Belize UDP government gets 6 point boost in Managment Report Card

*** Prime Minister Dean Barrow of Belize



PRIME MINISTER DEAN BARROW PRESS CONFERENCE - Boosts Government Approval Rating to 67%

PM Dean Barrow and his Cabinet colleagues had a long awaited Press Conference on the state of the economy. I caught it early this Saturday morning on Cable TV by accident around 5. a.m. While things are reasonably difficult, it is not as bad as we imagined it would be, due to a lot of loans coming in to government and GRANTS for infra-structure projects. Certainly Revenues are waaaay down.
Still the UDP and the lengthy explanations show that this group of amateurs are maturing fast and we were impressed with their take on the situations and handling of the government in general terms. It was impressive to listen too the reporters questions and answers.
PM Barrow himself earns 5 points for his PARTY government running report card and Minister of Education earns 1 point for his answers and explanations.

GOVERNMENT APPROVAL RATING THIS WEEK 67%

Belize Belmopan Hospital DEBATE

FURTHER DEBATE FROM THE BELIZE CULTURE LISTSERVE, CONCERNING THE USE OF THE BELMOPAN HOSPITAL IN BELIZE

That's interesting, because the old wooden hospital in San Ignacio for a hundred years had all that too. But they have closed it for a new poly clinic, which I have not seen yet in San Ignacio. How that has played out in Dangriga and Punta Gorda that have beds, but the bigger TWIN TOWNS hospital, or new POLY CLINIC has no beds at all now, when it used to have in the older building.
I don't know what they are doing, but certainly we are getting reports of severe injuries that are being shipped from P.G. and Dangriga to Belmopan in the center of the country for trauma treatment. Belmopan then looks at them and ships them onward to the port another couple of hours away.
Even amateurs like me, realize TIME is important in treating trauma and too many deaths are occuring according to health staff in Belmopan, for lack of WILL in the administrative realm, to allow surgery there? Shipping them to KMH in the far away port is a loser for sure. Since the baby death shipment, that went in the public media from Punta Gorda to Belmopan and then onward to KMH in the port, and since there have been mention of other cases similar to that. One has to wonder why they can't deal with it in either Punta Gorda, or Dangriga then? Why go all the way to KMH down in the port. That is a death ride for serious injuries.
Trevor is praising my analysis, so something must be wrong with it? ( Grin! ) Still if they have all these beds in Dangriga and Punta Gorda, then why does the TWIN TOWNS serving about 140,000 people have no beds and have to ship people out, usually via a stop at Belmopan, then onward in the death ride to the coastal port. Why is surgery not being permitted anymore? Why are bed patients not being allowed in the TWIN TOWNS. Or in Belmopan?
I understand the emphasis on preventative medicine, but why can't surgery be an option? I spoke to one surgeon in Belmopan that told me he was not allowed to treat the youth with the knife wound and they would not permit the surgery to be opened to do so. Even knowing the youth would die before finished the van ride to the port town and KMH.

--- On Fri, 10/30/09, Lan Sluder wrote:


From: Lan Sluder
Subject: Re: Bz-Culture: Thinking about Belmopan Hospital
To: "Ray Auxillou"
Date: Friday, October 30, 2009, 12:54 PM

No, it's a 52-bed hospital, about the same size as the Belmopan Hospital (50 beds) and has a large array of medical services.

Below is what the Ministry of Health says about the Southern Regional Hospital, which opened five or six years ago in a new building just west of Dangriga.

--Lan Sluder

>>

The Southern Health Region has two (2) Public Hospitals, fourteen (14) Health Centers and twelve (12) Health Posts and the Region serves a population of 61,000 persons (CSO 2007 estimate).

The two public hospitals are Southern Regional Hospital (formerly Dangriga Hospital), which has 52 beds and Punta Gorda Hospital/ Community Hospital, which has 30 beds.

The Southern Regional Hospital provides both Primary and Secondary Care Services. In addition, the four basic Specialties are offered, namely, Gynecology, Surgical, Paediatric and Internal Medicine. In an effort to enhance coverage in the area of Mental Health, a new Acute Psychiatric Unit was opened and a Voluntary and Counseling Testing Center (VCT) was established.

