Nebraska Governor gives media lesson on how PM Barrow of Belize should govern.

Dave Heinman, Governor of Nebraska, brags how they have spent a few years getting ready for the recession and their economy is booming, unemployment low.
Dog tricks have to be learned young.
Dean Barrow, Prime Minister of Belize in the play, YOU CAN'T TEACH AN OLD DOG - NEW TRICKS! Prime Minister Barrow is the guy on the right of the photo, not the one doing the hand stand in the middle photo! ( grin ! )



NEBRASKA GOVERNOR TEACHES PM BARROW HOW TO GOVERN

( You can't teach an old dog NEW TRICKS! )

Nebraska does not need a stimulus package from the Federal Government of the USA. They have a 4% unemployment rate, low by any standards of measure. No housing bubble, people lived within their means. They forecast the stock market crash and guessed the after effects would be a recession worldwide and the Governor of Nebraska controlled government spending, to the point that in his several years of austerity packaging leading up to this recession, he got the nick name of being Mr. Scrooge.
While he was criticized for tightening the size of the Nebraska government and austerity control of government spending, today Nebraskans have no recession, or depression, and life is going along very well indeed. Unlike Belize, or the State of California. The Governor of Nebraska said they concentrated on two things. Education and tax cuts for businesses over the last few years and have been rewarded with a growing economy, giving them comfortable boom times, unlike most states in the USA. The Governor said, you cannot be all things to everybody. Somebody has to say no! That was his job to say NO! He did, and now Nebraskans are reaping the rewards of a good strong economy. One expects the Governor of Nebraska will get elected again.

PM Barrow interviewed at Summit of Americas along with Foreign Minister Elrington

BARROW INTERVIEWED AT SUMMIT OF AMERICAS

By Ray Auxillou

Apparently Belize had two media television houses represented at the Summit of the Americas . I saw on Friday night, interviews with our Prime Minister Barrow and Foreign Minister Elrington.

Our PM Barrow was acting in dual capacities. As head of CARICOM and as the Prime Minister of Belize. The interviews overlapped these dual duties.

The big thing that struck me, was the fact that BARROW was saying more or less, that both Belize and Caricom were looking for the ‘meat in the bun’ when dealing with OBAMA of the USA. He went on to explain that right now there were two trade acts from the US Congress involving both CARICOM trade and Belizean trade and we were allowed to ship duty free a small list of items to the USA . He wants these agreements to be enlarged and expanded in general. As far as both Belize and Caricom go, the exports from our area to the USA are so slight that they do not even make a blip on the charts of the US Economy. Yet to us in the Caribbean , on our export and economic data graphs, those miniscule things loom large and mean work, employment and tax revenues to our economies. Our populations and production for export are so small as to not even be equivalent to an ordinary large city in the USA .

Barrow went on to explain that speaking for CARICOM, that the bank doing the most lending here in our Caribbean region was the IDB, or Inter Development Bank. He did not explain who the shareholders were, or how it was capitalized. But he did say that the region populations and commerce and trade requirements had so grown since it was first formed, that the IDB really needs to be re-capitalized to the tune of another $180 Billion usa currency, in order to serve the original purposes for which it was designed. I’m only guessing, but presume Northern hemisphere industrialized countries own this bank?

The next item on the CARICOM agenda to deal with; was the OECD and the G 20 who are obviously using the tax havens of the Caribbean as RED HERRINGS and scapegoats, to lay off blame for the world financial crisis caused by the USA and European bankrupt trade in risky derivatives. There may be one or two billionaire tax dodgers in tax havens, but the propaganda and exaggerations put out by the USA and European media and G 20 group are not at all representing the FACTS, but distorting the truth, in what seems to be a WAR of ECONOMICS of the G 20 to create a monopoly and weed out competition from the three major tax havens in the Caribbean. This is obviously a propaganda war and media blitz by the G 20 in this war for MARKET SHARE of the Financial Services industry in the world. The total financial services industry market share in the Caribbean region puts us in FOURTH PLACE in the world and the G 20 group are going to attack, and attack again, and attack again our competition, in what for us is a type of industry we can do with our small populations and modern telecommunications. We have little to compete and survive in the world otherwise, and the Financial Services industry is an important part of the revenues of the Caribbean governments with such services. This is OPEN WAR by the G 20 and can we find a way to fight back is the big question? They control the flow of money around the world through Belgium and New York . CARICOM is calling for moderation in what many in the ALBA GROUP of the AMERICAS call Imperialism. This found a sympathetic ear from other American countries on this continent.

