Belize Times December 13, 2009 by Belize Times Press

sunday, December 13, 2009

The

The Belize Times

Belize Times The Truth Shall Make You Free

SUNDAY DECEMBER 13, 2009

Issue No. 4672

$1.00 www.belizetimes.bz

Barrow’s Christmas Bukut

Another Tax on Belizeans With a smile on his face and no remorse or regret or shame anywhere on his countenance, Prime Minister of Belize Dean Oliver Barrow announced nonchalantly that he will be implementing a new garbage tax on Belizeans for the collection of household garbage. According to Barrow, he has decided to punish Belizeans so that the Belize City Council can increase its revenue base. There was no attempt at consultation with Belizeans, no move to soften the blow. Belizeans weren’t even properly informed about the Prime Minister’s decision, so to speak. He just blurted it out during an interview with Channel 7 in response to a question about the

bankruptcy of the UDP City Council. This is a trademark UDP move, punishing Belizeans at a time when our residents are already suffering the roughest of economic times. Even worse than that, the Prime Minister is making Belizeans pay for the incompetence of his own City Council. For more than a year now, the UDP City Council has been besieged by allegations of corruption, raping of taxpayer dollars, sweetheart deals, misappropriation of funds and mismanagement. Through all that time, the Prime Minister played deaf, dumb and blind as the public trough was bled dry. It is only in the last month because (Continued on page 35)

JUSTICE GRANTED! BTL TOLD TO BACK OFF SMART

At approximately 6:00pm this evening, Chief Justice Abdulai Conteh handed down his judgment in the application for an injunction which was before him. Telecommunications upstart Smart, a subsidiary of Speednet, had filed an application for an injunction against the telecommunications goliath, government controlled BTL. On Tuesday, CJ Conteh had granted an interim injunction against BTL, and this evening after hearing arguments from attorneys for both Smart and BTL, Conteh granted the injunction, a huge victory for the young telecommunications company.

The application for an injunction became necessary only after BTL cut off Smart’s international access on November 20th, denying more than 90,000 Smart customers the ability to make or receive international calls. Then on November 25th, BTL acted ag ain to sabotage Smart by cutting off service at towers in Ladyville and in Belize City. Smart sought the intervention of the Public Utilities Commission, which is incidentally also controlled by GOB, but the most the PUC would deign to intervene was to tell both telecommunications providers to try to (Continued on page 35)

pic of the week!

SMART Attorney Eamon Courtenay - BTL Attorney Lois Young BTL Chairman Net Vasquez

Three Murders in 25 Hours On Tuesday morning, December 8th, the body of Leonel Jose Donaire was discovered on the corner of Jabiru Street and Faber’s Road in Belize City. He was lying face up with his hands tied behind his back with duct tape. He had a single

The UDP City Council's latest innovation in dealing with overgrown road medians.

. . . r e h et g o T e m Co

Leonel Donaire

gunshot wound to the back of the head. Just about 24 hours after, at 6:20 Wednesday morning, Jason Flores was gunned down while on his way to work. He died an hour after at the KHMH. At about 7:30 that same morning, in the area of

Jason Flores

(Continued on page 35)

Dean Tillett

It's Time For The PUP!

The Belize Times

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Hypocrites of the Week The Belize Telemedia Affair Earlier this week the Prime Minister expressed in no uncertain terms his feelings about the ongoing saga between Belize Telemedia and its former owners. In his statements, both on KREM and during his interview with Jules Vasquez, Mr. Barrow made it clear that his fight is with Lord Ashcroft. In addition he has made it clear that this fight will be a long and drawn out one. In August when Mr. Barrow tabled legislation in the house, legislation which went through the fastest track ever in Belizean history – three readings in one day, then on to the Senate and to the Governor General for his signature in record time, he said that in nationalizing Belize Telemedia, he would, among other benefits, “bring to an end all the litigation.” The Prime Minister has since admitted that as a result of this action there will be more litigation and these court cases will come with a cost to the Belizean taxpayer. He told Jules Vasquez of Channel 7 news: “Ashcroft obviously has all the money in the world, he knows that there is a financial cost to us when he starts this litigation process under the treaty, we will simply have to confront it and deal with it.” On KREM’s morning show the Prime Minister also agreed with his host that this is a fight that he intends to win. For the Belizeans taxpayer, any other scenario would be nothing short of disastrous. In the case of the Nationalization of Belize Telemedia, the Prime Minster has indicated that the value of the company is somewhere around BZ$300 million. While the value of this company will have to be valued through an independent tribunal, if this figure is correct then the government will be required to pay interest. From August to December, the Belizean Taxpayer now owes an additional $15.6 million. With respect to the $45 million dollar Belize Telemedia debt, if the Government should lose that fight, and must pay, then the interest if calculated at 9 percent would amount to around $12,000 daily. So the cost to the Belizean taxpayer, should the Prime Minister not win, will be astronomical. With the government takeover of Belize Telemedia one would expect to see government do all possible to open up communications in Belize. From robust competition, which should result in lower telephone rates, to the opening up of the ARCOS system so that other competitors can get access, Belizeans are expecting a new era in telecommunications in Belize. This could result in a real broadening of Call Centres, an industry with great potential, which today is not effective due to the prohibitive cost of international calls. During the debate in the House the Prime Minster promised to open up access to ARCOS, which currently is under the control and located on the campus of Belize Telemedia. And then there is the voice over the internet protocol (VOIP), which Belizeans have been asking for. For those who are into modern day technology, VOIP can allow the use of SKYPE, VONAGE and other cheap systems to make international calls the world over for a few cents. Unfortunately the Minister said on KREM that BTL, while under government’s control, will not allow the use of VOIP For everyone, the future of Belize Telemedia is critical to Belizean development. For the Prime Minster to record a win in this battle it has to result in all the Belizean people benefitting from this nationalization. Belizeans however will not consider it a win if management contracts for Telemedia were to be issued to a few friends, for a purported $4.8 million, a few hundred thousand dollars below what was being paid out by the previous ownership. Likewise, Belizeans will not consider it a win if the Prime Minister’s former wife and daughter continue to rack up legal fees to defend all these cases and his son continues to be paid exorbitant stipends and allowances. Perhaps in the interest of the country these individuals should agree to provide their talents and services pro bono. In the end, this issue will surely play a major role in the legacy of Dean Barrow and this UDP administration. In the meantime, what worries all of us is the effect all of this is having on investor confidence in Belize, especially in light of the recession, which the Prime Minister announced in October.

This has been a banner week for hypocrites within the UDP camp, and quite frankly the selection panel was stumped and unable to come up with just one UDP rogue to fit the bill in this issue. Actually, the panel came up with five names - that’s right, five worthy recipients cited for unparalleled duplicity and double-speak. This week, the Belize Times is proud to feature Dr. Manuel Esquivel, CEO in the Prime Minister’s Office Audrey Wallace, First wife second lady Lois Young, first son and princeling Anwar Barrow and of course, Net Vasquez. Of these five we could say many things, few of them good, but for the purposes of this column let’s take a look at their hypocrisy. From the very beginning, the Belize Times has called the acquisition of BTL nothing but a state sanctioned and state implemented hijacking. The Prime Minister, who actually has earned the honorary title of hypocrite in perpetuity, rode high on antiAshcroft sentiment, nationalistic visions and golden promises when he hijacked BTL. Three months later anti-Ashcroft sentiment is waning; the nationalistic vision has been sidetracked since Barrow announced that he intends to reprivatize BTL and that was the plan all along; and the golden promises have never materialized – not one of them. Barrow promised an end to litigation – instead, BTL/GOB is tied up in seemingly endless litigation. Barrow promised to make BTL more efficient – instead

the company is hemorrhaging cash in great streams. And now to our five hypocrites! Each one of these hypocrites has perpetuated the great lie conceived by their Prime Minister. Each of these individuals has appeared in front of Belizeans and has done them a disservice. While spouting political-speak about Ashcroft fleecing the company, these individuals have made sure that their own beds are well padded. Lois sits on the Board of BTL and states that the company is in dire straits, yet she is making millions off BTL/ GOB. Anwar is making beaucoup bucks as not only a director on the Board of BTL but also a ‘business consultant.’ Net Vasquez has made sure to pad his own personal nest using BTL resources (let’s talk about NCN and the ARCOS, Net). And of course, Manuel Esquivel and Audrey Wallace must never be forgiven because they are an integral part of the disaster about to befall BTL. Both of them face the nation with cherubic expressions on their faces (actually neither of them quite manage the cherubic look) while listening to the absolute nonsense and lies being spouted by Lois, Anwar and Net. At the end of the day, it is these five individuals along with their Prime Minister who will have to answer for the destruction of BTL due to incompetence, pettiness, fleecing (by the UDP), and mismanagement. They truly are the hypocrites of the week.

THE BELIZE TIMES EDITOR

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sunday, December 13, 2009

The Belize Times

If Da Noh Soh…

$4.8 million…

Lawd, there’s plenty of shush this week, but remember that we no tell lie. We start with the Barrow Telemedia Company and the bunch of idiots the PM put in charge. Dodo-bird Net Vasquez was at a press conference just

compound on the Barracks. The only problem seems to be that there is a lack of parking, but hell, there’s always a way to get around that. Word to us is that Anwar is in negotiations with Zenaida to get a piece of the BTL Park which will then be used as parking for the proposed nightclub. In return he has promised that he will finance the construction of a beach which Zenaida promised Belizeans many, many, months ago. Remember you saw it here first… If Da Noh Soh!

One big hustle…

the other week talking bout how BTL used to have to pay out $5million in management fees. So one reporter asked – well, how much is this bunch paying themselves? The Dodo-bird scratched his head, looked at Lois for guidance and said that this UDP bunch is only collecting like $500,000 or $600,000 to manage BTL. Dat bally only LIAD. This columnist has just learned that the projected management fees for the next fiscal year come up to $4.8million. That’s right - $4.8million for Net, Lois, Anwar and the rest of the clowns. But the thing is, most of the Board is made up of GOB employees, like Manuel Esquivel, Carla Barnett, Audrey Wallace and others, and everybody knows that they aren’t supposed to collect salaries from BTL because they’re already paid by government. So does that mean that the $4.8million will be shared between Net, Lois, Anwar and Ambrose? Enquiring minds want to know…If Da Noh Soh!

Fire-engine red… And since we’re on the subject of the Barrow Telemedia Company, sources from the inside tell us that the new uniform for staff has already been approved. That’s right, you guessed it. From the beginning of the year, BTL staff will be decked out in fire-engine red. Dem dratted UDPs insist on politicizing just about everything. Most of the staff already pissed off over the management fees, especially since they’ve been told that there will be no bonuses paid this year. Now they are being told that they will have to wear red…should we say we told you so? If Da Noh Soh!

Anwar Again… The boy wonder just can’t seem to figure out what to do with his windfall since his dad became PM and by all appearances his mom controls the purse-strings. This columnist has learned that Anwar now wants to open

a nightclub on the second floor of the building going up in the Pickwick

And since we’re on the subject of Anwar…the boy wonder was at a party the other night and was heard to comment – ‘BTL is just one big hustle from the managers to the sweepers.’ Apparently the prince was pontificating on layoffs they intend to implement. But see, it may have been more accurate for Anwar to say that the Board of Directors at BTL is just one big hustle... If Da Noh Soh!

Belize. Methinks the Minister of Tourism needs to explain what’s really going on. We tried to reach him for comment on Monday but he was out. Coincidentally we noticed the Ministerial ride parked at the Golden Tree Motel on Coney Drive at the same time, but thought the moment might have been inappropriate for questioning…If Da Noh Soh!

Christmas? Where? The Town Hall in Corozal is lit up like a Christmas tree, but nowhere else in the district are people seeing Christmas. This columnist has been reliably informed that one church bulletin took a stab at the Town Council, reminding them that the rest of the town needs some attention too. Word is also that the church has weighed in big time about the dismal state of the town in their sermons every week. It’s

You’ve got to be kidding… Seems to me that we don’t have a problem with crime in this city, no problem at all! Things are all fine and dandy. The reason I’m saying this is that I almost imagine this fancy ride passed me last week with the PM’s son Shyne

doubtful whether the Mayor heard these sermons, of course, unless the

church would pay extra to get their message piped into the sound system at the casino…If Da Noh Soh!

Zone Closing Down… This is one of those ‘you saw it here first’ moments. This columnist has been told by a very reliable source up north that there will be a mass shutdown of businesses in the

Corozal Commercial Free Zone in the first week of January. Business just ain’t what it used to be under this UDP and business owners can’t afford to lose any more money. Just in case you think we’re joking about how dire the situation is, check with the insurance companies. Apparently they’ve stopped insuring companies in the Zone out of fear that some of the owners might be contemplating a well placed fire to ease their financial worries…If Da Noh Soh!

Questions to Ministers in it. And if I’m not mistaken, there were two Police Officers in that ride. After a little snooping, it seems that I wasn’t mistaken. We understand that for the past three weeks or so, a very well known Inspector of Police has been assigned as the driver/bodyguard of Shyne along with another officer. This type of abuse pisses me off, especially when crime is completely out of control, and especially since reports are that we taxpayers are still paying these officers to be taking care of the PM’s son…If Da Noh Soh!

$30,000 BTB retreat… There is reason to believe that reports that the tourism industry in Belize is in shambles are all false. Apparently, all those reports that tourism destinations are closing their doors and employees are being sent home are false too. Looks like reports that tourism statistics are way down ain’t true at all. Well, that’s the only explanation we can see for the BTB paying a whopping $30,000 for a staff retreat over the weekend. Things must be booming in the tourism industry in

Would the Prime Minister and Minister of Finance please say who paid for the 300 Digicell phones which were given to SSB employees in a pathetic attempt to build up the customer base of BTL?

4 5

Would the Prime Minister and Minister of Finance also be able to explain why he is going to Copenhagen for a climate change summit when that is not even his portfolio and there are experts to deal with that issue? Would the Prime Minister not admit that there are more pressing issues requiring his attention in Belize? Would the Minister of Tourism or the de facto Minister of Tourism be able to confirm or deny rumours that most of the $30million for tourism projects has already been spent on foreign consultants? Would the Minister of Local Government be able to say when he will order an official audit of all city and town councils, since there are rampant allegations of corruption in every one of them? Would the Minister of Works be able to say how many miles of road have been marked since they received the equipment to make it possible? And would the Minister of Works be able to say when the Belcan Bridge will be fixed, since marine traffic is still unable to pass?