The Southern Regional Hospital has 2 main Wards: General Ward and the Maternity Ward.


The General Ward Services include: Care for children and adult patients, Care for Pre/ Post General Surgical Patients, and Care for Critical Patients (Intensive Care Unit).

The Maternity Services include: Care for pregnant mother, Care of the Newborn, Postpartum Care, Care for Gynecological Patients – pre and post operation care for C-section and gyne surgeries.

The Punta Gorda Hospital provides services in General Medicine, Maternity and delivery. Specialist clinics are carried out by visiting specialists from the Southern Regional Hospital. Primary Care services are also provided.

Support Services:
Support Services, which include Laboratory, Radiology and Pharmacy, are also offered at the Hospitals.
The Laboratory provides diagnostic services for the hospital. The six areas of diagnostic tests include: Hematology, Chemistry, Urinalysis, Parasitology, Serology, and Immuno-Hematology.

The Radiology provides diagnostic radio graphs to the referring physician of the respective patients. The following X-rays are done: All Skeletal, Chest (lateral, oblique), Abdomen (Erect, Supine, Lateral), Contrasted X-Ray – Barium Swallow, Barium Meal, Enema, urethrogram and Intravenous Plylogram (IVP).

The Pharmacy Department offers daily dispensing of medication to Out-patients and supply the Hospital and Health Center with both pharmaceuticals and medical supplies. Compounding is also done. Pharmacy is responsible for stock management and for the requisitioning of all pharmaceuticals and supplies on the basis of need and utilization, from the Central Medical Stores.


On Fri, Oct 30, 2009 at 12:44 PM, Ray Auxillou wrote:

mY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT IS JUST A POLY CLINIC NOW?

--- On Fri, 10/30/09, Lan Sluder wrote:


From: Lan Sluder
Subject: Re: Bz-Culture: Thinking about Belmopan Hospital
To:
Cc: bz-culture@psg.com
Date: Friday, October 30, 2009, 12:42 PM


Ray,

Are you taking into account the Southern Regional Hospital in Dangriga?

--Lan Sluder

On Fri, Oct 30, 2009 at 12:37 PM, Ray Auxillou wrote:

BELMOPAN HOSPITAL COGITATING ( further to article on Western Belize Happenings )

KMH in the port mainly serves the population of the coastal port and 4 towns in the North of the country.

What is needed is to turn Belmopan Hospital into a real hospital, not a clinic and give full services including a trauma center. After all, the Belmopan Hospital is first provider for the towns in the Southern Districts and out Western Belize. This area has half the population of Belize and probably I guess the next census will show we have more than half the population of Belize.

Having Belmopan Hospital, equal to in facilities as the port town KMH is a logical thing. Presuming in the next 15 years we get a paved road driven through to Orange Walk, from Belmopan, then the Belmopan Hospital would become the major hospital in the country.

Something to think about? Especially since right now, there is no trauma center serving half the population of the country in the West, Center and Southern areas.

BELMOPAN HOSPITAL FUTURE?

BELMOPAN HOSPITAL COGITATING ( further to article on Western Belize Happenings )

KM Hospital in the port mainly serves the population of the coastal port and 4 towns in the North of the country.

What is needed is to turn Belmopan Hospital into a real hospital, not a clinic and give full services including a trauma center. After all, the Belmopan Hospital is first provider for the towns in the Southern Districts and out Western Belize. This area has half the population of Belize and probably I guess the next census will show we have more than half the population of Belize.

Having Belmopan Hospital, equal to in facilities as the port town KMH is a logical thing. Presuming in the next 15 years we get a paved road driven through to Orange Walk, from Belmopan, then the Belmopan Hospital would become the major hospital in the country.

Something to think about? Especially since right now, there is no trauma center serving half the population of the country in the West, Center and Southern areas.

OPTION TRADERS NEED NERVES OF STEEL!

You are supposed to keep your mind on your trading? Not this girl! ( Grin! )


OEX OPTION TRADING WITH $1500 to start!

What kills amateur option traders is the practiced skill lacking in being able to sit through a SERIES of whipsaws, during a movement. Fear and Panic overwhelm them in the gyrations of the prices when their limited cash is disappearing fast in a whipsaw. Which happens all the time! You have to have conviction in your system and indicators and obey the RULES you designed to trade.
What kills amateur traders in options is they spend a lot of time devising a system, or methodology and then violate that system by disregarding their own rules when FEAR and PANIC come in whipsaws.
CAN YOU START TRADING WITH $1500? The answer is YES! The probability of your succeeding is very LOW. The reason is that you are not able to practise MONEY MANAGEMENT. You cannot take a LOSS, not any loss, as you are trading with 100% of your capital. $5000 is a better starting point and you start with just one option. That way if you lose, you have enough money left to win it back. Even at $5000 you are high risk, because you can only swallow ONE LOSS and come back, so the ratio is roughly 25% of your capital is tied up in one TRADE, or BET on market direction. Futures traders like to gamble only with 2% of their capital. A minimal bet in OPTION trading on the OEX is around $1500 or a little less. Just for one option.
The second thing that hurts amateurs is taking profits too soon. Instead of riding a trend for maximum gains. They tend to take a loss on the first whipsaw, or cash out at the first consolidation instead of riding it through. It is partly emotional and partly inadequate experience that causes would be amateur traders to lose. Taking small profits, instead of triple the amount what you won, is another killer for amateur traders in options. Small profit taking, pushes the odds against you, for the inevitable loss you must endure. You need larger profits to offset the inevitable unexpected loss. Ideally you want to devise a trading system that is 100% a winner, all the time. No losses at all. When you do that, you GOT IT!

Trading from my retirement home in Western Belize in the foothills of the Belize Alps. See "Western Belize Happenings" blog for over 600 articles and photos on life in this laid back part of the world. ( author of half a dozen books on OEX Option Trading. )

BELIZE STUDIES COMMUNISM VERSUS CAPITALISM

Commander in Chief of Venezuela, Generalissmo Hugo Chavez
** Jospeh Stalin, the dictator that ruined communism.




BELIZE STUDIES COMMUNISM VERSUS CAPITALISM


Trevor sent me an email, talking about my rightist views and opinions.

I had to consider that for a moment and think a bit of the age difference between me and Trevor and perhaps also the real life experiences of each of us. It is easy for those with an intellectual bent, but no real world experience, to come to modern day ambiguous type rationalizations I suppose? Based on intellectual ideas. Sort of like the current Health system in Belize, called the POLYCLINICS. The theory is great on paper, but it is terrible pragmatically in performance for a host of human considerations in failed applications. You try something and then you move on. Time to move on with the Belize Health System and for the moment go back to what we had before.

About the only thing I can think of is that; In a world when the two political parties are both bad in Belize, you vote for the one " that is the lesser evil".

In a world that has capitalism and it's faults and communism leftist faults and we are talking pragmatically here, not theoretical bombast, paper plans, or HOPE for a better life. Then you take the side of the one with "the lesser evil". For me that is capitalism.

For me, I remember talking to Russian prisoners of War in the camps, from outside the wire in Northern England as a child, of 7 years or so. I was helping them learn English through the concentration camp wire. They were not like concentration camps in Europe. Similar, but not so closely guarded. More like detention centers. I remember vividly when the War was drawing to a close and asking these prisoners through the wire, what would happen to them? They told me, they would be re-patriated to Russia and be killed. In the end, that is what happened. It was hard for me as a young child to realize people could do that to other people, but England didn't want them, as they had millions of their own soldiers coming home and returning to civilian life. There was no money, lots of debt and no jobs. Cold bloodedly the British politicians sent them back to certain miserable death in Russia.

