Belize Times November 18, 2012 by Belize Times Press

Sunday, November 18, 2012

THE BELIZE TIMES

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SUNDAY November 18, 2012

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Issue No. 4822

“they will kill me if they find me”

Celebrating Garifuna! We can proudly say that despite the challenges and difficulties, the Garifuna have been steadfast and successful. Their culture lives on and this year we prepare for the 210th celebration of their arrival...

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Antivirus pioneer, John McAfee, on the run

Reid Between the Lines: Apparently, while a few streets are looking better, City Hall’s books have not been looking good. Bradley has been spending money that he does not have and as a result, major debts are piling up at City Hall.

Belize City, November 14, 2012 Former anti-virus creator and multi-millionaire 67 year old John McAfee is spending his fourth night in hiding from Belizean authorities, in fear that if he is caught, he will be killed. Police authorities say McAfee is a “person of interest”, while the Gang Suppression Unit boss Marco Vidal has called him a “prime suspect” in the homicide of 52 year old Gregory Faull who turned up dead in San Pedro. Reports are that McAfee and Faull had disputes very recently. Faull had an issue with McAfee’s eleven dogs. Four of McAfee’s

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Page 11

The Mayor Lies! CitCo faces financial crisis

WHAT IS THE

UDP

Photo Courtesy Photo Brian Finke

The Makings of a Failed State? After declaring war on the private sector, Mr. Barrow appears to want to be lovey-dovey with them now that he wants their help in fixing his economic woes - no foreign investments, loss of consumer and business confidence, rising poverty and unemployment, raging crime and the insecurity of our national borders.

Page 4

HIDING?

Sanitation workers protest outside City Hall

Hon. John Saldivar

Page 6

Hon. Patrick Faber

The UDP instructed the Police to remove members of the public from Monday’s meeting

Happy GARIFUNA SETTLEMENT DAY

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THE BELIZE TIMES

Crime requires adequate attention Dear Editor, The daily routine of turning on the television or radio on our local channels and stations sends shivers down my spine. I realize that crime is a universal phenomenon and that countries around the world are plagued with frequent murders and carnage, however, the state of crime - specifically murders - in Belize is shocking. In this year alone, not a week has passed without a shooting or murder occurring. It happens so often that many have become sensitized to these weekly tragedies. It is the norm now to turn on the news and see headlines like “Mother of two killed in Gang War” or “Stray bullet almost kills student, 14”. Crime, especially murder, has negative effects on community morale, as well as business growth and develop-

ment. In addition, fear of being victimized by crime affects purchasing habits, community involvement and tourism. It has come to the point whereby many Belizeans are afraid to go shopping or to go to a school fair or a night out with friends. So what can be done and who is responsible for alleviating murders in Belize? As individuals, there are things that we can attempt to do to fight crime. These include: “Staying informed of crime legislation initiatives, staying involved in the community and reporting criminal offenses to the authorities…” (eHow, 2012). I believe, however that it is the Government and the policies that are instituted by them that have a major effect in alleviating crime. In order to figure out what can be done to stop crime, the

United Women’s Group opens special Art Exhibit November 12, 2012 The United Women’s Group (UWG), the women’s arm of the People’s United Party joins in the celebration of Garifuna Settlement Day 2012 with an Art Exhibit from the works of the late Benjamin Nicholas, Pen Cayetano and others. The Art Exhibit opened on Wednesday, November 14th with an official ceremony and continues each week day during the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. until Wednesday, November 21st, 2012 at the Image Factory located at #91 North Front Street, Belize City. The public is invited to view the inspiring work of these prominent artists. The UWG takes this opportunity to extend a Happy Garifuna Settlement Day to all Garinagu.

PUP Secretary General Myrtle Palacio gives address at Wednesday’s opening

Government must first come to terms with the reasons why these crimes are being committed and what types of individuals are committing these crimes. Travel.State.Gov explains that “With a population of only 312,698 according to the 2010 country census, Belize’s per capita homicide rate of 39 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants in 2011 ranks it as the sixth highest in the world” (Travel.State.Gov, 2012). They further state that “The majority of homicides in 2011 occurred in the Belize district. The majority of these fatalities occurred in the southern portion of Belize City, an area that has become increasingly violent due to ongoing gang warfare between local groups for control of lucrative narcotics smuggling routes and sales rights.” (Travel.State.Gov, 2012) From these statistics we can infer that the individuals committing these crimes reside on the South Side of Belize City – an area unfortunately known for mounting crime and poverty. Further statistics show that of all the individuals in prison in Belize, only 6.4% are females (NationMaster.com, 2012). We can conclude that most individuals committing murders and crimes are young, poverty-stricken males. The Government therefore, should be able to take a pro-active approach to alleviate crime and murder with the knowledge of the types of individuals who are committing these crimes. They can pass legislations, for example, placing harsher punishments on murderers inclusive of Capital Punishment. These severe penalties should deter juveniles from committing crime. The Government can also place less emphasis on harsh punishments for juvenile offenders and more on attacking the root causes of delinquency. The Government may therefore utilize its resources by investing in youth programs that place a strong focus on males. Though there are institutions such as Youth for the Future, there is great room for additional Youth Crime Prevention Initiatives. These initiatives, when instituted effectively, will undoubtedly yield benefits that far outweigh the financial resources invested in these programs because preventing these crimes from a young age mean fewer adult criminals. Further, different types of Government Initiatives to alleviate murders and crimes have proven effective internationally. Some instances of these are as follows: • “Crime went down 60 percent in two troubled Lansing, Michigan, neighborhoods after police, local schools, and a social service agency opened a neighborhood network center and launched an extensive youth development program. • Norfolk, Virginia, forged a partnership between police, human service agencies, and local citizens to combat crime in ten high crime neighborhoods. The initiative which included new youth athletic leagues and a Youth Forum for teens to speak on community problems as well as other prevention measures-led to a 29 percent drop in crime in the targeted neighborhoods and a city-wide reduction in violent crime. • San Antonio, Texas, has employed a variety of initiatives including after-school programs and penalties against youth (and their parents) for carrying weapons, painting graffiti, or violating youth curfews in an anti-crime

Sunday, November 18, 2012 partnership between community residents and police. In the program’s first year, arrests for juvenile crime dropped by ten percent and juvenile victimization fell by 50 percent.” (Richard Mendel, 2012). The underlying issue lies in the fact that in Belize, many people are poor. Statistics show that 25.3 percent of households in Belize and 33.0 percent of individuals are poor. This is based on their expenditure on food and nonfood items. “Moreover, 9.6 percent of households and 13.4 percent of individuals are considered to be extremely poor or indigent …The level of poverty among the youth and elderly was 31.6 percent and 27.6 percent respectively…” (Kairi Consultants Ltd. 2012). The reality is that there are young boys growing up in poverty, witnessing crimes. They grow up committing these crimes and they die as adults committing these crimes - most of the time leaving behind sons who continue the cycle. While we can sit, speculate and hope for a better Belize, the Government has the resources that can and should lead to change. I believe that it would help if the Prime Minister would actually address the situation. He should understand the way Belizeans are feeling, and he should empathize. We need change. We need a pro-active Government. The Prime Minister simply needs to say: “Yes, we have a major problem and this is what we are going to do to stop it.” Instead, nothing substantial is being done. We move day in and day out in our country afraid to walk to the corner store! Preventing crime is the responsibility of those who seek a safe and peaceful environment. The Government holds a key responsibility in ensuring that we can return to being a nation that is at peace and not rife with crime. I write this letter with hope that one day our jewel will be a safe and crime free Belize. Sincerely, M Batista University of Belize

THE BELIZE TIMES serving Belize since 1957 as the longest continous newspaper. Founder: Rt. Hon. George Cadle Price, People’s United Party Leader Emeritus

EDITOR

Alberto Vellos LAYOUT/GRAPHIC ARTIST

Chris Williams Published By The Belize Times Press Ltd. Tel: 671-8385 #3 Queen Street P.O. BOX 506 Belize City, Belize Email: belizetimesadvertisement@yahoo.com

editortimes@yahoo.com

Sunday, November 18, 2012

THE BELIZE TIMES

Garifuna Settlement Day November 19, 2012

Message from

Hon. Francis Fonseca PUP Leader and Leader of the Opposition

“Wawansera mémeba Lau Lubafu Bungiu hama Áhari” “We keep going forward with the power of God and the Ancestors” I salute the Garifuna people of Belize on the occasion of the 210th year of their presence in Belize and the 189th year of the founding of Dangriga. The journey from St. Vincent was long and harsh but the hand of God and the resilience and resourcefulness inherited from those who survived the ordeal have been evident every step of the way and even in the present. From this Garinagu, and indeed all Belizeans, can draw comfort and strength as we, all together, continue the work of building this nation.

