est. 2007

Barbados Underground

Bringing News and Opinions to the People

,

The "G" Virus Continued

After reading the  Are VIPs Exempt From Paying VAT? which followed BU’s  The G Virus,  BU remains convinced we have a crisis of governance in Barbados. As election time draws  closer BU will be highlighting examples to show that it does not matter which government is in office, the decadence which permeates our governance system is foreboding.…

, , , , , , ,
Auditor General Leigh Trotman

After reading the  Are VIPs Exempt From Paying VAT? which followed BU’s  The G Virus,  BU remains convinced we have a crisis of governance in Barbados. As election time draws  closer BU will be highlighting examples to show that it does not matter which government is in office, the decadence which permeates our governance system is foreboding.

During the last general election Barbadians listened to several accusations of financial wrongdoings by the then Opposition. With another general election on the horizon Barbadians are hearing the same concerns from the current Opposition. Needless to say many Barbadians have become turned off by the politics being practiced in Barbados.

Do Barbadians remember the two Special Audits done by the Auditor General in 2006?

Feel free to fast forward to the following in 2012:

Same salt fish!

  1. Caswell Franklyn Avatar
    Caswell Franklyn

    David

    The main problem in Barbados that breeds corruption is the ineffective, supposedly independent agencies that are supposed to enforce the law.

    The Director of Public Prosecutions is supposed to be independent but that office does not have any independent investigators: it has to rely on the police to investigate. When the police refuses to unearth evidence, the DPP’s hands are tied. Promotion to the most senior ranks must have the PM’s blessing as practiced here; and policemen toe the line if they want to get ahead. That means if you receive a call telling you to give my man a break that is what you do if you want to get ahead.

    Similar favours are required from officers in all revenue collecting agencies. It happens in the Court Process Office where a politician would ask a Marshall not to serve summonses and execute warrants on their friends.

    Barbados is so corrupt that the two pieces of cane on our court of arms should be replaced by a hand of bananas.

  2. Simple Simon Avatar
    Simple Simon

    I will vote for the party whose campaign is smarter in execution than the than the other party’s. The one with the the better message that is consistently delivered. I was still waiting for details from both the BLP and the DLP. I want to know how they are going to accomplish all of the things they promise to do. And I want them to tell me NOW. Don’t tell me “Just trust me on the details” The last time somebody told me that I got fcuked up.

  3. Simple Simon Avatar
    Simple Simon

    That said.

    A people get the government which they deserve.

  4. JUST ASKING Avatar
    JUST ASKING

    ALL the ass wunna going to do is talk talk talk
    Wunna should be out there taking action protesting, occupying Bridgetown, marching to Government House, CONTACTING INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS ETC.

    Wunna aint doing one fart
    Just a bunch of frightened people hiding behind a Blog an talking shite. I do not mean Caswell who eveybody knows and who does not hide behind a psuedonym and who has taken action time and time again—
    I DO NOT MEAN CASWELL

    But the rest o wunna ?
    WHO is going to take up the mantle ??

    JUST ASKING

  5. Sitting by the Bay Avatar
    Sitting by the Bay

    JUST ASKING | November 19, 2012 at 10:57 PM |
    Wunna should be out there taking action protesting, occupying Bridgetown, marching to Government House, CONTACTING INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS ETC.

    Why?
    We live in civilised Barbados not a banna republic. We handle tough times and good times with strength of character and level headedness the Bajan way. Its why we are not bringing Owen Arthur and his privateers back. His privitazation regime is a recipe for disaster.
    Fruendel is calm cool collected he embraces Barbados the society. Owen dealing in gimmicks , economics for the few, backward thinking. Foward ever backward never. The Dems got the formula we dont have to occupy Bridgetown to access it.

  6. David Avatar
    David

    @Caswell

    To build on what people ;like yourself have been doing; speaking out, the blogs et al. What more can we do to enlighten the masses?

  7. Caswell Franklyn Avatar
    Caswell Franklyn

    We can form an organisation that can challenge some of the illegal activity in court. I have tried several times to get a lawyer to work on matters that would have been in the public’s interest. All I hear is that would be a good case but… When Government raised the Road Tax, they did so illegally and all lawyers that I spoke with, even academic lawyers, said that I was right but none would come forward to help. One BLP lawyer even told me that his party did similar things when in office so he can’t take the case. Water rates were also raised illegally. I can point them out but I don’t have the financial resources to go beyond that.

  8. David Avatar
    David

    @Caswell

    Interesting, despite the army of lawyers who our tax dollars have been invested, many of them are not motivated to pick up these public causes ie. defend our democracy. We are told many of them struggle to earn five or six thousand dollars monthly. What has been happening is that many lawyers are working in the private sector doing jobs where being a lawyer is an asset but not core to the job.

  9. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    @ Caswell
    Even if you had money like Bush(ie) it would not make any difference. The lawyers would just steal it from you while they play their deceitful games in the joke courts that we have.

