Belize Times 100808

Sunday, August 8, 2010

The Belize Times

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Rage & Violence SUNDAY AUGUST 8, 2010

According to Aaron Humes, a reporter for the AMANDALA newspaper in a blog post, when 18 year old Gilroy Barrow was shot dead last Friday night, he was the 64th person murdered in Belize in just the first seven months of this year, or an average of 9 per month. At that rate Belize would soon eclipse the highest number of homicides for a single year, this year.

The numbers have kept climbing in a week of mindless random slayings that have become now more the characteristic of a Belizean nation that wasn’t too long ago known internationally as a “peaceful haven” and one of the friendliest places on the face of the earth.

On Sunday, David White died. White had been doused allegedly, by his common law wife and set on fire two weeks ago. He succumbed allegedly to his injuries while being treated at Karl Huesner Memorial Hospital.

On Monday a seven month along expectant mother was stabbed just before dawn at her home on Neal’s Pen Road.

Valerie Sherann was rushed to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital after she was stabbed in her stomach allegedly by her jealous ex boyfriend. The baby died.

On Tuesday a still as of press time unidentified body of murdered man was

Issue No. 4705

found on Western Highway about a hundred feet off the Western Highway on Mount Pleasant Road between Miles 45 and 46 and just outside of Belmopan City.

He had been shot in the head and neck.

On Wednesday Russell Neal, 58, was shot early in the morning at his home on Neal's Pen Road. At the time of the shooting, Neal was at home with his girlfriend and told police that they heard a loud banging on the front door a little after 1:00 a.m. Neal decided to take a look through a window and was hit by a single shot fired through the window. He died

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while being transported to the KHMH. And yesterday yet another unidentified dead body turned up. The residents of the normally peaceful village of Scotland Halfmoon were startled when the community’s chairlady and two of her sons discovered a dead body buried in a shallow grave just a stone’s throw away from their house.

The badly decomposed corpse is that of a male Hispanic or Caucasian man and the shallow grave was discovered just 400 hundred feet off a feeder road in the village.

Only a month ago the body of a Taiwanese man was discovered at his home on the same dirt road.

And the mounting death toll is only a symptom of the wider mayhem and marauding across the nation as the economy contracts.

Belize City Police visited the trauma room at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital on the Sunday where they saw Rafael Caseres, a 27year olds laborer of Belize City with a gunshot wound to his lower back. Caseres said that earlier that night around 8:55pm he was walking on Faber’s Road, when he was approached by a man riding a bicycle who fired several shots at him causing the injury.

Belizeans are still abuzz because today Police charged the four men who were intercepted Monday evening in a blue four door Crown Victoria taxi at the Shell Gas Station in Ladyville. They allegedly were in possession of an arms cache and several pieces of equipment that you can’t buy over the counter in Belize, but Police have yet to say what their intents were.

A 46 year old Taxi driver Floyd Davis from 8 miles on the Western Highway was the driver and his passengers were 26 year old Belama Phase II resident Jamal Tablada , 19 year old Jarrett Usher an unemployed of Vista Del Mar and Tevin Abraham an

rate. What is the new criteria for selecting the banks that the people's monies are deposited in. Should it not be done via a competitive bidding process by the Commercial Banks?

It is also important to note that now the GOB borrows directly from the SSB. In 2009 the SSB was holding over $10m in Treasury Notes. This was never the practice before. It also risky since the T-bills and T-notes now constitute the

equivalent of the “Barrow Bond” .

So analysis shows that returns on the investments are slow even as the Revenues and Expenditures for 2010 SSB budget show no slowing down in its Administration expenses . These continue to be high, averaging over 20% of income.

This year's budget allocates over 9 million dollars for Personnel Emoluments Interestingly,even after competent people were fired under the guise of reducing the wage bill, it continues to go up as” Party preferidos “ keep getting hired at inflated salaries and continue to make bloated travel and subsistence claims.

And it must be an indication that this year the SSB Chairman will hold Social Security Board meetings at her New York Office as the Permanent Ambassador to the UN because there is a huge increase in the Overseas Conference budget from 90,000.00 in 2009 to $140,000.00 in 2010. Imagine what injured workers could do with this much money were it to translated into workers' benefits.

We just thought the workers and businesses that pay social security need to know what's (not) happening with their financial future /security. It's YOUR MONEY.

The 2010 Social Security Board Budget A quick review as we enter Q2

The Belize Times has had a chance to look at the Audited Financials of the SSB , that august institution who holds sway over the contributions of Belizean workers and embattled Belizean businesses that employ them.

When it comes to Social Security Board''s management of the people's funds, the objective must always be maximizing returns on the investments in a socially and morally responsible investment portfolio.

There are a couple of questions that you may want to ask in reference to some Investments…for e.g. is the SSB still booking Cayo Frances as part of the San Pedro land valued at $10M in the Investment Portfolio? No mention is made about compensation to the SSB from GOB because it is public knowledge that Agriculture minister Montero got that one and has probably sold it for a pretty penny. Was the SSB compensated

by GOB by cash or land – if so, it is not recorded in the audited report.

There is no annotation on the Investment in Sunshine (loan note) no income has been realized even after the nationalization of BTL. The Board made a claim for payment to the Financial

Secretary; so far nothing has been paid to the SSB Fund. Speaking of the Investment Fund , it seems to be stagnant showing no growth. Actuarial forecast is pointing out that the sustainability of the fund in the medium to long term is at risk.

Term Deposits are the interest bearing vehicles of choice of this Board, moving around from Bank to Bank and in some cases deposits were moved from one bank to the other for a lower interest

Tell Minister Faber to keep Excelsior High School Open!

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The Belize Times

Sunday, August 8, 2010

As of August 15th, 2010, these are the Registration Fees for Belize City High Schools.

Wesley College 1st form - $340.00 2nd form - $340.00 3rd form - $415.00 4th form - $415.00

Do You See Anything to Smile ‘Bout?

Morgan Heritage, one of the more popular reggae bands, produced a hit titled “Nothing to Smile Bout,” and this is one of their most popular songs and a favourite among reggae music lovers in Belize. The song carries a political message that is very relevant to Belize, particularly in these hard economic times.

Of late there has been much talk around the Barrow circles that the economy is growing - in fact it is even being said that the economy grew by 3 percent in the first quarter of this year. Whether this is true or not, however, the reality is that in the streets of Belize nothing reflects any real economic growth. Everyone is bawling under the crippling rise in the cost of living as the effects of the new taxes begin to eat its way into Belizeans pocket books.

With the shopping season for back to school now in full swing, each parent who must purchase a new pair of shoes, a new tennis, buy school uniform, lunch kits, umbrellas, rain coats and the like will feel the full brunt of the rise in GST. All those new bicycles that will be purchased for students to cycle to school will bear the brunt of an increase in taxes with no concurrent rise in the minimum wage, no relief by way of tax incentives and still no real reduction in the interest rates, which the Prime Minister said would come from his banking bills which were rushed through the House earlier this year.

In the business sector, the news continues to be grim. Two of the larger companies in the Mena Group are now in receivership, and over 100 more Belizean workers might lose their jobs. They could join those who lost their jobs as a result of the close down of the Belize Glass Shop and the many who lost jobs because of the closure of businesses in the Corozal Free Zone.

And with the passing of the Statutory Instrument to introduce a social fee on Export Processing Zones, more cuts can be expected in places like the Corozal Free Zone.

Yet while Belizeans are buckling under the grind to make ends meet, the UDP put off a spectacle at their convention that had even Jules Vasquez commenting on Channel 7 about the abundance of money that was being spent on this event. There was no talk of any community project, no clinic to offer some help to the sick, nothing on the program of events to give even a single measure of relief to single mothers, no mention of any charity or even just the promotion of a healthier lifestyle.

Instead the UDP Leader and the Head of the nation stared into the cameras and proclaimed that the magic is still there. He said that after two and a half years of the UDP life was good and the party raved on.

How can the leader of a country in the grips of an economic recession talk about magic? Where is the magic for the thousands of parents who are struggling to meet the cost of fees for school? Where is the magic when 30,000 students are out of school? Where is the magic when the residents of Belize City will soon not have a place to bury their dead? How will this magic help to fix the crime situation in the Belize? Where is the magic when the country is in the midst of a dengue epidemic?

Perhaps Mr. Barrow and his cronies in the UDP can roll into Orange Walk Town, rent a crowd, throw a party and make everybody feel high. That, though, will not change the fact that in the streets people are suffering. It will not change the fact that children continue to die in our hospitals and are being shot down on the streets. That might not have been talked about from the red podium, but it is no illusion, that is the real feel out here and the reason why Belizeans no si nothing fu smile ‘bout.

Anglican Cathedral College (ACC) 1st form - $943.00 2nd form - $693.00 3rd form – 793.00 4th form- $793.00 *An additional $50 is charge for new students (including transfers) Saint Catherine’s Academy (SCA) 1st form 2nd form 3rd form 4th form Pallotti High School 1st form - $960.00 2nd form - $950.00 3rd form - $980.00 4th form - $1010.00 *Tuition varies, they change every year.

St. John’s College (SJC) 1st form - $862.00 2nd form – $977.00 (Arts)

$902.00 (Technical Course) *3rd & 4th form depends on the course of studies 3rd form – Academic Science - $1065.00 Arts & Science B1 - $1015.00

Science B2 - $965.00

Arts & Science A1 - $865.00

Arts & Science B2 - $915.00

Business A - $865.00

Business B - $865.00 4th form - Academic Science - $1265.00 Arts & Science B1 - $1215.00

Science B2 - $1165.00

Arts & Science A1 - $1065.00

Arts & Science B2 - $1115.00

Business A - $1065.00

Business B - $1065.00

Where is the Magic?

Questions to Ministers

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Will the Minister of Social Transform tell us what kinds of safety net is in place to address the physical and psychological health of the over 50% of our elderly who ,according to this week' s regional report, are not just poor but living alone. What provisions can we expect to be made in the immediate future?

Will the Minister of Tourism please say whether as the Area Representative for Belize Rural South he supports the decision by government to build a boardwalk for tourists on north San Pedro while thousands of Belizeans living in the San Mateo and San Pedrito in San Pedro Town are still living in squalor and walking on London Bridges?

Can the Minister of Housing please inform Belizeans if his decision to go after low income Home Owners is in keeping with the UDP manifesto promise to “Imagine the Possibilities,” or is it in keeping with the promise by Mr. Barrow to quitar?

Sunday, August 8, 2010

The Belize Times

Belize Growing More Violent

18 year old from Plues Street in Belize City.

The men all had with them a machine gun, two pistols and a quantity of 40 millimeter ammunition, two GPS devices, a military compass and signaling flashlight, black jackets, shirts and pants, masks, a pair of camouflage pants, a black cap, 4 pairs of transparent rubber gloves, and a cellular phone. They also reportedly had dog food, and insect repellent.

They have all been charged for the weapons, ammunition and equipment, and may be charged as part of a criminal

conspiracy, if police are able to discover why they were going so well-equipped.

Last Friday night Emil Cordon, the manager of Cascada Bar, Camalote Village, Cayo District reported that three armed and masked men held him up. He was stabbed in the right arm in the incident.

On Monday Ricardo Gongora, manager of Ramon’s Esso Gas Station located 2 miles on the Northern Highway, Belize City, reported after closing up his business the night before and driving home, he was kidnapped by two armed and masked men as he exited his vehicle.

He was taken back to his place of business, and forced to open his safe. He is lucky to be alive.

Hon Tat Kwok, 30, the manager of Welcome Store located on the Western Highway in Santa Elena Town, Cayo District, has reported that on the Monday night around 8:10pm two men held him up in his store at gunpoint and got away with cash, phone cards and a cellular phone.

On Wednesday Zhixin LIN reported that he was robbed at gun point the day before while opening up his store on Central American Boulevard in Belize

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City. Two men walked up to him, placed a silver handgun to his head, relieved him of his loaded licensed 9mm Sig-Sauer P226 pistol, and his business of $1,500.00 in cash, $2,000.00 worth of phone cards and a cellular phone.

At press time tonight there is a report that San Pedro businessman Mario Veracalli committed suicide. Initial reports are that he was frustrated by being caught between a receding economy, the increasing and incessant demands of his creditors, and the possibility that his 8 month old business was going under.

THE ULTIMATE “QUITAR”

Coming to a Low Income Home near You:

T he Minister of Housing has ceremoniously announced that Housing will be seeking to recover some $50 million from low income home owners countr ywide who g ot homes in the last decade.

T he minister went on to insinuate that most people -90 percent of the home ownershave fallen behind on their payments and that GOB will be seeking to recover these nonperfor ming loans.

T he veiled threat of political victimization could not be ignored as he promised to “expose and collect” from some big people who g et house even as he promised to write off the back mor tg ag es of real poor

people, a deter mination He will unilaterally make.

T he stag e is being set for a massive -if not the ULTIMATE “QUITAR” of Belizean lands and homes.

Considering that most of the houses to underg o this review were constr ucted by the PUP in accordance with its 1998 Manifesto commitment, the 7000 Belizeans occupying these residences need to g et ready to be thrown out of their home at shor t notice. In these hard times, where will the disenfranchised for mer CITCO sanitation workers, unemployed for a year now, find the money to catch up on house payments? Two years ag o they had jobs, job security

and the dignity of being able to work. Now they have lost all this and they must next be pre pared to lose the roof over their heads.

Admittedly, a few people who were close to the administration took advantag e of the afforability of these housing loans and they should be asked to bring their mor tg ag es cur rent. But 99.9% of the houses built under the PUP were given to deser ving Belizeans who otherwise could not afford/qualify for a home from the mainsbuttream financial institutions. It was no less than deser ved, no less than we had a responsibility to deliver and no shame and blame campaign will embar rass us into shutting up from calling this what it is;

the ULIMATE QUITAR of the roofs from over the heads of the poor.

We will stay on top of this for and on behalf of the principle that delivered the keys of home ownership into the hands of the single mothers, manual workers and young families. It brought them dignity and sense of belonging, of heritag e and having something to pass on to the next g eneration.

Twelve years ag o the PUP vision built houses that are now homes. UDP pur por ts to take it away and maybe re place it with their signature “plywood possibilities “ that they dare hur ricanes to come blow away.

We will not let this happen.

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The Belize Times

Sunday, August 8, 2010

What is Barrow’s Economic Policy?

A Call for True Accountability

It is quite a revelation to go through the Annual Report of the Auditor General for the year April 2008 to March 2009. As you read this report, the first thing that hits you is that Belize is operating a Government service\bureaucracy for the 1950s in the 21st century.

The thousands of citizens that do business with the government know that the Government of Belize (GOB) has a computerized system called the SMARTSTREAM Accounting System, which the government invested millions of dollars in creating and implementing.

More than twelve years later, the Audit Department is showing that the two parallel accounting systems are not balancing. For example, in the case of revenues, the Accountant General’s figure is $5,955,214.68 more than the figure that was recorded in the SMARTSTREAM system.

This is what the Audit department calls a “material error” or in layman’s terms, a large bookkeeping error.

The Auditor General also sounded the alarm that there are several accounts that are not “balancing” and no reconciliation has been done.

There are sixteen bank accounts totaling $72,167,204.00 for which no bank reconciliations or confirmations were made.

When an audit was made at the sub treasuries they found an imbalance.

The sub treasuries held $517,439.44 and the SMARTSTREAM reported $270,970.16. This is a difference of $246,469.28.

A check at the Official Charities Fund Card showed a balance of $1,274,511.68 while the statement submitted for auditing showed a balance $507,109.25 During this audit, the Pension Scheme was also reviewed and again discrepancies were discovered. To ensure that the pensions paid are made to pensioners that are still alive, a Pensions Clerk must make a weekly visit to the Vital Statistics Department to review the list of the Death Register. A review of the visitors register their revealed that there are no regular reviews of the Death Register and actually the last visit by a Pensions Clerk was on 16 May 2007!

This break down in the system is expensive, and it resulted in delays in the termination of payments to deceased and non-qualifying pensioners, among other things. The audit review revealed that checks were issued to 27 persons who were already dead! This breakdown in the system cost Belizean taxpayers more than a quarter of a million dollars.

The audit continued to make more startling revelations. For instance, 75 percent of the names on the Pensions List have no address.

No verification was done by the Treasury Department to check on the authenticity of the information on the Life Certificate provided by pensioners.

The list of revelations include: unaccounted gas for missing vehicles, wasteful contracts, unfinished contracts, uncollected loans and other irregularities by municipal bodies and Government employees.

Any manager with a budget of over $800,000,000.00 will tell you that they would never manage their funds the way our government does.

In this regard the Auditor General’s report make a number of significant recommendations. First, he calls on the Public Accounts Committee to be more active and to call government accounting officers to task in addressing the issues raised by his report.

In this regard, credit must be given to the present Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee Hon. Mark Espat who has made numerous attempts to get this committee operational but has failed because UDP ministers refuse to cooperate.

Secondly, he is recommending that his office conduct Value for Money Audits. Thirdly, that the National Assembly votes on their budget and fourthly that an Internal Audit Unit is created in every ministry.

Belizean taxpayers may think that this would increase the bureaucracy and GOB’s wage bill but looking at the Auditor’s report, we can see the wisdom in these recommendations.

The Prime Minister took over the portfolio of Governance in CARICOM. I hope he would show the example to his Heads of State colleagues by taking the Auditor General’s recommendations seriously.

Contributed The news of the Mena Group of Companies going into receivership last week reverberated around the business community like aftershocks from a massive earthquake. Many were left wondering how businesses owned by this very savvy entrepreneurial family could fold, and who would be next!

This is a bad sign for many reasons, but the really scary thing is that there are a lot of other large and medium-sized businesses that are on the verge of going into receivership or closing their doors. I guess the so-called stimulus package the Prime Minister trumpeted last year provided some boost, but for only a select few, like that architecture firm hogging up all the business.

I maintain my position that the only way we will get out of this economic crisis that we are faced with today is if this government fosters an environment whereby the private sector has the confidence to invest and grow their business. For some reason this is not the way it is in Belize these days!

In his budget speech for 2010/2011 the Prime Minister stated - “We have long since considered so-called big government a moral and practical imperative in aid of the poor.” What the Prime Minister was trying to say is that the government should be the focal point of development in the country, not the private sector.

It is sad to say, but the reality is that government’s interference in the economy has only caused the situation to deteriorate in Belize. So I ask: how much involvement should this government have in rebuilding our once vibrant and diverse economy, seeing that they have neither the skills nor the experience to develop a plan that can take us forward?

Before you answer this question, I will outline the different kinds of economic theories to see if the policies of this government are in line with any of them.

Types of Economic Theories There are four main theories as regards the role of the government in the economy, including: Laissez-Faire Economics, Keynesian Economics, Supply-Side Economics, and Monetarism.

People who believe in Laissez-Faire Economics believe that the government should not get involved with anything that can affect an economy. The system includes the idea that the government should not regulate the marketplace, workforce, environment, etc., and allow the economy to move and evolve naturally.

Keynesian economics is at the other end of the spectrum and challenges Laissez-Faire Economics.

Based on the ideas of John Maynard Keynes, this economic theory hinges on the belief that if people do not consume or invest enough into the marketplace, the government should step in and regulate the economy using fiscal policy.

Fiscal policy involves either tax cuts or increased spending to combat recession.

According to Keynes, if a government has to spend money to combat recession, the resulting deficit would not be bad

because it was necessary.

Supply-side economics is an economic theory that is geared towards controlling the potentially deleterious effects of runaway inflation. It calls for tax and spending cuts, which would in turn give people the incentive to produce and increase the supply of goods available. The tax reductions would leave more money for the building of new factories and job growth, allowing, in theory, for the benefits to flow to the public.

Monetarism is the idea that the quantity of money in circulation is an important factor in how the government can regulate the economy. People who support this theory believe that the government needs to be able to ensure that the money supply grows in parallel with the economy at a constant rate, while at the same time controlling interest rates and other factors that would affect the economy.

What is GOB’s Role in the Economy?

The government’s main responsibility is to guide the overall pace of economic activity, in an attempt to maintain steady growth, high levels of employment and price stability.

By adjusting spending and tax rates (fiscal policy) or managing the money supply and controlling the use of credit (monetary policy) it can slow down or speed up the economy's rate of growth -- in the process, affecting the level of prices and employment. Taxes, inflation, and interest rates are also controlled by government decisions and actions, and play a substantial role in Belizeans’ ability to live a decent and respectable lifestyle.

When in opposition, the UDP constantly criticized the economic policies of the then government. At least the PUP government had an economic policy and it showed with the expansion of all the major sectors of the economy from 1998 to 2008. Looking back at the last two years, one would find it very difficult to explain the economic policy of the present government. Truth be told, this UDP government does not have a clear and focused plan that will improve the lives of the Belizean people. I am proud to say that one of the greatest accomplishments of the last PUP administration was the tremendous diversification of the economy. In fact, Dr. Carla Barnett in one of her speeches, I think it was for Tourism Week at the Princess Hotel, trumpeted this great achievement by the then PUP government.

