Belize Times September 18, 2011

Sunday, September 18, 2011

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SUNDAY September 18, 2011

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THE BELIZE TIMES

Issue No. 4763

GOB Masterminds Butane Scam!

While UDPs hustle, Belizeans pay the price Belize City, September 14, 2011 The huge scam involving the sale of butane by companies who cheat consumers is now at a larger more frightening scale. It is even bigger than when the scandal was first exposed.

The scam is being officially sanctioned by the Barrow Administration, which is outrightly refusing to enforce a regulation that was signed over 200 days ago, to help protect consumers from being defrauded.

This lack of enforcement is allowing butane companies to continue their questionable practices, and could be

Continued on page 4

Not a single idea to solve the problem from Contreras

Rt. Hon. George Price recuperates Belize City, September 14, 2011 The nation got a rough scare today with the news that the Father of Nation and Leader Emeritus Rt. Hon. George Price had to be rushed to the hospital after an accident he suffered at home.

The BELIZE TIMES has learnt that Hon. Price fell while at home, and had to be hospitalised. This evening, Hon. Price’s family sent out a release explaining what exactly happened, and that message follows: “This morning the Rt. Hon. George Price had a fall. He was taken by ambulance to Belize Healthcare Partners

Continued on page 6

SEDI

SHAMES BELIZE See page 35

Rt. Hon. George C. Price

The multinational’s lobbyist, Saldivar

There is total chaos in the butane industry

Bomb threat

cancels Banco Atlántida/BSI meeting BELIZE CITY, Wednesday, September 14th, 2011

By Alton Humes It was reported to be the meeting to end all meetings: an afternoon closed-door meeting and discussion between Banco Atlántida and the Belize Sugar Industries Ltd (BSI). The plan was for Banco Atlántida to present their preliminary deal, worth hundreds of millions of dollars (in US currency), in hopes of convincing BSI workers to jump on their ‘bandwagon’ and cease the standoff to finance the ailing, cash-strapped, debt-ridden factory.

But someone, in an act that could be perceived as either highly cowardly or very smart, called in a bomb threat on the meeting’s notContinued on page 4

UDP Mayor John August bullies Taxi drivers San Ignacio, September 14, 2011

By Carla Bradley Seven taxi associations with a total of 160 members of Benque Viejo Del Carmen have united against the injustices of UDP Mayor of San Ignacio town, John August. On September 9th 2011 Gareth Murrilo, head of transport, recieved a letter from the office of Mayor August stating that the taxis now have a drop off and pick up point located on Riverside street in San ignacio and that they must enter through Buena

Continued on page 6

See page 15 UDP Mayor John August

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THE BELIZE TIMES

Sunday, September 18, 2011

From the ghetto streets

“Nothing will Change” Oscar Sabido accuses Mayor John August of constitutional rights violations September 14th, 2011 Mr. John August Jr. Mayor Santa Elena Town Council San Ignacio Dear Mr. August, We have seen your letter of September 8th, 2011 addressed to Mr. Gareth Murillo, Chief Transport Officer wherein you state that the Presidents of the San Ignacio Taxi Associations and yourself have agreed to implement measures which will address concerns of the taxi associations about Benque taxi drivers who operate in the twin towns and villages.

We have also seen the measures listed in your letter which you and the said Union Presidents have agreed to implement to restrain Benque taxi drivers from operating in the twin towns and villages.

The restrictions you state in your letter are as follows: 1. Benque taxi drivers will have designated pick-up and drop-off area on Riverside Street.

2. Benque taxi drivers will relocate from their current parking area by today September 14th, 2011.

3. Benque taxi drivers can only enter San Ignacio through a designated route i.e. Buena Vista street to Riverside Street and exit through Bullet Tree Road to Joseph Andrews Drive and back to the portion of the Western

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.”

Highway that leads to Benque Viejo.

I wish to categorically denounce this blatant and illegal action which purports to enforce restrictions which are firstly not based upon any valid regulation enacted and implemented by valid statutory Instrument in accordance with the provisions of the Town Council Act Chapter 87 Section 49 (1) & (3) and secondly are restrictions which even if properly enacted are violations of the protection of the right to work protected under section 15 of the Belize Constitution which states that “No person shall be denied the opportunity to gain his living by work which he freely chooses or accepts”.

We must also remind you that these restrictions may even be a violation of the protection of individuals from discrimination guaranteed under section 16 of the Belize Constitution for the reason that Benque taxi drivers are being meted out different and unequal treatment by persons in authority based on their place of origin being Benque Viejo.

We vehemently condemn your action and we are asking that you retract such restrictions and that you do not proceed to hinder any taxi driver from his right to move freely throughout the twin towns and villages or for that matter throughout Belize which is a right or freedom of movement protected by Section 10 of the Belize Constitution.

If these restrictions are not withdrawn immediately, action will be taken in the Supreme Court to have these purported restrictions declared discriminatory, illegal and violations of the fundamental rights and freedom of the Benque Viejo taxi drivers as protected under the provision of the Belize Constitution.

Yours faithfully, OSCAR SABIDO PUP CAYO WEST STANDARD BEARER

San Jose Village needs speed bumps!!

Dear Editor, San Jose is a village on the Northern Highway in the Orange Walk District that has a population of over 3,000 and is about two miles long. San Jose is adjacent to San Pablo, which extends for about a mile and has a population of 1,000. San Jose is a growing commu-

Continued on page 31

Dear Editor, As Belize has the worst reputation in the Caribbean with a high murder rate, I would want Belizeans to ask: who is to blame? You see back in 2008, when the U.D.P. government

Even UDPs are suffering Dear Mr. Editor, I am emailing this letter to your newspaper because the UDP is selfish. The UDP Ministers are only looking after themselves. Lots of UDPs are upset because Government has changed and life has not gotten better for them. It has gotten worse.

I am not with big international money coming in and taking over. I am with the local small man in business. Many Belizeans are missing the point.

Where the failure of this administration is the most painful is with all the local businesses shutting down: Juanitas, Belize Unit Trust, Independence Cigarettes, Crocland, Malic and HL’s.

The morgue of Belizean owned businesses is full. To my shock I was watching the Classifieds on Channel 5 when I saw that another well known Belizean grown business was apparently going belly up. The story is an all too familiar one since 2008. This is not political.

These are real lives, even real UDP lives.

The story of Hotel Mopan is a story of tragedy. That hotel was opened way back in May, 1973 by Jean U Shaw and her husband Thomas Shaw. Jean was a Belizean born entrepreneur who would later become a pioneer in the Tourism Industry.

In fact, she was very instrumental in establishing Tourism as an Industry for Belize. Jean was also the founding President of the Belize Tourism Industry Association.

If I remember right, Thomas ”Tommy” Shaw, the son, actually ran on a UDP City council ticket in 2008. The fact that his family business is now “for lease” is a shameful reflection of how bad things are in Belize. I remember having youth meetings at this hotel.

Now because of the failure of the government in the very same tourism industry, Mopan Hotel, could soon be no more.

Businesses like this employ many Belizeans. My aunt worked there for an extended time.

We have all the signs. Even UDPs are suffering. Only a few are eating. Not even crumbs are dropping. There is something very wrong with this UDP. Sincerely, F. W. Boiton Bzecruffy_97@gmail.com

got into power and the first criminal act occurred at Putt Putt Bar & Grill, right then the people of this country realized that they made the biggest mistake by putting in this waste of time crowd and even now the Belizean people are still regretting it.

With this U.D.P. government, you can expect the worst yet to come. Prime Minister Barrow, will things ever get better for us and not just for your family and cronies? In case you didn’t know that your time is almost up and you will soon be out of office.

We can hear the people of Belize crying out for help and justice, but in this country help and justice does not mean anything when it comes to this lawless Prime Minister. The way Belizeans are living today, it’s like there’s no tomorrow because in this country it’s all about surviving through Barrow’s hard times. That is why we find a lot of people living in poverty, with no solution and more corruption coming from the UDP government.

Everybody knows that Dean Barrow has nothing to change for the poor people but to give us more hell. The UDP doesn’t care about Belizeans, that’s why nothing has been down for the poor people of this country. Everything Barrow does is to benefit himself and his family and not the Belizean poor people.

Belizeans you know what to do come the next general election.

Vote them out! Till next week my Belizeans, the time will come soon.

Roberto Peyrefitte

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

STAFF REPORTER

Carla Bradley 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, September 18, 2011

THE BELIZE TIMES

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Father of the Nation Rt. HoNOURABLE GEORGE PRICE

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Continued from page 1

continuing the ripping off of Belizeans.

Earlier this year, when the Barrow Administration wanted to impose its inhuman anti-squatters policy on a group of residents who built small homes on Emmanuel Street, they sent a group of hired Ministry of Works’ thugs and armed Police to tear down homes and force an eviction. When the Barrow Administration wanted businesses to pay outstanding General Sales Taxes, they sent Police to look for the alleged culprits and ordered an immediate lockup.

When the Government rebuked a decision of the high court over who owns Belize Telemedia Limited, it sent Police and K9 dogs to strong arm the company. There are so many examples of the Barrow Administrative using force, at times excessive and illegal, to get its way. So why are they now refusing to force butane companies to abide by law, instead of allowing them to break the law that would protect consumers from a horrendous scam?

On February 21st, the inept Minister of Economic Development and Commerce, Erwin Contreras, signed into law a Statutory Instrument that

THE BELIZE TIMES

should have regulated the industry.

This came after a huge butane scam was exposed. The law read: “All suppliers of liquid petroleum gas are required to have a weighing instrument (a scale) at their place of business, and all motor vehicles used for delivery of LPG must also be equipped with a measuring instrument”. The regulation excited many, including UDP mouthpiece Channel 7 who boasted that “your butane company won’t be able to rip you off anymore because you’ll be able to check how much you’re getting on a scale - and that’s the law!” Not so, protection for consumers doesn’t exist under the UDP. Contreras should been open about his intentions of taking Belizeans for fools, because since then the law has

not been enforced, the UDP isn’t even budging to do so. Butane companies have continued to sell butane on property and their delivery trucks without the use of scales. Consumers continue losing out, and GOB doesn’t even care.

But the story doesn’t end there.

The recent shutdown of major players in the butane industry is a glaring slap to the face of the Barrow Administration, who is acting powerless before the butane companies. Not only have butane companies been breaking the law since February, but now they have shutdown business until they are granted a hike in prices. This has revealed how compromised Belmopan is, and exposes that because Ministers are personally and financially involved with some of the butane companies, the hands of the Government are tied.

And yet it gets more complex.

Three of the major butane industry players, Belize Western Energy Limited, Gas Tomza and Z Gas, are accusing the Government of making the field unlevel. Those companies claim that Government granted an increase to two smaller companies Belize Gas and Belize Western Gas Limited, while

Sunday, September 18, 2011 ignoring the others.

The three companies have issued a release claiming that because of Government’s unfairness, they have been forced to cease business in Belize, which has placed in jeopardy over 200 jobs and more than $10m in investment.

While those butane companies are playing hardball and crying foul, however, the BELIZE TIMES has confirmed that certain Government Ministers have seen it as an opportunity to “get in the game”. Minister of Public Service John Saldivar is a huge fan of Belize Natural Energy entering the butane industry, and had unsuccessfully lobbied for it. But now that the companies claim to be folding under pressure, this could pave the passage for Saldivar to seal his special deal with BNE. What all of this indicates is that some major hustling is going on in the UDP. The Government was never serious about regulation to benefit consumers. What has been its focus is finding a way to frustrate, divide and conquer to push its agenda of crony capitalism that will only benefit UDP friends and family.

Bomb threat cancels Banco Atlántida/BSI meeting

Continued from page 1 so-secret location: the Freetown Road, Belize City headquarters of the Atlantic Bank Ltd., a subsidiary of Grupo Atlántida.

The meeting was scheduled for 2pm. Outside of the Bank’s parking lot, BSI’s CEO Jose ‘Joey’ Montalvo along with BSI’s Financial Director Belizario Carballo and attorneyat-law and retained attorney to the Government of Belize, Mr. Michael Young, assembled until Private Sector Senator, and member of the Board of Directors of BSI, Godwin Hulse show up. They were joined by an entourage that included, surprisingly, the President of the Belize Workers Union Horris Patten and members.

The officials walked into the Bank but no sooner would stride right out, as around 2:30p.m., a bomb threat was reportedly called on the Atlantic Bank Ltd. building and all staff was immediately evacuated.

It is not clear who perpetrated the threatening call, but after two hours of blocking the street and combing the area, security authorities phone nothing deadly. Sources indicate that the threat was planned by the Government who is pro-Banco Atlantida, in an attempt to cast a negative light on cane farmers.

Cont

Sunday, September 18, 2011

THE BELIZE TIMES

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Belize @ 30, what is there to celebrate?

The Belize that attained Independence on September 21, 1981 for all intents and purposes has disappeared. We now have a new Belize - one that for the most part would be unrecognized by our fore fathers and one very difficult for them to live with. A Belize of officially-recognised gangs, increasing poverty, and crime and violence at a rate that is the highest in the region. A Belize with over thirty thousand of its young Belizeans locked out of the school system. A Belize still with an unaccredited university and an ailing health care system. A Belize where its traditional exports of sugar, citrus, and bananas are constantly under threat by outside market force. Yes, a Belize where the native Belizeans are replaced, not only by those increasing their dominance in business and politics, but also in official posts such as the Chief Justice, Solicitor General, Chief Magistrate, Director of Public Prosecutions, Legal Aid, University of Belize President, and Commissioner of Chief.

Unlike some of its Caribbean neighbors, Belize had moved significantly forward and then lost immense ground in some critical areas, such as Education which was a priority under the former PUP Administration. Today, despite another year of increased budget, our students’ results in the Primary School Examination is bleak. The results in Math and Science are poor, and they get even weaker in English. Education is not an attainable goal for many, as there is insufficient space at schools or the cost is way too high. Is it too much to make free education a reality? Can we not afford it with the hundreds of millions made in profits from our own natural resource in Spanish Lookout and those yet undiscovered? The real issues in the education sector are being ignored today, and the sad results will be seen tomorrow.

In the area of healthcare, Belize has gone backward, way backward. Today, we still hear of unaffordable health care, lack of access to hospitals and basic medication. Countless have been the incidences where young mothers lose their babies due to negligence in public hospitals. We don’t even have an adequate morgue to respect the dead. The National Health Care Policy, a model health care system pursued by the PUP, has been dismantled and shelved by this Barrow Administration. No National Health Insurance which was aimed at helping the poor. No health reform to modernize the services and practices in the health sector.

On the subject of crime and violence, our elected leaders are guilty of mass murder. With the murder rate nearing 100 only nine months into the year, this has been the greatest failure. The violent crime that has overtaken the streets is an indication of the lack of security, safety and protection of citizens, the loss of respect for law and order, the inability to come up with rational and practical measures, the inability to accept that old tricks must be replaced with new and fresh, but viable ideas. That the murder rate continues to rise yet our highest leader continues to play the same old games is telling of their commitment to our people. Our elected leaders have turned away from tackling the root causes of crime, and have actually worsened conditions. Poverty stands at 43% today.

As if to compound society’s problems, the application of justice is but weak and unequal. There is heavy political interference in the Court, a Prosecution Branch in need of training and the forensic lab which the Prime Minister promised was easy to deliver back in 2008, a DPP office that has a 5% conviction rate.

The strides the PUP made in arts and culture have been on the reverse. Ask any artist, and he/she’ll tell you that they don’t see the same kind of political will and commitment. They are no longer priority.