Then my experience in the city of Vienna, Austria, from 1945 to 1949, when the Russians were raping for three years, six year old girls and any other females they could catch with their guns( with the blessing of STALIN ) daily, and looting everything, from watches to sink faucets and the sinks themselves left me with a memory that put me against Communism, leftist ideaologies. The rhetoric and theory is good stuff, Communism and Socialism is great on paper, and so is that of the ALBA group. The pragmatic reality though is something else again and I would not wish that on Belize, or Honduras. For all the GREED and STEALING in our current capitalist/socialist compromise system of government in Belize, it is far superior to that of Chavez in Venezuela. All he has is lots of riches from oil to squander, otherwise he wouldn't last in office. It isn't that Communism does not sound good in rhetoric, or on paper pamphlets, it is that you are dealing with PEOPLE and the people who run Communist countries have no checks and balances on their dictatorship. GREED and a host of other physcological effects on OPPORTUNISTIC CRIMINAL human things, end up turning good rhetoric into a nightmare for the citizen. I'm not good with the words, or explaining, but I sure have no trouble instinctively knowing what is bad for me and my family automatically. The history of Eastern European countries if you study it, only confirms how it works out.

Communist leaders are basically like Capitalists, they are OPPORTUNISTS, but give them the right to tell you how to live and what to do, and YOUR life will be pure misery. Believe me, I know from experience. More than will fit in here. You pick the LESSER OF TWO EVILS. Not hard to do!

BELIZE TRADE WITH THE MAINLAND vs trade with CARICOM is causing us treaty problems.

OUR EMOTIONAL AND PHYSCOLOGICAL TIES WITH CARICOM are complicating our BIGGER TRADE WITH MEXICO AND CENTRAL AMERICA from Belize. We are going to have to choose the most advantageous pretty soon and perhaps SHUCK CARICOM like the ALBA islands and the OECS island Federation they are forming have already done?


Nice foggy morning out here.

Interesting tv debate on tv last night to do with our Foreign Affairs and some other people regarding the new partial trade treaty with Guatemala.

Seems our trucking transportation outfitters within our Belize borders do not yet meet Guatemalan and Central American regulations. In order to get a trucking industry in Belize to ship goods to Central America, our truckers have to upgrade their vehicles and meet Guatemalan standards. At the moment there seems to be only corn & beans which are seasonal, for shipping across the border anyway. Both Belizean and Guatemalan trucks have to dead head, or carry cargos only one way and return empty.

Apparently our ties with CARICOM are hampering our treaty and trade with Central America in the requirements for CARICOM.. Somewhat different than with Central America? Since we do only a very small cottage industry backyard small scale trade with CARICOM, one would think our Foreign Affairs would give preference to Mexico and Central American regulatory requirements? However, the lingering fiasco over our port town Creole population insisting on dealing with CARICOM in some kind of legal FEDERATION even though it is not possible ( no transportation and no foreign exchange over there ) is leaving us at a somewhat disadvantage in trying to broaden existing trade on the mainland here.

In the meantime, the OECS or Eastern Caribbean countries are going it alone, outside of the CARICOM idea, full speed ahead, according to the Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis. You are looking at very small islands and very small populations. It would not even pay you to try and sell them anything. Their markets are too small, in a dozen cardboard boxes of something, would be all they could need. Jamaica has no money! They are broke. They have always been broke, ( for 50 years at least ) even in their bauxite shipping glory days.

I see nobody in our bureaucracy has come up with any ideas yet on how we can take advantage of Venezuela and trade? If they have, it must be a deep dark secret? Haven't heard or seen anything likely coming out of the fabulous so called business courses they are teaching in our colleges and universities yet either. At least it is not apparent if any of the new EDUCATED generation are making any money on international trade yet with their degrees? Something wrong with the teaching here? Lots of opportunities!

We have a potential sausage and pepperoni industry in Belize, but don't see anybody doing anything about it yet? For export too!

Girls of Belize!

** photo shoot of local beauties in Belize.

(Belize) MEDICAL TREATMENT IN BELIZE HAS BECOME WORSE FOR EMERGENCIES !

Belmopan Hospital


SECRET INVESTIGATION INTO BELMOPAN HOSPITAL

"Western Belize Happenings blog" did an investigation, due to many complaints about the Belmopan Hospital in our capital, here in Western Belize, letting people deliberately die, by shipping them in dire situations to the coastal port town hospital KMH very far away. The most recent allegation was a youth who had been stabbed and the doctors on duty wanted to use the CLOSED SURGERY OPERATING ROOM to suture the bleeder. Administration insisted under the POLY CLINIC policy system, recently imposed, that this would not be done. The staff said the youth would die, as his heart was pumping out the blood. The administration won and the youth was sent by Ambulance van to the port town hospital, two hours away and died as forecast, as he bled out enroute. This is not the first such death to occur and it has become obvious that if you are seriously injured, it is a DEATH SENTENCE to be sent from another DISTRICT HOSPITAL ( now called POLY CLINICS under the new policy )for an emergency requiring surgical care, to the Belmopan Hospital; which is our capital. In many cases the situation even at KMH down in the port town is no better. There are Cuban doctors in most district hospitals capable of saving lives and indeed want to do so. Unfortunately administrative bureaucrats run the roost and have made in my opinion, made a MOCKERY of the HEALTH SYSTEM, which was superior even 50 years ago in colonial days, than this new system of turning District Hospitals into POLY CLINICS, or more suitable called FIRST AID posts. Perhaps we could say a TRIAGE selection process, except most serious injured people will die in the process of transportation to the coast under the current system.

We looked at a number of allegations very briefly and not in depth. Our opinion is subjective and not any sort of scientific study of the situation. All of this is second hand information from Belmopan Hospital staff and patients going there. First off, there is an operating room for surgery at the Belmopan Hospital but under the new regime, staff are not allowed to use it. Urgent cases are always shipped by van to the coastal port, about 2 hours away. In that time, this policy is killing people. Those two intransit hours usually result in death. Some on the Belmopan staff say deliberately so, knowing prompt immediate surgery, on the spot, is the only solution.
There was a complaint that the Belmopan Hospital Pharmacy are overcharging for medicines. Apparently Spanish speaking Mestizo Belizeans are being discriminated against, or there is a money racket going on? Medicines are very expensive. We talked to some medical staff and were told there is no charge for medicine. Yet patients of the Mestizo Belizean farmer type rural extraction say they have to pay and often they cannot, they must do without. Or they are told there is no medicine, but when they go to senior staff, the staff go to the pharmacy and get the required prescription anyway. So, Pharmacy staff are obviously lying? Why?
There is at least one complaint against a Cuban doctor who does not want to do anything. Our investigation was brief, but perhaps this was an administrative person who has orders to restrict the Belmopan Hospital in our capital, solely to FIRST AID? We don’t know the circumstances for sure to judge here.
RACISM is rampant among the CREOLE nursing staff the patients say. Complaints were many against the nursing staff. From the racial profiling and complaints, it is probably better to ship all the Belmopan Hospital nursing staff to someplace where they feel more comfortable. Perhaps Dangriga or Punta Gorda?
RACISM is also rampant among patient visitors. CREOLE patients do not want to wait in line for service in the Emergency Room in Belmopan. They are loud and abusive and insisting they take priority over more serious cases being diagnosed and treated, ( bad manners, they don't queue for buses either, but push and shove ) if the people ahead of them are Belizeans of a Mestizo rural country type extraction. Much of the CREOLE patients in the Emergency room were there for frivolous minor things, like sniffles and colds. This preferential racist attitude has been taught by the HYDE Black Power media empire down in the coastal port town.
The nursing staff in BELMOPAN are reported as wanting to refuse ALL overnight bed medical cases coming from other towns. There are nine towns in the nation of Belize. Three of these towns are in the extreme areas of the country and any such medical cases must go through Belmopan because of the limited road system. The NEW San Ignacio Hospital, or Poly Clinic ( or FIRST AID STATION ) in San Ignacio has no beds for overnight cases and Belmopan do not wish to take overnight cases the nurses insist. The nurses are adamant they do not want overnight bed cases due to the shortages of beds, or elimination of beds in the new POLY CLINIC ( FIRST AID STATION SYSTEM ) in Punta Gorda, Dangriga, or San Ignacio town. They say through patients should be shipped to the coastal port of Belize City hospital directly. That adds several hours to any ambulance trip. That port hospital in turn is recommending to these patients, they go to the private sector ( for profit ) hospital in the port, which most people cannot pay their exorbitant fees. They don’t want to handle them at KMH, our so-called socialist medicine FREE government hospital. Perhaps we can get CHAVEZ in Venezuela to pay for our medical care in our district hospitals? There should be a solution?
Our conclusions are the complaints are legitimate. The solution is not so clear. Clearly the POLY CLINIC idea, or new policy of turning district town capital hospitals into FIRST AID STATIONS is not working out for the general public. Medical service is going down. Despite the fancy name attached to this policy. It is in fact, causing people to die. Some say this is even a deliberate result desired by the policy.
Our only uninformed recommendation would be that doctors ( usually Cuban volunteers ) be allowed to go back to practicing medicine, surgery and whatever is necessary to deal with emergencies in their own districts, on the spot, as needed. That the POLY CLINIC feeder policy dreamed up by some idiot ( not a doctor who would instantly realize seconds and minutes are valuable ), apparently a fancy name for a FIRST AID station be abandoned and that the government return hospitals back to doing prompt practical medicine. There are apparently financial and political reasons why this is not being done I suppose? All we can say is that medical treatment for serious emergencies in Belize is much worse now, than when it was back under the PUP. Though the new POLY CLINIC failed idea, presumably came from the PUP in the first place. All I know is that the nursing staff is seemingly racially discriminating. That Belmopan is not a Hospital, but a FIRST AID CLINIC, though it has all the staff and equipment to become a hospital. Nor apparently is the new San Ignacio POLY CLINIC a hospital anymore, as it has no overnight beds. It has been designated as basically like a village clinic, first aid station.
Medical treatment for citizens in Belize has become infinitely worse.