Busutina houn Garinagu Balisina luagu hóustarun 210 irumu ya Balisi luma 189 irumu lúmagien lagumeserún Dangriga. Migifeti émeri Yurumeingien, gibe ligía sügü luagu éibuguni; mémegi, ménefati anihein la lúhobu Bungiu luma uáraguani úniguaü, alagan hámagien iúnagu, lidan sügü luagu éibuguni ligía, asta uguñe weyu. Gawarati hasagaru Garinagu hama sun Balisina huáliguaü luma erei lídangien le lidan wawadigimari lun wawanseragüdüni barüwa le wageirabei.

THE BELIZE TIMES

A collapsing economy, a raging bloody crime rate and an insecure border:-

The Makings of a Failed State?

Belize City, November 13, 2012 IT was like Colgate smiles or as Kodak moments frozen on film and recorded as a super act at a Ridley Circus. The Prime Minister, Dean Barrow, assumed his role as Ring Master at a recent “Economic Conference” held in Belize City. The performance was dubbed “An Economic Summit with the Private Sector”. As the PM took to his bully pulpit (emphasis on bully), he was seeing through rose-coloured lenses. This is even though he has changed his spectacles. We were hoping that he would now see the country’s rising social and economic decline under his watch. But it appears that there is a disconnect. Business leaders at the “Summit” appeared not to understand his opening remarks of economic mumbo-jumbo. Neither was his Cabinet in attendance. Most of them would not have understood what he was talking about anyway. Life for them at this level becomes quite complicated once the economic equation exceeds 1+1. But they clapped on cue anyway, like if it was the late Kim Jung Il of North Korea on stage. THE IMF The Prime Minister may have been under heavy manners because of the presence of a visiting team from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). For a change he was not stamping his feet nor beating his chest in his usual delusional manner. He was not in his usual character as Mighty Mouse or Superman. In fact, his behaviour was in stark contrast to his past chest thumping and feet stamping episodes. He was no longer threatening the Wall Street-type bond holders to whom the country is heavily indebted. He was no longer spitting fire and bawling that his government will not pay this debt unless the bond holders agree to HIS terms. It appeared less rambunctious. It appears that the socalled “Super Bond” is now making him appear to be a super-punk and a problem that he wishes would quietly go away.

As he delivered his uninspiring address at the economic talk shop, it did not seem likely that there will be any epiphany to save the country’s crumbling economy. His address had no rhyme or reason, chapter nor verse in his scriptures. In fact it sounded like he wanted the private sector’s shoulder to cry on after beating-up on them. There was a distinct absence of any clearly defined economic strategies to heal the country’s economic woes, which was brought upon us by his narcissism. But nobody at the conference challenged his remarks and pontification. What were the Prima Donnas, who flanked him, thinking? BROWN-NOSING Mr. Barrow is a craftsman at grandstanding. He was crafty in disguising the country’s economic and social problems he created from his lofty throne and at the helm of a second term of incompetence and imbedded corruption which is commonplace at ALL levels of his administration. He sees himself, however, as the “Master of the (political) games”. That has numerous interpretations. Pick one! After declaring war on the private sector, Mr. Barrow appears to want to be lovey-dovey with them now that he wants their help in fixing his economic woes - no foreign investments, loss of consumer and business confidence, rising poverty and unemployment, raging crime and the insecurity of our national borders. “Our economy continues to grow”, he insisted, although that growth is still below desirable rates and below, we think, our potential capacity. Last year’s expansion was about 2.5 but there will be some uptick this year with the Central Bank projecting as much as “a full percentage point in GDP increase”. What planet is he living on? Zeus? We must assume that he was talking about percentage of GDP, but the last time we checked the stats for last year’s growth figures were below two percent. Although the Central Bank’s forecast is very obviously doctored figures that are not in sync with reality, there is really nothing that the PM can shout about. If that was supposed to be a positive spin, the Prime Minister went on to address the “negative side” of the failing economy. He said “there has been a faster than expected decline in petroleum production and exports and this had a substantial impact on the fiscal accounts”. As the cameras covering the conference panned, it caught business leaders either brown-nosing or displaying

distinctly readable smiles of cynicism in contrast to the court jesters and cheer leaders of the Barrow cult who were there to sing Glory Alleluia! Amen! ONLY JIVING When we put this into his calculus, then that alone, proves that he is only jiving. Jiving. He knows it. We know it. The Prime Minister’s boast that the commercial banks have excess liquidity and that there is an excess in foreign exchange only sounds good. It is like a sugar-coated worm tablet. Decrypted, this means that neither consumers nor businesses are comfortable with the state of the economy. Excess liquidity and foreign exchange are indications that people are not spending and are holding onto their money, including U.S dollar accounts. They are nervous about Mr. Barrow’s mishandling of the economy AND the country. Politically this means dissatisfaction with the government. As for the businessmen and women it may simply mean an ubiquitous “If you say so Boss!” There has also been a drastic reduction in the foreign exchange reserve which is now less that the international benchmark to cover six month of imports. The volume of exports and imports has declined. The simple truth is that the country’s economic growth has flat lined. There is no growth. The only spark is in the very fragile and foreign controlled tourism industry. No offence intended to these investors, although much of the earnings from this industry is stashed in foreign banks. And this is true even more so now. INCOMPETENCE AND CORRUPTION When we cut to the chase, we see that this government is falling short of revenue to balance the budget. We can

Sunday, November 18, 2012

expect stringent measures to be introduced on the recommendations of the IMF, if we are to deal with the excessive corruption, waste and incompetence of Mr. Barrow’s administration. We need only to examine the Auditor General’s recent report although that in itself only scratches the surface. The reduction in oil revenue is of Mr. Barrow’s own making. He has been unable to get more out of Belize Natural Energy’s production sharing formula. He has made a glorious promise to appease a population that is growing angrier and angrier from his failed promise to reduce gasoline prices at the pumps. His promise that he will be getting an oil refinery for Belize is like a pie-in-the-sky. It is easier to believe in Santa Clause or Storks. It will not happen with local production. It could probably come as a result of his new love affair with Guatemala. This will require major capital investment, and if so, in exchange for what? And, if not so, in his next budget speech next year, expect to hear a promise of two refineries instead of one. The Belize economy cannot be sustained with the current price of gasoline at the pumps. Cost of living is not only on the increase, it is skyrocketing. CRIMINALS AND POLITICIANS Mr. Barrow’s admission of the failure of government’s anti-crime measures, including a so-called “Gang Truce” is not surprising. It was unsustainable. However, these same criminals were doing the dirty work for UDP politicians during political campaigns in most of the crime ridden areas. This includes Mr. Barrow’s constituency and that of other UDP representatives. A now deceased gang member was a permanent fixture in Mr. Barrow’s Constituency office and a close Continued on page 19