As we celebrate Belize’s 30th Independence Anniversary, the Guatemalan threat to our territorial integrity remain real with little indication that our leaders can take pragmatic steps towards a solution.

There is no doubt that Belize was on the road to being better. But those gains achieved by Belizeans have been easily lost by this Barrow administration, who in the past 3 ½ years have been more focused on eroding the rights of Belizeans to make it more difficult for citizens to defend themselves. Meanwhile, political cronies benefit immensely with special and lucrative appointments and positions, in the public sector and the recently acquired private companies.

Today, while Belizeans grapple with crime, poverty, unaffordable education and a lack of health access, the Prime Minister and his family is better off than they were three years ago when in Opposition. The Prime Minister’s Law Firm and Law Firm partner have big interests in oil companies, his ex-wife sits on the Social Security and BTL boards, his brother sits on the Atlantic Bank board that is devising the re-privatization of BSI instead of nationalizing, and placing in the hands of farmers. It’s crony capitalism all over.

Belize, as warned by the Jamaica Gleaner editorial, is heading the slippery road. As we celebrate our Independence anniversary, we call for a renewed Belize – renewed values that drove our Leader Emeritus to achieve Independence, renewed principles that protect our rights and freedoms, and a change of the political leadership that is the only solution to win the fight for the love of country, this jewel – this country – this BELIZE.

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UDP Mayor John August bullies Taxi drivers Continued from page 1 Vista Street and exit San Ignacio using Bullet Tree road to St Andrews street and unto the western highway.

The members of these associations are highly angered as allegedly only three months ago, the Mayor of San Ignacio along with Minister Erwin Contreras and the Mayor of Benque Viejo decided to allow the Benque taxi operators to operate in San Ignacio from a privately owned land. After recieving this letter, the taxi members approached the Mayor of Benque Viejo for assistance but were fruitless as he allegedly only offered that they seek legal aid.

On September 14, Benque taxi drivers were forced to let out their passengers on the roadside, as the transport officers stopped and informed them that were no longer allowed to travel on roads not specified in the letter sent last week. As a result of this, two taxi drivers were taken into custody by San Ignacio Police but later released.

The members of these seven associations are asking for intervention by both Minister Erwin Contreras, as he had agreed three months ago to allow Benque Taxi drivers in San Ignacio, and Minister of Transport, Hon. Melvin Hulse who portfolio these situations fall under.

A cab fair from Benque to San Ignacio is only three dollars which students both from Benque and Melchor are pleased with as they get to school at a resonable price. The residents of Benque also are angered because it is their livelihoods that are being placed at risk.

As for Benque commuters, now they will have to pay 2 cab fares to get to their final destination unless they decide to walk.

Rt. Hon. George Price recuperates Continued from page 1 as a precautionary measure. Doctors determined that he needed surgery because of the fall. He pulled through without any complications, and is resting.

Family and close friends have visited with him. We ask all Belizeans to say a short prayer for the Father of the Nation as he recovers. Thank you.”

The BELIZE TIMES urges Belizeans to keep the Rt. Hon. George Price in your prayers. Mr. Price, who was is 92 years old, is someone that must be treasured for his great service to the people of Belize.

THE BELIZE TIMES

Sunday, September 18, 2011

CWU clashes with SSB over employees salary/benefits Belize City, Wednesday, 14, 2011 There is another stalemate in the negotiations between the Social Security Board and the Christian Workers Union over the salaries and benefits for the SSB’s employees. Today the CWU President, Antonio Gonzalez, fired off a press release after he concluded that the SSB has “derailed the process of negotiations” by using tactics.

The last such action was a letter addressed its employees in which the SSB presented a number of proposals directly to its employees. The CWU did not take this lightly, accusing the SSB of trying to divide and conquer and of essentially violating the negotiation process.

Gonzalez says that SSB’s proposal has caused friction between

While the SSB CEO enjoys all the perks, employees are given no interest

the members because some will get better benefits than others because of the offer. Since 2008, the CWU has been trying to get salary and benefits increases for the employees for the years 2008, 2009, and 2010.

Today, SSB employee and Chief Union Representative, Carmen Reneau, accompanied by the employees’ team of representatives, said that on

September 9th, all the employees received individual letters stating what the Board was offering them and that the employees should indicate by Thursday, September 15th, whether they accept the proprosals or not. This, according to Antonio Gonzalez, was done without the Union’s knowledge.

The public will recall the inconvenience suffered when on February 14th, the majority of the Board’s employees engaged in a “sickout”. This was done on the busiest day of the month, when employees’ contributions are normally forwarded to the Board’s offices by employers in order to meet the deadline.

While these divide and conquer tactics take place, SSB CEO Merlene Bailey-Martinez is conveniently out of the country. Martinez has reportedly not favoured any increase in benefits for workers.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

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THE BELIZE TIMES

FROM THE DESK OF THE

PARTY LEADER

Building a Nation – A Task for Heroes We are at that point in our National Celebrations when the country honours those who have contributed to the development of our nation.

I have always appreciated the Tribute to Belizean Patriots, for it is an occasion when we recognize the good work of our people in the on-going task of nation building.

Our National Hero and Father of the Nation, George Price, is of course the most recognized and decorated of our heroes. Most deserving of the highest award our country can bestow on any Belizean, Mr. Price never considered himself as anything more than a worker. His awards and recognition were not won because of fancy speeches and pretty words; they were earned as a result of his hard work. That is why today every Belizean appreciates Mr. Price and we are all grateful for his contribution.

As we get ready to bring in the 30th Anniversary of our Independence, we give thanks for all our heroes, those brave men and women who never gave up on the work of nation building. We are inspired by their contribution and dedication to Belize. We need, each day, to try to be more like them and to continue the good work which they started.

While the changing times bring us new and different challenges, the discipline and dedication to the task at hand hasn’t changed. The mission of building Belize is far from over and this is no easy work.

Those who crave leadership must be prepared for hard work and dedication, for if you are not willing to make the sacrifices like Mr. Price and those other heroes, you will surely fail at the task of leadership.

It is no wonder that in three short years our country has gone backwards instead of forward. When the PUP left office in February 2008, unemployment was in the single digit. Currently, unemployment is at an alarming 23 percent. Providing the enabling climate for job creation requires a special effort on the part of a government and clearly this UDP government is not up to such a task. Making matters worse is the hostile relationship that currently exists between the Prime Minister and the Business Community. So instead of an effective partnership, there is resentment and rancour between the business community and the government. It will take hard work and understanding to rebuild the relationship between the private sector and government.

The violence that is destroying our young people and putting at risk the future of our nation is another task that requires hard work and dedication. One will not bring about an end to gang violence with a meeting with gang leaders. This kind of task requires a firm hand along with the chance for our at risk young people to lift themselves up from the desperation they experience in their daily lives. This kind of work demands discipline, determination and hard work on the part of the government, something very lacking in this Dean Barrow Administration.

Now more than ever we need heroic efforts if we are to reverse this trend that is causing more and more Belizeans to fall deeper and deeper into poverty. Too many of our people are poor and suffering and we cannot give up hope that they can live more dignified lives. Because we believe that poverty is the enemy of the people, the PUP when in government instituted the NHI programme, this is why we created Social Security and why we built most of the schools that exist in Belize today. We know that these institutions are necessary if we will eliminate poverty from our nation and that is why, as your new government, we will strengthen these institutions and build new ones that will help us reverse the negative trend that is causing too many of our people to live a life of poverty.

So as we honour a new group of Belizeans on the occasion of our 30th Anniversary of Independence, let us all remember that the task ahead for each of us is one that requires hard work and persistence.

Let us try to be more like those before us who dedicated themselves to that important task of building a nation where we can live in peace and prosperity.

Under Barrow & the UDP: UNEMPLOYMENT is 24% POVERTY is 43% GST was raised to 12.5% COST OF LIVING is the HIGHEST EVER NO SALARY INCREASE for Teachers, Police, Nurses FUEL PRICES are almost $12.00 NO NHI ROLLOUT School FEES have INCREASED Sugar is NOT available BUSINESSES ARE SHUTTING DOWN INFRASTRUCTURE IS WORSE NO KENDALL BRIDGE MORE PAIN & SORROW

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THE BELIZE TIMES

Political Malpractice Was UDP CitCo candidate negligent in his duties?

Belize City, September 14, 2011 The savagery and sociopathic hate for women that consumed Elston Young is a story all in itself. In fact how this vicious and unquenchable abuser slipped through the Prison Parole Board clearly without rehabilitation, will forever be a national mystery. As neighbors recounted the open and focused fury of this serial abuser, thoughts of the failures and delinquency of our society flood into our thoughts. Young as we recall in January 2006 pled guilty to attempted murder but it was rejected by the Court who later finally accepted a guilty plea to the minimalist charge of Use of deadly means of harm.

The facts of that 2006 jealous attack on his then common law wife, Lorna Wade, was chilling quite easily the material capable of scripting a late night horror movie. Yet, Young was given a short vacation of five years for maiming, terrorizing and disfiguring Wade.

Shortly before midnight on June 4, 2004, Young broke into Wade’s home on Gabourel Lane. Wade was beaten so badly that after the attack with a two by four her skull was left exposed. In a strike of poetic justice while Young was stabbing his latest victim, Yvonne Smith outside their Mahogany Heights residence, vigilant neighbors used what is described as a two by four to inflict injuries, to the enraged Young.

Reports are that Young ended dying in Police custody. After some thirty six hours Police in Mahogany Heights took him into custody at 6:45 am pending charges of attempted murder. Official records are that he was taken to Hattieville and then Belize City. The police were concerned about Young’s health and as a result sent him to the Karl Huesner Memorial Hospital. This is where the real story begins.

Some media houses have tried to hide the next series of mishaps because it was reported that Young was seen by “a doctor”. That doctor cleared him to return to police lock up and sent him back with police. Yet witnesses say he died less than an hour later at 10:20 am, right outside the Queen Street Station.

The story is a question of medical negligence and a story which is all too familiar to the patrons of the public health care facility. But the walls of KHMH did not misdiagnose or negligently release Young, it was a doctor.

In this case the real story was delivered to us by Police Press Officer Fritzroy Yearwood. According to Yearwood the Doctor responsible was none other than Dr. Gonzalez: “… he was seen

by Dr. Gonzalez who treated him and classified his injury as wounded and release him back into police custody.”

The BELIZE TIMES made confirming checks at the KHMH for the “Dr. Gonzalez” and information coming out of the institution finger UDP City Council Candidate Alain Gonzalez. Now, what quality of doctor gives a patient an all clear and thereafter an hour later the patient drops dead? We spoke to a few other medical practitioners who told us that this might be a blatant case for a lawsuit. The other senior doctors explained that after collecting the patient history and making some stan-

Is Alain Gonzalez guilty of malpractice?

dard tests, a patient with head trauma is normally submitted for a Computerized Axial Tomography or as is more commonly known by its abbreviated names, CT scan or CAT scan.

How can this man who last tried to get political mileage for no other

reason than his certificate as a doctor, be involved in something like this?

Remember Gonzalez stuttered to tell us: “A lot of people complain about the drains, streets, the garbage being pick up or not being pick up on time and I think I as a doctor who knows the health hazards that these things might cause”. This man after being trained for around six years allegedly failed to properly treat a single patient, tell us how can we even seriously consider him to avoid political malpractice when he has received zero years of training in that field.

When asking around about the UDP Candidate and doctor, we were surprised to learn from a few of his peers in the medical fraternity that none would consider Dr. Gonzalez to be named as a luminary or a top profes-

Sunday, September 18, 2011

sional. None of his colleagues BELIZE TIMES spoke to were particularly impressed with him and were surprised that he would be so unadvisedly ambitious to move into the brain surgery that is Belizean politics.

The deference given to real doctors is sometimes abused by their helplessly incompetent colleagues who hide in the clutter of the pack. Highlighting the inadequacies of medics was almost taboo in years gone by because most Belizeans know that we may end up needing a good one someday or that we still have an unpaid bill at the front desk of KHMH. But when a doctor crawls over to the arena of politics and takes off his scrubs we need to know what is between those stethoscopes.

In this case, Belize is tired of empty resumes, for crying out loud we had the queen duos of empty credentials with Zenada and Philloughby. No more.

Gonzalez needs to take some time to weigh his omissions and failures. Belize City does not need any more politicians who are overdosed on the glitter and anorexic on the substance.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

THE BELIZE TIMES

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Notorious Michael “Ham” Young killed during armed robbery Family claims police murdered him Wednesday September 7, 2011 Notorious street figure, Michael “Ham” Young, 27, is dead after he was shot at least three times, and his family says they believe he was murdered by police, with whom he had many run-ins before.

Ham, a resident of Hattieville, was killed during a robbery just before closing time at nine on Saturday night at Hong Li Supermarket on Trinity Boulevard in the City of Belmopan. The owner of the supermarket, Hong Ye Li, told police that he was outside the store washing buckets under a pipe when three men entered.

Two of the men were armed, one who wore a mask had a gun, and another bore a knife. One of them grabbed Li from behind while the other walked inside and declared that it was a robbery.

The robbers helped themselves to over $2,000 in cash, a boledo computer, and two cellular phones. At the sight of this, a store-helper, who was sitting on a crate inside rushed towards the warehouse at the back. Once inside the warehouse, she told the man’s wife, Xiau Hua Li, that the store was being robbed.

Together they locked themselves inside the warehouse as the commotion ensued at the front. In the process, the shopkeeper reported hearing five gunshots and then there was silence.

Several minutes after, the store helper said she went to the front to see what had occurred and saw all the small change strewn over the floor. Luckily, there were no customers inside the business at the time. Hong Ye Li was unharmed but a little shaken. He had pulled his weapon and fired at one of the robbers after the armed thief opened fire on him as they fled. But while two of the robbers fled with the loot, the gunman, who police say was Young, did not reach far. He was struck in both legs and one of the bullets shattered his right knee, disabling him from escaping. Young also suffered the fatal bullet wound, which caught him behind the left ear.

The family questions the police report because they claim that people near to where the incident happened told them that the police apprehended Young as he was fleeing the scene and handcuffed him and took him away. Young’s stepmother said that the family found his body a long distance away from the store. His body also reportedly had a bullet wound to the chest – a wound that police never mentioned in their press release. Young’s stepmother also alleges that she was denied access into the morgue to witness the post mortem examination.

The other two robbers, who are said to be from Belize City, have not been caught.

THE BELIZE TIMES

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Satan gets 6yrs for Firearm, Ammo & Handling Stolen Goods

Wilton Usher BELIZE CITY, Wed. Sept. 14, 2011

By Roy Davis Wilton Usher, 33, a.k.a. “Satan”, a resident of Racecourse Street, was found guilty of firearm and ammunition offences and handling stolen goods when his trial concluded yesterday in the #8 Magistrate’s Court.

Usher was sentenced to 2

years for each count. But Magistrate Emmerson Banner, who imposed the sentences stipulated that the sentences for the firearm and ammunition should run concurrently to each other and consecutive to the sentence for handling stolen goods. So Usher will serve 4 years.

The charges arose from a case of aggravated burglary which occurred on January 22, 2010, at the residence of Judith Williamson, located in the Lake Garden of Ladyville.

Williamson reported to the police that while she and her family were at home three men entered, one of them armed with a pistol. She said the gunman held them up at gunpoint while the other two men stole a quantity of items that included one Toshiba Laptop computer, one Guess hand bag and purse, one Apple Ipod, one Verizon cell phone, one AT and T cell phone; 2 Nokia cell

phone, 2 wrist watch, 2 digital cameras, $561 and a jewelry box containing an assortment of jewelry.