The financial crisis in the world created by the USA and European financial service industry, has created a PANIC and a loss of 2/3 rds of the Tourist Visitors and loss of revenues to Belize in particular, but to the CARICOM countries as a whole. There has been a FREEZE on Belize Tourist Board statistical reporting for the last six months, as the Government of Belize does not want us tourist operators to know how bad it is. At the moment tourist operators are cinching up their belts and holding on, thinking maybe they are isolated, and their tourist markets are wrongly aligned. It doesn’t do us any good to have our own government freeze tourist statistical reporting, by the BTB. The private sector cannot plan ahead, or re-orient their advertising unless we have statistics.

It would seem our PM Barrow has matured over the last year, and I put it down to the long preparatory work for the April 2009 Budget exercise. Barrow seems to have learned a lot on finances and economics and is talking more sense than when he came to power a year ago. Back then he was obviously an amateur filled with idiotic ideas. In his television interview at the summit he showed his capacity as a Quick Study and now holds an impressive grasp of the nuances of finance. Maybe, the next four years of the UDP management might come out better?

Foreign Minister Elrington came out in his interview, more in control and careful of his words. He also has matured over the past year. He is becoming more of a statesman. I kind of liked that.

Prime Minister Barrow to meet with Canadian Prime Minister

Canadian Prime Minister, Stephan Harper to meet in Trinidad in April.
Belize Prime Minister Barrow




PRIME MINISTER BARROW TO MEET WITH CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER

The summit of the Americas with 34 country heads present, are to meet in Trinidad on April 17th. , to 19th. CARICOM Heads of Governments are going to have a one on one chat with the Canadian Prime Minister at this FIFTH SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS also.
So what do we, the PRIVATE SECTOR want to have discussed by our Belizean Prime Minister with the Canadian Prime Minister?
There are three major issues that Barrow can tackle. Issue number one is more Canadian Tourism and we require technical assistance from the various Canadian Government grant aided bureaucracies that do this sort of thing in foreign relations. First off, we would like the Canadian Government to meet with and encourage their Canadian travel agents in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto and Montreal to sell visiting Belize and Guatemala during their winter months. Particularly Belize! What we dream of; is a small plane, like a 737, with carrying capacity of 100 to 200 persons, to set up a weekly Sunday direct charter flight out of each of these major Canadian cities to Belize. In that a Canadian tourist person can between December 15th., and May 15th., every Sunday without fail, there would be a charter flight going from Canada to Belize with a cut rate charter round trip ticket, valid for those weekly flights, during the five month winter tourist season. A Canadian could leave one Sunday and return the next, or any multiple of weeks. In Belize, we have neither the money, knowledge and skills to set this up. Canadian Technical Assistance would be appreciated to do this. Some sort of Canadian guaranteed subsidy for such a charter outfit would probably make it work.
Item number two, would be to send us technical tourist assistance for the Canadian Tourist market and advise our BTIA people and BTB people, how to encourage the WINTER SNOW BIRD, long stay tourists, over those same five months. Can we develop a Canadian winter long term, winter retiree visitor business, like Mexico, Hawaii, Arizona and Florida?
Item number three would be to advise and assist us in Belize, on how to agro process foods we can grow here in Belize, for the specialty niche market of Caribbean populations wherever they may be in Canadian Provinces. We again lack the money and know how, to do this from our very amall country. Technical assistance would be greatly appreciated. Our agriculture capabilities are growing, but we lack the skills to develop Canadian markets.
Since the one on one chat with the Canadian Prime Minister is bound to be congested, perhaps accompanying proposals and plans we have to outline the course we would like the Canadian Foreign Assistance programs to follow, could be presented to him, to carry home?

