Belize Times May 15, 2011

Sunday, May 15, 2011

THE BELIZE TIMES

1

Issue No. 4744

SUNDAY May 15, 2011

BLACK FRIDAY! Barrow to reintroduce draconian laws on Friday 13th

Belize City, May 11, 2011 By his own admittance, Prime Minister Dean Barrow is once more “coming loose” from his constitutional moorings as he intends to force through a rehashed and rejected set of draconian measures at a House Meeting this Friday 13th.

The Prime Minister has already legislated wire-tapping, eavesdropping, window tint banning, use of dangerous tasers, and extreme physical aggression courtesy

the G.S.U., yet violence crime continues on the rise in our country. In fact, this time around last year when the UDP set a record for homicides there were 40 murders. Today the murder cases stand at 48.

Obviously, breaking civilians’ human and constitutional rights has not worked, but the measures the Prime Minister intends to introduce on Friday take those draconian measures to a much extreme Continued on page 3

Mother finds new-born in hospital garbage City of Belmopan, May 10, 2011 There is no greater joy for a woman than to give life to a child, but one Belizean mother who should have experienced the bitter-sweet pain of child-delivery, is enduring massive agony and grief after her baby, who died prematurely, went missing for almost a day, only to be found inside the garbage area of a public hospital.

Continued on page 27

1,477

cases of domestic violence in 2010 16% of victims were males See page 4

Taxi drivers reject UDP CitCo’s new tax

Entrance to the Western Regional Hospital in Belmopan

FRANCIS FOR FREETOWN

Tired of the corruption & greed in the UDP Belize CIty Council, taxi drivers are rejecting the proposed tax. Taxis now display the message “No trade licence” on their vehicles

Belize City, May 10, 2011 Having already overtaxed just about everything in these hard times, from the small vendors, garbage collection, to burying the dead, the UDP Belize City Council is taking

its greed and abuse to epic proportions. The Council has informed taxi associations that it plans to levy Trade License Fees on each and every taxi driver in

Continued on page 28

Will Barrow Embarrass

Marcel

Cardona?

See pages 8 & 9

OSCAR FOR CAYO WEST

Hon. Marcel Cardona

Belize City, May 11, 2011 The BELIZE TIMES has confirmed troubling reports that the elected representative for the Orange Walk East Constituency, Hon. Marcel Cardona, is slated

See page 4

See page 15

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THE BELIZE TIMES

Sunday, May 15, 2011

From the ghetto streets to PM Barrow

“Belizeans Living in the Wild Wild West” Landy Burns “sets up” UDP family over sale of hardwood Dear Editor, I write to express and lodge my greatest displeasure about the behavior of Mr. Orlando “Landy” Burns, the UDP Orange Walk East Standard Bearer, regarding the sale of valuable hard woods to Mr. Burns, which has netted tremendous financial loses and unwanted humiliation to the entire Tzul family here in Chan Pine Ridge.

This year in February my father went to Mr. Burns to sell him some hard woods for which he, Mr. Landy Burns, agreed to pay $1.00 per foot. A petty timber license #4546/11 was obtained at the local Forestry Office, as the law requires, and the logs were delivered in the first week of the month at Mr. Burns’ sawmill on the Belize/Corozal Road in Orange Walk town.

The first delivery of timber was in the amount of 1,100 feet, but contrary to our initial agreement, Mr. Burns instead offered to pay $0.75 cents per foot. On the second trip, a total of 1,000 more feet was estimated which was loaded down at Mr. Burns’ sawmill, like the first trip.

The following day I went to collect payment for a total of 2,100 feet of hardwood.

It was at this point in time when Mr. Burns stated to me, “I am buying these logs but without compromising myself”. I am still not sure what he meant by these utterances.

Calculating that this UDP politician has a personal gripe with me, I walked away with the hope that perhaps Mr. Burns needed time to go to the bank for the cash or get our family cheque properly recorded in his books.

And so it happened for two weeks, I was given the unnecessary ups and downs

by Mr. Burns. My brother was told by Mr.

The Party is nothing but the vanguard of the people, the active organ of the people, working at all times in the service of the people.”

Burns to get a letter from me, Damian Tzul, saying that I had nothing to do with the timber sold to him, therefore confirming my suspicions of his personal grievance with me.

Because my family desperately needed the money, I decided to write the demanding letter for Mr. Burns. This letter was handed personally to Mr. Burns by my brother. At his office, Mr. Burns opted to pay a meager $0.60 cents per foot, but this sad episode was only the beginning of a long nightmare with this wannabe-UDP Minister whose role in last year’s BNE scandal came under public scrutiny.

To add to an already infected wound, Mr. Burns then demanded to see a letter from the Forestry Department which was shown to him including a list of the logs that were stamped by the Forestry Officer.

My brother Adriano was told on Thursday, 28 April, 2011 to return for the payment of the timber. Apparently Mr. Burns needed even more time to get the cheque book and to get the funds at Belmopan, as he insinuated to my brother.

On Friday 29 April, 2011 my brother went back to see Mr. Burns at his business office in Orange Walk town where he was handed over by his secretary a mere pittance of $130.00. My brother was subsequently notified that Mr. Burns had deducted $200.00 for having assisted my wife with her nationality papers on grounds that she would vote for him in the Orange Walk East UDP Convention held in December of last year.

As I write and record publicly this very hurting and humiliating experience with a very unscrupulous UDP politician, five workers who I hired in the process of the falling, loading, and delivering of the hard woods, have still NOT been paid, and now want to take the Tzul family to Court.

Why Mr. Burns has taken issues with me and the Tzul family, who has always voted UDP without condition or political circumstances in the country, is simple to understand. Mr. Orlando “Landy” Burns wants to spite the Tzul for voting for Denny Grijalva, another UDP aspirant for OW East, and indeed he is having his way – at least for now!

With all this level of disrespect, the entire Tzul family of Chan Pine Ridge including the extended family, for the first time now, will rally behind Dr. Marco Mendez, the future PUP OW East Standard Bearer, to ensure his victory in the 2013 general elections. It is crystal clear that Mr. Burns lacks principles and ethics, basic tenets for someone aspiring for a higher office. On the same premise, I and my family invite the entire UDP East Constituency to do likewise. Imagine what kind of representation we will have from someone who has proven himself through his callous deeds even before the electorate decides his political fate. Votemos para el Doctor Marco Méndez – un líder con mucha sabiduría y compasión !!!

Respectfully, Damian Tzul

Dear Editor, Kindly publish my letter to the people of Belize. On an almost daily basis, we hear mothers crying out for their young sons who have been killed by the worsening gun violence. What went wrong? That’s the question we all would like to know. Belize’s reputation keeps on getting worst, due to high crime all over the country and especially in the city. How did sweet little Belize get that way? There is almost not a day that passes without you hearing that someone has been shot. Everyday is the same old thing, killing here, killing there and what do we get: no solution.

How did this start? Well, Belizeans this murder madness started three years ago when this U.D.P. gangster government took office in 2008. The day was a dark, red, cloudy day and you know what the colour red means right? It means danger, that is what this U.D.P. government is. The way Belizeans are living today, killing each other without meaning.

It seems as if this is a free gun-spree country where all the bad guys have a gun, and are walking around acting big.

It kind of reminds me about the country and western films on the television when you see everyone with a gun on their waist.

At least there are real laws in the westerns, not like the lawlessness we have today. It’s like this U.D.P. government is above the law with everything they do, that’s why this country is in the worst condition, and have the highest murder rate per capita in the Caribbean today.

Dean Barrow doesn’t care about what happens in this country and I know he watches the news every night, so if he did care he would have addressed the problem. Belizeans, it shows that this prime minister is clueless about what he does. We have him talking about finding solutions to this crime problem and to get this country back on track, but there’s one problem. The solution was to appoint Dough Singh as Minister of Police. Now that is a serious problem. It’s like putting a crash dummy to drive a car and what do we get? No progress, only destruction. Remember people we are the power and our solution is to get rid of crime is to get rid of Barrow. Rise up Belizeans and let’s move forward. Jah Bless!

Signed: Roberto Peyrefitte

Is the Minister of Human Development

a Racist? Be The Judge!

Dear Editor, Please allow me space in your most circulated newspaper to share some happenings in the Toledo East constituency.

Firstly, in early November of last year 2010, a group of contractors were given contracts to build and renovate houses for the poor. A random selection of poor Maya people were told their houses would be built in a month or two. The work got under way but what the Minister and his house improvement project supervisor in Punta Gorda were doing was sinister. Someone was commanding the builders to get old lumber and rotten boards stored under a 15X20 wooden house in the Minister’s garden to give and build houses for Mayas.

One of the contractors said, and I quote ‘wen dah time fu build houses for the Mayas dem, the big man tell us fu get the boards dem unda his house dah his garden. Dem boards old man!

But if dah noh fu Maya the house, the Minista tell us to get lumba dah Nancy yard”. Nancy yard sells quality lumbers.

These Maya people abandoned the houses that Government built because they are about to collapse. It only needs a light blow of wind for that to happen.

Some of these contractors who are of Maya descendants have not been paid yet since November of last year.

Minister, it is 6 months now, pay up! I am also making a plea to the Minister of Housing to look into this matter. I wonder what the Minister and his Supervisor report on in Belmopan and in the Cabinet. This is not Transparency.

Secondly, in the early month of April, a Maya man by name of John met the Minister of Human Development and Social Transformation Hon. Peter Eden Martinez on New Road

where they stopped and talked briefly. John used the opportunity to beg for a lot because he doesn’t own one. He lives on land owned by someone else. He was told and I quote, “go to my office tomorrow and I will give how much you want”. The poor fellow went the next morning only to be told, “I too busy and I noh wah give you any lot.

Continued on page 27

THE BELIZE TIMES EDITOR

Alberto Vellos OFFICE MANAGER

Fay Castillo McKay PRINTING/PERSONNEL SUPERVISOR

Doreth Bevans LAYOUT/GRAPHIC ARTIST

Chris Williams MARKETING/ADVERTISING

Rafael Sosa TYPIST

Rachel Arana OFFICE ASSISTANT

Roberto Peyrefitte Printed & Published By The Belize Times Ltd. #3 Queen Street P.O. BOX 506 Belize City, Belize Tel: 671-8385 Email: belizetimesad@yahoo.com editortimes@yahoo.com

Sunday, May 15, 2011

THE BELIZE TIMES

Deputy Mayor accuses UDP of election fraud San Pedro, May 6, 2011 A nasty fight between the UDP Belize Rural South Area Representative and the San Pedro UDP Town Council has gone public. The rift emerged following the disclosure that the current Council members have been banned from contesting another term, in 2012.

Area representative Manuel Herredia said the decision was arrived at because it is well known that public support for the UDP in the island is at its lowest point and so, the UDP Council ‘haf to go’. “…because of general perception that the existing board [San Pedro Town Council] is not doing the work that they are supposed to be doing; it was agreed that no one from the present board should

run as a candidate for the upcoming elections,” Herredia’s stated.

Herredia said the dictatorial position was taken by the local UDP executive committee, and the current serving members had been informed.

But one man who believes that Herredia is simply attempting to strong-arm the election process is the current UDP Deputy Mayor, Pablo Ico. Ico, who is a Mayoral aspirant, has publicly opposed Herredia’s claims, pointing out that UDP Leader Dean Barrow promised that no one would be turned back from a convention.

Ico said the UDP executive’s decision does not supersede that of the UDP’s Central Executive to which he has reach out for support.

BLACK FRIDAY! Continued from page 1 level.

The Prime Minister intends to introduce these measures under the title of preventative detention. Such “preventative detention” already exists in our laws, and the Police can already legally detain persons suspected of having committed or about to commit a crime for up to 48 hours (2 days) without being charged, but that is not enough for the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister wants to see Mubarak-like measures, such as the wanton detention of Belizeans for a minimum of 336 hours (14 days), and possibly up to 501 hours (21 days).

More frighteningly, the Prime Minister wants to get rid of people’s constitutional rights while under detention.

Currently, the constitution affords every Belizean to be informed of the reason for detention, the right to contact an attorney in private or parents of gurdians (for minors), right to apply to the Courts to challenge the legality of the detention, and the right to be taken to a Court speedily for justice to be served.

But Belizeans will only get injustice under Barrow’s preventative detention, because the measures will no longer re-

quired persons detained to know why they are being apprehended. Persons will no longer have the right to contact an attorney, or parent or guardian in the case of a child, and there will be no opportunity to apply to the Court or be taken for hearing promptly. For the 14 to 21 days one is detained, if Barrow’s new law goes through, one will be at the whim of Barrow’s agents.

The Prime Minister will set cast a dangerous cloud over citizen safety and human rights protection with this law.

More dangerous is that to implement the laws, the Prime Minister will have to change the constitution. With their supermajority in the House, the Barrow Administration will easily make the constitutional changes, but if Belizeans find it too abusive there might be no turning back. It will take a similar supermajority in the house to amend the constitution, which may not happen any time soon.

In addition to Preventative Detention, Barrow will introduce legislative amendments for trial by judge instead of trial by jury. It has been purported that this will apply to murder cases, but the Prime Minister has been quoted in certain sections of the media as saying

But Ico’s media stunt won’t take him anywhere, according to Herredia. “…he should realize that the conception of this board is that they are not doing the job that they were asked to do”.

While the public watches on as the UDP tears itself apart, the scenario is being compared to the creole proverb: “Pot di call kettle black”. It is so ironic that Herredia is telling his Council members to stand down because of incompetence and unpopularity, when he himself is guilty of both. Other than enriching himself and those around him, and bowing to the UDP cronies and foreign interests in at the Tourism Ministry, Herredia has nothing to show for Belize Rural South and Belizeans.

that he would like it applied across the board.