    The ONLY SOLUTION to this problem lies in your hands. It is to put together the BUP.
    ONLY YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH such a thing successfully. You will be assisted.

    1- Identify two dozen influential community leaders to form a National Supervisory Committee(NSC). they must represent large blocks of citizens- BARP, Credit Unions, UWI, Unions, Sport, Business etc

    Eg – Ed Bushell, Hally Haynes, Sir Roy, Sir Hillary, etc

    THEIR ONLY ROLE will be governence. They will INTERVIEW potential candidates for nomination and based on the interviews, identify 30 to be supported in the coming election.
    Each candidate WILL BE REQUIRED to sign an undated letter of resignation to be held by the NSC.
    The NSC will then campaign for these candidates in the coming elections.

    …it is quite simple really!

  10. Carson C. Cadogan Avatar
    Carson C. Cadogan

    This is just pie-in-the-sky.

  11. Hamilton hill Avatar
    Hamilton hill

    I think that we need to better educate our people,so that they understand that there can be some recourse.As Caswell seems to be hinting there needs to be some institution ran by persons with the intestinal fortitude to challenge the status quo.Something has got to give here,for these times are too hard for the poorest to continue to get the royal shaft. I want someone,from either side to be publicly shamed,or better yet locked to eff up.

  12. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    Sorry CCC there will be no room for yard fowls. Your position is therefore understood. Glad to see that you are worried though, it means that you get it … 🙂

    Caswell is the key resource because he is one of the few people who understand cooperative governance. He is misguided with respect to the role of cooperatives in investing in business, banking etc but this is not a problem and may even be an bigger asset.

  13. ac Avatar
    ac

    I like how the ones with the suggestions keeps passing the reponsibity off to another person the question is who going to take the leadership role who is willing to stand up or die for a good cause .HOW long has barbados been indepoendant and the same idealistic reasoning continues as in a world of make believe

  14. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    Hush your mouth do ac!
    It is obvious that Caswell was born for this role. If you knew how many people he made miserable all his life in preparation for this national duty you may (or knowing you MAYBE NOT) understand. 🙂
    Bushie knows Caswell well enough to know that he is well on the way to exploring this project….
    …no pick for you though ac, …..you got to dump that lawyer husband of yours first……unless of course his name is “Amused” and you are ‘she who must be obeyed’….?! LOL

  15. David Avatar
    David

    @Bush Tea

    It will call for a special person or team indeed to crack this nut.

  16. DR. THE HONOURABLE Avatar
    DR. THE HONOURABLE

    You David can lead it
    and crack the nut
    The men in Barbados are eunuchs
    Emaciated by folly

  17. ac Avatar
    ac

    calling on Bush Tea to lead the calvary nuff talk but no actiion so what yuh gonna do bushie just roll over and play dead and keep shunning the responsibilty by pushing it off on caswell it is/your baby now feed it before it die of starvation

  18. David Avatar
    David

    These talk shows hosts are hilarious. They allow callers to talk for 20 minutes and as the time approaches 15 minutes to the close of the program callers are ‘encouraged” to hurry up.

  19. David Avatar
    David

    Amazing we can post comments about all topics under the sun but the governance issue which is at the core of hope we live our live,s we have nothing to say. It exposes how shallow we are as a people.

  20. David Avatar
    David

    We have Wickham et al on the radio and press pushing privatization but the core issue of governance he is passive.

  21. Carson C.Cadogan Avatar
    Carson C.Cadogan

    Sorry CCC there will be no room for yard fowls. Your position is therefore understood. Glad to see that you are worried though, it means that you get it …”

    How much time do you give your little committee or whatever it is before it falls in line like everything else?

    ……….but there is nothing wrong with dreaming!

  22. ac Avatar
    ac

    Reason why wickham igniores the need for good and open goverance is because it would open a hornet nests allowing the callers to expose past governments recklness and wastefulness in draining the govt treasury putting most of the blame on a 14year govt

  23. David Avatar
    David

    Did anyone listen to Michael Archer at ICAB meeting throwing his hands in the air that there is a lack of will to reform the public service? He said year after year the AG reports are laid and what?

  24. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    @ David | November 22, 2012 at 6:46 PM |

    I heard him and can only say there is absolutely no hope under the current dispensation.
    Change must be imposed from outside in the form of serious enforced privatization and divestment. Neither the politicians nor top public sector managers will do anything about the current mess and drag on the country’s further development. Just compare Barbados with Singapore; two countries setting out on the same path but like the hare Barbados being well ahead fell asleep on the developmental job and now finds itself at No. 47 on the UN Human Development Index at June 2012 whereas Singapore is at No.26.

    As Michael said they just talk and every year just gather again for the ritual and verbal diarrhoea sessions on public sector reform.

The blogmaster invites you to join the discussion.

Trending

Discover more from Barbados Underground

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading