland (175 acres) was gone.

“So much for assurances given to foreign investors that the laws in Barbados are such and such, that your long-term investment will be respected and protected. Cluck, cluck… send in the next foreign chicken for the plucking!”

Destroying the Sluice Gate to destroy the Graeme Hall wetlands

In the natural scheme of things, mangrove wetlands “breathe” with the tides as the salt water mixes with the fresh to provide the environment needed by so many species of plants, wildlife and fish. In the case of Graeme Hall, the connection to the salt water of the sea is controlled by the Barbados Government through a sluice gate that regulates the tidal flow to and from the wetlands and ponds.

When the elites decided it was time to squeeze Allard out of the picture – to make him fed up so he’d abandon his precious nature sanctuary to the developers, it was a simple matter to allow the sluice gate to deteriorate and so attack the nature sanctuary’s operations. (Oh… we’re not even talking about the government using the Nature Sanctuary swamp as an overflow for a sewerage treatment plant. Really!)

Of course Allard and the staff at the sanctuary initially thought the situation with the ever-broken sluice gate was typical government incompetence. The sanctuary paid for repairs over and over, educated the government officials and lobbied to save the wetlands, but after some time the truth became plain to see. The sabotage and neglect of the sluice gate was deliberate and continues to this day.

Next in this series: Part 2 – Barbados Government maintains the pressure, cuts off the water to the Nature Sanctuary

Note to the Bajan political and business elites:

Marcus and Clive put this article together from various public sources on the internet. If anyone finds any errors, please jump in and leave a comment. We’ve made some serious allegations about how the land permissions corruption works in Barbados and we’re particularly interested what people have to say ’bout that.

Come on, Prime Minister Thompson, Opposition Leader Mottley and particularly former PM Owen Arthur. We know you all read BFP. Now what do you have to say to citizens and to international investors about the land permissions allegations in this article? Let’s hear it!

Barbados open boat fishing is the best of all!

Folks, there is nothing like fishing in Barbados – sharing good times with friends, washing down some sandwiches with a few Banks beer and hauling in some yellow fin tuna or kingfish (mmmmm! tasty… I love grill kingfish best of all!).

Lots of tourists head to fisherman’s row in Bridgetown and hire themselves one of the many deep-sea boats for a part or full day – and that is all very well for those who have US$900 to spend. Plus the fact that there are no guarantees with fishing. No one can guarantee the wind and the waves and the fish. The captains do their best to provide a good day of fun and a good catch, but there have been many a charter come home “bare bum” (as we call it) back into harbour with nothing to show but the empty beer bottles and empty wallets.

True, the captain will usually take a bit less when it’s been an unusually bad day, but it’s still an expensive boat ride.

Now, nothing against our friends who run the big charter boats (except when they ruin our night tree fishing), but one can hardly tell the difference from deep sea fishing out of Miami, Nassau, BVI or Bridgetown. Half the time your “captain” is a Brit or American early retiree who struck it rich at some investment firm before the collapse, came to the Caribbean, bought heself a 50 foot Bertram Sportfisher and started calling heself “captain”.

That’s not always the case, but there’s enough truth in that statement that a few of the big boat owners in B’town will read it an wince.

Barbados fishing guide Shaun Sandiford

Want an authentic Bajan fishing trip with a good captain at a reasonable price?

That’s easy. Hire Shaun Sandiford out of Holetown on the west coast to take you and your friends for an open boat coastal fishing experience… and what a good time you will have!

Always within sight of the coast, and always lots of other friendly boats around. Shaun’s boat is safe, well equipped and you’ll catch the same fish that you’re likely to catch on most of the big charter trips: Marlin, Sailfish, Tuna, Wahoo, Kingfish, Dorado, Barracuda, Trevally, Jacks, Snapper and Tarpon. Have a look at the photos here and on Shaun’s website and you’ll get the idea; the fish doan care whether the hook is dropped from Shaun’s 18 foot fiberglass boat or a new million-dollar 60 foot Hatteras.

Bring your own tackle or Shaun will supply you for free. If you like, he’ll teach our traditional hand-line fishing or take you and the young ones to some of his secret holes in close where the children will yell with delight because them smaller fish are always hungry!

But if you want to head a little further out Shaun will show you that you don’t need to pay US$900 to pull in good sized fighting fish – and he won’t steal your catch on you either. (Many first time charter boat tourists are surprised to learn that they don’t own what they catch! Your motto should be “Ask, don’t assume”)

So give Shaun a call and you’ll see that you don’t have to pay big dollars to have big fun and big fish!

Website: FishBarbados.net

Shaun Sandiford

Cell: (246) 249 8646
Home: (246) 432 0634
infernos170@hotmail.com

Government all talk – No Real Action to support our Police

Successive DLP and BLP governments have underfunded our police so badly that Barbados can’t find one hundred citizens willing to become police officers.