There could be no greater sinister plan to derail justice in our country. Already threatened by political interventions under the UDP, our Courts could become the Prime Minister personal tribunals for his opponents.

The Prime Minister is also being deceitful and lazy. It is his administration which has reduced the conviction rate to a meagre 5%, but instead of taking the bull by the horn and strengthening the DPP’s office, hiring well-trained attorneys, bolstering the Police’s investigative abilities, protecting witnesses, and investing in forensics, Barrow is cunningly finding the easy way out, getting rid of the jury.

But the Prime Minister knows he can’t have his cake and eat it. In 2008, when he first introduced preventative detention, it was shot down only days after by a nervous citizenry.

Since then Barrow has shown his true colours of deception and lies, and to pass the constitutional amendments, he needs to, once more, conduct public consultations for 90 days.

Barrow, like Pharaoh, has said this time he will legislate “preventative detention” come hell or high water, but he will learn there is no greater power than the will of the people.

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1,477

cases of domestic violence in 2010 Belize City, May 11, 2011 Last year there were a total of 1,477 cases of reported domestic violence in Belize.

Of that number, the Belize, Corozal and Cayo Districts saw a majority of the reported cases – a total of 84.3%, or 1,290 cases.

The most affected age groups were 20-24, 25-29 and 30-24, who altogether saw 746 cases. The data shows that domestic abuse occurs even with children under 1 year old (5 cases) and senior citizens over 65 years (11 cases).

The statistics also showed that a majority of the cases derived from single (337 cases), married (420 cases) and common-law (535 cases) relationships.

The cases in 2010 were divided based on ethnicity, and the results were shocking. 593 cases involved victims who were Creoles, while 591 were regarding victims who were Mestizo.

There were 4 cases of domestic abuse that ended in homicide for the victim, while 7 ended with suicide in 2010. Already this year, at least one case of an abuse-related homicide, the victim being young mother Christie Carrasco, has occurred in the Orange Walk District.

Domestic abuse is considered in various forms: emotional, verbal, physical, and sexual. Other types include neglect and abandonment, and economic abuse.

The data was made in the recently released 2010 Domestic Violence Report, prepared by the Epidemiology Unit of the Ministry of Health.

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THE BELIZE TIMES

Will Barrow Embarrass

Marcel

Cardona?

Continued on page 1 to be physically displaced by his own UDP Prime Minister and party. In an incredible development, Cardona will unlawfully be placed to sit in the corner of the chambers of the House of Representatives on the same side with the Honorable members of the Opposition.

We at BELIZE TIMES interviewed a number of lawyers and a Supreme Court Judge who were deeply troubled and disturbed by the reports. This is unlawful, unjustifiable and high handed. What the UDP and Barrow are experiencing is an internal party issue. They cannot break and bend the laws of this country to carry out a hit on one of their own using the Honorable house.

This country is a country of laws and so our research led us to the law that governs these matters, particularly where parliamentarians sit in the chambers of the House. The relevant law is the subsidiary legislation to The Belize Constitution Act, which is Chapter 4 of the Laws of Belize, Revised Edition 2003.

There are ninety-three (93) standing orders in those laws. The House is governed by those regulations and we would expect that if at no other place the UDP would follow the law, it would be in the very place that the laws are made, our House of Representa-

tives.

We at BELIZE TIMES guarantee that they will disrespect the House, the laws and the people of Belize. Why? Because they have Goliath’s super majority and, coldly, because they can.

This brings us to the fact that it is one of the ancient rights and privileges that a parliamentarian sits with his colleagues. The inescapable truth is that Marcel Cardona has reaffirmed that he is still UDP, punto final. This must be the case or he would have “crossed the floor” and that would have followed with a bye-election. Cardona is UDP. He should, by convention and law, sit with the failed UDP. What Barrow and UDP are trying to do is to misuse and abuse a provision of the Standing Orders to carry out an indecent assault on one of their own feuding family members. If you want to do that, sure, but do it at the bottom of the BelChina Bridge. Do not make a mockery of our laws.

Barrow is puppeteering and manipulating the Speaker of the House to apply Standing Order 91 in a way that makes it “manifestly absurd”. Nowhere in the Standing Orders is there any provision that speaks to where parliamentarians are to sit, so Barrow is trying to bend S.O. 91. It provides for the general authority of the Speaker and gives him the unchallengeable power to regulate the conduct of business of the House in all matters not provided for in the Standing Orders.

The Speaker will be misled to unreasonably exercise a discretion in S.O. 91(2) that cannot support the Prime Minister’s girl fight with Cardona. The Speaker by that Standing Order “is responsible for the management and general administration of the Chamber.”

Now, that provision is not sufficient to give the Speaker the authority to “constructively expel” Cardona as a UDP. How can the

Speaker do something under the veil of a subsidiary legislation that not even the Constitution of Belize could do?

Look, a piece of law must be interpreted in the context of the legislation. “General administration and management” cannot be unnaturally expanded to include making the Mase Bearer sit in Finnegan’s lap.

Consider it from this angle too; S.O. 87 makes provision for what is called a “stranger”. This is a civilian who may be permitted to sit in the Chamber of the House along with the parliamentarians. If you read the law in the absurd way that Barrow wants the Speaker to, this “stranger” would have more rights than Cardona. At least for the “stranger” to be displaced, the Speaker must put the issue to the House.

The UDP by this easily overlooked infraction of moving Cardona from the contaminated den of the UDP, is putting a man who represents 4,626 Belizeans to below the status of a “stranger” who represents himself.

The BELIZE TIMES challenges Cardona to not be a one hit wonder. He should refuse to be bullied by the Prime Minister who has no authority in law or in morality to persecute and victimize all the voters of Orange Walk East.

There is a running pool of bets at BELIZE TIMES that Cardona will not even show up to the sitting of the House this Friday. Sad. He is an attorney and should know when to fight for what is right. Do not take legal advice from Barrow, who has yet to pass a smooth constitutional amendment (0 for 3) and who used the Geneva Convention to release an armed Mexican soldier who was a threat to Belizeans. “Meally”, the BELIZE TIMES knows that you are a gambling man but do not let Barrow set you up.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

The/El Guardian made to APOLOGIZE

Belize City, May 9, 2011 The Editor of the Guardian, who is known for launching malicious attacks and abuse of women in his newspaper, was forced to print an apology on page 3 of its Sunday, May 8 issue, to Senator Lisa Shoman.

For weeks the UDP party “organ” has hinted at wrongdoing and raised the specter of scandal in relation to 3.34 million dollars of Social Security Board’s monies, alleging that Ms. Shoman “gave away” those monies, and hinting that she was embroiled in its “disappearance”.

In its 17 April 2011 issue, The/El Guardian once again attacked Senator Shoman and published a defamatory cartoon purporting to be a caricature of Lisa Shoman with the reference “I ready to thief SSB money again.”

The Senator’s legendary patience with ridiculous UDP propaganda and scandalmongering came to an end and her attorneys wrote a letter of demand to the Editor of the UDP paper.

Recognising that their attacks were malicious, and the allegations spurious, The/El Guardian was compelled to print an apology, and to “unreservedly retracts any claim or suggestion that Ms. Shoman was ever involved in any theft or misconduct involving the SSB OR AT ALL”. The paper also expressed regret and offered an unqualified apology to Ms. Shoman. We reproduce a copy of the same for your enjoyment.

The BELIZE TIMES is also informed that The/El Guardian also paid substantial legal costs to Senator Shoman. The trash-talking hosts of Wave Radio’s morning show have also become conspicuously silent on the subject after weeks of hammering on the subject.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

THE BELIZE TIMES

5

UB STANDARDS…

LOWER THAN A LIMBO BAR Success needs no explanation, failure no excuses. But there is a corollary to that. It gives hope to excuses by justifying failure with explanation. In the case of this UDP government add a caveat called blame.

Our present government has been using the bully pulpit to try to explain away all of its failures and wishing that we bury our heads in the clouds and imagine all the possibilities. If only they could, or would, deliver on their glorious manifesto promises.

In the case of the dwindling standards at the University of Belize (UB), we will try to be fair by yielding the podium to the Minister of Education as the failures of his Ministry needs a whole lot of excuses and explanation regarding the lowering standards of education at all levels and how it is impacting on UB. Here is a declaration of fact: The academic standards at UB have fallen lower than that of a limbo dancer bending backward as low as possible to pass under a horizontal bar.

THE FOUNDATION OF UB When the People’s United Party established the foundation for what evolved into UB, it was a well thought-out plan for the uplifting of the quality of education across the board leading up to a high level of tertiary education. The PUP realized that education serves an important means of upward social mobility. Under the then Minister of Education Said Musa, higher education was considered as paramount importance for the social and economic development of Belize.

Musa believed that a gold standard in higher education which demanded high academic standards and achievement is important to equip our more proficient students with the knowledge and skills required to position them for professional leadership in this young independent nation. Quality education has always been his credo and his vision for higher education. It could be argued that this is the mandate for this institution of higher learning.

Today UB is failing in that mandate and the student body, most of whom are truly desirous of reaching higher heights, are being terribly shortchanged.

By international, or even regional standards, UB has reached a very low point in its failure to deliver the high quality of education this nation so badly needs.

The degrees it awards are hardly worth the paper they are written on. Hundreds of students will soon graduate from this institution. Hundreds of graduates will walk across the stage to grab hold of a rolled piece of paper representing a first degree, like inferior products rolling off a production line. The statistics on the increasing number of UB graduates may make good political sound bites but in reality the level of education at our national university has fallen so low, that the skills and abilities of most UB graduates have now become quite questionable.

This is by no means an aspersion on the students and graduates. It is simply because of the low academic standards sought by the current Ministry of Education in promoting mediocrity throughout our education system. Most students who want to excel, try to work themselves beyond frustration and mediocrity in this depressing environment in a system that failing them miserably. Students must be aware that it is because of political interference and manipulation that the system is failing them. The University has not set goals for the achievement of high standards of excellence. There are no sound standards for higher educational qualifications among most of its faculty. Worse, the policy of the Ministry encourages, in some quarters, the hiring of poorly qualified adjunct professors because they are politically correct. This has not met with any resistance from the UB’s administration.

LOW ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS Entrance requirements have been lowered to a level where the University has to offer remedial courses in certain subjects such as English and basic Math. In the absence of any guidelines for academic standards and achievement, many students feel that the goal of higher education can be reduced to passing grades and eventually a diploma as the key to a desirable job. They are not encouraged to strive for excellence.

In a well established and professionally academic environment a diploma, or a degree, should be regarded as a reflection of intellectual ability and personal motivation. This is not the case at UB. It is reflected by the faculty. The lack of political vision is further contributing to the diminishing standards.

The University is still not without a substantive President. Here, the applicants must also apparently be politically correct. Under the UDP government, successive Presidents of the University, including the immediate past President and the current interim President have not been allowed to do their jobs.

Perhaps that’s why the Government intends to install a foreigner to the post.

POOR FACULTY/STUDENT RELATIONSHIP Relations between the faculty and student body are deteriorating by the day. There is an absence of mutual respect. Many of the professors, even those with PhDs, appear to either lack academic discipline or are simply frustrated. Others are aloof to the needs and concerns of students. Etiquette and good manners are far removed from the campuses. There is apparently no proper management policies or set guidelines for the grading of student performances.

In short, UB is failing everybody including parents, students, the national workforce and the country. Its standards are well below international or regional benchmarks. Its present interim President wrote in a published essay: “There is a fundamental lack of action at each level of our education system; the numberless actors have remained silent, making little public protest about the quality, input and output of students throughout the system.”

WHAT KIND OF PRODUCTION SYSTEM? Leading educators, who have observed the failings of the educational policies of the present government, have asked: What kind of production system gives no attention to quality and practical value and relevance in the output of high end products, or in other words, an internationally acceptable standard of education?

But there are no voices of protest, although it would appear that the strained relation between UB faculty and the student body is slowly escalating to boiling point.

During the previous PUP administration, the then Minister of Education Hon. Francis Fonseca remarked that education involves teachers, principals, administrators, parents and students. At that time the Belize National Teachers Union agreed to an Action Plan which was intended to make Belize’s education system more effective and efficient with much talk of education reform.

MUTED BNTU At a Teachers’ Summit the BNTU committed to taking the Ministry of Education to task and to hold their feet to the fire for the meaningful implementation of educational reform. The current administration has thrown out that plan, like the baby and the bath water. It has not been replaced with anything substantial. There is no meaningful attempt to save the national education system from going down the tube and fast. Sadder still is that those vociferous voices and activists for educational reform have either been muted or muzzled.

The University of Belize has failed in its mandate. The UDP government is failing to deliver on its promise for a better quality of education. Imagine the possibilities!

6

101 Reasons

against Barrow’s Budget

85

. The 2010 Census has blown Barrow’s “Celebrating growth…” budget right out of the water. What is there to celebrate? Over 23% of Belizeans unemployed, but if Mr. Barrow says it’s bogus then we may just have to agree that the figure may well be 33% and not 23%. But what is in the Budget for the unemployed – NOTHING. . What about the Oil? The big question is what would the budget have done without the oil money? 330 million dollars, yet nothing is in this budget for the peoples’ oil. SHAME! . A Forensic Lab. Remember this one as a pre and post-election promise by the UDP? Barrow said it was to get one and that all we needed was 400 hundred thousand dollars but after three years, and with Belize’s conviction rate at 5%, there is no Forensic Lab. Maybe there are monies for it in this Budget? NOTHING! . Another baby has died at the KHMH, another Mother’s dies for the want of treatment. More have fallen since this fourth UDP Budget, but what is in the budget for Belizeans begging for their government to save them? Only taxes and inevitable death. .

Remember the Crooked Tree Road?