Shortly after the aggravated burglary, the police apprehended Usher at the junction of Northern Highway and Lord’s Bank Road. Usher had a .25 automatic pistol with one round of ammunition and some of the items that were stolen from Williamson.

Usher was not charged with aggravated burglary because Williamson told police that neither she nor other members of her family could identify the culprits because they had handkerchiefs over their faces.

Usher testified and denied he committed the offences. He said he was at the junction of the Northern Highway and Lord’s Bank Road waiting for a friend who had sent him to pick up something from a Chinese shop.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

THE BELIZE TIMES

Jermaine Belgrave now faces Murder charge BELIZE CITY, Wed. Sept. 14, 2011 A charge of attempted murder against Jermaine Belgrave, 31, was upgraded to murder yesterday in the #1 Magistrate’s Court. No plea was taken because the offence is indictable.

Chief Magistrate Margaret McKenzie remanded him into custody until September 22.

Belgrave was charged with the attempted murder of Cleo Robinson, a.k.a “Sick Bitch”, who was shot in his back and abdomen on February 21, 2010.

Belgrave was also charged with dangerous harm and use of deadly means of harm.

The charge was upgraded after Robinson succumbed to his injuries on

Jermaine Belgrave June 30, 2011.

Robinson had reported to the police that he was riding his beach cruiser bicycle on Glenn Street when he was shot.

GST takes Attorney Lionel Welch to Court BELIZE CITY, Wed. Sept. 14, 2011

By Roy Davis A bench warrant was ordered yesterday for attorney Lionel Welch when he failed to appear in the #2 Magistrate’s Court for trial for 48 counts of failing to file returns to general Sales Tax from January 2007 to January 211, a period of 4 years.

According to reports, the warrant was made out, but it was not signed so it was not executed.

Welch was arraigned on the charges on July 5 and he had pled not guilty. His case has been further adjourned until October 11.

In a case of strict liability Welch is accused of failing to file returns for each month for 4 years for the

Lionel Welch services he provides at his law firm.

If convicted, Welch faces a minimum fine of $500 for each count which would amount to $24,000.

Yesterday Welch commented by saying that he foolishly spent his money on football.

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Sunday, September 18, 2011

BELIZE'S #1 SPORTS PAGE

THE BELIZE TIMES

Team Belize in San Salvador

San Salvador, September 12, 2011 The Sadie Vernon Technical High School boys’ basketball team won the silver medal at the XVI Central American Junior Scholastic Games (CODICADER) held in San Salvador from September 4-13.

The Sadie Vernon boys were riding the crest of a wave of five wins having defeated Nicaragua, Panama, Guatemala, Honduras and Costa Rica until they met and lost to the hosts of the Colegio EXSAL in their sixth and final game of the tournament at the Adolpho Pineda National stadium on Tuesday afternoon, September 13.

With baskets by Winston Reynolds, Brian White and Devin Daly, the Belize boys led by seven points at the end of the first quarter. But some questionable calls by the referees soon saw Devin Daly with four personal fouls and the coach was forced to bench him. Without this mainstay of the team in the game, the Salvadorans managed to take over the lead 31-30 at the half. Brian White, Akeem Watters, and Winston Reynolds kept the Belize boys in the game until Daly returned to play in the 4th quarter and Belize regained the lead 66-65 with only 40 seconds left on the clock.

Then the referee called a technical foul against Belize, Salvador scored and got possession of the ball and ran down the clock to secure the win.

Other games: Belize vs. Nicaragua – 100-65

Sadie Vernon boys win silver in San Salvador

Akeem Watters goes for a dunk

Alejandro Baptist scored 14 points

Top scorers: Devin Daly 34pts, Brian White 19pts, Roderick Williams 17pts, Lincy Lopez/Winston Reynolds 9pts

Belize vs. Panama – 116-59

Top scorers: Brian White 33pts, Devin Daly 25 pts, Dion Roches 15 pts, Roderick Williams/Alejandro Baptist 14pts

Belize vs. Guatemala – 83-51

Top scorers: Devin Daly 21pts, Alejandro Baptist 11pts, Roderick Williams/Akeem Watters 9pts

Belize vs. Honduras – 107-62

Top scorers: Devin Daly 21pts, Akeem Watters/Brian White 17pts, Winston Reynolds 11pts, Deon Roches 8pts

Belize vs. Costa Rica – 91-59

Top scorers: Winston Reynolds 25 pts, Dion Roches 18 pts, Devin Daly/Brian White 16 pts, Lincy Lopez 8pts

What’s next for Belize’s National Team?

Belize City, September 11, 2011 After defeating Grenada 3-0 and losing to Guatemala 2-1 last week Tuesday, September 6th, the Belize National A Team is now preparing for return matches to be played next month in the second round of World Cup qualifier games.

The return matches will be played against Grenada on October 7th and Guatemala on October 11th. Another game, this time against St. Vincent, is scheduled for November 11th, and the return match on November 15th.

Belize National A Team

Sunday, September 18, 2011

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BELIZE'S #1 SPORTS PAGE

Clash of the titans

CYDP vs. Bulldogs, head to final Game 5 Belize City, September 9, 2011 The Conscious Youth Development Programme upset the Belize Bank Bulldogs 7452 in Game 4 of the Belize City interoffice basketball championship finals at the Belize City Center on Friday, September 9.

C.Y.D.P. led from the getgo with Marcel Orosco scoring 17 points and 11 rebounds to lead 22-14 at the end of the 1st quarter. Jacob “Snake” Leslie added 16 points and 11 boards to lead 42-22 at the half. Andrew “Head”

Nazarene High girls win silver in San Salvador

San Cas beats Rising Stars in exhibition game

What’s next for Belize’s National Team?

Belize is in Group E, and here are the standings: Guatemala – 6 points Belize – 3 points Grenada – 0 points St. Vincent and the Grenadines – 0 points Top goal scorers: P. Buyers (Antigua and Barbuda) – 5 Goals D. McCaulay (Belize) – 3 Goals J. Alexandre (Haiti) – 2 Goals L. Anaya (El Salvador) – 2 C. Bautista (El Salvador) - 2

San Salvador, September 12, 2011 The Nazarene High School softball girls won the silver medal at the XVI Central American junior Scholastic

Games (CODICADER) held in San Salvador, with a 3 wins, 1 loss record.

The Belize girls lost their opening game 5-19 to the hosts, the girls of In-

Horse Racing in Burrell Boom Burrell Boom, September 12, 2011

By Ladrick Shepard Horse racing took place at the Castleton Race Track in Burrell Boom Village September 11th, 2011. Here are the results 4 furlong 1st place - Brown Sugar, Jockey Cris Tillett 2nd place – Flaco, Jockey, Earl Budd 3rd place – Pick U Spot, Emory Baptist 4th place – Sexy Chocolate, Alesandro Rodriguez 4 Furlong 1st place – Cherrys Bomb, Jockey Cris Tillett 2nd place – Julian, Jockey Emory Baptist 3rd place – Caribbean Surprise, Jockey Earl Budd 4th place – Chispa, Jockey Anthony Barkley 4 Furlong 1st place – Foxy Ruler, Jockey Erick Martinez 2nd place – De ja vu, Jockey Enrique Ramirez 5 Furlong 1st place – Lady Caviar, Jockey Erick Martinez 2nd place – Buster, Jockey Cris Tillett 3rd place – Twinkle Twinkle, Jockey Alesandro Rodriguez 6 Furlong 1st – For a Few $$$$ More, Jockey Erick Martinez 2nd – Wild Kiss, Jockey Earl Budd 3rd – Fancy D, Jockey Enrique Martinez 4th – Import Master, Jockey Emory Baptist 6 Furlong 1st place – Dawn, Jockey Emory Baptist 2nd place – D Star, Jockey Anthony Baptist 3rd place – One More for Britt, Jockey Erick Martinez 4th place – Blessed Kid, Jockey Earl Budd 5th place – Run Man Run, Jockey Cris Tillett 6th place – Obama, Jockey Alesandro Rodriguez 8 Furlong 1st place – Perfect Storm, Jockey Earl Budd 2nd place – Victoria’s Princess, Jockey Anthony Barkley

stituto Santa Cruz which sullied their chances for the gold.

The undefeated Salvadoran girls won the gold medal with a 4-0 record, while Salvador’s pitcher Karla Sermeno won the award for Picher with the most wins at the award ceremony following the final game in which Salvador won 9-7 over Guatemala. Guatemala’s Sharon Castro won the wards for Most effective pitcher and for the Most Strikeouts -16. Salvador’s Tanya Andrea Murillo won the award for Best batting average: 0.806 and Diana Alejandra Rivas had the most RBI’s -12.

Belize’s games: Belize vs. Guatemala (D.I.G.E.F.) – 13-4 by mercy rule

Nazarene girls won silver

Belize City, September 10, 2011 The interoffice game 4 was preceded by an exhibition in the Under-14 category between the San Cas and Rising Stars.

The Rising Stars led 1513 in the first quarter, but Andrew Vasquez’s 14 points and Dmitri Fabro’s 12 points gave San Cas a 30-21 lead at the half.

San Cas extended the lead to 45-27 by the end of the 3rd quarter, and held on to the lead for the 52-46 win.

Shaquille’s Crawford scored 22 points in the game.

Staine added 11 points and 2 boards and with Jermaine “Gumbi” Tillett’s 7 points, 5 boards, as C.Y.D.P. led 53-36 at the end of the 3rd quarter.

Rupert Brown had kept the Bulldogs in the game with 18 pts, and Kachief Thomas had added 9 pts 10 boards.

Despite Bulldogs’ offensive attempts, CYDP stood their ground and maintain the lead throughout the third quarter. The game ended 72-54, in a blowout fashion.

Game 5 of the finals now comes up on Friday, September 16.

Belize vs. Panama (Instituto Urraga) – 13-2 by mercy rule Belize vs. Nicaragua - 17-7, mercy rule

Sacred Heart girls beat Nicaragua, but lost overall

Irma Noriega scored Sacred Heart’s 1st & 3rd goals San Salvador, September 11, 2011 After four successive losses, the Sacred Heart girls tasted sweet victory 3-2 over the Nicaraguan girls as they competed in the XVI CODICADER Central American Junior Scholastic Games in San Salvador.

Irma Noriega delighted the Belizean fans who made it to the games when she blasted in the first goal past goalkeeper Nicaraguan goalkeeper, Aura Rodriguez. Natasha Tillett soon followed suite with a second goal and Iram Noriega returned to embarrass Rodriguez with a third goal for 3-0 at intermission.

In the second half a defensive error cost them a free kick. Nicarguan defender Claudia Maciel launched a long lob almost from midfield, but Sacred Heart’s goalkeeper Lucelli Cante misjudged the flight of the ball which floated in just under the crossbar and fell behind her into the back of the net.

The Nicaraguan girls now pressed for second goal, which came when Aneilka Indira Zelaya recovered a rebound in the goal area and blasted it into the net. The Nicas pressed for the equalizer, but the Sacred Heart girls held on to their 3-2 win until the final whistle.

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BELIZE'S #1 SPORTS PAGE

CCC plays competitively

in XVI CODICADER Games Belize City, September 11, 2011 The boys of Corozal Community College represented the jewel in the male competition of the XVI CODICADER Central American Junior Scholastic Games, and lost 8-0 to El Salvador in their opening game, and 5-0 to the boys of Costa Rica’s Liceo Cariari.

Their next three games were more competitive, but they again suffered heartbreaker losses of only one goal to Panama, Guatemala and Nicaragua.

Denis Charley scored the C.C.C. boys’ first goal against Panama, and the C.C.C. boys led 1-0 at intermission. The Panamanians turned things around scoring three goals in the second half to lead 3-1, before Highking Roberts scored a second goal for C.C.C. in the 2-3 loss.

Romario Williams and Denis Charley led the CCC offensive against Guatemala last Thursday, September 8, with the help of Wilfredo Lopez, Einier Figueroa, Jesusito Williams and Darwin Ku. The Guatemalans were scoreless the entire first half and for 20 minutes

of the second half, until the Guatemalans scored their only goal for a 1-0 win.

The C.C.C. boys lost another 3-2 heartbreaker to Nicaragua on Sunday, when Juan Vanegas Ampie scored the Nicaraguans first goal and Alvaro Ampie Miranda added a second goal to lead 2-0 at intermission.

Wilfredo put CCC on the scoreboard in the second half and they trailed 1-2 until Alvaro Ampie scored a third goal for Nicaragua who were leading 3-1, until Denis Charley scored C.C.C.’s second goal, but they were unable to equalize before the long whistle.

The C.C.C. boys lost 2-8 in their final outing against Honduras on Tuesday, September 12, with Romario Williams and Einier Figueroa scoring two consolation goals for C.C.C. Despite the lack of a single victory, the CCC boys had done well in that they held their own, and suffered no blow-out losses, such as the 21-0, 18-0, and 12-0 losses that our high school teams had suffered in previous years of CODICADER competition.

CCC’s Denis CharleyRising scored 2 goals Stars

CCC’s Einer Rising Figueroa Stars

Sunday, September 18, 2011

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THE BELIZE TIMES BELIZETIMES SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 18, 2011 see full color at www.belizetimes.bz or Facebook/ Belize Times

This Week’s Sunday, September 18, 2011

TOP MODEL

E-NEWS

TERRYLGODOY “Reggae BUS”

www.facebook.com/ Terryl Edward Godoy

WOMANPOWER!

In what is expected to be a big treat, not one but five female artistes: Alaine, Tanya Stephens, Ce’Cile, Lady Saw and Queen Ifrica will join some of the Federation’s top female divas in a concert dubbed ‘Stitch in Time’ to honor women.

The concert is being held on October 28 in St. Kitts in honor of the women of the island nation. The name of the concert “Stitch In Time” is derived from the ‘Stitch in Time’ song which was dedicated to the fight to end violence against women.

Each of the international artistes will perform for no less than one hour.

Gyptian

investigated for shooting incident

Reggae superstar, Gyptian, has turned themselves in to local Jamaican authorities, facing questioning regarding a fatal shooting that occurred on Monday night.

The shooting took place at the recording studio of well-renowned Dancehall producer, Steven “Supa Hype” Davis in St. Andrew.

Reportedly, the shooting happened as a result of an argument between Gyptian & DJ Frass; a dispute over a track that the “Hold Yuh” singer voiced on Frass’ Riddim. The dispute became increasingly intense; prompting Frass to leave the studio and return moments later, accompanied by several men.

Allegedly, Frass & the men proceeded to drape Gyptian and grab him by the waist and one of the men appeared to be reaching for his waist to draw a weapon. When that took place, a group of armed men then entered the recording studio; opening fire and fatally hitting a 27 year old man multiple times.

Bianca

• • • •

Attended St. John’s College Career Plan: Entreprenuer Sign: Virgo Favourite Food: Italian

• Likes: Modeling, Reading, Working Out, Outdoors, Traveling

• Lives in Belize City • Fav. Quote: “What dreams may come”

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THE BELIZE TIMES

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Views on the 9th Amendment Why I Cannot Support the Ninth Amendment

The 9th Amendment Bill Proposed by Ivan Frank Roberts J.P.