GUATEMALAN CONGRESS AGREES TO BUSINESS AGREEMENT WITH BELIZE

Guatemalan Congress in session.



BELIZE BUSINESS EXPORTERS CAN NOW USE GUATEMALAN INDUSTRY PROCESSING SYSTEMS, TO EXPORT BELIZE PRODUCTS TO CARICOM MARKET.

Belize has a problem with economies of scale. In Belize a small country of 6000 square miles and a small population of 300,000, of which 85% are under 15 years of age, the idea that we as a small country can do all those things that larger countries can do is ridiculous. Half of our land area is in Forest Reserves and National Parks. We do seek investors from foreign lands to assist us in expanding our manufacturing and exporting capabilities.
The Guatemalan Congress has just approved a system of cross border product development for Belizeans, through Melchor de Menchos on the WESTERN BORDER and later probably down in Jalacte to our SOUTH, when the road gets finished to the Guatemalan border. What we needed is the processing and packaging capabilities of our larger friendly neighbor of Guatemala, to assist small entrepreneurs in Belize in exporting and adding value through packaging and processing, to products we can produce on a small scale, for the PREFERENTIAL trade market comprised of the Caribbean island countries and Central America. Called CARICOM, the island countries of the Caribbean give us a captive advantage in selling our goods theoretically to CARICOM countries in preferential custom duties. What we lacked because of our small size was the capability to do this VALUE ADDED PROCESSING on our small scale. Guatemala has solved this dilemma. We also can ship into the Central American common market.
The new agreements allow Belizean entrepreneurs to ship food stuff over to Guatemala and get it packed, labeled and processed and then ship the finished product to CARICOM, or other markets. The agreement eliminates non-tariff barriers, gives preferential margins on other tariffs and establishes modern regulations on the phyto-sanitary and technical requirements involved mostly to do with food products. What it means in a nutshell, is that the transit barriers of shipping unprocessed raw agricultural and food products across the border to Guatemala for processing and then on forwarding, as export shipping to a third country, can now give Belizean entrepreneurs needed capability that were until now unaffordable, because of the limited size of our small country production. We can use Guatemala industry to package and process our products were needed.
Most of this PARTIAL SCOPE agreement between Guatemala and Belize was started by the PUP government of the past administration. The idea back in 2006 was to enable Belizeans to sell and ship to Central American countries and also re-ship Value Added products to CARICOM and other export markets. It has taken SIX years of political and bureaucratic work to reach this point. The big advantage is being able to LABEL your finished Value Added Product, as MADE IN BELIZE, or MADE IN GUATEMALA, to take advantage of tariffs and customs charges reductions in both Central American Common Market and the CARICOM common market. Of course the major advantage is being able to do a professional modern job of processing and packaging, for which our small nation does not yet have enough population and investment size to afford to do properly yet. Sometimes the machinery to do so are bigger than our crop size can afford.
Belize as a population and a country are so much smaller than our neighbors in Central America, the trade deficit is quite large. In 2008 more than $114.7 million dollars were imported from Guatemala to Belize. We in Belize exported in return about $4.5 million to Guatemala. Our exports to the general Central American, 6 country market runs around $120 million.
Our goal is to be able to build up to economies of scale from cottage industry amounts to very large amounts as we establish a BRAND NAME for MADE IN BELIZE PRODUCTS. This in turn will stimulate production of specialized crops, similar to what we have now with Papayas for the USA market and Habenero Peppers for the USA market.
Overall, Belize imports roughly $1.8 billion and exports about $686 million. There is a nice living to be made by keen entrepreneurial business types through this agreement. It will take a bit of sharp thinking and finagling to figure out how to take advantage of these opportunities, but they are certainly there. A new class of middle men, international traders are going to evolve out of this in Belize. Only those with an ability to imagine, innovate and think ahead need apply.