The Belize Times

from the desk of the Party leader

Climate Change Affects All of Us

This weekend the Prime Minister, his Deputy and some of his technical officials are off to Copenhagen, Denmark to participate in the largest environmental conference since the 1992 Summit in Brazil. They are headed to Denmark to conclude negotiations on a new agreement that would reduce global emissions of greenhouse gases thereby reducing and eventually eliminating negative impacts on our environment. Some Belizeans, unaware of the seriousness of this issue, may wonder why attend such a meeting, or what climate change has to do with us? After all, we are a developing country and our contribution to climate change is negligible if any at all. In short, we are the good guys. Indeed climate change has a direct impact on the very existence of small developing countries like ours and alone there is very little that we can do about it. Of course as we say here in Belize, “one, one coco full up di basket,” so while we as a nation may cause little harm to the environment, or as they say: we do not leave any significant carbon print, when you factor in our contribution to what some of our neighbours are doing it adds up. At the current rate that the world is warming, small island states in the Pacific are seriously alarmed by what is occurring before their very eyes. They have to be. Consider the island nation of the Maldives, for example, a nation that could in a few years simply disappear if the sea level continues to rise. Here in Belize, coastal communities in Belize like Belize City and the Placencia Peninsula need to consider a similar fate. Already we are seeing extraordinary erosion in the village community of Monkey River. Since 1850, global climate temperature has risen to .8 degrees Celsius. Over the past 30 years, temperatures in Belize raised by .8 degrees in coastal areas and 1 degree inland; this would be faster than the average. In agriculture, a temperature raise of 1 to 2 degrees and a change in rainfall of 10 to 20 percent will affect our basic staples of rice, beans and corn by 20 percent. Should this kind of trend persist, we will need to use 20 percent more land just to keep up with the demand to feed our people and as our population grows—estimates show that by 2025 Belize’s population will reach 400,000—more agricultural lands will be needed. Climate change has also affected our weather. Over the past 30 years, Meteorological records show that our rain patterns have changed. We have intense rainfall for a short period and longer dry spells. Today many farmers worry about how these long dry seasons will affect their crop cycles. These extreme climate swings also affect our timber industry. Between 1999 and 2000, because of these adverse changes in climate, it triggered probably the worst outbreak of pine bark beetle infestation in recorded history. This outbreak destroyed over 75 percent of our pine forest, in the South and the Mountain Pine Ridge Reserve. Soil retention in Mountain Pine Ridge was adversely affected, resulting in unheard of devastating flash floods in the Cayo, Belize, Stann Creek and Toledo Districts. Climate change also affects our health. Last year a consultant was doing a study on dengue in the Cayo District and was able to advise the Ministry of Health on potential outbreak and preventative measures were taken. Unfortunately this wasn’t done this year and over 800 cases of dengue were reported. There is also the rise in sea level. As the sea rises it contaminates ground water. Presently, San Pedro uses desalinated water and Placencia has to pipe in water from the mainland. In Belize City, at certain times during the year, salination levels in the river near the intake are heavy and consideration is being given to move the water intake farther upriver. But where climate change can have its most devastating effect is on our tourism industry. A study in the mid 90’s showed that with a raise of 30 to 50 cc in sea level, Belize could lose half if not all its beaches. Also, warmer waters will destroy our reef, our fish will migrate to cooler waters and hurricanes will become stronger. This can all happen in the next 50 to 100 years, meaning that some Belizeans could very well live to see the destruction of Belize. Belize without its barrier reef, sandy beaches, pristine forest and reduced agricultural productivity could very well become a wasteland in Central America. Therefore it is important that the Prime Minister participates in the negotiations of Climate Change and Adaptation Strategies in Copenhagen. Belize needs the developed world to change their consumption patterns; we need their technology and money. Our survivability depends on it!

sunday, December 13, 2009

Sunday, December 13, 2009

The Belize Times

UDP Politics as usual A Horse’s Ass…

Seriously, we need to stop tolerating all this bulls@#t and crap which is being fed to us on a daily basis. I couldn’t believe a story on the news the other night in which a poor woman from Gales Point was fined because her horse nipped somebody. The woman explained that the horse was a playful horse which was kept tied up. Some adventurous soul went up to the horse and messed with it and the horse playfully, as I understand it, nibbled on the person. So here’s our health inspector, Mr. Bernard, pontificating about how serious this is, and how other persons need to beware because they will be dealing with other public nuisances severely and all that. Man, that’s just wrong. If the horse was an aggressive horse and a terror to the neighbourhood and all that, I’d say good work, Mr. Bernard. But that’s not the case here. You know what, if the health inspector wants to find a public nuisance, there’s a great big one sitting right there on North Front Street at City Hall. In fact there’s a whole bunch of public nuisances there. And if Mr. Bernard wants to get serious about his job, we’d be happy to direct him to any one of the thousands of piles of festering garbage in Belize City. We need to get real and stop tolerating this nonsense from these people. Life is real out here and they’re all in there playing games…

Barrow to Copenhagen…

The Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister and an entourage will be heading to Copenhagen this Saturday to attend a summit on climate change. I have a fundamental problem with that. First of all, climate change doesn’t even fall under the portfolio of the Prime Minister. Granted the Deputy Prime Minister is intellectually challenged, but that’s his problem. There are experts including Dr. Kenrick Leslie who can deal with any of the matters at the summit and report back to the higher ups if need be. Barrow’s attendance will then merely be an opportunity for photo ops and profiling. But this isn’t the time for that. The Prime Minister is the Minister of Finance. Belize is in arguably the worst financial times of its young life. The economy is in recession. People are starving. The Prime Minister should be scouring the think tanks and busting his brains to find a solution to the problems in our little nation. Do you think the 100 plus BML workers who are out of a job care about some summit in Copenhagen? Hell, no, there immediate concern is how they are going to feed their kids tonight. Leave climate change to the experts, Dean, and deal with your sh@# here. You wanted the job.

More Games…

Zenaida Moya hosted an economic summit (insert laughter here) last week in an attempt to upstage the Prime Minister who admittedly is a dodo-bird when it comes to economics and has no clue how to lead the nation forward. The PM got pissed, so he has now announced that he will cut the stipends paid to the Belize City councilors. Boss, you need to stop playing games out here, cause life is real. Hell yes, cut the stipends given to Councilors. In fact take away the stipends completely cause the councilors sure haven’t been doing anything for the city. Not to mention that all of them also have very cushy jobs with GOB. This is kind of like when Dean decided to call Zenaida a thief more than a year after everybody was calling her a thief, and then jumped up to say he had acted decisively. Man, stop play. Dean should have done this a hell of a long time ago and maybe we wouldn’t have been in this mess and maybe the City Council could have paid its bills and maybe more than 100 workers wouldn’t be out of a job right now. I did notice that Dean never went so far as to say that he would cut the Mayor’s salary as well. Seems like when it comes to that lady, Dean’s balls go on extended break…

Let them eat cake…

Minister of Works Boots Martinez held a shindig this week so that he could suck up to Dean a little. He trotted out the workers from CYDP who have apparently replaced the workers from BML who were let go. Listen, for those of us who live in the city, it’s laughable enough that Dean was given some sort of award for visionary guidance and commitment to the upliftment of the city. That’s just sick. But to me, what was even worse was Barrow’s declaration at that very same shindig. The workers were angling for some kind of bonus for the Christmas, so Dean goes to the podium and says, ‘I don’t know about any bonus, but what I can promise you is that I will make a substantial contribution to your Christmas Party. And I don’t mean $100 or $200 or $500…I mean a big contribution.’ I had to go take my blood pressure medication after that one. Man, Dean, you crazy. People are literally starving on our streets. Don’t you know the reality of haad life under your damned government? There are children who seriously don’t get a healthy good meal every day, but have to scramble for crumbs. But the Prime Minister no worried bout that, he is going to make a big contribution to a Christmas party where the CYDP workers can go eat and get drunk and then

go home to nothing. Dean, I have a suggestion as to where you can put your BIG contribution…

The 7 Deadly Sins

At least three of the seven deadly sins come to mind whenever Lois does – greed, lust and gluttony. To say that watching Lois sniffling and slobbering in the public trough is nauseating does not come close to describing what is going on right now. For God’s sake, how much does Lois Young et al have to make before she is satisfied? She is already the permanent representative to the UN; she is the chair of SSB; she is on the board of BTL; she is the de facto Attorney General; she has made millions representing GOB, she is the attorney on record for BTL where she will rake in millions more. This situation is past ludicrous, way past the point of conflicts of interest; far past indecent and gross nepotism and bordering on insanity. If the Prime Minister feels that he has to pay back Lois for some wrong he did to her in the past, then that is his problem! We shouldn’t be paying the price for the Prime Minister’s transgressions. This week Lois was in Court in front of the CJ because Smart is seeking an injunction against BTL disrupting their services. She was there as attorney for BTL but was asking the CJ to delay because she had to attend an SSB meeting. It’s ridiculous. Even in times of plenty for all this would be ridiculous. But these are the hardest of times. Apparently only Lois and clan have access to the wealth.

Channel 7 Biased…

Belizeans need to boycott Channel 7, at least when it comes to reporting about anything to do with BTL. The head of BTL’s Board of Directors is Net Vasquez. Net Vasquez also owns Channel 7. All the reporting on Channel 7 which has been done on the BTL issue has been completely biased and skewed. In particular there was one newscast which pissed me off. There was an important release from Smart and a significant step by the bank which is claiming compensation from BTL. Channel 7 ran both stories at the end of the news (from 7:42 to 7:43 to be exact) and the reporting was cursory and incomplete. Smart should pull all their ads off Channel 7. Channel 7 is doing a disservice to Belizeans who have come to believe in its credibility.

Old footage…

Somebody at the GOB press office must have spent quite some time digging around in old footage for road-work in progress. That’s the only explanation for a news item I saw last night. One of the Councilors in Belmopan was being interviewed and he was explaining that the Council is nearing the end of a three month program of road-works. According to that councilor, it is just part of their routine works programme and currently all the streets in Belmopan have been fixed. Man, please. Belmopan streets are an unholy mess. I had to call a couple people when I saw the news to ask if I was going crazy. Mayor Lopez needs to stop messing around with old footage from the press office and stop trying to fool the people. There ain’t nothing being done in Belmopan. Streets are a mess, the grass is overgrown. Hell, George Price Boulevard isn’t even a boulevard any more, just a one lane picado road. Serious! Mayor Lopez should be ashamed of himself. .

BEWARE

The Belize Times has received word that Belize Telemedia Limited is now actively tapping both cellular and land lines and is also intercepting e-mails from ‘persons of interest’ in Belize. You are cautioned to seek advice from a computer security consultant on how to protect yourself from this invasion of privacy. Our source inside the UDP has informed us that persons being targeted at this time are career public officers, high ranking Police Officers, Union leaders and activists, Opposition leaders and political activists. This is not a joke. BTL possesses the technical capacity to invade your privacy. Barrow and the UDP have shown that they are prepared to step outside the law.

ParTY PaGe

National Party Council meeting Sunday, dec. 6

The Belize Times

sunday, December 13, 2009

THE BLUE MACHINE

We Are The PUP

sunday, December 13, 2009

The Belize Times

THE CONSTRAINTS OF BELIZE’S MONETARY POLICY (PART 1)

In the November 18, 2009 issue of the Belize Times, this columnist presented an overview of monetary policy in “Monetary policy and what it means to you” that provided the background of this important policy function within the economy. More importantly the focus was on the performance of the financial institutions, in particular the commercial banks. Their performance under the current recession illustrated the inherent weaknesses and inefficiency within the Belizean financial landscape. It is instructive to note that while the usual Christmas credit relief has been announced by some banks, by and large they have not responded sufficiently, in recognition of the needs of their clientele. It is to the Banks business as usual. They don’t get it. The business community through the

Chamber of Commerce and Industry along with the media and others has subsequently been questioning the role of the Central Bank of Belize and how it must create the impetus for change. The focus of this piece therefore, will look closely at why the Central Bank of Belize is constrained in driving change and why it is incumbent on Government and the Central Bank to recognize and act with special measures. The premise of this piece which will be presented in two parts is that the Government of Belize must be more fully engaged and be prepared to take unprecedented measures when necessary to propel the economy and provide enhanced monetary and fiscal policies to aid the productive sector. The Central Bank for its part needs to work around its constraints to provide redress to the issues surrounding the availability

of foreign exchange. Monetary policy application is severely constrained in Belize, due in main part to a fixed exchange rate regime, shallow financial market and non-existent capital market. All key areas combined contribute to the Central Bank’s role being relegated to more of a supervisory body and less as a driver of the financial market. In this first part 1we will examine the implications of the fixed exchange peg. The Belize dollar has been pegged to the US dollar at a rate of BZ$2 = US$1 since 1976. The genesis for establishing a fixed exchange rate regime was that the People’s United Party’s Government of the day had envisioned Belize’s development trajectory as one predicated on the development of a vibrant industrial and manufacturing sector along with an export oriented strategy to drive

THE HAYWARD CHARITABLE BELIZE TRUST

MEDIA RELEASE 8 December 2009

Notice of Arbitration under the Agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of Belize for the Promotion and Protection of Investments dated 30 April 1982 The Hayward Charitable Belize Trust (Hayward) wishes to inform the public that on 4 December 2009 its subsidiary, Dunkeld International Investment Ltd. (Dunkeld) commenced arbitration proceedings against the Government of Belize (the Government). These proceedings were commenced under the Arbitration Rules of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law and in accordance with an international agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom and the Government for the Promotion and Protection of Investments dated 30 April 1982 (the Treaty). Dunkeld alleges that the Government has breached several obligations which the Government owed to Dunkeld under the Treaty. In general terms, Dunkeld alleges that the Government has unlawfully expropriated Dunkeld's investment in Belize Telemedia Limited (Telemedia) and has failed to treat Dunkeld fairly and equitably. In order for the public to be informed properly, Dunkeld's Notice of Arbitration can be found on Hayward’s website – www.thehaywardcharitablebelizetrust.com. Prior to the nationalisation of Telemedia on 25 August 2009, Dunkeld was the beneficial owner of approximately 69% of the shares in Telemedia. Dunkeld is a company established in the Turks and Caicos Islands and is an investor protected by the Treaty as a result of an exchange of notes between the Government of the United Kingdom and the Government extending investment protection to the Turks and Caicos Islands. The exchange of notes was signed on behalf of the Government of Belize in 1985 by the current Prime Minister of Belize, Hon. Dean Barrow, when he was the Minister of Foreign Affairs. On 27 August 2009, Dunkeld formally notified the Government of a claim under the Treaty arising out of the nationalisation of Telemedia. Dunkeld informed the Government that it remained willing to seek amicable settlement of the dispute. The Government did not respond to Dunkeld in relation to this proposal. Hayward is disappointed that the Government has not entered into any discussions in order to bring about an amicable settlement of the dispute. Hayward is a charitable trust the beneficiaries of which will substantially be Belizean causes. Bearing this in mind, Hayward remains very flexible in both the amount and timing of the compensation but remains surprised and disappointed that the Government continues to be unwilling to negotiate a settlement that is in the interest of all Belizeans; especially when the Belize economy is worsening and the continued dispute over Telemedia is having such a profound impact on all Belizeans.

economic growth. The fixed peg would have allowed for stability within the economy that would have boosted trade and supported fiscal discipline. After over 3 decades, this fixed pegged has served Belize well. However, the reality of maintaining a fixed exchange rate and instituting capital control restrictions is that it constrains the use of autonomous monetary policy and Central Bank’s ability to stimulate capital mobility. Thus, the dilemma for Central Bank today is how to act within the limited policy space to create ingenious and unconventional policy shifts in times of recession. Capital control restrictions limit the flow of foreign currency in and out of Belize. In times like these, the US dollar has become a scare commodity. The restrictions are such that only commercial banks and a few authorized agents are allowed to trade foreign exchange. Transactions that are subject to controls include; private businesses sourcing foreign loans at cheaper prices; outward and inward foreign direct investments and real estate and other personal transactions. Over the last 11 months with negative economic growth in Belize, output has been suppressed. This being the case, coupled with declining tourist arrivals has resulted in limited foreign exchange being available. With such limitations and medium to large businesses in Belize requiring US dollars to fund their operations and expand productive capacities, Belize dollars have been accumulating and sitting idle at the banks awaiting the availability of US dollars. This situation is what has contributed to some excess liquidity within the financial system. However, the liquidity that is there is not being made available due to the purpose for which those funds are required. Thus, this false sense of liquidity has not translated into making capital available on the domestic market at a lower cost. As a policy response therefore, it becomes incumbent on Central Bank to revisit the capital control restrictions in light of the current economic situation. A suggested way forward out of this economic predicament is two-fold. As a first step the Central Bank should critically review the use and utilization of the foreign reserves held. As at July of this year those reserves stood at BZ$404.7M. The composition of the reserves should be assessed with a view to making some of those funds available to the productive sector. A second step is to reduce the restrictions on companies being able to source foreign loans so as to finance their operations. Private companies should not be allowed to fail due to systemic deficiency and instabilities. At this current juncture, reliance on public sector investment and attracting foreign direct investment through the issuance of costly concessions will not in of itself jump-start the Belizean economy. Private domestic investment must be promoted and supported by allowing access to low cost capital. Next this writer will review the role of financial instruments and a capital market and the use of fiscal policy to counterbalance Belize’s monetary policy. Comments welcomed at GwynethNah@gmail.com

The Belize Times

The

Whip

House of MisRepresentatives By Anonymous Dean Barrow Prime Minister/Min-

CO2

They all gone to Copenhagen to see about CO2 emission, dis da craziness, we no even have a position…all they want is to come out pan television, all they gone do is spend the nations’s monies and lawd deh no even ask for permission… whosoever took the decision to do this fool fool expedition, must have gotten a good commission. We no got no factory weh di let out gas, and we broke like hell the car could hardly get gas, things so bad no even beans we could buy and make some pass…we son will eat lone grass.. So what we care about this gas emission, we no even got things straight here to even get good nutrition. I hear even Gapi gone, something wrong dis da bout gas, not contraband.. maybe he thought he can learn more about evasion, his own little version of immission… Baldy man betta you come home to your biome, stop di roam, stop di foam, come fix up things you big bad bum..