The Future Looks Real Bleak In his book, “How Capitalism Will Save Us”, Steve Forbes states that “bad economic policy can cause economic upheaval far more brutal than any disruption caused by the normal operation of markets.” I agree with Mr. Forbes’ statement! However, I would also like to add that government’s interference in an economy without a clear and focused economic policy can be worse than a bad policy. This is what we are faced with today, a government that is on the deck of a rudderless ship and heading for a massive iceberg. I hope the Prime Minister’s economic advisors are preparing for the next major dip in the US economy. I beg of you, decision makers in the government, for the people’s sake, especially the poor and indigent, please get your sh_t together and please do not say that we are immune from the exogenous shocks, like the great recession! Two and a half years have passed and it is high time you provide some solutions, Mr. Prime Minister. The clock is ticking.

Sunday, August 8, 2010

English for Dummies…

I remember going to work in Orange Walk for the first time a few years ago and getting a load of the man who would be deputy prime minister. Back in those

days he loved to hear himself talk, and since he financed a radio station run by his friend Ruben Scampos, he got plenty of opportunities. Boy was he good for a few laughs. My belly jiggled plenty at gems like him saying that he would sell his own mother to win the elections. Oh yeah, and there was this time when he claimed that the UDP’s brilliant financial strategy for Belize if they would win would be to ‘beg.’

Well, back then it was funny for sure…not so funny now that we know he was telling the truth.

But anyway, I had some fun with the retarded fellow (sorry, Kim) to the point that Gapi got a memo from Dean telling him to smile as much as he wanted but don’t talk.

Remember, Ruben, when Gapi was told that he couldn’t appear on the radio station anymore cause all he did was embarrass himself and the UDP? Yup, those were the days.

Anyway, I provided this background just to make the point that Gapi owes me a great deal. When I left Orange Walk I tried to make amends with Gapi by hunting up two books I felt could help him in his political career – English for Dummies and Ingles sin Fronteras…I know he got them but the rude fellow never did say thanks. After hearing him on the podium on Sunday, I’d go so far as to say that he’s made good use of my gift. You owe me, buddy. I’ve got Stage 2 here for you whenever you’re ready. It’s called - English for the Functionally Stupid… If Da Noh Soh! LOSER… What’s the name of that much loved oldie but goodie – if losing to you is wrong, I don’t wanna be right? Yeah, I know it goes something like that. Poor John! That fellow has turned

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losing into an art form. I’d even want to go so far as to say he’s found a way to make losing look pretty, but nah, it’s still an ugly,

ugly thing, isn’t it my chubby buddy? I saw your face when the arrogant little prick kicked your butt at the National Convention.

I know you felt humiliated because you were telling people in Belmopan that there is no way Mini-me Barrow could match you in intellect or political experience, and you would be sure to win as Chairman of the Party. I heard your interviews at the convention after you were beaten like a drum and I know you wanted to curl up in a little ball (okay, a great big fat ball) and cry your little porcine heart out. That’s why I wasn’t surprised when sources called to tell me that on Sunday night you were at your favourite watering hole venting venom at the little prick Patrick and the two men you know turned on you – baldy and his retarded (sorry, Kim) henchman. Hey, I’ve been there, big buddy. I know it was the beverage talking when you said that if it’s the last thing you do, you’ll get even with those who wronged you…or was it… If Da Noh Soh! A Fool’s Dream…

The (little) prick had a dream…and in that dream he was wielding the scepter of royalty and garbed in the red cloak of the highest office in the land. In that dream he was anointed with scented oil by his bald mentor and carried on the shoulders

of the Red Army to be placed on the jewel studded throne of greatness. Well, here’s something you should know, prick! Speaking for members of my gender, we all have those dreams and they generally focus on the members of the fairer sex. But while a piece of tissue and a shower take care of our temporary delusions, Dr. Westheimer thinks it’ll take a lot more than that in your case.

Little one, there is no way in hell that you will become Prime Minister of this country we call Belize. That man with the bald head really needs to stop whispering sweet nothings in your ear while feeding you grapes of ambition. Your short lived political career is coming to an end, boy. You should have listened to what the teachers who protested on Independence Hill told you. If wishing it were so would make it so, you would be king, my friend, but it doesn’t work that way. Hell, you know how long I’ve been wishing that I was rich and cute and had a harem of beautiful women catering to my every need? It’s not like that’s gonna happen, is it?... If Da Noh Soh! Say it ain’t so…

This columnist is generally full of grins and giggles despite what this bunch does because, hey, if I don’t laugh about it I’ll cry. Trust me when I tell you, me crying is not a pretty sight.

But yeah anyway, I just received word that the son of one of our

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rich UDP Ministers in the West – you know the fat fellow I’m referring to – just returned from studying Computer Science in the UK, courtesy of all of us. That’s right, we paid for it. That’s bad enough cause this fat Minister I’m

referring to is filthy rich, but get this - right after the son returned, he received a full scholarship to go study law and guess what – we’re paying for that too!

This pisses me off. We’re facing a real crisis in our education system where statistics are showing that an increasing number of students can’t afford to go to school and are dropping out. But instead of using our resources where it’s needed, we’re feathering beds for the fat cats who are already feeding at the public trough. Talk about doubledipping. Hell, the fat minister’s son will be in good company, as he joins girly-boy, the simpering Herby and the former Orange Walk Mayor Ravell Gonzalez who killed two pedestrians on the Northern Highway before starting his studies in law. Oh yeah, we’re paying Herby and Ravell’s bills too… If Da Noh Soh!

Fishy Fisheries officials

A fisher man walked out of Magistrates Court on Monday morning shaking his head in disbelief. Two months ag o 80 crawfish were taken away from him on the g rounds they were undersized. This happened while he was unloading his catch at one of the fishing cooperatives.

Dominic Young is the fisher man. He was told by two officers from the Fisheries Department that if he did not ag ree with the confiscation of the crawfish they would take him to Court.

He told them to take him to Court. On Young saying so, all the fisher men gathered at the cooperative burst into supporting applause. They all wanted someone to stand up to the Fisheries officers who they accuse of being cor r upt.

How the scam is done

is that Fisheries officials routinely take away fish, conch and lobster claiming some for m of illegality is the problem. In some cases where the fisher men are ang r y for losing their produce, the Fisheries officers send them summons to attend court.

No case is actually heard as the Fisheries officers g o to the Magistrate and withdraw the cases. The officers, of course, keep the conch, crawfish and other marine produce which they sell and hustle from.

This is a neat little hustle g oing on and fisher men are ang r y over the confiscation of their hard labour after many days at sea.

A source from inside says that in those months eighteen cases have been withdrawn from courts and all the conch and crawfish have g one missing.

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The Belize Times

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Let the Visionaries Prevail

by: Orlando Habet For many years, as I grew up in San Ignacio, I became acquainted with the derrogatory term "Cayo Fool" given to us from the Western District of Belize. I could not understand why we would be branded as such. Even as I became of an age where I could see and understand what was happening around me , what was clear was that the people of Cayo were not as vociferous as those of other districts when it came to demanding their rights and needs as citizens in the community. They appeared to be meek, restrained -and this was what was being construed as “fool�.

Cayo in the recent past had no significant industry and many laborers spent weeks or months at a time in the southern and northern districts working in the citrus and cane industries, respectively. Cayo had lumber and chicle but that was further back than the days of citrus and cane.

We had to tone down the rhetoric of criticism of the pre-independence government because Cayo people evolved into the largest cadre of public sector work force as the seat of government became established in Belmopan. Recently, we have been engaged in tourism and probably rank second in the country in terms of tourism revenues. Now we also have petroleum coming out of the Spanish Lookout area.

Yet, in terms of infrastructural development we are probably rated last among the six district of Belize.

Working the Vision As mayor of the twin towns from 200-2003, I often engaged in taking pictures of our streets and drainage to show other mayors in the Mayor's association with the hope of seeking their support in asking Central Government for assistance in developing our infrastructure. These pictures were shown on our monthly television programme so that he residents could see the current situation and hopefully receive assistance from the private sector and individually families who could afford to assist. The audiovisual presentations hit home and shortly after ,residents started calling and offering cement and steel and other materials to assist in constructing drains and driveways. We constructed drains non-stop from February 2002 until the end of our term in March of 2003. Today, what is the lower side of San Ignacio from 1st street to 5th street floods no more. In Santa Elena, all the area near Trapiche would flood with the slightest of rains. We drained our the area, cleaned out, replaced and installed new culverts, installed a new bridge and today there is no more flooding in that area. However, there is much more to be done but it does not seem as if the Town Councils that followed have the interest nor the vision of what needs to be done.

There are many more drains, sidewalks, culverts and bridges to be constructed to get the waters out immediately after the rains. We have too much stagnated water in and outside of lots and on the streets. Our streets are probably the worst in the country. Along with Benque Viejo Town we are the towns

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with the hilliest terrain. There is no town and infrastructure planning and so streets are built straight up without any terracing. This spells erosion and our streets are just washed away when the rains come. Oh, how many times have we heard visitors say that we have the most scenic of all towns but our streets are in the worst of shape.

Neither our Area representatives, Ministers in Government or Town Councils seem to care about our Twin Towns any more.

WHERE THERE IS NO VISION :the people perish, development dies The Twin Towns have no House of culture like the other towns. We have no covered sporting facility for our youth. Scheduled games during Basketball competitions have to be postponed with the slightest of drizzle. We have an ugly, concrete with wire mesh and zinc roof building for a Cultural center. We do not have a youth development center. We are not developing culturally along with the other districts and yet we ask why our youth are not engaged in activities that will get them out of crime and drugs.

Yet, nobody says anything about our current living conditions. We are satisfied with the 'status quo'. I am certain that the hot blooded brothers and sisters from the north would not stand for the conditions in which we 'Cayo fools' live day after day.

For how long will we traffic the Hawkesworth bridge as a one way bridge? Why do we have to put up with a frequently flooded "lowlying" board bridge?

In 1997, the people were fooled by the then administration that a new bridge was being constructed.

Surveys were made and a path indicating the location of the bridge was identified. Elections came and went and the bridge never materialized. Today we hear from the CEO in the Ministry of works that a new bridge will be constructed in the same location identified 12 years ago.

The latter is yet to be seen.

Currently, there is some construction in the Broaster stadium.

The people of the twin towns were not consulted and neither informed of the project. My question is why the Broaster stadium. Why spend hundreds of thousands of dollars refurbishing the Broaster Stadium which has no capacity for expansion and has actually been confined to its current size due to the infrastructure surrounding it? Why do we continue to have tunnel vision?

Why was there really no consultation on the matter? I am not yet informed if this was a decision of the former Minister of Sports, Hon. Elvin Penner or of the current Minister, Hon. Patrick Faber. We have two far better

alternatives for spending monies on a sporting facility. The Broaster stadium is only 2.8 acres in size (a football field of 80x100 yards needs just about 2 acres of land). The Santa Elena Stadium which needs much work and could have used the monies now being spent is more than twice the size. The Victor Galvez Stadium in San Ignacio is more than 12 acres or about 4 times the size of the Broaster stadium. This stadium houses a concrete basketball court, an unfinished tennis court, and unfinished Five-A Side Court, a football field, a concrete running track that is .45 miles around, an unfinished Youth Center and lights around the track and around the football field.

The Stadium is enclosed in a concrete and metal fence constructed during the tenure of our town council in 2002. This facility served as the venue for the Easter fair and was first used as an enclosed complex in 2003. It is

reported that the Easter fair nets about twice as much in revenues collected from entrance fees alone due to the fenced complex as compared to when the grounds were not fenced.

So, why are the monies to refurbish a sporting stadium not being spent in the most appropriate existing facility? As a matter of fact, shifting the football field in the Galvez stadium North -South instead of East West can house two regulatory sized fields or a regulatory field and three small fields for "mundialito" football. The Victor Galvez stadium was once a horserace stadium and has the remnants of a hill on the southeast side that provides a natural grand-stand for viewing any sporting event. But again, where is the vision! Ask any Belizean or any visitor that cares to comment and they will tell you that the worst piece of highway in the country is the highway between Belmopan and San Ignacio. The road is broken in several places, it is narrow, it is dark, the edges are broken and there are unnecessary curves that make driving day or night a real nightmare.

The advent of the increased usage by the petroleum trucks and other heavy cargo trucks has exacerbated the problem and the road has several areas where the it is wavy and unleveled.

The GOB needs to put some priority into reconstructing this portion of the western Highway.

My fellow citizens of Cayo and especially San Ignacio and Santa Elena, we need to wake up. We need to demand more from our elected officials. We must progress together as a country but this will only happen if our District gets its fair share of development!

Sunday, August 8, 2010

The Belize Times

UDP Politics as usual

The ‘Magical’ Convention…

The Prime Minister was as verbally flatulent as a man blessed with diarrhea after a long bout of chronic constipation as he addressed the masses at the UDP Convention on Sunday.

What this very same man called ‘grotesque’ just two and a half years ago when the PUP had their Love Fests, he now calls ‘magical.’

What he found repulsive just two and a half years ago, he now claims is supreme acclamation of how wonderful and glorious is his United Democratic Party and how much they are loved by the masses. Yeah, well, back in the day the PUP thought the same thing when thousands massed to dance and chant and give support at Love Fests across the country. If memory serves, about the week before the elections, 185 buses filled with a blue wave of supporters entered Belize City for one final rally….by the thousands they came. A few days after, the PUP suffered the worst defeat in its history. If Mr. Barrow thinks that having 10,000 people at his bash means that he is a great man and the UDP is on the right track and all is well in the country, he’s a fool living a fool’s dream. A magical one indeed!

Money wasted foolishly…

Conservative estimates put the cost of Sunday’s bash at around $150,000.

That’s $150,000 for a fete that lasted around 6 hours. The UDP gained absolutely nothing from that exorbitant waste of money. The Belizean people certainly gained nothing. The only tangible things left on Monday to show that $150,000 was wasted were probably spoilt food, a litter-strewn compound and a whole bunch of hangovers, and by Tuesday even those will be gone. Our people are still living in abject poverty; our children are still dropping out of school because education is too expensive; our people are still losing their homes because they have no money to keep up payments; businesses are still closing down because the economy is in recession; workers are still being let go because there are no more jobs for them; Belize City is still covered in garbage; the UDP Mayor is still considered a thief and the UDP is still rife with corruption. Yup, nothing has changed…nothing at all!

The gift of life…

By the time you read this, if 6 month old baby Daniel Estell did not receive $16,000, his family will have been torn apart by grief. The child lies in a hospital abroad fighting for life. His parents have managed to raise US$144,000 of the US$160,000 needed for the lifesaving surgery. Doctors have said that they will not proceed with the surgery until the money is paid in full. I find that heartless. I find it repulsive that a price tag has been put on the gift of life. This also makes me think of the $150,000 plus which Dean Barrow spent on a 6 hour party on Sunday. For a little fraction of that money, baby Daniel could have received the gift of life. I think about $150,000 spent like nothing for a fete, and then I think about how much god that money could have done…how many children it could have saved; how many children it could have fed; how many lives it could have made better; how much misery it could have relieved. Things are very very bad out here Mr. Barrow. You maybe could have made it a little better, but you didn’t. Instead, you threw a party!

A Song Called I am Belize…

I love this new song called I am Belize. It reminds me of a song commissioned under the PUP called Believe in Belize. In Belize we’re truly blessed with some serious talent and that’s no lie. Kudos to Tanya, Berne and the other artists who collaborated on this piece! But really Mr. Barrow, a song? After all the fanfare over Operation Restore Belize we got a song? It’s a great

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song for sure but what’s the expectation? Are Police Officers supposed to listen to the song and get so inspired that they’re transformed somehow into effective enforcers of the law with all the training and resources at their disposal? Are criminals supposed to listen to the song and decide that they won’t jack the neighbourhood grocery and shoot up the Chinese proprietors after all? Will the gangbangers listen to the song and put down their guns? Will Mayor Moya listen to the song and stop mismanaging the Council and misappropriating taxpayer funds? See, this is the problem with Mr. Barrow and his administration. After months of the worst times ever, crime and otherwise, we’re given a song and expected to be so agog over this musical bounty that we ignore the misery on the streets. Like I said, great song Mr. Barrow, but we’d really like to see some concrete plans on how you will deal with crime. Hell, you’re good at coming up with stuff which never pans out, so what we’d like to see is some action, Mr. Barrow, some sign that you and your administration are not really as worthless as we think. Please?

Burying the dead…

I wonder where people are burying their loved ones who pass away? About two weeks ago there were only twelve spaces left at the Lord’s Ridge Cemetery and I’m absolutely certain that those spaces have been used already.

The City Council led by the idiotic Phillip Willoughby picked a spot by Hattieville which it said was high ground which would not be prone to flooding. Philloughby even took the media there to show off this prime piece of land…only thing is that they had to wade through a quarter mile of foot high water to get there.

What a joke. But get this one…nobody told the people of Hattieville that they would be ‘gifted’ with a brand new cemetery courtesy of the UDP clowns in City Hall. So hundreds of residents in Hattieville are now saying – hold up just a minute, bubba, ain’t no way you’re gonna put a new cemetery here. Meanwhile, there’re still no spaces at the Lord’s Ridge Cemetery and people keep dying. Can you imagine?

The Kendall Crossing After almost a year, the UDP is finally moving to fix a hazardous stretch of road near mile 7 on the Northern Highway.

They started work on it sometime last year and then just ran out of steam, leaving the small stretch as an inconvenience and a danger to motorists on the Highway.

It was only after the Belize Times reminded them of their incompetence that works started up again a few weeks ago. We’ll see how that goes, because nothing is without pitfalls when it comes to this crew. And yeah, the Kendall crossing is still there without a bridge. It’s been impassible several times over the past week and the forecast calls for more rain down south. In fact we’ve got a couple active systems heading our way which could spell a threat to Belize, but the UDP doesn’t care. Any sort of serious threat will mean that the south of the country is completely cut off, and that could spell disaster, but nobody in the UDP gives a damn. Mr. Barrow can spend $150,000 on a six hour party without blinking an eye, but after more than two years he still cannot give the people of the south another Kendall Bridge. In 2008, Boots and Cadet Henderson told Belizeans that they would get a new bridge in 45 days. Almost 800 days after, and still no bridge! So now Boots says that construction of a new bridge will start in October and the bridge will be operational in a year and a half. You do the math.

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The Belize Times

Sunday, August 8, 2010

SUGAR NOT AS SWEET AS IT USE TO BE

The sugar industry in Belize is one of the oldest industries that make a significant contribution to the economy, as one of the major export commodities.

This industry has been the major pillar of economic activity in the northern districts of Corozal and Orange Walk that engages over 5,000 farmers cultivating some estimated 60,000 acres of land in sugarcane. The level of dependence on the industry over the past decade has seen some decline, as a result of some farmers exiting and others engaging in other economic activity to supplement their incomes. As one of the major commodity sectors in Belize, the sugar industry consists of a large farmer base that has been managed through the establishment of the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association (BSCFA). Most recently, with the various challenges of globalization and a changing trading landscape, the need to realize greater levels of efficiency at both the farmer level and by the processors has been a constant challenge.

Nonetheless, the future of this industry currently hangs in the balance, as there are several critical areas that required urgent intervention to assure the long term viability and sustainability of this industry. Most importantly is how does the institutionally framework within this industry allows for the enhancement of peoples livelihood. This columnist will highlight a few of these key issues.

Firstly, the structure and processes that prevails within the sugar industry are embodied within the BSCFA, the regulatory body the Sugar Industry Control Board, the processors the Belize Sugar Industries Ltd (BSI) all of which are superimposed within a political system. A review of the value chain in the industry clearly identifies the weaknesses at all levels of the industry from farm to factory. The current organization of cane farmers leaves much to be desired. Historically the BSCFA has been the only cane farmer association that membership has been mandatory. Its organizational structure

has had the legislative coverage under the Sugar Cane Industry (Control) Act previously and currently under the Sugar Industry Act of 2001. The law sets out clearly the organizational structure of this association and how it ought to execute its functions to the benefit of its membership. The benefits that have accrued to members over the years have been limited to the provision of chemical inputs such as fertilizers and herbicides, but far more important has been their political lobbying mechanism.

It is that mechanism and the level of membership that has allowed the BSCFA to access significant lines of credit over the years from Government and its related entities. The management structure of the BSCFA has remained unchanged and the many challenges it is currently facing is a direct reflection of the lacuna in proper management.

Most recently with the judicial challenge and the court’s ruling that now allows for the freedom of association, it has paved the way for other associations; namely the United Cane Farmers Association and the Corozal Sugar Cane Producers Association. Cane farmers livelihoods strongly depend on the efficient functioning of their representative organization and when this is not realized fragmentation and freeriding becomes prevalent. Legislative amendment by way of a revised Sugar Industry Act will not be the panacea

to the current management difficulties being experienced by the BSCFA. Any review of the current Act should clearly not include the organizational structure and function of the BSCFA or any of the other named associations. It is an imperative that farmers recognize the need to have their associations and their individual operations function as efficient economic enterprises that will enhance their livelihood and quality of life.

A second critical issue that has plagued this industry is the level of political intervention in the livelihood structure and vulnerability context of Belizeans engaged in the sugar industry.

The electoral base within the two northern districts makes the political capital of cane farmers far more valuable than any other asset that they have. The challenge however is that this political capital does not work for the majority of famers; instead the BSCFA and its membership has been a spring-board for aspiring politicians.