Statement by Jaime Briceño at 9th Constitutional Amendment Bill consultation held in Orange Walk Town On July 4, 1776 thirteen colonies of Great Britain declared their independence. In their Declaration of Independence they made what was then an extraordinary statement, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

More than two centuries later, as Belizeans were drafting our very own Constitution in preparation for our Independence I have no doubt that they were informed with these words and knew full well what these words meant. And so they crafted this Constitution so that Belizeans would be similarly endowed with certain inalienable rights, that no government upon this land would be able to take away. Section 2 of the Constitution of Belize reads thus • “(2) This Constitution is the supreme law of Belize and if any other law is inconsistent with this Constitution that other law shall, to the extent of the inconsistency, be void.”

This means that no government at any time can ever pass any law that is inconsistent with the Constitution and the rights and freedoms it guarantees every Belizean. And to underscore this point, the framers of our Constitution immediately introduced Part II Protection of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms defining some of these very rights and freedoms: • “(a) life, liberty, security of the person, and the protection of the law; • (b) freedom of conscience, of expression and of assembly and association; • (c) protection for his family life, his personal privacy, the privacy of his home and other property and recognition of his human dignity; and • (d) protection from arbitrary deprivation of property,” These are some of our inalienable rights, these are some of the rights that no government can legislate away. The Ninth Amendment, by removing the power of the Courts to strike down any new law (that other law) that a government enacts so long as it observes the procedures set out in section 69, will allow any government to threaten these very fundamental rights and freedoms. That Mr. Chairman is too much power to give to any government. That, Mr. Chairman is opening the door for any government, be it this one or one in the future, to deprive us of our inalienable rights. That, Mr. Chairman, is why I have no reservation in saying NO to the Ninth amendment and urge this committee to recommend to the Government that the Ninth Amendment be withdrawn.

Mr. Chairman, I want to leave you and your Committee with a quote from the man who penned the document I referred to at the beginning of my statement, Thomas Jefferson, “When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.” Mr. Chairman, let us put fear away. Let us put the Ninth Amendment away!

1. This act may be cited as the BELIZE CONSTITUTION (NINTH AMENDMENT) ACT, 2011 PART XIII GOVERBMENT CONTROL, OVER PUBLIC UTILITIES 143. For the purpose of this part: “public utility” means the provision of electricity, telephone communication and water services; “public utility provider” means :--(i) Belize Electricity Limited; Belize Telemedia Limited, Belize Water Services Limited and any utility company which may exist or may come in existence, all such companies incorporated under the Companies Act, or its successors by whatever name called; and (ii) All public utility shall remain at all time, from the date of this enactment, in control by the Government of Belize who shall possess a minimum of 51% of all the shares in each of the public utility; and (iii) Any future Government or any entity, person, party or court who wishes to amend any part of this constitution must obtain from the people of Belize, their consent to so amend this Constitution, by way of a binding referendum; and (iv) The majority of such referendum regardless of the number of vote cast shall be deem to be binding.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

THE BELIZE TIMES

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San Pedro youth

demand jobs

San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, September 7, 2011 While the PM and the Minister of Police are cutting deals with gang leaders in the Old Capital, a group of desperate and frustrated youth, who don’t want to fall in the web of crime, is asking their elected officials to honor their word of “Creating Jobs.”

The group of about 20 young island residents gathered at the San Pedro Central Park to make public their frustrations that with jobs being lost on the island, things are getting harder each day. In speaking to the local media, the group expressed that the number of unemployed is growing and they called on the Mayor of San Pedro Elsa Paz and Area Representative Manuel Herredia to assist them with the op-

Special

September Celebrations Travelling Exhibition September 1, 2011 - In keeping with its mandate to promote the historical, cultural and literary value of records and archives, the Belize Archives and Records Service will be hosting its Travelling Exhibition.

The Exhibition will be on display at the following places: Sacred Heart Parish Hall in Dangriga, September 14th; Independence High School in Independence/Mango Creek September 15th; and St. Peter Claver’s Parish Hall in Punta Gorda on September 16th.

The display will be open from 8:00am to 3:00pm.

In addition to photographs of past celebrations, a short video of the official ceremonies on September 21, 1981 will be highlighted. The display will also highlight information and photographs on Transportation, Chicle, Hurricanes and Slavery.

Come and be part of keeping our history alive.

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portunities for employment.

The bad news is that the island is bracing for the slow season, a period when a number of resorts, restaurant and other business close down for months.

One of the organizers, Garry Castillo told the press that their main source of revenue is tourism. Faced with the slow season and a tourist-less island, there is nothing much for them to do but to squat around and linger the streets, hoping for anything to put bread on the table. Castillo, is just one several who expressed that the search of jobs is fruitless even more so for the already marginalized working people.

During the UDP election campaigns, Herredia and Paz promised to create jobs, and the group is calling on

San Pedro youth seeking jobs and transparency from the Mayor and UDP Town Council

both politicians to honor their word. According to the group the officials should create jobs opportunities for the unemployed on the island and provide social programs for the jobless, similar to those created by the former PUP Government through the Belize City South Side Poverty Alleviation Program.

The group also requested that the San Pedro Town Council make their yearly budget available to them. Such opportunity, said the group, would

allow them to see how much monies have been allocated for social programs targeting the unemployed through the creation of new job opportunities. Since the Town Council has been troubled by reports irregularities, they denied the group a copy of the approved budget for the current fiscal year.

The group said they want the Mayor and Area Representative to meet with them on Friday at the Central Park.

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THE BELIZE TIMES

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Jane Usher represents Belize at World Police & Fire Games Belize City, September 7, 2011 The World Police and Fire Games are a biennial athletic event open to active and retired law enforcement and fire service personnel throughout the world. Held every two years, the Games offer approximately sixty sports (and almost 80 disciplines) ranging from angling, wrestling and pistol shooting to cycling, track and field and beach volleyball. Participation is approximately 10,000 entrants, slightly fewer than the Summer Olympic Games and exceeding the third position holder, the Commonwealth Games.

This year, for the very first time, and making Olympic history in the

2011 WPFG, Belize added its name to the long list of participating countries when WPC Jane Usher signed up to compete in the 26 mile cycling road race. Though many of the events were postponed and even cancelled due to hurricane Irene, the athletes remained enthusiastic and soaked up the experience of being in NYC for this memorable event.

On the morning of September 3, WPC Usher lined up with 33 other cyclists from many countries, including, but not limited to, USA, Germany, Canada, Sweden and Italy, to begin the 26 mile race around historic Central Park. On the final lap, 12 riders (including Jane) separated themselves from the rest of the pack showing their undisputed dominance in the race. At the line, Jane crossed after Mareeka Wagner from Sweden to snag the silver medal (in her category) for the Belize Police Department. We congratulate WPC Jane Usher on her proud representation of our country.

Jane Usher proudly represents the Police Department’s flag at World Police & Fire Games

Friends of Belize launches campaign against 9th Amendment Belize City, September 12th, 2011 Friends of Belize (FOB) announcesthat it has launched a petition to collect the signatures of 10% of the registered voters in Belize in order to trigger a referendum on the Ninth Amendment Bill.

FOB is a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) committed to encouraging and fostering economic developmentin Belize. Specifically, FOB devotes its resources toward three core objectives: increasing Foreign Direct Investment (FDI); the exploration and promotion of economic policies that expand economic capacity; and coordination of economic and social policies for

long-term benefits.

Naturally, FOB is supportive of policies that further the perception of Belize as a stable, democratic country that respects the rule of law and where the courts have the power to review government laws including amendments to the Belize Constitution.

FOB believes that the Ninth Amendment Bill,if enacted, threatens Belize’s reputation as a reliable democratic partner in the region.

By allowing a supermajority in the House of Representatives to unilaterally amend anything in the Constitution without the courts being able to question it, Belize will set the stage for being branded as an

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arbitrary and unstable place for FDI. FOB calls on all registered voters in Belize to sign the petition so that the people may decide in a referendum whether they want the Ninth Amendment.

FOB volunteers will be going

house to house collecting signatures. The petition may also be signed or copies obtained at the FOB office at 6 Eyre Street, Belize City. FOB calls on all organizations who believe that the Ninth Amendment should be put to a referendum to encourage their members to sign the petition and support the signature drive.

FOB intends to provide updates to the Belize media on the progress of its signature collection.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

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THE BELIZE TIMES

THE MAKING OF A DICTATOR

MOBUTU 1. He initially nationalized foreign-owned firms and forced European investors out of the country. In many cases he handed the management of these firms to relatives and close associates who stole the companies’ assets. This precipitated such an economic slump that Mobutu was forced by 1977 to try to woo foreign investors back. Changed the constitution many times to fit his desires and that of his friends and relatives.

2. Another feature of Mobutu’s economic mismanagement, directly linked to the way he and his friends siphoned off so much of the country’s wealth, was rampant inflation. The rapid decline in the real value of salaries strongly encouraged a culture of corruption and dishonesty among public servants of all kinds.

3. Early in his rule[when?], Mobutu consolidated power by publicly executing political rivals, secessionists, coup plotters, and other threats to his rule. To set an example, many were hanged before large audiences.

4. Mobutu’s rule earned a reputation as one of the world’s foremost examples of kleptocracy and nepotism. Close relatives and fellow members of the Ngbandi tribe were awarded with high positions in the military and government. At one point, in early 1975, the media was even forbidden from mentioning by name anyone but Mobutu; others were referred to only by the positions they held.[26] Mobutu later moved away from torture and murder, and switched to a new tactic, buying off political rivals. He used the slogan “Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer still” to describe his tactic of co-opting political opponents through bribery. Another tactic was to arrest and sometimes torture dissident members of the government.

DEAN O. BARROW 1. Nationalized BTL and BEL and forced European and Canadian investors out of the country. In both cases he handed the management of these companies to relatives (Lois and Anwar Barrow) and close associates (Manuel Esquivel and Net Vasquez) who stole the companies’ assets. This precipitated such an economic slump that Barrow is now forced to woo foreign investors back (Banco Atlantida). Selling off our Sugar Cane Industry while claiming nationalism. Barrow and his cabinet has attempted to change our constitution and take away our freedoms on numerous occasions.

2. Under Barrow so much of the country’s wealth has been siphoned off. Look at the quick millionaires under Barrow: Finnegan, Boots Martinez, Erwin Contreras, Rene Montero, Gapi Vega, Dean Barrow, Lois Young, and the list goes on and on. (If da no soh) 3. Early in his rule, Barrow consolidated power by publicly persecuting rivals. Tried to get Ralph Fonseca and Said Musa to jail.

Good Attacked Marcel Cardona, Moses Sulph and others. Fired single mothers and did away with Captain Charles Good publicly executing this man. Was proud of the single mothers he fired.

4. Barrow has treated Belize and Belizeans with such disrespect. Himself and his ministers have demonstrated that they will hire their families and friends at will and do so blatantly and without apologies. Nepotism and Kleptocracy are rampant in this Barrow administration. Remember the ban on Channel 5, in his attempt to suppress the free press.

5. Barrow has introduced the 9th Amendment in an effort to gain Parliamentary supremacy. His dream is to change the constitution to such a point that his government could do as they please.

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THE BELIZE TIMES

Sunday, September 18, 2011

The Constitution is Supreme

NOT the Government!

Chetumal, Quintana Roo, September 16, 2011

By Carla Bradley In a seminar held at the University of Quintana Roo where Rt. Hon. Said Musa was asked to be a guest speaker at a forum to discuss Belize-Mexico affairs, a Belizean student asked, “Do you think the implementation of the 9th amendment will affect the relationship between Mexico and Belize?”

The former Prime Minister’s answer was, “Yes, I believe countries such as Mexico, United States and all the freedom lobbying peoples around the world, in our region and abroad should take note of what is happening in Belize.”

In his response, Hon. Musa explained to the other students present what is being proposed by this current government. He explained that this amendment “will in essence, amend the constitution in such a way that any further amendments to the constitution cannot be questioned in a court of law and not even this particular amendment, they are proposing to pass now.” He further went on to point out that the rights of the Belizean people are in jeopardy, “It is a very dangerous amendment from the point of view that the fundamental rights, and freedom of Belizeans are set out in the constitution could be changed overnight, those rights could be taken away, the people would have no recourse to the courts.”

We must note that the only way you as a citizen of Belize or any democratic country, can challenge an attack on human rights by a government or state, is to go to the courts to get rectification.

Hon. Musa said the Barrow Administration is using nationalization as the reason to introduce the amendments, but the reality is that it is more than just nationalization, “they want to ensure that forever and ever, the state will maintain a majority of those nationalized public utilities, this is one thing, but to achieve that they are going totally further as well to say that even a change in the fundamental rights and freedoms, look-

Rt. Hon. Said Musa makes presentation ing at the amendment that they are proposing to section 69 and section 2 of the constitution, those things cannot be challenged in a court of law on the grounds that its unconstitutional.”

We have heard their representatives say that it can still be challenged in court, but the question is, will it really matter? In his opinion, Mr. Musa stated the following, “This is the first step in moving towards dictatorship, when a government can decree that this has to be the law and you cannot challenge it, of course they are saying you can always go to the court but what’s the use of going to court if the law in the constitution that they are amending is saying that the court cannot interfere with that particular amendment or with any future change to the constitution.”

It is known that any country that moves away from democracy and more so to dictatorship, will only close doors and create barriers in the economical growth of that particular nation causing a great or even greater burden on the people of that country, as jobs, goods and survival may be limited.

In his closing remarks in regards to the 9th amendment, he stated, “We cannot allow any government whether it is our government or the

one now in government to believe that they have supremacy, that the parliament, because they have a big majority in the parliament can pass any law despite the wishes of the people. We pride ourselves in Belize of having a strong democratic frame work in place. We value very highly the rule of law, we say that no one I above the law, not the Prime Ministers, not the Governor General, nobody. The constitution

is the supreme law of Belize, so in other words, we are saying the constitution is supreme not the government.”

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Sunday, September 18, 2011

THE BELIZE TIMES

Patrick Faber & the UDP forces hundreds of school children to sit at home Belize City, September 12, 2011 Monday, September 5, 2011 marked the start of the New School Year 2011/2012. For the over 60,000 primary school children across Belize, it was supposed to represent a joyous occasion. Young friends would reunite and share stories of what they did during their long, summer vacation. Students would be thrilled about stepping into their new classrooms and meeting their new teachers. Students would eagerly await the sound of the recess bell after which they would rush out to the schoolyard and run around.

For a great number of Belize’s schoolchildren, however, the day was anything but joyous. That is because thanks to the vindictiveness of Patrick Faber and the UDP, hundreds of schoolchildren did not attend school.

Stories abound of parents, mostly single mothers, who had to make the painful decision to keep their children at home because they lacked some school material and/or supply.

As one mother, next to tears, emotionally shared, “My little daughter went to bed early the night before as she wanted to wake up early so she could get dressed and go off to school with her friends. I had to literally hold back my tears when I informed her that I couldn’t send her to school because I wasn’t able to buy her a schoolbag”. Another heartbroken parent, a single mother of five children (one junior college, two at high school, two at primary school) explained, “My youngest child, who is moving onto Std. 1, woke up before everyone else and started to dress herself. When I saw her take out her pair of slippers, I had to tell her that she would not be able to go to school as I wasn’t able to afford a new pair of shoes. She immediately started to cry and it broke my heart”.

The stories of these two mothers are but only two of the countless stories of parents who have been unable to obtain all the school material and supplies necessary for their children to return to school for the new school year. Even with the summer vacation over, these parents can be seen visiting businesses and organizations and requesting some form of assistance for their children.