TIDBITS

The thief of islets formerly of thirty piglets built two new homes from the proceeds of sales of SSB property, what a little porky!!! Daddy has assigned a Noble police inspector for body guard of star son shyne. Get it in the Anwar, get yourself a puppy guard my boy.. you ain’t got the shine… Government sent an officer for the signing of the fishing contract, now they say that does not make it official, Lawd Mr. Barrow, you worse than bish… you want all the dish, at least leave us the fish… Tag team First Wife lawyer and daughter defending BTL against smart in court. Thought she belonged to the board and represents herself, Like a said already these two no left nothing. Jesus Christ, Michael have to make a living too!! The baldy one nationalized BTL, now he nationalized the Loans, dis da no fun, dis man really done. See now why the little dunce from City hall wanted to nationalize the garbage company? If you let, these guys will nationalize the garbage… City Council broke like hell, only the city councillors salary swell… to keep it so garbage collections fees will raise, man, what a craze!! Gone da store fi see about gifts, lone old thing from last year Christmas time, man they even got slime, businessman says things are slow, no new imports, only thing high is the rate of crime, here in belize they kill you for a dime.

ister of Finance you promise Belizean by your assurance nurses, teachers, BDF, public workers dem allowance now instead, all weh dey get da ignorance fe you party done look like e off balance all dis da because a your arrogance we done see after five years da happy riddance. Gaspar you da really the friendly

ghost. We hear you just like de bout de boast dat how you de give Johnny Briceño e dose. You of all we people use to look up to most now, you and de devils dem so close you soon find out your behind wa roast then you wa leff stan up like wa old lamp post. Sedi Attorney General/Minister of Foreign Affairs you suppose to de look after Belizean welfare. Stop de deal wid yu self, my bwoy dis no fair unu know that dis nation need some repair. Dis de cause serious internal warfare everything de go up eena thin air. Dem wah soon hear unu start to disappear. Michael the Arch Angel Finnegan/

Minister of Housing your structure mek you look like you posing your time de come soon fe de very closing, when I listen to you you sound very confusing, Venezuela money da your biggest part a using. But thief neva prospa dem always losing fe eva since you have always been accusing. Melvin Hulse Minister of Transport

and NEMO. Down south you de build a nation of latino, some a dey house look big like casino. Anytime dey ask you anything we hear me noh no. Barrow should a mi know dat you no to fine and your biggest hot head de bus operators dat de cause you fi gat lata haters. Elvin Penner de spenner/Minister of

Boots give Christmas gift to PM. Paved his street from home to the highway… buay what happened to southside? Boots gone live to northside, fraid for retaliation, but when you owe yu got to pay, you just can’t run away…

Sports . Our basketball players dey want dey court. We want dis dual citizen thing be abort. Dem kine a thing real Belizean nuh support. We done see some a unu got bad report. We who noh agree wah mek all the effort fe mek sure all a unu get deport.

sunday, December 13, 2009

The Belize Times

hard hitting

Something’s Gotta Give…

By: Mike Rudon Jr. Last week Friday there was a feature on the news about an economic summit held in Belize City – a summit held in an attempt to formulate a solution to the ongoing recession and chart some sort of course through these turbulent economic seas. That is fine and quite in order. In fact, there should have been a meeting of the minds months ago when it appears that everybody but the UDP knew that a crisis was looming. But for the love of all that’s holy, how can such an economic summit be hosted by the Belize City Council? Have we all become so steeped in bulls@#t that when we step in it now it’s no big deal? The Belize City Council hosting an economic summit is a joke. Not a funny one, mind you, but still a joke. UDP political insiders say that Mayor Zenaida Moya came up with the bright idea of a summit as her version of one-upmanship since her nemesis Dean Barrow has been accused of having no clue when it comes to weathering this political storm. That’s all well and good, but it doesn’t take away from the sheer stupidity of the Belize City Council hosting an economic summit. If Zenaida Moya had decided to host a summit on under-depositing, there would be no complaint from this quarter. If Zenaida Moya had decided to host a summit on enriching family

and friends through sweetheart deals, there would be not a quibble from this side. Hell, if Zenaida Moya had decided to write a book entitled – ‘How to Get Rich Quick in Political Life’ – there would be nary a murmur in this newspaper. But damn, Zenaida Moya decided to host a summit geared at coming up with economic solutions in these trying times – how ridiculous is that? There’s an unspoken and unwritten rule in politics. Politicians are voted into power with a clean slate. From there it’s up to them if they’re naughty or nice. When it comes to the naughty side, politicians will be given plenty of rope by the people. Like it or not, that’s just the way it is. Belizeans are somewhat of a lenient sort, bless our souls. So we take, and take, and take all the crap that’s pushed our way by our politicians, and then we take a little more. But see, the rule is that the old crap doesn’t disappear into thin air when the new crap is shoveled into the political wheelbarrow – and so it goes until, you guessed it, something’s gotta give. And when that something is the

tolerance and patience of the Belizean people, all hell breaks loose. Just ask the PUP if you don’t believe it – that’s the hard lesson they learnt in 2008. Zenaida Moya has just about worn out her welcome in electoral politics. The bulls@#t sensor of the Belizean people is on overload and the tolerance and patience with the antics of the lady mayor have all but run out. Truth be told, Belizeans deserve some sort of award for taking Zenaida’s crap for so long. The thing is, Zenaida Moya is singlehandedly responsible for the worst City Council in Belize’s history. Thanks to Zenaida Moya, the Belize City Council is completely bankrupt, both financially and morally. Take the politicking out of the equation and the reality is that the UDP City Council has not one credible achievement to its credit in nearly 5 years with Zenaida at the helm (yes, CitCo likes to boast that they paved Albert and Regent Streets, but it was actually the Ministry of Works who did that). Our streets are in the worst condition ever. Our drains are clogged and filthy. Piles of

OPENING HOURS: MON-SAT: 8:00 - 9:00 SUN: 9:00 - 1:00

TABLE CLOTH PLACEMATS CUTLERY SETS CANDLES FLOWERS VASES TABLE ORNAMENTS CURTAINS-50 STYLES CURTAIN RODS KITCHEN CURTAINS CURTAIN SCARVES CURTAIN TIE BACKS CRANBERRY SAUCE LEA & PERRINS ROASTER PANS SALAD CREAMS STUFFING MIX VEGETABLES TURKEY GRAVY PEAS & CARROTS CLOVES TURKEY BAGS MIX FRUIT CHERRIES PECANS PRUNES RAISINS BLACK CAKE COLOR

stinking, rotten garbage have taken over the City. Parks are overgrown and untended – and that’s just the infrastructure. On the other side, Mayor Zenaida Moya is currently facing criminal charges after an audit revealed more than a quarter million dollars missing from the coffers of the Council. Moya has been accused of misappropriating funds by no less than the Ministry of Local Government. Her own Party has called her a thief through an official release. The Council is in chaos with constant infighting. Big time allegations of corruption hang like dark clouds over City Hall. Because of Zenaida Moya, more than 100 workers from BML were let go just weeks before Christmas. And Zenaida Moya is hosting an economic summit. What a joke! Remember that unwritten and unspoken rule. Well, the thing is that the media plays a large part in getting the momentum rolling. For some reason, the media for the large part is still giving the Mayor a pass. The media should not even have run the story of that economic summit hosted by the Mayor and her City Council. Serious! But no worries - just shovel another load of crap into that old wheelbarrow and let’s move on. But the Mayor’s day will come, make no mistake about that. Something’s just gotta give…!

4 REGENT STREET MARKET SQUARE TEL:2272905 2273400

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PRE-CHRISTMAS S A L E SATURDAY DECEMBER 12th

10% OFF ENTIRE STORE

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The Belize Times

sunday, December 13, 2009

hard hitting

Bruk Pocket Christmas Fi Real…

This year, as you surely noticed, has been the worst economically in modern history. Thank goodness it is almost over and none too soon. But that may be the only good news that Belizeans may have in quite a while. The country’s economy under Prime Minister Honorable Dean Barrow’s stewardship is still in the throes of a recession, and it is expected that the New Year will be fraught with greater economic hardships. So, it came as no surprise that the Statistical Institute of Belize’s 2009 third quarter economic indicators revealed that the economy continues to contract. And of course, this Christmas season only serves to bring into sharp focus the reality of life in Belize today. Despite Prime Minister Barrow’s proclamations to the contrary, the majority of Belizeans have been hit hard by the economy this year. For many what they are earning just now is not enough to meet the escalating cost of living, no matter how much they try to pinch and save. And to make matters worse, the prices of everyday items in the supermarkets and goods in the stores seem to rise without warning, while salaries are often being cut or frozen by employers. At the same time, there are many Belizeans who are out of work and are struggling to hold on to their homes because they are falling behind on their mortgage payments. Sadly, foreclosures of their homes may not be far away. The reality is that many even with the best of educations cannot find a job and are faced with figuring out how they are going to make ends meet until they can find one. No wonder that there are those who are scrambling to find money for their next meal and are wondering how they will manage to keep the utilities on another month. But the state of the economy means that it will cost Belizeans more of their hard earned money to purchase the necessities this Christmas. But higher prices mean less food, particularly the apples and grapes, on the table and less gifts, if any, under the tree. Our children will surely not have fond memories of this year’s Christmas. Many may also find that they are going to have alternatives to what is considered to be the traditional Christmas dinner. All the ingredients, but particularly the turkey and ham, may be out of the reach of lots of families. And there are those that may leave the turkey out opting for something less expensive like chicken. Thanks a lot, Prime Minister Barrow. It is also clear that Belizeans are making sure that every cent counts today. We are a people who have grown accustomed to decorating our homes with countless lights and other electrical yuletide decorations, not to mention renovating our homes to bring in the New Year. But that is simply not the case this year. In an attempt to reduce utility costs during the holiday many are putting up fewer lights and the decorations are all but a distant memory. The utility bills are often forgotten because they do not arrive

until after Christmas, but not this year. And the materials such as the paint and linoleum for renovations also cost extra money. These are the additional expenses that many are trying to cut. As a sign of the times, even the stores are not as decorated as they once were. W i t h Belizeans being robbed of their purchasing power, merchants are bracing for dismal sales this Christmas. These two weeks before Christmas Day are usually one of the busiest shopping periods of the year but from the looks of things, particularly on

Albert Street, merchants will not reap the same level of sales they did in years past. The merchants are not seeing the pedestrian traffic they would normally see in their stores at this time, and those who are in the stores are being cautious with their money and as a result more selective in what they are purchasing. Alas, the merchants can only hope that last minute shopping, particularly if workers miraculously receive bonuses this year, will make up for the crawling start in Christmas shopping. Prime Minister Barrow’s

bungling of the economy seems to have choked the joy out of Christmas this year. And if the country’s economy does not turn around soon, Christmas as we once knew it will be a thing of the past. Gifts which were once the focal point of this holiday will take a back seat as Belizeans look for other less expensive and more meaningful ways to celebrate the holiday. But perhaps there is a silver lining in our economic hardships. There may be a return to the old traditions and activities that made the Christmases of our youth fun and exciting. Family activities may once again take center stage, as we focus on spending time with loved ones and in helping those who are less fortunate than us. Nonetheless, Belizeans are holding tight to what little they have and are less likely to spend money they need just to survive.

sunday, December 13, 2009

The Belize Times

years of a PUP Government

Completion of Southern Highway The Orange Walk Bypass Road Valley of Peace Bridge Paving of Coney Drive Cobblestone Project in San Pedro Barranco Access Road Chalillo Dam

years of Barrow & the UDP =

Still No Kendall Bridge

Life No Haad Out Ya, Life Haada Out Ya

The Belize Times

sunday, December 13, 2009

A Mother’s Cry for Help BY KEISHA MILLIGAN Farah Jones, a young mother of four, resides at #3188 Antelope Street. She looks healthy enough, and few would probably realize that this outgoing person is fighting a daily battle to stay alive. Farah is one of many Belizeans with renal failure, and has to undergo twice-weekly sessions of dialysis in which her blood is cleaned and returned to her body. Farah first realized that something was wrong with her when she was four months pregnant. One morning, her body just started to swell, and she had a terrible back pain. Even before that, though, she would get the sensation of ‘drowning’ when she tried to go to sleep. She explained her feelings and symptoms to a nurse at the clinic during a routine checkup, and she was then referred to the KHMH where she was admitted to ward. Unfortunately, though tests were run, doctors at the KHMH were unable to tell Farah what exactly was wrong with her. So Farah dug into her own savings and decided to take a trip to the Loma Luz Hospital just outside of San Ignacio. It was there that she got the bad news

that her kidneys were shrinking and so were not able to function properly. She was also told that the condition could have been treated

if she had been before she could make the list. Not long after, three persons receiving diagnosed earlier. dialysis died, so Farah was able to On her next get free treatment. All Farah’s savings have been visit to the hospital, she was advised depleted, spent on medication and to terminate her tests that she needs. The money pregnancy, but she had put aside to build a house the young mother for she and her kids is long gone. couldn’t find it in her Though she clings to her belief in heart to do so. Jamar God, there are times when she feels Gillett, now four like giving up. She told the Belize months old, was a Times that the treatment is free, premature baby and but she still needs to pay for regular weighed only two checkups after her sessions. After her sessions, Farah months. Thankfully, Farah was able to vomits for hours, and the headaches get assistance for are so bad that she has to lock medical treatment to herself in a dark room. She is restrained from doing even normal keep her son alive. After the household chores. All she wishes birth of her son, for this Christmas is a regular life. There are two persons who is plagued with his own medical willing to donate a kidney to worries, Farah had to Farah, but the cost of the surgery Farah is at the end struggle to find $680 is $37,000. for each session of of her rope and has even had to dialysis to keep her resort to selling items out of her alive. She has to house to pay medical bills. If there have two sessions is anyone with words of motivation per week, a total of or the ability to help a mother in six hours. When she need this Christmas, please call sought assistance, she was told that Farah at 625-7857. If anyone cal someone’s misfortune would be her assist financially, Farah’s account luck, because somebody receiving number at the Atlantic Bank is free treatment would have to die #210928488.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

The Belize Times

sunday, December 13, 2009

COURT NEWS 28 Year Old Woman Charged With Theft BELIZE CITY, Wed. Dec. 9, 2009 Sylvia Spain, 28, a businesswoman of Fresh Pond, Burrell Boom who allegedly obtained $754.48 by offering a 10% discount on a debt for $829.93, was charged with theft when she appeared in the #2 Magistrate’s Court on Monday, December 7. Spain pled not guilty to the change. Senior Magistrate Dorothy Flowers offered her a bail of $1,500 which she met. She is to return to Court on January 21. T he incident occur red on October 20. Murli Mahitani, 72, the owner of Delta Store, located on Alber t Street, went to the

her accounts when she discovered that an invoice for $829.93 was not paid. She said when she checked with the owner of Jess Supermarket in Lord’s Bank she was told by the owner that the invoice was already paid. According to Mahitani, the owner of Jess Supermarket told her that a woman who gave her name as Sylvia came and collected the money on behalf of Delta Store. The supermarket owner said the woman ever offered him a 10% discount and he quickly accepted Sylvia Spain the offer. He said he gave the Police station on October 22 and woman $754.48 reported that she was reconciling

33 Year Old Truck Driver Charged With Murder

Jason Lawrence

BELIZE CITY, Wed. Dec. 9, 2009 Jason Lawrence, 33, a truck driver of Japan area, Ladyville who allegedly stabbed his girlfriend, Mercerdes Carrillo, 40, was charged with her murder when he appeared in the #1 Magistrate’s Court on Monday, December 7. Lawrence admitted that he was guilty before Chief Magistrate Margaret McKenzie read the charge to him. He said he gave the police a caution statement and he wants a speedy trial. Chief Magistrate McKenzie explained to him that he cannot have a speedy trial because there is a procedure to follow before the case can be committed for trial in the Supreme Court. She also explained to him that no plea will be taken from him and the Court could not offer him bail because of the nature of the offence. She remanded him into custody until January 7, 2009. The incident occurred shortly before 1:00 a.m. on Friday, December 4 at Carillo’s residence, located in Burrell Boom. Initial investigation by the Police revealed that Carrillo, a former nurse, was at home with her three children when Lawrence came and an argument ensued between him and her. According to the Police investigation Lawrence left and returned shortly afterwards with a knife. Lawrence, the Police reported, broke down the front door of the house and stabbed Carrillo in the left side of her abdomen and the left side of her breast. Police reports are that Carrillo’s 19 year old daughter intervened and managed to take away the knife from Lawrence. She allegedly stabled Lawrence on his shoulder and Lawrence fled the house. Carrillo was pronounced dead on arrival at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital.