The mismanagement in the high debt burden that the BSCFA is currently faced with is a result of increased usage of this political capital coupled with poor financial management and accountability. Therefore the current task and dilemma of cane farmers is how to relinquish the high levels of dependency on government’s intervention to pave the way forward

in an industry that is completely privately owned.

Consequently, the challenge the industry is currently facing is a structural deficiency that must be addressed by those who have the economic investment in the industry.

The antagonistic relationship between farmers and BSI needs to be bridged to the benefit of all parties.

The requirement to become a cost competitive sugar industry is an imperative for its long term sustainability and by extension the improvement in the quality of life of Belizeans engaged in this industry. All indicated to date, is that the levels of unemployment has increased over the past decade as a result of the inefficiency functioning of this industry.

People can no longer depend solely on sugar cane production. However, if the industry stakeholders and government were to make the required meaningful interventions the economic prospects of Belizeans livelihood would be greatly enhanced. So the call is made on all parties, cane farmers to get organized and find a way forward that will benefit the majority; and BSI to address greater levels of transparency and accountability with respect to the areas of marketing, shipping and handling of sugar; and government to guide the reform process required, by way of legislative amendments that will allow for the efficient functioning of a sugar industry that continues to make a meaningful contribution to the Belizean economy. Belizeans deserve a better way of life and the cañeros should continue to demand the levels of respect from the political directorate. With a national party convention in their back yard it was rather amazing that no policy statement was made to address this very key industry.

This obviously reflects the level of importance to the current government; one must pray that in their remaining term the industry does not continue to languish. Where there is no direction the people shall perish.

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has done absolutely nothing to improve infrastructure at our educational facilities around the country; to provide teachers with the resources and skills to impart valuable knowledge; to ensure that school-age children have everything they need to enter school and to stay in school.

Instead, the statistics show that an increasing number of students are dropping out of school, a majority of them because the cost of education has become too high and they simply cannot afford it. Mr. Faber, who should

be busy ensuring that every school age child be able to afford the education which is their right, is apparently tied up elsewhere mooning over his Prime Minister in his quest to be anointed the Chosen One. Anthropologist Dr. Herbert Gayle did not mince words when he recently presented his study on Male Social Participation and Violence in Urban Belize. According to Dr. Gayle, our education system is akin to attempting to carry water in baskets. In other words, it’s not working, it’s inadequate, it’s messed up. Dr. Gayle goes on to say that there is the need for ‘dramatic change’ in our education system. He talks about schools not getting enough resources, about the outdated school system and about the many challenges facing schools, including abject poverty and poorly developed facilities. According to Dr. Gayle, many of our schools have been forced to operate as welfare centers - that translates to teachers not performing properly and students not learning as they should. These are all things which Minister of Education Patrick Faber should be focused on.

He should be spending countless hours dealing with these problems which, really,

did not need to be pointed out by Dr. Gayle. This is a damning condemnation of our Minister of Education and shines the spotlight on his incompetence and neglect of the education system. But Mr. Barrow says that he’s doing an exemplary job, so Dr. Gayle must be wrong, eh Dean?

Imagine, almost 20% of our children who should be attending primary school are not able to do so. Imagine, almost 60% of our children who should be attending secondary school are not able to do so. These statistics should give our Minister of Education nightmares. Hell, he shouldn’t be able to catch a wink of sleep. But nah, he slumbers peacefully, soothed by the lullaby of Mr. Barrow’s fawning adulation. Who cares about statistics? Who cares if our children are out of school? Who cares about more resources for school? Mr. Barrow says he’s wonderful and that’s enough for him.

While Mr. Barrow and the boy toy hold hands and canter along merrily, our education system continues to deteriorate.

While words are like the wind, the duo’s euphoria may soon be forcefully dispersed by a product of their incompetence?

We’re not necessarily wishing it so but hey, it could happen!

Sending a Boy to do a Man’s Job…

Appointing Patrick Faber as the Minister of Education was like sending a boy to do a man’s job - and a stupid, arrogant boy at that. Expecting Faber to excel in his role of Minister of Education is an exercise in futility. Apparently the Prime Minister, who fawns over the selfproclaimed ‘boy wonder’ adores such exercises, as he lauded the ‘genius’ of Faber during the last Cabinet expansion.

According to Mr. Barrow, nobody could dare to doubt the excellence of the boy’s performance as Minister of Education. I mean, simpered Barrow, the evidence of the boy’s greatness is there for all to see.

See, there it is. What a crock!

It’s logical to surmise that Mr. Barrow assumed that because he personally proclaimed the greatness of his boy toy Faber, the nation would follow suit. But there is just too much evidence to the contrary. Our education system is in crisis, the statistics show a steady worsening and our Minister of Education cannot continue to float along on the gossamer mists of his mentor’s adulation. In the two and a half years of his free ride as Minister of Education, the boy has done absolutely nothing to improve the quality or accessibility of education in Belize. He

Sunday, August 8, 2010

The Belize Times

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The Belize Times

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Another day, another murder, this time in Scotland Halfmoon!

The bodies of murder victims are stacking up this week as the corpse of yet another person was discovered around 4 on Wednesday, this time in the ordinarily quiet community of Scotland Halfmoon in the Belize River Valley. The badly decomposed corpse of the Hispanic or Caucasian man was taken from a shallow grave about 400 hundred feet off a feeder road in the village.

The discovery would not have been made were it not for the Chairperson, Olivia

Rhaburn, who said she was walking with her two sons on

their way to a house some distance in the bushes when she saw scavengers hovering in the area.

At first Rhaburn said she thought it was a dead animal, but her young, curious son started to look around and his eye caught one of the victim’s feet.

Because the village is spread out over a few miles, it has not yet been confir med

whether the person is from there or was merely a visitor.

It has raised suspicion of foul play among investigators from Ladyville because of the appearance of the grave and the improper way the body was buried.

But while in the past the village was not known to be a violent community, it may be that criminals are using it to discard their victims. Only a month ago the body of a Taiwanese man was discovered at his home on the same dirt road.

Estranged boyfriend stabs pregnant Laverne “Antichrist” Longsworth may face woman, killing his child murder charge, hoping for manslaughter

Valerie Sheran Valerie Sheran, 28 is recuperating from a stab wound in the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital after she was viciously stabbed in the abdomen by Henry

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Patnett, 21, her ex-boyfriend, during a jealous attack at her home at 32 Neal Pen Road in the wee hours of the morning last Monday. Sheran and her present boyfriend in bed asleep at her house around 3 on Monday morning when her young son got up to urinate outside. The child closed the door and then heard a knock and got up and opened back the door, thinking it was a relatives standing outside. It was Patnett, however, waiting for the chance that entered the house and Sheran's bedroom where he allegedly stabbed her and her companion.

Sheran, who was seven months pregnant with her third child, suffered a deep stab wound to her belly and lost the unborn child the same morning.

Reports are that Patnett was also the father of the unborn child but that Sheran had taken out a restraining order against him because he had grown abusive.

He had previously stabbed Sheran in her throat some months earlier, a wound which partially lacerated her windpipe. The manhunt for Patnett continues.

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doused him with it then lit him ablaze with a burning candle.

Shortly after Longsworth secured bail in the sum of $6, 000, she was reportedly approached while on Queen Street and the attacker threw some type of acidic substance on her face, something strong enough to literally burned the flesh off a portion of her face. While Longsworth has denied this report for fear of her life, elements of the Police Department have confirmed the incident.

Longsworth was initially charged with attempted murder while White was being hospitalised. Now that he has Laverne "Antichrist" Longsworth died, the charge is expected to A life of abuse and crime be upgraded, either to murder or between a man and a woman ended manslaughter. Longsworth said in the death of one of them this that although she regrets what week when he succumbed to burn has happened, she did what she injuries she has publicly admitted did in self defense and has also that she inflicted. Popular court asked that the Director of Public fixture, Laverne Longsworth, also Prosecutions consider the lesser known as “Anti Christ”, 35, has charge of manslaughter. admitted to setting her commonThis has aroused the anger law-husband, David White, 32, of White's family who say that on fire during a domestic dispute Longsworth is now trying to play on July 15. Longsworth said that the part of the victim. White’s it was White who brought the mother, Yvonne Thompson, says kerosene from behind the safe that while he was no saint, she and putNOTICE it in theOF bedroom.

She denies that her son was abusive COMMENCED DISSOLUTION said she didn't quite understand to Longsworth. She admitted that why he did it, but added that White and Longsworth, on several when he couldn't getMa.Ma.Ma. his way he Limited occasions, used to act together did things to frustrate her. in stealing, and that what he Just prior to the(“THE incident, perhaps did was take back things COMPANY”) Longsworth said that White had that he had given to her. While started to do drugs and was stealing Thompson hopes that the law Notice is hereby Ma.Ma.Ma. her money andgiven hadthat pawned out Limited deals sternly with Longsworth, her household items, which had she is now preparing to bury her in dissolution; left herisin a deep financial debt. son on Friday.

-She said commenced dissolution the 30th day of July, 2010; and that White had oneven -stolen things Douglasthat Peters, whose address belonged to her is at 14, Avenue de Grande Bretagne, MCShe 98000, Monaco, the Liquidator of the Company. children. said that iscoupled with the fact that she had grown tired of that behaviour, she_____________________ had also had enough of a physically Global Consultants and abusive life with him. That night at www.belizetimes.bz Services (Belize) Limited when they argued, things reached We are the most visited Agent boiling point between themRegistered and newspaper website in Belize she grabbed the kerosene and

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Sunday, August 8, 2010

The Belize Times

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Unidentified man found shot Another senseless killing; 18 year old stalked and slain in the streets dead near Belmopan

While police in Belize City are still trying to decipher the mystery behind the latest fatal shooting, their colleagues in Belmopan are in no better position as they too are faced with a similar dilemma.

The incident was discovered at around 10 on Monday night at Mount Pleasant Road near Mile 45 off the Western Highway, which is quite contrary to what it's name sug gests, since there have been a number of killings in the area.

Just about 100 feet in on the road cops found the body of a Hispanic man with two bullet wounds to the upper neck and head. The victim bore a number of distinguishing tattoos on the ar ms and chest - the only hope police have that he will be identified. Police are not certain

how much earlier "John Doe" as we will call him, was murdered or whether he was killed where his body was found.

The details of the homicide are so sketchy and police have so little to go on, that they are appealing to the public to assist them in cracking the case. They are relying heavily on other unique markings that the victim has, like the tattoo of a dragon on the chest, another on the abdomen designed as that of a skull, one on the right hand designed as a rose, and on the upper left hand, a tree and a flower with the words: "Perdoname Madre Por". If you have infor mation that could help police identify the victim you're asked to call the nearest police station.

It's almost as if there is no hope in sight for all the murders that are piling high for 2010.

The weekend did not pass without another youth getting killed. Gilroy Bar row, 18, was stalked and gunned down on M & M Street in the Gungulung area of Saint Mar tin's - an execution-style killing, shot six times just before midnight.

Bar row had left the place where he stayed to g o see his parents and sister. He had said just prior to leaving that he would not take long to retur n.

The people, however, knew something was wrong when he did take a while. Their worst fears were confir med

when they g ot the news of his murder. Bar row was on an er rand and had g one to purchase something at David’s Super Store. He was riding back to his parents' when his attackers ambushed him near the entrance to the alley leading to his parents' house and opened fire.

A relative of the deceased believes that he was killed by a cousin and close friends because of a dispute over a stolen speaker. The alleged killers swore after the incident that they would eliminate Bar row soon.

His killing remains unresolved.

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The Belize Times

Sunday, August 8, 2010

MR PRIME MINISTER: ARE YOU RESIGNING SIR?

The Prime Minister, Mr. Dean Barrow is not well. He is ailing, and so is his law firm. We have been informed that the prognosis is not too good for the full recovery of his law partner, Mr.Rodwell Williams. From all perception, an honourable, he is recovering in intensive care in a hospital in Miami, after a failed attempt on his life. This writer extends sincere sympathy to his family.

Mr. Williams, we are told, was the minting machine for the law firm.

Together Barrow and Williams attracted some high caliber cases, including the defence of known drug traffickers. Mr. Barrow, when he was the Leader of the Opposition, was criticized in the international magazine The Economist for putting these types of cases before the national interest.

We understand that in the absence of his partner, the firm is losing clients despite Mr. Barrow’s recruitment of a few young attorneys.

Mr. Barrow also has this writer’s sympathy - if only he could be humble enough to show some to the many businesses and thousands of Belizeans who are reeling from economic hard times with no palatable answers from this government, the sympathy.

Mr. Barrow’s problems should also not be at the expense of the people.

Neither should his lifestyle nor his penchant for nepotism- wife, ex-wife, brother, sister, daughter, son and son, et al. all dipping or grabbing from the public purse.

One of my friends recently assured me that the Prime Minister will vacate his office, that he will resign, before his term ends. It is not that he (my friend) has an inside track. He is simple making certain assumptions based on the heretofore mentioned situation. We made a bet.

My position is that the PM will not resign. He has an ego which is bigger than the size of the Goodyear blimp.

But given the state of his health and the dwindling bottom line at the law firm, these are two excellent escape clauses for him to step down. It would save his ego and spare him further embarrassment for his utterly incompetent government.

I will give this to the man: Despite his chronic ailment, he continues to be fitness buff or perhaps it is therapy.

But this should not be to the point where he is further neglecting his responsibilities as head of failing and dismal government, or to the people of this country to whom he has made so many empty promises.

He goes to the gym daily, (in the mornings but not early), and then, nonchalantly cruises to his office in Belmopan where he spends a few short

hours a day (six at the most), dealing, we assume with the people’s business but not with the people, in many cases, rural folks.

That makes him one of the laziest and least productive leaders in the regions of Central America and the Caribbean.

Mr. Barrow, one must understand, is of the Belize City “Royal Creole” culture. This is a spin-off from the British colonials with their snotty nose and stiff upper lip and who drink tea holding a cup with an extended pinky and calling it class. The type of people who regard anything outside of Belize City, in a derogatory fashion, as the “out dcistricts” A recent outburst by the Prime Minister in the House of Representatives, (one of several unparliamentarily misconduct), was reflective of the true character of the man.

He called an opposition representative “a village idiot”. This epitomizes his perception of rural people who are both the heart and backbone of our national economy the “salt of the Belizean earth” in PUP parlance.

Notwithstanding, we must recognize that the Prime Minister is a salesman (albeit quarrelsome), and not a statesman. He is incapable of handling dissenting views or rational debates.

By his own admission, he loves a good quarrel. This explains why the clowns in his cabinet are so goatish and why he is the only one who speaks for the government and for the ministries, no matter what ministry or on what issue.

He is the only one with the capacity to explain, with a sales pitch, the many screw-ups of his administration.

Perhaps, even the Bar Association, would sheepishly admit that he acts like a rookie Dictator.

Despite his government’s super majority in the legislature, they have

not been able to implement any of his party’s manifesto promises. The reason for this incompetence was recently articulated by the new Police Minister and, until this week, the Chairman of the Party. He said the only purpose of political parties is to win elections. That means that the UDP’s Manifesto, by his admission, was a political hoax foisted on the people of this country prior to the election of 2008.

Subsequently, with no clear cut programme for development, and seemingly angry over their lack of capacity to deliver, they continue their policies of victimization against anyone not marching to their goose steps. These include local and foreign investors. We have seen the introduction of draconian laws clearly designed to repel investors and which have been condemned by legal academics.

Consequently the country’s GDP

has fallen, the poverty level is on the rise, the infrastructure (schools, public hospitals, roads and bridges) is crumbling, unemployment, crime and more crime is escalating and there is very little to show in the way of new investments.

The first step towards becoming a failed State is in having a dysfunctional government. This is how it all began in Haiti; though the French contributed to that failed state and which became a kleptocracy under the Duvaliers- Papa and Baby Doc. Mr. Barrow should let the air out of his ego, stop breathing that rarefied air, deflate and then resign!

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FOR SALE

By ORdER OF thE MORtgAgEE Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd., a company duly registered under the Companies Act, Chapter 250 of the Laws of Belize, Revised Edition, 2000, and having its registered office at Cor. Albert and Bishop Streets, Belize City, Belize, hereby gives notice of its intention to exercise its power of sale as Mortgagee under a Deed of Mortgage made the 4th day of June, 2008, between JANIRA ODALIE BLACK, of the one part, and Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd. of the other part, and recorded at the Land Titles Unit in Deeds Book Vol. 19 of 2008 at Folios 1429 – 1458, and the said Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd. will at the expiration of two months from the date of the first publication of this notice sell the properties described in the schedule hereto.

All offers to purchase the said properties must be made in writing and full particulars and conditions of sale may be obtained from the said Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd.

SCHEDULE ALL THAT piece or parcel of land being Lot No. 57 (744.367 Square Meters) situate near Mile 12 along the Northern Highway, Belize District and shown and delineated on Plan dated 1st day of February, 1998 by Henry D. Flowers, Licensed Land Surveyor and registered at the Lands and Surveys Department in Belmopan, at Register No. 2 Entry No. 3964 TOGETHER with all buildings and erections standing and being thereon.

ALL THAT piece or parcel of land being Lot No. 65 (899.268 Square Meters) situate near Mile 12 along the Northern Highway, Belize District and shown and delineated on Plan dated 1st day of February, 1998 by Henry D. Flowers, Licensed Land Surveyor and registered at the Lands and Surveys Department in Belmopan, at Register No. 2, Entry No. 3964 TOGETHER with all buildings and erections standing and being thereon.

The the ISU 200 Tru

1. bein

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ON

3.

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5. pou

DATED this 14th day of July, 2010.

MUSA & BALDERAMOS 91 North Front Street Belize City Attorney-at-Law for Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd.

Ten Bill

The $20 be r 4th 201

Eac dec face

Sunday, August 8, 2010

The Belize Times

13

EPZ INVESTORS CALLING IT QUITS?

The ailing economy has just been sent into shock as the government of Belize pushed through another new and insidious tax hike on the investors and developers of Export Processing Zones.

A new SI was laid on the table at the House Meeting that seeks to raise over 7million dollars in new taxes on the last bastion of foreign investment and job creation that was still breathing after the Barrow Administration's assault on investor confidence.

It puts in place a whopping 10 percent SOCIAL TAX ON FUEL , thereby taking away one of the biggest benefits the EPZ's had that allowed them to operate above margin and to remain competitive on the regional and global markets.

As if that were not enough, the same SI also adds an across the board new tax of 1.5 percent on all goods and services needed by these EPZ's to function. For example, the papaya processing companies need to invest in irrigation tubing valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars, before they can reap and pack a single papaya for export. They have to bring in insecticides and fertilizer, packaging materials and so on before they make a single penny. Prior to three weeks ago, when this new tax was brought on them, EPZ's were allowed to import these materials completely tax free.

NOT ANYMORE. Investors must now cough up purchase price plus Barrow's 1.5 percent to get what they need into the zones .

The danger in this is that it suddenly and unjustifiably takes up the cost of producing the services and products coming out of the zones and makes the Belize product even less competitive than it already is, compared to the production costs of the same type of services and products coming out of a zone in neighboring Honduras or Mexico. In the area of agro-industrial export processing zones, like papaya farms, citrus processing products, Marie Sharp and shrimp farms, we stand to lose these investors forthwith as the double whammy of a tax on everything compounded by the crippling 10% fuel tax. These developments are located in the already impoverished North and the new and emerging South.

Transportation of raw materials into and hauling of the finished products to ports in Belize City and Big Creek means huge fuel bills. To hike up the fuel in this manner will hurt badly.

The most dangerous fallout predicted by this unilateral introduction of two taxes into

a “tax exempt “ zone is that the investors will seek to recover in the short term by cutting the wage bill to cover the increases in production costs. These thirty EPZ's collectively hire nearly four thousand workers ranging from drivers, office staff, technical people and call center personnel.

Where will we find jobs for these workers as they are displaced in the immediate future.

That is the expected short term response ; the medium to long term picture is even more disturbing. One newly opened call center has already closed it doors in the last week, leaving its newly employed crew just as newlyunemployed!

With the entire region looking to attract more investment and investors looking for locations that shower them with incentives, we just might have

written ourselves right out of the export processing zone business with this short sighted in tax.

Workers beware. For a few dollars more to feed the wasteful Red machine plowing wildly though the country's economy, the lives and livelihood of thousands of Belizean workers has been put on the line . As Phil Collins says.. just another day for you and me in paradise.

14

The Belize Times

Woman pleads guilty to shoplifting food

Jade Lopez

BELIZE CITY, Wed., August 4, 2010 Jade Lopez, 37, allegedly one of a team of four women who were charged with theft in a shop lifting incident, pleaded guilty to the charge when she appeared yesterday in the #5 Magistrate’s Court.

Magistrate Albert Hoare fined her $1,000 and gave her until October 29 to pay.

PUP Think Tanking Sessions Every Thursday, Independence Hall at 7:30pm

He told her that if she defaults on payment she will serve 1 year. The other women who were charged were Marina Pott, 27, Augustina Deaz, 42 and Fermina Jimenez, 31, and their charges were withdrawn.

The theft occurred around 2:30 p.m., on Saturday, July 31 at Ladyville Community Store. Chinese businessman Nai Long Kwang reported to the police that he became suspicious when the group of women entered the store and left without buying anything.