Message to the UDP

Sunday, November 18, 2012

THE BELIZE TIMES

Celebrating Garifuna! The celebration of Garifuna Settlement Day in Belize began in 1941 when Thomas Vincent Ramos galvanized the Garinagu people to honour their arrival to a land they adopted and began calling home. A place to live in peace, build a community, observe their culture and make a future. That peaceful country they began calling home is this land, this jewel, this Belize. But the Garifuna encountered challenges. They had to fight to claim their place in a land run by colonial masters where discrimination was rampant. When Belize came to be, it had already become a melting pot; a combination of different ethnicities, languages, cultures and traditions. Unlike other countries where such combination could lead to tension and hostile ethnic division, Belize’s mix has been a peaceful cultural potpourri. But even in peace, there is some competition – both positive and negative. For Belize that competition has gone from which culture is most alive and active, to which one can remain alive in the face of fast erosion from foreign forces and increasing disrespect from a UDP Government which does not recognise or respect cultures and traditions. We can proudly say that despite the challenges and difficulties, the Garifuna have been steadfast and successful. Their culture lives on and this year we prepare for the 210th celebration of their arrival in Belize and 189th settlement in the culture capital, Dangriga. Today as we prepare to commemorate the 19th of November, we are truly celebrating a people proud of their country, their extraordinary contributions to the education system, the church, BDF, music, politics, and the making of our country. The People’s United Party is proud to have a role to play in helping our Garifuna brothers and sisters. Leader Emeritus Rt. Hon. George Price ingrained principles of inclusion in the PUP. He embraced every Belizean, no matter their color, race or status. Hon. Price was clearly a visionary, and he understood how important that principle was to nation building. The PUP – even after Mr. Price, has continued to honor and respect the Garifuna as well as every other ethnicity. There is no need for stigma and division. Belize will only progress with its people living in peace and harmony. On behalf of the People’s United Party, Buidulá hásügürüni sun Balisina Luweyuri Hafedun Garinagu. Happy Garifuna Settlement Day!

THE BELIZE TIMES

The Mayor Lies!

Belize City, November 14, 2012

“I’m not saying that you’ve mismanaged. I’m saying that you recklessly managed the City’s finances in over-extending the City, with the bond not being floated, and we don’t know if it will be fully subscribed. You have put the Council - through your own doing - in adverse position where recently it was behind on its obligations, for example to the sanitation companies.You have proceeded with undue haste” - Jules Vasquez, 7News, November 7th “I entirely reject everything that you’re saying. I make no apologies for everything that you’re saying because at the end of the day, the City is meeting its obligations. We’re not a for-profit organization. We’re paying our major suppliers. We’re meeting our obligations”- Darrell Bradley, Mayor, November 7th “Since August—the Council is outstanding for about three months, since August. I spoke to the Mayor early in September and all of that conversation, I was given the impression that something would have been done. Now, it is almost three months and I’m sure that the Mayor understands how important it is to keep up with your payments”- George Lamb, General Manager, Belize Waste Control, November 7th

After this week, Mayor Darrell Bradley is appearing to be some kind of pathological liar. He lied barefaced that the Council was meeting its financial obligations. He lied, and did so repeatedly. One lie, repeated in the same sentence. And many sentences with countless lies rambled off in interviews where the Mayor seemed to have changed spots with his predecessor, Zenaida Moya. But the Mayor can’t hide things. “The City is meeting its obligations,” he declared on November 7th. Six days later, the truth was revealed. Under his management, the City is in terrible financial conditions. It remains deep in debt, and can’t pay sanitation companies. Belize Waste Control is owed $600,000; Belize Maintenance Limited is owed too. Half a million dollars is no chump change. It is three months of malpago. Three months of denying hardworking sanitation workers their salaries, which forced them to protest City Hall this week. Yet, the Mayor told Belizeans that the Council was meeting its obligations. Even the professionals who work with the Council were shocked at the Mayor’s deception. The Mayor claimed that he kept his promises to the sanitation company, but Belize Waste Control’s General Manager, George Lamb, said that was a lie. “What the mayor said on the interview was really surprising to me; I was taken aback. I don’t believe that he is true to his word,” said Lamb. The Mayor said the Council is not responsible for garbage collection; but Lamb said that was hogwash. “Mister Bradley surprises me at every turn. In the City Council Solid Waste Bi-laws, it clearly shows that it is the Council’s responsibility to regulate, to engage and to provide such services for the citizens of Belize.” Can’t the Mayor just come clean?

WHAT IS THE

UDP

HIDING?

Belize City, November 14, 2012 Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) PUP Deputy Leader and Cayo South Area Representative Hon. Julius Espat has told the BELIZE TIMES that he was unable to review the audio recording of Monday’s PAC meeting in Belmopan today, because strangely the recording turned out inaudible. “Lo and behold there was a breakdown of the recording device. [I heard] mostly distorted sounds,” said Hon. Espat. Hon. Espat was relying on the audio device to support his testimony that at Monday’s meeting, Government’s legal adviser Gian Ghandi interpreted that the Standing Oders of the Committee rationally declare the PAC meetings open to the public and that the members of the Committee that were present did not object. But the recording device that should have been officially capturing every utterance at the meeting had conveniently malfunctioned. Monday’s highly-anticipated PAC meeting ended prematurely. The UDP members arrogantly protested the presence of the media and the public, which included two elect-

Sunday, November 18, 2012 ed PUP House members, and they directed the Police to take them out. The UDP members then objected to a standard business-type agenda, drafted and proposed by the Chairman, saying that they would come up with one of their own. But when the minutes of the PAC’s initial meeting on October 1st was presented, which should have included all matters discussed and agreed to then, it drew alarms for Chairman Espat. “What was presented did not reflect what we said at that meeting and therefore as a responsible Chairman I requested from the Clerk that I be given a transcript of the minutes of the last meeting and on top of that I requested that there be given a recording so that we can be clear as to what we agreed to on the last meeting,” explained Hon. Espat at a press briefing on

Tuesday. Hon. Espat further said he was surprised at the grave errors and omissions of the minutes presented. “It’s almost like tampering with evidence,” he pointed out. He added that the National Assembly Clerk, Eddie Webster, who acts like the Committee’s secretary, had also ignored his request to invite the Financial Secretary and Auditor General to the meetings. “We are here to represent the people of Belize. Some people in Government have lost the concept of what it is to be an Area Representative – it is to serve the people,” Hon. Espat expressed. The Prime Minister has turned the PAC meeting into a political football, and claims that he will advise the UDP members to vote in favour of Hon. Espat’s request for the meeting to be open to the media, but he said the PAC should commence by investigating financial documents from before 2008 when the UDP took over. Chairman Espat said he will hold the Prime Minister to his word that the UDP members will not block any move the make the meetings public.

Sunday, November 18, 2012

THE BELIZE TIMES

Humor

in UDP Politics! The following matters were discussed in Cabinet: A resolution was read that in order to prove to our bondholders that we are desperate, we should consider cancelling Christmas and use Greece as an appropriate example, to adding GST or a 12.5% tax on the Salvation Army kettle and last but not least to ask Santino for free ham and turkey for Cabinet and their families and second families. Upon hearing that last point, Santino got up and said “take it Suave, Suave, Suavecito noh!” ……………… To reconsider a second proposal by the Mayor of Belize City to tax all dogs based on pedigree, and to add a tax for the owners too. Finnegan suggested that healthy potlickers should get taxed more than just regular potlickers. ……………… To consider a request by Minister Hulse to have the GSU pretend to raid Cabinet members’ homes and vehicles as if to show an example that people should not be afraid of the GSU. Just then one Cabinet member who claims to be a rasta got up and scolded Hulse. “Are you freaking crazy? What if they find my stash by mistake? I just smoked a spliff before coming to Cabinet. Did you too” ……………… Noticing five key members of Cabinet missing, Gaspar called a quick vote as to who Cabinet supports for Party Leader when Barrow steps down. All votes went for Gaspar. When the CabSec asked Pablo Marin why no one voted for Patrick, he said they voted