Visit Us Online at: www.belizetimes.bz

sunday, December 13, 2009

The Belize Times

COURT NEWS Taxi Driver Charged in Connection with Traffic Death of Buttercup Resident BELIZE CITY, Wed. Dec.9, 2009 Juan Rodriguez, 32, a taxi driver of #163 West Canal Street who allegedly knocked down two persons and killed one of them was charged with manslaughter by negligence when he appeared in the #4 Magistrate’s Court on Monday, December 7. Rodriguez, who has permanent residence status in Belize but is originally from Honduras, was also charged with causing death by careless conduct, driving without due care and attention, negligent grievous harm and failure to stop and render aid. No plea was taken from him because the offences are indictable. Magistrate Aretha Ford

met. Rodriguez is to return to Court on January 28. The incident occurred at around 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 5, on the Bermudian Landing Road in Burrell Boom. Manuel Dubon and Eva Gomez, a common-law couple residing in Buttercup Village, were riding separate bicycles on the Bermudian Landing Road on their way to church in Burrell Boom when a green Nissan Sentra car, driven by Rodriguez, came from the opposite direction and knocked them down. Dubon received injuries to his head and body and died. Gomez’s arm and leg were broken and she was Juan Rodriguez admitted to ward at the Karl Heusner offered him bail of $5,000 which he Memorial Hospital.

Two Men Remanded to Prison on Aggravated Assault Charge

Kyle Chaplin

Jamal Neal

BELIZECITY, Wed. Dec. 9, 2009 Kyle Chaplin, 18 and Jamal Neal, 18, two persons who allegedly held up a man with a firearm, were charged with aggravated assault when they appeared in the #1 Magistrate’s Court on Monday, December 7. Chaplin and Neal pled not guilty to the charge. Chief Magistrate Margaret McKenzie explained to them that the Court could not offer them bail because the offence was committed with a firearm. She remanded them into custody until January 7, 2010. The incident occurred at around 2:00 p.m. on Friday, December 4. Cleo Cherrington, the complainant, reported to the Police that he walked through Constitution Park, located on Cemetery Road, and as he turned on to Johnson Street he felt someone touch him on his shoulder. Cherrington said when he turned around he saw that the persons in front of him were two who he knows very well. Cherrington said one of the men pulled out a 9 millimeter pistol and pointed it at him and made several threats. Fortunately for Cherrington, a Police mobile patrol was approaching where they were at the same time and when the culprits saw the vehicle they took to their heels and ran. Based on a description of the culprits that was given by Cherrington, police detained Chaplin and Neal later the same day.

Visit Us Online at: www.belizetimes.bz

The Belize Times

Sunday, December 13, 2009

sunday, December 13, 2009

The

The Belize Times

Belize Times l o ñ a p s En E

DOMINGO DICIEMBRE 13, 2009

Issue No. 4664

$1.00

www.belizetimes.bz

The Truth Shall Make You Free

Algo tiene que ceder….

Por: Mike Rudon Jr. La semana pasada el viernes apareció en las noticias una historia sobre una cumbre económica celebrada en la ciudad de Belice - una cumbre celebrada en un intento de formular una solución a la recesión en curso y trazar una especie de curso a través de estos actuales mares económicos turbulentos. Eso está muy bien y muy en orden. De hecho, debería haber habido una reunión de estas mentes meses atrás, cuando parecía que todo el mundo, pero el UDP sabía que una crisis se avecinaba. Pero por el amor de todos los santos, ¿cómo puede una cumbre económica ser organizada por el Consejo de la Ciudad de Belice? ¿Como hemos llegado a estar tan hundidos en m&@ e$ que cuando nos paramos en ello, ya no es gran cosa? El Consejo de la Ciudad de Belice celebre una cumbre económica es una broma. No una divertida, claro está, pero sigue siendo una broma. Gente de adentro del UDP dicen que la alcaldesa Zenaida Moya se le ocurrió la brillante idea de una cumbre como su versión de la superioridad puesto que su archienemigo Dean Barrow ha sido acusado de no tener idea de lo que se refiere a protegerse de esta tormenta política. Todo eso está muy bien, pero no quita la estupidez del Consejo de la Ciudad de Belice para celebrar una cumbre económica. Si Zenaida Moya ha decidido organizar una cumbre sobre under-deposit, no habría ninguna queja de este trimestre. Si Zenaida Moya ha decidido organizar una cumbre sobre el enriquecimiento de la familia y amigos a través de los buenos acuerdos, no sería una sutileza de este lado. Joder, si Zenaida Moya hubiera decidido escribir un libro titulado - "Cómo hacerse rico rápido en la vida política" - no habría ni un solo murmullo en este periódico. Pero, maldita sea, Zenaida Moya decidió celebrar una cumbre orientada a encontrar soluciones económicas en estos tiempos difíciles - ¿como de ridículo es esto? Hay una regla no escrita y no escrita en la política. Los políticos son elegidos en el poder con una pizarra limpia. Desde allí, depende de ellos si son malos o buenos. Cuando se trata del lado malo, a los políticos se les da un montón de soga por el pueblo. Nos guste o no, eso es sólo la forma en que lo es. Los beliceños somos de naturaleza tranquila, Dios bendiga nuestras almas. Por lo que aguantamos, aguantamos y aguantamos todas las porquerías que empujan hacia nosotros todos los políticos, y luego nos tomamos un poco más. Véase, sin embargo, la regla es que la

vieja basura no desaparece en el aire cuando la basura nueva se apalea en la carretilla política - y así sucesivamente hasta que, como habrás adivinado, te lo esperas. Y cuando ese algo es la tolerancia y la paciencia del pueblo de Belice, todo el infierno se desata. Pregúntale a los PUP, si no lo cree – esa es la dura lección que aprendieron en el 2008. Zenaida Moya tiene ya casi agoto su bienvenida en la política electoral. El sensor de m#$e%$ del pueblo de Belice está hasta el limite y la tolerancia y paciencia con las travesuras de la alcaldesa, pero se han agotado. A decir verdad, los beliceños se merecen algún tipo de premio por aguantar tanta basura de Zenaida durante tanto tiempo. La cosa es que Zenaida Moya es responsable por el peor Ayuntamiento en toda la historia de Belice. Gracias a Zenaida Moya,

el Consejo de la Ciudad de Belice está totalmente en bancarrota, tanto económica como moralmente. Quite la politiquería de la ecuación y la realidad es que el Ayuntamiento UDP no ha tenido un logro creíble a su crédito en casi 5 años con Zenaida a la cabeza (sí, a Citco le gusta jactarse de que pavimentaron Albert y Regent Street, pero fue en realidad el Ministerio de Obras Públicas que hizo eso). Nuestras calles están en las peores condiciones que nunca. Nuestros desagües están obstruidos y sucios. Los montones de basura maloliente, podrida han tomado la ciudad. Los parques están llenos de monte crecido y descuidados - y eso es sólo en la infraestructura. Por otro lado, la alcaldesa Zenaida Moya se enfrenta actualmente a cargos criminales después de que una auditoria reveló más de un cuarto de millón de dólares que faltan de las arcas del Consejo. Moya ha sido acusada de malversación de fondos por nada menos que el Ministerio de

Gobierno Local. Su propio partido la ha llamado una ladrona a través de un comunicado oficial. El Consejo es un caos por las luchas internas constantes. Grandes denuncias de corrupción flotan como nubes oscuras sobre el Ayuntamiento. Debido a Zenaida Moya, más de 100 trabajadores de BML fueron despedidos pocas semanas antes de Navidad. Y Zenaida Moya celebra una cumbre económica. ¡Qué broma! Recuerde esa regla que no esta escrita ni hablada. Bueno, la cosa es que los medios de comunicación desempeñan un papel importante en conseguir el balance de movimiento. Por alguna razón, los medios de comunicación por la gran parte siguen dando un pase a la alcaldesa. Los medios de comunicación ni siquiera deberían haber corrido la historia de esa cumbre económica ofrecida por la alcaldesa y su Ayuntamiento. En serio! Pero no te preocupes - sólo palea otro montón de basura en esa vieja carretilla y vamos a seguir adelante. Pero el día de la Alcaldesa pronto vendrá, no nos equivoquemos al respecto. Algo tienen que ceder ...!

Los hipócritas de la Semana

Esta ha sido una semana excepcional para los hipócritas en el campamento del UDP, y, francamente, el panel de selección esta confundido e incapaz de llegar con sólo un pícaro UDP para ajustarse al proyecto de ley en este tema. En realidad, el grupo concluyo con cinco nombres - Así es, los cinco galardonados dignos citados por la duplicidad sin precedentes y un doble lenguaje. Esta semana, el Belice Times se enorgullece en presentar al Dr. Manuel Esquivel, director general de la Oficina del Primer Ministro Audrey Wallace, la primera esposa y segunda dama Lois Young, el primer hijo y principito Anwar Barrow y, por supuesto, Net Vásquez. De estos cinco, podríamos decir muchas cosas, algunas de ellas buenas, pero a los efectos de esta columna, vamos a echar un vistazo a su hipocresía. Desde el principio, el Belice Times ha llamado la adquisición de BTL, nada más que un estado sancionado y secuestro estatal implantado. El Primer Ministro, que realmente se ha ganado el título honorífico de hipócrita a perpetuidad, viajo alto en el sentimiento anti-

Ashcroft, visiones nacionalistas y las promesas de oro, cuando secuestró BTL. Tres meses más tarde el sentimiento anti-Ashcroft está disminuyendo, la visión nacionalista ha sido dejada de lado desde que Barrow anuncio su intención de volver a privatizar BTL, y que era el plan a todo lo largo, y las promesas de oro no se han materializado - no una de ellas. Barrow prometido poner fin a los litigios - en cambio, BTL /GOB están vinculados a litigios interminables. Barrow prometió hacer más eficiente BTL - en lugar la empresa sufre una hemorragia de dinero en efectivo en grandes corrientes. Y ahora, a nuestros cinco hipócritas! Cada uno de estos hipócritas ha perpetuado la gran mentira concebida por su Primer Ministro. Cada uno de estos individuos ha aparecido en frente de los beliceños y les han hecho un flaco favor. Al mismo tiempo que proclamaba que Ashcroft estaba sangrando la empresa, estas personas han asegurado de que sus propias camas están bien acolchadas. Lois se sienta en el Consejo de BTL y afirma que la compañía está en una situación

desesperada, sin embargo, ella está haciendo millones con BTL / GOB. Anwar está haciendo un montón de dólares como director, no es sólo parte del Consejo de BTL, sino también es un "consultor de empresas." Net Vásquez se ha asegurado la plataforma de su nido personal, utilizando los recursos de BTL (hablemos de NCN y el ARCOS, Net). Y, por supuesto, Manuel Esquivel y Audrey Wallace nunca deben ser perdonados, porque son una parte integral de la catástrofe a punto de caer sobre BTL. Ambos se enfrentan a la nación con las expresiones de sus rostros angelicales (en realidad ninguno de ellos tiene la suficiente apariencia angelical) mientras que uno escucha las tonterías absolutas y mentiras que están siendo vertidas por Lois, Anwar y Net. Al final del día, son estas cinco personas, junto con su Primer Ministro, que tendrán que responder por la destrucción de BTL, debido a la incompetencia, mezquindad, despumación (por el UDP), y la mala gestión. Realmente son los hipócritas de la semana.

The Belize Times

sunday, December 13, 2009

UDP Políticas, como siempre El culo del caballo...

En serio, tenemos que dejar de tolerar todo esta m@ e #$ y basura que nos dan de comer a diario. No podía creer una historia en las noticias la otra noche en la que se multó a una pobre mujer de Gales Point porque su caballo mordió a alguien. La mujer explicó que el caballo era un caballo juguetón que se mantiene atado. Alguna alma aventurera se subió al caballo y se metió con él y el caballo en broma, como yo lo entiendo, mordió en la persona. Así que aquí está nuestro inspector de salud, el Sr. Bernard, pontificándose sobre qué tan grave es esto, y cómo otras personas deben tener cuidado porque van a tratar otras molestias públicas como esta con seriedad. Hombre, eso es un error. Si el caballo era un caballo agresivo y un terror para el barrio y todo eso, yo diría fue un buen trabajo hecho por el Sr. Bernard. Pero ese no es el caso aquí. ¿Sabes qué?, si el inspector de salud quiere encontrar una molestia pública, hay una bien grande sentada allí, en North Front Street en el Ayuntamiento. De hecho, hay un montón de molestias a la población allí. Y si el señor Bernard quiere tomar en serio su trabajo, nosotros estaríamos encantados de poder dirigirlo a cualquiera de los miles de montones de basura en la ciudad de Belice. Tenemos que ser realistas y dejar de tolerar estas tonterías de estas personas. La vida es real aquí y todos están allí jugando juegos ...

Barrow a Copenhague ...

El Primer Ministro, el Viceprimer Ministro y un grupo se dirigirán a Copenhague, este sábado para asistir a una cumbre sobre el cambio climático. Tengo un problema fundamental con eso. En primer lugar, el cambio climático ni siquiera entra en la cartera del Primer Ministro. A sabiendas de que el Viceprimer Ministro es intelectualmente cuestionado, pero eso es su problema. Hay expertos entre ellos como el Dr. Kenrick Leslie, que puede hacer frente a cualquiera de los asuntos en la cumbre y que informara a la mayoría de los jefes si es necesario. La asistencia de Barrow, se limitará a ser una oportunidad en las fotografías y en perfiles. Pero este no es el momento para eso. El Primer Ministro es el Ministro de Hacienda. Belice esta sin duda en los peores momentos financieros de su joven vida. La economía está en recesión. La gente se muere de hambre. El Primer Ministro debería de estar reflexionando y reventándose los sesos para encontrar una solución a los problemas de nuestra pequeña nación. ¿Cree usted que los 100 trabajadores de BML que están sin trabajo se preocupan sobre la cumbre de Copenhague? Diablos, no, su preocupación inmediata es cómo van a alimentar a sus hijos esta noche. Déjale el cambio climático a los expertos, Dean, y lidea con tu m@ e&# aquí. Usted quería el trabajo.

Más Juegos ...

Zenaida Moya celebro una cumbre económica (insertar risas aquí) la semana pasada en un intento de eclipsar al primer ministro que es cierto es una de esas aves tontas cuando se trata de la economía y no tiene idea de cómo conducir el país hacia adelante. El PM se enojó, por lo que ahora ha anunciado que reducirá los salarios pagados a los concejales de la ciudad de Belice. Jefe, tiene que dejar de jugar aquí, porque la vida es real. Demonios, sí, córtele el salario dado a los Consejeros. De hecho quitar los salarios de los consejeros nos asegura más de que no han hecho nada por la ciudad. Por no mencionar que todos ellos también tienen puestos de trabajo muy cómodos con el GOB. Esto es como cuando Dean decidió llamar a Zenaida una ladrona más de un año después de todo el mundo la estaba llamando a una ladrona, y luego se levantó para decir que había actuado de forma decisiva. Hombre, deja de jugar. Dean debería haber hecho un infierno desde hace mucho tiempo y tal vez no estaría en este lío, y tal vez el Consejo de la Ciudad podría haber pagado sus cuentas y quizás más de 100 trabajadores no se habrían quedado sin trabajo ahora. Me di cuenta de que Dean nunca fue tan lejos como para decir que reduciría el salario del alcalde también. Parece que cuando se trata de la dama, las pelotas de Dean salen de vacaciones extendidas ...

Que coman pastel ...

El ministro de Obras Públicas Boots Martínez celebró una fiesta esta semana para poder quedar bien con Dean. Él sacó a los trabajadores de CYDP que aparentemente han sustituido a los trabajadores de BML, que despidieron. Escucha, para aquellos de nosotros que vivimos en la ciudad, es bastante ridículo que Dean se dio una especie de premio a la visión y el compromiso de orientación a la elevación de la ciudad. Esto es enfermizo. La declaración de Barrow, pero para mí, lo que era aún peor fue la fiesta misma. Los trabajadores fueron atraídos por algún tipo de bonificación para la Navidad, así que Dean se va a subir al podio y decir: "Yo no se de ningún bono, pero lo que puedo prometer es que voy a hacer una contribución sustancial a su Fiesta de Navidad. Y

no me refiero a $ 100 o $ 200 o $ 500... me refiero a una gran contribución". Tuve que tomar mi medicamento para la presión sanguínea después de esto. Hombre, Dean, estas realmente loco. La gente se está muriendo literalmente de hambre en nuestras calles. ¿No sabes la realidad de la vida dura bajo tu gobierno maldito? Hay niños que en serio no consiguen una buena comida saludable todos los días, pero tienen que luchar por las migajas. Pero el primer ministro no se preocupa, él va a hacer una gran contribución a una fiesta de Navidad donde los trabajadores CYDP pueden ir a comer y a emborracharse y luego ir a casa a nada. Dean, tengo una sugerencia en cuanto a donde usted puede poner su gran contribución ...