He said when they left he viewed the footage from his surveillance cameras and saw them taking items from the shelves.

Kwang then called the police.

When the police searched the area they found a Toyota pick-up in which the only occupant was the driver, Israel Hernandez, 47. They searched the pick-up and found all the stolen items which included 2 packs of Happy Cow cheese, 3 red Dutch cheese and 4 packs of Dano Milk, the property of Yan Jun Cao. As a result, Hernandez was charged with handling stolen goods. Hernandez pleaded not guilty to the charge when he was arraigned in the #5 Magistrate’s Court yesterday. He was released on a bail of $2,500 and his case was adjourned until September 23.

Police apprehended the women shortly afterwards.

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Fisherman, 21, remanded for restaurant robbery and shooting

Kareem Grant

BELIZE CITY, Wed. Aug. 4, 2010 Kareem Grant, 21, a fisherman from Mahogany Heights who police alleged was one of three men involved in a robbery and shooting at Olympic Restaurant, located on Orange Street in Belize City, was charged with 5 offences when he appeared in Magistrate’s Court #1 on Monday, August 2.

G r a n t wa s ch a r g ed wi th attempted murder, dangerous harm, use of deadly means of harm, robbery and escape from lawful custody in the morning and he pleaded not guilty to those charges.

No plea was taken from him when he was brought back to court the in afternoon and charged with the other offences because they are indictable.

Chief Magistrate Margaret McKenzie explained to him that the court cannot offer him bail because

LOST OR DESTROYED DEBENTURE/SHARE CERTIFICATE Notice is hereby given of the loss of the following Debenture and Share Certificates: DEBENTURE CERTIFICATE NO.

Larry Addington Caye Chapel Ventures, Ltd.

0035/0036/0037/0038/0039 008

NAME

SHARE CERTIFICATE NO.

Perseverance Lodge #2147 Carol Vernon Harris

1171 2028

It is proposed to cancel the above Debenture/Share Certificates and to issue replacement certificates for same after the expiration of twenty-one (21) days from the appearance of this notice.

Any of the above mentioned certificates is therefore required to be returned to: Securities Officer Finance Department Belize Electricity Limited 2 ½ Miles Northern Highway Belize City, Belize

of the nature of the offences and remanded him into custody until October 6.

In addition she ordered that he receive immediate medical treatment because Grant told her he was beaten on the street by the police when he was apprehended and he believes his left shoulder is dislocated.

The incident occurred around 7:40 p.m. on Thursday, July 29. Chong Wu Tan, 43, the owner of Olympic Restaurant, reported to the police that he was behind the counter of the restaurant when three men wearing handkerchiefs over their faces entered, two of them armed with pistols.

Tan said he was held up by both gunmen while the third masked man jumped over the counter and stole $80.00 and $70.00 worth of telephone cards.

Tan said one of the robbers got into a struggle with Efrain Gusman, 42, a security guard of Santa Martha, Orange Walk, who was a customer.

During the struggle Gusman was shot 4 times, twice to the center of his abdomen and twice to the left side of his abdomen.

Only two of the bullets exited and Gusman needed surgery at Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital to have the other two bullets removed. He is reported to be in stable condition.

Shortly after the incident Grant was apprehended on Regent Street West by the police.

Budran acquitted of firearm and ammunition charges

July 28, 2010

NAME

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Marlon Budran

BELIZE CITY, Wed. Aug. 4, 2010 Marlon Budran, 32, a l a b o r e r o f Wa g n e r s ’ L a n e , B e l i z e C i t y, w h o w a s c h a r g e d with keeping firearm and ammunition without a gun license, was acquitted of both c h a r g e s i n M a g i s t r a t e ’s C o u r t # 7 o n M o n d a y, A u g u s t 2 .

After the prosecution c l o s e d i t s c a s e , B u d r a n ’s a t t o r n e y, D i c k i e B r a d l e y, submitted that his client did not have a case to answer to because the prosecution had not proved that the firear m and ammunition belonged to Budran.

Magistrate Ed Usher upheld the objection and acquitted Budran of the charg es.

The incident occurred

a r o u n d 2 : 5 0 p. m . o n D e c e m b e r 16, 2008. According to the evidence adduced by the prosecution, Budran and another man were riding bicycles from southside to northside in the direction of Belchina Bridge and they appeared suspicious to the police.

As a result, the police began to pursue them from Belchina Bridge on to Douglas Jones Street and Freetown Ro a d .

The police lost sight of the other man but they caught up w i t h B u d r a n i n Fa r m e r ’s M a r ke t compound. The evidence was that a 9 millimetre pistol with 7 live rounds of ammunition in i t s m a g a z i n e wa s f o u n d b e t we e n t wo r o ck s n e a r t o w h e r e B u d r a n w a s.

CHECK OUT OUR NEW WEBSITE at www.belizetimes.bz ~ POST YOUR COMMENTS ~ VOTE ON ARTICLES ~ VIEW OUR PHOTO GALLERY ~ CHECK OUT A PDF VERSION OF THE PAPER We are the most visited newspaper website in Belize

Sunday, August 8, 2010

The Belize Times

Biscayne mechanic charged 16 year-old high traffic death

BELIZE CITY, Wed. Aug. 4, 2010 K e n r oy Je x , 2 7 , a n a i rconditioning unit technician a n d a u t o m o t ive m e ch a n i c w h o allegedly knocked down and killed Dale Sibley, 16, has been charged with manslaughter by negligence, causing death by careless conduct and driving without due care and attention.

Jex was ar raigned yesterday Magistrate’s Cour t #5. No plea was taken from him because the offences are indictable and Magistrate Albert Hoare offered him a bail of $5,000, which he met.

H i s c a s e wa s a d j o u r n e d until September 24.

The incident occurred around 10 a.m. on Thursday, July 29. Police investigation revealed that Jex, who resides in Biscayne, was driving a blue Toyota Camr y car travelling towards Belize City when he knocked down Sibley at Mile 13 on the Northern Highway.

The police repor ted that S i b l e y, a h i g h s c h o o l s t u d e n t who resided at Mile 13 near to where the incident occur red, was riding his bicycle heading in the

Kenroy Jex

same direction as the car when he suddenly swer ved to the middle of the highway.

Sibley received injuries to the back of his head.

When the police ar rived at the scene they saw him lying in the middle of the highway motionless and in a pool of blood. He was transported to Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead on ar rival.

15

Belgrave to prison for attempted murder charge

BELIZE CITY, Wed. Aug. 4, 2010 Jer maine Belgrave, 27, who was recently released from prison on bail for a charge of attempted murder, was back in cour t on Monday, August 2, charg ed with another count of attempted murder for a separate incident. Belg rave was arraigned in Magistrate’s Court #6.

Apart from attempted murder he was also charged with dangerous har m and use of deadly means of har m. No plea was taken from him because the offences are indictable.

Magistrate Dorothy Flowers explained to him that the cour t cannot offer him bail because of the nature of the offences. She remanded him into custody until September 17.

The incident occurred around 11 p.m. on Tuesday, February 23.

C l e o Ro b i n s o n , 3 5 , a . k . a . “ S i ck Bitch”, a laborer of Neal pen Road, repor ted to police that he was riding his beach cruiser bicycle from Church Street on to Glenn Street when he was approached by Belgrave.

Robinson said Belgrave shot

Jermaine Belgrave

him three times, once to the center of the upper part of his back, once to the lower portion of his back and once to the left side of his abdomen.

He said he fell from his bicycle to the ground. He was transported to Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital in a BERT Ambulance.

Robinson said he is certain that it was Belgrave who shot him because he has known Belgrave for many years and he and Belg rave spent time at Belize Central Prison.

790

It’s been days since the Kendall Bridge was washed away. How much longer must we wait for a new bridge, Mr. Prime Minister?

CHECK OUT OUR NEW WEBSITE at www.belizetimes.bz ~ POST YOUR COMMENTS ~ VOTE ON ARTICLES ~ VIEW OUR PHOTO GALLERY ~ CHECK OUT A PDF VERSION OF THE PAPER We are the most visited newspaper website in Belize

VACANCY The Belize Council for the Visually Impaired (BCVI), a national non-profit organization has a vacancy for an energetic and driven person to join its team as the Clerical Assistant at our National Eye Clinic in Belize City.

The position requires a full-time commitment and the following skills: Knowledge and confidence in using computers and programs such as Microsoft Excel and Word; A pleasant personality, willingness to learn and the ability to multi task; The ability to speak Spanish would be an advantage; On-the-job training will be provided.

Please submit applications to: Executive Director The Belize Council for the Visually Impaired PO Box 413 1 Gabourel Lane Belize City Closing Date for Applications is August 31st, 2010

16

The Belize Times

Sunday, August 8, 2010

KARL HEUSNER MEMORIAL HOSPITAL

VACANT POSITIONS Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital Authority invites applications from suitable qualified and motivated individuals for the following vacant positions:

POSITION: (2) MEDICAL OFFICERS

Job Summary:

To All Telemedia Employees BTL EmpLoyEEs TrusT WEBsiTE All BTL employees are advised of the launch of a new website www.btlemployeestrust.com This site will keep you up to date with the latest developments related to the Trust. It covers a wide range of matters ranging from the legal aspects of the Trust through to a review of the Trust value, all backed up by a number of important trust related documents.

•

Responsible for the initial assessment, examination on initial encounter with unscheduled, emergency/urgent and new patients

•

Resuscitate patient and perform pelvic, neurological, surgical and other examinations

•

Coordinate patient treatment plans, order laboratory tests and radiographic examinations, such as X-rays and ultrasounds

•

Refer patients for specialists consultation, (such as internal medicine, general surgery or obstetrics), when necessary

•

Stabilize and prepare patient for admission to ward, ICU, operating theatre for emergency surgery or to labour and delivery as requested

If you have any questions on trust matters that are not covered by the website, or if you have any suggestions on what we can do to further develop the site, just go to the FAQ section of the website and we will try to post answers to your questions as soon as we are able.

•

Proper documentation and recording of treatment in the BHIS

28 July, 2010

•

Liaising with other medical staff as part of a team and non-medical staff in the hospital to ensure quality treatment

Educational and other requirement: Bachelor’s Degree in Medicine/Surgery Current Registration by the Medical Council of Belize Certification in Advance Life Support

Salary:

GOB Payscale 20 - $30,324 x $1,392 - $56, 772

Experience: One (1) year post-registration experience, with one or more years in a hospital setting

Special Skills: Computer literate Excellent public relations skills Able to function effectively under pressure

Completed applications accompanied by two letters of reference and a police record must be submitted to the Director Human Resources at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital on or before 13th August, 2010.

The Trust is real, it has significant value, and it is being properly and effectively managed in the interests of you the BTL employees.

on s g n i t i r W the

Sunday, August 8, 2010

The Belize Times

WALL

17

BZN says: Saturday, July 31, 2010, 1:11 Hope everyone sees how much PM cares, so much so that he flaunts his MIAMI trips in the face of Belizeans… Don’t matter if he pays for his flight, I guess he’s lucky he can live it up while Belizeans suffer under his wrath !!! 2013 is coming !!!!

Hulse says:

Saturday, July 31, 2010, 6:58

THE PRIME MINISTER IS TOO BUSY MAKING MONEY FOR HIMSELF, HE IS NOT WORKING FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ELECTED HIM, JUST REMEMBER YOUR TIME IS COMING.

Tek Belize Bak says: Saturday, July 31, 2010, 2:06 starting from the top: - bank interests too high - small businesses which make up bulk of the GDP, can’t be sustainable at 16% interest loans: media could care less, hardly any coverage.

- Small businesses folding up like cheap beach chairs: media could care less, hardly any coverage - Small business close doors, people lose jobs, people don’t have job, they can’t pay bills, including loans to banks for their homes.

- People losing homes in significant numbers – almost zero media attention - I can go on for a mile on this page - Bottom line: we lack serious leadership; our Captain at the wheels is completely disassociated from the reality of life on the streets.

- Suggestion: Vote these losers out; they are losers and making our country into a losers. Call early elections NOW!!! or we WILL be another Haiti in less than 5 years if we continue on this route.

Shawty says: Friday, July 30, 2010, 23:43 Truth be told, more than a few have died because of this, and we’re not just talking about those who’ve drowned at the crossing This is prime proof that Barrow and his UDP government absolutely do NOT care one wit about our progress as a nation and society and they care even less for the humble folk living in the far-flung and distant districts of this country! This is an unacceptable situation that could easily have been remedied for the price of a tasteless and ostentatious foreign wedding, or for what our so-called civil servants have absconded with in the form of irregularly imported late model tranportation and international junkets while derilect in duty!

Where, oh where is the public outcry? Frightened, undereducated, underemployed and underfed masses have lost the inclination and many haven’t the strength! God Save Belize! God Save The Queen! To the devil with Dean Barrow.

Martinez says: August 3, 2010 at 6:36 pm How is Belize been restored when 90% of the news coming out of the Jewel is crime related?It seems to me that the criminal elements are more effective than the Belize Police Dept. rod says: August 3, 2010 at 9:50 am i cant believe this udp gov the pm actually has the b…s to get up and say how good this gov has done since they are in power mien now i know your sick in the head since udp in power crime higest its ever been in the history of belize economy in the drain tourism lowest in history currouption the most there has ever been streets the worse ever international relations worse ever the only thing this gov is good for is sucking up to obama and the us sad sad sad.

Posts are from www.belizetimes.bz, Belize Times Press Facebook Account, John Briceño Facebook Account, www.channel5belize.com

18

The Belize Times

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Drug war death toll in Mexico since 2006 exceeds 28,000

More than 28,000 people have died in drug violence in Mexico since President Felipe Calderon took office in December 2006 and stepped up the fight against organized crime, the nation's intelligence and national security director said Tuesday.

In addition, said Guillermo Valdes Castellanos, Mexican authorities and drug gang members have been engaged in 963 gun battles in that time period, or about one per day.

The large number of confrontations show that the government is taking the fight to the drug cartels, which previously operated with impunity, Valdes said.

Calderon said in April that more than 22,700 people had died in drug violence since he took office.

The Mexican attorney general's office said a few weeks ago the death toll for the same time period stood at 24,826.

"Calderon and party probably never thought it would get this high," said Samuel Logan, founding director of Southern Pulse Networked Intelligence, an online information network focused on Latin America. "The acceleration year to year is an indication that things are likely to get worse before they get better. We are still on that footing."

Still, Logan cautioned that 90 percent to 95 percent on the fatalities are "bad guy versus bad guy."

The latest tallies were revealed at a

summit Calderon held Tuesday called "Dialog for Security, Evaluation and Strengthening."

The president and other high functionaries, academics and security experts met in Mexico City and sat around a large table, calmly discussing the bloody struggle for control of the nation. They painted it as a matter of regaining control and rooting out corruption.

Around the same time, firefights broke out in Reynosa, a city in the border state of Tamaulipas. Residents there sat around their computers and posted comments on Twitter about the violence outside their doors.

"Shootouts, chases & several blocked highways in Reynosa," wrote

After freeing prisoners, Cuba presses for U.S. to reciprocate

Havana, Cuba (CNN) -- Ariel Sigler is the latest of 21 Cuban political prisoners to fly into exile after being freed from jail in Cuba.

Gaunt, and confined to a wheelchair, the former boxer received a hero's welcome in Miami.

Later at a hospital, he talked about his release.

"The first dish that I was able to taste with great delight was the dish of freedom, the dish of democracy, the dish of my second country that has received me as if I was another one of its children," Sigler said.

Cuba has agreed to release a total of 52 political prisoners by-mid November as part of a deal with the Catholic Church and Spain.

International pressure to free them grew when one prisoner died earlier this year after an 84-day hunger strike.

But the Cuban government has also ratcheted up its own campaign.

It is denouncing the imprisonment of five Cuban agents held in

Sergio Chapa, a reporter at KGBT-TV in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, who covers the border region.

Said a Twitter user who identified herself as DianaOlga, "Reynosa is in chaos at this moment there is no nextel, the streets are closed you can only hear the bullets."

Another person noted that his father had been shot and he was leaving for Reynosa first thing in the morning.

Many residents posted photos of blocked roads or people taking refuge during a gun battle.

Tamaulipas has seen some of the most violent atrocities since January, when the Gulf and Zetas cartels went to war. The Zetas used to be the armed

enforcers for the Gulf Cartel but broke away over a gang member assassination and other matters.

Scared residents weren't the only ones tweeting about the violence Tuesday. The city government also took to the web to warn citizens.

"Blockades on 20th Street, Soriana Blvd., Morelos, Gemelos Bridge, Libramiento Chedraui. Take precautions until new information," the city government said.

About a half-hour earlier the Reynosa government had posted a tweet that said, " RISKY SITUATION continues in VARIOUS POINTS IN THE CITY. It is convenient to PROTECT YOURSELF. Blockades to be confirmed."

Earlier Tuesday, an explosive device blew up at an open air market in the city, causing damage to structures but no casualties.

At his summit Tuesday, Calderon said the violence could persist "for a while among us."

That wasn't welcome news to any Mexicans. But neither was it particularly surprising, especially to those in battleground areas.

While the politicians talked in Mexico City, a twitterer who goes by the name of AnnyGirl1 summed up her day.

"A sad case, when I thought that things were calming in Reynosa, we woke up to a grenade attack and then 12 hours later a shootout."

Backyard farming a growing trend

the United States since 1998.

They're convicted of spying in the United States.

In Cuba, they're considered heroes, fighting to protect the homeland from extremists in Miami.

Over the weekend, Cuba's National Assembly accused the U.S. of putting one of the agents, Gerardo Hernandez, in what assembly members called an "isolation hole" even though he

was ill.

The National Assembly signed a petition calling the conditions of Hernandez's current confinement "so harsh that his health and physical integrity are being seriously affected."

U.S. officials could not be reached immediately for comment.

Hernandez's wife recalled Cuban President Raul Castro's offer of a gesture for a gesture.

"Our president was very clear," she said. "We were waiting for the U.S. to free the five and we would hand over the prisoners we have in Cuba, even with their relatives.

Cuba has complied with its gesture."

However, there are no indications that any talks about a tradeoff are underway between Havana and Washington. But some Cuban officials have pointed to the recent swap of Russian and American spies as evidence that there may be a possibility.

For many, backyard farming literally means backyard farming.

However, persons living in apartment buildings may also take part in the widespread trend of eating what they grow.

Square-foot gardening, accor-ding to Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) extension officer for St Thomas, Norman Haughton, is an easy solution for persons who have the drive to grow crops but have no outdoor space.

"When people see things, they'll buy into it and believe it," Haughton said.

Those who attended the 58th Denbigh Agri-Industrial Show in Clarendon had access to backyardfarming tips as well as had their questions answered by experts from RADA and Jamaica Agricultural Society.

Persons who are or will be taking on backyard-farming projects are encouraged to build a compost bin or use a tightly sealed container to store

compost.

Compost is what is left once organic matter decomposes. Garden waste, scraps from the kitchen, manure and leaves are organic matter. These can be used as food for the plants and crops.

RADA also provides assistance for first-time gardeners who may lack faith in their green thumb.

"We go through land preparation and we're there to answer questions. We will even call to check up and see how the farming is going," Haughton said.

He also encourages farmers to use pesticides as the last resort.

How to get square-foot gardening going 1. Pick an area that gets anywhere between six and eight hours of sunlight.

Make sure this area isn't susceptible to puddles after rainfall.

2. Build a framed square box around 6" deep.

3. Fill with soil and compost.

4. Make a square-foot grid and place it on top of the frame and start planting.

Sunday, August 8, 2010

The Belize Times

Summer, Summer, Summer fun!

What have you been up to for summer? I’ve been helping out at home, reading and doing a bit of school work so that

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Summer Fun Sports Nut!

my brain doesn’t get rusty. I’ve also had lots of fun playing with my friends. We spend most of our time in my yard playing board games or our version of basketball, softball or football. I have fun just goofing around and hanging out with my friends. Hey, don’t spend your time watching the television all day get outside a little…

Riddle Me This, Riddle That…

Q. How much dirt is in a round hole that is 9 feet deep with a diameter of 3 feet? (Hint: You don’t have to do any math to get the answer. Just use your head!)

A. None. You make a hole by digging out the dirt, so the hole is empty.

Q. Once a dog named Nelly lived on a farm. There were three other dogs on the farm. Their names were Blackie, Whitey, and Brownie.

What do you think the fourth dog’s name was?

A. Nelly. (If there are only four dogs on the farm, the fourth one must be Nelly!)

BASKETBALL BOWLING CRICKET CYCLING

FOOTBALL KARATE RUNNING SOFTBALL

Color Me

SWIMMING TENNIS

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The Belize Times

Grace

Amazin

The War on Poverty Spiritual Warfare is a very interesting concept. It precedes All problems and more so All solutions.

While war, from a secular perspective, includes weapons of mass destruction, such as guns, war-tanks, fighter planes etc, “Spiritual Warfare” uses the weapon of the Word of God. Biblically, it the word of God was referred to as a sword, Ephesians 6:18. Obviously, the word “sword” was used because there were grenades, AK 47’s, or weapons of mass destruction invented as yet!