BELIZE LIVESTOCK ASSOCIATION HOLDS ANNUAL MEETING

Cattle ranches and orchids surround the Mayan Ruins and hilltop temples in the foothills of the Belize Alps.


BELIZE CATTLE ASSOCIATION HOLDING ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING IN THE CAPITAL OF THE NATION, BELMOPAN.

The annual general meeting of the National livestock association of Belize, will be held at the Central national LIVESTOCK MARKET, at 47 ½ mile on the Western Highway, Belmopan. Membership cards are required to vote and listen to the news of the latest opportunities on exporting cattle and meat to Southern Mexico.

BELIZE UDP report card gets 5 POINT BOOST

BELIZE UDP GOVERNMENT REPORT CARD GETS BOOST 5 POINTS

The UDP government report card gets a boost from 56% to 61%, based on recent news of accomplishments of bring public services and infra-structural developments to TWO very remote villages found along the Guatemalan border, in the most remote location of the high rain forest of the Toledo jungle district.
The villages are called San Vincente and Sunday Wood. The village of San Vincente was established by farmers in 1986 about five miles from Jalacte, where the national road service approaches close to the border with Guatemala. One day it is expected this road will be paved and join the Guatemalan highway system and interconnect with the Central American highway systems for trade and commerce. The village is quite large and has a population of 329. The other village of Sunday Wood has 270 persons and was established by migrant Quiche Maya, from the village of San Lucas.
Projects underway are school expansion in the village of San Vincente, to what is modern style and hurricane reinforced cement structures. In Sunday Wood village, a new water system and tower is being installed, replacing the old one which was inadequate.
Financing for these infra-structure projects in a very remote area is under the control of the Ministry of Economic Development. Funds are coming from the Belize government of $80,000, Joint financing assistance from the Canadian government International Development agency ( CIDA ), the Caribbean Development Bank and nine other governments. The government of Belize has taken out a loan with the Caribbean Development Bank for $429,906 to pay for the new water tower and distribution system for Sunday Wood village.
The NEW REPORT CARD IS NOW 61% for this UDP government.

Pineapple varieties in Belize being experimented with!

Different varieties of Belize grown pineapples.



Investing in the expansion of Non- traditional Commodities for future Export Markets

Belmopan - 21 October, 2009

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF) is focusing in promoting the production of new and niche crops both for the domestic and export markets. It has embarked in acquiring improved germplasm in plantain and pineapple varieties for distribution to farmers.


This diversification initiative for non-traditional commodities will greatly improve food security and income generation for most families in rural communities who are dependent on agriculture as a form of living. The Department of Agriculture through its Research and Development Station and the Extension Service will provide the necessary skills in field management to ensure the sustainability of this initiative.


Two varieties of pineapples were imported into the country to improve production and quality for processing. Smooth Cayenne was imported from Mexico and MD2 was imported from Costa Rica. The planting materials will be distributed to farmers in Stann Creek and Northern Toledo Districts who will benefit from this project.