A road that leads to no where, that the Minister says he spent 7.5 million to build. Well it’s grown up in bush and what is in this budget for its upkeep? NOTHING. . Free text books, school computer labs, and all initiatives carried out by a progressive PUP government.

Well, you would have thought that the UDP would be smart to expand these programmes. But NADA. So, what’s in the budget for the expansion of text books programme, computer labs.

You guessed right, NOTHING. . Waste and corruption.

Two big tickets. With the price of gas so high, electricity, water, time wasted etc. At one time we had a transportation tzar.

We had a policy in place yet. Now there is no example sent by any minister, or even a hint to cut waste in this budget.

What a shame. . It cost tax payers $33 dollars a day to keep a person in jail. With Barrow’s preventative detention we will be adding more and more. Where is the monies in the budget for this, where will it come from? Diverting funds from the Kendal Bridge?

86 87 88 89 90 91 92

MORE TO COME NEXT WEEK

THE BELIZE TIMES

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Bus operators call Transport Minister Melvin Hulse “two-faced” Orange Walk Town, May 11, 2011

By Carmelita Perez Over eleven bus operators from northern Belize are furious with decisions made by Minister of Transport Melvin Hulse. We understand that all bus operators stormed out of a meeting with Ministry officials yesterday.

The meeting was to present the new bus routes and Northern Zone schedules expected to come into effect on May 22nd. Bus operators from Orange Walk realized that they were being left with very little on their plates while operators from other districts were being given a full meal at their expense. For example, while Orange Walk bus operators were given runs from Orange Walk to Belize and back, Belize Bus Operators Cooperative, a company from the west, was

given all runs from Belize to Chetumal and back - despite assurances from Minister Melvin Hulse that no bus operators from other districts would be given runs in the north.

“He’s a two-faced Minister,” one bus operator told the BELIZE TIMES. To express their displeasure and opposition, Orange Walk bus operators have written a letter to Transport CEO, Candelaria Saldivar, which says, “Upon perusal of the circulated schedule, we as the Northern Bus Operators observed and pointed out that many of the routes that we held and applied for in accordance to your published schedule were not taken into account in the new schedule. After some discussion on the discrepancies of the above schedule as circulated we the Northern Zone Operators opted to stand and depart from

the said meeting demonstrating our total disagreement with regards to the circulated schedule.”

According to the bus operators the new bus routes and schedules are contrary to what was said at the February 12th meeting with Hulse.

Bus operators are calling for the Ministry to incorporate the current service runs, and for a public campaign to educate commuters of the bus runs.

The Transport Ministry’s decisions have adversely affected the bus operators. Chell’s bus service, we understand, lost its runs from Belize to Chetumal while Cabrera’s Bus Service lost their runs from Orange Walk to Belize and Belize to Chetumal and their village runs from San Juan to Orange Walk. TLine reportedly lost some 3 runs while the Sarteneja Bus Line lost 4 runs.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

THE BELIZE TIMES

FROM THE DESK OF THE

PARTY LEADER

Belizean Jobs for a Better Belize Belize today is a very different place than it was just four years ago.

In 2007 there was far less crime— there were less than 100 murders; unemployment was at 8 percent, 90,000 Belizeans were in school, our cities were relatively cleaner and our parks were greener.

Compare this to the current reality and it can be depressing. Of course, as a party, we must not only be able to define the problem, but it is incumbent upon us to also offer solutions. Yes the PUP’s always bright and constructive team is already working on the platforms which will form the basis for how we will restore confidence in the Belizean economy and revitalize our cities, towns, villages and neighbourhoods. In the meantime however, let me share with you some of my own ideas on how we can make things better.

Everyone is aware that the cornerstone for progress and prosperity in any country is the growth and development of its economy. When the economy is growing more jobs are created and Belizeans can work to improve their lives and take care of their families. So at the heart of any progressive movement must be the creation and distribution of wealth and the generation of jobs.

The question therefore is: How do we create jobs and put Belizeans back to work?

First we need to figure out what our people can do and how we can find the kinds of jobs that our people will be qualified to do. We also need to understand and develop policies and we need to better appreciate the overall job market performance. Additionally we need to know the cumulative employment, unemployment and underemployment rate and we need to identify what skills our school leaving people who are entering the work force possess.

In Belize we can promote the creation of jobs by enabling the en-

vironment in the agriculture and services sector and by fomenting the establishment and sustainability of the small and medium size enterprises (SMEs).

It is my strong belief that Agriculture should remain the largest single occupation for the foreseeable future. This is important because it is our primary source of essential food production and if we can grow what we eat it means we depend less on importation of goods and so we are not hostage to market fluctuations. We also address the issue of food security. Agriculture has also played a major role in our economic growth and rural employment. I believe strongly that agriculture can stimulate job creation in many areas including the use of technology to help us increase our yields and reduce the cost of production. This would represent an untapped potential for stimulating economic growth and job creation while helping us to add value to our primary products and ensuring that we become more competitive in the international markets.

Another area where there is great potential for countless new jobs is in small and medium size business enterprises. Think of how many Belizeans have been able to help build their homes or start a company from selling bar-b-ques. Or the fisherman who started with one boat and then with a smart business plan and efficient management has been able to expand to two boats and then branch out into tourism related ventures. The SMEs and even the micro enterprises have always been a key source for economic growth in several countries in the region including Belize. And it is a known fact that many small businesses are owned and operated by women who in turn employ women. And as small businesses grow so have small financial institutions, like the credit unions, which have offered reasonable interest rates and helped these small busi-

nesses develop. This is why I want to put together a micro and small business strategy that will allow for the credit unions to disburse funding and provide the proper advice to micro and small businesses. This will offer an opportunity to Belizeans to convert a good idea into something that can be of benefit to them.

The third pillar for job creation and very much tied to the first two is the service sector. From tourism to banking, the potential for the growth of the services sector in a small size economy like the Belizean economy cannot be overstated. We must create training centres for Belizeans to develop the necessary skills in every aspect of services from hospitality to basic medical care and from basic banking to investment banking.

Our banking centres have worked hard over the years to build respect and credibility in the region. The potential for expansion of such services is available for those with the skills and the determination to compete regionally.

Finally, we need to come together with all the relevant stakeholders to create policies that will develop

7 a comprehensive job creation strategy. This is the kind of climate under which developing countries must now operate. I believe we need a plan that will train and upgrade the skills of the Belizean workers. Next we need to expand our services and create an environment that is conducive to doing business so that investors will come for one opportunity and see the potential to invest in other areas and do more.

We must also make technology make us smarter and more efficient.

If we are to leap forward we will need to use technology more effectively and efficiently hence it is imperative that we make technology more affordable and accessible. From the cost of broadband internet to the price of a computer, it must be available not only just to the privileged but to everyone.

To create a Belize that works for everyone we must all work and in so doing we will be not only creating jobs, but we will be indirectly addressing many of the social ills that plague our nation.

I have every confidence that together we can do this.

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THE BELIZE TIMES

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Nine weekend shootings;

two fatalities

Wednesday, May 9, 2011 The shooting rampage has reached another high it seems, with a ridiculously high number of gun assaults over the weekend. Two of the attacks were fatal and the Police Department seems to be struggling with making any meaningful arrests.

It started on Friday night when Donovan Bailey, 30, a tire repairman, was shot dead while he socialized with friends on Black Orchid Street around 7:15pm when two men rode up and shot him in the right side of his chest.

19 yr. old sentenced

to 5 years

for Attempted

Robbery

Glensmore Burgess

BELIZE CITY, Wed. May 11, 2011

By Roy Davis Glensmore Burgess, 19, charged with attempted robbery, was sentenced to 5 years in the #8 Magistrate’s Court on Monday, May 9, after he was found guilty of the charge.

The incident occurred around 9:15b p.m. on August 31, 2010.

The complainant David Ylleseas, 20, a student, testified that he was walking on York Street on his way home from school, when he was approached by two persons riding on bicycles.

Ylleseas said one of them, got off this bicycle, placed a pointed object to his left side and demanded that he hand over all he had. Ylleseas said he was carrying a bag with his school books and calculator.

Fortunately for Ylleseaas, police corporal Brentford Longsworth who was sitting in his vehicle parked on York Street saw what was happening and went to assist Ylleseas.

A struggle ensued between Burgess and Longsworth and during the struggle a knife fell into an abandoned yard and Burgess managed to get away.

Longsworth, however, pursued him and caught him. He was subdued and kept in custody until a police patrol arrived.

Donovan Bailey

Jerome Wade

The bullet ripped through Bailey’s right lung and he died the same night. Three other men, Lazaro Murillo, 35, was hit in the left leg, while Joaquin Lazaro, 44, was grazed in the abdomen, and Percival Torres, 35, was grazed in the right hip.

Before Saturday morning had arrived, two more shootings had occurred. Shortly after one that morning, security guard, Estevan Fernandez Jr., 22, was shot to the right side of his abdomen as he walked home on Casaurina Street. Less than two hours later,

police were called out again to the third shooting scene at the fire station at the corner of Warrie and Dolphin Streets.

Fireman, Kendis Longsworth, 28, suffered a gunshot wound to the upper shoulder during a struggle between another fireman, Evan Martinez, 25, and a gunman who entered the station and threatened to shoot. Martinez grabbed the gun and the two struggled in another room. When the gun discharged, the bullet penetrated a partition that separated the two rooms and hit Longsworth.

Meanwhile, a 17 year old youth was shot to the left inner thigh while he and another friend were riding separate bicycles towards Mahogany Street on Saturday night. The shooting occurred just as the two passed by a yard.

Two days later on Monday, the second murder occurred at around 3:30 at the junction of Partridge and Vernon Streets. Jerome Jason Wade, 21, was shot multiple times to the head and abdomen as he stood with two brothers.

The shooter was a man who diverted off Patridge Street.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

THE BELIZE TIMES

Man walks

from Attempted Murder charge BELIZE CITY, Wed. May 11, 2011

By Roy Davis Mark Humes, 31, who was charged with the attempted murder of Jermaine Elijio, 20, was acquitted of the charge yesterday in the court of Justice Adolph Lucas.

Justice Lucas directed the jury of 6 women and 3 men to return a formal verdict of not guilty when the prosecution indicated that it has no further evidence to offer because Elijio could not be located. The jury was already empanelled but no witnesses were called.

Humes was not represented by an attorney.

Crown Counsels Talia Meighan Francis and Keisha Williams represented the prosecution.

The alleged incident occurred around 9:25a.m. on Sunday, February 8, 2009, in front of Ricky’s Shop, located at the corner of Cassaurina Street and Poinsetta Lane.

Elijio reported to the police that

Mark Humes

he and his younger brother were standing in front of the shop when he was approached by Humes.

Elijio said Humes asked him for a cigarette and when he refused to give Humes the cigarette, Humes stabbed him under his left armpit with a pair of scissors.

Elijio was taken to Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital where he was admitted to ward. He had to receive emergency surgery. The wound was about 2 inches from his heart.

19 yr. old fined $1,500 for stealing beans BELIZE CITY, Wed. May 11, 2011

By Roy Davis Christian Landaverde, 19, a construction worker residing at 6 Pitter Street who charged with theft and 2 counts of handling stolen goods for 7 sacks of 100 pounds red beans, was fined $1,500 in the #8 Magistrate’s Court on Monday, May 9, after he pleaded guilty to the charge.

Magistrate Emmerson Banner, who imposed the fine, ordered that it be paid forthwith in default 15 months imprisonment. Landaverde paid the fine and was released.

Landaverde’s mother, Gloria Mejia, and his step-father, Marco Garoy, were also charged with handling stolen goods but the charge against them was withdrawn after the guilty plea was accepted.

Visit Us Online at: www.belizetimes.bz

Christian Landaverde

The theft occurred between May 5, and May 7. Manuel Angel, a vendor who was Landaverde’s former employer, reported to the police that the sacks of beans were stolen from his truck.

On May 7 the police went to Landaverde’s house and recovered all the sacks of beans. At the time Mejia and Garoy were at home.

On Monday, May 9, Angel went to the #8 Magistrate’s Court to have the charges withdrawn from Landaverde. But by the time he arrived in Court Landaverde had already pleaded guilty.

9

10

THE BELIZE TIMES

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Oscar Sabido

Cayo West wins

Oscar Sabido, Dr. Lesbia Guerra-Cocom, PUP Chairman Henry Usher & Hector Pacheco

Oscar Sabido Puga takes oath and pledges to reverse the UDP’s many years of neglect in Cayo West

PUP Secretary General Rachel Montejo leads the vote counting after the convention

PUP supporters cheer results of Sunday’s convention. The blue machine in Cayo West is ready to rumble

Sunday, May 15, 2011

THE BELIZE TIMES

11

MASSIVE FREETOWN CONVENTION Over 1,500 Freetown Area Residents came out on Saturday, May 7th to the YWCA to show their love and support for Area Representative Francis Fonseca and the People’s United Party.

It was a fantastic evening of excellent food, drinks and prizes

Standard Bearer Francis Fonseca accepting the Oath

Ms. Fabiola Esquiliano - Freetown Mother of the Year 2011

FRANCIS FONSECA - Working for Freetown

12

THE BELIZE TIMES

O.W. United & City Boys lead

Superleague Football

BELIZE'S #1 SPORTS PAGE

Other games:

Griga Knights vs. Third World

3

Griga Knight

0

Third World

Placencia Assassins vs.

Paradise Freedoms Fighters Orin Sonny Wade on the attack

Sunday, May 15, 2011

2

Placencia

0

Paradise

Orange Walk Town, May 8, 2011 Raymond Gentle City Boys are no. 1 and Orange Walk United sit at No. 2 in the Belize Bank Superleague football competition.

The City Boys stomped cellar dwellers Cayo South United 3-0 at the MCC garden to lead with 30 points, while Orange Walk United has 22 points after they reigned over the Hattieville Monarchs 7-1 at the Peoples Stadium on Saturday night.

