THOUGHTS AND IDEAS FROM TV IN BELIZE

THOUGHTS AND IDEAS FROM THE TV NEWS IN BELIZE


Another shootout, to do with contraband goods for a Northern border village. I think the customs and police and the CABINET are going about this all wrong. There is a road along the border river that is convenient for Belize border villages on the Mexican side. Anybody who has run the gauntlet of Mexican and Belize border crossings at the official Chetumal bridge would think the so-called contrabandistas are smart. They are doing things for their convenience. It is the duty of the Government of Belize and Customs and Immigration to establish a small outpost concrete building where these villagers are crossing over to Mexico to shop, if they want to collect taxes. People are not supposed to arrange their shopping trips to the convenience of the government by detouring to the main Northern highway Chetumal bridge crossing. The government are supposed to arrange tax collection points that are convenient for the citizens. If you have to have a border concrete post at the river in Douglas, or San Victor or down South in the remote Toledo District, up in those remote high mountain Toledo foothills, then it is our responsibility as a government to provide same, or leave these villagers alone to get on with their lives.

Bureaucrats and politicians all think the same. They think that we taxpayer citizens are there to satisfy their rules, but that is not so. We pay for them to provide government services to us in a convenient and pleasant manner. Obviously there are not enough border crossing immigration and customs posts for both Guatemala and Mexico border lines. Fix it you UDP CABINET, that is what you were elected to do.


Generally speaking overall, the UDP have failed so far as a government. There are some successes, but far outweighed by the mistakes, either in lack of departmental services, or incomprehension, or pure incompetent leadership. 44% report card score overall for this UDP government at the 18 month mark.


The Medical Department is getting a shakeup due to some deaths in Corozal and Punta Gorda, but things in our government bureaucracies and CABINET LEADERSHIP, or lack thereof, is more serious than that. There are too many poorly functioning government departments for this to be an accident. The UDP need to start shuffling CABINET POSTS, or getting rid of those Cabinet Ministers who are incompetent. The job of the CABINET members is to see the bureaucracy runs smoothly and gives service to the public. Too much is pure craziness and laziness and plain non – functioning. No wonder the UDP management score card is only 44% and going downward. Face it PM BARROW, the government problems have gotten away from you. A lot of your colleagues are incompetent. FIX IT MON, that’s what you get paid for! Government departments should give smooth, pleasant and prompt ( timely manner ) public service to us taxpayer voters. In the case of your elected party representatives, delegating authority like you have done and standing back while everything goes to hell in a hand basket is not working as a Prime Ministerial policy. Ultimately you are the Captain of the ship, or Pilot in command of the airplane, or in this case of the Government of Belize. The responsibility is yours and yours alone!


The MONEY GRAM so called LAUNDERING OPERATION was interesting to read about it. I can’t see why anybody would operate a SPORTS BOOK IN COSTA RICA and then mail the money to Belize. What happens to the money? You cannot easily get foreign exchange in Belize and surely getting money transferred from Costa Rica to Belize is counter productive if it is in Belize funny money? Unless you plan to spend the money here, which would be productive and good business for Belize. The Sports Book in Costa Rica I can understand ,because it is the USA that has the laws against their own citizens, not wanting them to gamble in foreign countries, only inside the USA. Sort of like Cuba and Castro brothers not wanting their Cuban citizens to do private business as in capitalists. More power to COSTA RICA here, for providing the service to international customers. Up to that point I would think everything is legal? At least in the International Arena. If CUBA wants to cry about their citizens doing private business, or the USA want their citizens only to gamble within the USA, that has no business with other international countries. That’s legitimate business.


The new USA Ambassador to Belize is going to be an Indian / American. Now think about that for a bit. When I heard that, I kind of wondered if he was Sioux, or Cheyenne, Apache, Kiowa, or something? My wife is a CHIBCHA royalty from Bogota originally. Turns out this new USA Ambassador is a University friend of OBAMA and big donor ( $100,000 ) to the OBAMA campaign for president and Belize is his reward. Apparently he is a NATURALIZED US CITIZEN during the hippie era, from the mainland India country in Asia to the USA. Different kind of Indians over there. Remember the port of Belize City WEDDING when the Indian Merchant from mainland India down in the port had a wedding with white horse, and rose petals on the street, to ride over to the rented Government House for the wedding, and all that Maharaja stuff from the movies? His bride was an arranged marriage and all that cultural stuff at the wedding when she arrived. Great stuff! Local people loved the story. You think OBAMA could use a leetle bit of the TRILLIONS being given away to corrupt thieves on Wall Street, to rent a couple of Mexican circus elephants, make some costumes and have the USA Ambassador ride elephants to the Prime Minister’s official office in Belmopan , to present his USA credentials, while carrying the US flag? Good publicity and what a cultural scene and mix for tourism in Belize. Invite all the US TV networks to film it. Mon o’ mon, what an opportunity to get news coverage for poor little Belize. Belize Tourist Board are you listening? Get to work mon! Don’t miss an advertising publicity stunt like this. Cheap at any cost. Have the US Indian/American Ambassador wear a Turban and Maharaja costume, with attendants, ride an elephant, musical band, waving USA and Belize flags, etc. WOW!!! Get the local Indian community to provide the costumes and stuff. The USA TV networks will love it and worth MILLIONS OF ADVERTISING DOLLARS for Belize. This is USA foreign aid to Belize, without them spending a government penny. Invite OPRAH. Should be easy to phone the new Ambassador guy and get his cooperation, even OBAMA should go along with showing the cultural diversity of the USA, after his latest international big push on USA Muslims, supposedly outnumbering the Muslim population of Dubai. This is a WIN WIN situation for some good cultural pageantry organizers. Heck, if the Queen of England can do this stuff in the Commowealth countries, then OBAMA can do it for the USA. He can make his USA diverse population proud this way. Something new and unique.