Los 7 pecados capitales

Al menos tres de los siete pecados capitales vienen a la mente cada vez que Lois los comete - la avaricia, la lujuria y la gula. Decir que Lois se le ve lloriqueando y baboseando en los canales públicos es nauseabundo no se acerca a la descripción de lo que está sucediendo ahora mismo. Por el amor de Dios, ¿cuánto Lois Young tiene que hacer antes de que este satisfecha? Ella ya es la representante permanente ante la ONU, ella es la presidenta de la SSB, ella está en la junta directiva de BTL, ella es la Procuradora General, ella ha ganado millones representando al GOB, quien es la abogada en el expediente para BTL donde esta haciendo muchos millones más. Esta situación esta pasada de absurda, mucho más allá del punto de conflictos de intereses, el nepotismo indecente y bruto pasado lejano y lindando con la locura. Si el Primer Ministro considera que tiene que pagarle a Lois por algún mal que le hizo en el pasado, entonces eso es su problema! No deberíamos estar pagando el precio por las transgresiones del Primer Ministro. Lois esta semana estuvo en la corte en frente de la CJ, porque inteligente es la búsqueda de una orden judicial contra BTL por interrumpir sus servicios. Ella estaba allí como abogado de BTL, pero pidió a la CJ retrasar la sesión porque tenía que asistir a una reunión de SSB. Es ridículo. Incluso en tiempos de abundancia para todo esto sería ridículo. Pero estos son los momentos más difíciles. Al parecer, sólo Lois y el clan tienen acceso a la riqueza.

Canal 7 es parcial...

Los beliceños necesitamos boicotear el Canal 7, al menos cuando se trata de informar acerca de algo que ver con BTL. Net Vásquez el jefe de la Junta de Directores de BTL. Net Vásquez también es el propietario de Canal 7. Toda la información en el Canal 7, que se ha hecho sobre el asunto de BTL ha sido totalmente parcial y sesgada. En particular, hubo una noticia que me molestó. Hubo una notificación importante de Smart y un paso significativo en el banco que está reclamando una indemnización de BTL. Canal 7 corrió las dos historias al final de la noticia (7:42-7:43 para ser exactos) y la denuncia fue superficial e incompleta. Smart debería retirar todos sus anuncios del Canal 7. Canal 7 está haciendo un flaco favor a los beliceños que han llegado a confiar en su credibilidad.

Grabaciones antiguas...

Alguien en la oficina de prensa del GOB debe haber pasado bastante tiempo escarbando en un antiguo video de trabajos en carreteras en progreso. Esa es la única explicación de una noticia que vi anoche. Uno de los Consejeros en Belmopan era entrevistado y explicaba que el Consejo está llegando al final de un programa de tres meses de obras de carreteras. Según este concejal, es sólo una parte de sus trabajos de rutina del programa y en la actualidad todas las calles en Belmopan han sido arregladas. Hombre, por favor. Las calles de Belmopan son un lío de mil demonios. Tuve que llamar a un par de personas cuando vi las noticias a preguntar si me estaba volviendo loco. El alcalde López tiene que dejar de jugar un poco con material antiguo de la oficina de prensa y dejar de tratar de engañar a la gente. Nada se esta realizando en Belmopan. Las calles son un desastre, el pasto esta sobrecrecido. Demonios no, el George Price Boulevard ya no es un boulevard, es sólo una carretera picada de un solo carril. En serio! El alcalde López debería estar avergonzado de sí mismo.

Preguntas a los ministros

¿Podría por favor el Primer Ministro y Ministro de Finanzas decirnos quien pago por los 300 teléfonos Digicell que se les dio a los empleados de SSB en un patético intento de aumentar la base de clientes de BTL?

¿Será el Primer Ministro y Ministro de Finanzas capaz de explicar por qué se va a Copenhague para una cumbre sobre cambio climático lo que ni siquiera es parte de su cartera mientras que hay expertos para hacer frente a esta cuestión? ¿El Primer Ministro podrá admitir que hay cuestiones más urgentes que requieren su atención en Belice?

sunday, December 13, 2009

The Belize Times

Imagina las Posibilidades? bemos…

ahora si sa MÁS

Desempleo

MÁS

Pobreza

MÁS

Impuestos

MÁS

Crimen

MÁS

Injusticia

MÁS

Corrupcion

Gracias

Señor Barrow

Nos Vemos en el

2 0 1 3

El Bejuco Emisión de Gases…

El jefe pelón se nos fue para Copenhague y se ha levado a toda una gran delegación, para representarnos en la mundial de la emisión de gases.. Se nos ha tornado muy ambientalista el Primer Ministro... Pesando a ridículo… Que emisión de gases hemos de tener por aquí, pues ni siquiera de los frijolitos porque ya ni para eso nos alcanza… De paso se llevo a Agapito el experto de aduanas para aprender cuando los flatos son de gases de frijol de contrabando. Ahora se interesan por los cambios de clima, a nosotros lo único que nos importa es que la navidad se nos viene encima, no hay chamba, no hay pisto y este pelón anda en esa pamplina La fábrica de Tower Hill no ha iniciado la molienda, y hay que ponerle rienda, Pero este pelón anda de fisgón, haciéndose el chungón por otros lares a través de los mares…El cañero le importa un comino, ni siquiera piensa en ellos el anda comiendo caviar y tomando buen vino.. Si de gases quieres aprender tápale la naricita a Agapito y déjanos contrabandear el negro frijolito, que huele tan bonito…

El Peladero

El gobierno superviso un contrato con pescadores de Jamaica, ahora se quieren hacer los locos, otra tonada de la misma balalaika.. El pueblo de punta Gorda está en contra, y con mucha sazón porque es una falta de razón del gobierno del pelón. Un Noble Inspector de policía ha sido insultado, ultrajado y humillado pues de chofer de shyne lo han mandando, todo el departamento se ha mancillado y el comisionado totalmente callado… y el ministro de tan ebrio ni cuenta se ha dado.. El Pelón nacionalizo BTL, Ahora nacionalizo los préstamos de BTL, esta locura está bien dura, ahora dice que tenemos los prestamos de BTL pero no los debemos.. Así como arte de magia… ¡Por favor Pelón nacionaliza los bancos y de paso también nuestras cuentas…!! El dúo apático de Primera Señora y Primera Hija han representado a BTL en la corte, el gigante de comunicaciones ha querido madrear a su pequeño competidor SMART. Estas damas no le dejan nada a nadie, ni porque es miembro de la junta de directores le ha dejado oportunidad a otro abogado. ¡Que Golosa….!! Después del resultado de la corte, quizá Net se busque un buen abogado... porque la glotona será saltona pero no muy bien razona… El concilio de la ciudad de Belize sigue con problemas financieros, no hay dinero excepto para pagar los sueldos de los concejales... El jefe pelón ha girado ordenes de que se rebajen los salarios, quizá lo mismo debería de hacer con sus ministros, además de ponerle un alto a sus excesos. Boots por ejemplo anda con un sin fin de guardaespaldas, todos asalariados del gobierno, pagados con la fondos de su famoso programa de Limpieza de la ciudad... y encima también tiene asignados a policías las veinticuatro horas del día… el miedo es cosa seria. Se ha pasado a vivir al Norte de la ciudad. Quien nada debe, nada teme… Mr. Boots. Quizá El pelón no puede decirle nada total Mr. Boots Alquila una casa de la familia y por encima de todo también le ha dado su regalo de navidad: Boots Le ha pavimentado al jefe pelón su calle… Mientras nosotros andamos saltando baches y charcos, El primer Ministro ha sido servido primero… ¡Feliz navidad!

The Belize Times

Sunday, December 13, 2009

The Belize Times

NATION BUILDERS

sunday, December 13, 2009

ANGELA GEGG Elizabeth Pridgeon Angela Gegg – despite her youth – has achieved more for Belizean artistry than many of her much-older peers. From the tender age of 16, Angela has been publicly displaying her artwork and representing Belize on an international level, gaining a reputation for the country as hosting some remarkable artistic talent. Through her painting, drawing, sculpture, entertaining, poetry and writing – not to mention her exuberant character – Angela has become a celebrity in her own right, and has gained recognition as a Belizean artist throughout the world. F r o m h e r ve r y e a r l i e s t m e m o r i e s, Angela knew that she was artistic, and her family saw evidence of her gregarious and outgoing personality years before she entered the public arena. She hosted her first art exhibition in her teenage years (no doubt while her peers were still lusting after their first taste of contraband beer), after which she sought greater experience and professionalism through tuition and employment in the United States. Even during her studies, she was always careerdr iven, and always ensured that she could financially suppor t herself, be it through restaurant work, j e we l l e r y a p p r a i s a l jobs, advertising or any other niches she could find and fill in between. Perhaps it is this broad based experience that qualifies Angela with knowledge on a wide spectrum of subjects, and she would undoubtedly be a tricky opponent in a debate! Upon her return to Belize, she found herself to be somewhat of an anomaly in a society that she considers to still be archaically patriarchal, underestimating and undervaluing women’s contributions to the community. Not only this, but her blonde beauty makes her an intriguing rarity in Belize, and she felt frustrated at being doubted as a ‘true’ Belizean. Not that this is a concern for her any more, now that she has reached national (and international) stardom, but it certainly required her to believe in herself in times of adversity. Having recently celebrated her 30th birthday (although her spritely character and youthful looks make you wonder!), she is now acclaimed as one of Belize’s most unique and talented artists. Her passion for art seeps deep into all aspects of her life, and her birthday was celebrated with her “Impulse” art show and her “Artist Confessions” book launch at the Mexican Institute of Culture and History, where she attracted crowds from all over the country, keen

to capture a moment with one of the biggest ‘up and coming’ international celebrities in our midst. Her book is a compilation of poetry, photography and artwork, and is perhaps the best representation of the enigma that Angela Gegg represents. One quote from the book, to give a feel for the complexity of this talented woman, is “I am a walking, breathing, living, thinking contradiction”. However contradictory aspects of Angela’s character and life appear to be, one thing is for certain: Angela is a leader rather

than a follower, a speaker rather than a listener (in the best possible of senses), and above all, a woman who believes female liberation to be the ultimate goal for any society. Angela’s courage to speak up for those who are silenced has led her to speak and act publicly on behalf of many of Belize’s women, whom she believes are in desperate need of empowerment. In fact, Angela is often confused as representing “feminists” and the Amandala only last week mal-advised women to shed themselves of “Angelaisms” and return to the kitchen! Angela is certainly not afraid to speak out against injustice, and she has motivated and inspired people all over the country, despite some negative criticisms along the way from people who refuse to accept her good-natured gestures as mere symbols of her altruistic character. Her greatest achievement, in her eyes, is representing a hidden hope to girls and young women, who optimistically wish for a change in the stagnant, out-dated and male-dominated system of Belize. And one cannot doubt the influence she has over such young audiences, for her fan-mail fills her inbox with a steady stream of compliments, and an ongoing

appreciation of her essential qualities. There are times, she admits, when Belize seems to suffocate her with its inequality and hypocrisy, but Angela

is well aware that too many Belizeans of her generation seek opportunities in the United States or elsewhere and never return home to Belize. This ‘brain-drain’, Angela believes, is responsible for some of the ‘backward’ aspects of Belizean society, and she urges all Belizeans to remember their roots, and to use their enhanced qualifications, experience and wisdom acquired elsewhere to help their fellow Belizeans improve their opportunities in life here in Belize. It is undeniable that Angela makes a difference to many people’s lives, by not ‘abandoning ship’ like many of her peers, but by instead trying to make Belize a more attractive home for the thousands of young Belizeans

who are eternally weighing-up between emigrating or staying in Belize. And so, far from being nominated as a Nation Builder on the strength of her artistic talent, Angela Gegg represents so many other qualities besides that Belize is desperately in need of to carry itself securely through the twenty-first centur y. Angela is a frequent motivational speaker and poetry performer to school audiences; she contributed to the University of Belize’s “Women in Literature” forum; she is a regular feature on tv shows (including as the former host of Tek It or Leave It) and radio commentary (having acted as an anchor for Channel 7’s Carnival Coverage for several years), and she is an exemplary supporter of various charities and organisations (including the Humane Society – animal welfare being an issue particularly close to her heart). It seems Angela’s energy shows no limits, which can only be an even greater asset to Belizean society as she enters her thirties. She is currently working on the publication of her next book entitled “Seven” which asserts a belief that holistic living can be attained via dedication to seven simple philosophies of life. Doubtless there will also be many other exciting events coming up involving Angela Gegg, not to mention frequent book signing and art exhibition tours (such as on December 19th at the San Pedro Image Factory). Angela Gegg is a great asset to Belize, and for anyone who thinks otherwise: I challenge you to take it to Angela for discussion. Once you meet her, you’ll appreciate her for all she’s worth which is as a unique Nation Builder of Belize!

sunday, December 13, 2009

The Belize Times

VOICES Village

from the

SANDHILL

Elizabeth Pridgeon Of all the places I have visited during this column, Sandhill was the biggest surprise. A place where I had previously encountered drunks skulking around shop fronts, dubious looking characters trying to secure

are the rightful owners today; thus the village is restricted in its size, and as it already spreads several miles along the highway, it is illogical to extend it even further without creating a whole new subdivision. The village is well served by two

rides into the City at every bump, and an (occasionally irritating) police check point determined to delay travellers, it is perhaps forgivable that I had a somewhat negative impression of the village itself. Yet when I actually took the time to stop in Sandhill, meet the villagers and discuss village issues with them, I felt so embraced by them, and so delighted to witness sincerity and community support (which are increasingly elusive qualities in today’s society) that the hours seemed to disappear far quicker than I would have liked. Sandhill was appropriately named due to a casual reference of the nearby sand mound that was visible from the Belize River during the 1940s, when boat travel was the principal means of transport, and when people began populating the area. Asking to disembark the boat by the ‘sand hill’ was a phrase used for so long that the name stuck. A predominantly rural area throughout the course of its life, Sandhill has become more ‘urbanised’ since the paving of the Northern Highway, and latterly since the development of two new residential areas: Maxboro and New Site, both of which were opened since the 1990s, and both of which are full to capacity today, suggesting that Sandhill is increasingly popular as a place to settle. However, many of the old-standing families of the village have since emigrated to the United States, and the few remaining locals complain that they no longer know their fellow villagers because so many have arrived from ‘outside’. Whereas in the 1960s, residents remember land values peaking at around $20/acre, today there are serious problems with land distribution because several deceased members of the community held vast land titles and there is little comprehension as to who

progressive schools, where the syllabi are insightful and modern (including a strong emphasis in ‘Expressive Arts’) and an excellent pre-school. However, despite ‘Clear the Land’ Castro basing his rural north office in the village, he is deemed relatively useless as far as village progression is concerned. The preschool approached him for assistance with the tiling of the premises, but to no avail. Recently, he has also been criticized for attempting to evict a farmer from Baker’s Ranch, despite the ex-patriot having successfully created a unique agricultural industry for the village. Despite the mainstay of the village surviving on subsistence agriculture, the fish, cattle and fruit farms are nowhere near as abundant (nor productive) as in the past with the exception of lime trees, which still prevail in the “Lime Walk” area. Aside from this, industry is seriously lacking in Sandhill and even though BWSL has its water plant in the area, few villagers are directly employed by the utility provider. The relatively fledgling cashew seed processing plant has already been closed due to financial restraints, and the pepper plant never became as big an employer as was hoped for. Perhaps it is this perception of hopelessness that has encouraged the crime rate to soar over the past year, and the village now regularly reports on thefts, hold-ups and burglaries. However, many of the perpetrators are thought to come from the City area (and to a lesser extent Ladyville), although only a minority are caught and brought to justice, partly because of the flaws in the local police system. The one resident policeman is expected to maintain order in the far-stretching village despite having his police vehicle donated to a ‘more deserving village’: an action which is condemned by villagers

as being purely political, in true UDP style. Despite villagers being forced to deal with different problems today than in the past, it continues to be a pleasant place to live and raise a family, according to residents. Sandhill retains its reputation as a sporty society, boasting a plethora of teams including cricket, basketball, softball and football. But above all, it is the caring and sharing sentiments of the villagers that make it so admirable today. People appear to go

beyond the call of duty to help a fellow villager (and to an only slightly lesser extent, anyone in their midst), and the community solidarity is what has held the village together throughout times of adversity in its history. It can only be hoped that – whatever other tricks the UDP have up its sleeve to disadvantage or ‘chance’ the folk of Sandhill – the village community will unite even stronger than ever and provide the hope necessary to believe in a brighter Belizean future.