Dion Macaulay scored the Raymond Gentle City Boys’ first winning goal in the first half, and Dalton Cayetano added 2 more goals in the 2nd half for the 3-0 win.

Edwin Gillett scored Orange Walk’s 1st goal with a free kick that floated the ball over goalie Mason Moya and into the net in the 8th minute of play. Floyd Jones’ attempt to clear the ball which resulted in a dreaded auto-goal in the 15th minute. Oliver Hendricks converted a penalty for a 3rd goal, followed by Christopher Hendricks goal. Jerome “Jarro” James scored a consolation goal for Hattieville, but Orange Walk Oliver Hendricks responded with a header to add a 5th goal. Jarret Davis then blasted in 2 more goals to seal the 7-1 win.

Upcoming games: Placencia Assassins vs. City Boys, MCC grounds, Sunday, May 15 O.W. United is ranked second in the Superleague

Other games: Game 1: Victor Hernandez/Amir Arnold vs. Raul Arnold/Keegan Ack

20-22

21-16

15-6

Game 2: Tico Requena/Juan “Chico” Marin vs. Omar Mendez/Werner Tobar

21-11

21-13

Game 3: Cabral/Moratoya vs. Jaleel Lino/ Denver Lino

21-18

28-26

15-13

Game 4: Arnold/Audinette vs. Hernandez/Arnold

21-8

Orange Walk United vs. Cayo South United, Camalote Field

Placencia Assassins – 19 points

Cabral & Moratoya win volleyball tour 4th stop

Hattieville Monarchs vs. Third World FC, Hattieville Field

21-18

Game 6: Jaleel/Denver Lino vs. Mendez/Tobar

21-19

Game 7: Jaleel/Denver Lino vs. Victor/Amir - Victor/ Amir won by opponent’s forfeit Game 8: Cabral/Moratoya vs. Arnold/ Ack – Cabral/ Moratoya won by default Game 9: CabralMoratoya vs. Hernandez/Arnold

21-9

21-14

Game 10: Cabral/Moratoya vs. Requena/Marin

15-21

21-15

15-11

Game 11: Cabral and Moratoya vs. Audinette/Arnold

17-21

27-25

22-20

Moratoya & Cabral eliminated Tico & Chico

O.W. United – 22 points Griga Knights – 20 points

Game 5: Requena/Marin vs. Cabral/Moratoya

21-14

RG City Boys - 30 points

Griga Knights vs. Paradise Freedom Fighters, Toledo Union Field

21-16

22-20

Standings (After 11 matches)

Jason Cabral serves

Paradise Freedom Fighters – 18 points Hattieville Monarchs – 8 points Third World FC – 7 points Cayo South United – 2 points

Belize City, May 8, 2011 San Pedro’s Jason Cabral and Gustavo Moratoya won the 4th stop of the Belize Volleyball Association’s national men’s beach volleyball tour at the Buttonwood Bay Park in Belize City on Sunday.

Cabral and Moratoya won over defending champs, Arvid Arnold and Germaine Audinett, in 3 sets 11-21, 21-15 and 15-9.

But despite their strong 3rd place finish on the tour, Cabral and Moratoya did not qualify to represent Belize in the Central American beach volleyball championships, which the BVA will be hosting at the Marion Jones Stadium from May 20-22. Arnold and Audinett will be Belize’s 1st team, while Tico Requena and Chico Marin will be the 2nd team representing the Jewel.

In the female competition, Barbara Cadle and Esther Middleton will be the “A” team, and Emma Hoare and Rebecca Rath will be the “B” team.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

THE BELIZE TIMES

13

BTL continues

winning streak in Belize City softball

Other games:

BELIZE'S #1 SPORTS PAGE

Mirage Lady Rebels vs.

Hurricanes

10

Belize City, May 10, 2011 The BTL softball women won back to back games in the Belize City softball competition, spanking the new kids on the block the Hurricanes 11-2 at the home of softball at the Roger’s Stadium on Tuesday night.

The BTL ladies led 4-1 when Lydia Cacho, Elaine Humes, pitcher Mary Flowers, and Kaylie Mcfadzean came home in the top of the 1st inning, and only veteran catcher Delcie Lizama scored for the Hurricanes in the bottom of the 1st.

The BTL women continued to wallop Vanessa Guerrero’s pitching in the 2nd inning as Cacho, Humes and Flowers came home again to lead 7-1, while Mary Flowers on the mound for BTL shut out the Hurricanes for the next 2 innings.

Cacho scored again in the 4th inning, and Kesilyn Lizama scored the Hurricanes’ 2nd run in the bottom of the 4th, but 3 more runs from BTL’s Cacho, Christine Clarke and Norecia Frazer in the top of the 5th sealed the 11-2 win.

The BTL women had also clipped the Orchid Blazers 7-2 on Sunday.

Mirage

3

Hurricanes

BTL girls team

Rebel’s Arneek Baptist bunts BTL’s Babsy Cadle

Hurricane’s Vanessa Guerrero

Softball champs: St John’s Vianney & Central Christian

Belize City, May 6, 2011 The St John Vianney RC School and the Central Christian boys won the Belize City primary school softball championship finals at the Rogers Stadium in Belize City on Friday, May 6.

The St John Vianney RC School girls won 14-6 over the St Martin de Porres RC School girls in the championship finals.

The Central Christian School boys won 7-4 over the Queen Square Anglican school boys in the city finals. Queen Square’s pitcher Devin Parham struck out 4 batters to give up no runs in the first 2 innings.

St John Vianney and St Martin’s girls and the Centlra Christian and Queen Square boys will represent the city in the Belize district finals to be held on Tuesday, May 17. The winner will represent the Belize district at the national primary schools tournament to be hosted by the national Sports Council at the Rogers Stadium on Thursday, May 19.

How they advanced: St. John Vianney vs. Salvation Army

11

St. John Vianney

5

Salvation Army

St. Martin’s vs. Muslim Community School

7

St. Martin’s

4

Muslim

Central Christian vs. Salvation Army

7

Central

2

Salvation

Queen Square Anglican vs.

Wesley Upper School

2

Queen Square

1

Wesley

Martin’s girls team Vianney girls are City champs

Sugar City Gurlz beat West Girls 2-1

Orange Walk, April 29, 2011 The Sugar City Gurlz outlasted the West Girls of Benue Viejo 2-1 at the Louisiana Government School field on Sunday, to qualify to the Delhart Courtenay Cup women’s football championship finals in the tournament held under the auspices of the Football Federation of Belize.

Tamarah Baptist and Noriela Terry led the Sugar City girls’ offensive, supported by Vanessa Mai and Maria Pena on the wings, and midfielders Karen Garcia and Sheyla Pena at midfield.

Ruby Mai, Noemi Magana, Aliany Magana and Jelly Cowo held down the Sugar City defense, but Shirley Codd blasted in the West Girls’ 1st goal past goalie Jessica McCullock to lead 1-0 at the half time break.

Karen Garcia played defense to keep the ball away the strikers Kimberly “Brazilian” Perez and Yanette Ramirez and goalie Jessica McCullock repeatedly came out of her goal to forestall an attack, until Noriela Terry delivered the Sugar City Gurlz’s equalizer with a shot that beat goalie Yhanili Alfaro.

The Sugar City Gurlz’ pressure caused Benque’s Eliza Carrillo to bring down Vanessa Mai in the penalty area and Karen Garcia converted to for the winning goal.

West Girls team

Natasha Tillett vs Maria Pena

14

THE BELIZE TIMES

BELIZE'S #1 SPORTS PAGE

Triple B’s win 2-1

Triple B’s bomb

Corozal United 2-1

Czl United team

Calcutta Village, Corozal , May 8, 2011 Three-time defending national FFB champs, Triple B’s, bombed Corozal United 2-1 in Calcutta Village on Sunday, to qualify to the Delhart Courtenay Cup women’s football championship finals in the tournament.

Barred from using National Sports Council facilities, the Corozal United girls hosted the Triple B’s at the Calcutta field for their rematch. Sheriann Tracy and Rhonda Hernandez led the Triple B’s offensive with the help of Janelle Pott and Jahna Trapp on the wings and midfielders Kaya Cattouse and Gianne Cayetano, but the Corozal defense of Zeferelli Monima, Maria Acosta Yarima Che and Janellie Chan held them scoreless up to the half time break.

Miram Villamil and Patricia Espinoza led the Corozal attacks with the help of Cianni Castaneda, Griselda Balam, Joana Loza and Margarita Aguilar, but they made no impression on the Triple B’s defenders Roxbell Ogaldez, Melonie Tasher, Kara Kisling and Tiresie Lino who also held them to a scoreless draw up to the break.

In the 2nd half, Gianne Cayetano scored the Triple B’s 1st goal in the 48th minute, and Sheriann Tracy embarrassed goalie Sonia Teck with the

visitors’ 2nd goal in the 58th minute.

The Corozal girls pressed for the equalizer, but it was not until the 86th minute that Corozal’s team captain Miriam Villamil drilled the ball past goalie Idania Ramirez to get a consolation goal. But that was all the Corozal girls could do as the Triple B’s defense shut up shop to secure the 2-1 win.

The competition continues with Triple B’s hosting Suga City Gurlz for the finals at the FFB field in Belmopan on Sunday, May 15.

Visit Us Online at: www.belizetimes.bz

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Sunday, May 15, 2011

THE BELIZE TIMES

This Week’s

15 BELIZETIMES SUNDAY MAY 15, 2011

see full color at www.belizetimes.bz

E-NEWS BelizeanAmerican

Chordz drops the beat

Hidden inside a music studio in Crenshaw, LA, Chordz Barrow an American with Belizean-parentage has been producing music, on par with the latest hip hop music.

Over the last few days, Chordz, who is the son of well-known Belizean musician, Patrick Barrow, has been on radio shows including Vibes Radio promoting his music. Joined by the effervescent Ras Indio, Chordz has received a warm welcome from his new-found Belizean fans. But you don’t have to take our word for it. Visit www.itsjustdrugs.com [Dirty-RawUnderground-Sounds] to find out for yourself.

Chordz has produced music which features big names such as WillIAM, Snoop Dogg, Khalifa and Ashlee Simpson.

Chordz and Ras Indio are now talking of a collaboration which is coming soon. Look out for Chordz Barrow on Facebook, and Chordz3D on Twitter.

Remembering

BOBMarley

May 11, 2011 marks the 30th anniversary of iconic reggae singer Bob Marley’s death.

Born: February 6, 1945 in a small village in Jamaica.

The Wailers: Together with Bunny Wailer and noted reggae musician Peter Tosh, Bob formed “Bob Marley & The Wailers” in 1963.

Break-up: In 1974 the band broke up, but Bob continued to record under the name “Bob Marley and the Wailers.” The other members, Tosh and Bunny, also enjoyed successful solo careers.

Greatest hits: Bob wrote his songs, played rhythm guitar and sang lead vocals. His greatest hits album, “Legend”, is both the highest selling reggae album of all time and the highest selling album by a Jamaican musician.

His cancer diagnosis: In 1977, Bob was diagnosed with cancer (Acral lentiginous melanoma). His untimely death: On May 11, 1981 Bob succumbed to his illness in Miami, at age 36. The track “Redemption Song”, written in 1979, is thought to reflect Bob’s recognition of his own mortality.

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16

THE BELIZE TIMES

Who Is Sharon Fraser?

Belize City, May 11, 2011 The recent exposure of the Prime Minister of his interference in the court system to import a foreigner to be Chief Magistrate has focused attention in the person who should be promoted to that post.

That person is Sharon Fraser, the Senior Magistrate who has worked in the Public Service for many years.

Miss Fraser is a Belizean (the Prime Minister has secretly sent a letter to a person from St. Lucia offering the position without knowledge of the Public Service). Miss Fraser, we are informed, worked in the government service since the 1980s. She obtained a scholarship and later became a qualified attorney at law since 1998. She is one of only two trained lawyers in the Magistrate Department.

Miss Fraser comes from a staunch UDP family which makes it all the more important in terms of showing how the Prime Minister has no regard for Belizeans including UDP supporters who are not part of his royal family and cronies.

Miss Fraser was a prosecutor at the Director of Public Prosecutions’ office and worked as the Registrar General of the Supreme Court. The Judicial Commission promoted her to Senior Magistrate a few years ago. She is next in line to replace the Chief Magistrate who has already reached retirement age but who is still working to allow the Prime Minister time to hand pick a replacement.

Why would the Prime Minister violate the laws which govern the appointment of Magistrates and bring his office into disrepute over who becomes the Chief Magistrate? Is it that he committed himself to his brother who worked in St. Lucia and possibly knows the untested female who was handpicked to come and take over the lower Courts? Is it something personal against Miss Fraser or her family? Is it another part of a plan to control whoever is Chief Magistrate?

The BELIZE TIMES has learnt that in the case of a junior magistrate, it was

the government which maneuvered to have him deal with revenue matters and such big cases like taxes for the Belize Bank, which involved millions of dollars. This Magistrate who lives in the Prime Minister’s constituency started obtaining valuable properties from the government after these big cases and then suddenly, in secret, was given a scholarship to study in Barbados. The course is a Master’s Degree course. It was not advertised as the law requires, and all the Magistrates and Crown Counsels were kept in the dark on the matter.

The BELIZE TIMES has further learnt that three completely unqualified persons showed up at the Court saying Belmopan had sent them for jobs as Magistrates. They have been working as Magistrates for several months, and one includes a former reporter and police officer.

It is against this background that we revisit the issue of why the Prime Minister has been violating the Constitution and interfering in the appointment of Magistrates. As well as doing all he can to destroy the career of Sharon Fraser who is next in line to be promoted to Chief Magistrate.