Spiritual warfare simply put, is the changing of your mentality, mindset, understanding, or attitude, 2 Corinthians 10:4. This scripture speaks of war in the context of tearing down imaginations, pulling down thoughts and holding them captive. Powerful stuff.

It is as if God is shouting to us “Hey, instead of blowing up humans with highly destructive weapons, let us do it with My Words with the mission of changing the way they think!!!”

Since we are looking at the war on poverty from a Christian perspective and we now understand war from a scriptural perspective. Let us move on and examine poverty in the same way!

Jesus says that the poor will always be with us, Matthew 26:10. Interestingly, Jesus’ comment in this context arises when challenged by his disciples who saw a woman wasting a year’s salary of perfume washing his feet.

Poverty is not the lack of wealth, finances, or material resource, it is rather a result. Poverty is the result of a type of mentality or thinking.

From here on then we will refer to poverty as if it was a person!!

Jesus speaks about the attitude of poverty in another scripture saying, blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven Matthew 5:3!

See Poverty depends on others, whether through promises, or hope.

Poverty never feels dependent and capable. Poverty stands at the street corner and asks for a dollar! Poverty never makes plans. He operates without thinking.

He never tries to step out, learn new things but believes what is told to him especially the negative.

Jesus is saying when we operate like this spiritually, we will be blessed.

Why? Because then we will depend on God who only speaks the positive and we will believe on Him. Sadly, the opposite happens if we do the same in our human lives.

As fire cannot exist without oxygen, so too, poverty cannot exist without a type of mentality or thinking.

Think of a very wealthy Belizean. If we would remove their job or business and place them in an impoverish situation would they stay there?

So you ask the question, how can we evict this man called poverty from our lives? Good question!!

First of all we must understand, Jesus loves the poor, he encourages us to give to them. As we do this, we are actually “lending” to God. Now this is important because God doesn’t like to owe anyone. More importantly He never gives back exact what was lent or given to Him rather He multiplies and resend it. Someone once said God is not good at math, He doesn’t know how to add only multiply!

Since the poor will always be with us and we become poor as a result of many different factors, the following is shared to provide a way for those that want to get rid of Mr. Poverty. Here goes: First weapon against this grueling task master is the requirement to change the way we think!!

I have heard that our European brothers do not understand the word “crisis” or “coincidence”. The word “crisis” in their language is actually translated “opportunity” in ours! They see crisis as opportunities!

Have you ever seen someone with all their limbs begging or believing they have to “jack” another citizen, while someone with one hand or foot works a full time job? You know why? “Mentality” Second weapon is to launch into action.

See God does not do things because He is sorry for us. He sets up principles/keys and as we use them, we are sure to experience success!

Let us look at one key: Paul says if a man doesn’t work he shouldn’t eat 2 Thessalonians 3:10. This villain a.k.a “Poverty”, loves when we make excuses to not get physical and work.

God has given each of us a skill, an ability that equips us to survive. Many find that skill and use it to make it in life. If you didn’t make it through school, definitely there is still hope for you.

You know my boss always used to say, if a man doesn’t have a job his job should be to get up every morning, get ready and go look for one! Simple as it may look that works. If you don’t believe me try it!!!!!!!!

God bless you and let us decide not to be friends with this guy called “Poverty”! (continued thanks to a local church brother for this contribution to the column)

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Sunday, August 8, 2010

The Belize Times

c i g a M e h t s Where i Mr. Barrow?

- Unemployment is UP - Crime is UP - Economy is DOWN - Belizeans are Poorer - NO Kendall Bridge - Stores are closing - Streets are broken - Corruption is High

All Glitter, NO Substance!

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The Belize Times

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Hattieville Village Council buries City Hall's intentions to relocate cemetery there

The villagers of Hattieville wasted no time voicing their displeasure after they heard the news that the Belize City Council was about to literally dump a g raveyard problem on their hands. The villagers had become aware of the Council's intentions via the news two weeks ag o, that because the Lord Ridge Cemeter y was almost filled to capacity, (only nine g rave spaces left), they were g oing to be burdened with the problem of having another cemeter y in their community. The villagers cong regated at a special meeting to discuss what they had found out - that City Hall was

now putting its g raveyard issues squarely on them.

For years past Belize City Councils have resor ted to filling up the swampy g raveyard to accommodate more g raves, but this cur r rent Council went overboard when it beg an to hastily pack red clay on the swamp and g raves recently constr ucted there show that the land is not suitable for any kind of constr uction.

One only need take a quick visit to the expanded area near the Partridge Street residential area to note the broken and sinking g raves.

The ang r y residents of

Hattieville have vocally made their displeasure known. They were never consulted and feel as if though the burden is being imposed on them and they argue that City Hall need to g o elsewhere with this problem.

Hattieville residents also say they need the space for housing.

Hattieville residents have given their own village council a mandate to out rightly reject City Hall's intentions of making their community a burial site for Belize City’s dead. They have pointed out other areas where City Hall could have tur ned to for that purpose.

The Belize City Council, they argue, is infringing on their rights because the Council has stumbled on prime sturdy Crown land that the residents want to utilize to build homes and playg rounds for their g rowing community. We will see how this one plays out.

CHECK OUT OUR NEW WEBSITE at www.belizetimes.bz We are the most visited newspaper website in Belize

Sunday, August 8, 2010

The Belize Times

23

Lemonal’s Surprise wins 2010 SMART Harrison Parks cricket champs

History was made in Double Head Cabbage last Saturday when Lemonal’s Surprise CC stunned the defending champs Double Head Cabbage Excellence by wining both finals matches to clinch the 2010 Smart Harrison Parks cricket championship, their first in almost 15 years.

In Game 1 Lemonal’s Surprise had won 104-103 3 weeks before.

Excellence had batted first but Man of the Match Mykelt Anthony took

5 wickets for 28 runs and before he was bowled out by Kenny Broaster also scored 5 runs. Only Sylbert Martinez and Keeron Flowers were in double digits for the visitors, and 4 batsmen went duck while 2 more batted only 1 run each. Ian and Brandon Broaster each batted 6 run.

I n L e m o n a l ’s t u r n a t b a t , Kenny Broaster took four wickets and Orson “Big Dawg” Flowers took another three wickets for Excellence, but this did not stop

Warren Anthony from batting 32 runs before Ian Broaster bowled him out and Shannon Smith score 24 runs to remain not out; his final four put them over the top 104-103.

When Game 2 started in Double Head on July 17, the match was interrupted by rains after only 16 overs with only 2 men out. Mykelt Anthony took the first wicket for zero runs, but his partner Keenon Flowers batted 34 runs before he was given Leg Before Wicket on a ball bowled by Edward Bull.

When it continued on July 24, Excellence had batted 219 runs all out, before the rains fell again.

Sylbert Martinez batted 48 runs before he was caught, and Percy Flowers scored 15 runs before he too was caught on a ball bowled by Mykelt Anthony. Kenny Broaster batted one six before Mykelt Anthony bowled him out. Orson “Big Dawg” batted 31 runs before he was bowled out by Orlando Banner. Burke Howard scored 12 runs before he was stumped and Brandon Broaster hit 12 runs before he was give LBW. Emmanuel Mcfadzean batted 15 runs before he was stumped on a ball from Orlando

Banner and Ewor th Nicholas scored 19 runs remaining not out, while Percival Flowers had scored 2 runs before he was run out.

In Lemonal’s turn at bat, Kenny Broaster took the 1st wicket for zero runs, but Man of the Match Herbert Banner whopped 5 sixes and 7 fours to score 74 runs before he was caught. Orlando Banner scored 60 r uns before he was bowled out.

Mykelt Anthony scored 19 runs before he was bowled out by Eworth Nicholas, and Excellence captain Percival Flowers took the next wicket for one run. Edward Bull batted 5 sixes to score 31 runs before he was caught by Kenny Broaster. Percival Flowers took the next wicket for 2 runs, and Orson Flowers took the next wicket for zero runs.

It fell to national team player Warren Anthony, to hit 2 fours and a winning final six to give the Lemonal Eleven the 220-219 championship win.

A n e x h i b i t i o n m a t ch w i l l be scheduled between the new champions and an all star selection at which trophies will be awarded.

O.Walk Running Rebels win Digicell ‘Balling for Life’ Junior champs

The Orange Walk Running Rebels won the 2010 Digicell “Balling for Life” junior basketball championship with 63-60 win over the Belize Bank Junior Bulldogs at the Belize City Center on Sunday, August 1.

In Game 1 last Wednesday, Alejandro Baptist led the Belize Bank with 20pts as they squeaked by 59-58.

The Bulldogs led 19-12 in the 1st quarter and 40-24 at the half time break.

The running Rebels outscored the

Bulldogs 13-6 in the 3rd quarter, but Bulldogs’ Kachief Thomas added 8 pts, team captain Sherwin Garcia and Raheem Flowers added 7 pts each, and Luis Barcelona added 5 pts, 9 rebounds to keep the Bulldogs ahead 46-37 at the end of the 3rd quarter.

Randy Usher had led the Rebels with 18 game pts, while Michael Martinez scored 13pts and Jamal Harris added 11pts and grabbed 7 rebounds in the 58-59 loss.

In Game 2 on Friday night, the

Rebels tied the series by running over the Bulldogs 68-52. Randy Usher led with 22pts, Roger Reneau added 11pts, Jarrel Velasquez and Jamal Harris scored 7pts each. Omar Tesecum and Michael Martinez tossed in 4 pts each.

The Bulldogs led 12-10 in the 1st quarter but Matthew Young’s 17pts tied the score at 27-27 at the half.

Raheem Stine and Sherwin Garcia both added 6 pts each, but the Rebels led 45-41 at the end of 3, and out-

scored the Bulldogs 23-11 in money time for the 68-52 win.

In Game 3 on Sunday, Alejandro Baptist again led the Bulldogs with 26 pts. The score was tied at 12-12 at the end of the 1st quarter, but Randy Usher (23 game pts) Michael Martinez, Marcel Richards and Jarrel Velsquez gave the Rebels a 26-20 lead at the half.

Alehjandro Baptist and Kachief Thomas each drained in a long trey in the 3rd quarter and Garcia, Barcelona and Matthew Young poured in more buckets, but the Rebels continued to lead 46-40 in the 3rd quarter.

Matthew Young added 11pts and the Bulldogs outscored the Rebels 20-17 in money time as they tried to tie the score, but Jarrel Velasquez and Jamal Harris’ 10pts each kept them ahead 63-60 for the win.

In the awards ceremony following the game, the Most Valuable Player trophy for the regular season was awarded to Steven Smith of Truckers, while the most points’ award went to Albert Tasher of Ghetto Ballers.

Matthew Young won Most Rebounds and Rebels’ Rany Usher won Most Assists and playoff MVP.

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The Belize Times

Sunday, August 8, 2010

UB Jaguars win Digicell senior basketball championship

T h e U n i ve r s i t y o f B e l i z e Jaguars won the 2010 Digicell “Balling for Life” senior basketball championship by posting back to back wins (70-54 and 77-59) over the Belmopan Bandits at the Belize City Center last week

Wednesday and Friday nights.

In Game 1 last Wednesday, UB led 15-2 after the 1st quarter and extended their lead to 30-13 at the half.

The Jaguars posted a 49-39 lead at the end of the 3rd quarter and

won going away 70-54.

Bandits’ Dorian Jones, 12pts, and Christian Rodriguez 0pts, but led the bandits but Bandits big man, Kirk “Chengo” Burgess, manag ed only 9 pts and nine rebounds. Jay Chavarria hit 2 treys to add 9pts and Mark Wagner drained in 1 trey.

UB’s Leroy Louriano added 15pts and Kirk Smith drained in 2 treys to add 10pts and give UB’s playoff MVP Winston Pratt who led all scorers with 23 pts and 9 rebounds all the help he needed.

UB’s Farron Louriano had 8pts and 7 rebounds while Dar ren Bovell drained in 2 treys and UB’s captain Stephen “Muerte” Williams added 4 pts.

In Game 2 on Friday night, UB had to come from behind for the 77-59 win to clinch the championship. The Bandits came out strong to lead 17-15 in the first quarter, (Stephen “Muerte” Williams 2 treys and Winston

Pratt 7 pts), but the Bandits were still up 31-29 at the half.

Williams, however, would drain 2 more treys to finish with 17pts while Pratt had 13 game pts, and Farron Louriano added 9 pts.

Leroy Louriano scored 16pts, as the Jaguars had wrested a 57-43 lead after three quarters. Veteran Darren Bovell added 10pts and Ryan Zuniga had 5 pts for the 77-59 win.

Burgess led the Bandits with 19pts, Evan Salazar had 11pts while Mark Wagner scored 7 pts and Dorian Jones added 6 pts.

In the awards ceremony following the game, the Most Valuable Player for the regular season was Kirk Burgess of the Bandits, while the most points award went to Gene Myvett of San Pedro Tigersharks who also got won Most Assists. Elsworth Itza of the Berger Boys won Most Rebounds and UB’s Winston Pratt won Playoff MVP.

Team Smart’s Cadle/Middleton win BVA national beach volleyball tour 3rd stop

Team Smart, Barbara Cadle and Esther Middleton, won the 3rd stop of the Belize Volleyball A s s o c i a t i o n’s n a t i o n a l b e a ch volleyball tour at the Old Belize Museum at Cucumber Beach at mile 5 on the Western Highway on Sunday.

Babsy Cadle and Esther Middleton won the $300 1st prize, while Bobby Dee Usher and Tanesha Encalada won the $200 2nd prize. Jasmine Anderson and Marlicia Fuller won the $100 3rd prize.

The tournament was held in

double elimination format with all games going only one set to 25.

In Game 1, the Solis sisters, Tisha and Tichelle, won 25-22 over Jani Salazar and Elissa Gibson.

In Game 2, Bobby Dee Usher and Tanesha Encalada won 25-15 over Emma Hoare and Vivianni Avila.

In Game 3, Shantell Arnold and Keslyn Lizama won 25-21 over Jasmine Anderson and Marlicia Fuller.

In Game 4 Babsy Cadle and Esther Middleton won 25-5 over the Solis sisters Tisha and Tichelle.

In Game 5, Bobby Dee Usher and Tanesha Encalada won 25-8 over Shantell Arnold and Keslyn Lizama.

In Game 6, And er so n a n d Fuller eliminated Emma Hoare and Vivianni Avila 25-22, it was Hoare and Avila’s 2nd loss In Game 7, Cadle and Middleton also won 25-17 over Bobby Dee Usher and Tanesha Encalada.

In Game 8, And er so n a n d Fuller won over the Solis sisters, Tisha and Tichelle, 25-23.

In Game 9, Shantell Arnold and Keslyn Lizama advanced to

challenge Anderson and Fuller by eliminating Jani Salazar and Elissa Gibson, it was Salazar and Gibson’s 2nd loss.

In Game 10 Anderson and Fuller advanced to the semifinals by eliminating Arnold and Lizama 25-20 In Game 11, Bobby Dee Usher and Tanesha Encalada advanced to the final by eliminating Jasmine Anderson and Marissa Fuller 2725.

In Game 12 the final, Cadle and Middleton won 25-19 over Bobby Dee Usher and Tanesha Encalada.

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The Belize Times

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Audinett/Arnold win BVA 3rd men’s beach volleyball stop

Defending beach volleyball champs Germaine Audinett and Arvid Arnold won the 3rd stop of the Belize Volleyball Association’s national beach volleyball tour at the Old Belize Museum at Cucumber Beach at mile 5 on the Western Highway on Sunday.

Audinett and Arnold won the $300 1st prize, while over “Tico” Requena and Juan Marin of Caye Caulker won the $200 2nd prize Ronny Sosa and Luis Requena of Caye Caulker won the $100 3rd prize.

The tournament was held in double elimination format with all games going only one set to 25.

In Game 1, Arnold and Audinett won 25-17 over Victor Hernandez and Amir Arnold .

In Game 2, Ronny Sosa and Luis Requena of Caye Caulker won 25-23 over Raul Arnold and Tarique “Soup” Campbell of Belize City.

In Game 3, “Tico” Requena and Juan Marin advanced by a 25-16 win over Adrian Mahler and Eros Dawson.

In Game 4, Gillian Smith and his younger sidekick Kleon Coleman had won 25-21 over Shane Armstrong and Sheldon Arnold of Belmopan.

In Game 5 Arnold and Audinett also won 25-18 over Raul Arnold and Tarique

“Soup” Campbell.

In Game 6, “Tico” Requena and Juan Marin eliminated Shane Armstrong and Sheldon Arnold of Belmopan 25-10.

In Game 7, veteran Gillian Smith and sidekick Kleon Coleman eliminated Adrian Mahler and Eros Dawson: 25-15.

In Game 8 Ronny Sosa and Luis Requena eliminated Victor Hernandez and Amir Arnold 25-21.

In Game 9, Arnold and Audinett continued their path to final victory as they won 25-20 over “Tico” Requena and Juan Marin.

In Game 10, Raul Arnold and Tarique “Soup” Campbell rebounded

to eliminate Gillian Smith and Kleon Coleman 25-17.

In Game 12, Ronny Sosa and Luis Requena had to go to extra points to eliminate Raul Arnold and Tarique “Soup” Campbell 27-25 to advance to the semifinals against Tico and Juan.

In Game 13, “Tico” Requena and Juan Marin eliminated Ronny Sosa and Luis Requena 25-22 to fight their way back into the final.

In Game 14, Audinett and Arnold won 25-16 over “Tico” Requena and Juan Marin of Caye Caulker in the final.

The tour continues at a date and venue to be announced by the B.V.A.

City Boys & Corozal Nizhee lead Belize Bank Superleague playoffs Nizhee Corozal and City Boys lead the Belize Bank Super League football playoffs in week 2 , e a ch w i t h 4 p t s, d e s p i t e a disappointing nil-zip draw at the R i ca l de Stadium in Corozal on Sunday.

N i z h e e ’s M i c h a e l W h i t t a k e r looked to put the Corozal squad up first, but his wicked slice ricocheted off the g oal upright.

T he City Boys countered with a play created by Raymond Gentle w h o f o u n d Ja s o n Yo u n g , w h o in turn set table for Dalton C a y e t a n o, b u t N i z h e e ’s g o a l i e Benito Moriera was all over the ball on that play, and it was still a scoreless ballg ame at the half I n t h e 2 n d h a l f , N i z h e e ’s S e r g i o V i l l a nu e va g o t a n o p e n look at g oal, but in his eager ness he choked, much to the relief of City Boys’ g oalie Charlie Slusher as he watched Villanueva’s shot from point blank range sail over the crossbar.

C i t y B oy s ’ R ay m o n d G e n t l e proved he is still ver y dangerous with a shot on g oal that tested B e n i t o M o r e i r a ’s r e f l e xe s, b u t n o f e a r, M o r i e r a w s u p t o t h e challenge.

Nizhee’s “Chenko” W hitaker g ot another chance to give his

squad a 1-zip lead but his right f o o t s h o t l a cke d t h e o o m p h t o beat Slusher.

Moriera read a play and forestalled out Raymond Gentle before he could connect with a pass from Jason Young.

Nizhee defender Kenny Canul blundered into taking down Ty r o n e L i n a r e s i n s i d e t h e b ox , and City Boys imagined they deser ved a penalty kick, but the referee r uled it was all ball!

Raymond Gentle g ot another chance for the g ame winner, but bungled the oppor tunity in his haste. Gentle would kee p tr ying but it was nothing Moreira couldn’t handle.

Shadows were star ting to g et long as Nizhee got another chance on a pass to Michael Whittaker, but he too chokes, sending the ball over the crossbar, and the finl whistle sounds to a nil-zip draw.

I n B e l i z e C i t y, t h e N o . 2 seed Hattieville United posted their first win 4-0 at the MCC Garden over No.1 seed Placencia Assassins, who have been winless in the playoffs.

Hattieville’s Floyd Jones put the finish on a cor ner kick with a right away shot to take a 1-0 lead in the 23rd minute of the

first half.

Jarret Davis made the Assassins’ defense pay the maximum penalty when they blundered into giving up a penalty, which Jar ret conver ted for a 2-0 lead in the 32nd minute.

Jar ret Davis added a 3rd g oal when he beat goalie Stephen Lopez ag ain in the 58th minute,

and Leon Jones iced the cake with a 4th g oal in the 66th minute for the 4-0 win.

Placencia Assassins will host City Boys at the Michael Ashcroft Stadium on Saturday night, August 7, while Hattieville will host Nizhee Corozal at the MCC g arden on Sunday, August 8.

Sunday, August 8, 2010

The Belize Times

Sober

Reflections Isn’t it Ironic, don’t you think?

By: Mike Rudon Jr. "Its two and a half years into our ter m and it is clear that the magic is still there.” – PM Dean Bar row at UDP National Convention Magic trick: an illusor y feat; considered magical by naive obser vers By the thousands they flocked to Orange Walk for, as the effete outg oing UDP Chair man called it, a big celebration. T he scene was redder than red, claimed the enthused news writer for Channel 7. The more than 10,000 red g arbed celebrants, according to an official UDP release, chanted

i n t h e s t a n d s, d a n c e d t o mu s i c from the bands provided and par took madly of the food and free f lowing beverages. It was a g l o r i o u s, h e ave n l y t i m e f o r t h e UDP, this massive convention. The leader near split his cheeks as he grinned from ear to ear and raised his hands high like a bald Moses preaching to the masses from atop the mountain. Oh, this is a magical time, Mr. Barrow lisped. With eyes shining he simpered – my word, the magic is still there!