The Belize Times

Sunday, December 13, 2009

The Belize Times

2000 AUTO BEAUTY CENTRE Elizabeth Pridgeon A few months ago, a new service for car owners opened in Corozal, which promises to improve the standard of auto-care throughout the northern region. 2000 Auto Beauty Centre provides a range of services including body wash, engine wash, under wash, waxing and tyre repair for any sized private vehicle. Chinese business man, Jian Wen Chen has always been passionate about cars, engines and motors, and when his son graduated from college at the end of the last academic year, they opened up the premises to offer a much needed ser vice to Corozaleños. Situated between the bus terminal and the police

F&H GROCERY STORE (MASKALL)

Elizabeth Pridgeon F & H , p o p u l a r l y k n ow n a s “Faith and Hope” is a quaint grocery store on the edges of the Old Northern Highway, whose customs (and customers) have been handed down through the generations in Maskall. The store is proud to stock “a touch of everything”, from tinned groceries to fresh bread to cosmetics and hardware. Be it a last-minute supper, a punctured bicycle tyre, or a mal-fitting plumbing problem at home, F&H can nearly always satisfy their customers’ needs. F&H has established itself such a reputation over the years, that numerous companies from both Orange Walk and Belize City are willing to supply the village store, offering complimentary delivery, thus minimizing costs, which allows the best possible prices for customers. Delivered goods include La Popular bakery products, Caribbean Chicken, Quality Poultry, Grace and Bowen&Bowen soft drinks. Aside from all these goods, the owners of F&H make frequent trips to town to purchase other goods. Villagers also use the premises to sell their home-made produce, including tortillas, fry jacks, hand-made bread, tamales, panades and meat pies. F&H has provided quality service and customer satisfaction to residents and visitors of Maskall for years, and continues to do so today. The shop is open Monday to Saturday, 7.30am to noon, and 3pm to 8pm, and again on a Sunday for a half-day of trading, and invites anyone and everyone to pay it a visit!

station, the business welcomes a steady stream of customers seeking services

for their vehicles. The Chen father and son team are

sunday, December 13, 2009

assisted by two local workers, and in the future they hope to employ a mechanic to extend the services they offer. They also sell a wide selection of engine oil and gear oil, alongside various other auto supplies. Clients are welcome to deposit their vehicle at 2000 Auto Beauty Centre and collect it later in the day, or they may wait in the seating area for short jobs to be completed. The Chen’s are confident that their value-for-money offers, such as $10-$15 for a car wash, and extensive discounts on multiple consecutive services, will ensure the viability of the enterprise for many years to come. 2000 Auto Beauty Centre represents a new level of innovation in Corozal, and it can only be hoped that it will inspire others to follow suit elsewhere in Belize.

sunday, December 13, 2009

The Belize Times

Guinea Grass Let Down by Fire Service

Isabel Vasquez On Wednesday, 9th December, the First Annual Guinea Grass Public Safety and Preparedness Fair took place on the village green in Guinea Grass. The event was organised by the village-based BUILD Institute: Belizeans United in Innovation, Learning and Development, under the leadership of Mr Julio Uck. The BUILD Institute is a faith-based organization which aims to promote the holistic development of Guinea Grass, and by extension, Belize as a whole. The Fair was organised several months ago with the intention of promoting public and personal safety among villagers, and also to create a platform for discussion of community concerns. Each of the three primary schools in the village attended the event: the Roman Catholic School attended the opening ceremony, and then visited the various booths with questions and queries, and later on in the day other school children attended the

event following examinations in the morning. Participants in Wednesday’s special event included the Guinea Grass Village Council, the national Transport Department, the Community Policing Unit, the Department of Human Services and COMPAR. However, despite weeks of promises and confirmation that the Orange Walk Fire Department would attend (as fire is a major hazard that regularly threatens village safety), representatives from this service provider failed to attend. Apparently, at the last minute the Fire Department instead

offered to arrange a day in January when they would parade around the village in the fire engine, but organisers are doubtful that this promise will be fulfilled either. However, despite this minor setback, the Public Safety and Preparedness Fair was still a success for the community of Guinea Grass. Villagers were able to voice their concerns and queries to members of the Police Force, Transport Department and other agencies, who all attended to offer support and advice. Thus it is hoped that the information given will assist various village schools, alongside the community in general, with matters of personal and public safety, and will better equip the community to deal with a potential safety threat. It is also hoped that not only will this be the first of many such events in Guinea Grass, but that the idea will also

be adopted by other villages across the country, to ultimately promote greater public safety on a national level.

What is integrity?

Isabel Vasquez Integrity is about values, principles, morals and a consistency ensuring that a person always treats others the way they deserve to be treated. “Love thy neighbour as thyself ” is synonymous with integrity. Yet despite having a hugely religious component in this country, we still apparently lack integrity. How is it possible that the managerial girl who “appears” like a caring and sharing sort is actually robbing her company out of tens of thousands of dollars, and encouraging those within her jurisdiction to “keep quiet” about the scandal? How is it that the policewoman who so convincingly gained her role as front of desk at one of the country’s leading police stations is, in fact, incompetent, rude, disrespectful and an incredibly poor representative of the Belizean justice system; she is “lousy” even according to her colleagues, and yet she maintains her role even without the necessary integrity. And how on earth did the Clerk of Court in Belize City receive her posting when the list of complaints against her is almost longer than the list of customers served altogether. Accusing perfectly respectable citizenry of “lone foolishness”, handing out mis-copied memos and official letters and confronting people with a growl rather than a smile are all definitive examples of the opposite of integrity. And yet these people seem to flourish in Belize. Integrity is like respect, in my opinion. Having a reputation for integrity needs to be earned just as to receive respect requires hard-work. Similarly, if people are under the authority of someone who shows no sign of integrity, then they are liable to slip into similarly displeasing patterns of personal relations. Is that the problem afflicting Belizean society at the moment, perhaps, that we are ruled by a political party that shows little or no integrity, and therefore we too are becoming careless and lazy in our day-to-day existence? It is time for integrity to once again take centre stage in all aspects of Belizean society from the carefree shop-assistant, to the off-duty police officer, to every government official and employee in every district of our country. A great philosopher once said that “our character...is an omen of our destiny, and the more integrity we have and keep, the simpler and nobler that destiny is likely to be”. Surely, even the most sour-faced of public servants realises that “from dust we came, and to dust we shall return”. It is not who we were born, nor what undeservingly good job we can boast of on our CV, nor who we die, but how we live our life in between that determines our destiny. Integrity is not something to write home about. It is not a characteristic that you proudly shout about from the rooftops. It is just how we should behave. And how we should expect others to behave. So this festive season, let us all try and display a little more integrity for the betterment of our fellow men. Just maybe it will make for a more promising start to 2010.

sunday, December 13, 2009

The Belize Times

Belize #1 Sports Page

Gwen Liz girls win 4th back-toback CSSSA Basketball Champs Belize City, December 4, 2009 The undefeated Gwen Lizarraga High School girls won their 4th back-toback-to-back Central Secondary Schools Sports Association (CSSSA) basketball championship, blowing away the Pallotti High School girls in both games of the finals at the Belize City Center last Thursday and Friday night. Sheryn Nunez scored 18pts. leading the Gwen Liz girls to a 51-23 win against the Pallotti High girls in Game 2 of the finals on Friday. Glenda Torres scored 15 pts as the Gwen Liz girls led from the getgo: 12-2 in the 1st quarter, 23-11 at the half time break and 35-16 by the end of the 3rd quarter. Jaslyn Cadle added 8pts, team captain Candice Neal averaged 7pts in both finals and Deandra Coote scored a free throw. Pallotti’s team captain Shinelle Lord hit 2 long treys to score 11pts, and Vicky Zelaya was double your pleasure with another 11pts. Khadijah Wilson scored a free throw. Sheryn Nunez also scored 17pts as she led the Gwen Liz girls to a 40-16 win against the Pallotti High girls in Game 1 of the finals on Thursday. Glenda Torres added 11pts, while Audreana Meighan, Janeka Hilton and Krystal Harris each tossed in a bucket. Pallotti’s Vicky Zelaya and Shinelle Lord each hit a trey; Vicky had 11pts, Shinelle - 5. It’s been a glide for the Gwen Liz

girls who have not lost a game since winning the 2006 CSSSA basketball championship. The Gwen Liz girls will represent CSSSA at the upcoming National Secondary Schools Sports Association (NSSSA) basketball championships to be hosted by the Delille Academy at Why Not Island in Dangriga over the weekend, December 11-12. The Gwen Liz girls will take on the Western champions - Belmopan Comprehensive in the opening game on Friday evening, while the northern champions –San Pedro High School will face off against the Southern champions, Delille Academy in the second female game. The winners play for the championship on Saturday morning, while the losers will play for third place.

Gwen Liz boys win Basketball Champs Belize City, December 5, 2009 The Gwen Lizarraga High School boys won the 2009 Central Secondary Schools Sports Association (CSSSA) basketball championship, upsetting the defending champs the Sadie Vernon Technical High School boys in Games 2 & 3 at the Belize City Center last Friday night and Saturday morning. In game 1 on Thursday, the Sadie Vernon boys won 74-71 over Gwen Liz; Kachief Thomas led with 37 pts while Aaron Cooper added 15 pts. Raheem Gaynair was good for 10pts and Peter Mckoy had 8 pts. Gwen Liz captain Sherwin Garcia led with 36 pts, while their big post center Matthew Young scored 15pts; Raheem Flowers added 9pts. In Game 2 on Friday, the Gwen Liz boys tied the series at 1-1 with a 71-67 win over the Sadie Vernon boys. Matthew Young top-scored with 34 pts, Sherwin Garcia added 15pts and Raheem Flowers had 7pts, Akeem Trapp chipped in 5pts. Kachief Thomas led Sadie Vernon with 34 pts and Raheem Gaynair and Aaron Cooper each added 8pts as they led 19-15 in the 1st quarter. Peter Mckoy added 6pts

and London Reneau – 5pts as Sadie Vernon continued to lead 36-30 at the half. In Game 3 on Saturday, the Gwen Liz boys took the championship 7061. Again the Sadie Vernon boys led 19-11 in the 1st quarter, and powered by Kashief Thomas’ 27pts and Peter McKoy who added 12pts, they still led 33-26 at the half. Matthew Young led the Gwen Liz boys with 29 game points as they narrowed the lead to 50-49 by the end of the 3rd quarter. Sherwin Garcia added 15pts as they took over the game in the money time. T he Gwen Liz girls will represent CSSSA at the upcoming National Secondary Schools Sports Association (NSSSA) basketball championships to be hosted by the Delille Academy at Why Not Island in Dangriga over the weekend, December 11-12. The Gwen Liz boys will take on the Western champions – Sacred Heart College in the opening game on Friday evening, while the northern champions –San Pedro High School will face off against the Southern champions, Stann Creek Ecumenical in the second male game. The winners play for the championship on Saturday morning, while the losers will play for third place.

The Belize Times

sunday, December 13, 2009

Belize #1 Sports Page

Club 313 & Nestles Crunch/Baba Shop win big in interoffice softball Belize City, December 5, 2009 The Ministry of Education/First Caribbean Bank enjoyed 3 back-to-back to-back wins, Club 313 posted its 10th win and Nestle’s Crunch/Baba Shop posted its 2nd win when the Belize City interoffice softball competition continued at the home of softball at the Rogers Stadium last week. On Wednesday, the M i n i s t r y o f Education/First Caribbean Bank upset Lake I/Alberts 14-7. In the 2nd game of the evening, Club 313 spanked the Belize City Council 8-5 to give BCC their 2nd loss. The winning pitcher was Oscar Arnold and the losing pitcher was Enid Dakers. Victory never tasted so-o-o-oo sweet for Nestle’s Crunch/Baba Shop as they posted their 2nd win 17-10 over British Caribbean Bank on Thursday. The winning pitcher was Jumoke Castro and the losing pitcher was Evan Lamb. In the 2nd game of the evening BEL pitcher Adrian Gentle led the BEL Powersockets to their 7th win, hammering Tr uckers Posse 7-0. Truckers pitcher Jacqueline Bailey was credited with the loss. On Friday, Club 313 excommunicated Telemedia 21-3 to post their 10th

win. Club 313 winning pitcher was Kristalee Swazo, while the losing pitcher was Telemedia’s Francis Usher. In the nightcap, Ministry of Education/First Caribbean Bank walloped the Belize City Council 16-7. The winning pitcher was Marco Villanueva and the losing pitcher was Brian Audinett. Ministry of Education/First Caribbean Bank did it again on Saturday by running over the Truckers Posse: 9-5. The winning pitcher was Claudette Williams and the losing pitcher was Jackie Bailey.

Triple B’s win Game 1 in FFB women’s football championships finals

S a n I g n a c i o To w n , December 5, 2009 Belmopan’s Triple drilled the 3-time national female champs, Gentle Touch of Esperanza, 3-2 in Game 1 Football Federation of Belize female championship finals in the national women’s tournament at the Norman Broaster Stadium last Saturday afternoon. Kaina Martinez beat Gentle Touch goalie Abby Halliday with a grass burner of a shot that was just inside the right stick to drill home the Triple B’s 1st goal in the 5th minute of play. Tara Hernandez, Miriam Villamil and Vanessa Maldonado supported Kaina’s attacks, backed up by Shirley Codd and Rosebelle Ogaldez at midfield. Kaina did it again 5 minutes later when she caught up to a pass to center from the fleet-footed Miriam Villamil on the right wing, and ran the legs off the Gentle Touch

sweeper Kendra “Peaches” Gentle to slip the ball past Halliday at the far corner of the goal, where it ricocheted off the goalpost into the back of the net for a 2-0 lead in the 10th minute of play. The Gentle Touch coach replaced Monique Godoy with calendar girl Vashnie Gentle to tighten up his defense, as Kimberly Perez and Julie Ponce led the ‘Ranza’ girls’ counterattack, backing up Cynthia Salazar, Cindy Fuentes, Eden and Jolene Gentle at midfield. The Triple B’s defenders Rhonda Hernandez, Shadalee Ho, Robin Gillett and Daedra Valencio shut them down to hold on to their 2-0 lead up to the half time break. After the break, Halliday and Eden Gentle had exchanged jerseys and positions, with Eden Gentle taking over the goal, while Abby moved to her usual striker position up front. Christy Tillett relieved Jolene Gentle, but it was the Triple B’s Shadalee Ho who blundered into giving up a penalty when she took down Cindy Fuentes in the goal area, and Gentle Touch’s Cynthia Salazar issued no pardon, converting to put the ‘Ranza’ girls on the

scoreboard, trailing 1-2. Triple B’s Kaya Cattouse replaced Vanessa Maldonado, and Villamil and Kaina Martinez combined again to score a 3rd goal, completing Kaina’s hat trick for a 3-1 lead. Jennisha Scott entered the ball game for Kaya Cattouse, but they could not stop Kimberly Perez from trimming the lead to 2-3 with a 2nd goal for Gentle Touch. Shirley Codd kept the Triple B’s on the offensive with a corner kick, but goalie Eden Gentle handled the challenge. Somewhere in the melee of the attacks, Kaina Martinez was elbowed in the forehead by a Gentle Touch defender, resulting in a cut on her forehead that required 4 stitches. Relief goalie Dania Ramirez entered for Kaina and Lynette “Panchy” Gabourel moved out of the goal to her normal position at midfield, as the Triple B’s held onto the 3-2 win until the final whistle. Game 2 of the championship series comes up on Saturday, December 12, when the Triple B’s will host Gentle Touch at the FFB field in Belmopan.

sunday, December 13, 2009

The Belize Times

Belize #1 Sports Page

BDF wins 2009 BPFL championship Belize City, December 6, 2009 The Belize Defense Force won the 2009 Belize Premier Football League championship, blasting FC Belize 4-0 in Game 2 of the series at the M.C.C. garden on Sunday, to win 5-2 on goal aggregate after a 2-1 loss to FC Belize in Game 1 of the series. The BDF offensive was spearheaded by Orlando “Lichy” Jimenez and Dion Macaulay, backed up by Evan Mariano and Denis Serano on the wings, with David Trapp, Gilbert Swazo and Khalil Velasquez holding down the midfield. “Lichy” Jimenez gave the BDF a 2-0 lead when he headed in the 1st goal in the 12th minute, and embarrassed the FC Belize goalie Elroy Rowley a 2nd time in the 24th minute when Jimenez put the finish on

a corner kick executed by David Trapp with a header into the back of the net. The BDF led 2-0, but Ian Gaynair compounded FC Belize’s problems when he took down Deon Macaulay in the goal area in the 35th minute, and Macaulay issued no pardon as he converted the penalty to give the BDF a 3-0 lead at the half time break. FC Belize got 2 opportunities for easy goals when the referee awarded them 2 penalties in the 2nd half, but Ryan Simpson missed the first penalty and goalie Elroy Rowley choked on the 2nd. Jerome “Jaro” James and Byron Usher entered the ball game for Simpson and Sergio Gilharry in the second half, but the FC Belize lost first Nigel Franklin and then Gaynair to red card ejections. Elroy Rowley was caught with his pants down when Macaulay tapped a 4th goal past him into the net in the 85th minute for the 4-0 win. The widow of the late Sir George Brown presented the individual awards to: Most Valuable Player- BDF sweeper Vallan Symns, who also won Best Defense. The Most Valuable Player award for the playoffs went to BDF striker Dion Macaulay, who also won Best Forward. The Best Goalkeeper award went to BDF’s Woodrow West. Hankook Verdes’ Danny Jimenez won the Most Goals award: 10, while Verdes’ Norman “Tilliman” Pipersburgh won Best Midfielder, Verdes coach Peter Jones won Best Coach, and Verdes’ Sergio Chuc won Best Manager.