Our source tells us that the Prime Minister is part of a whispering campaign against Miss Fraser. This involves unproven suggestions of infractions five years ago with a parole board situation. The current CEO in the Ministry for the Prisons has been part of this slur against Miss Fraser.

Last week the Judicial Commission finally advertised the vacancy for the position of Chief Magistrate. Under the Constitution it is the Judicial Commission headed by the Chief Justice which decides on appointment of the Chief Magistrate and Magistrates.

It could be the Commission is now, belated, reacting to the interference by the Prime Minister in matters outside his authority. It is hoped that Miss Fraser, if she applies, will be given a fair hearing despite the wicked intentions of the Prime Minister.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Sunday, May 15, 2011

THE BELIZE TIMES

17

18

THE BELIZE TIMES

Sunday, May 15, 2011

PUP garners thousands of referendum signatures – Coalition close to required 10% Belize City, May 10, 2011 The Belize Coalition to Save Our Natural Heritage is close to its required number of signatures needed to trigger a referendum on the issue of oil drilling in offshore and protected areas. After weeks of carrying out an aggressive campaign, the Coalition is close to collecting 17,000 votes, or the 10 per cent required by the Referendum Act, following recent amendments by the Barrow Administration.

Of the total number of signatures garnered, the People’s United Party has helped to collect over 5,000 signatures PUP Leader Hon. John Briceño announced on January 9th that the Party would support the holding of a referendum, and would join the campaign to collect signatures.

That campaign has been led by Deputy Leader & Collet Division Standard Bearer, Carolyn TrenchSandiford, a community leader and social activist who is not afraid to take on challenges. Trench-Sandiford and her “Referendum Team” have been hitting the ground with passion and fervour to ensure Belizeans have the opportunity to have their say in the

voter population, or about 100,000.

The Opposition had protested the high number, but the Barrow Administration’s ¾’s majority supported the proposal, allowing the legislative changes to go through.

And what is yet his most deceitful move, Barrow has declared that referendums are not a legal mandate; therefore, his administration will not be bound by the will of the people. Barrow said he will have his way, no matter what the referendum results are.

Like the PUP’s roots nationalist movement, the Referendum Team has been busy seeking support for a democratic exercise

national issue.

They have attended Party electoral conventions and conducted countrywide neighbourhood petitions to collect votes.

The response has been overwhelming as a majority of Belizeans have showed that they believe the decision to drill for oil should lie in their hands and not with Prime Minister Dean Barrow.

But as the coalition of nationalist groups near their goal, the Prime

Minister is badmouthing their efforts. PM Dean Barrow has told members of the press that even if the referendum is held, he does not believe enough Belizeans will come out to support the Coalition.

Barrow’s recent amendment to the Referendum Act increased the bar required for referendum votes to 60% of the

PUP Deputy Leader Carolyn Trench-Sandiford has led the charge

Justice says: May 6, 2011 at 8:45 am

This is so ridiculous and sad.

My poor Belize!

Again what is our useless PM trying to do to reduce crime rate? It seems as if his interpretation of being PM is to fill the pockets of his family and drain the Belizean people and ignoring the very people who voted him there.”

fromafar says: May 10, 2011 at 1:54 pm

BARROW!!!! Ur people are thirsty good Sir. It amazes me that your sorry @!$# has not done anything about this yet… isnt that what govenment is all about?, why do these people pay taxes if the government does not understand what thier job actually is? Government serves the people they govern, not the other way around.”

confused says: May 9, 2011 at 9:27 am

This crowd can’t even get the census right, the miniscule information that was released was serioulsly flawed according to their own “analyst” Manuel Heredia. what happen to the 2 hour interview asking how many TVs in the house and how many times you use a condom, what was that information for.

I think the unemployment rate is around 30%, just look around and see all the businesses closing down! will this crowd get any thing right?”

Posts are from www.belizetimes.bz, Belize Times Facebook Account and www.channel5belize.com

Sunday, May 15, 2011

THE BELIZE TIMES

Strictly Personal Barrow is bogus

By glenntillett@yahoo.com Prime Minister Dean Barrow talks a good game, and that is hardly surprising because he is both a top lawyer and a successful politician.

He came to office riding an unprecedented wave of credibility, a veritable tsunami that gave his party a super majority in the House, and the capability to do just about anything it wanted to do.

His was the broadest of mandates ever given to any Belizean post-independence administration.

The excuses of burdensome debt, a recalcitrant world economy, intractable fuel prices will continue to be repeated. And, of course, Commander Zero knows how to play hero. Boy, does he know how to rescue industries.”

Their popularity extended beyond the polls to the streets, the airwaves, the social media, and into the Belizean Diaspora, particularly those in the United States. Dean Barrow was also very well regarded by his peers in the Caribbean region, and most of my fellow political observers are of the opinion that his UDP was more “liked” by the British political establishment than the PUP. The PUP on the other hand, was perhaps at the lowest ebb of its political fortunes when it was thrown out of office in February 2008. It was its worst defeat. It was so divided following the shellacking that some wondered if it would ever be able to recover.

It had been beset from within and from without. Belize’s greatest and most successful party had splintered and for a time it seemed that All The King’s Horses and All The King’s Men would not be

able to put it back together again.

I mention the PUP in this context because the Westminster Parliamentary System is an adversarial system, and for one party to fly so high it means that the other party must be brought so low.

In this case the PUP had crashed as the UDP soared.

In retrospect it is clear that the PUP’s problems were not all of its own doing.

It is clear now that the UDP and its media allies had rode a confluence of circumstances and the skillful deployment of one of the most massive propaganda campaigns ever to bring down the PUP. They had succeeded in creating a deep and even lasting impression in the minds and hearts of the electorate that the former PUP administration and party was wholly and irrecoverably corrupt, and the electorate had become revulsed.

So great was the revulsion against the former administration that even today many of the lies and exaggerations are still believed by many. They are accepted as factual even though it shouldn’t take more than the most cursory of examinations to “see” that most of it was the proverbial tissue of lies enfolding a mere kernel of so-called “truth”.

The irony today isn’t that Barrow’s and the UDP’s popularity has faded and continues to fade, and fast. It isn’t that their disapproval rating has slid past the 50% mark. No, the irony is that even though their propaganda success against the PUP still lingers, it is that the electorate seems to be concluding that they are even more corrupt than they said the PUP ever was.

Belizeans watch with a mixture of trepidation, shock, horror, and “confound-idness” the sheer scope of this administration’s brazen hustles, chutzpah and wanton disregard for public opinion.

Dean Barrow and the UDP no longer even bother to pay lip service to their promises of accountability, transparency and good governance. They no longer make reference to integrity in public life.

Their last defense, that is that they weren’t as bad as the PUP has worn thin and sounds hollow so now that too is being abandoned. In its stead will come promises of a better life, a better Belize, a new world unfolding.

The excuses of burdensome debt, a recalcitrant world economy, intractable fuel prices will continue to be repeated.

And, of course, Commander Zero knows how to play hero. Boy, does he know how to rescue industries.

Belizeans are long past being tired of the demonizing, the poor excuses, the propaganda and can barely wait for the day when they will get a chance to kick Dean Barrow and his cabal out of office.

I hope they can continue to remain lawabiding until then.

It was never in question that the PUP was far more competent than the UDP. Now it would seem that it is no longer in question that the UDP are not only far more incompetent than the PUP, but that they are also far more corrupt. My, my!

Barrow is bogus.

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THE BELIZE TIMES

Sunday, May 15, 2011

REALITY CHECK! In my perspective…

Is it Preventative Detention or Human Rights Violation?

By Carla Bradley In the current situation in which our country finds itself, our government just seems to not know how to deal with crime and are just merely feeling its way through like a blind man. Today April 4th 2011, Prime Minister Barrow spoke of re-introducing preventative Detention measures, we must note that this was introduced in March 2008, but only lasted a mere 2 months as it was scrapped in May of 2008 because of the public outcry in opposition to this amendment. It is understood that the crime rate has escalated in dramatic numbers, but is taking away the rights of the people a solution? Or will this only add to the already angered people of our country?

Preventative Detention by definition is an imprisonment that is not imposed as the punishment for a crime, but in order to prevent a person from committing a crime, if that person is deemed likely to commit a crime. In most democracies, no one can be arrested without being told the grounds for such an arrest, except under rare and special circumstances.

In contrast to this, under the proposed preventative detention the government can imprison a person for some time without a criminal charge. It means that if the government feels that a person being at liberty can be a threat to the law and order or the unity and integrity of the nation, it can detain or arrest that person to prevent him from doing this possible harm. In the proposed amendment by this government it states that: The government proposes to allow the security forces to now lock up and detain a citizen ( including a child engaging in criminal activities or other” anti-social behavior”) not for a maximum of only 48 hours, but now at minimum, 168 hours.

In other words, for 120 hours more than the Constitution of Belize now allows. The more frightening effect of the proposed

constitutional amendment is the fact that during that 168 hours period, that citizen’s fundamental rights are extinguished. A citizen will have no right to be informed why he is detained; no right to communicate with an attorney in private or parents or guardian (in the case of minors); no right to apply to the courts to challenged the lawfulness of his detention; and no right to be brought before a court promptly. (Excerpt from “This is what Barrow intends to bring back- Preventative Detention” by Senator Lisa Shoman).

After many bloody days, this Barrow administration has decided to step up and try to temporarily patch the crisis with an anti-democratic amendment that will not only jeopardize our constitution but go against all reasons why a government is given the authority to create laws. We know and understand that our country is facing an ever growing and alarming crisis but taking away the rights of the people of this country is no solution and can only make it worse.

If preventative detention is the way this government wishes to go why not place it in some jurisdictions and allow it only in specific cases, for example only for persons who have already been sentenced for a serious crime or persons who are known criminals who keep appearing before the courts? We ask the Prime Minister and the Minister of National Security, Minister of Police and the Heads of the security forces in this country, do you at least have a list of these known criminals, the members of the gangs you blame the escalating crime on?

If so why not target these people? Why not lock them up? There are other solutions than to take away the rights of our people.

Programs such as child care programs that can be designed to improve the personality of the kids and give them the right knowledge about the good and bad things. Family support programs that can be designed to keep the family united and foster child care. Barrow and his administration need to sit down and analyze this situation from an ordinary Belizean on the streets’ point of view and not from a self-gaining political point of view! Remember elections are around the corner and as the UDP said in the past, “tek deh money and vote dem out”, don’t be fooled by their bills that will be raining down come election day. 5 years of more misery? You be the judge!

Yes, we still can grow up Pt.2

By Rayford Young In my previous write-up, I talked about the state of my beloved country Belize and that I thought we were not where we should be if we wanted to be a player in this new economy. To turn things around it would take an extraordinary person - a person solely focused on Belize City - creating good jobs, fixing the streets, cleaning up the city, constructing new apartments for the poor to get them out of their deplorable conditions.

If it were me, I would sign up for one term and not be distracted with reelection and consumed with the time and money needed to run for office. If it were me, I would surround myself with the best statesmen/women in Belize, seeking their support for the improvement of the City. They would be people of dignity and respect, business persons who would not be dependent on a pay check from the city but committed for the benefit of their country. I would set up a small group of Belizeans whose sole purpose would be to raise the funds to do the things we talked about - and it will take a lot of money.

This same group would be responsible to bid out the work to the contractors.

They would pay the bills. The reason for this would be to keep at bay the usual suspects, people that have been around for years and know the system and how to scheme the system. We want professionals but also the common people to get to work re-building the roads and streets, building new homes for the poor. These are the people that have been left behind for years, “this da fu we time”.

The first thing I would do is set aside several week-ends for clean up - a joint effort between government and private industry, churches, youth groups, schools and non-profit organizations. Government workers, the public, the police and the defense force would all come together to clean up Belize City. We might be poor but we don’t have to live like pigs. Clean up your yards, throw out all the junk in your homes. Get all those old vehicles which will never run again out of your yards. Clean up around your homes, help your neighbor if necessary. I would ask the street vendors and local restaurants to donate a meal for these workers. We are in this together. Once that was done we would move to the next step–painting homes and businesses, and let’s use colors other than green. Belize City needs a face lift. So many homes have not had a paint job in decades. If we did just those two things Belize City would look brand new. You would feel better about your City. You would be proud again. Can we do it? Yes, we can!

If it were me, I would pledge that in my term all Belize City streets would be repaired and paved. Brand new

street signs would be hung. Signal lights repositioned low enough so you don’t have to look up into the sky to see them. Our new streets are not there for dogs to use. I can’t imagine what visitors and dignitaries think when they visit Belize on the drive into the city, where dogs are all over the place doing what dogs do in the middle of the street. I have seen this many, many times.

Our children, coming and going to school, don’t need to see these things in our streets.

How can investors take us seriously when we can’t even control our dog population?

Then there are our elected officials who travel at your expense all over the world to developed countries and know we are not on the right track, yet return home and act like all is well. They should be embarrassed at the condition of our country. We have accepted these things for too long and are in-part to be blamed.

I would have the housing department come up with strict building codes. Homes that don’t meet these requirements will have to be demolished. There are too many of these types of homes and they are not safe. If we had a tsunami or a big hurricane, Belize City would look like Haiti. I am sure there are better products on the market today than zincs. Why are we still using rusty zincs? The rust is not good for your health and it’s an eye-sore and definitely not designed to be a fence. Housing and new apartment buildings would be one of the projects funded by the money raised by the small group. So many countries have huge, tall apartment buildings for people.

Everyone cannot afford a home.

All these ideas are designed to stimulate the economy, rebuild Belize City and provide jobs for our people. We also need to revamp our tax codes to make it appealing to foreign investors.