I remember times like these not so long ag o; a little over two and a half years ag o to be exact. Oh boy, those were glorious times. By the thousands Belizeans f locked to ever y cor ner of the countr y to select locations. In buses and cars and on foot they came. They chanted in the stands, danced with mad abandon in front of stages, waved banners and placards and flags, pledged undying devotion.

Love shone from their eyes. Back t h e n , a s I r e m e m b e r, t h e o n l y d i f f e r e n c e w a s t h a t e ve r y t h i n g was a sea of blue and the faces on

stage were different. And oh yeah, back then we called them Love Fests. Hell, Jules is talking about more than 100 buses taking UDP supporters to Orange Walk! Boss, back in the day I was in charge of buses, and I counted 185 buses bringing people to the last PUP Love Fest held at Cumberbatch Field in Belize City. That’s right Jules, 185!

T h e r e i s a n o t h e r d i f f e r e n c e.

Back then, when the thousands massed in suppor t of the PUP, o r s o we t h o u g h t a t l e a s t , M r.

Barrow’s eyes lit up with righteous indignation. Grotesque, he said of the revelry, with his nose in the air.

Now that the shoe is on the other foot, so to speak, it is a magical time, he simpers with lashes fluttering. Isn’t it ironic, don’t you think? A little too ironic..!

I am sure that I do not need to remind Mr. Barrow about those last days of the PUP, when it seemed that blue stretched from horizon to horizon, and I don’t mean the sky above us. The gentleman who leads the UDP is many things, few of them admirable, but he is not a stupid man. He does many stupid things, but he is not a stupid man.

I am positive that when night fell and his brain cleared from the euphoria brought on by cheering masses and the haze brought on by pain meds for his back, he realized exactly what was g oing on. We’ve been there, Jack. Don’t you remember? We sure do!

I f t h e L o v e Fe s t s h a d b e e n any reliable indication of support f o r t h e Pe o p l e ’s U n i t e d Pa r t y, I wo u l d n’t b e h e r e r i g h t n ow spending valuable time composing hateful odes to my favourite person. If those many thousands

26 who came out every week in bright blue and screamed their love for anything and ever ything blue were a n y a f f i r m a t i o n o f t h e P U P ’s popularity and indication of the way t h i n g s wo u l d h ave g o n e a t the polls in 2008, I wouldn’t be in front of a computer hammering a w a y r i g h t n o w. I ’d p r o b a b l y be Ambassador of the Free Zone holding consultations at the neighbourhood tacos stand (which also sells cold beer by the way). In shor t, my bald friend, if the revelr y told the tale, you wouldn’t be where you are right now destroying the countr y and ta l k i n g cr a p a b o u t m a g i c. H el l , I wish somebody would come up with a spell to vanish Dean Bar row. Now that would be some spectacular magic.

But yeah, they flocked to Orang e Walk by the thousands.

I don’t blame them. I won’t call them rent-a-crowds the way Dean once did. What I will point out is this. Things are really, really bad right now. It is a daily str ug gle to even put food on the table. So a free ride on a free outing far from the misery of home, complete with free food and free drinks and free music. Damn, even for those who weren’t slipped a $50 or a $100, it seems like quite a deal. Next time you can pass for me, buddy. I could have used the outing to ease my mind, but there ain’t no way in hell you’ll ever get my vote. Get the sense?

Visit Us Online at: www.belizetimes.bz

Sunday, August 8, 2010

The Belize Times

27

LAND RIGHTS OR LAND WRONGS?

On Sunday, August 1, 2010, Reynaldo Ico stepped into the glare of histor y, before an adoring throng of UDP supporters.

Mr. Ico was at the red wrought iron podium of the National Convention of the United Democratic Party to present the party’s policy statement on “Mayan Land Rights”.

Mr. Ico is a Maya Belizean from Silver Creek Village in the Toledo District was chosen for the honor of proclaiming that the recent Supreme Cour t Ruling secured by the Maya Leader Alliance is “…not in the best interest of ever y Mayan citizen and family” Chosen, no doubt, because of his political stomach, Mr. Ico was put forward as the public face of those Maya who reject collective land rights for the Maya, because, as he explained to Marion Ali on June 10th, 2009, on News 5, he wanted a change, development a better life for his children than he lives, “land title or lease through the g overnment system, through the present land administration system” – all are laudable g oals. All are g oals that ever y Belizean aspires to.

None of these g oals, however, is affected in any way by the r uling of the Supreme Court in the landmark case of the Maya Leaders Alliance and the Toledo Alcaldes Association on behalf of the Maya villages of Toledo District v. the AG of Belize and the Minister of National Resources, Claim No. 366 of 2008. That decision, delivered on June 28, 2010, by the Chief Justice of Belize, Dr. Abdulai Conteh, reaffir ms the Supreme Court judgment delivered on 18 October 2007, and declares that Maya customar y land tenure exists in all the Maya villages in the Toledo Districts and where it exists, it gives rise to collective and individual property rights within the meaning of sections 3(d) and 17 of the Belize Constitution.

The UDP statement claims that “…the r uling has thrown the entire state of Mayan Land Tenure into utter confusion;” There is no confusion. Land in Belize, held by any Belizean who is Maya, whether by title or lease, will not be affected by this r uling. There was, in fact, no “state of Mayan Land Tenure” at all prior to this r uling, to be thrown into confusion at all. The r uling makes it clear that customar y land tenure exists in the Maya villages in Toledo, and any g rant of leases or

titles in these villages will have to be dealt with fairly and properly under the constitution AND in consultation with the villagers of the village in which the land or lease is given by the g over nment.

Despite the claims of the UDP Statement that “the judgment sets an unwise, undesirable and impractical precedent that can create and fuel racial dishar mony in our Countr y”; the simple fact is by this ver y statement, such dishar mony is not only being created, but fuelled by hot political gas and vitriolic par ty sentiment.

The ver y “ethnic dishar mony” that the ar ticle pretends to decr y is the ver y essence of what it actually achieves in a potent mix of half –tr uth and non-sequitur .

It claims that “the majority of Mayans believe in their inalienable right to secure a piece of land with individual title.” The r uling does not stop such a right, nor does it limit that right. Nothing in the judgment prevents any Maya citizen of Belize from obtaining individual title to land in Belize. So why include it? Why say that “the UDP is therefore of the fir m position that the issuance of individual titles to members of the Mayan community as is the bir thright of all Belizeans and as has already been secured by many citizens of Mayan Heritage is the right and desirable way to g o.”

Is this said so that Belizeans, Maya and others alike believe that the r uling stops or prevents such a right? That would be a lie.

So that Maya Belizeans believe that if villages obtain communal land rights, they personally can no longer hold individual title to land? That would be a big lie. So that Maya or other Belizeans believe that this will force Maya Belizeans to live on reser vations or villages? That would be the biggest lie of all.

But you get the point. The statement is riddled with innuendo and redolent of the rank odor of fear-mongering – WE NO WAH NO RESERVATIONS (or is it MAYA RIGHTS?).

This UDP g over nment’s defended this case and did so by seeking to discredit these ver y same Maya communities (and their leaders) by mounting an attack on the ver y ancestral bona fides by arguing that the Maya of Belize are NOT direct descendants of the ancient Chol Maya people who inhabited our jewel long before any Europeans or Baymen came here. It boiled down to whether the Achi-Chen Mopan Maya,( including Cristina Coc) were even indigenous to the Toledo District.

The Lead Attorney for the Gover nment refer red to the ancestr y of these Belizeans as “Anansi stories”. It made at least one Maya woman state her belief that”… in the eyes of the state, in the eyes of the g over nment through their attorney, (Maya people) are nobody to them.” Cr uel. Cold. Callous.

And to make their case, the UDP enlisted senior persons from the National Institute of Culture and Histor y (NICH) and the Institute of Archeolog y to testify

in suppor t of their rejection of the case of the Maya people, and refer ring to them as “recent immig rants” Ethnic Dishar mony?

Racial Dishar mony?

Never forget that in 2002, the Maya Leaders Alliance met with Sir Shridath Ramphal and told the Facilitator, in no uncer tain ter ms that “The Maya peoples along the Belize-Guatemala border, Belize border, will be mostly impacted by any decision, any resolutions, any proposals proposed for that area.

Hence, we felt obliged to meet with the facilitator to present our position with respect to what we consider might be in the interest of the Mayan communities in the South.” These same Maya Leaders were the first to reject any claim

by Guatemala to the OAS to act on their behalf and issued a Declaration, stating that they were, above all, Belizeans. How can the UDP now question the same leaders’ bona fides and ancestral rights?

Any suppor t given by the UDP as a par ty to its own g over nment to appeal to “the highest cour t to secure a reversal of the decision of the Supreme Cour t” was a foreg one conclusion, but ask yourself why such an affront to Maya Belizeans was publicly promulg ated. Lurking in the shadows you may see, albeit indistinctly, the shadowy figures of oil devel-

opers as well as proper ty and forestr y developers, mining concessionaires and land “investors” The real issue is making sure that future generations of Maya villagers in Toledo are assured of land for village expansion, and for far ming, community use, and traditional usages. As one of the First People of Nor th America, Qwatsinas, Chief of the Nuxalk Nation put it, “We must protect the forests for our children, g randchildren and children yet to be bor n. We must protect the forests for those who can't speak for themselves such as the birds, animals, fish and trees.”

In a final twist of historical fate and ter rible irony, the UDP statement on “Mayan Land Rights” was delivered by Reynaldo Ico, at the request of the UDP, on a day that is traditionally commemorated throughout the Caribbean as Emancipation Day.

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The Belize Times

Sunday, August 8, 2010

The 30 Network………

By Carolyn Trench-Sandiford Party Chairman From the start I had said to the Editor, I am not a writer - that does not happen to be my forte. I write simply when I am inspired by a thought or a poignant moment, or perhaps something someone said to me, or I read or observed, which directs me to the computer to tap out a few lines. The Editor will also remember that I shared with him my knack for being involved with many projects or activities at the same time, and subsequently am often so overwhelmed that writing virtually becomes impossible to do.

So, from time to time you may not hear from me. Perhaps because I am in solitude, and thinking things through, or am somewhat removed from the realm of “persons, places or things inspirational”, or am simply consumed with work.

And if you are wondering where all this is coming from, it is just my way of saying to the many persons who have met or called me, and inquired as to why my writings, or ramblings, have been missing in a few editions of the newspaper, so, mea culpa, mea culpa, mea culpa So, the 30 percent network, what is it all about? Over the past weeks, I have had the distinct privilege of attending an “Advanced Transformational Leadership for Gender Justice in the Caribbean” training in Antigua, and let me state for the records, that gender justice is about achieving social and economic justice, it is about equality, democracy, equity, human rights and dignity, and about creating a balance between man and woman.

The training was an enriching and rewarding experience professionally, politically and personally.

As was expected, the curriculum was intense, broad as well as deep, and so relevant to the Caribbean and Central American socio-economic, cultural, historical and political realities. The facilitators, presenters and lecturers were highly distinguished and eminently qualified Caribbean women. They were amazing.

They were phenomenal. I was certainly awed.

From the encounter I was able to embrace the principles of transformational leadership, which entails becoming the change you want to be through self and environmental awareness, vision, the harmonizing of emotions and goals, and the anchoring of one’s decision-making in a value system which can lead to gender justice and equality.

The training provided an opportunity for me to be able to firstly, understand myself as a woman, and secondly, to enhance my capacity in advocacy and communication skills, to mobilise stakeholders, and to influence public campaigns, policy and decision-making processes to promote and bring about the social change and transformation that is required to address the injustices and inequities that pervade our communities and country.

It also enabled me to better understand and apply principles and concepts related to the Caribbean political econ-

omy, democracy, and development systems and of good governance, so that I will be capable of promoting genderresponsive policy-making and ethical decision-making to address the differential needs of women and men across the life cycle.

In relating our personal experiences, I was extremely proud to share with them the constitutional reforms of our party, which has broadened and deepened our democracy, and which has fortified the rights of all citizens to equal opportunities, and to a decent standard of living.

They questioned me specifically on the philosophy of our Party, and what distinguishes us from other political parties operating in Belize.

However, of significant interest to them, was the fact that a woman was the Chairman, sounds oxymoric, of a 60 year old major political party, and they were further intrigued by the inclusion of Part III, Article 10 (3) in our Constitution, entitled Gender Inclusion, which states that “All units of the Party shall include among its members a minimum

of 30% women.” This is unique to this hemisphere. In fact, I am to write a short article on our Party achieving this feat for the regional United Nations Development Fund For Women [UNIFEM] office for their web site.

This 30 % is, of course, in line with the quantum for women in decision making of the Convention for the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women [CEDAW] and the Beijing Platform on Women, to which Belize is a signatory. However, while not there yet, as I put it to them, the People’s United Party has always been a pioneer, when it comes to women’s involvement in leadership and decision making, long before any international convention required it. Remember our Madam Liz. Notwithstanding, the significance of formalizing the 30% in our Party’s Constitution, signals our commitment to women empowerment, as a necessity for achieving gender justice and equality, when we form the government. However, it is up to us women

in the Party to operationalize that constitutional requirement, and build the 30% network. And if you are wondering how the network became attached to the 30%, it was a suggestion shared with me

by Senator Lisa Shoman, when I was discussing this topic with her.

For only if we build the 30% network, can the revolution continue…. and only so will we be able to create a NEW BELIZE, which will bring to all Belizeans a better life and a just share of the national wealth……

Note: A special thanks to Annmarie Williams, Executive Director of the National Women Commission for encouraging me to apply for the training and the Carribbean Institute for Women in Leadership[CIWIL], the Commonwealth Secretariat, the United Nations Democracy Fund [UNDEF] and UNIFEM for sponsoring my participation in the training, as well as to the 6 other Belizean women who comprised Team Belize, for when we were there, we were simply Belizean women.

Sunday, August 8, 2010

The Belize Times

Strictly Personal Barrow is bogus!

hurriedly flew to Miami to visit with his law partner and friend because Rodwell had regained consciousness and what he had to tell Dean left him more than a bit discombobulated.

The absence of both senior partners from their joint enterprise is showing up in the firm’s bottom line, goes his speculation, and Dean is not happy.

I would like to think that Dean is a human being who has a conscience, and he is finding it harder and harder to repeat the lines that got him elected, and which he now knows are lies.

He knows that this is the most inept and corrupt administration in the history of Belize, and he must feel more than a bit uneasy when he contemplates the future. Dean must know that they are the opposite of

29 “champions of the poor and the middle class” – that they are instead the biggest enemies of Belize’s poor and middle class.

The temptation to call for early elections is already strong, and will grow even more as Belize’s economy continues to stagger. To take the measures the IMF and the other multi-lateral international financial institutions will recommend, Dean will need to go back to the people for a mandate.

It is not as though he delivered on his promises in the first place, but things have become a lot dicier, and he won’t be able to gamble on the patience and tolerance of the masses or the credibility of his adoring media accomplices.

Dean Barrow’s administration is in trouble. Dean is bogus.

102.9 FM or via BelizeWeb http:// www.belizeweb.com/vibes.html), but I know he is not alone among the people who professionally or just habitually speculate on all matters political.

I know that just about halfway through his term Dean looked as though he wished he could give it up.

Another person speculated that right now Dean is beginning to hurt financially, and that the strain of almost single-handedly propping by glenntillett@yahoo.com up a failing government is beginning Fanaticism consists of redoubling to show. The person said that Dean your effort when you have forgotten your aim. - George Santayana I’m sure it was my imagination, or perhaps it is just a case of me reading a lot from too little, but the news snippets I saw and heard of Dean Barrow’s speech at the UDP’s just passed National Convention exercise seem forced and awkward, hollow words and disjointed construction, and hardly Project: “EU/UB Banana Belt Primary Education Project represented the skilled orator with Contract: Budget Line BZ-8710 (SFA 2008) the melodramatic flair that we have come to know.

EuropeAid/129286/M/ACT When did Dean Barrow morph from Obama into McCain was my The University of Belize (UB) in collaboration with the Ministry of Education (MOE), first thought.

University of the West Indies (Barbados), and University of West England (Bristol) has The convention itself is an important exercise for our mass embarked on a new project in the Banana Belt. The project will address teacher training for political par ties, but we often primary level teachers, early childhood education and continuous professional development read too much into them, even if training in specialized areas, as well as community training for parents and education leaders. paradoxically we don’t learn enough from them. It is a significant part of This initiative is been undertaken with financial assistance from the European Development the way we carry on our Westminster BUDGET Fund. [Banana Belt Education Programs: Budget Line(s) BZ-8710 (SFA 2008) Parliamentary democracy, and it is EUROPEAID/129286/M/ACT/BZ]. UB hereby invites suitably qualified persons to submit that rare occasion when the party’s disparate parts and people meet in tender for the following posts one place and can rub elbows.

It is also supposed to be a Project Director.

Duty station will be Belize City with frequent travel to the Banana Belt showcase of the party’s size and and Belmopan. might, and the resulting synergies unleashed by north, south, east and west meeting centrally to declare Field Station Education Coordinator: Duty Station will be in the Banana Belt Area collectively common purpose is the catalyst for momentum that fuels campaigns.

It is also contradictorily often Tender Dossiers can be obtained from UB Central Campus, Belmopan and UB’s website at equal parts tour d force and tour d www.ub.edu.bz as of Friday 30 July 2010. farce.

The force should’ve been ten thousand strong - the farce is Jules TENDERS MUST BE ADDRESSED TO: Vasquez trying not to say that this was not the case.

Dean, Faculty of Education and Arts The force should’ve been a r a t i f i c a t i o n o f t h e U D P ’s University of Belize accomplishments- the farce was University Boulevard Bar row claiming he is still the P.O. Box 340 magician.

My Morning Buzz co-host Belmopan, Cayo District Vaughan Gill is convinced that Belize the UDP’s convention was really the launching of their re-election campaign, and that it signals that Deadline for submission is Tuesday, August 24 2010 at 4.30 pm. the general elections will be far Interested and eligible bidders can direct questions to the Dean of Faculty of Education and Arts, sooner than later. I won’t get into Dr. Wilma Wright at wwright@ub.edu.bz or 822-1000/822-3680 Ext. 350 or 358 his reasoning and rationalizing here, --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------(you can check us out 7:15 – 9:30 mornings on Vibes Radio 90.5 &

TENDER NOTICE PROJECT DIRECTOR

PUP Think Tanking Sessions Every Thursday, Independence Hall at 7:30pm

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The Belize Times

Sunday, August 8, 2010

TIMES

of the Cashew anyone?

He is a face cashew lovers in Belize City know, and you can find him in on Albert Street most days. Raymond Flowers, a Belizean from Crooked Tree, once made a comfortable life selling roasted cashew in the streets of Belize City. We say “once’ because though today he continues to sell roasted cashew seeds, with the struggling economy his business is just not bringing in enough anymore.

A product that comes from the Belize River Valley area, cashew nuts are shaped like beans, but the cashew fruit grows on a tropical evergreen tree. The tree, which is a cashier tree, is related to poison ivy. People like Mr. Flowers who very often has to touch the shell sometimes develop skin rashes/blisters. This is why cashew nuts are always sold shelled and dried. The reward of the good work of people like Raymond Flowers is, however, that they provide Belizeans with a product with a high content of monounsaturated fats, copper and magnesium This means that whenever a Belizean buys a bag of cashew’s they are investing in a something that is an excellent body builder. Not only that, cashew nuts are free of cholesterol and helps to main-

the body utilize iron, eliminate free radicals, develop bone and connective tissue, and produce the skin and hair pigment melanin.

When speaking to cashew producers it was revealed that a number of Belizeans who play sports also eat a lot of cashew nuts. One of the foods that can be found on

Raymond Flowers in talking about the effects of a struggling economy on his business worries about the future, he wants to keep roasting cashew nuts for the enjoyment and nutritional value it gives to Belizeans. He is fully aware that Belizeans need to eat foods that are good for the heart and cashew nuts contain contains healthy monounsaturated fat that promotes good cardiovascular health, because monounsaturated fats reduce high triglyceride levels which are associated with increased risk for heart disease. It is also rich in antioxidants and that helps in the elimination of free radicals that may cause some cancers.

For Raymond Flowers, the future of his small business is in peril, he used to sell around $1,000 weekly in cashew nuts alone - these days he is lucky if at the end of a day sales he walks away with $60. For something as good and as Belizean as cashew nuts, let’s hope that people like Ray Flowers continues to be willing to take the risks and put in the work so that Belizeans can continue to enjoy something that is so good and one hundred percent made in Belize.

tain healthy gums and teeth.

Of course there is a unique taste to the roasted cashews sold in Belize. Mr. Flowers and his friends know that the best way to eat cashew nuts is fresh, and they make sure that a good supply of fresh cashew nuts are available for local consumption.

This is a great service to the nation, for while cashew nuts is an energy booster, it is also helpful in terms of keeping the blood flowing. Cashew's has high copper content, is vital to energy production, and promotes greater flexibility in blood vessels, bones and joints. Cashew nuts also helps

the bench of one of the softball teams in Cayo is fresh cashews. The players chomp on this before the game, claiming that the calcium in cashew nuts support their muscles and bones while at the same time boosts their energy.