Belizean Math Olympiad 2009 and miscellaneous updates on Belizean development.

Wendy Auxillou, writer and spokesperson for her disadvantaged Maya and Mestizo descendants in Belize.
Studying and practicing for the rapid response National Belize Math Olympiad
ORANGE WALK MATH OLYMPIAD 2009

With cable tv and the channel PLUS TV, we are seeing many new documentaries in our part of Belize, of things we only briefly read about in the weekend newspapers. The Orange Walk MATH OLYMPIAD was spectacular, as I watched it this morning. The competition fierce, but Muffles College ( high school ) two contestants were extra superb. I could not believe my eyes and ears, as the contestants had to mentally solve problems to do with calculating compound interest totals ( I can’t even do that myself ) Calculating answers using a BASE 7 system of math was another feat that startled me. They had only seconds to calculate and provide the answers. It was a testimony to the skill of the teachers in the Orange Walk District. The MATH OLYMPIAD was outstanding. We got some very bright children in this next generation growing up here in Belize. Smarter by far, than comparable schools in Miami, Florida, with which I have some small acquaintance.


Weather- misty mornings are the rule around Hillview and Green Parrot Valley, these mornings and being awakened by the birds singing their hearts out after the sun rises. This is a VERY pleasant way to wake up.


Prime Minister Barrow is coming across in his port town press briefings very well recently. ( He lives in the port and has his law office there) – so he has moved the Government of Belize apparently, back to the OLD Colonial capital in the coastal port, for his personal convenience, from Belmopan? Anyway, BARROW in his speeches is coming across better and better, as his UDP become acclimatized to the political governing role. There first six or seven months were really shaky, but they seem to be getting a grip on things now. Gaspar Vega, Deputy Prime Minister, I watched on TV with the sugar cane farmers dispute resolving and his speeches were VERY GOOD. He is an impressive orator. There have been rumors out WEST that he was a crook in government, but you could not draw that opinion by watching him deal with the Cane Farmers in Orange Walk. He was very good and extremely eloquent. I’m going to reserve judgement on people I don’t know and have never met, until we see the performance based actions of this new UDP CABINET.

The Mestizos and Maya are starting to contest the rule of the nation of Belize by the PORT TOWN CREOLES, who dominate in the control of government policy and government bureaucracy. There is starting to be a growing vocal bunch of writers, interpreting the meaning of being Belizean, which includes our orientation in foreign policy. These writers so far, including Valentino Shal, Clinton de Luna, and Wendy Auxillou. It is extremely good to get counterpoint arguments on the destiny of the Nation of Belize from another ethnic group perspective. Something that has been sadly lacking for so long. Part of this growth in debate is coming from a better education system.


There was a hurrah last weekend about some upper tertiary conferences and the needs of the country in higher education. I feel that the higher education people are doing very well over the last ten years. What I feel personally that the Minister of Education should be concentrating on, is the PRIMARY SCHOOL system. Not the higher education system. To read the CROOK REPORT on our police force and find out that constables only have a Standard 6 education ( Grade 8 in the USA or Canada ) startled me. I thought the educational qualifications had been raised some years ago. To find that the education level of police constables was so low SHOCKED me! If scarce resources are going to be expended on education, then PRIMARY SCHOOL educational levels are probably top priority for our Nation. There is something definitely wrong here in Education? I think entry levels for police should be raised to two years of High School. They need math and sciences to teach them how to deal with problems in life. These high school subjects, teach students to reason and think.