for Faber last week when Faber asked the same question while Gaspar was running late for the meeting. In other related news: Boots was asked not to bring his gang back to another House sitting as they could retaliate against them for the UDP’s decision to have the GSU rough them up on the streets. ……………… During his tour in Honduras, Mexico and the US, Barrow had some casual moments with the business sector. He asked them “why don’t you invest in Belize?” The response was “we like your country, but don’t get us wrong, we are afraid of your Government”. But why, protested Barrow? “Quitar, unno love to quitar”, said one of the businnessmen. ……………… The race for new UDP leader has been heating up. In Barrow’s absence last week, Gaspar sent empty envelopes marked “from the desk of the Acting Prime Minister” to Faber’s office. When Saldivar asked Faber if he wasn’t offended, Faber said, “no, he’s correct. He’s got the title, but like the envelope his brain is empty”. Saldivar laughed and said “Good one, future Deputy”. ……………… Barrow reported that he visited four countries in three days. “So what did you achieve boss,” asked the CabSec. Barrow replied, “In Honduras I gave away a football, in Mexico I sang some Mariachis, and in the U.S. I met Ashcroft and it looks like we’ll get the ham and turkey money”. ……………… When asked by a caller what he believed to be his greatest achievement, Barrow responded that he has learnt to care a lot. Ernesto looked at the PM puzzled and asked, “about what, I don’t have the slightest idea”.

THE BELIZE TIMES SCA team

Sunday, November 18, 2012 National Secondary School Sports Association Volleyball Championships

BELIZE'S #1 SPORTS PAGE

SCA girls win volleyball nationals for 5th year Belmopan City, November 10, 2012 History repeated itself for St. Catherine’s Academy, as their 2012 Female Volleyball team captured the national title as the National Volleyball Champs. This is the fifth year SCA has won the championship, hosted by the Belmopan Baptist High School at the University of Belize Jaguar auditorium over the weekend. The SCA girls contested the Ecumenical girls for the top spot. They were victorious in all three sets: 25-9, 25-13 and 2510. The champs, 2nd and 3rd place winners received their individual medals and team trophies from the Belmopan Baptist High School principal while the Muf-

St. John Vianney on 6-game winning streak

Belize City, November 14, 2012 The St. John Vianney RC School boys undefeated with a 6-game winning streak in the Belize

City primary school football competition. St. John Vianney defeated Unity Presbyterian School 3-0 when Orlando Velasquez scored his 10th and 11th goals.

Akeem Sutherland added a 3rd goal, while only July Barrientos scored a consolation goal for the Unity boys on Monday. St. John Vianney had buried the Calvary Temple boys 10-0 last week Thursday. Kenroy Linares scored a hat trick. He now has 9 goals. Orlando Velasquez, Akeem Sutherland and Shawn Pitters had each scored two goals while Nathan Olivera added a 10th goal. Other games: St Ignatius RC boys vs. St Luke’s Methodist – 2-0 Goal scorers: Bijoun Barrera, Haldwin Castillo St. Luke’s girl vs. Nashus girls – 1-0 Goal scorer: Cyrstal Ku St. Martin RC School boys vs. Ebenezer – 0-0 Salvation Army boys vs. St Martin de Porres – 1-1 Goal scorers: Marvin Martinez,

fles College girls received the northern championship trophy. SCA’s star attacker Sherika Burton won the MVP award. SCA should have advanced to the Central American Junior Scholastic Games (CODICADER) next year as they have, but there will be no CODICADER Games next year. SCA will need to repeat as national champions to represent at the XVIII CODICADER Games in Guatemala in 2014, but there is no doubt that they can achieve this. How they advanced: SCA vs. Muffles College girls: 25-11, 25-6, 25-10 Ecumenical High vs. Belmopan Comprehensive School – 23-25, 25-12, 25-18, 25-18 Belmopan Comprehensive School vs. Muffles girls – 26-24, 25-21, 25-14

Marquis Conorquie Salvation Army boys vs. St Mary’s Anglican School - 3-0 Goal scorer: Marvin Martinez (3) Unity Presbyterian boys vs. St Luke’s Methodist – 3-0 Goals scorers: July Barrientos (2), Eli Portillo Unity Presbyterian vs. Calvary Temple boys – 4-0 Goals scorers: July Barrientos (2), Fitzroy Myles, Ruben Leslie Calvary Temple boys vs. St. Ignatius RC School – 0-0 Ebenezer School vs. Belize Elementary School – 6-0 Goals scorers: Tyreek Muschamp (3), Marco Rojas, Dion Cacho, Jonathan Perera Ebenezer vs. Holy Redeemer – 1-0 Goals scorer: Tyreek Muschamp Queen Square Anglican vs. St Mary’s Anglican School – 3-0 Holy Redeemer RC School girls vs. Muslim Community School – 1-0 Goals scorer: Jennifer Estrada Holy Redeemer vs. Muslim Community School – 2-2 Goals scorers: Herman Card, Tyrique Ciego (2), Clayshaun Lewis

Sunday, November 18, 2012

TCC tied up the game 18-18, they went on to win 25-23. In the 2nd and 3rd sets, TCC won 25-16 and 25-18. The champs, 2nd and 3rd place winners received their individual medals and team trophies from the Belmopan Baptist High School principal while the Mopan Tech boys received the western championship trophy. TCC’s star attacker Trevor Muschamp won the MVP award. TCC will need to

Belize district women’s football competition

Smart Millennium blast Island Stars 2-0 Hattieville, November 11, 2012 Smart Millennium girls of Belize City drilled the Caye Caulker Island Stars 2-0 when the Belize district women’s football competition continued over the weekend. Shinelle Gentle and Geanne Cayetano led the Smart girls’ attacks but they challenged by the Island Stars’ sweeper Saira Reyes and defense Maria Reyez, Marylin Juarez and Jeslyn Garcia. But Shineelle managed to blast the 1st goal past goalie Maribel Dominguez in the 29th minute. The Stars counterattacked but Smart’s defenders Melony Tasher, Vanessa Smith, Britney Miguel and Latanya Gamboa shut them out the whole game. Shinelle blasted in a 2nd goal in the 38th minute to lead 2-0 at the half. There were no more goals in the second half and the game ended 2-0. In the second match, Caye Caulker Girlz posted their 2nd win against the Hattieville Heats 2-1, with goals by Lenice Sampson, Samantha Galeano and Deandra Coote. The competition continues on Caye Caulker on Sunday, November 18.

repeat as national champs to represent at the XVIII CODICADER Games in Guatemala in 2014. How they advanced: St. John’s boys vs. Escuela Secundaria Tecnica Mexico: 25-13, 25-14, 25-20 TCC vs. Mopan Technical High School 25-16, 25-20, 25-21 Escuela Mexico vs. Mopan Tech: 17-25, 2517, 18-25, 25-20, 15-7

BELIZE'S #1 SPORTS PAGE

TCC wins male volleyball championship Belmopan City, November 10, 2012 The Toledo Community College Scorpions volleyball repeated volleyball champs for a fifth year in a row. The championship tournament was hosted by the Belmopan Baptist High School at the University of Belize Jaguar auditorium over the weekend. The TCC boys defeated the SJC boys 3-0 in the finals. SJC couldn’t get the finish in the 1st half and after

THE BELIZE TIMES

TCC team

Samanta Galeano takes on Imani Mackenzie

THE BELIZE TIMES

Sunday, November 18, 2012

PUP in ACTION!