Notice we didn’t say “one hundred qualified citizens” because the RBPF keeps lowering its standards in the hopes of fulfilling the vacancies with people of minimal qualifications and they still can’t attract enough warm, breathing bodies. The “warm and breathing” qualification is pretty well the standard for hiring now. The big brass are even talking about remedial literacy instruction for newly hired officers as a way of further lowering the employment standards.

That’s how desperate the situation is.

The force has been chronically under-strength for a decade for no other reason than we pay our garbage-truck drivers more money than we pay new police officers.

Think about that.

Safety and Stability are our real tourism product

Barbados Free Press has often pointed out that safety and stability are the true foundations for our tourism industry. There’s lots of other islands around with Caribbean sand, sun and surf – and many are a whole lot prettier than Barbados. People come here in good measure because Barbados is perceived as a safe destination for a vacation. Lose that “perception” and see what happens to our economy.

But we are losing that perception in the world media. It’s early in the process and the damage can be slowed and repaired in the next five years but only if the DLP government doubles the police budget immediately and pays attention thereafter.

Barbados is now starting to reap the whirlwind created by chronic underfunding of our police force. Tourists on the world’s #1 travel discussion website (Trip Advisor) are talking freely about their experiences with the infamous Boscobel Road Toll Gang and how the Barbados police let the gang terrorize island visitors for years without doing anything.

Now tourists are asking if the RBPF is being paid off by the Boscobel road toll gang, and frankly that’s not an unfair question in light of some of the charges laid against police officers in the last year or so.

We’ve had some incidents in the past couple of years, including a tourist murdered while walking in broad daylight, rapes, shootings and robberies of visitors too numerous to count. The world is starting to raise its eyebrows and merely saying reassuring words doesn’t cut it anymore for Barbados.

We’ve got a couple of years to turn things around or look out!

Adriel Brathwaite - Member of the Barbados Government that chronically underfunds our police

Fine words by Adriel Brathwaite a cover for doing nothing

Member of Parliament for St. Philip South Adriel Brathwaite stood up the other day and called for greater support of the Royal Barbados Police Force. If you’ll read the Barbados Advocate article Brathwaite: Support the RBPF’s efforts you’ll see that Mr. Brathwaite thinks we should excuse police officers who beat citizens without cause because the officers have a tough lot and we should be more understanding.

We think Brathwaite is wrong on a number of levels. We think that Brathwaite should be calling for more professionalism from our police and higher standards for hiring new officers.

But most of all, we point out that in the absence of real action (defined as significantly increased RBPF funding) Brathwaite’s vapid words are just that: vapour.

So how about it, Mr. Brathwaite? Can we expect you to introduce a bill anytime soon calling for police officers to be paid more than garbage truck drivers?

Ya… that’s what we thought.

In Opposition, David Thompson talked tough about making the BLP accountable for corruption. Has he done so?

As we approach the second anniversary of the election of David Thompson’s DLP government, we thought it would be appropriate to revisit some of then Opposition Leader David Thompson’s speeches and promises.

There’s really little need for us to comment on the situation two years later. We’ll let our readers do that as they try to reconcile what was said then, and what Thompson has done in the two years since.

You can read the full version of Thompson’s big “Owen Arthur Cheque” speech at the two-years-dead DLP blog.

Here are a few excerpts from that speech…

“In 1993 Owen Arthur cried on national television that he could not get a job and he could not make ends meet. He said he could not live in Barbados, because he was less than a man in his own house.

Tonight, many rate him among the 10 top wealthiest men in Barbados…and certainly, the wealthiest leader in the Caribbean.

I allude to his wealth, because we are in the middle of a general election campaign and Owen Arthur appear to like general election campaigns. He has the temerity tonight to be engaging the Democratic Labour Party on the issue of campaign financing.”

“The DLP has cited numerous examples in recent years of questionable financial dealings on the part of this government. We have all heard of the more than $750 million in cost overruns racked up by this government. Those of us close enough to Owen Arthur can draw the connection between his perceived astronomical increase in wealth and the procurement policies of this government.”

“I would believe that Hallam Nicholls, a frighteningly close friend of Owen Arthur, has benefited directly from in excess of $30 million of government procurement business over the last decade. “

“Johnnie Cochrane, in recalling his business exploits and experiences in the Caribbean, recalled how he was introduced to other Caribbean countries and Caribbean leaders and found it a pleasure doing business elsewhere.

But, he said to me, he had never encountered such shrewd negotiators as Barbadians. Cochrane spoke of a near six-hour meeting that took place in a hotel room in Washington where the failure of his company to agree to a demanded commission on all ticket sales in Barbados, would have led to the East Caribbean Lottery not being granted a license to set up business in Barbados.

In other words, Ladies and Gentlemen, I am saying tonight that someone in Barbados benefited to the tune of 4.25 per cent or, in practical terms, eight cents from every ticket bought by Barbadians during the time that the East Caribbean lottery was operating in Barbados.

I am saying further tonight that it is known to the person who has benefited that at least one member of this party is in possession of that information and that is why that person is the target of abuse on a nightly basis from the platform of the Barbados Labour Party.”