Patrick Faber is always quick to jump to his feet in the House of Representatives and to boast that his Ministry of Education operates an annual budget in excess of $150 MIL. The cantankerous Minister of Education, however, is not so quick to admit that over 90% of that total allocation goes towards paying the exorbitant salaries and allowances of his CEO and other cronies at MOE. Be that as it may, the important point to be made is that MOE’s Budget is the school children of Belize’s budget. It is our school children who must be the direct beneficiaries of MOE’s Budget.

Not a single child should’ve been forced to sit at home on Monday be-

Patrick Faber has failed Belizeans.

Education is neither more affordable nor accessible.

cause he/she lacked school material/ supplies. MOE’s Budget should’ve provided for all those school children to have been inside of their classrooms on the first day of classes.

Under Faber and the UDP, even our innocent children are crucified. Simply put, if your parents, grandparents, great grandparents, great great grandparents were/are PUP, you are not eligible to receive any form of educational assistance from the Ministry of Education. It is truly sad and regrettable that the education of our children is being sacrificed to satisfy the selfish and arrogant ego of a Minister of Education hell bent on punishing any and everything that represents the PUP. It is now Thursday, September 15, 2011, eleven days into the new school year and still, a lot of our school children are sitting at home. While this article is focused on our primary school children, the point must be made that there are many high school, junior college and university students who are sitting at home because of their inability and their parents’ inability to afford the astronomical costs of textbooks, tuition and fees.

Let them say what they want about Francis Fonseca and the PUP because the records will show that unlike Faber and the UDP’s policy to keep our children out of school, the former Minister of Education and the PUP carried out a consistent policy of increasing access to education and providing relevant and affordable education.

Unlike his successor, the Hon. Francis Fonseca, as Minister of Education, never one day questioned the political affiliation of anyone who would visit him or write him seeking financial assistance. And it is a known fact that Patrick Faber was the UDP Area Representative that frequented the then Minister of Education’s office the most seeking assistance from him. Say it ain’t so Patrick!

You’re a complete disgrace Patrick Faber and history will record you as such. The children of Belize will never forget the education that you’ve denied them. And you can sure too that they will neither forgive you.

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THE BELIZE TIMES

Leave Selena Cemetery

Rene Montero!

September 13, 2011 The Chairman of Selena Village, Thomas Padilla, travelled all the way to Santa Elena in search of help to save his village from what he and his council calls a gross manipulation of power

by Hon. Rene Montero and one of his goons, current chairman of Buena Vista Village, Eddie De La Rosa.

According to Mr. Padilla, the land they have designated for their cemetery is being stripped away by the UDPs and given to an individual without any consultation with the council.

Previous to securing this piece of land under the past PUP administration, the people of Selena Village were forced to travel well over six miles to Duck Run 1 to bury their dead.

Imagine the horror they faced when a tractor from the Ministry of Agriculture was brought to their village and started to plough up the earth in the plot designated for the cemetery under the watchful eye of De La Rosa.

Mr. Padilla and his council approached Mr. De la Rosa and indicated to him that he had no jurisdiction in Selena since he was the chairman of Buena Vista and furthermore that the land they were attempting to plough belonged to the village and was designated as the cemetery. De la Rosa explained that he was sent by Montero and that was all the authority he needed.

The people of the village are not contentious people. They are peaceful, law abiding, hard working Belizeans who seek only good for themselves and their children along with the future development of their village. They are asking for Lands Minister Gaspar Vega to ensure that Rene Montero does not have his

Rene Montero is on a rampage

way with their cemetery and also that Minister Montero pay attention to the pressing issues in the village. There are three bridges in the Selena area and all three are in need of urgent repair. The main bridge leading into the village has seen one of the four main thrusts falling completely off. The three thrusts that remain are rotting and that bridge can collapse anytime. Another bridge further in the village that leads to the farms where some thirty farmers have their farms has already collapsed. Just previous to this bridge, a culvert is desperately needed and some poor families cannot go in or out of their homes when it rains.

Minister Montero, please listen to the cries of the people in Selena. The people are saying to you and De la Rosa, leave our cemetery alone. Either way, they are determined to bury you come election day.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Sunday, September 18, 2011

THE BELIZE TIMES

REALITY CHECK! Belize becoming Sodom and Gomorrah?

By Carla Bradley It is now the remix of the National Anthem in Belize to hear people saying that “life is hard in Belize”; unfortunately, it is getting worse day by day, press conference by press conference, and bad decision by bad decision.

It is sad to see that this government say it is “pro poor”, when they seem to be more “pro self”. In every corner of our jewel people are suffering. Parents and single mothers are searching for a way to feed their children hopelessly. The people of Belize beg the government for assistance and all they can say, to paraphrase it without the insults and disrespect is “it’s hard and money is hard to come by.

Our streets are in deplorable conditions and are scented with the stink of garbage. Jobs have dried up since 2008, single mothers are thrown into desperate unemployment, and vulnerable babies are out of school, hustling on the streets to help their families.

All these are symptoms of the ever declining economy of our country. Crime

has boiled to an all time high, getting worse as each rape, home invasion and murder goes by.

This question was asked of Belizeans in different areas of our country.

Those interviewed said that while some of these killings may be as a result of gang rivalry, not all are. The people believe that the reason crime has escalated in this country is because the poverty level has increased, with over 43% of our people in poverty in our country.

Look behind that number at the faces of those thousands of empty three year old stomachs. The empty stares, the hungry nights and the desperation of abused single mothers.

The list goes on, no jobs, high cost of living and lack of education have been contributing factors to the rising crime in our country.

So far in 2011, we are I believe at 100 murders. Seven of these murders occurring between April 1-12, less than two weeks. Comparatively, in the 2009 statistics, there were a total of 8 murders for the entire month of April. According to statistics in 2007 the murder rate stood at 95 and in 2010, it jumped to 130 murders, a total increase of 65 murders. In the period of January of 2010 to June of 2010, there were 53 murders, in the same period of January to June of this year (2011) the murder rate stood at 73, a mind-boggling 20 more than the previous year. According to statistic in 2009, in the month of August there were 5 murders, this year in the same period

of August, there were over 14 murders a startling 9 murder increase. When placed beside the numbers for this year, it becomes a sharp pinch of reality. This is where our country is heading; we are becoming Sodom and Gomorrah.

The government has been pretending to try “something” with all these new units and operations in the police department: such as Jaguar, Restore Belize and the new gang suppression unit. Still they have not been able to address the single most important national issue of crime in our country. I wonder if this UDP government has ever asked the question why these ideas are not working. It is because this is not their problem.

The problem is that the people of Belize need jobs; they need to feed their children and if the resources are not there, they will do what it takes so that at the end of the day their families are taken care of.

I am not defending the gangs of Belize, but think about it, our youths join

23 the gangs and sell drugs and do what they think they need to do to earn a living. They do not want possibilities, they need opportunities. As a US slogan ran “it is the economy, stupid” If jobs were present then they would not be forced to turn to illegal operations.

Rather than wasting millions of dollars in these fruitless programs, which in reality only give way for abuse of power, why not spend it on youth capacity and skills building programs.

How about programs that can teach these youths a trade, so that they may earn an honest living. There are other alternatives, which we as a country can utilize to address this spiraling situation instead of suppressing human rights.

This policy seems to be an attempt to fight crime with more crime. This is not a “pro poor” government; it is a government that “perpetuates poverty”. The alarming situation at hand will never be resolved because it is beyond this UDP government’s skill set and not within their interests.

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THE BELIZE TIMES

Reid This theme for this year’s September Celebration is “Honoring our Past, Celebrating our Cultures, Uniting for Peace.” Not only do we “honor our past” but we long for it, given the dark and dangerous times in which we currently live. Many look back longingly to the days when we could go out and celebrate without the fear of a grenade being thrown or without bullets flying like mosquitoes after a week’s rain.

As to the “Celebrating of our Cultures”, the cultures of fear, violence and joblessness looms large over any other and lends little reason for celebration. The thought of “Uniting for Peace” is the most absurd since as a nation, we stand bitterly divided and the only “piece” in sight is the weapon in the hands of the heartless young thugs who run our streets.

We began this year’s celebrations with a message from the Police who warned that the gangs had grenades and were planning to use them. Following a confrontation on George Street, one particular individual boldly declared that “innocent citizens” would be made to pay. In the US, such a threat would be deemed a “terrorist act” and would carry severe consequences. In Belize, the comeuppance is an audience with the Prime Minister and a promise of a job and free money.

As we prepare to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of our Independence, some introspection might be in order. Is this the type of nation that George Price or Phillip Goldson or Tony Soberanis or Nick Pollard had in mind when they picked up the yoke of resistance? Are we any better off now than we were then, under our colonial masters? Is there hope for Belize or shall we continue to sink deeper into this abyss of fear and despair?

As I write, almost a hundred young people have already lost their lives due to violence this year. Robberies, burglaries and home invasions are becoming so commonplace that it leaves room for little else in the

news. Even those, upon who we rely to protect, serve and arrest wrongdoers are themselves quite often found on the wrong side of the law. We cannot keep going in this direction.

As citizens, we elect leaders and pay them well to find ways to fix our problems. We look at those currently sitting on the high perch of parliament and realize that we are simply throwing away money. Unfortunately, barring some violent overthrow, once we cast our votes, we must suffer the consequences for five years.

According to John Saldivar at a recent consultation for the Ninth, they are given a mandate on Election Day and can damn well do as they please.

“Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.”

It might be properly practical for the PUP to just sit, watch and wait for these impertinent incompetents to undergo their just and natural demise. The PUP could also do what this government did while in opposition, which is to fund propaganda and incite mischief and unrest in order to expedite the fall. Neither scenario would do anyone any good. The PUP would then inherit the same products of vileness and deviance that hampers this administration and haunts their every effort. Johnny and company must take the higher road.

What this PUP team cannot do upon taking office is to adopt this administration’s damaging policy of witch-hunting and victimization. It is counterproductive and an impediment to progress. The major cause of this government’s ineptness is the firing of some very capable technocrats in order to facilitate cronyism. It is understandable that a party would want to compensate those who have worked to secure victory but not at the expense of those whose experience and hard work make the wheels turn. This is where a government must find innovative ways of expanding the job market and do more to attract new investors who can create new jobs.

The mess that is being made of our country will require much hard work and dedication in order to correct. The situation is not altogether hopeless for we are still living in a “good country”. It cannot be done with the partisan type of approach that the UDP has applied; political tribalism is not the way. It will take a concerted effort and cooperation from all citizens regardless of ethnicity, creed or color of vote. We are thirty and thirsty for better. Take us out of this red please and place us back on the road to prosperity. PUP is the way!

THE WORLD IS READING

THE BELIZE TIMES www.belizetimes.bz

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Denying children a Good Education and a Better Future

By Gilroy Usher, Sr. (PUP Port Loyola Standard Bearer) Two weeks after primary schools opened for the new school year, dozens of children in Port Loyola and scores of children throughout the country still don’t have the basic things to enter the classroom in pursuit of a solid foundation for a better education and a better future.

Those future adults of Belize are not in school today because despite all efforts their parents simply don’t have the money to provide them with footwear, uniform, exercise books, schoolbags, or breakfast. That is a tragedy.

Many of those children, who are losing out on a solid education at the primary school level, have the potential to become future Prime Ministers, doctors, teachers, attorneys, businessmen, soldiers, policemen, nurses, and other community leaders in the country. It is also true that each day that these children in marginalized homes remain out of school, the chance increases that they will drop out of school before they’ve completed Std. VI and added to the growing list of youths who get caught up in gangs and other anti-social behavior.

All parents want the best for their children. That is why with no other work available people are eager to work only 3 days for $103.00 at the end of the week. People want to pay their bills themselves, but with light bill, water bill, groceries, house rent, school expenses, and other basic expenses, there

is no way a family can survive with $103.00 per week, Boots and Mr. Barrow. Indeed things have never been so dread in Port Loyola and other parts of the county.

Parents are unable to provide their children with the basic things for the start of the new school year at the primary school level because of four main things. 1) They can’t find good paying work to address the needs of their families because government has failed to provide even one-tenth of the 5,000 jobs that it promised in its manifesto, 2) Unlike under the previous PUP administration, the government did not provide any summer jobs for primary school children to earn a little money to assist their parents with back to school expenses, 3) Anthony “Boots” Martinez and the other UDP Area Representative used the meager monthly subvention for the division for themselves and their political cronies instead of assisting the most needy families in their constituencies, and 4) there is no coordination between school officers and the social department to render assistance to families, who are in need of urgent assistance to get their children in school for the start of the new school year.

The glaring mistreatment of the Belizean people is further proof that this UDP government is all for itself. After having a feast they gather all the leftovers and take it home. When the UDP feast they don’t even leave the scrums for the poor. That’s just another reason why so many parents can’t afford the basic things to get their children back in primary school for the start of the new school year.

This suffering of parents and their children will not last forever. The next PUP administration will ensure that Government assistance for each constituency is given to those who need it most. And the new PUP government will work in partnership with the business community to create hundreds of good paying jobs across the county to enable families to send their children to school and uplift their standard of living.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

THE BELIZE TIMES

The Prime Ministers Forum And the Next Revolution: One Belize-Prosperous, United and Free

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

I

was intrigued at the concept, A Prime Ministers Forum. What was the thinking behind it? I found out as I sat for approximately two hours and listened listening to two former Prime Ministers, the Rt. Hon. Manuel Esquivel and Rt. Hon. Said Musa, and the current Prime Minister, the Hon. Dean Barrow respond to a series of questions posed by the moderator, Dylan Vernon.

It was certainly insightful as we heard of the circumstance that influenced their individual entry into politics and ascendancy to leadership positions, their thoughts at the time of Independence on September 21, 1981, and the areas of progress 30 years after independence, which they cited as the maintenance of our sovereignty and territorial integrity, education and culture, development in infrastructure, tourism and agriculture, democracy and a multicultural and multiethnic society.

In articulating their vision for a Belize in 30 years, they spoke of maturity and individual responsibility, a place where education is free up to secondary schools and children have space to express themselves, universal health care and a robust investment climate, a deepened democracy and a Belize that

is self reliant, free of crime, has full employment and embraces the entrepreneurial spirit, volunteerism and nationalism as a way of life, all of which are included in the next revolution.

They all noted that while we can boast many achievements and successes, we must be mindful of the increasing gap between the rich and the poor and pointed to the role of the state in providing a safety net for the disadvantaged and the marginalized. In addition, they recognized the importance of an education curriculum that is relevant to our development, that is the gateway to attacking poverty and that can move the country forward. They even acquainted us with what they did to de-stress.

Even though the Rt. Hon. George Price was unable to attend the forum due to health reasons, a video was shown whereby he identified the table where the seed for freedom and independence is rooted as a consequence of the devaluation of the Belize dollar, described the collective efforts of the people in the movement towards independence and gave his thoughts on the mixed economy and the meaning ‘to serve’ the people. The video also showed the rising and unfolding of the Belizean flag on the eve of Independence Day 1981 and the Prime Minister’s address.

All in all, it was an enjoyable and informative forum and a refreshing addition to the September celebrations. It was also a rare opportunity for a glimpse into the minds of our Prime Ministers.

Happy Independence Day Belize.

For comments email carolyntrench@gmail.com

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THE BELIZE TIMES

A Collective Commitment to Democracy

By William Burns Last weekend in Valparaiso, Chile, I joined counterparts from throughout the hemisphere to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Inter-American Democratic Charter—a collective commitment to democracy without peer in the world.