PUP Secretary General Myrtle Palacio at opening of UWG special exhibit

PUP holds press briefing calling for full transparency with Public Accounts Committee

PUP Secretary General holds meeting with PUP officials in Dangriga

PUP Deputy Leader & Cayo South Area Representative Hon. Julius Espat holds meeting with IMF officials

PUP Corozal South West Area Representative Hon. Ramiro Ramirez presents jerseys to Libertad R.C. School

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Northern Regional faces major lawsuit

Orange Walk Town, November 12, 2012 The Northern Regional Hospital could be facing a major multi-million dollar lawsuit from a group of women who say they were victims of medical malpractice while giving childbirth at the hospital. There are fifteen disturbing cases. The most recent case is that of 17 year old Sally Coh. Sally was admitted at the hospital on October 14th and has reported that in the middle of the delivery, the medical personnel aborted the labour and forced the new-born back into her womb. “I was telling them to operate on me, but they said no and insisted that I continue. I believe they hurt my baby when they pushed him in and I was telling them that they were hurting me, but they paid no attention,” recounted Sally. After birth, the baby suffered seizures and had to be taken to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital in Belize City. The new-born has been diagnosed with brain damages. Apart from Sally, there are other cases that have gone public. 31 year

THE BELIZE TIMES

by policy put into place by the Ministry of Health. The Ministry of Health claims that the investigations into the cases are on-going and are expected to be completed at the end of the month, but this week the Chief Executive Officer Dr. Peter Allen compromised those in-

Hon. Pablo Marin is still silent

Is Dr. Peter Allen speaking prematurely?

old Alicia Pott underwent three surgeries after she contracted an infection during delivery. Maria Chable’s child was born with severe asphyxia and brain damage. Michelle Gonzalez was convinced that she was pregnant with twins, but only one child was reportedly delivered. The allegations indict some of the medical staff at the Northern Regional Hospital. The women claim bad decision-making and negligence has been afflicting the hospital, which is a main referral for the Orange Walk and Corozal Districts. The staff is regulated

vestigations when he said that no sign of negligence had been found. Dr. Allen told New5, “…strangely, the results while interesting and certainly while showing areas for improvement, don’t support the allegations of negligence that have been raised…” How can Dr. Allen speak about “results” when the investigation is ongoing? Or is he attempting to influence the results of the “on-going” investigations with his premature conclusion? Dr. Allen also seemed to claim that the 15 victims were unreal and that the allegations were concocted by the

office of Hon. Dr. Marco Tulio-Mendez, who is a medical professional and area representative in Orange Walk. Hon. Dr. Mendez has responded stating that the victims and their horrific stories are very real. He said several of the women have gone public, appearing on various news media. As to Dr. Allen’s comments on the investigations, Hon. Dr. Mendez said the CEO was “making a conclusion before the verdict”. The Orange Walk Representative called on Dr. Allen to put “patient above all” and “life above politics”, and recommended that Minister of Health Pablo Marin visit the children and the victims. Marin has been dead silent throughout the entire ordeal. Not even a public statement or a sign of remorse has been emitted. But there have been some signs of his involvement in the investigations, and it doesn’t look good. CTV-3 News in Orange Walk has reported that the Medical Council recommended that one of the female surgeons be placed on administrative leave immediately as the investigations continue, but there was interference and blockage from high up in the Ministry of Health.

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“they will kill me if they find me” Continued from page 1 dogs were poisoned on Friday. Faull was killed on Sunday. But McAfee claims he is being framed. In one of his correspondences with U.S. journalists he shared, “The coast guard dropped off a contingent of black-suited thugs at 10:30 tonight at the dock next door. They dispersed on the beach. A half hour later all of my dogs had been poisoned. Mellow, Lucky, Dipsy, and Guerrero have already died.” While the murder of an American national has stirred up interest locally, it is McAfee’s wild movements and earth-shaking allegations that have attracted global attention and placed the eyes of the world on Belize. Major news networks in the United States, Mexico and the United Kingdom have all begun to report about the wellknown business mogul’s hiding and the reasons for it. McAfee has been in constant communication with a United States journalist with whom he has been sharing information, via chat, phone calls and blogs. McAfee said he is innocent and has nothing to do with Faull’s murder. He said he is being framed and is running for his life. The information is sensational – from wild allegations of his life being in danger, to scandalous accusations against

Gregory Faull , deceased

the UDP Government and their minions in the Police who want to force him out of the country or eradicate him. McAfee abandoned his home on Sunday when he sensed that the Police would go after him. He said that as the Police searched his home, he hid by burying himself in the sand with his head above the ground but concealed with a box. He has been moving around since and changing his appearance. He says he has dyed his hair, eyebrows, beard and moustache jet black. “I have modified my appearance in a radical fashion,” McAfee said, “I’ll probably look like a mur-

GSU Boss Marco Vidal

derer, unfortunately.” He also said he has been “riding in boats, huddling on the floorboards of taxis, sleeping in a bed that he said was infested with lice” to escape the authorities. So why is he on the run? “…they will kill me if they find me,” McAfee told the US journalist. He went on to explain that the UDP Government of Prime Minister Dean Barrow is targeting him. “Under no circumstances am I going to willingly talk to the police in this country. You can say I’m paranoid about it but they will kill me, there is no question. They’ve been trying to get me for months. They

want to silence me. I am not well liked by the prime minister. I am just a thorn in everybody’s side,” he said. McAfee had revealed in a threepart diary revealed in September that he wasn’t liked by the Prime Minister. “Where to begin? We could start with my calling the Prime Minister a liar in the national press a couple of months back. It angered him, certainly, and probably exacerbated my situation, and certainly accelerated his plan to force me out of the country, or failing that, eradicate me. But it seems too late in the play for a beginning. Or we might start with my refusal to assist the Prime Minister’s son, Shyne, gain an early release from an American prison in 2009, or my refusal to donate to the P.M.’s political party last year,” he wrote. The Prime Minister said today that he has never met McAfee and that he believes him to be paranoid and bunkers. In April, the Gang Suppression Unit and Belize Defense Force had descended on McAfee’s property in Orange Walk Town. They arrested him, accusing him of manufacturing methamphetamine and possessing unlicensed weapons, but after holding him for hours they freed him without any criminal charges.

THE BELIZE TIMES

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Jerome Flores & Co.

to complete Reef Ride 2012

November 6th, 2012 “I am excited about completing the last segment of the Reef Ride, from Dangriga to Punta Gorda Town later this month to coincide with the celebration of Garifuna Settlement Day,” says paraplegic cyclist Jerome Flores. “Shaphan ‘Bala’ Domingo of Hattieville has been in training with me and plans to

accompany me on this last leg of the Reef Ride. Mr. Adrian Camara of Orange Walk Town has also been training with us but due to health issues he might not be able to complete the entire 104 miles route,” Flores adds. Reef Ride 2012 starts from Dangriga on the morning of November 18th and stops over in Independence, before continuing on to Pun-

ta Gorda Town on November 19th, which is a national holiday commemorating the 1802 arrival of the Garinagu to Belizean shores. As in previous years, Jerome says the Ride seeks to bring awareness to the plights of people living with diverse abilities. The Reef Ride also brings attention to Oceana in Belize’s campaign for a ban on offshore oil drilling due to its threat to Belize’s marine resource. Additionally, as explained by Oceana Vice President Mrs. Audrey Matura-Shepherd, “Sponsoring the Reef Ride is one way Oceana participates in celebrations for Garifuna Settlement Day while giving positive support to our Belizeans living with diverse abilities. Jerome is an inspiration and it’s good to see Shaphan has been inspired to join.” This year Jerome is riding an

Invacare professional trike provided through US-based Challenged Athletes Foundation. This is an upgrade from the do-it-yourself trike he had used in prior years and which has now been passed on to Shaphan. Jerome recently participated in the Orange Walk Town to Belize City segment of the Ride Across Belize as part of his preparation for the Reef Ride. Beyond the Reef Ride, Jerome and team hope to represent Belize at the 2016 Para-Olympics in Rio de Janero, Brazil, following the Summer Olympics. Jerome, Shaphan and Adrian have been training for months now in preparation for this final stage of his ride across the country. Despite losing a leg earlier this year, Jerome has remained committed to see it through and to arrive in Punta Gorda in record time.