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DEBATE ON UDP CABINET BUDGETING FOR 2009

Firstly, how about passing a balanced budget amendment-they can't spend more than they take in. Reserves are critical as you mentioned for unforeseen national disasters and hardships. Another items would be to use some monies from the budget for working on infrastructure projects-most importantly roads and bridges to improve commerce and transportation. This would at least create jobs and the people hired would spend their salaries sending the money back into the economy to create more jobs. How about finally using some budget funds to make the lands department transparent with a national cadastral system. The monies earned from the sale of national lands might really go the national budget instead of to personal cronies/lands department and ministers pockets. The land title mess we are in nationally would be greatly reduced. Hey, maybe we could even get a deed upon full payment for national lands in less than 3 -15 yrs as it stands under the current system. The government could also provide tax rebate/relef incentives to companies manufacturing new products or setting up factories in Belize as long as they create a certain amount of jobs. The idea is to become more self reliant and less import reliant. Unfortunately most of the budget will go to foreign debt payments as Belize is chronically with a negative trade balance. We import more than we export. Some industries Belize could use that pay well-biotechnology (e;g; Orchid or other plant cloning for export as liners/starter plants or breeding out bad traits in plants), IT/technology, Call Service Centers, Making medicines for export. Coming from Caye Caulker I also wondered why there are no artist/dance/folkloric type troupes one can hire to perform for the tourist trade on a regular show basis to promote our culture, etc.-this could create jobs. For cost saving measures, one could cut down on the Government/Belmopan Staff in the various offices or set goals, timelines and minimum standards for all government employee jobs with how much they should accomplish in a day to be considered productive. If they can't meet their goal eliminate the position and save that salary. Just some ideas/ways and means to a balanced budget.

Sharon Urscheler SUrscheler@msn.com



Date: Mon, 5 Jan 2009 08:22:33 -0800
From: hillviewhacienda@yahoo.com
To: surscheler@msn.com
Subject: [Western Belize Happenings!] BUDGET CRITIQUE OF OUR UDP GOVERNMENT

THE CRITIQUE LAST WEEK ON THE UDP AND WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

What would you do if you were the CABINET and the UDP?
The critique last week went into the BORROW AND SPEND DEBT ECONOMICS POLICY OF THIS UDP GOVERNMENT, forecasting dire financial bankruptcy consequences due to poor budgetary planning.
In planning the budget for 2009, I would as a matter of course, plan for the WORST CASE SCENARIO! What kind of worse case scenario can you envisage to hit our economy of the country in 2009?
For starters, we live in HURRICANE ALLEY, right at the end. I personally would plan and allow funds to be set aside for TWO hurricane strikes. Also, we now know from experience, that with the deforestation of the nearby PETEN in Guatemala, that we can, during a monstrous rainfall, expect FLOODING. Right off the bat, any 2009 budget should have 300 million dollars set aside to ECONOMIC LOSSES that could be expected from these high probability events. A worse case scenario then for NATURAL DISASTERS would allocate funds be put in reserve to recover from such events and economic losses.
The next thing, our economy is a bit diversified, but our economy is based on remittances, bananas, sugar, fisheries, oil and agriculture in general. We could assume therefore, due to outside world events over which we have no control, we could lose one of these pillars of our government and economic revenues. So, it is only wise to set aside some reserves to cover the economic losses if we were to lose one of our economic legs that support our nation and government costs.
Having done that, those reserves could sit there if never used, until next year and give us some leeway for spending in 2010. If for any disastrous reason, we had to use those funds, we would have them.
The other thing is to project government revenues for 2009. Until we get the STATE OF THE NATION report from our Prime Minister later in January, we cannot draw too many conclusions about that. The mistake both politicians and bureaucrats make often, is to set too high an estimate of government revenues. It is wiser to take the least expected projections and work within that. If you should have money left over by the end of 2009, that is to the good and would go well toward building solvency, or resolving temporary budget shortfalls that might be needed.
What would you recommend for budget planning for this UDP government? After all, they are YOUR GOVERNMENT and so far, they have shown little skill at budget planning with budget revenues. THEY need your ideas and advice! TELL THEM WHAT YOU WOULD PLAN AND DO WITH GOVERNMENT REVENUES.

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Posted By Western Belize Happenings! to Western Belize Happenings! at 1/05/2009 08:21:00 AM