Ten years ago, as terror struck in the United States, leaders from the hemisphere took a hopeful, historic step forward together by agreeing to a Charter that declares that “the peoples of the Americas have a right to democracy and their governments have an obligation to promote and defend it.” That obligation neither begins nor ends at the ballot box. All societies must deal with the threat of violence, desperation and extremism. Our best answer, then and now, is to advance a broad, positive agenda of rights, freedoms, security, justice, social inclusion, and economic progress.

Across the Americas, democratic progress is no longer the exception but the norm. Strengthened democratic institutions have broadened economic opportunity, widened space for civic expression and participation, reduced poverty, and helped meet the basic needs of citizens. But, as we celebrate our hemisphere’s embrace of democracy, we must also renew our shared commitment to deepen and defend it.

Our countries know that the work of democracy is never done.

When we stop working to perfect and protect it, democracy erodes.

We know that even democratically elected governments can threaten democracy, if they do not respect its safeguards, institutions, rules, and values.

When opposition leaders face politicized prosecutions and newspapers are intimidated into silence, that undermines democracy before a single vote is cast. When human rights activists are threatened, that makes all citizens less secure. When independent institutions like judiciaries are weakened, that denies citizens the full benefits of the governments they have chosen. When economic inequality, corruption and criminal violence go unchecked, day by day, they eat away at citizens’ faith that democracy can deliver for them.

Democratic principles threatened anywhere are a challenge for

democracies everywhere. We must speak out, stand firm, and act with the clarity of our convictions in defense of democratic principles.

When the elected President of Honduras was overthrown in a coup in 2009, the Americas refused to accept the rollback of democracy in their midst and the OAS spoke with one resolute voice – an outcome unthinkable a generation ago. The events in Honduras demonstrated the need for an effective regional organization. As Secretary Clinton told the OAS General Assembly last year, “We believe it is possible to build a stronger, more vibrant, more effective OAS that both serves the interests of member states and has the capacity and will to tackle regional challenges and prevent crises before they arise.”

The citizens of the Americas are not alone in their efforts to improve democracy. More and more citizens across North Africa and the Middle East are reacting against economic stagnation and political oppression. They are demanding their universal rights, and the tools to succeed in an integrated world. The transformation of the Americas and the model the Charter represents provide powerful examples to those striving to emerge from authoritarianism and inequality to build inclusive and successful modern societies.

We know that every nation will follow its own path. We promote democracy, as the Charter says, “with due respect for the principle of nonintervention.”

All—including my own—have our imperfections, and all, without exception, stand to learn from each other.

While we reflect on the tragic events of September 11, 2001, let us reinforce the courageous step our hemisphere took that day to strengthen democracy, and let us support the efforts of our fellow citizens throughout the world to join and improve the community of democracies. As we agreed a decade ago in Lima and as President Obama reiterated in Santiago —“there is no substitute for democracy.”

William Burns is Deputy Secretary of State of the United States of America

THE WORLD IS READING

THE BELIZE TIMES www.belizetimes.bz

Sunday, September 18, 2011

In my perspective…

What is there to Celebrate?

By Rayford Young On September 21, 1981, Belize became an independent nation. In every town and in many villages throughout the country, a midnight flag-raising ceremony was held. The new flag of Belize was raised to the strains of the Belizean anthem.

We have seen how, unlike most countries, Belize entered actively on the world stage while it was still a colony. Indeed, its entry on the world stage was a necessary and crucial part of the struggle for independence. But Belize could not be a full member of the international organizations while we were still a colony. Now that Belize is independent, it has all the rights of a sovereign state in the international arena.

On September 25, 1981, Belize was admitted as a member of the United Nations. On the same day it became a full member of the Non-Aligned Movement, after being a member with “special status” since 1976. On Independence Day Belize was also admitted to membership of the Commonwealth of Nations.

Today, Belize plays its full role as a member of the Organization of American States and other international social, political and economic organizations. As an independent state, Belize has gained the respect of most of the nations of the world, including Guatemala. Although the Guatemalan claim has not yet been completely resolved, Guatemala recognized Belize’s independence in 1991, and the two countries have finally established full diplomatic relations. Source: A History of Belize On my recent visit to Belize August 5, 2011 I witnessed a sad situation. I was driving on Mahogany Street in Belize City and I saw a wooden frame structure that looks like it was to be a storage room. This shed was there for sometime because the wood was dried and weather beaten. I noticed a young lady, I would say about 30 years old, and her three kids at this property. I thought to myself, “Is she thinking of moving into this place?” Sure enough, a guy in a beat up pick-up truck pulled up with some wooden panels and started to board up this place. A day later I drove by and, yes, she moved in. I don’t know what she will do for electricity and toilet, but at least she and her kids have a roof over their heads.

This sad story is too common in my beloved country of Belize. People live in this despicable and demoralizing condition. No one should have to live like this in a country with such a small population. Everyone should be able to have a decent place to live. For families like these and for many Belizeans, Belize’s Independence means nothing. Life is hard and there’s nothing to celebrate on September 21. Drive around Belize City and the housing situation is deplorable. It’s an eye sore. Rusty zincs, too many homes with decayed wood.

Many of these homes don’t have indoor toilet facilities and many of these homes have not had a paint job in decades. The city looks like war torn, with garbage and old abandoned vehicles all over the place.

Stinky, slimy dogs run to and fro looking in garbage for food. What have we accomplished in thirty years? Most of the people

have no jobs, crime is at its worst in decades, gas prices are at an all time high, roads and bridges are crumbling. Most homes can’t afford hi-speed connection because it’s too pricey for most people.

What is there to celebrate?

One group of people that did make out like bandits in the thirty years since independence are the politicians. Construction is booming in Belmopan. Government ministers are building mansions all over Belmopan. The Mayor of Belize City also built a huge mansion. The Prime Minister’s ex-girlfriend was paid millions of dollars for work the government bureaucrats can do. The PM’s brother sits on boards he knows nothing about. Government officials’ friends and cronies of both parties have done very well since independence on the backs of the middle class and the poor of this country.

The future seems grim for Belize.

None of our leaders have a serious plan to restore Belize and create good paying jobs for the people. Building a small community center for villagers to show you are doing something is not enough. Hundreds of food vendors all over Belize City cannot provide the well paying jobs people need. Little stores all along the highways - selling salty green mangoes and tamales - are not enough to sustain the country. We’ve tried these old stale ideas for thirty years. Look where we are now.

The country needs educated people with innovative minds and fresh new ideas to run the government and the ministries. We don’t have to look far to see what progress is like. In the last thirty years Chetumal has developed to an extent that most of the city looks like any American city. In thirty years Chetumal has developed so much that it makes Belize City look like a war-torn worn down ghetto.

As long as we continue to elect incompetent, self-serving individuals we will never get out of this mess. The people need to stand up, organize and demand open and transparent government. The media needs to play a bigger role and investigate these allegations of corruption and cronyism in government. We need the media to be our watch dog and be a lot more aggressive.

Of course, we have made some progress, but I believe we should be much further along. The only way we will move forward is to elect new blood to run the country.

These elected officials that are in power and the ones that are on the horizon are from the same ideology. They are trained by the same old guards. All they know is what we have today and for the past thirty years.

And that’s not good enough. We need professional Belizeans living abroad to return home and help the country. The only way that will happen is if the political system is changed and they can make a decent living.

What will the next 30 years look like?

I don’t know. But the way we are going I’m not optimistic and that makes me sad.

Why is it so hard to find honest people who care about the country and the people before themselves and be willing to step up and become leaders of this country? One reason I think is that most people think the system is so broken, corruption is so widespread, the country is so in-debt - why would anyone in their right mind want to take on a humongous thankless task like this? The answer is the country needs you.

We need new ideas, fresh faces, and committed, responsible people. I don’t know who that person is, but LORD we need some help… soon.

Rayford Young is a Belizean-American, who currently lives in Michigan, U.S.A.

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Sunday, September 18, 2011

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THE BELIZE TIMES

Dear Diary, I was in a relationship for over four years and was prepared to commit to my partner through marriage. We had a daughter during our relationship but, for some reason, my partner was unwilling to commit. This was heartbreaking for me and so I walked out of my relationship. I would like to know why some men are afraid/unwilling to commit.

Heartbroken

SHE SAYS: I was in a similar situation a few years back and I couldn’t understand why my partner didn’t want to commit after we had been together for over 8 years. I understand your anger and frustration but there are various reasons why a man refuses to commit to a woman. I really don’t think it’s that they are incapable of doing so, I believe that women place themselves in this trap when they agree to co-habit with a man without doing the marriage thing. Men tend to become comfortable with just a live-in arrangement and at times find it unnecessary or too complicated to change things and get into marriage which may or may not end in divorce. But on that same token there are women who have sold themselves short and give themselves freely to men that men don’t need marriage to get sex these days or to get a woman to do all the wifely duties. In the end, when a man refuses to marry you he really doesn’t feel like you’re the one and outright does not want you for his wife. It’s cold and harsh but it’s real.

HE SAYS: Dear Heartbroken, While I can understand and appreciate the frustration that eventually led to your exiting your relationship of four years, I would like to offer some words of advice.

Firstly, you have got to understand and accept that while you may be ready and prepared to commit to your partner, that feeling will not always be reciprocal.

Secondly, if you think, for one minute, that “pressuring” your partner into committing will bring about the realization of your wish, then, you’ve thought wrong. And even if he should yield to “pressure”, the sincerity of his commitment would be lacking.

Thirdly, like a lot of women, you may have thought that bearing a child for your partner would have caused him to commit. Well, quite the contrary is true. A lot of women, sadly and unfortunately, trick themselves into thinking that a child/children will “hold down” a man; however, a child/ children provide no guarantee of a commitment.

I believe you’re among a vast majority of women who seek commitment in a relationship. The important thing, however, is to be careful not to build too much expectation as the level of your frustration and disappoint will only be equal or more.

www.belizeandiaries.com

How important is ‘IT’?

Am sure you have heard the saying, ‘sex sells’ and that may be true in many ways but how important is sex in our relationships/marriages? A few months ago, I was having a conversation with some men and I made the statement, ‘sex is over-rated’ – I really don’t think I ever came across that much opposition as I did that day.

Let me clarify, what I meant by that statement. I have seen men become weak at the scent of a woman and I have seen men become even weaker at the exposure of a woman – when I say they become weak, I mean they lose ground and have pitched aside the very important things in their lives for a little bit of sex just to find that eventually it became the same thing they had at home all along. Yes, the act is pleasurable and can be mind blowing at times but in my opinion, it is only great when you share it with someone you have a deeper connection with than just a casual encounter based on physical attraction only. I believe that sex has been turned into a tool used particularly by women so they can achieve some objective, whether it’s for their lover to leave his home/wife or to attain material goods. This great God-given gift has been turned into something cheap that can be had anywhere with anyone (but that’s just my perspective) As it pertains to sex in relationships/marriages, how important is it?

Did you know that a woman’s desire for sex is based on a complex interaction of many components that affect intimacy? These include her physical and emotional well-being, experiences, beliefs, lifestyle and current relationship. If a woman is experiencing problems in any of these areas, it can affect her sexual desire. Did you also know that for the majority of women, the prelude to sexual intimacy is emotional closeness? When a woman no longer initiates sex with her partner or when there is an obvious decreased interest in sex it is often the result of ongoing issues.

These can range from a lack of communication with her partner; unresolved fights or disagreements; her husband’s non-interest in her sexual needs and preferences, and last but certainly not least, infidelity.

In a woman’s mind, when she has uncovered her partner’s infidelity it is very difficult for her to look at her spouse the same, the desire and passion for that closeness has changed simply because another woman has come into the circle.

This happens commonly because a woman is very territorial and sex is viewed as an act that is to be shared with someone you are emotionally connected to so when a third party steps into the circle – trust is broken and a window has been left open for other interferences – which then cre-

ates an unending fear that others will be able to come in as well – therefore signalling to her that you are no longer only hers but rather you’re up for the taking. All this does not mean that the woman’s sex drive has dropped but rather she has become reserved and will only give in if her partner initiates it – sex is just important to her as it was before but the emotional connection and that intimacy has been lost and without those factors she will not be able to be the tiger she once was. So if your woman is going through this due to your actions, you have some serious reassurances to hand out if you would like her to restore that sense of security in you and the relationship. It is to be noted that these are only a few possible reasons why a woman’s sexual desires may be affected. Other factors can be medications, poor body image and/or aging.

Loss of sexual desires can also occur with men for other reasons. One can be a decline in their testosterone levels.

Believe it or not it has been said that too much pornography can lead to a man’s low sex drive. The justification behind that is that as a man indulges in porn – he takes himself in the fantasy where he never fails and where he is being stimulated sexually without having to deal with the issues of his wife so when he gets back to the real world, some men have become so wrapped up in the fantasy that he has become unable to get excited by his own wife as she cannot compete with the airbrushed models on the screen and in the magazines. It sounds a bit farfetched but it has been known to happen.

Other factors that affect a man’s libido are excessive alcohol drinking and marijuana smoking. Both partners need to keep in mind that sex without intimacy is a sexdrive killer. Intimacy isn’t just a code word for sex. If your sex life is in neutral, try spending more non-sexual intimate time together -- alone. Talk, snuggle and learn ways to express affection without having to have sex. As intimacy builds, so does sex drive.

According to popular American relationship psychologist Dr. Phil, it is a downright myth when people say that a great relationship has nothing to do with sex. He adds that it is a dangerous and intimacy-eroding myth. Sex provides an important time-out from the pressures of our daily lives and allows us to experience a quality level of closeness, vulnerability and sharing with our partners. Sex might not be everything but it registers higher (90 percent) on the “importance scale” if it’s a source of frustration in your relationship. If your sex life is unfulfilled, it becomes a gigantic issue. Don’t restrict your thinking by considering sex to be something that only consists of the actual physical act. Touching, caressing, holding hands and any means by which you provide physical comfort to your partner can all be viewed as part of a fulfilling sex life and always remember that ‘IT’ is a serious barometer for the health and intimacy level of a relationship.

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As things got harder and we, at BELIZE TIMES together with the public, continue to suffer under the current clueless UDP government, we began to look at ways to help educate our readership in a place they would appreciate it most: finances. This weekly column is intended to provide a few tips to survive the sweltering financial oppression, we are facing. Please try what applies and enjoy some relief as we gather and present helpful advice to you and your family.

The fact is that every summer, education takes center stage as children head back to school. It is a perfect time to help your household become more financially fit. Here are some tips to strengthen your family’s financial understanding.

• Set a good example. The best way to teach good financial habits is to practice responsible financial behaviors in your own life. Sit down as a family and go over the monthly household budget. Take the time to explain the different expenses and where the money comes from to pay for these items.

• Prioritize. One of the most basic financial concepts is prioritization and balancing wants and needs. Have everyone sit down and make a list of what they view as your household’s needs. It may end up that a few wants are included. Then, go through the list

THE BELIZE TIMES

and discuss what makes some more important than others, such as why it is more important to pay the electricity bill than to have a satellite radio in Belize.

• Promote saving. Explain to your family that when there is something that you really want, needs still come first, which is why it is important to save. Consider giving your children an allowance for completing weekly chores, and help them figure out how long they need to save to reach their savings goal. This way they learn the delayed gratification of saving and the importance of setting goals.

• Stay informed. In order to make informed decisions about your finances, stay up-to-date on current events that may influence your finances, such as a shift in interest rates.

Make sure that you are aware of any changes to your accounts and other aspects of your finances, such as seasonal lights affecting your bill or the heat of summer and the increase of the use of standing fans in your house.

Track the fluctuations.