Greg Lovell wins 13th Alpheus Williams HIV/AIDS Day Cycling Classic Belize City, December 6, 2009 Team Santino’s Greg Lovell won the 2009 Annual Alpheus Williams AIDS Day Cycling Classic, sponsored by the Ministry of Health on Sunday. Lovell clocked 1:54:33 on the 50-mile ride from in front of the Belmopan Comprehensive School to Leslie’s Imports in Belize City to win the $500 1st prize and a trophy. There were no breaks in the peloton, which proceeded down the highway at a Tour de France pace and Lovell only edged out former teammate Marlon Castillo, now riding for Team Zamir Cycling, at the finish. Castillo claimed the $300 2nd prize and a trophy. There was some controversy as Benny’s Megabytes’ Panamanian import Christian McNish protested that Lovell had bumped him in the heated sprint to the finish. After a review of the official videos, the officials concurred

that McNish was blowing smoke and awarded him 3rd prize of $200 and a trophy. Team Typhoon’s Jairo Campos of Orange Walk won the $100 4th prize while his teammate Nissan Arana claimed the $50 5th prize. Team Zamir Cycling’s Mateo Cruz was 6th, Team Typhoon’s Hipolito Flores pulled in 7th , Sugar City Stars’ Rodrigo Leiva was 8th, Team Santino’s Domingo Lewis - 9th and Deezan Spence completed the top 10. The 6th to 10th place winners won a $25 prize each. Deezan Spence also won 1st place in the Youth category, and Ethan Neal was 2nd, finishing 30th overall. The Cayo High Road team swept all 3 top places in the Junior Category, Daniel Choto was 1st - 11th overall, Kyle Gentle was 2nd - 14th overall, and Darren Williams was 3rd - 26th

overall. Defending women’s champion, Team Sagitun’s Shalini Zabaneh clocked 1:11:59 as she won the female race from La Democracia Village at mile 30 on the Western Highway to the finish at Mile 2 for a $250 1st prize and a trophy. Team Swoosh Telemedia’s Anthea Sutherland finished 2nd to win a $150 prize and a trophy and Fiona Humes Gonzalez won the $100 3rd prize and trophy. D o m i n g o L e w i s wo n t h e Category 3 race with Team Typhoon’s Allen Castillo taking 2nd and Team Indeco’s Geon Hansen was 3rd Team San Cas Red Bull’s Steven Bissett clocked 1:10:59 to win the Masters’ category; Team Pediatric’s Barney Brown clocked 1:11:59 to place 2nd and Bissett’s teammate Andrew Cuthkelvin took 3rd place.

San Felipe Barcelona & Tex Mar Boys win thru to Superleague finals San Felipe Village, December 6, 2009 San Felipe Barcelona takes on the 2007 super league champion Tex Mar United in Game 1 of the Belize Bank Superleague football championship finals at the San Felipe field on Sunday, December 13. The San Felipe squad eliminated defending champs Valley Renaissance 7-2 on goal aggregate, following up on their 3-1 win over Valley the week before with a 4-1 blast on their home turf. Harvey Cruz delivered the first death blow to the champs in the 22nd minute, but Alex Peters soon equalized for the valley in the 23rd minute. Damian Ku made it 2-1 with a 2nd goal in the 45th minute as the San Felipe squad took a 2-1 lead to the locker room at the half. In the 2nd half, Chris Hendricks added

another nail to the valley coffin with a 3rd goal in the 78th minute and it was not quite over as Harvey Cruz embarrassed the Valley keeper with a 4th goal in the 88th minute. Tex Mar United recovered from a 2-0 deficit to Kraal Road FC in the first half to snatch a 3-2 win out of the jaws of defeat. Delroy “Thinman” Andrews embarrassed Tex Mar goalie Charlie Slusher with the 1st goal for the visitors in the 2nd minute of play, and Albert Thurton drove home a 2nd goal in the 20th minute to give the city boys 2-0 lead at the half time break. In the 2nd half, Bernard Linares put the Tex Mar boys on the score board with their 1st goal in the 53rd minute and Carlos Valle tied the score at 2-2 in the 72nd minute. Wilmer Garcia delivered the game winner in the 87th minute.

The Belize Times

Sober

Reﬂections A Political Fatwa

pre and post general elections. If I had my way, there would be a National Party Council meeting every single week, with different delegates each and every time. In this way our political leaders would be able to get the real sense of what our supporters all across the country are begging and crying and pleading for. Maybe if this had happened a long time ago, unity would be within our grasp and I

by: Michael Rudon Jr. PUP Party Leader John Briceno issued a political fatwa at this past weekend’s meeting of the National Party Council. He declared that ‘heads would roll’ if there were any further attacks against any member of the People’s United Party in any of the Party’s organs. I have personal reason to be convinced that the Party Leader was dead serious in his declaration and is dead set on doing anything within his power to ensure that there is peace and unity within the People’s United Party – all factions, units, old guard, new guard, right guard; whatever you want to call them. As I understand it, all those who were present mirrored those sentiments, calling for unity and an end to the bickering which has continued practically non-stop for a very long time now. As I understand it, there was representation from all constituencies, though a few representatives were absent. Everybody who was there that I’ve spoken to has verified that there was a cry for the Party to stop its nonsense, get its act together and focus its attention on where it should be – serving the people and decimating our political enemies, the UDP. So the message coming out of the Party Council meeting, and the political fatwa issued by the Party Leader is unity. There can be no other way. But while the call resounded over the weekend, it went out a long time before that. The Party was badly broken following elections in February of 2008. Upon taking up the reins of leadership in March of 2008, John Briceno sent out the call for unity and he has stuck to that line through fair weather and foul (to be fair it’s been mostly foul weather). Risking the perception of weakness, the Party Leader has steadfastly resisted calls to sanction this one or the other and to oust this one or the other. Though met many times with thorny bouquets, the Party Leader has extended only the olive branch, each and every time. With that said, let me just say that if word coming out of the meeting is to be valued, the Party is as close to unity as it has been since those oh so turbulent times

wouldn’t have to be laboring over a keyboard right now. See, our people need their leaders, plain and simple. Things are really, really bad in Belize right now. Throw in all this nonsense the UDP is doing right about now and I’d be willing to bet that the people are ready for a change. Serious! Things are that bad. The PUP needs to be that change. See, this damned infernal bickering is hard work and does no good for anyone. Take me, for example. I think the UDP is a bunch of idiots and incompetents who are raping the country for their personal gain. I think the UDP needs to be attacked and exposed at every turn for their callous, underhanded and victimizing ways. But I managed to get sidetracked for a time with all this petty nonsense and spent a few good hours of my life putting together insulting comments about my colleagues at the National Perspective. I’ve noticed that some of them over there have spent quite some time in attacking members of the PUP leadership (some of their leaders, actually, since they say they are PUPs). What has it achieved? Well, nothing good for the Party we all profess to love, that’s for sure. And the infighting has done much worse than just waste time – it has created tension

sunday, December 13, 2009 and distrust and frustration among our leaders and it sure as hell has confused our supporters. It has also given our political enemies somewhat of a free pass because our weapons have been directed elsewhere. With that out of the way, I say this. All factions/units/cliques/guards were represented at the National Party Council this past weekend. All of them heard the call for unity. It will be interesting to take a look at this week’s National Perspective to see if they heeded the call. It will also be interesting to study the interaction of our Belize City leaders in the weeks ahead to see if they heeded the call. As for me and the Belize Times – well let me put it this way. If the PUP is united as we head into this Christmas season, I’ll be content. And if contentment isn’t enough, then the Party Leader’s fatwa will do the trick. As close as my head has come to rolling recently, I better not push the case. So there you have it. There will be no more attacks, whether veiled or outright, against any member of the PUP whether I like and respect them or not. I close with the words of a wise old philosopher whose name I forget – can’t we all just get along?

Sunday, December 13, 2009

The Belize Times financial bankruptcy we were all left totally aghast. In his by now familiar penchant for double speak, Barrow told the nation that city councilors will be persuaded to reduce their pecuniary remunerations in return for our accepting paying a heretofore never imposed household garbage collection fee. Until that happens he most solemnly assured us, his it would appear we are also being government would not bail out the stuck with an additional $60 million City Council. And he touted this even as he plus in loans he believes he can make attended a gathering that exemplifies disappear. And to top it all off, at a time and illustrates one of the many many when we need to ensure that we things that is so wrong about his stay in the good graces of our allies governance philosophy. This week and trading partners, as well as in Dean O joined his works minister good standing with the IFI’s and Anthony “Boots” Martinez to tout international ratings agencies, his what they call their City Rejuvenation penchant for provocation is eroding Project. It is worth touting they say because it is doing the work of the goodwill and trustworthiness. Be honest, ask yourself, where Belize City Council. If only the pair would spend as will all this end and how do we much time and energy (and money) “escape” serious damage? It is no wonder that when guiding the affairs of the Belize this week Dean Oliver unveiled City Council it is quite possible that his grand plan for “rescuing” the we would not need a so-called city Belize City Council from moral and rejuvenation project. But then again

Strictly Personal Barrow is bogus!

by glenntillett@yahoo.com This week Prime Minister Dean Barrow added insult to the injury that is the massive mis-management that is so characteristic of this Belize City Council by “proposing” that City residents pay a fee for the collection of household garbage. A pox upon this tax I say. Barrow is so out of touch with reality that I am starting to believe that his judgment has been indeed warped by his meds, the ones he is taking for a chronic and painful back problem. I questioned my own judgment this week because I started off the week trying to convince myself that the honourable PM would tone down his rhetoric and take a more conciliatory stance viz-a-viz the former majority shareholder(s) of Belize Telemedia Limited and the British Caribbean Bank. I was almost certain that after reflection and consultation he would’ve realized that continued public hostilities could not bring about any “good” resolution to what is now a full-blown crisis. I was thinking that when you shout at the Devil, you know that that single act of bravado can carry the gravest of consequences and there comes a time when you should tack in the direction of caution as you wait to see what unfolds. But not the feckless Dean Oliver Barrow, self-styled master of the game. Instead of toning it down the man instead ratchets up the rhetoric in a desperate strategy to shore up faltering support. The numbers don’t lie, all the polls I have seen show that support for the move to expropriate BTL for re-privatization is fading. I can’t say with any certainty if it has passed the tipping point, but it is near there. A harsh reality is beginning to seep in and sop up the initial euphoria. Here we are three months later and not only have none of the promised scenarios for expropriation materialized, but the company is faltering to boot. There is not only no prospectus three months after the fact, but it would seem that there are no prospective buyers. And not only has he through his leg endar y powers of leg al prestidigitation saddled us with a debt to be paid of >$300 million in compensation for the shares, but

31 Barrow and Boots are spending $5 million dollars to do the City Council’s work, and I am sure any assessment of the effort will give it a massively failing grade, the very same grade any sane person would give the City Council. But be that as it may, Barrow has the gall to suggest that the City Council is bankrupt because it does not collect enough revenue. The problem is not a lack of money. The simple facts are that after nearly four years of a UDP administration in City Hall, the City is much the worse for it. Like with the BTL debacle, they have not only not fulfilled a single promise to date, but the very opposite is the reality. Not only is the City spending more money to provide less (and fewer) service, but it is also deeper than ever in debt even as it has the largest payroll in its history. The problem isn’t just that the City Council is bankrupt, but that Barrow is just bogus. In the end I figure his so-called brilliance is just so much bulls—t. He should resign.

2 ½ Miles Northern Highway, Belize City, Belize. Telephone: 280-1000 Fax: 223-1919, Email:info@speednet-wireless.com

________________________________________________________________

PRESS RELEASE

NOTICE TO SPEEDNET CREDITORS The management of Speednet Communications Ltd. would like to inform the public that it has been notified of the circulation of fraudulent cheques being used to make payments. The public is hereby advised to exercise caution when receiving cheques for payment from non-Speednet (Smart) employees or representatives. If there are any concerns in regards to acceptance of payment by Speednet Communications Ltd. cheques, please contact our offices at 280-1000 or visit our Headquarters at the Smart building 2 ½ miles Northern Highway. ---END----

The Belize Times

PON DI GULLY

In a State of War D E

By anthony sylvestre The Prime Minister of our Jewel a couple weeks back in Trinidad proclaimed to the world that Belize is “in a state of war”. He was of course letting all know of his intense dislike for Ashcroft and committed the resources of the country to his war against Ashcroft. Now when the leader of a country commits its people and its resources to a war, it is because of the need to annihilate that national security threat that is posed: Ashcroft, it is supposed, is that impermeable national security threat to Belize, just as Saddam Hussein was to the United States. But surely, even in war, there must be restraint and soberness by the general, otherwise there is a consequential buildup of collateral damage as energies and resources are misdirected and misapplied in the war.

And herein lies the folly of the Prime Minister’s war. There is a real war unfolding in the country right now for which the Prime Minister and his government should be even more concerned and should concentrate more energies on. I am referring to the war in the streets of Belize City. Unless you have been sleeping under a rock of late, or you have not been on the streets, you certainly would have felt the frenzied violent combustion in the air. This week alone, there have been three murders, all which are said to be gang affiliated. One young man was gunned down on Kraal Road; another slain not too far away in the same area; and one killed on Fabers’ Road. Two of these three killings were in the Prime Minister’s constituency. Earlier in the week, another young man, who still remains in critical conditions in the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, was shot on Supal Street, again in the Prime Minister’s Constituency. The vehicle of the young taxi man who was killed was found on Basra Street and Euphrates Avenue, which are the northern boundaries of the Prime Minister’s constituency. And in the same week the Prime Minister was in Trinidad telling the world that he has declared war against Ashcroft, another young man was being shot up at

the corner of Mex and Amara Avenues, yet again in the Prime Minister’s constituency. This again is the folly of the Prime Minister recklessly committing the resources of the state in his war with Ashcroft when his own constituency needs some of those resources to find solutions for our young men. Must these young men then continue to be collateral damages? There is a parallel reckless regard to consequences which the Prime Minister demonstrates in his war with Ashcroft that our youths adopt in their violent war in the streets. Just as how the Prime Minister seems to not be concerned with the consequences of his war (possible loss of jobs for Belizeans as BTL put the death choke on Smart and the ballooning of the national debt with the hundreds of millions of dollars tax payers will have to pay in compensation for BTL and legal fees for attorneys from the Supreme Court to the United Nations), the youths in the streets could care less of the pain and suffering they bring to families as warring gangs intensify their beefing. And what is the Prime Minister’s response to all of this? News 5 reported on Wednesday that when they raised the issue of crime with him, the Prime Minister said police patrols on the streets will be doubled for the holidays. We truly are in a state of war in our country with youths killing each other with such frightening callousness and brazenness. The Ministers of Social Transformation and National Security need to do what they have been constitutional charged to do, having done nothing to address the gang war in our streets for close to two years. But it is idle thinking to expect that the Ministers will do anything now for the man who holds the purse, the Prime Minister and Ministry of Finance has his own personal war with Ashcroft which now trumps all other national priority.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

sunday, December 13, 2009

The Belize Times

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THE PATRIOT

Reality Bites Getting Belizeans to recognize the cesspool of foolishness that the UDP Government is doing right before Christmas barks with just about the same persuasive value as having a middle age male, capable of speaking only German, stand outside the Gulf Hotel at two o’clock in the morning preaching abstinence. Steaming human nature whetted by spirits and the eagerness to undress bursting passion while cushioned by the one hour scapegoat performance stopwatch, easily heightens the annoyance value of that message whose virtue could have no better timing or context. Sir Isaac Newton’s laws of motion have broad socio-psychological applicability. As a country, we have been made to steer through very dark and ominous times. The equal and opposite reaction is that to cope, our judgment has been laced with the emotional and fashionable drug of our times: false optimism. Optimism is easier on the eye. After all it is the generic building block of love, inspiration and happiness. We are facing an economic depression but this deformed species of reckless UDP optimism is a costly escape. Really, it is no surprise that Belize, like most of our fellow developing countries, is almost gullible to hollow optimism. In fact, we suffer from what is known in professional circles as the Valence Effect of Prediction, which is the tendency for people to simply over-

estimate the likelihood of good things happening rather than bad things. Why is this article full of seemingly esoteric allusions? Well, it has been traumatizing to stomach all the blatant missteps of this government and the way that Barrow and his goons have been able to just string together the worst performance in the history of governance. But more importantly I have listened to Barrow tell the people that he will take them for a ride and the gallery does not even shuffle. It can only be explained away as helpless optimism. Belizeans are unique and our anger is transient. We have a very short attention span for bad news. The upside for this UDP government is that people have logged their disappointment but will defray their wrath until the five year hour glass needs to be turned again. They knowing that their hands are tied means that with serenity Belizeans are intolerant to any highlighting of glaring political blunders especially at Christmas. See, this is the eve of the season that calls for black cake, sweaters and tidings of great joy. Unfortunately, reality is a party pooper. I was brought to knee slapping laughter when a colleague blandly said “We can’t accuse Barrow and this government of not being transparent.” Shocked by the remark I asked why. He answered with dry riposte, “Well, if somebody tell u dey wah tief u and dey

tief u, that is transparent, right? And that is what dey di do.” He is right - Barrow has been telling us a lot of things. He has been telling us that he will cause “Maga season” which is shadow of the Christmas culture, to extend another eleven months. No one heard him. Why? He has also told us he has no plan and no solution. But that he will fill our bellies with the air pies of a resigned global blame game. What??? He has told us that there is negative growth in the economy and that the country will have even more severe pogorong and ramen noodles “haad time”. In fact, Barrow has told us he is not a man to be trusted. That he is a backstabber to people, he calls his friends. Look at his friends. Can we tell who he is? He told us that he takes money from people who he pretended in public to hate. That he has failed at the municipal level. Most importantly that the prize for his failure is “additional assistance” from the public’s piggy bank because “there is no way the council will be able to get out of its additional financial hole except by trying to expand the revenue base. In blunt straightforward terms, that will at some stage mean asking people to pay a little more.” If you cut through all the verbiage, he is telling us that he is going to raise taxes on us. But he told us!!! Does he not get brownie points for that? He told us that he is going to use his ATM card to our taxes even more in order to pay in the blood of our people to fill his Lice, and their children. You did not hear him? Well, in speaking about his expensive beef with Ashcroft, he said “It will cost us because we are going to be represented…” Barrow is good at hitting populist and emotional points and then exploiting them to his selfish ulterior motives. He even calls for your blessings to give his Lice your blood. Yes, he said

“I just ask the people of this country to continue to support the process and to support the government in every action that this government will take to resist and to finally see off this fellow.” Most Belizeans have been so sensitized to the buzz word of Ashcroft that Barrow knows that he can blurt out his name and then turn around and sell us to some Devil that he conjured up while collecting his thirty pieces of silver. Yap and the Albert Street walking Belizean would not even realize. It was comical to watch a ruffled Barrow on the WUB, after he had exposed his “do so no like do so” of being taped when a caller asked “but hold on how you will ask the non performing city councils to take a pay cut when you are squandering over a hundred and fifty thousand dollars in vehicles on non performing ministers?” Why no one asked him if the Ministers should not also take a pay cut is only explainable by our dependency on the adamancies of public optimism. Christmas is a time of forgiveness and renewal - a time for religiously induced optimism. A time of good cheer but this makes it the ideal time for tyrants to pass the worst infractions right under our noses as we sing Silent Night. Sadly, we need to check our change and not study the noise in the mirage of hollow optimism. Optimism as you know it isn't always the best medicine. In my view, rationale behavior trumps positive outlook. I know that at least for now, no matter how much this newspaper and its faithful PUP contributors blow the whistle, Belizeans will not shake the current comfort zones of optimism. But as this country continues with its binge in optimism, I can only hope that after we overdose and throw up from the goma of this government’s ineptitudes, we will be able to face our reflections in the toilet bowl of time.

The Belize Times

Sunday, December 13, 2009

The Belize Times

Another Tax on Belizeans

(Continued from page 1) he and Zenaida were in the midst of a tremendous catfight that the PM attempted to rein in the reckless Mayor. By that time the coffers had run empty and the Council was bankrupt. If Barrow had bothered to act decisively from the beginning, the Council and the City wouldn’t be in the position they are today. Barrow is as much to blame as Zenaida for the wreck at City Hall. In fact, Barrow is more to blame because as the UDP leader and leader of the nation, it was his responsibility to step in and deal with the situation. And even now, instead of dealing with the mess in City Hall effectively and ensuring that their affairs are put in order, Barrow instead has decided that Belizeans will need to dig even deeper into their pockets to remedy a UDP mess. Barrow has decided that he will try to remedy the symptom but leave the disease to spread.

Last year, the City Council had decided that it would implement a tax on businesses in order to increase revenues to the Council and deal with the garbage situation in the city. So businesses were taxed despite a public outcry – the Council is still broke and the garbage situation is completely out of control. To any mind with a little larger degree of sanity and rationale than that of Mr. Barrow, this would suggest that increased revenue is not the problem. The problem lies instead within City Hall. The problem rests in the hands of an incompetent, corrupt and greedy Mayor and a group of councilors who are content to simply collect their stipends and do nothing. But the Prime Minister doesn’t want to hear that. He wants to impose another tax on Belizean households to bring in more revenue. Ramming in this new tax just weeks before Christmas is vintage Barrow and

the UDP. Remember retrenchment, when almost 1000 public officers were sent home just before Christmas? The decision to implement a new tax at this time proves two things. Barrow is completely devoid of any ideas or plans on how to steer the ship of state through this sea of economic worries which has been exacerbated by his incompetence and his spendthrift policies. The only plan he can envision is to burden Belizeans more. And secondly, Barrow has absolutely no idea of the reality on the streets; no idea about the poverty and desperation and frustration of life under his administration. Barrow has truly become wrapped up in his own little millionaire world of luxury when he can so nonchalantly impose a new tax on already suffering Belizeans so that his corrupt and inept City Council can be bailed out. As a vague gesture, Barrow also

announced that he would be consulting with the UDP City Councilors to see if they would agree to reduce their stipends. The Belize Times sticks to its position that the stipends of the Councilors should have been cut from the very beginning. And after a serious lack of performance from the Councilors, it has become apparent that the stipends for the UDP Councilors should be taken away completely. Belizeans will remember that one of the manifesto promises of the PUP municipal team contesting the Belize City elections was that if elected, the Mayor and Councilors would immediately cut salaries and stipends. Barrow has simply adopted the PUP manifesto promise, though it is far too late and he has far too little political will to make it happen. It will be interesting to see the reaction of poor Belizeans to this new garbage tax, very interesting.

BTL TOLD TO BACK OFF SMART

(Continued from page 1) sit down at the table and work out a deal by December 23. Throughout this time, Smart’s customer base would continue to be negatively impacted because of BTL’s tampering with their equipment. On Monday Smart took the decision to file an immediate application for an injunction. The grounds were BTL’s refusal to provide international E1 services to Speednet; the tampering with or removal of Speednet’s equipment from their

towers and BTL’s refusing to allow Smart access to equipment on the shared towers or at BTL’s compound on St. Thomas St. in Belize City. Today the injunction was granted on all these grounds, which effectively means that BTL will need to restore full international access to Smart’s customers, restore service in Ladyville and Belize City which was disrupted and allow Smart full access to its own equipment. As we’ve stated, it’s a big victory for

the young telecommunications company. Tonight the Belize Times spoke to Chief Marketing Officer Anthony Mahler, who told us “It’s not so much a victory for the company as it is a victory for our customers, who are entitled to the quality of service which has become Smart’s trademark and which BTL was disrupting.” When she was interviewed while leaving the courtroom after her loss today, a haggard Lois Young managed to take

her jabs at the Chief Justice, stating that the judgment was wrong and the matter was outside of the expertise of the Chief Justice. Young also stated clearly, ‘I don’t see how this order can be enforced.’ Attorney for Smart Eamon Courtenay expressed confidence that BTL and Smart technicians will now sit down at the drawing table and find a way to restore things to the way they were before the arbitrary takeover of BTL on August 24th.

Three Murders in 25 Hours

(Continued from page 1)

Faber’s Road and Kraal Road, a hail of gunfire ended the life of 34 year old Dean Tillett. 2009 has been a bloody year in Belize, and the record for murders will most certainly be broken by December’s end. Many of our young men have been put below the ground while mothers and those left behind grieve for their loss. Business owners operate in an atmosphere of constant fear. Citizens are afraid to walk the streets after dark and even in broad daylight, as they become easy prey for criminals on the prowl. Even in what should be the security of their homes, families have been attacked and brutally assaulted. Just two months ago, Belize was dubbed the murder capital of the world, with a rate of 37 murders per 100,000. Foreign authorities have resorted to cautioning their residents when they intend to visit our shores. Through all this, the UDP Government seems to have been rendered deaf, dumb, blind and drunk. The Minister of National Security Carlos Perdomo has resorted to making appearances only at frequent cocktails or infrequent official activities. His much touted 360 degree plan never got past the first degree and is now considered no more than a joke. The Police Department, faced with the lack of guidance and deafening silence from the man who should be its chief policymaker, is in shambles and appears completely impotent and unable to arrest the scourge of crime. Morale within the Police Department is at an all time low, as the men and

women in uniform are forced to work long hours without compensation and without adequate resources. The Prime Minister of the nation, Dean Barrow has been silent on the issue of crime, just as he has been silent on the issues of the crippled economy, the dismal state of the public health system and the wanton victimization of Belizeans by his Ministers. It is obvious that Carlos

Perdomo will get no help from that quarter. Just recently, the Minister of National Security released an advertisement ‘bigging’ up himself for the major strides he has made in the Police Department. But in the end, the only achievements he could come up with in two years were the changing of the Police Commissioner and the establishment

of a neighbourhood watch! Until there is acceptance by the UDP that something is dreadfully wrong in our fair city, our youths will continue to die on the streets. Until there is proper leadership in place at the Ministry of National Security which is prepared to make tough policies and take a tough stance in the war against crime, the lawless will continue to run things in Belize.

The Belize Times

Sunday, December 13, 2009

sunday, December 13, 2009

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The Belize Times

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From the Cuban Embassy in Belize, on the occasion of Cuba - CARICOM Day, December 8. C u b a â&#x20AC;&#x201C; C A R I C O M D a y, December 8, 2009. On December 8, Cubans together with the Caribbean people will celebrate Cuba-CARICOM Day. This will be the 37th anniversary of the joint decision by Barbados, the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, Jamaica and the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago, to establish diplomatic relations with Cuba; a brave gesture that defied the policy of isolation imposed by the United States on our country. Our Caribbean brothers and sisters have repeatedly expressed their support for Cuba at the UN and in other international forums, in

opposing the cruel blockade imposed on us. Cuba and Belize established diplomatic relations in 1995. Since 1998 both countries established Embassies in their respective capitals and have established bilateral cooperation in the areas of health care, education, sports, energy saving, culture and agriculture just to name a few. Currently, Cuba has established Embassies in the 14 CARICOM member States and 12 CARICOM members have Embassies in Havana. Over 2,500 belizean patients have traveled to Cuba for eye surgeries thanks to Operacion Milagro

(Operation Miracle). More than 280 belizean youths are studying in Cuban institutions, most of them in the field of medicine and more than 100 have finished their studies in Cuba. A medical brigade of 115 health care professionals is working in all Districts of Belize since 1999, as well as professionals in the areas of Education, Culture and Agriculture. Cuba was received 37 years ago, with an embrace of solidarity by its Caribbean brothers and sisters. On December 8, 2008, the Third Cuba â&#x20AC;&#x201C;CARICOM Summit was celebrated in the city of Santiago de Cuba. In this meeting all CARICOM Heads

of State or Government was present including the Prime Minister of Belize, the Hon. Dean O. Barrow. All Heads of State and Heads of Government of the region who participated in this Summit called for greater integration in the Caribbean. Cuba remains a loyal partner of our Caribbean Brothers and Sisters and will continue its policy of building closer ties, in homage to those brave 4 countries that in 1972, decided freely to include Cuba as part of their unwavering allies in this region, an example the was equally followed by all CARICOM member States. Belize City, December 8, 2009.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

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The Belize Times

MALE SOCIAL PARTICIPATION AND VIOLENCE IN URBAN BELIZE RESEARCHA

The research team of the Male Social Participation and Violence in Urban Belize will be holding a press conference on Tuesday December 15th 2009 at 9:00 a.m. at the University of the West Indies Teleconference Rm. 2; West Landivar, Belize City. D r. H e r b e r t G a y l e L e a d Researcher and Ms. Nelma Mortis, Local Research Manager will be sharing preliminary findings/trends and will also give an update on the progress of the research. Key stakeholders and partners of this research are being invited to participate, including all ministries affected directly by social violence. BACKGROUND: The most recent data from

Interpol (2009) suggest that Central America (33/100,000 murders) and the Caribbean (31/100,000 murders) have the worst problem of social violence in the world – with El Salvador (60), Honduras (58) Guatemala (48) of Central America and Jamaica (62), Trinidad (42) and Belize (34) the worst affected in the Caribbean. Policy makers and civil society in the region have responded to the alarming violence in many ways, some good but others counter-productive, including moral panic, confusion, project splintering and wastage, and stop-gap policing and other ‘panic-response’ policies. However, longer term, more mature measures have to be taken to address the social problems beneath

the ‘visibles’ or social symptoms that frighten us. Emerging from a think tank triggered by the Mayflower grenade tragedy in 2008, Dr. Herbert Gayle, the region’s only Anthropologist of Social Violence was brought in to assess the situation and update upper level stake holders. Since then we have had several training sessions for key stakeholders and a unanimous decision was made among participants to carry out research to afford Belize policy makers, civil society, and social activists with the scientific basis for jumpstarting the urgent social intervention needed. Consequently we started the above-named study in April 2009 on a projected budget of BZ$104,000. The

study is expected to run until June 2010 if you lend your support. Data are to be collected from 4 sites using cutting edge integrated methods (the first 2 are the core; the other 2 are largely for triangulation or verification, and service evaluation): • School – includes primary and secondary (students, teachers, counselors, and principals) • Community – focus here are unemployed youth and gangs and family of gangs; but also service providers and the business environment) • Police – both officers/security service providers and customers/ youth • Kolbe- key g ang-related inmates and staff

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FOR THE BARROW FAMILY… THESE ARE THE BEST OF TIMES

IRL

G COVER

1.3 MIL

LION

FOR BELIZEANS.......THESE ARE THE WORST OF TIMES

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