I would have another group of distinguished Belizeans assigned to go out and recruit large companies to establish their business in Belize City. But for that we need the infrastructure we talked about. Why would companies go all the way to China and India to have people build computer chips, assemble televisions, cell phones, computers etc, when you have a well educated population just two hours from the United States that can do these jobs? We need to fight hard for these companies to come our way. But we have to be ready. We need good roads and bridges. In this day and age we should have hi-speed connection available to all businesses and homes at a reasonable cost. We should not have to go to these internet cafés. We need an airport that can handle more than one plane landing at a time and doesn’t have to turn around on the same runway that we just landed on.

Modern ports, and on and on.

Can we make these changes? You bet we can, but we need a leader who is relentless on getting this job done, who is not bogged down with city council business and who is free to make decisions. I don’t know who that person will be, but we better find him or her soon. We have wasted three generations with patching roads and using white mall which washes away as soon as it rains. We have wasted time fussing and fighting among ourselves and have nothing to show for it. Yes there has been some progress but not much in Belize City. Take a look at Chetumal and Guatemala City and the progress those countries have made. It’s time to stop thinking of what’s in it for me and start thinking of what is in the best interest of the country. We can still grow out of this mess, yes, we can.

Rayford Young is a Belizean-American, who currently lives in Michigan, USA.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

THE BELIZE TIMES

The Next Revolution…… the Starting Point

By Carolyn Trench-Sandiford – Deputy Leader People’s United Party - Belize

I

n my article last week, I heralded the inevitability of the Next Revolution and the need for a New Political, Economic and Social Order, designed especially to birth a New Belize to bring about Prosperity, Happiness and National Unity to all Belizeans.

I also noted that the Next Revolution must build on the first revolution, the peaceful constructive revolution which was birthed in 1950.

Most crucial though, is for the Next Revolution to be relevant, and thus while it must be justified and its purpose understood, more importantly, it must be a reflection of the aspirations and hopes of all our people now, and of the next generation.

Consequently, the starting point of the Next Revolution has to be an understanding of who we are as Belizeans today, what are our challenges, goals and aspirations, what should our legacy be for the next generation, and how together, we can move forward as one people. This requires a stocktaking exercise.

Fortunately, and perhaps timely, there are a myriad of literature, reports and anecdotal references documenting our political and socio-economic history and current state of our nation as well as the experiences of our people, which could contribute to this exercise. However, I consider four documents extremely critical and useful at this time.

First and foremost is the Constitution of Belize which came into effect in 1981. This is the supreme law of Belize, and is representative of who we are as a people. It is our birth paper, binding us as one people and one nation. It defines us, sets out our core values and beliefs, how we are governed and how decisions are made by us and for us, how our finances are to be managed, and the relationships between the branches of government, and the state and us.

It is the heart of our democracy. But democracy is about people.

Thus the second is the Findings

Visit Us Online at: www.belizetimes.bz

of the 2010 Housing and Population Census which provides the most up to date statistical data on the people of Belize in terms of our composition, i.e. Belizean or foreign born, geographic location, age structure and dependencies, ethnicity, religious affiliation, sex, levels of educational attainment, labour force, income and employment rates, technological knowledge and access, housing condition and access to basic services, living condition of children and marital status among others.

The third document is the 20112012 Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure, which also contains up to date information, but on the financial resources available to the government of Belize to deliver services to the people of Belize. This document also acquaints us with the government accounting system and budgeting practices, provides the sources and categories of revenue generation, the hierarchy and breakdown of government ministries and departments, and the allocations and services they provide, and gives an indication of government priority spending, including debt service obligations.

The last document is the recently completed Horizon 2030 which sets out the vision, the core values, objectives and strategies for the future of Belize. It is representative of the consolidated views of many stakeholders, who identified three critical issues that cross cut all sectors of Belize, and which captures the state of crisis we are in.

The first issue is the situation of the young people in Belize and their prospects for the future. The second is the fragmentation of society and its implications to our sovereignty and national unity, and the last, the weaknesses in the planning processes, due to urban biased and centralized decision making, a lack of coordination between social and economic sectors, and a robust monitoring and evaluation mechanism all of which continues to undermine the growth and development of Belize.

If in the next revolution, the people shall be the end and the means, a summary analysis of the information in these documents with references to applicable information from other sources is required, as this is what underpins and guides the Next Revolution to make it relevant to us today, and for the next generation.

Only if this is done, shall we begin the journey of breaking the cycle of perpetual subjection of our people and birth a NEW BELIZE, which will bring Prosperity, National Unity and Happiness to all Belizeans. This summary analysis will be provided over the next four weeks.

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THE BELIZE TIMES

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Reid

By G. Mike Reid Most societies tolerate a certain level of unequal application of the law based on the violator’s connections, fame, and/or economic status. But regardless of the status of the accused, unequal application of the law for certain violations should not be tolerated by any society. ~ anon.

Belize’s Parliamentarians are scheduled to meet again this coming Friday and among the bills expected to be tabled, are a few proposed amendments to our constitution. With a super majority in the House and a still very one sided Senate in place, nothing and no one will be able to stop Mr. Barrow’s heavy hand as he has promised that “this time” his preventative detention and other draconian measures will be put in place.

The crime situation in Belize continues to ravage out of control as the bodies pile up and our once “safe haven of democracy” remains on another record setting pace for murders. While crime is nothing new to Belize and while we did see murders before this current administration took office, few were prepared for the sharp upturn that has occurred since February of 2008.

The current increase in violence began the day after this administration took office three years ago, and hardly had their oath been signed, than gunfire erupted across the city. Many will remember the infamous incident that occurred at the Putt Putt Bar just hours after Mr. Barrow and his team was sworn into office. In that incident, a barrage of gunshots was indiscriminately fired into a group of patrons inside a late night club on the Barracks.

When it was all over, as many as eleven persons lay injured and one young woman’s life was cut short. Incidentally, the establishment was at the time being managed by the son of a high ranking UDP official and that incident seems to have ushered in a new era of violence to Belize, with the new aspect of grenade attacks added to the drama.

Faced with increasing pressure from the electorate, Mr. Barrow, who for the most part seems totally inept and clueless as what to do, has decided to try a heavy handed approach.

Among the measures being proposed by the Prime Minister, is for suspects in murder trials to be tried without a jury

and for suspects to be detained for an almost unlimited period of time with no charges and no consultation with family or lawyers allowed. Can someone say, “Guantanamo Bay”?

This Friday, Mr. Barrow is preparing to reintroduce his “preventative detention” bill which he first proposed in 2008 but which at that time, even according the Prime Minister, “caused a huge outcry.” This time, the bill is being introduced on the heels of yet another grenade incident and Mr. Barrow seems to believe that Belizeans are now frightened enough to allow him any measure to attempt to curb the violence. Some believe that the timing of this recent grenade launch is uncannily convenient to the introduction of these revised laws. Interestingly enough, the first time Mr. Barrow attempted to put in place his “preventative detention” program, it also coincided with a thrown grenade that did not explode; coincidence? You be the judge.

There are still dissenting voices to Mr. Barrow’s proposals, but with a super majority, a Senate heavily in his favor and an arrogant determination, Belizeans will soon be missing loved ones for an extended period of time.

Belizeans understand that the current level of crime is intolerable and that something needs to be done. Mr. Barrow would have an easier time implementing his tough measures were it not for his party’s penchant for victimization and selective enforcement.

Many are fearful that whatever authority is vested in the enforcers of these laws will be abused and will be used to further intimidate and oppress the citizenry. I have no doubt that more people would be in favor of tough measures if we could be assured that they would be applied to the purpose for which they are intended and if they were to be applied across the board. It has already been proven that certain cows will be considered sacred and regardless of deed or record, will be exempt from whatever laws are put in place.

Belizeans got a taste of just how conditional this justice will be dispensed when a few weeks ago UDP stalwart James “Raindrops” Swan was somehow caught up in the dragnet of the dreaded Gang Suppression Unit (GSU). Members of the GSU (one can only imagine that some mistake was made) paid a visit to the residence of Mr. Swan and reportedly discovered a quantity of marijuana and a gun magazine for which none of the residents had a license. Now, according to Mr. Barrow’s new law, every person present is to be charged for “possession of an unlicensed firearm.” While there were four persons present, namely Swan, his daughter, his son and his son’s girlfriend, only one person was charged.

Mr. Barrow’s law also dictates that no bail shall be given for such an offense, Continued on page 28

www.belizeandiaries.com

INFIDELITY!...

INEVITABLE? (Pt. II)

F

ollowing my column last week I received over 22 emails and met several people, particularly men, who were a bit flustered by the fact that I had indicated that men are cheaters. This was mostly due to their question, ‘What about the women? Don’t they cheat too?” While I will be writing on the women’s side of infidelity in my next column, I felt that I had to have a part two to this topic as there were several differences of opinions towards my perspective.

One man, whom I have garnered even more respect for, following his comments of what marriage is for him and how committed he is to his fiancé, told me that he is engaged to a woman he loves dearly and who he plans to love and cherish for the rest of his life. In his email to me, this was what he wrote – “I would never encourage a woman to stay in a relationship in which SHE is not top PRIORITY. That is the reason he married her...TO LOVE HER AND ONLY HER! I would also not condone cheating, in particular in marriages. Women (and men) must NOT lower their standards. They need to be SMART and INTELLIGENT especially when choosing partners, so as not to get hurt, but they shouldn’t settle for the good looking jock that cheats every other weekend simply because she wants to meet her friends’ expectations of dating a jock. Personally, I find it morally wrong to cheat, and every time the opportunity comes around the thought of the health risks (even in safe sex) change my mind instantly. Maybe I’m just a feminist, but it’s just my perspective too. And, trust me...guys who LOVE FAITHFULLY, and choose NOT to cheat are rare but they DO exist.

Making men think it’s ok to cheat, or that they could get away with cheating, will really negatively and unjustly change the landscape for the next generation of women.”

Another contributor told me, “I will not play saint and pretend that I have never been unfaithful but despite my affairs, I consider myself to be a good provider to my wife and home. She has questioned me based on gossip that comes to her but naturally I will deny it as any smart man will do. When she is absolutely sure that I am fooling around, she would tell me that she would not leave me because of the investments we have made together. Bottom line – I would never leave my wife either. I love her but I am a weak man especially for

the scent and hair of a woman.”

One woman wrote, “I know my husband fools around and at first I felt completely betrayed. It was as though someone had punched me in the stomach and left hollowness inside. Years later after spending so much time planning to leave, knowing that I deserve better I realised that it was better for me to stick to the evil I know than to venture out to the unknown. Maybe I am selling myself short but it is what it is.”

Another woman in her 40’s added, “I have always been complimented on how young and in-shape I look. I do my best to keep myself well groomed as that was how I was taught growing up. My common law husband of 8 years has been unfaithful on several occasions, which he denies of course and it has always been with women who in my mind, cannot measure up to me. Yes, it hurts me but when I think of leaving I always end up calculating his good points and the truth is I cannot complain about his assistance with the house work, financial contributions and family time. I would be the first to admit that he is lousy at cheating because I can always tell when there is someone new.

While my sex life leaves a lot to be desired, intentionally on my part, I appreciate the way he is with our children and our home.

My in-laws respect and love me and overall I think I have a good thing going...a close friend of mine always tells me I am selling myself short but I think you would have to be in it to really understand the dynamics of it. My final thought – I don’t think there are men out there who won’t be unfaithful.”

Finally, one popular Belizean journalist wrote, “I do not consider myself perfect as no one is but when a man cheats on me, I believe that it is a sign that he has grown tired of me and/or no longer desires me. At that point it is never wise to remain in that relationship. If a woman can be faithful to the same man for many years, I don’t see why the man cannot return the favour. I don’t buy that idea of men not made to be monogamous. If you are a man and you believe that you haven’t played the field enough then don’t fool yourself or your partner into a marriage or long term commitment. That would just be a recipe for disaster.”

Aside from these emails, there were some women whose philosophy is what’s good for the goose is good for the gander – meaning that they too play games as it distracts them from the reality of what their husbands are doing. This is a topic that I will write on next week....Meanwhile feel free to email me at belizeandiaries@hotmail.com or log on to the website, www.belizeandiaries.com to post your comments on this column or the ones previously published. Discussions on these issues are never short of new perspectives and we welcome all comments on our site.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

THE BELIZE TIMES

L

ast Friday May 6 the Image Factory space was swarming with hundreds of joyous students, parents and friends for the opening of the 3040 art exhibition. The hype had been building for weeks on Facebook and from the size of the turnout it was certainly one of the largest crowds the Image Factory has seen in its 16 years of artistic presentations.

A brief ceremony was held on the Factory deck overlooking the Haulover Creek honouring Mrs Michele Perdomo for her thirty eight years of service as an art teacher at St. John’s College. Mr. Kirkland Smith, Art Centre director and Ms Dianne Lindo, SJC Provost presented a bouquet and commemorative plaque to a gracious Mrs. Perdomo.

The title of the show symbolizes the celebration of 30 years of Belizean Independence and 40 years of the art program at St. John’s College. Over 900 works of

art by students from St. John’s College (High School and Junior College), Maud Williams High School, E.P. Yorke, Sadie Vernon and St. Catherine Academy are represented in the exhibition.

The students and teachers of the Art Centre agreed to organize this art show to acknowledge and recognize that the right to express ourselves freely is a gift that we must cherish and hold strong as a pillar of our national development.

The art program at St. John’s College began as an art club in 1970 with six students. In 1971 - 72, the High School study hall period at 11:05 am was used for the first art classes.

Today, at least 250 students do art at the Art Centre under the guidance of four full time art teachers.

The mission of the Art Centre is to promote and oversee the growth and development of the visual arts in all primary and secondary schools. A new digital lab for new media arts is being developed to meet the needs of the contemporary visual art environment. The Art Centre program continues to grow

after 40 years.