Financial understanding is a lifelong endeavor. The earlier your children start on the right path, the brighter financial future they can have. Finally, we at BELIZE TIMES wish to big up Sharryn Dawson who published a book called “Money Basic for Kids”. Sounds like another good start.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Sunday, September 18, 2011

THE BELIZE TIMES

Wake Up Belize: It’s Independence!

The month of September is the most celebrative time in our country.

There are three main events that are celebrated in this month, the carnival, the tenth, and the twenty-first. It is fun to see all the colors, to listen to the music, ceremonies, and activities planned for this season. These events are celebrating milestone accomplishment in the history of our nation. It is our attempt at growing up.

Have we?

As I think of Belize this year, what comes directly to mind is a commercial I have seen. The ad features a loving and concerned father giving his daughter instructions on how to handle herself in her brand new car!

The camera moves from this concerned father and spots on his daughter sitting behind the steering wheel. Amazingly, daughter he is addressing is portrayed as a child five years of age! At-least that’s what her dad saw.

While at the end of the commercial, we discover that it was really his teenage daughter that he was speaking to.

I know it’s a time of celebration. This celebration is very important, but the purpose of this celebration is of much greater priority! Belize is a thirty year old country who got its Independence in the year nineteen hundred and eighty one. We may look thirty on the outside but I question personally if we are thirty in development. Are we in the same predicament as this father’s little daughter in the television commercial. How are we taking on the world?

Independence is a serious word. It speaks of standing on your own in the area of growth, finances, protection, choices, decisions etc! To be independent requires proper planning, vision, and internal discipline. Truly independence may not be a function of substance or quality, as one can be independent but walk around on the street homeless and eating out garbage cans.

To be independent requires repentance! Now before you get all “jumpy” let me explain what I mean. Talking to a friend the other day, we had two different interpretations of repentance. To repent does not mean to use the words “I’m sorry”. Many times that is not even necessary. Although in some cases, it opens the door for acceptance of your true repentance.

To repent simply means to change your way of thinking. We are no longer slaves, we are not beggars, and we are not a poor country. There are many coming from all over the world dying to get a piece of our jewel because it is so rich, filled with potential, and soaked in an environment that is perfect for multiplication and growth. I am saddened many times as I believe our people tend to be blind to this reality!

As I look to the leaders of the country I become disappointed as I continue to hear of various accusations of corruption, tunnel vision, and personal greed. Our resources drain out by the barrels into the big bath-pan of other nations. Those nations only desiring to suck us dry.

At thirty, I am tired of hearing of us borrowing to do this; borrowing to do that; while as I listen on the other end I hear or perceive ‘in my own opinion of course’ very little effort being done toward really strengthening our natural resources and foreign exchange earning abilities! This reality causes our country to look like a teenager who has just moved out of the parent’s home and been given some resources, but instead of working towards proper self sustenance, chooses to just live on the small income and borrowing.

What can we do, you ask? Well I’m pleased to hear of the three past Prime Ministers being invited to a discussion of this type. It begins with those leading us. It becomes apparent many times that the first priority of leaders usually is not that country. This is evidenced by decisions they make.

When leaders have this state of mind, decisions that can move the country forward are left to be implemented by the next voted-in government. That new group incidentally tends to deal with their own priorities. Belize then is trapped in a vicious cycle. The country’s growth is seriously retarded!

My answer, then, is directed to our leaders on both sides of the color fence. Your priority as a leader is the business of the nation, to take it forward, to steer it and to sacrifice for it. From this priority all other things will flow. It reminds me of a scripture that says, seek first the kingdom of God and being right with him and everything else will follow (Matthew 6:33).

We have found oil. We have beautiful marine resources. We have Maya ruins. We have thousands of acres of land. We have a very small population.

No one should be out of work! Let’s encourage entrepreneurship, factories.

Let’s inject steroids into the ‘business training programs’ at our schools, train our citizens to care for our resources. This will ensure that we need to bring in fewer foreigners to take care of our business!

Belize, you are thirty years old now. Grow up. It is time to step it up.

Begin to take care of yourself, create a business to fulfill your contribution.

God has equipped you to give something to the world and to little Belize. Let us move beyond just “hib up, wine up and drink up” celebrations of Independence. We must function in a way worthy of being Independent!

Until next week God bless!

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THE BELIZE TIMES

Sunday, September 18, 2011

BELIZE TIMES WEEKLY

SCIENCE & TECH R

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Selected By Chris Williams

A crusade to end

slash-and-burn farming 14 September 2011 Michael Marshall, environment reporter Curling streams of smoke rise from a burning hillside. Swathes of chopped trees and undergrowth burn steadily, the orange of the flames blurred by the grey-white smoke.

This is the opening shot of Up in Smoke, a documentary about the tragic consequences of slash-and-burn farming, and one scientist’s 25-year mission to put a stop to it.

Tropical ecologist Mike Hands is the undisputed hero of the film, endlessly slogging away at his ideas despite a chronic lack of funding, encouragement, or any good news whatsoever.

He ran field studies on slash-and-burn in the 1980s, trying to find out why the soil lost its fertility so quickly after the trees were gone. After becoming convinced that the bare soils lose a key nutrient, phosphorus, he tried to invent a sustainable way to farm in the tropics.

Hands’ solution is a variant on alley cropping, in which crops are planted between rows of trees. His preferred trees come from the genus Inga and are known in Central and South America as “guama”. The trees shade out

weeds and hold the soils together, and their pruned leaves are used as mulch.

The film whisks through the science to get to the real meat of the story: Hands’ Sisyphean struggle to get his ideas implemented in the real world. Governments and funding organisations all turn a blind eye, and initially promising avenues turn into blind alleys. At one point Hands arranges to go to the 2009 Copenhagen climate change summit, to put the case for his techniques as part of Honduras’ del-

egation - but that falls through when the Honduran president is ousted in a coup d’état.

As Hands puts it, with surprisingly little bitterness, “Every time you’ve got something sorted, some bastard comes along and screws it up.” Changing tack, he goes small-scale and convinces a few Honduran slash-and-burn farmers to try it out on their land, and begins the slow process of spreading it by word-of-mouth. As the film ends there are a few hopeful shoots, but

Super-Earth discovered in a habitable zone 13 September 2011 by Lee Billings Whispers that the Milky Way is filled with planets have turned into a roar. Earlier this week, astronomers announced the discovery of 600 more exoplanet candidates, including one “super-Earth” which may be habitable.

The news strengthens many astronomers’ suspicions that habitable planets are common and that more exciting discoveries are likely as better telescopes become available.

Called a super-Earth because it is only 3.6 times more massive than Earth and possibly rocky rather than gaseous, it resides in a 58-day orbit on the inner edge of its orange star’s habitable zone. If protected by a thick, cloudy atmosphere, it could have liquid water on its surface. Called HD 85512b, the exoplanet is only the sec-

ond small world to be found inside a habitable zone and lies just 36 light years away in the constellation of Vela.

That is close enough for future telescopes to scour it for signs of life.

Planet-hunters announced their latest finds this week at the Extreme Solar Systems II conference in Moran, Wyoming. A ground-based telescope in Chile discovered 55 of these planets, including HD 85512b, using an instrument called the High Accuracy Radial Velocity Planets Searcher (HARPS).

NASA’s Kepler space telescope spotted the others, mostly much further away.

While the HARPS team monitors nearby stars for telltale wobbles caused by orbiting planets, Kepler scientists search a wide field of faraway stars, watching for planets that become silhouetted against their suns.

Inga is by no means springing up everywhere.

Worthy environmental documentaries can be a slog, but Up in Smoke is delightful. Hands is undemonstrative but fascinating in his utter determination, and the vivid personalities of the Honduran farmers come through strongly. Although shot with hand-held cameras, the film steers clear of the irritating wobbly-cam that can plague such footage. At its best it succeeds in finding the beauty in a well-run farm, and putting it on the screen.

Speaking earlier this week at the Royal Society of Arts in London, UK, Hands explained that he wants to generate a “critical mass” of around 50 families using Inga on their farms. That, he says, should be enough to get others interested and for alley cropping to spread.

Up in Smoke’s director Adam Wakeling had almost as tough a time making the film as Hands did with alley cropping. Wakeling spent more than four years following Hands back and forth to Honduras. On his first trip he accidentally burnt timecodes onto all the footage, rendering it unusable. He says the project has left him “hugely in debt”.

The technique yields many candidates but confirmation is difficult over such great distances.

Still, the Kepler team reckons the vast majority of its finds are genuine, and of the newest batch roughly a quarter appear to be super-Earths. All this suggests that an Earth analogue will turn up sooner rather than later.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

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THE BELIZE TIMES

BSCFA pushes ahead to buy over BSI BELIZE CITY, Wednesday, September 14th, 2011

By Alton Humes The Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association (BSCFA), despite a ton of very nasty nay-saying from various quarters, are pushing forward with their plans to buy majority shares in the Belize Sugar Industries (BSI) factory.

Alfredo Ortega, the Chairman of the Committee of Management of BSCFA, told us via telephone yesterday, that after another private meeting he and his compatriots had with various parties, which in turn preceded a meeting with Prime Minister Dean Barrow, last Friday, September 9th, 2011.

Mr. Ortega remained confident in the BSCFA’s game plan, even if Prime Minister Barrow and his GOB cohorts are less than game for it. While it was highlighted that GOB would support the cane farmers if (and when) they gained capital, GOB (not in exact words) questioned whether or not BSCFA had the ‘clout’ to gain such capital.

And now, another slap in the face: a press release sent out by BSI itself, questioning the veracity of BSCFA’s

plans and essentially ‘slamming down’ the Sterling Group and their associates, American Funds SA, as “a small firm of legal and audit consultants” and “[a] commercial mortgage brokerage and consulting firm”, respectively.

But the BSCFA’s plans have been lining up rather well, according to Mr. Ortega. The very same group that BSI has denounced, the Sterling Group of Mexico, has managed to secure most, if not all, of the funding the BSCFA requires, despite awaiting minor documentation from the organization.

And the BSCFA has support from another quarter: the Belize Business Bureau (BBB). The organization, linked to the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry, via their press release of Monday, September 12th, has come out in full support of the BSCFA and their plans.

BBB has condemned the attitude of the government in allowing the Banco Atlántida deal to distract from the ‘best-case’ scenario for all parties involved: for BSI to remain in Belizean hands.

Last week, the People’s United Party declared its support for cane farmers.

The PUP said it believes BSI should remain in the hands of Be-

San Jose Village needs speed bumps!!

Continued from page 2 nity, but has been neglected by the following bodies: 1. DRIVERS 2. Orange Walk North Area Representative 3. The Ministry of Works The neglect that I am talking about is with pedestrians. Especially the youth who have been victims of accidents and at least one death. There is growing concern among members of my community on the recent traffic accidents in San Jose that has led to the death of a 20 year old, the injury to a 13 year old and the serious injury of an 18 year old. These three accidents happened on the Northern Highway between miles 61 and 62. This area is populated but lacks speed bumps and good lighting. The death of the 20 year old religious male youth happened around May of the present year and I was nearby when the accident occurred. The accident was about 20 feet south of the Shell gas station.

The accident involving the 13 year old girl happened in July in front of the Shell gas station. Most recently, on September 6, an 18 year old female was knocked down almost in front Los Pinos Pool & Bar. The well-known young lady is still hospitalized in Belize City. The last accident caught my family’s attention because it occurred at night and the criminal drove off. Few people noticed the accident because the area has poor lighting. While walking the area around April, I was annoyed at the ridiculously high speeding vehicles driving in the area.

Since then, I decided that I was going to write a letter, but I had little support.

As a concerned Belizean, I call upon all responsible bodies to find a solution to the problem. I recommend speed bumps and lighting improvements, but signs demanding lower speed limits will also work since there are presently none. To the body responsible for speed bumps on the Northern Highway, “Why does San Jose, which is about 2 miles long, has 2 speed bumps and Trial Farm, which is about half a mile long has 3??? Why does Buena Vista (in Corozal), which is less than a mile long, has about three pedestrian crossings and San Jose only has two speed bumps??

Sincerely yours, Eddie Herrera Citizen of San Jose

lizeans, and committed that the next PUP “will ensure that ownership and control of BSI and the Sugar In-

dustry at large remain in the hands of the cane farmers, workers and other Belizean stakeholders”.

PUP says Belizeans

must own BSI!

September 8 2011 The People’s United Party supports the Belize Sugar Industry workers and cane farmers in their efforts to own and control BSI. Since handing the cane farms to Belizeans, the People’s United Party has always been on the side of our farmers and the owners of BSI. As recently as last year the PUP supported the government’s decision to provide $10 million in bridge financing to BSI. We are confident that the workers of BSI and the cane farmers will work together to ensure that the industry performs at optimum capacity by improving management and by making production and processing efficient.

The next PUP government will ensure that ownership and control of BSI and the Sugar Industry at large remain in the hands of the cane farmers, workers and other Belizean stakeholders. (Press Release)

NOTICE Scotiabank wishes to advise customers of our new opening hours effective Monday September 19, 2011.

Monday to Thursday Friday Every Other Saturday

8:00am to 2:30pm 8:00am to 4:00pm 8:00am to 11:30pm

Please note that all our branches will be closed on Saturday 24, 2011 and will be open every other Saturday thereafter.

For everyday banking transactions, please use: 1. Our ATMs, available 24/7 2. Scotia OnLine, at www.belize.scotiabank.com 3. TeleScotia, by calling 227-2200 4. Mobile Banking, at www.belize.scotiabank.com/mobile We wish to apologize for any inconvenience caused as we enhance our operations to serve you better.

Scotiabank would like to wish all Belizeans a Happy and Safe September celebrations.

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THE BELIZE TIMES

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Sunday, September 18, 2011

THE BELIZE TIMES

THINK ABOUT IT JUDGE LUCAS SHOULD BE CHIEF JUSTICE The decision to bring a foreigner to be the new Chief Justice is anti-nationalistic. It’s not that the new Chief Justice is at the intellectual level as former Chief Justice Abdulai Conteh. It’s not that the new Chief Justice is bringing any major years of experience or achievement from whence he comes. A Chief Justice is the Head of the Judiciary. He has to have administrative and management abilities.

Belizean Judge Adolf Lucas should have been promoted to the post of Chief Justice of Belize.

He had the necessary background and experience and capability. He was a former Senior Police Officer.

He was a Prosecutor. He was the Chief Magistrate of this nation. He was one of the best Director of Public Prosecutions. He practiced as a private Attorney-at-Law and he has been a Judge at the Supreme Court for some time now.

Judge Lucas is a disciplinarian and is a strict person. He is meticulous and organized. He is always researching and reading cases and keeping himself up-to-date with the developments with the law.

He leaves his political opinions at home and treat all and sundry in his court with respect and fairness.

Why is the government disrespecting Judge Lucas for a foreigner? Judge Lucas should be the Chief Justice of this nation.

OUR ANTHEM INSULTS MAYAS Our national anthem comes from a poem written by Belizean Samuel Haynes. His poem is titled “Land of the Gods”.

In the long struggle against colonialism and the bloodless battle for independence, George Price and his huge number of supporters of nationalist Belizeans dismantled many of the trappings and symbols of our British masters.

All colonial subjects were required to sing the British anthem and fly the British flag at all official occasions. There was a time when George Price was scoffed at when he referred to “my fellow Belizeans”.

The name of our country was British Honduras and we were called British Honduraneans.

In 1973 George Price officially changed the name of our country from British Honduras to Belize.

Our passports started reflecting this change and over the years our people accepted the new designation – Belizean.