Sunday, November 18, 2012

THE BELIZE TIMES

Reid City’s Bondage By G. Mike Reid Until now, it might have seemed almost sacrilegious to criticize the mayor of Belize City, Darrel Bradley. In the opinion of most, the boy has been putting in some major work. Quite a number of streets have been cemented and made more drive-able then they have been, since before anybody can remember. At first the only question seems to have been, “What was Zenaida Moya doing during her six years in office if Darrel Bradley can do so much in such a short time?” Later, the question turned more realistic to “How are we able to afford the expensive cement, steel and labor necessary to build all these streets?” Well, the answer to the first question might forever elude us but as to the second, we are beginning to understand. To this point, none has dared question or criticize Mayor Bradley since his good works obviously spoke for themselves. We cuss and fuss about the inconvenience caused and wish that they would forewarn us of street closures. Yet, we suck it up and grin and bear since we see the results in a finished Orange Street or Queen Street. We even hold our tongue when the other streets are left neglected and try to navigate the serious potholes on even a main thor-

oughfare like Freetown Road. We see it coming though, albeit slower and slower, and hope that soon the area near Li Chee and the ITVET will be brought up to the standard of those already cemented. Alas, it seems that our wait will be much longer than had been anticipated. To his credit, Jules Vasquez over the past week or so has boldly gone where no one before him has dared to tread. He has taken Darrell Bradley to task for taking the city of Belize to what he described as a “Fiscal Cliff”. Fiscal Cliff is a fancy neologism coined by United States Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke. It describes a situation supposedly faced by the US when tax increases and spending cuts take effect at the end of this year. While in the US, their fiscal cliff does not necessarily spell impending doom or create an immediate disaster, here in Belize; our fiscal cliff will be quite the precipitous drop. We saw the beginning of what will be the result when sanitation workers picketed City Hall this past Monday. Apparently, while a few streets are looking better, City Hall’s books have not been looking good. Bradley has been spending money that he does not have and as a result, major debts are piling up at City Hall. According to the Channel Seven newscast of last Thursday November 8th, “City Hall owes Belize Waste Control for ten weeks of garbage pick-ups and it owes Belize Maintenance Limited for ten weeks of city cleaning.” Apart from the picketing of City Hall, Belize Waste Control has threatened a goslow in the collection of garbage. This spells trouble for an already filthy Belize City. The fact of the matter is that while Darrell Bradley has been paying a lot of attention to streets (and we all applaud that effort), he has been paying little attention to anything else. City lots remain overgrown in many areas, the city remains quite filthy and city council bills are piling sky high.

Apparently, while a few streets are looking better, City Hall’s books have not been looking good. Bradley has been spending money that he does not have and as a result, major debts are piling up at City Hall.”

Many of the streets that are not being worked on are deteriorating to deplorable conditions and many areas still get flooded with the least little drizzle. So far, the Mayor has been able to pay himself, his councilors and his staff but many are concerned that the next to feel the pinch will be the low paid workers of city council. It is also obvious that work on the targeted streets is going a whole lot slower than they were when the project first started. It is interesting to note that one of the first streets completed was one in front of Chon Saan Palace. What obviously has been happening is that Mayor Bradley has been spending money that he is hoping for but does not yet have. In mid June of this year, Bradley announced plans to float a municipal bond to the tune of twenty million dollars. The bond was presented to the House of Representatives in a special sitting of August 23rd and drew lavish praises from the Prime Minister. It seems though, that since then, the bond has run into all kinds of difficulties. First, the prospectus was to be released in July, then in August, then in September, October and the latest promise is for November 15th. Then suddenly in early September, Legacy Fund Limited, which was supposed to be the chief architect of the fund, sent out a press release which announced “the end of its service provider role with the Belize City Council with respect to the $20 million Belize City infrastructural bond project”. The press release went on to explain that “As of 27 August 2012, Legacy has been disengaged from the project, due to an impasse with the Council over terms and conditions on moving forward with the municipal bond offering.” Just what that impasse was, was never revealed and unfortunately, no media house saw it fit to pursued the story. Seems however that Mayor Bradley has such confidence in his bond that he has been counting those chickens before they are even laid, much less hatched. Bradley has been boasting about some big investor that is supposed to be very interested. Many believe that said investor is no other than the politicians’ favorite cash cow, Social Security Board. Well, why not; SSB money has been used to invest in BTL, BEL and of course, BSI. After all, isn’t that what the Social Security money is really for?

13 What Mayor Bradley is proposing, is the borrowing of money with the promise of paying back with interest. That will not be an easy sell, except of course, to the Social Security Board which falls for any pitch. Remember, this is the city of Belize that is floating this bond, not Darrell Bradley. When has this city ever done well enough to afford extra money to pay bond notes? Will a few cement streets do that much to improve the city’s credibility? What will they use for collateral, City Hall? It is the only thing left and even that is probably already mortgaged to the hilt. Remember Phillip Willoughby was already talking about putting it up for sale. The one sure way that the mayor has found to supplement his spending and maybe securitize his bond, is by raising property taxes and imposing a burdensome garbage tax on city residents. So far, city residents have been quiet about the imposition but wait til the meager season sets in and the extra load shows up at the door! The Mayor has proposed tacking the tax onto already high water bills. A question that has been neither asked nor answered is whether or not folks will see their water service cut if that ten dollar tax is not paid. One has to wonder if this is even legal. Now the floating of bonds is nothing new and has been tried all over the world. According to Bradley, it is the first time it is being tried in the Caribbean. It certainly is no novel idea for the first recorded municipal bond dates way back to 1812 when the City of New York floated their first bond. One has to wonder if there might not be a good reason why it has not been tried in the Caribbean. In the 1960s, the city of New York went effectively bankrupt after being unable to pay off its debts and bond notes. The State of New York and the federal government were able to bail them but who will bail out the city of Belize? Central government has its own problems with its enormous debts and seems virtually on the verge of IMF intervention. Who will bail out Belize City? Dear Jules, please continue to shine the light that Bradley might see the dangerous cliff ahead. As one picketer succinctly put it, “Our children can’t eat cement streets”.

THE BELIZE TIMES

Dancing with

CHAVEZ

t was not until the nineteenth century that the region saw major changes in its political and philosophical direction, which was previously dominated by the United States Monroe Doctrine which viewed the region as its backyard and to prove it, it invaded Haiti, Guatemala and Panama and occupied them with military presence. Its military bases extended beyond occupied territory. The US opened military bases in almost every Central American country including Belize, where the Voice of America station was set up. But all that changed with the Cuban Revolution less than ninety miles from the USA and with Fidel standing in place, the change in rule moved to Bolivia with Che Guevara, Chile with Salvador Allende, Jamaica with Michael Manley, Grenada with Maurice Bishop, Panama with Omar Torrijos, Nicaragua with Daniel Ortega, Trinidad and Tobago with Eric Williams, and Belize with George Price. These nations were set on a path to redefine the region with vibrant leaders who were prepared to practice their own home-grown brand of economic growth focused on social development. The recent election of Hugo Chavez for another six-year term in Venezuela is a victory not only for the people of Venezuela but for the region as Chavez has changed the image of a once rich Venezuela to one that supports strong socialist programs not only at home but to those in the region that need a helping hand. Thanks to Venezuela, small Caribbean nations have access to oil at attractive rates, including non-monetary, under the Petro-Cari-

be deal. It is this kind of brotherhood approach to regional development – with the people at the center – that makes it encouraging for our region to establish and maintain diplomatic relations. Venezuela is a trailblazer on demonstrating how 21st century global politics and domestic policy can operate in the best interest of the citizens. Belize would benefit greatly from embracing the tenets of this Bolivarian Revolution. But unlike what has happened in Venezuela, the misguided and ideologically- deficient copy-cat politics of the Barrow administration has sank Belize into oppression. Prime Minister Barrow started a wave of “nationalisations”, taking over utility companies in the name of the people, but evidently didn’t think the oil company is that important to place in the people’s name. This is despite promising in their election manifesto to “establish a national company”. The Barrow Administration has failed the people of Belize. Venezuela’s Petro-Caribe deal is centered on benefits for the people. In Belize, no such thing takes place. It benefits the Government and in certain cases, special UDP cronies who are allowed to access the cheap oil but sell to Belizeans at an exorbitant price. The next six years of Chavez will allow the Barrow Administration a rare opportunity to get things right and stop the bleeding of the Belizean pockets at the fuel pumps. The Barrow Administration has no excuse now – the people of Belize are still waiting to reap benefits from Belize’s wealth untold…five years of the Barrow Administration has been a wait in vain.