The exhibition will run until June 4. It is opened to the public from Monday to Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm. For an online version of the exhibition visit www.belizeartcentre.com.

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THE BELIZE TIMES

WHAT’S FUELING YOU? Late one evening a Police diesel pickup truck went to the gas station to re-fuel. A young, inattentive, and inexperienced attendant proceeded to fill the truck with gasoline. Luckily, there was an auto-mechanic pulling up at the service station who quickly warned the manager that the said police vehicle which sped off would not make it too far due to the incorrect fuel installation. Obviously, they had to call the Police Station who had to radio the vehicle instructing them to cut the engine so it could be brought in for repair!

A deep topic of discussion has been brewing for a couple weeks now. It has now ended up in the Courts! The subject of this discussion is homosexuality! There are many different views on this topic, varying from person to person. I remember one time looking at the show ‘Newly Wed’ and was caught off guard as one of the married couples was not man and wife but rather two men! The reason for this is that there are countries who have already adjusted their laws to facilitate personal choice and freedom.

While personal choice is a gift, true freedom comes when choice is submitted to the Kingdom of God! See God is to man like the manufacturer is to the pickup that I mentioned to you earlier. The manufacturer gives you a manual and inside that manual, whether you read it or not, whether you know about it or not, are instructions that you must follow if the vehicle is to run at its best. This police truck would work just fine for quite some time until that gasoline reached inside the engine cylinders. Then you could say all hell would break loose!

God has also given us an operating manual for his great invention (the human), but we have two huge problems. We love to operate things without first reading the manual and we also prefer doing things our own way, defeating the need for a manual!

In Romans 1:26-27 it reads: “That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved.”

(NLT) The Basic instructions while Living on Earth here is very clear as it relates to God’s perspective on this issue. In man’s quest for spiritual connection, he formulates many gods and many religions with varying views but the God of the BIBLE has thumbs down on this one. The unfortunate plight of man is that we so often believe we know it all and know what is best for us and anything or anyone that opposes us, even God, becomes the enemy.

Yes, fundamental Christian tenets indicate that homosexuality is a sin but its two cousins are just as, or even more, dangerous! Let’s talk about the widely accepted, often viewed as cool, sexy, macho, powerful and pleasurable sins. Let’s talk about what is at the heart and foundation of the destruction of our societies; spieling crime and corruption. Yes, we need to talk about adultery (A married person sleeping with someone outside the marriage) and fornication (Not being married and sleeping together).

We are quick to judge and condemn certain sins but do not want to talk about and evaluate the impact of these two cousins. There are men raping their own daughters and step daughters, thousands of neglected sons and daughters whose dad was only interested in a ‘ride’. He is no longer interested in their mom and now is with the next woman down the street. We only have to turn on the local radio or attend a local function to hear songs like, “I’ve got your man and you can’t do anything about it.” “I want my wife and sweetheart to be friends” and “Flex its time to have sex.”

These realities are encapsulated in Timothy 3:2 – 7 which says, “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

The same reprobate mind that drives a man to another man is the same reprobate mind that causes man to live like animals sleeping with anyone we meet when and how we feel like! All this is in the name of temporary pleasure – it feels right; which has yielded so many tears, trauma and anger. These sins are so detestable to God that He has written that whosoever practices this will not enter into His Kingdom. It is plainly put in Revelation 21: 8, “but the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

So like the police vehicle, you can choose deliberately or accidentally to place any type of fuel in your vehicle that you like but where such an action goes against the design of the vehicle, you are creating for yourself, a huge damage with enormous cost.

In the same way, you can choose how you will use your body whether for homosexuality, adultery or fornication but you need to bear in mind that in God’s Kingdom it is outlawed and reaps a huge cost that ‘you’ can never pay. The manufacturer’s instruction manual does provide us hope if we allow Him to fuel us!

God bless and see you next week!

Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in the above article are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the BELIZE TIMES.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Sunday, May 15, 2011

THE BELIZE TIMES

Storing away

25

Here is a picture of Nancy Drew for you to colour!

family memories‌ My cousin had to do a project on family and saving special things that are handed down. These special things over time become known as heirlooms. I thought it would be fun to tag along and learn if we had such things in our family.

I learnt about a silver mirror, brush and comb set that was given to my aunt when she turned fifteen by her mother. My cousin, when she turns fifteen in just two years, is going to get it as a birthday gift. I thought that was cool!

We also learnt that even books are sometimes handed down.

One of my older cousins had a set of Nancy Drew novels her mother read as a child which she passed on to her and she plans to give her daughter.

When we were speaking with my grandmother she told me that she is hoping to start a tradition for me. She is going to give me, when it is time for me to marry, the engagement ring my step grandfather gave her. I was blown away! I love her ring so much; it made me feel special that she is thinking of giving it to me.

What about you are there any special things your family is passing down? Do you want to ask your parents to start a tradition?

It can be something simple like a dress with special memories for your Mom or your favourite toy or story book.

Here is a picture of Nancy Drew for you to colour!

Can you find your way through the maze to the ring?

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THE BELIZE TIMES

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Sunday, May 15, 2011

THE BELIZE TIMES

27

UDP Freetown Standard Bearer Exposed

By Darrellitas “Dar Dar” Bradley The Hon. Francis William Fonseca, PUP Senior Deputy Leader and a PUP servant working for the Belizean people and residents of Freetown, has exposed the hypocritical and selfish nature of the UDP Standard Bearer for the Freetown Division.

The elected Freetown Area Representative was speaking at a lively and fun-filled PUP Mother’s Day function and Endorsement Convention on Saturday May 7 at the YWCA Basketball Court on St Thomas Street in Belize City, which attracted over a thousand Mothers and supporters who braved the scrutiny of the Police Special Branch and UDP operatives.

Francis, who is known for his strong leadership, integrity, honesty and decency, and is not known to speak ill of his opponent, saw the need to expose the UDP candidate for his selfishness and hypocrisy in trying to use the

UDP and Freetown Division for his own personal purpose and agenda.

Lee Mark Chang, a Belizean-born Chinese businessman, was once a PUP supporter and sympathizer until his self-interest surfaced. The Hon. Fonseca exposed that Chang’s scheme was to reduce the cost of permanent residency permits for Chinese, and create a special and separate Chinese community with over 2,000 acres of land. The plot was rightly rejected by former Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Said Musa, but the rejection was not taken well

by Chang, who then jumped ship and decided to support Dean Barrow and the UDP, who were in opposition.

The exposure of Chang’s self-interest and hypocrisy comes as no surprise to the vast majority of Freetown voters and Belizeans, who already know of Chang’s underground connections.

It is well-known in the local Chinese community, that those at the top hierarchy use intimidation and fear over the Chinese businesses and immigrants who are in the lower echelon. Using the likes of a senior Police Officer, also known as “Broaster-Lee”, as the chief strong-arm man, members of the Chinese community, who dare to question or fall out of line are shaken up and constantly harassed either through raids from Police or specially-orchestrated Continued on page 29

Mother finds new-born in hospital garbage Continued from page 1 The news is very disturbing. It is also more evidence of the gross negligence that has manifested in the Ministry of Health under the incompetence of Minister Pablo Marin and the UDP Government.

According to the mother, 33 year old Dilma Cano, she was rushed to the Western Regional Hospital for delivery on Friday, April 29th, but the baby was born dead. Already inflicted with insurmountable pain and sorrow, the mother had to accept saying goodbye to her first born, who would have been named Baby Daniela. One of the nurses offered to clean up the baby and prepare its body for transfer to the morgue, before burial.

The mother said the nurse then returned, telling her that the baby was already at the morgue. When the mother went the morgue on Saturday, she found it closed. She contacted the diener (morgue attendant) on his cell phone, and the person arrived shortly to allow her in. But when the attendant inspected the mortuary, there was no baby.

Stunned by the revelation that her lifeless child had gone missing, the mother became frantic. She grew very nervous as she along with a few hospital employees checked several rooms, but didn’t find the child’s body. It was until the hospital’s garbage on the outside compound was searched, that the baby was found on Saturday afternoon.

The mother said she could not believe her eyes when she saw her newborn curled amongst the hospital’s waste. The body was immediately withdrawn.

The mother has attempted to reach the Chief Executive Office, Dr. Michael Pitts, but whenever she calls his phone, there is no reply. Minister of Health, Hon. Pablo Marin, appears to be on an extended Easter vacation.

On Monday, May 9th, the mother met with officials in the Ministry of Health and the Western Regional Hospital administrator. But instead of providing answers, they just told her the matter is still being investigated.

“They apologised, but that is not enough. They must find out who was responsible for such negligence. I don’t want this to repeat to another mother. It

is inhumane,” Ms. Cano remarked.

“I’m mad, I’m sad, I’m hurt. This is hell on earth,” said the mother, indicating that she is still grieving.

The incident occurred almost two weeks ago, but nothing was said by the Ministry of Health. Officials carried on normally, pretending nothing had happened. It wasn’t until today, when the mother went public with her story, that the Ministry of Health said something.

In a measly 116-word release, CEO Pitts admitted the hospital’s culpability and negligence, but denied that it was a serious matter.

Health officials are treating the death of Baby Daniela in the same shameless manner they did with the death of another child in in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, which occurred on April 28th. The young mother had been taken to the Polyclinic on the island late Wednesday night, but the doctor said she needed to undergo a C-section, which could not be done at the clinic because it is not equipped with child birth facilities. The mother had to find a way to get to Belize City, but it was impossible since the island has no emergency transport system. She had to bear

the night enduring extreme pain, and by the time she got to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital in Belize City the next morning, her baby was diagnosed dead.

Is the Minister of Human Development

a Racist? Be The Judge!

Continued from page 2

Sorry man I have no moh lot. Go sleep home.”

This Minister is not only lying to the people but hides himself from the people and is barely at his office.

After that, in the same month of April, a group of Maya people were and are still building a Catholic church in an extension of Punta Gorda Town but they were strapped for cash. The leader of the group wrote a letter to the Minister of Human development and Social Transformation requesting assistance for zinc. Shortly after a reply came, “I noh have money foh dah, dem Indian people di give me trouble.”

How can the Minister, an Area Representative of Toledo East and more so a member of the Parliament be so insolent and treat people and say things like that in a cruel manner! The Minister was elected to serve the people and elected not to forget the people.

There have been no changes in Punta Gorda since taking over. There are no jobs, no projects, no improvement of streets, or drainage, everything remains the same.

Yes! Indeed he is like a RACIST. Color of skin, and race should not matter to him. People, you be the judge of these things. All people should be judged equally and fairly. Can we have an elected Area Representative and Minister thinking in that manner and serve another term of office? The people will decide again!!

Sincerely yours John Coc

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THE BELIZE TIMES

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Taxi drivers reject UDP CitCo’s new tax Continued from page 1 the old capital.

The proposed trade license fee for taxi drivers is $120.00 per year.

The new UDP tax has stunned the over a hundred taxi drivers throughout Belize City.

Every taxi stand polled by the BELIZE TIMES declared that they reject the tax proposal.

“We will not accept any taxes from the City Council. We simply can’t afford it,” stated one downtown taxi driver.

Taxi drivers are already financially over-burdened. They pay much more than private motor vehicle owners for vehicle licenses and insurance. In addition, fuel prices are through the roof with Regular gas at $*** and Premium gas at $11.97 per gallon, yet taxi fares have remained moderately low. But that is not all. On a daily basis, taxi drivers must go into their pockets to spend on repairs and purchasing of car parts thanks to the very same incompetent UDP Belize City Council, who have neglected the streets and have them in the worst kind of disrepair.

But Deputy Mayor Dean Samuels does not agree. In media interviews, Samuels said taxi drivers should be able to afford the tax.

“It’s only $10 a month. I don’t believe it is unaffordable, and taxi drivers should be able to pay.”

The Council has not publicised its new tax plan, but it did hold a meeting with taxi drivers on Friday May 6th. In that meeting, taxi drivers made it known that they will oppose any additional financial burdens.

Belize City Mayor Zenaida Moya-Flowers, who is most unpopular after having mismanaged the City Council for five long years, and increased burial, garbage collection, liquor license and trade license fees after having approved multiple salary increments for herself and Councillors, remains in hiding and is clearly afraid to face taxi drivers and the public.

The Council collects over $2.6m in trade licence annually.

The new tax measure is a complete contradiction to the Prime Minister Dean Barrow’s budget presentation promise that there will be no new taxes for the fiscal year 20112012.

8th Annual

Reid

Continued from page 22

unless the Supreme Court grants such leave, which meant that Swan would, at the very least, spend the long weekend in jail. That was not to be the case as no less than the DPP herself appeared in a special hearing of the court and agreed to the granting of bail to Raindrops. According to the DPP, Mr. Swan was suffering from diabetes and therefore could not endure the conditions of lockdown. Should that not mean then, that every jack man incarcerated at this time with diabetes be set free or at least be granted bail?

The problem that most Belizeans have with this Dean Barrow administration is its partisan approach to politics. Mr. Barrow has made it clear that he considers himself primarily, a Prime Minister of the United Democratic Party. All goods and services are dispensed on a “red first” basis and it has now become obvious that even the enforcement of our laws will be carried out with a bias against those outside of Mr. Barrow’s close circle of confidants.

A society with laws that are enforced selectively and that exempts any group for whatever reason is a society on a road to disobedience and disaster.

We already see this manifesting itself in wanton aggression, prejudice and wholesale violence. Citizens rebel in rather peculiar ways and much of the violence occurring today is as a result of the people’s dissatisfaction with the current leadership. More draconian laws are definitely not the answer but an equal application of the existing ones might be a good place to good start. What the Prime Minister is proposing will only make matters worse.

Mr. Barrow has only to look at the statistics following his deployment of his paramilitary GSU. Over the past weekend alone there were nine shootings which left two persons dead and sent the current murder count to an incredible forty-eight victims for the year already. Is this what you call progress Mr. Barrow?

Belizeans are tired of the high level of crime and the daily shootings and murders. Something has to be done and most people understand that. What is not understood and what will not be tolerated is an unequal enforcement of the laws. Do something Mr. Barrow, by all means, but whatever you do; do it to goose as well as to the gander. Send comments to gmikereid@hotmail.com

“Ride Across Belize 2011” June 1st – 4th, 2011 Ride Across Belize and the Staff of the Social Security Board are partnering with the Belize Cancer Center Dangriga and B.E.R.T. to raise funds for this year.

We are inviting ALL cyclists to join and ride for health and a worthy cause!

These are some rules to follow: 1. A Registration fee of $25.00 is payable for each stage.

2. This fee entitles you to: gels, bars and unlimited hydration.

3. To receive servicing, raise your RIGHT hand and ride up to the side of the service vehicle.

4. If you need a service vehicle to stop, raise your LEFT hand and one will pull over.

5. The Ride Across Belize is NOT a race.

6. The general rules of the road will apply – including courtesy and respect for others.

7. Anyone can join the ride, however, only REGISTERED riders will be entitled to servicing from the SSB service vehicle.

8. Safety is paramount. Please wear a helmet!

9. Riders wishing to do more than one stage are responsible for their own lodging, transportation and food.

For more information send us an email to rideacrossbelize@yahoo.com or check us out on FB! RIDE FOR A WORTHY CAUSE

Sunday, May 15, 2011

THE BELIZE TIMES

UDP Freetown Standard Bearer Exposed Continued from page 27 Trade and Liquor License visits from the UDP Belize City Council.

The Changs’ interest seem to be elsewhere, but improving the lives of Belizeans.

Both demonstrated their true love for Belize when last year Eric Chang conveniently married in Taiwan, where his Taiwanese wife gave birth to their Taiwanese child at the expense of the UDP Belize City Council. Earlier this year, Lee Mark’s girlfriend gave birth to her child in Miami (instead of the KHMH, Medical Associate, or Healthcare Partners Ltd. where regular Chinese and Belizeans must go).

Thanks to Hon. Francis this issue has surfaced to the national conversation, and Belizeans know of the UDP Freetown Candidate Lee Mark Chang, who is now exploiting Dean Barrow and the UDP to achieve his sinister plan. Chang and the UDP now control the lands in Belama Phase 4 Area in the Freetown Division that was intended for first-time Belizean landowners. The PUP gave out the par-

cels of land to Belizeans but the UDP cancelled them, and denied access to other Freetown residents who need land for them and their children.

To make matters worse, the Barrow government has secretly prostituted Belize by reducing the permanent residence fee for Chinese nationals from $10,000 to a mere $2,000.

Was this done to facilitate Lee Mark Chang’s grand plan?

Thanks to Hon. Francis Fonseca for bringing this issue to the forefront, and for exposing this fraudulent imposter who is the standard bearer for the UDP in the Freetown Division. When we have a leader like Francis, who is guided by the principle and value of hard work, service and result, we have no fear of the future with the PUP. Francis represents humility, integrity and compassion.

The residents of Freetown will reject the “Local Chinese Mafioso” and return Hon. Francis William Fonseca to represent us whenever the wuthless UDP called the Election.

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THE BELIZE TIMES

THINK ABOUT IT RICHEST MAN IN BABYLON “The richest man in Babylon” is a small book that can be read in three hours or so. It has a lot of financial wisdom.

The person who wrote it put it in a kind of style, like it was parables coming from wealthy and successful persons in the great City of Babylon.

The book has good, sound, sensible financial advice. If you read it you will learn important matters on how to get rich, how to save money, how not to waste your money. There is no magic in controlling your money. Even if you are an ordinary worker you can benefit from reading the book.

The financial common sense in this book will help you if you read and learn.

Some of the headings in the chapters are:- Control Your Expenditure; Make Your Money Multiply; Guard Your Money From Loss; Make Your House A profitable One; Increase Your Ability To Earn.

The book is published by Signet Books and some two million copies have been sold.

There is another book – “Rich Dad, Poor Dad”. This book deals with what rich people teach their children about money, that the poor and middle class don’t know about.

It was on the New York Times best seller list which is by itself a form of high recommendation. It is written

by Robert Kyosaki and Sharon L. Lechter.

According to the back cover the book will teach you what to teach your kids about money. It defines what is an asset and what is a liability (you be surprised). It will show parents that they can’t rely on the school system to teach their kids about money.

In a recent conversation with a hard working and successful Mennonite from Spanish Lookout, he asked if I had heard of the book Rich Dad, Poor Dad. I was able to expound on my reading. I was proud of myself that I knew of the book and its contents.

If the Mennonite had read this book it means other Mennonites have also read it. Are they teaching their children at Spanish Lookout what is in the book? I would bet they are.

Are other Belizean children being taught what are in the above mentioned books? I bet they are not.

I want to thank Mr. Lascelle Arnold, who loaned me both books. In turn I have been lending them out

so I have not yet returned the books to Lascelle.

Lascelle was in conversation with a lawyer and friend on Dean Street and out of the conversation Lascelle later sent the books to the lawyer. Some nine persons have since borrowed, read and returned the books. With high praise.

Plus TV may wish to carry a discussion on the contents of these books. So too Krem and Channel 5.

Love TV too, as their morning show is among the weakest, and least informative. Channel 7 has no educational local show. They are news, UDP propaganda, commercials and back to foreign trash.

The University of Belize has an obligation to promote discussion on these two books.

It is a crying shame that the more talk shows, the less knowledge is imparted. Belizeans are in crises.

It is time the quality of information and discussion be raised.

Finally, let me say that I have the greatest of respect for Lascelle Arnold and his wife Dolores. They are real, live, role models – right in front of our eyes. They are a national asset. They have built a successful business Belize Laundromat.

They live a God fearing, happy and prosperous life style. They are not materialistic. They are not arrogant or show offs. They are not boastful.

They are not wasteful.

There was a time when Lascelle was a welder. He sold small bar-bque grills at corner of Albert Street and Dean Street. He and Dolores now own the successful laundry and clothes rental business beside Rogers Stadium on Dolphin Street in Belize City. Look – and see – how God has blessed these two wonderful human beings.

NEW CHIEF MAGISTRATE After getting a black eye over his heavy handed behavior in trying to sneak in a foreigner as Chief Magistrate, the government has now resorted to the proper procedure. It has advertised for applications from interested lawyers.

Another interesting question is what now becomes of the present retiring Chief Magistrate. Previous Chief Magistrates have gone on to become Director of Public Prosecutions and then Judges in the Supreme Court. It is the view in some quarters of the profession that it would be wasteful for government, having spent a small fortune to train a qualified lawyer, then allow her to go to pasture with her best years still ahead.

Put another way, if Judges by law can work to 65 and 72 years, why

throw away an experienced Chief Magistrate at 55.

Then again, no one can accuse the government of having any vision or caring for career public servants.

SHE IS BACK While on court matters, we wish to note the return from long leave of Judge Michelle Arana. Her Ladyship Arana has the distinction of being Belize’s first female Judge in the history of our country.

As a student, Judge Arana was nothing short of brilliant and became the nation’s top recipient of scholarships which lead to her becoming a highly trained attorney.

Judge Arana’s dad, the late Greg Arana was a teacher, well beloved of his students. He was intellectual stuff.

There is no doubt a day will come when Madam Justice Arana will be Belize’s Chief Justice. Welcome back.

FATAH & HAMAS Most Belizeans know very, very little about Hamas. They know even less about Fatah.

Very few Belizean know the injustice and cruel treatment by Israelis against Palestinians.

Palestinians are refugees and second class citizens in their own country. They are under military occupation by Israel. Israel has been holding on to Gaza and West bank and has been constructing houses and settling more Israelis in Palestinian territory. All this in defiance of United Nations resolutions, International Law and morality. How Israel is supported by the USA and you know might is right.

Fatah and Hamas are the two major parties for the Palestinians.

They cannot get along with each other. Hamas is radical. But they have now joined forces. The Israelis are in panic. The USA doesn’t know what to do.

The alliance is for the purpose

Sunday, May 15, 2011

of going to the United Nation General Assembly and following what George Price, Assad Shoman and Said Musa and Belize did in 1980.

Request the general Assembly of the United Nations to support an independent state for the Belizeans.

The irony of this is that Belize which is under threat from Guatemala and only got its independence through the United Nations will not be supporting what is right and just for the Palestinians. Belize, under the pro-Israel UDP, will abstain in the vote at the United Nation and will join Guatemala and Israel and USA who oppose freedom, justice and equality for the long suffering Palestinians.

You done know that all those spy equipment and preventative detention and strange laws to listen to our telephones and read our internet came for a purpose.

KARL HEUSNER GOES TO KARL HEUSNER The Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital is named after – you guessed it – Karl Heusner. His namesake and family member Karl Heusner was on Tuesday handcuffed behind his back, beaten and repeatedly kicked in the chest and ribs by police that he had to be hospitalized at –you guessed itSOLD FOR ONE –SEVENTH You may remember all that fuss by the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) where they held on to the wife and child of an American citizen in order to force a guilty plea from the hapless and frightened man. The man’s boat was confiscated. Government has now sold the boat for over a hundred thousand Belize dollars.

Problem is the boat was valued at more than seven hundred Thousand dollars.

MISS EMMA FLIES Miss Emma Boiton, that stalwart, rebellious warrior with Cayo blood in her veins who stood by Phillip Goldson through thick and thin, finally took some time out and flew the iron bird. She was recently in the USA. All our best wishes are with Miss Emma.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

THE BELIZE TIMES

Patrick Faber ruins Government vehicle, pours Diesel into Unleaded gas tank Belize City, May 9, 2011 Only an idiot would do something as stupid as pour Diesel fuel into a vehicle which requires unleaded gas and for that Minister of Education Patrick Faber takes the Award for Idiot of the Week.

The BELIZE TIMES understands that Faber did a most strange thing for a UDP minister (the Royal dodo bird clan) – he actually got off his fat butt to do something. Faber drove to a gas station on Friday night and stepped outside of his $60,000 taxpayer-paid Mitsubishi Montero to full up. Either unaware of the colour-coded fuel stands, too

illiterate to read the bold-letter markers, or too excited to get back into the pleasure “ride” that normally happens when in his dark-tinted vehicle to pay attention, Faber poured in gallons of diesel into his regular gasoline SUV. That most-foolish thing clogged up his fuel injectors and cylinder, and ruined the entire engine. Faber was left stranded, and vulnerable to being harassed by commoners who had been attracted to the spectacle he had created. He hurriedly called in for rescue, and was picked up quickly.

The Government-vehicle had

to be towed away.

You might think that for the wanton carelessness, Faber has had to hitch-hike to Belmopan, but not so. By Saturday, he had been bestowed new wheels in the form of a new Governmentpaid Toyota Hilux. Faber and the UDP Ministers know too well what wasteful spending is all about. Juan Coy in Toledo has crashed his , Gabriel Martinez has been in collisions too. But just as their vehicles go, they come, and Government has had to increase their vehicle budget to $2 million.

Cubans fined $1,000 for illegal entry

BELIZE CITY, Wed. May 11, 2011

By Roy Davis Two Cubans, Yamil Mallo, 31, and Valdmir Alberto Karanchuk, 29, who were charged with being prohibited immigrants, were each fined $1,000 after they pleaded guilty to the charge on Monday, may 9, in the #3 Magistrate’s Court.

Magistrate Kayla Teck ordered them to pay forthwith, in default 6 months imprisonment. She also signed an order for them to be deported back to

Cuba.

Mallo and Karanchuk were caught on Monday, May 9 when police raided a house at Mile 4 on the Northern Highway.

Mallo and Karanchuk were unable to produce any visitor’s permit. Mallo gave his occupation as a receptionist while Karanchuk said he is a bartender.

Investigations show that Mallo and Karanchuk had entered Belize on May 1 from Melchor De Menchos by crossing the Mopan River.

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Humor in UDP Politics!

“Somebody got no balls,” Mayor Moya said but she never called a name so while we were wondering who it was – it was the UDP who said that it was their leader.

Talking about balls, if you make the statement somebody got no balls, it isn’t fair to ask how come you know? And if the person doesn’t have them – it begs to ask who got them?

In Corozal a pot beat a goat. Only in the UDP can such a thing happen as this is exactly what has happened in the UDP Corozal North Convention. The funny thing about it is that the goat had the job the Pot now has, which the Pot used to beat the goat.

Turo Roaches gave an eloquent speech to the people of Dangriga, about why he can’t do this and do that, and why he has been unable to do anything for the people of Dangriga. So good was the speech that the people were waiting for him to say ‘since I can’t do anything for my people, I resign three days later”. They are still waiting.

Things are so bad under the UDP that some people are bringing down a fence on Albert Street and stealing mangoes.

It’s so bad that people who never use to buy boledo di buy boledo. In fact, things are so bad under the UDP that the other day at the city dump I saw a man and a John Crow walking side by side. I asked the man what’s up with the John Crow he replied “It’s simple, it’s who get deh fus”, then he went on to say “under Barrow even the John Crow try beat us out of our food.”

Nobody was invited to the confused oligarch convention in Pictstock this past Sunday. We say nobody, because nobody knew it was being held. In UDP-secretive style, Sedi E. was returned like a stale fish freshly packed. Sedi is so old fashioned that he will return with the same promises he made in 2008. I say the best part was that Sedi was endorsed on Lloyd Coffin Street, so adequate for a dead man’s convention.

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THE BELIZE TIMES

Sunday, May 15, 2011