At Independence we officially accepted Lands of the Gods as our national anthem and changed the words to land of the Free. But no change was made to other outmoded terms in the poem.

One such is the line “our fathers the Baymen, valiant and bold drove back the invaders this heritage hold.”

The Baymen are distinctly not the fathers of the Maya. Neither are they the forebears of Garinagu.

The Baymen are the forefathers of Creoles. Creoles in Belize are mostly a mixture of the white Baymen slave masters and black African female slaves.

Later arrivals to Belize such as the Mennonites, Chinese, East Indians etc. neither from white Baymen or black Africans.

Poets have poetic licence and can write certain things. When a nation embraces an already written poetic work to be its national anthem it should change some words to make them more relevant, more real.

30 years after independence, life so hard for most Belizeans that words in an anthem is the very least of their concerns. Our people are fighting just to get bread on the table.

CONSULTATIONS A FARCE Any reputable dictionary would define farce as something ridiculous or a hallow formality, buffoonery and so on.

Which is exactly what the public consultations for the 9th Amendment to the Constitution have become.

An important matter like a Parliamentary sub-committee seeking to obtain the views of interested citizens on a serious proposal to make changes to our Constitution has now degenerated into outright partisan jousting. Party supporters on both sides are being lined up to say yes or say no to the proposal.

Some of them don’t even know what reason they are saying no or yes.

There is no meaningful discussion or consultations taking place.

Indeed there are no discussions, period.

This is another sign of the poor quality of leadership in our country.

It is also a reflection of how low and how far behind we are as a people when our elected representatives are satisfied to muster party hacks rather than the right thinking and sensible citizens in our society to engage in a consultation process on a constitutional matter.

The PUP should withdraw from the farce and instead file a challenge in the Supreme Court against the attempt by government to change Section 2 of our Constitution.

You don’t need to be a lawyer to read the proposed change to know that the proposal is unacceptable in our democracy and is unheard of anywhere else in constitutional democracies – The very meaning of the Supreme Law is being changed to include any other law which the government puts in the constitu-

tion.

And the PUP leadership, also need to separate the issue of Section 2 from the issue of nationalization, which is a horse (make that jack arse) of a different colour.

Nationalisation can go through but tampering with Section 2 is a no no.

FOUR MORE FOREIGNERS The Government of Belize has employed four more foreigners to be Magistrates.

There have been no advertisements for vacancies in the Magistrates Department. No Belizeans have been given an opportunity to apply.

When foreigners are appointed to these important positions it costs the tax payers of Belize double money. The foreigners are given houses to live in free, they are given a soft loan to buy a vehicle, they are given telephone allowances.

They are given free tickets to come and return to their country. They are given a fat salary.

Belizean Magistrates get no housing, no special perks. They get no telephone allowances. They get no ticket to vacation abroad.

It must be painful for qualified Belizeans in these positions who are struggling financially to see foreigners come in and given special treatment by the government.

Please, it’s not the foreigners’ fault.

EMMERSON BANNER Magistrate Emmerson Banner has received notification that he has been accepted at the prestigious Norman Manley Law School in Jamaica. A person can only enter Norman Manley if he or she has a University Degree in Law. Magistrate Banner has a Law degree. He was a former prosecutor having qualified in the Para-Legal Diploma Course. He was a former Lay Magistrate. He is a Grandmaster in one of the local lodges. And he was given an elevation of sorts when he was selected to head the recently established Court 8.

The evil government of Belize had planned to use Court 8 as a special Police/Quick Trial Court in order to get convictions. But having destroyed the professional make up of CIB (Crime Investigation Branch) and providing no resources to the police, the same old, same old has continued. Lack of proper investigation, scarcity of evidence in court.

All indications from lawyers who have dealt with Court 8 is that Magistrate Banner has resisted being manipulated and has performed his duties with fairness to the citizens of Belize. Maybe one of the reasons the government is pouring foreigners into the court system in order to influence Magistrates to do political bidding.

Congratulations and respect is due to Magistrate Banner as he furthers his career and takes up the new challenge at Norman Manley.

SAID SHOULDN’T Former two times Prime Min-

33 ister of Belize, Said Musa, should not have accepted an invitation to speak at Bliss Institute Wednesday night along with former Prime Ministers Manuel Esquivel and Dean Barrow.

Said Musa is a graduate of St. Michael’s College. Having been awarded a scholarship he studied Law in England. Returning home as an Attorney-at-Law he was a Prosecutor and a Magistrate. He became the President of the Public Service Union and then turned to radical politics along with soul mate Assad Shoman.

They both formed an organization call RAM- Revolutionary Action Movement. For a brief period RAM partnered with UBAD, United Black Association for Development, whose leader was Evan X Hyde.

Said was a revolutionary of sorts, certainly in the Belize context. In the sense that his ideas and prospective would have been radically different from what Belize was used to. He entered party politics, became a Minister of government from whence he spearheaded many reforms in legislation, sports and culture and in particular in his deep commitment to education. Along with Assad Shoman, Harry Courtenay, Lindy Rogers and George Price, Said was a major factor in the internationalization of Belize’s quest for Independence.

Said became Prime Minister.

Then all hell broke loose when he took away BTL from Michael Ashcroft whose response included corralling a group of government ministers. What was their name?

G? The current Prime Minister has no record of Public Service.

Like Prime Minister Esquivel, Hon. Barrow became Prime Minister because the electorate wanted to send a message to the PUP. Barrow had tried in 98 and again in 2003 and couldn’t pull it off. But a tide of discontent floated Barrow into the position of Prime Minister.

Barrow has not articulated any vision for this country. He cares nothing about the vast hordes of Belizeans who are left out of the education system. The rising tide of poverty means nothing to him.

His lack of interest in Youth, Sports and Culture is highlighted by the meaningless names he places in charge of those portfolios. This is man with no love. Four years of Dean Barrow’s government has become a disaster for Belize. Instead of bringing Camelot he has brought nada.

For these and many other substantial reasons Said shouldn’t have accepted the invitation to join Esquivel and Barrow.

Visit Us Online at: www.belizetimes.bz

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THE BELIZE TIMES

Sunday, September 18, 2011

28 Belizeans to be honoured Belmopan, 12th September, 2011.

Twenty-eight distinguished Belizeans will be honoured during this year’s Tribute to Belizean Patriots ceremony, scheduled for Thursday, 15th September, at the Bliss Centre for the Performing Arts, in Belize City. Those nominated to receive national honours are: Order of Belize Edward A. Laing For contributions

Eulogy: George Harold Graham

Mr. George Harold Graham was the son of Mrs. Victoria and Mr. Graham. He was born in Kingston, Jamaica and some of the family migrated to Belize. He is one of six children: four boys and two girls. His brothers: John, Hubert and Jim Graham all deceased; Sisters: Gertrude Graham Benefield deceased and Grace Graham, only surviving sister who now lives in New York.

He lived with Mrs. Ida Nixon Graham for ten years before her death in March 2005: five years before wedlock and five years after marriage. He was father and dad to seven children. Father to Glenford Hilton Graham and stepfather to the children of his deceased wife Mrs. Ida Graham. His stepchildren are: Mrs. Santa Laing Flores of Honduras, Albert Earnest Laing deceased; Winston Laing, Ricardo Laing, Joel Laing and Mrs. Janice Laing Simpson. He was a loving and caring father to all his children.

He is also survived by a nephew, Mr. Herman Bennett of Orange Walk and three nieces: Mrs. Grenda Morrera, Christ and Elizabeth of New York.

He worked for a few years at Sanitation Enterprises (SEL) and served as a driver and as the gate-man for the company when he lost some of his vision. He also worked for BML as security guard.

He was referred to by an ex-supervisor, co-worker and family as a very reliable, nice and humble man.

Mr. George Graham was also a dedicated Marshall for the People’s United Party (P.U.P.). He truly believes in the party and gave his time and energy to their cause.

On the eve of his passing, he was visited in the hospital by his step-son Winston Laing, Minister Rene Gordon and Sis Edna Price. He had a good conversation and was led to the presence of the Lord by Minister Gordon. Later that night, August 28, 2011, his soul passed on to rest.

He left to mourn his passing: a sister, his son, his step-sons, step-daughters, a daughter, a nephew, nieces. Several grandchildren, other families and friends.

The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh.

May the soul of Mr. George Harold Graham Rest in Peace. George Harold Graham May 19, 1933 – August 28, 2011

to law (posthumously) Order of Distinction Paul Nabor For contributions to culture and music Lawrence Vernon For contributions to the development of the Belize National Library Service Meritorious Service Award - Female Lillian August For contributions to nursing and community service Adelia E. Young For contributions to nursing Olga Blades For contributions to the community (posthumously) Juana I. Terry For contributions to student support Gloria M. Stuart For contributions to community service Sharon Matola For contributions to education and the preservation of wildlife Deanna E. Nisbet For contributions to education Martha Lopez For contributions to community service Myrna D. Pitts For contributions

to education and community work Sister Therese, S.A.C. For contributions to music education Elda M. Vega For contributions to education and community service Sylvia Manderson For contributions to the Belizean Diaspora in the USA Bernadette M. Cornejo For contributions to community service and education Carrie E. Belgrave For contributions to the arts, culture, and community development (posthumously) Meritorious Service Award – Male Clifford D. W. Atkins For contributions to agriculture Darius Avila For contributions to culture and economic development Belizario R. Carballo For contributions to education John L. Dueck For contributions to business and social development (posthumously) Frederick P. Garcia For contributions to education, agriculture, and

NOTICE

sports Joel “Dara” Robinson For contributions to social work Wilfred E. L. Nicholas, Sr. For contributions to sports (posthumously) Carlton L. Fairweather For contributions to public service and the (posthumously) uniformed services Theodore Palacio For contributions to the development of teacher education Fr. John J. Stochl, S.J. For contributions to education Frank A. Symns For contributions to the community The National Honours and Awards Act, 1991, provides that each year on Independence Day, or at such other time as may be deemed expedient, honours and awards may be conferred on persons, living or deceased, who have rendered outstanding and meritorious service to Belize, or who have distinguished themselves in other endeavours worthy of national recognition. (END)

The BELIZE TIMES informs its readers and advertisers that its Independence Issue will be out on Friday, September 23rd 2011.

Advertisers are asked to submit their ads by midday, Thursday September 22nd.

Thank you.

The BELIZE TIMES Management

Sunday, September 18, 2011

THE BELIZE TIMES

LOWER ELECTRICITY RATES NOW

Sedi Shames Belize Brazilian journalist and historian took the near four thousand mile trip from Brazil to deliver an insightful historical lecture on Tuesday, September 13, 2011. The lecture was scheduled to begin at 7:00pm at the Bliss Centre for the Performing Arts, in Belize City.

Despite the excusably tardy start to the proceedings, the poor in house attendance and the unnecessarily long ramblings of Belize’s Foreign Minister, Hon. Wilfred “Sedi” Elrington, the presentation by the fifty five year old author and guest lecturer was informatively engaging.

The lecture which the Brazilian Embassy facilitated in honor of the 30th Anniversary of the Independence of Belize was posed under the thesis: “Brazil: the Birth and Building of a Nation.”

The full run of his presentation, which was moved along by a steady reel of still pictures on the huge power point projection, was comfortably shorter than the parade of formalities which preceded him. The hefty group of Co-sponsors to the lecture included: the representative from NICH (host institution), Ambassador of Brazil, H.E. Mr. Tomas M. Guggenheim; UB President, Dr. Cary Fraser; UWI’s Jane Bennett and CEO of RSV Media Centre, Rene Villanueva Sr. The acclaimed Brazilian, who has successfully sold over a million copies of his first publication “1808”, provided a smooth delivery of his lecture notes.

The heaviness and occasional hitches of his latent Portuguese accent did little to detract from an easy flowing and engaging presentation.

Although the listening audience could have asked for a bit more depth on the dynamics of the Brazilian success experience, the lecture was light, measured and compact.

The one of the two points which stuck out to us at the BELIZE TIMES was the reckless and insensitive statements made by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Sedi Elrington. In his “few words”, which were inhumanely and disrespectfully long, he made a comment which is stupidly short sighted.

Sedi said during his presentation that “Brazil is the only south American country I would want to visit.” Now this is coming from the Minister of Foreign Affairs on radio, television and internet.

Think about it. There are near fifteen countries that make up South American territories, including Venezuela, Argentina and Guyana. More than half of our Judiciary is Guyanese. Belize has cordial and extensive relationships with several of those South American States and for him to insult the other countries unnecessarily is simply bone headed. Even the moderator was floored and had to openly comment on the “generous compliment”.

Why does Barrow continue this sick joke of hanging Sedi so high? The schism between the Barrows and the Elringtons is well known but Barrow

cannot continue to entertain himself, while Sedi skips around with his International brain farts. The entire country of Belize suffers. Remember when he called our border “artificial”.

We at BELIZE TIMES continue to point out the importance of the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs, or foreign minister. We point this out and the ever present danger of keeping this oaf in that position. The post is a cabinet minister who helps form the foreign policy of Belize. His portfolio is responsible for our relationship with foreign countries.

The foreign minister is often regarded as the most senior ministerial position below that of the head of government in our case the Prime Minister. In most other countries particularly in coalition governments, it is granted to the deputy prime minister. In the United States the equivalent to the foreign ministry is called the Department of State, and the equivalent position is known as the Secretary of State.

Belize is failing because, yes, Barrow does not have any competent player on his team but also because he sadistically puts the personali-

ties that he does have at positions he knows they will fail.

Look at what he gave poor little John Saldivar or Flippin or Pablo or Perdomo etc., etc.

Interestingly at the lecture and during the portion for the interaction with the audience, a question was posed

by Sedi, himself, as to how Brazil became so prosperous surpassing even Portugal.

Funny that the Brazilian Ambassador answered by saying that foreign investment was the key to the prosperity of Brazil. The investment climate and the way that the country is perceived by foreign investment are important.

While Sedi took a hard swallow at the response, flashing through his head was the absolute mess of the investor climate that the UDP government has made and the fact that the Chamber of Commerce and the People’s United Party have all been saying very much the same thing.

Since everyone who says anything remotely contrary to the dictatorship of Barrow is accused of being PUP, is Brazil, PUP too?

And seriously it is not funny anymore please, Barrow, send Sedi to his room of malt balls and bengay.

35

Humor in UDP Politics!

Cabinet made the following decision: - That Boots be sanctioned for doing a nasty version of the Tornado on television.

- To have the Minister of Police and his band in tights and March in the 21st parade. A memo will be sent that all officers must attend.

- To buy back the Boledo and Sunday lottery from Brad’s, so that another UDP crony could benefit - That all Westline must fly UDP flags as a sign of gratitude - That the Free Zone be opened to UDP Ministers every Saturday in September …………………..

In other related Cabinet news - An envelope sent by the Churches was circulated around for viewing. When it reached Patrick Faber he asked why no one had opened it and looked inside.

So he did, but only to find it was a bill for the last meeting with the Prime Minister.

Holy Moly! …………………..

Things so bad under Barrow that the coconuts are all dried up. Things so bad that the local rum drinkers can’t afford $1.50 for their flask. Things so bad that Colonial and Independence cigarette is no longer made in Belize, so bad that City Council can’t pay for the fireworks. …………………..

Mayor Moya/Dalla’s Tenth speech was about integrity. Not only was she publicly sucking up to Barrow but clearly for all to see the Mayor gave the speech in her running shoes – where to? Only the good Lord knows?

36

THE BELIZE TIMES

Sunday, September 18, 2011