Sunday, November 18, 2012

THE BELIZE TIMES

Home Economics

Obama win implications for Belize By Richard Harrison President Barrack Obama has won a second 4-year term in office. Most Belizeans are happy with this result. Many Belizeans, and especially those living in cyberspace, showed a lot of interest in the US presidential elections, offering public support for the Obama campaign. This interest by Belizeans in US politics is rightly placed. The USA is Belize’s largest trading partner. In 2009, Belize imported BZ$464 million from the US, while it exported BZ$162 million to the US....a trade deficit of $302 million. This amounts for 35% of our declared imports, and 32% of our declared exports. One out of every three dollars that we spend abroad....and one out of every three dollars that we earn from export of goods....comes from the USA. This does not tell the whole story: 1. The US is also host to approximately 350,000 Belizeans and their offsprings...who are responsible for many millions of US dollars being sent to Belize every year as remittances. 2. The US is also the origin of over 80% of tourist visitors to Belize, with tourism contributing over 25% of our economy. 3. The US is also the origin of most of the Foreign Direct Investments in Belize....especially in the tourism sector, farmed shrimps, papaya, mining, sugar, air-transport, timber/forestry. 4. The US is also the origin of many charity groups that do a lot of work in Belize...medical teams, school buildings, Christian groups, school sponsorships, self-help programs, community and social workers, Peace Corps, Jesuit Volunteers, teaching assistants, etc etc., which total combines to a significant sum. 5. The Belize dollar is pegged to the US dollar BZ$2 = US$1 Belize’s reality is inextricably linked to the US reality. Some have said, that when the US sneezes, Belize catches a full blown flu. Belize has not learned how to extract what it could from its rela-

tions with the US. Over the past four years, US official contribution to Belize has primarily been focused on safety and security arrangements....with training and materials assistance for the BDF, Police and other law enforcement efforts. Belize needs to extract more from its relations with the US, and here are some ideas that the Belize government can pursue through the friendly allies at the US Embassy in Belize: 1. Debt-for-Education - Belize’s debt is currently unsustainable. Many US students and faculty would love the opportunity to study/teach in Belize, a tropical paradise. There already exists various cooperation and collaboration between Belize and US educational institutions. Belize needs to pursue the new Obama administration, to obtain assistance for the structuring of a major debt-for-education swap....such that the US pays US$15 million per year towards Belize’s foreign debt.... and Belize pays local educational institutions for the education of about 2000 US citizens per year in Belize. This is a reasonable capacity for our existing institutions, primarily UB and Galen University. Belize would have to invest in upgrading our institutions capacity and capability....so that quality allows for recognition of the credits by US-based institutions. 2. USAID - Belize was removed from the list of countries that qualified for USAID funding in the 1990’s. USAID work in Belize led to the ONLY industries that we have developed since Independence..... tourism, meat processing, diary production, juices, papaya, farmed shrimps/fish...it helped with the formation of a private sector organization....with a blueprint for economic progress, complete with sector, sub-sector and industry analysis. Belize is helping to ease the burden in Central America, by accepting large amounts of relatively poor immigrants from those countries to settle in Belize...so much so, that Belize’s literacy rate, unemployment and poverty rates have shot up over the past two decades. Belize needs to argue strongly with the Obama adminis-

tration....that Belize’s deteriorating social fundamentals qualify Belize for assistance under the USAID projects....just as Central American countries who currently are benefiting. 3. INDEPENDENCE - The US government has a lot to say in geo-political circles. The Belize government needs to pursue the Obama administration aggressively with building awareness, understanding and support for Belize’s INDEPENDENT status as established in the UN Charter. All the state representatives, especially those that have supported the Obama victory....must now support the Belize agenda. The US has a Federal Government, state gov-

15 ernments and municipal governments....they ALL influence the foreign relations decisions of the US government. Belize needs to gain more traction with the State Governments in the US....especially for supporting Belize’s INDEPENDENT status....but also for many other issues....ie. enhancing the status of Belizeans living in the US...in-state tuition for Belizeans at US stateowned universities...business sector exchanges....charity exchanges as exist with some Lions Clubs and Rotary Clubs, etc....technical cooperation as used to exist with Michigan State University....etc. Congratulations to President Obama!!! He should know that he has a very loyal constituency of Belizeans, however small, supporting him hook, line and sinker. The taste of the pudding is in the eating....and we have a lot to do in the preparation of the pudding. Richard Harrison is a local businessman and investor in the manufacturing and service industries. Send comments to harrisonbz@ yahoo.com

THE BELIZE TIMES

Sunday, November 18, 2012

BELIZE TIMES WEEKLY

SCIENCE & TECH R

Selected By Chris Williams

Is telepresence the next big thing?

Telepresence may soon give us all a physical presence in a remote location. If the history of communications is anything to go by, we should expect the unexpected 14 November 2012 WHENEVER a revolutionary new communications technology arrives on the scene, whether telephone, text or tweet, we predictably fail to predict the consequences. Twitter was once derided as a pointless social network; out in the real world it has changed

the nature of shared experience, from consuming news to plotting revolutions. The next big communications technology poised for widespread availability is telepresence. Dismissed by some as glorified video-conferencing, it promises to be much more than that. It can

give users a physical presence in a remote location, including the ability to move around and manipulate objects - and it is set to become even more immersive. What will happen when millions of people suddenly have this power? Predictions abound, from the benign to the deeply disruptive.

Our brain can do

unconscious mathematics 13 November 2012 by Douglas Heaven What is nine plus six, plus eight? You may not realise it, but you already know the answer. It seems that we unconsciously perform more complicated feats of reasoning than previously thought – including reading and basic mathematics. The discovery raises questions about the necessity of consciousness for abstract thought, and supports the idea that maths might not be an exclusively human trait. Previous studies have shown that we can subliminally process single words and numbers. To identify whether we can unconsciously perform more complicated processing, Ran Hassin at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, and his colleagues used a technique called continu-

ous flash suppression. The technique works by presenting a volunteer’s left eye with a stimulus – a mathematical sum, say – for a short period of time, while bombarding the right eye with rapidly changing colourful shapes. The volunteer’s awareness is dominated by what the right eye sees, so they remain unconscious of what is presented to the left eye. In the team’s first experiment, a threepart calculation was flashed to the left eye. This was immediately followed by one number being presented to both eyes, which the volunteer had to say as fast as possible. When the number was the same as the answer to the sum, people were quicker to announce it, suggesting that they had subconsciously worked out the answer, and

primed themselves with that number. In the second experiment, participants were subliminally shown a sensible or nonsensical sentence such as “I drank the coffee” or “I ironed the coffee”. The sentences were presented to the left eye until the people highlighted that they had become aware of any of the words in the sentence. People noticed words in sentences that didn’t make sense

In truth, we just don’t know. It may fail to catch on, but if it does, expect the unexpected. Users will find ways to employ these devices that confound their inventors, hopefully enriching the ways we connect with one another. Like all the best technologies, telepresence could make us more, not less, human.

more quickly than in those that did, which suggests that the sentences had been unconsciously processed. “You’re integrating information from lots of different places,” says Hassin. “People thought you needed consciousness for this.” “This study provides convincing evidence that people can perform complex rule-based operations unconsciously,” says François Ric at the University of Bordeaux, France. “This could change the way we think about how our brains work and what reason is.” Since arithmetic and reading might work at a level below conscious awareness, the study adds support to the idea that such reasoning may not be a uniquely human trait. “This is consistent with the idea of there being a continuum between animal and human reasoning,” says Ric.