Lovable, Gentle Water Creatures, Belizeans love manatees, last month when two baby manatees died in two separate incidents, the Belize media covered the story, which started a national discussion on efforts to protect this gentle creature.

Manatees are large mammals that live their entire lives in the water. They are very gentle creatures that have no natural predators. Manatees live in warm shallow waters and they eat only plants making them herbivores. A typical manatee is able to live for 50-60 years.

Manatees and dugongs are members of the order Sirenia. Sirenia includes 4 living species: the West Indian manatee, the West African manatee, the Amazonian manatee, and the dugong. The West Indian manatee has two subspecies, the Florida and Antillean manatees. They are all listed as vulnerable to extinction on the IUCN's (International Union for

Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) red list. The order once included a fifth modern species, the Steller’s sea cow. Unfortunately, the Steller's sea cow is now extinct due to over hunting.

It is thought that Sirenians evolved from four-footed land mammals about 45-50 million years ago. Modern relatives of Sirenians are elephants, aardvarks, and hyraxes—small rodent-like mammals.

West Indian manatees live in the

warm coastal waters of the southern United States, Mexico, the Caribbean Islands, Central America, and the northeastern countries of South America. They are found in rivers, lagoons, estuaries, and coastal areas of tropical and subtropical regions of the northwest Atlantic Ocean from southeastern USA to Brazil. They can live in both salt and fresh water.

However, in Central America, where the water temperature is warm all year, manatees don't need to migrate in response to temperature. The movements of the Antillean subspecies are more likely tied to changes in the rainy/dry season or perhaps due to mating behavior. Researchers like Katie, Caryn and other scientists in Belize are trying to learn more about the Antillean manatee's movements.

Mermaids and Sea Cows Manatees have been called many names including sirenians, sea cows and even mermaids. The first Europeans to encounter manatees thought that they were seeing the mythically beautiful mermaids-half woman, half fish creatures. On closer inspection however, they were disappointed to see that these animals were not quite as beautiful as they thought.

"Sea cow" is another common term used for manatees and dugongs. This name likely comes from the fact that manatees are herbivores and spend most of the day grazing on seagrasses like cows that spend most of their day grazing on grass and hay.

Belizeans love the manatee and will always wish for our waters to be a safe haven for many years to come.

Belize and Mexico held a Technical Meeting on Dengue on 30 July, as part of the Belize-Mexico Border Health Commission. The aim of the meeting was to coordinate strategies and exchange information in order to prevent and fight dengue. The meeting was held at the Corozal Free Zone administration building and was attended by government officials of the Mexico’s Federal Ministry of Health and the Quintana Roo Department of Health, as well as the Belize’s Ministry of Health (MOH).

The Mexican Delegation was headed

by Mr. Juan Carlos Azueta, Quintana Roo Secretary of Health, and Dr. Michael Pitts, Belize’s Director of Health Services. Both delegations made presentations about the current state and the

occurrence of dengue in both countries.

After discussing strategies to coordinate actions and cooperation, the Delegations agreed to join forces to fight dengue. First, the Quintana Roo Health Department and the MOH will conduct research on the effects of insecticides being sprayed in Belize and Quintana Roo on mosquito and its larvae.

The samples collected by the Ministry of Health will be sent to the Health Department in Chetumal for analysis. The objective is to test the insecticides effec-

tiveness on similar mosquito population on both sides of the border and to share the final results.

Second, the Belize’s Ministry of Health will send to the Quintana Roo Department of Health some samples of Belizean patients for analysis in order to identify the dengue serotype or dengue virus group. Currently there are four different dengue serotypes worldwide. The samples will be analysed free of cost at the Public Health Laboratory in Chetumal, Mexico.

To Belize, this will mean a substantial reduction in the cost of sending samples to the Caribbean Epidemiology Centre

(CAREC) in Trinidad and Tobago to analyse and classify the dengue serotype.

At the end of the meeting, both Delegations agreed also to reinforce the public education campaigns in order to prevent and fight dengue. They also underlined the importance of public participation to reduce the breeding sites.

The Belize-Mexico Border Health Commission was established on 22 December 2008 by a bi-national agreement between the governments of Belize and Mexico. The Commission facilitates and strengthens mutual cooperation on health through a legal framework. It also provides more attention to public health at the border, as well as fighting chronicle and vector-borne diseases, like dengue and malaria.

MANATEES-WHY WE HAVE TO SAVE THEM

BELIZE AND MEXICO JOIN FORCES AGAINST DENGUE

Sunday, August 8, 2010

DOMINGO 8 de AGOSTO , 2010

The Belize Times

Issue No. 4705

$1.00

www.belizetimes.bz

31

The Truth Shall Make You Free

Hombre no identificado encontrado muerto a tiros cerca de Belmopán

Aunque la policía en la ciudad de Belice aún está tratando de descifrar el misterio detrás de la última muerte a tiros, sus colegas en Belmopán no están en mejor situación ya que ellos también se enfrentan a un dilema similar. El incidente fue descubierto en torno al las 10 en la noche del Lunes en el Mount Pleasant Road, cerca de 45 millas de la carretera occidental, que es bastante contrario a lo que sugiere el nombre. Ya que ha habido una serie de asesinatos en el área.

A casi 100 metros de la carretera policías encontraron el cuerpo de un hombre hispano con dos heridas de bala en la parte superior del cuello y la cabeza. La víctima llevaba un número de tatuajes en los

brazos y el pecho – la única esperanza que la policía abarca para ser

identificado. La policía no está seguros de horario en la que la victi-

ma fue asesinado 'John Doe' como se le llama, o si fue asesinado en donde su cuerpo fue encontrado.

Los detalles de los homicidios son tan imprecisos y la policía tiene tan poco para seguir adelante, que llaman la atención al público para ayudarles a descifrar el caso. Se basan en gran medida de otras marcas únicas que la víctima tiene, como el tatuaje de un dragón en el pecho, otro en el abdomen diseñado como la de un cráneo, una en la mano derecha diseñado como una rosa, y en la parte superior izquierda , un árbol y una flor con las palabras: "Perdóname Madre Por. Si usted tiene información que podría ayudar a la policía a identificar a la víctima se le pide que llame a la comisaría más cercana.

SR. PRIMER MINISTRO: RENUNCIA USTED SR?

El Primer Ministro, el Sr. Dean Barrow no se encuentra del todo bien. Él está enfermo, y también su firma de abogados. Se nos ha informado que el pronóstico no es muy buena para la plena recuperación de su colega el Sr..

Rodwell Williams quien se recupera en terapia intensiva en un hospital de Miami, tras un intento fallido contra su vida. Este escritor extiende sinceras condolencias a su familia.

El Sr. Williams, se nos dice, fue la máquina de acuñación de la firma de abogados. Juntos Barrow y Williams atrajeron casos de alto calibre, incluyendo la defensa de conocidos traficantes de drogas. El Sr. Barrow, cuando era el líder de la oposición, fue criticado en la revista internacional The Economist por poner este tipo de casos antes de los intereses nacionales.

Entendemos que, en ausencia de su socio, la empresa está perdiendo clientes a pesar de la contratación del Sr. Barrow de abogados jóvenes.

Barrow también tiene la simpatía de este escritor - si pudiera ser lo suficientemente humilde como para mostrar simpatía a algunos de los muchos negocios y miles de Beliceños que están recuperándose de tiempos económicos difíciles sin respuestas aceptables de este gobierno.

Los problemas del Sr. Barrow tampoco deben ser a expensas del pueblo.

Tampoco su estilo de vida ni su inclinación por el nepotismo- esposa, ex esposa, hermano, hermana, hija e hijo, todos metiendo la mano en el erario público.

Uno de mis amigos me aseguró recientemente que el Primer Ministro desocupará su oficina, de que él dimitirá, antes de fines de su período. No es que él (mi amigo) tiene una pista interior. Él simplemente se encuentra haciendo ciertas asunciones basadas en la situación hasta ahora mencionada. Hicimos una apuesta. Mi posición es que el P.M. no dimitirá. Él tiene un ego que es más grande que el tamaño del dirigible no rígido de Goodyear. Pero dado el estado de su salud y el fondo de disminución en el bufete de abogados, éstas son dos cláusulas escapatorias excelentes para

que él renuncie. Ahorraría su ego y le ahorraría más vergüenza a su gobierno completamente incompetente.

Daré esto al hombre: A pesar de su dolencia crónica, él continúa manteniéndose en pie con aptitud o quizás es terapia. Pero a lo que quiero llegar es que no hay excusas para que el este descuidando sus responsabilidades como el jefe de un gobierno triste, o a la gente de este país a quien él ha hecho tantas promesas vacías. Él va al gimnasio diariamente, (por las mañanas pero no temprano), y entonces, indiferente y tranquilamente va a su oficina en Belmopan en donde él pasa algunas horas por día (seis a lo más), lidiando nosotros asumimos con los negocios negocio de la gente pero no con la gente, en muchos casos, gente rural.

Eso le hace uno de los líderes más perezosos y de los menos productivos de las regiones de America Central y del Caribe. El Sr. Barrow, una debe entender, es de la cultura real de la ciudad de Belice. Esto es un efecto de los Británicos Coloniales con su nariz alzada y labio superior tieso y quiénes toman el té sosteniendo la taza con el pulgar extendido y que le llaman clase. El tipo de gente que mira cualquier cosa fuera de la ciudad de Belice, en una manera despectiva.

Un arrebato reciente del Primer Ministro en la cámara de representantes, (uno de varios malas conductas), es reflexivo del carácter verdadero del hombre.

Llamó a un representante de la oposición "un idiota de aldea". Esto personifica su percepción de personas rurales que son tanto el corazón como elemento principal de nuestra economía nacional - la "sal de la tierra Beliceña" en el lenguaje del PUP. Sin embargo, nosotros debemos reconocer que el primer Ministro es un vendedor (aunque pendenciero), y no un estadista. Es incapaz del manejo de debates racionales. Por su propia admisión, él adora una riña buena. Esto explica por qué los payasos en su gabinete son tan cabrunos y por qué él es el único que habla para el gobierno y para los ministerios, no importa en que ministerio o que tema Es el único con la capacidad de explicar, con un discurso, los muchos embrollos de su administración.

Tal vez, incluso el Colegio de Abogados, tímidamente admitiría que se comporta como un novato dictador.

A pesar de la mayoría absoluta de su gobierno en la legislatura, no han sido capaces de ejecutar ninguna de las promesas del manifiesto de su Partido.

La razón de esta incompetencia se articuló recientemente por el nuevo Ministro de Policía y, hasta esta semana, el Presidente del Partido. Dijo que el único propósito de los partidos políticos es ganar las elecciones. Esto significa que

el Manifiesto del UDP fue un engaño político impuesto a los habitantes de este país antes de las elecciones del 2008.

Posteriormente, con ningún programa para el desarrollo, y aparentemente enojados por su falta de capacidad para cumplir, ellos continúan su política de hostigamiento en contra de todos que no bailen al son que ellos tocan. Entre estos se encuentran los inversores locales y extranjeros. Hemos visto la introducción de leyes draconianas claramente diseñado para repeler los inversores y que han sido condenados por estudiosos del derecho.

Por lo tanto el PIB del país ha disminuido, el nivel de pobreza está en aumento, la infraestructura (escuelas, hospitales públicos, carreteras y puentes) se derrumba, el desempleo, la delincuencia y la criminalidad va en aumento y hay muy poco que mostrar en el camino de nuevas inversiones.

El primer paso hacia un estado fallido está en tener un gobierno disfuncional. Éste es cómo todo comenzó en Haití; el francés contribuyó, sin embargo a ese estado fallido y que se convirtió en una cleptocracia debajo los Duvaliers, Papa y baby Doc. ¡Sr. Barrow debe dejar el aire fuera de su ego, pare de respirar ese aire enrarecido, desinflese y después renuncie!

32

The

The Belize Times

Belize TimesEn

Desde el Ecritorio del Lider del Partido

Una Llamada Para Contabilidad Verdadera

Es en realidad una revelación leer el Reporte Anual del Auditor General para el año Abril 2008 a Marzo 2009. Al leer el reporte, su primer impresión será el hecho de que Belice opera bajo un servicio gubernamental/ burocracia desde los 1950’s al presente.

Los miles de ciudadanos que llevan a cabo negocios con el Gobierno saben que el Gobierno de Belice (GOB) por sus siglas en Ingles, tiene un sistema computarizado llamado Sistema de Contabilidad SMARTSTREAM, en la cual el Gobierno invirtió millones de dólares en crear e implementar.

Ahora, doce años más tarde, el Departamento de Auditoria señala que los dos sistemas paralelos de contabilidad no balancean. Por ejemplo en el caso de presupuestos las cifra del contador general es de $5, 955,214.68 mas que los números que están en el sistema SMARTSTREAM. Esto es lo que el departamento de auditoria llama un “error material” o como se diría vulgarmente, un error de contabilidad.

El Auditor General también emitio la señal de alarma que hay varias cuentas que no “balancean” y no se ha hecho reconciliación alguna. Hay dieciséis cuentas de banco con un total de $ 72, 167,204.00 en las cuales no se han llevado a cabo reconciliaciones bancarias o confirmaciones.

Cuando se llevo a cabo una auditoria en la su tesorería, encontraron un abalancé. La sub tesorería reportaba $ 517,439.44 y SMARTSSTREAM reportaba $ 270,970.16. Esto es una diferencia de $246,469.28.

Al checar la tarjeta de los Fondos Oficiales de Caridad, señalo un balance de $1, 274,511.68, mientras que el estado de cuenta mostro un balance de $507,109.25 Durante esta auditoria, el Eschema Pensionario se reviso y ciertas discrepancias fueron descubiertas. Para asegurarse que las pensiones son hechas a pensionarios con vida, un Oficial Pensionario deberá hacer una visita semanal al Departamento de Estadísticas Vitales para revisar el registro de muertes.

Una investigación para comprobar si esta regla estaba siendo respetada nos comprobó que la ultima visita a los Registros por un Oficial Pensionario fue hecha desde el 16 de Mayo del 2007!

Este fallo en el sistema es caro, y ha resultado en retrasos en la terminación de pagos a oxisos y pensionarios no calificados como tal, dentro de otras cosas. La revisión de la auditoria revelo que pagos pensionarios fueron dados a personas ya fallecidas! Esto les cuesta a los contribuyentes Beliceños más de un cuarto de millón de dólares.

La auditora continúo haciendo descubrimientos sorprendentes. Por ejemplo, el 75% de los nombres de pensionarios en la lista no tienen una dirección. No se hizo verificación por el Departamento de Tesorería para checar la autenticidad de la información en el Certificado de Vida proveído por los pensionistas.

La lista de descubrimientos incluye: gasolina para vehículos fantasmas, desperdicios de contratos, contratos sin terminar, deudas sin colectar y otras irregularidades por cuerpos municipales y empleados de Gobierno.

Cualquier gerente con un presupuesto sobre $800, 000,000.00 diría que jamás manejaría sus fondos de la manera como lo hace nuestro gobierno.

De esta manera el reporte del Auditor General hace un número de recomendaciones significantes. Primero, les hace un llamado a los oficiales del Comité de Contabilidad a mantenerse activos y a llamar a oficiales del gobierno que llevan acabo la contabilidad a trabajar en los temas y interrogantes de sus reportes.

Y de esta manera le extendemos las gracias al Presidente actual del Comité Público de Contabilidad el Hon. Mark Espat, que ha hecho varios intentos en hacer de este comité una entidad operacional, pero ha fracasado debido a que los Ministros del UDP rehúsan cooperar. Segundo, también recomienda que su oficina conduzca auditoria para el Valor Monetario. Tercero, que la Asamblea Nacional emita su vota en su presupuesto y cuarto, que una Unidad Interna de Auditoria se crea en cada Ministerio.

Contribuyentes Beliceños quizá piensen que esto incrementara la burocracia y los salaries del Gobierno pero si nos fijamos en el reporte de los auditores, nos daremos cuenta en la sabiduría de estas recomendaciones.

El Primer Ministro tomo a su cargo el portafolio de Gobernanza en el CARICOM. Esperemos que el les muestre el ejemplo positivo a los demás Gobernantes al tomar en serio las recomendaciones del Auditor General.

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Sunday, August 8, 2010

Irónico, verdad?

Por: Mike Rudon Jr. "Son dos años y medio en nuestro tér mino y está claro que la magia sigue ahí." - PM Dean Barrow en la Convención Nacional UDP Tr u c o d e m a g i a : u n a h a z a ñ a ilusoria; considerada mágica por los observadores ingenuos Miles acudieron a Orange Walk, una gran celebración! como lo llamo el Presidente saliente UDP.La escena era más rojo que rojo, afirmó el redactor de noticias de Canal 7 entusiasmado. Los más de 10.000 celebrantes vestidos de color rojo, de acuerdo con una versión oficial del UDP, cantado en las gradas, bailaban al son de la música de las bandas y participaron en la comilona de los alimentos y bebidas que fluyo libre. Esta convención masiva fue un glorioso día para los UDP. El líder casi rompe sus mejillas de tanto sonreír de oreja a oreja. Levantaba las manos, semejando a un calvo Moisés predicando a las masas desde la cima de la montaña. ¡Oh, este es un momento mágico, el Sr. Barrow musitaba. Con los ojos brillantes… palabra, que la magia sigue ahí!

Recuerdo momentos como estos no hace mucho tiempo, un poco más de dos años y medio para ser exactos.

Eran tiempos gloriosos. Miles de Beliceños se reunieron por todos los rincones del país para seleccionar ubicaciones. En autobuses, coches y a pie llegaron. Ellos cantaban en las tribunas, bailaban con desenfreno loco en frente de las platafor mas, agitaban sus banderas y pancartas, comprometiéndose a eterna devoción.

El amor brillaba en sus ojos. En aquel entonces, que yo recuerde, la única diferencia era que todo era un mar de azul y los rostros en el escenario eran diferentes. Y oh sí, en aquel entonces lo llamábamos Love Fest. Caray! Jules está hablando de más de 100 autobuses llevando partidarios UDP a Orange Walk! Mire Señor, en aquellos dias yo estaba a cargo de los autobuses, y conté 185 autobuses trayendo gente hasta el último Love Fest patrocinado por el PUP que se celebró en el campo Cumberbatch en la ciudad de Belice.

Así es Jules, 185!

Hay otra diferencia. En aquel e n t o n c e s, c u a n d o l o s m i l e s s e congregaron en apoyo del PUP, o

eso creíamos al menos, los ojos del señor Barrow se iluminaron pero con justa indignación. Grotesco, dijo de la juerga, con la nariz en el aire. Ahora que el zapato está en el otro pie, por así decirlo, es un momento mágico, eso dice con las pestañas aleteando. ¿No es irónico, ¿no les parece? Un poco demasiado irónico ..!

Estoy seguro de que no necesito recordar al Sr. Bar row sobre los últimos días del PUP, cuando parecía que el azul se extendía de horizonte a horizonte, y no hablo sobre el cielo sobre nosotros. El caballero que lidera al UDP es muchas cosas, algunos de ellos admirables, pero no es un hombre estúpido. Él hace muchas cosas estúpidas ( que es diferente), pero no es un hombre estúpido. Estoy seguro de que al caer la noche y su cerebro elimina la euforia provocada por las masas y la niebla provocada por analgésicos para la espalda, se da cuenta exactamente de lo que esta pasando. Hemos estado allí, Caballero ¿No te acuerdas? Desde luego que sí!

Si los Love Fests hubieran sido una indicación fiable del apoyo al PUP yo no estaría aquí ahora pasando tiempo valioso componiendo odiosas odas a mi persona favorita. Si los muchos miles de personas que salieron en azul brillante y gritaron su amor por cualquier cosa que fuese del color azul fuera la afirmación de la popularidad del PUP y la indicación de que las cosas habrían sido diferentes en las urnas en 2008, no estaríamos frente de un ordenador machacando ahora.

Sería probablemente el Embajador de la Zona Libre y celebraría consultas en el puesto de tacos (que también vende cer veza fría por cierto). En pocas palabras, mi amigo calvo, si el jolgorio contaba la historia, no estaría donde está usted ahora destruyendo el país y hablando reverendas estupideces de magia. Carajo!! Me gustaría que alguien venga con un hechizo para desaparecer a Dean Barrow. Eso sí que sería magia espectacular.

Pero claro! acudieron en masa a Orange Walk por miles. Yo no los culpo. No los voy a llamar rentar multitudes como Barrow dijo una vez.

Lo que voy a señalar es lo siguiente.

Las cosas están muy, muy mal ahora.

Es una lucha diaria para poner incluso la comida en la mesa. Así que un viaje gratis en una salida libre y lejos de la miseria de su casa, con comida y bebidas gratis y música gratis. Caray!

Incluso para aquellos que no se les dieran $ 50 o $ 100, parece un buen trato. La próxima vez puede pasar por mí, amigo. Podría haber usado la salida para aliviar mi mente, pero no hay ninguna manera en el que usted conseguirá obtener mi voto! ¿Agarra la onda Compadre? ……

Sunday, August 8, 2010

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Inglés para tontos!........