“While the Barbados Labour Party on one side of their mouth criticize gambling, I want them to tell the country about the 4.25 per cent commission that was made a standing order to the secret account of a high flying official of the Barbados Labour Party.”

Barbados Free Press received the following from an unverified source. It is unconfirmed so like everything you read here or anywhere else, buyer beware…

Governor of the Central Bank of Barbados, Dr. DeLisle Worrell will host his first news conference on Wednesday, January 13, 2010 in the Executive Dining Room, Central Bank of Barbados.

Subject: Barbados’ Economic Performance in 2009 and Prospects for 2010.
Time: 11:00 a.m. – local time
Time: 10:00 A.M. ET

Video webcast will be accessible from this location:

The Barbados Economy in 2009 and Prospects for 2010

Note: We recommend that you access the webcast five minutes before its scheduled start time.

And on Tuesday, January 12th at 2:00 p.m. check out our website www.centralbank.org.bb for a video and text release of the Economic Review statement.

The issue of the collapse of the CL Financial and CLICO house of cards has dropped off the radar for Barbados Prime Minister Thompson and the Bajan media. Thompson’s government handed over millions in bailouts to CLICO entities – some of which weren’t even in compliance with Barbados laws requiring the filing of financial statements etc.

Oh well. No one can claim that transparency, accountability and rule of law ever meant much in Barbados.

Our friends over at Afra Raymond blog have been asking some good questions though – not that there will likely be any answers forthcoming because Prime Minister Thompson is doing his best to shield his old friend Leroy Parris from having to answer any questions.

Here’s some of what Afra Raymond is asking…

‘How could CL Financial assets have declined in value from over $100 Bn to $24Bn in less than 13 months?’

‘How could CL Financial pay dividends at a time when it did not have enough money to meet its obligations?’

‘How could CL Financial chiefs sign that MoU to pledge assets which had already been pledged?’

‘Did CL Financial ever comply with the Court Order to provide a sworn statement detailing the location of all its assets?’

Head over to Afra Raymond to read the entire story. It’s worth your time.

(Afra Raymond blog) CL Financial: The bailout timeline

Good luck to the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA) – they will need it. The organisation hired defeated Barbados Tourism Minister Noel Lynch as its new Deputy Director General and Director of Membership.

Hey, we hope the CHTA has much more luck than Barbados citizens did in getting accountability and answers from Noel Lynch about where the money went when he was in charge.

Mr. Lynch was part of the cover-up that denied Barbados citizens any accountability for the hundreds of millions of dollars of their tax money thrown into the black hole known as the GEMS Scandal – Hotels and Resorts. And what a scam it was!

Then there was the disaster of the Cricket World Cup and the outright lies Lynch told us about the event even when it was plainly apparent to all that he was lying. Lynch settles upon a fiction in his mind and that becomes reality. Cricket World Cup was his baby and it was a frankenstein that will take us a generation or more to pay off. (Tourism to Barbados actually FELL as a result of Cricket World Cup. The last game played at night without lights was the crowning touch!)

Under the last year of Tourism Minister Lynch’s reign 67,000 airline seats to Barbados were lost and hotel staff had reduced hours and workdays because the whole thing went over a cliff. That’s not even talking about the 27 hotels that closed under his government.

And then there is the moment that truly defines the legacy of Noel Lynch:

We couldn’t figure out if Lynch was angry because he got caught with his hand in the cookie jar, or because he believed himself to be unaccountable.

No matter, because for Bajans the defining moment of Noel Lynch as Minister of Tourism happened on the popular radio show Brass Tacks. Noel forgot that he was speaking not only to a radio journalist, but to over two hundred thousand citizens who’d had just about enough, thank you, of Minister Lynch and his corrupt government…

Barbados Tourism Minister Noel Lynch ran away from a live radio show when a listener asked him to explain how he became a millionaire in a few short years on a government salary. Lynch subsequently sued the radio station, whose cowardly managers paid him off rather than fight for their journalistic freedom.

Such is the character of Noel Lynch that he does not believe he should be accountable to the voters to explain his “instant millionaire” status.

Wahloss!

So good luck to the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association. Just remember to watch your expense accounts – and make sure your auditors know how to spot unreported commissions and kickbacks. One thing is fur shur… any person in a public position who acted as Noel Lynch did when asked a reasonable question about the origins of his unexplained recently acquired wealth, believes they are above accountability.

At least Mr. Lynch is the CHTA’s problem now.

Further Reading at BFP…

July 18, 2007: OOPS… Tourism Minister Noel Lynch Gets Caught Lying Again!

July 15, 2007: Barbados Tourism Minister Noel Lynch Sings Britney Spears – “Oops, I Did It Again”

July 5, 2007: Hartley Henry Asks Noel Lynch Where He Got His Million Dollars…

April 27, 2007: Barbados Tourism Minister Noel Lynch Lying On Television – Preserved For History

March 26, 2007: Barbados Tourism Minister Flees Radio Talk Show Over Question Of Personal Assets And Integrity Legislation