BRIBERY and VOTE BUYING, by Channel 7 news in Belize

OUR TAX MONEY IN BELIZE IS USED BY THE PARTY IN POWER TO PAY FOR BRIBES, FOR CONSTITUENT VOTES. IF THAT IS NOT CROOKED, WHAT IS IT?

Channel 7 TV news item:

Que Viva Political Patronage: Finnegan Sees 764 At Pre-Christmas Clinic
Thu, December 8, 2011
Earlier on in the newscast, you heard Audrey Matura Shepherd of OCEANA say that regarding the referendum - the Coalition is strictly not buying votes or offering any incentives to vote.

Well, good luck with that, but, tonight, we can report that - like it or loathe it - political patronage is alive and well in Belize.

How do we know?

Well, today we passed by Mesopotamia Representative Michael Finnegan's Divisional Office on Amara Avenue where the crowd was "pile - up like boil -up" for his weekly clinic.

We tracked him down this afternoon to find out what was up with all the crowd. The political veteran told us it's the biggest crowd he's ever seen:..

Hon. Michael Finnegan, Mesopotamia Representative
"There was a little bit more crowed today because we are closer to Christmas."

Jules Vasquez
"Specify how many people do you see on a regular basis and how many did you see today?"

Hon. Michael Finnegan
"On a regular basis I would see like two hundred people per week but today the number was 764 people I saw today."

Jules Vasquez
"764, people?"

Hon. Michael Finnegan
"764 people I had to send for staff members from housing and planning, so as to execute things in a much speedier manner."

Jules Vasquez
"Now, 764 people an extraordinary number."

Hon. Michael Finnegan
"That is half of the votes I get every election."

Jules Vasquez
"And these people were asking... are you able to say what they're asking for?"

Hon. Michael Finnegan
"No they just came for different thing which I will not say to the media, but their representative as usual this is Christmas time and as area representative I like to be nice to people during the Christmas season."

Jules Vasquez
"It's no crime in saying you give them a little Christmas gift."

Hon. Michael Finnegan
"Obviously, of course I want to treat everybody nice and little turkey there, a little ham there, probably a crate of Coco Cola or a crate of Red Fanta."

Jules Vasquez
"Now, a critic would say two things, one; from where do you get the money to do all this and two; you are engaging in political patronage, because when vote time comes you will tell them remember I got you that ham and turkey."

Hon. Michael Finnegan
"No I would never do that. That is below my dignity, but they monies that are used to do that, is monies that comes to the ministry from the Ministry of Finance, in other words I spend the money and use the money on the people of the division which I represent rather than steal it and put into my pocket I give it to the people."

Jules Vasquez
"You've been in politics for most of your life and you have an elected representative now for going 20 years. Have you ever dealt with so many voters at a clinic?"

Hon. Michael Finnegan
"No today was an extraordinary day."

Jules Vasquez
"Of these 764 I know that you're famously with voters, you speak your mind and a lot of them say you've got bad ways. You could not have been all kind and nice, to all 764."

Hon. Michael Finnegan
"Boy I was extremely kind, I am taken a pill prescribe for me by my doctor the name of the pills is Effexor. Effexor 70mg, it's a pills that mellow you. Keep you in calm and I've been on it for the last six months and that's a pill that mellow me, keep me cool. I am happy every day I am overwhelmed with happiness and joy because of the pill."

Despite today's Christmas crowd, Finnegan says he will also have clinics for the next two Thursday's before the 25th. By our assessment, 764 is almost half the number who voted for him in the last election when he won the division with almost 80% of the voter turnout.
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*** No controlling political corruption and spending of our tax dollars by politicians. ****
Would it not be better to use Belize grown tranquilizer like local Belizean Breeze ( marijuana grown in Belize, than imported pills, for elected repesentative Michael Finnegan )