Recuerdo que fui a trabajar en Orange Walk, por primera vez hace unos años y obtuve un cargo del hombre que sería Vice Primer Ministro. En esos días le gustaba oírse hablar, y desde que financió una estación de radio dirigida por su amigo Rubén Scampos, obtuvo varias oportunidades para hablar.

Como me hacia reír. Me moría de la risa cuando lo escuchaba diciendo que seria capaz de vender a su propia madre para ganar las elecciones.

Oh sí, y había un período en que

afirmaba que la brillante estrategia financiera del UDP para Belice si ganaban sería “mendigar”!

Bueno, en ese entonces me parecía divertido pero ahora que me doy cuenta que decía la verdad no me parece tanto. Pero de todos modos, me divertío lo suficiente este Sr que a veces me preguntaba si estaba un poquito retrasado mental (lo siento, Kim) hasta el punto que GAPI tiene una nota de Deán diciéndole que puede sonreír lo que quiera siempre y cuando no hable.

Recuerda, Rubén, cuando GAPI le informo que no podía aparecer en la estación de radio porque solamente avergonzaba al partido y a si mismo? Sí, esos eran los días.

De todas formas, no esta demás decirles que GAPI me debe mucho. Cuando me fui de Orange Walk Traté de hacer las paces con GAPI al conseguirle dos libros que pensaba que podría ayudarle en su carrera política - inglés para Tontos y Ingles sin Fronteras... yo sé que los tiene pero el individuo rudo ni dijo gracias. Después de escucharlo en el podio el domingo, iría tan lejos como para decir que él ha hecho buen uso de mi regalo.

Me debes, amigo. Tengo la etapa 2 a su disposición siempre que usted esté listo. Se llama - inglés para los estúpidos funcionales. ... Si No Es Asi! PERDEDOR... ¿Cuál es el nombre de ese muy querido viejo pero bueno – si perderte está mal, no quiero estar en lo cierto? Sí, ya sé que es algo como eso. Pobre John! Ese hombre ha vuelto a perder en forma de arte.

Quisiera decir que ha encontrado una manera bastante bonita de perder pero, nah, sigue siendo una

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cosa fea, fea, ¿no es así mi amigo gordito? Vi su cara cuando el arrogante enano le pateo el trasero en la Convención Nacional. Sé que se sintió humillado porque estaba diciendo a la gente en Belmopán que no hay forma que Mini-me Barrow podría coincidir en el intelecto o experiencia política, y usted puede estar seguro de ganar

temporales, el Dr. Westheimer piensa que va a tomar mucho más que eso en tu caso.

Mira pequeñín, no hay una maldita manera de que usted se convertirá en primer ministro de este país que llamamos Belice.

Ese hombre con la cabeza calva realmente tiene que dejar de susurrarle palabras dulces al oído mientras le alimenta uvas de la ambición. Su corta carrera política vivida está llegando a su fin, muchacho. Deberías haber escuchado a los profesores que protestaron en el Cerro de la Independencia. Si todo lo que desearas se convirtiera en realidad serías el rey, mi amigo, pero no funciona de esa manera. Rayos! ¿Sabes cuánto tiempo he estado deseando ser rico y lindo y tener un harén de hermosas mujeres que en calidad de Presidente del Partido. atiendan a todas mis necesidades?

Oí su entrevistas en la convención No es como que va a pasar, no? ... después de haber sido golpeado Si No Es Asi! como un tambor y sé que usted quería acurrucarse en una pelota Más impuestos... (bueno, una gran bola grande y En uno de sus viajes a un país gorda) y saciar con llanto el dolor lejano, la "Cleptoalcaldesa” de de perder en su corazón porcino. la ciudad de Belice trajo la idea Es por eso que no me sorprendió de una rotonda en medio de una cuando fuentes me llamaron para calle transitada. Varios accidentes decirme que el domingo por la más tarde, los residentes de la noche estuvo usted en el bar ciudad siguen moviendo la cabeza preferido ventilando veneno contra con las monstruosidades que se Patrick y los dos hombres que le construyeron por orden de Lady dieron la espalda - el calvo y su Z. Desde otro de sus viajes a una compañero retrasado mental(lo tierra lejana, la "kleptoalcaldesa siento, Kim) hombre de confianza. 'trajo la idea de una cumbre de la Hey, he estado allí, amigo. Sé que delincuencia. Meses más tarde, fue la bebida que lo hizo hablar los residentes de la ciudad todavía cuando usted ha dicho que si es la están horrorizados por la audacia última cosa que haga, se vengara de de Lady Z, pues ella misma es los que lo dañaron... Si No Es Asi! acusada criminalmente por robo El sueño de un loco ...

El pequeño enano tiene un sueño... y en ese sueño blandía el cetro de la realeza y ataviado con la capa roja de la más alta magistratura del país. En ese sueño es ungido con aceite perfumado por su mentor calvo y es llevado sobre los hombros del Ejército Rojo para ser puesto en el trono tachonado con joyas de la grandeza. Bueno, aquí hay algo que debería saber, Baboso! Hablando en nombre de los miembros de mi género, todos tenemos esos sueños y que se centran generalmente en los miembros del sexo débil.

Pero mientras que un pedazo de tejido y una ducha se encarga de nuestras perturbaciones mentales

en el Tribunal de Justicia, ha sido etiquetada como una ladrona por su propio partido, y continua dándose palmaditas en la espalda por haberse escapado con ' menores de depósito "y todavía no ha dado cuentas de cientos de miles de dólares desaparecidos del ayuntamiento.

Recientemente regresó de un curso sobre 'buena política' en otro país lejano, la "kleptoalcaldesa” 'ahora nos ha traído el concepto de« más impuestos. "Eso es correcto! El Consejo está analizando la manera en que ellos puedan imponer más impuestos a los residentes de la Ciudad. La forma en que esto funciona es que cuanto más incompetente es el Consejo UDP

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es decir, los residentes de la Ciudad pagan mas ... más este Consejo UDP meta la pata, más los impuestos que pagamos. La tripulación de Zenaida no estaba recogiendo la basura, por lo que cobraban a los residentes de la ciudad un nuevo impuesto, y todavía no recogió la basura.

Entonces cobro a las empresas un nuevo impuesto para poder recoger la basura, y todavía no recogen la basura!. Ahora tengan cuidado queridos ciudadanos, tendremos nuevos impuestos que se nos vendrá cortesía del UDP ... Si No Es Asi! Di que no es así...

Este columnista esta generalmente lleno de sonrisas y risas a pesar de lo que este grupo hace porque, hey, si no me río de ello voy a llorar. Y confía en mí cuando te digo, me llanto no es un espectáculo agradable. Pero sí de todas formas, acabo de recibir la palabra que el hijo de uno de nuestros ricos Ministros UDP en el Oeste - usted sabe al tipo gordo que me refiero - acaba de regresar de estudiar Ciencias en Computación en el Reino Unido, cortesía de todos nosotros. Así es, nosotros pagamos por ello, por si no lo sabe, entérese! Y por si no fuera eso ya bastante malo porque sabe usted, este Ministro se encuentra forrado en billete - justo después que el hijo volvió, recibió una beca

completa para ir a estudiar derecho y ¿adivinen qué - que estamos pagando por eso también!

Esto me enoja! Estamos enfrentando una verdadera crisis en nuestro sistema educativo donde las estadísticas muestran que existe un número cada vez mayor de alumnos que no pueden darse el lujo de ir a la escuela y desertan.

Pero en lugar de utilizar nuestros recursos donde más se necesita, Estamos preparando camas con plumaje para los peces gordos que ya se encuentran alimentándose en el abrevadero público. Hablando de doble inmersión. Carajo! el hijo del Ministro grasiento estará en buena compañía, ya que se une a girly-boy, los sonrientes Herby y el ex alcalde de Orange Walk Ravell González que mató a dos peatones en la carretera del Norte antes de comenzar sus estudios de Derecho.

Oh sí, estamos pagando las facturas y los de Herby y Ravell tambien ...

Si No Es Asi!

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Sunday, August 8, 2010

Políticas UDP, como siempre

La "Convención Mágica….

El Primer Ministro se porto verbalmente como un hombre bendecido con diarrea después de un ataque de estreñimiento crónico cuando se dirigió a las masas en la Convención UDP el Domingo. Lo que El mismo llamo "grotesco" hace apenas dos años y medio cuando el PUP llevaba a cabo su “ Love Fest”, que él ahora llama "mágico." Lo que encuentro realmente repulsivo! Ahora se llena la boca diciendo lo maravilloso y glorioso que es su UDP y lo mucho que son amados por las masas. Sí, bueno, Los PUP también pensaban lo mismo cuando miles se congregaron para bailar, cantar y dar apoyo al los Love Fest en todo el país. Si la memoria no me falla, la semana antes de las elecciones, 185 autobuses llenos de seguidores vestidos de azul llegaron a la ciudad de Belice para un rally final.... llegaron por los miles. Pocos días después, el PUP sufrió la peor derrota de su historia. Si el señor Barrow piensa que tener 10.000 personas en su fiesta significa que él es un gran hombre y UDP está en buen camino y todo está bien en el país, es un tonto que vive un sueño demencial. Una demencia mágica!

Dinero desperdiciado tontamente...

Estimaciones conservadoras estiman el costo de la fiesta del domingo alrededor de $ 150.000. Eso es $ 150.000 para una fiesta que duró alrededor de 6 horas. El UDP logro absolutamente nada de un despilfarro de una suma exorbitante.

El pueblo de Belice ciertamente no ganó nada. Las únicas cosas tangibles que quedaron el lunes para demostrar que se perdió 150.000 dólares fueron probablemente alimentos en mal estado, un compuesto de basura esparcidos y un montón de resacas, el martes incluso eso habrá desaparecido. Nuestro pueblo sigue viviendo en la pobreza extrema, nuestros hijos siguen en la deserción escolar porque la educación es demasiado caro, nuestra gente sigue perdiendo sus casas porque no tienen dinero para mantener los pagos; las empresas todavía están cerrando debido a que la economía está en recesión, los trabajadores siguen siendo puestos en libertad porque no hay más puestos de trabajo para ellos; la ciudad de Belice está todavía cubierta de basura, la alcaldesa UDP sigue siendo considerada una ladrona y el UDP sigue plagado de corrupción. Sí, no ha cambiado nada... nada de nada!

El don de vida...

Al momento de leer esto, si el bebe de seis meses Daniel Estell no recibió 16.000 dólares, su familia estará desgarrada por el dolor. El niño se encuentra en un hospital luchando por su vida en el extranjero. Sus padres han logrado recaudar 144.000 dólares EE.UU. de los EE.UU. 160.000 dólares necesarios para la operación que le salvaría la vida.

Los médicos han dicho que no seguirán adelante con la cirugía hasta que el dinero se pague en su totalidad. Eso es realmente triste.

Me parece repulsivo que una etiqueta con precio ha sido puesta en el don de la vida. Esto también me hace pensar en los 150.000 dólares que Dean Barrow gasto en una fiesta de 6 horas el domingo.

Por una pequeña fracción de ese dinero, el bebé Daniel podría haber recibido el don de la vida. Pienso como $ 150.000 fueron utilizados como si nada en una fiesta, y luego pienso en todo el bien que ese dinero podría haber hecho... ¿Cuántos niños se podrían haber salvado, cómo muchos niños pudieron haber sido alimentados; cuántas vidas se podrían haber mejorado; la cantidad de miseria que podría haber aliviado. Las cosas andan muy, muy mal aquí Señor Barrow. Usted tal vez podría haber hecho un poco mejor, pero no lo hizo. En su lugar, organizó una fiesta!

Una canción llamada Soy Belice...

Me encanta esta nueva canción llamada I am Belice (Soy Belice ) . Esto me recuerda una canción en el marco del PUP "Crea en Belice, (Believe in Belize ). En Belice estamos realmente bendecidos con talentos múltiples. Felicitaciones a Tanya, Berna y los demás artistas que colaboraron en esta obra! Pero en realidad Señor Barrow, una canción? Después de toda la fanfarria en la Operación Restauración.

Belice tenemos una canción? Es una gran canción con seguridad, pero ¿cuál es la expectativa? ¿Se supone que los oficiales de policía al escuchar la canción se inspiren o se transformen de alguna manera en efectivos enforzadores de la ley con todo el entrenamiento y recursos a su disposición? ¿Se supone que los delincuentes al escuchar la canción no asalten la tienda de comestibles de barrio y se abstengan de disparar a los propietarios chinos, después de todo? ¿Los pandilleros al escuchar la canción depongan las armas? La alcaldesa Moya al escuchar la canción deje de manejar mal el Consejo y la apropiación indebida de fondos de los contribuyentes? Mire usted, este es el problema con el Señor Barrow y su administración. Después de meses de los peores momentos jamás vividos, a causa de la delincuencia y de otra manera, nos dan una canción y esperan que estemos tan emocionados por esta generosidad musical que dejemos de lado la miseria en las calles. Como he dicho, gran canción Sr. Barrow, pero nos gustaría ver los planes concretos de cómo se va a enfrentar la delincuencia. Caray, usted es bueno en dar con cosas que nunca se filtra al publico así que lo que nos gustaría ver es acción, Sr. Barrow, alguna señal de que usted y su administración no son realmente tan inútiles como pensábamos. Por favor?......

Enterrar a los muertos...

Me pregunto donde la gente está enterrando a sus seres queridos que fallecen. Hace aproximadamente dos semanas sólo había doce espacios en Lord Ridge Cometer y estoy absolutamente seguro de que esos espacios se han utilizado ya. El Ayuntamiento dirigido por el idiota Willoughby Phillip elegio un terreno por Hattieville que dijo era un terreno alto que no sería propenso a las inundaciones.

Philloughby incluso llevo a los medios de comunicación para mostrarles esta pieza fundamental de la tierra... imagínese que tuvieron que nadar a través de un cuarto de milla de agua de un pie de altura para llegar hasta allí. ¡Qué broma.... Nadie le dijo al pueblo de Hattieville que se les haría un regalo de un cementerio cortesia de los payasos UDP del Ayuntamiento de la ciudad de Belice. Así que cientos de residentes en Hattieville dicen ahora – esperen un momento! De ninguna manera pondrán un cementerio nuevo aquí! Mientras tanto, todavía no se encuentran espacios en Lord Ridge Cemetery la gente sigue muriendo. ¿Te imaginas?

El Cruce de Kendall

Después de casi un año, los UDP están dando pasos definitivos para arreglar un tramo peligroso de carretera cerca de 7 millas sobre la Carretera Norte.

Empezaron a trabajar en él en algún momento del año pasado y luego simplemente se quedaron sin vapor, dejando el pequeño tramo como un inconveniente y un peligro para los automovilistas en la carretera. Fue sólo después que el Belize Times les recordó de su incompetencia que las obras comenzaron de nuevo hace unas semanas. Y sí, el cruce de Kendall sigue ahí sin un puente. Ha sido varias veces intransitable durante la semana pasada y el pronóstico es de más lluvia en el sur. De hecho tenemos un par de sistemas activos en nuestra dirección, que podría significar una amenaza a Belice, pero el UDP no le importa. Cualquier tipo de amenaza grave significa que el sur del país, están completamente aisladas, y que podría significar un desastre, pero nadie en el UDP le importa. El Sr. Barrow puede gastar US $ 150.000 en una fiesta de seis horas sin pestañear, pero después de más de dos años, todavía no puede dar a la gente del sur otro Kendall Bridge. En 2008, Boots y Henderson dijeron a los Beliceños que recibirían un nuevo puente en 45 días. A casi 800 días, y todavía no hay puente! Así que ahora Boots dice que la construcción de un nuevo puente se llevara a cabo a partir de Octubre y el puente estará en funcionamiento en un año y medio.

Haga los cálculos.

Sunday, August 8, 2010

The Belize Times

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Births Aayush to Mukesh and Dhristi Tekchandani nee Panjwani Josue Isaac to Peter and Jenny Yesenia Peters nee Santos Nestor Eduardo Jr. to Nestor Eduardo Sr. and Susana Hernandez nee Garcia Cristian Isaac to Oscar Armando and Ana Belis Monterosa nee Granados Zaira Tesia to Jose Ernesto and Delanni Romero nee Thurton

Marriages Michael Daurio to Rebecca Anne Tate both of Maryland, USA Kenny James De La Fuente of San Jose Succotz, Cayo to Elda Maritza Vidas of San Ignacio, Cayo Benjamin Andrew McHugh to Bria Elodie Sydney both of Australia Matthew Joseph Platte to Jennifer Lorraine Good both of Washington, USA Elvin Arnold Madrid to Neidy Isabel Cocom both of Bullet Tree Falls, Cayo Luis Alberto Gomez to Veronica Esperanza Garcia both of Billy White, Cayo Noe Lucero Hernandez to Diana Raquel Arevalo both of Billy White, Cayo Edmundo Chan of Buena Vista, Corozal to Melissa Eneida Pena of Concepcion, Corozal Domingo Tiul Coc to Maxiana Choc both of Santa Elena, Toledo Armin Lopez to Alida Martinez both of Santa Elena, Cayo Guillermo Castellanos Jr. to Carmen Del Rosario Tut both of Benque Viejo Del Carmen, Cayo Lucio Lucas Landero to Rhea Enumerables Herbito both of Belize City Justin Cole Young to Cara Marie Tam both of Amarillo, Texas, USA Nicholas Orion Ault of Virginia, USA to Dalia Ibet Salguero of San Pedro Ambergris Caye Nicholas Rodney Banting to Olivia Joy Seymour both of Pennsylvania, USA Terrance Taylor Prigge to Seleginala Anca Dragan both of Arizona, USA Gregory Scott Fuson to Lauren Marie Miller both of Tennessee, USA Gary Ellison Reneau to Claudine Yvette Lahoodie both of Belize City Jose Luis Catzim to Yuri Tanairi Salguero both of Corozal Town Clifford Winston Calam of Caledonia, Corozal to Estelita Ramirez of San Jose, Orange Walk Sergio Roberto Ek to Angela Barbara Catzim of San Narciso, Corozal Jose Antonio Villanueva to Juliana Sharlene Lima both of Corozal Town Cosmen Geovani Interiano to Mayra Elizabeth Diaz both of Benque Viejo Del Carmen, Cayo Martinez Cal to Ericia Erica Ack both of Bella Vista, Toledo Michaewl Anthony Almendarez to Cynthia Ann Pena both of Texas, USA Senescio Sho to Margarita Chuc both of Bladen, Toledo Jaime Eusebio Gomez to Marleni Grisel Westby both of Santa Elena, Cayo Robert Anthony Simpson to Elswith Marie Bowen both of Belize City

Deaths Jose Luis Nunez, 41 Rosita Hubert, 48 Laurence Willard Banner, 76 Marquise Alvin Mahler, 8 Feliz Santa Castillo, 87 Tomas Cocom, 80 Linden Rita Parks, 80 Cyril Alexander Melendrez, 56

FOR SALE NEEDED Luisa Varela of Jane Usher Boulevard is in need of a domestic worker. Any interesting please call 227-0357.

Devotion to Saint Jude May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be praised, adored, loved, preserved & glorified throughout the world now and forever. The Sacred Heart of Jesus, pray for us.

St. Jude worker of miracles, pray for us, St. Jude, helper of the

Oración a la Virgen de Guadalupe Rezar 9 Aves Marías durante 9 días con una vela encendida.

Pedir tres favores, uno economic, dos imposibles. Al octavo día publicar, al novena día dejar que se consuma la vela.

Aún sin tener fe se cumple.

E.V.G.

Hopeless, pray for us. Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ for the help of your servant St. Jude in listening to my prayers. Say this prayer nine times for nine days. By the end of the eighth, your prayer will be answered. It has never been known to fail. Publication must be promised.

Thank you Sacred Heart of Jesus and St. Jude for prayers answered.

IN MEMORIAM n loving memory of Devoted Father

ROY RUDOLPH BERRISFORD SEBASTIAN Sr.

M.T.P. Prayer To The Holy Spirit O Holy spirit, you who are the fountainhead of all knowledge, who illuminate the pathway which enables me to reach my goal. You who share your divine gift permitting me to forgive and forget past insults and injustices, and who are always at my side within reaching distance. I desire in this short supplication to thank you for all that you have done for me, and to assure you once more that I never want to be separated from you under any circumstances, no matter what the incentive. I want to be with you, I along with my loved ones, cradled in your unending love. Thank you for your never failing kindness towards me and those I call my own.

(Prayer to be offered for three consecutive days; faith in the Holy Spirit will cause him to respond to your request no matter how difficult the problem might be.)

Publish prayer as soon as request has been granted.

H.E.A.

Sunrise: 6th Feb., 1926 Sunset: 3rd August, 2006 You can only have one Father.

Patient, Kind and True.

No other friend in all the world.

Will be the same to you.

When other friends forsake you To father you will return.

For all his loving kindness He ask nothing in return.

As we look upon his picture Sweet memories we recall, Of a face so full of sunshine And a smile for one and all.

Sweet Jesus, take this message, To our dear father, up above, Tell him how we miss him And give him all our love.

Sadly missed by wife, children, grandchildren, family and

friends.

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The Belize Times

Sunday, August 8, 2010