Sunday, November 18, 2012

THE BELIZE TIMES

HAPPY GARIFUNA SETTLEMENT DAY! Boggling! Lets see how much Garifuna you know! Draw a line to match the Garifuna words to what they are in English! úguchuru (ú-gu-chu-ru)

sister

uguchili (u-gu-chi-li)

brother

Can you use the answers in the box to solve the crossword puzzle? Caribs West Joseph Chatoyer Thomas Vincent Ramos

grandmother father

A B A Y U B A D M P D U V F X A N A E J P E A U Y I O Q T N U I K D H Y L O Y T J I Q Z A J L R M U I T X A B P I E S O G L P U H G T U D J U L U Q P P N Y A L V A C A Z K Y X Z P Z A N E R E O H H T A F E J W W I W S T K B B A G J D D I I A F U N A H O U N T I U Y A N F R C U D S X X I D I D B D A R U H F M P H G L D T N X X H A G U G C J E T U W N Z Y T E L J G O I N B G U L P K Z A W

The Garinagu believe that it is important to honour and The Garinagu believe that it is important to honour and respect our ancestors. respect our ancestors. They have many ceremonies to honour their ancestors. many honour their ancestors. The wordsThey belowhave all tell aboutceremonies the ancestral to rites of the Garinagu, can you find circle them? The words below all tell about the ancestral rites of the Garinagu, can you find circle them?

HONOURING OUR ANCESTORS

Answers: Úguchuru – mother Uguchili - father Itu – sister Agütü - grandmother Áruguti – grandfather Íbiri – brother

G U B I D A B I A A M J N Z B

grandfather

C O U I D R U O D M I J B M O

íbiri (í-bi-ri)

mother

DUGU GAYUSA GUBIDA OWEHANI

áruguti (á-ru-gu-ti)

Across 4. He was a school teacher and leader who did his best to educate others about his culture and to protect it from disappearing. Who is he? Down 1. Who fought fiercely to stop European settlement and control of the lands in which the Garinagu were living? 2. Which group of Amerindians settled in St. Vincent? 3. The Garinagu are descendants of Caribs and Africans from __________ Africa.

ADUGAHATINYA

agütü (a-gü-tü)

CHUGU ADUGAHATINYA AFUNAHOUNTIUYA AMALIHANI DABUYABA AFUNAHOUNTIUYA AMUYADAHANI DUGU AMALIHANI BELURIA AMUYADAHANI BUYEIGAYUSA CHUGUGUBIDA BELURIA DABUYABA OWEHANI BUYEI

itu (i-tu)

Mini Crossword: Back in Time

THE BELIZE TIMES

Sunday, November 18, 2012

City Hall bruk…but Mayor gets 2013 Hilux Belize City, November 14, 2012 It is not a secret that City Hall is under extreme financial straits. The Council has fired employees, cut services, faltered in their financial obligations and proposed tax increases. The Mayor has tried, desperately, but unsuccessfully, to get a twenty million municipal bond to sail, which he says is the S.O.S. device needed in these stormy waters. Things looks very bleak and the Mayor and Council seem to be at the edge of a financial cliff. But the Mayor doesn’t seem to be in distress. Large sums of the Council’s money continue being spent with very little regard to financial planning and management. This week it was revealed that amidst the economic crunch and turmoil, the Council found money to purchase a new 2013 Toyota Hilux for the Mayor’s office. The $60,000 vehicle will be driven by Mayor Darrel Bradley. The Mayor couldn’t explain why he needed a new vehicle. Since elected in March, he has

THE BELIZE TIMES

UDP Tyranny! Belize City, November 13, 2012 The UDP’s promise of running a Government that is accountable and transparent must have been airbrushed heavily with Dean Barrow-style poetry, for in practice they have stood in the way of every

been utilizing his personal vehicle. But it wouldn’t take long before his demands exceeded what the residents could afford. It was expected that the job of a Mayor would be a full time responsibility. It hasn’t. Since March, Mayor Bradley has been giving the Council some of his time and attention, and the rest to his private law office. Residents have basically been paying a part time Mayor with absentee Councillors. Now, the Council will have to foot the bill for fuel, maintenance and repairs for the Mayor’s new luxury vehicle, as well as for his personal vehicle which continues displaying a City Council license plate.

real opportunity to let the Belizean people know about the spending of the nation’s finances. Their actions this week, which includes blatant opposition and aggressive sabotage of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chaired by PUP Deputy Leader and Cayo South Area Representative Hon. Julius Espat, shows the level they would go to keep the truth from Belizeans. The PAC is not a UDP-ruled fraternity house, where they bend rules as they see fit. It is a House of Representatives committee charged to provide important check and balance to the financial affairs of the country. The

The Makings of a Failed State? Continued from page 4 buddy to “Sister B”, Mr. Barrow’s sister and political strategist. The recent initiative by the Minister of National Security was very much applauded. The Minister, not to be outdone at the business conference by his boss, sold off his “ongoing” arbitrary “search and raid” as the quick solution to the problems in poverty-stricken areas, but it has already failed as the bungling CEO in the Ministry, an ex-military officer who appears as a misfit in public administration subsequently told the media not-sofast. A Statutory Instrument had to be signed and a notice printed in the Government Gazette before the move is implemented. Was this not a signal to the gangs to relocate with their paraphernalia for crime? It is just another band aid for what

has become a deep-seated cancerous growth which was exacerbated by the Prime Minister, who when in Opposition, made a call for civil disobedience. His government also continues to ignore Dr. Gayle’s study and subsequent reports that addressed the serious issues which are unraveling the social fabric of our society. This means that Mr. Barrow’s government, in less than five years, has created a recipe for disaster and towards Belize becoming a failed state. There is mounting evidence that Belize is in trouble - serious trouble and that this government is clueless. WHAT IS A FAILED STATE? It is a country whose government has lost control of its territory. A conspicuous indication of State failure is a breakdown in law and order

as it relates to personal security and the rule of law begins to disintegrate. A State that has political interference in the administration of Justice. A State with a fast-growing, poverty- strickened population. A State that cannot collect taxes and be responsible for its international debt. Associated with this is a drastic fall in GDP and where the national debt exceeds the value of goods and services (GDP) and where there is a staggering external debt. Another decline syndrome of becoming a failed State is one experiencing a drying up of foreign investments and an associated rise in unemployment. Belize is in crisis!

PAC has never functioned – the UDP has never shown interest in it. Now that the PUP has taken up the responsibility to set new trends and lead the charge, the UDP is standing in the way. Former Clerk of the National Assembly, Conrad Lewis, said the UDP’s actions through the Clerk and the UDP members of the Committee were a “threat to democracy in Belize”. Their tampering of the minutes of the meeting, and the audio recording is callous. In true UDP-style, the security forces are used to carry out their sinister actions. To ensure than the public did not have an opportunity to witness the proceedings of the meeting, the UDP instructed the Police to remove every member of the public. Attending were two elected Parliamentarians, Hon. Mike Espat and Hon. Oscar Requeña, and Krem Television media worker Yaya Marin-Coleman. Hon. Requeña described the incident as disrespectful, “I expected that the least that could have been done was that as an elected representative that the courtesy could have been extended for me to at least listen, and when the time was appropriate, for me to participate in the session. Once we were seated, the police detective came and said – “I am here under the instructions of the Clerk of the National Assembly, and I want you to know that you cannot remain in this meeting, as long as you are not a member of this committee.” Those were his exact words. This, of course, was followed by the Hon. John Saldivar, when he arrived. He was obviously upset, in my opinion, that we were present. And he said, ‘Well, I want to make you all know that no meeting is taking place with these people in here.” This is clearly and unquestionably tyranny under the UDP. How much will Belizeans take?

THE BELIZE TIMES

Sunday, November 18, 2012