The Citrus Products of Belize Company Ltd (CPBL) is demanding 8 million lbs annually of the Smooth Cayenne variety. This year farmers received 17 cents per pound for Smooth Cayenne and 15 cents per pound for Sugar Loaf from CPBL. Sugar Loaf is a variety which was traditional produced but which is not desirable for processing into concentrate. Sugar Loaf is more adaptable to local conditions, cheaper to grow and is demanded by the fresh fruit market.


Smooth Cayenne is more suitable for processing (canning) because of its acidity and low fiber content. The fruit has a cylindrical form and weighs 1.8-4.5 kg. It has the absence of spines on the leaf margin (present on the leaf apex) which allows for easier management in the field.


Smooth Cayenne is a variety less tolerant to pest and diseases.


The MD2, is a new hybrid variety which is tolerant to heat stress, pest and diseases and is a dual purpose pineapple (suitable for processing and the fresh fruit market). This variety is now being encouraged by CPBL as a better fruit for processing and the fresh fruit.

The seeds will be multiplied at the Stann Creek and Central Farm Agricultural Stations and provided to farmers. MAF maintained a 2-acre plot of MD2 pineapple; the planting material was imported for field testing and eventual seed multiplication; the pineapple fruits are bearing and culinary testing is being conducted to determine the acceptability of this variety for the fresh market.


The area under pineapple production in 2008 was 177 acres with an average yield of 11,875 lbs per acre. Currently farmers are growing two varieties, the Sugar Loaf (95%) and Smooth Cayenne (5%) varieties.


A total of 43,000 dwarf curare plantain seedlings were obtained from GALILTEC in Honduras for distribution to farmers to increase production for the domestic and export markets. A total of 20,000 seedlings will be distributed in the Chunox and Sarteneja areas to increase the acreages to 50 for the export market. The rest of the seedlings will be planted at the Agriculture sub-stations at Yo Creek, Central Farm, Stann Creek and Toledo Districts to supply farmers with planting material. Some has been distributed to farmers for planting.

General Characteristic of this variety are: Plant Height - 1st year 2.5 meters; Produces 35-50 fingers/bunch,5-7 hands/bunch, weight of fingers 0.8-1 lb; resistant to panama disease; Flowers at 35-40 weeks after planting; Harvest at 10-12 weeks after flowering. Biggest advantages: shorter tree height, higher plant density and higher number of fingers per bunch compared to local varieties.


In the course of the year 50 farmers from the Corozal District were trained nursery and field management. As a result of these initiatives, farmers are in a better stance in developing plantain for export.


The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries remains committed to the development of the agriculture sector and this investment will address the feasibility of producing, processing and marketing of pineapple and plantains for domestic and international markets. It will also provide an alternative income generating activity for the farm family and thus improve the economic stability of this country by earning the needed foreign exchange and food security.

----

“Agriculture – Pillar of the Belizean Economy”.

Contact: Mr. Manuel Trujillo, National Crops Coordinator, Research and Development Station, Central Farm, Cayo District, Tel: 501-804-2131

DOMINICA GOING TO KEEP EASTERN CARIBBEAN CURRENCY FOR THE MOMENT

*** The new SUCRE countries will use virtual computer money starting January for internal ALBA trade.





Eastern Caribbean currency notes.
Dominica national flag.



FORMER CARICOM MEMBERS VOTE TO RETAIN THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN CURRENCY FOR THE MOMENT.

Dominica led the way and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda, all small island countries, voted at the ALBA conference in Cochabamba, Bolivia to not switch currencies in two more months to the SUCRE, the new ALBA virtual currency for internal trade. They currently use an Eastern Caribbean currency. A conflict of interest with CARICOM. Since the SUCRE will be a virtual electronic money exchange, they voted to retain the paper money of the Eastern Caribbean islands for this moment, until such time as the SUCRE has paper and coins issued, to rival the EURO. The SUCRE will be activated electronically in January.
Members of ALBA are Venezuela, Bolivia, Cuba, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Honduras, Dominica, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda. CARICOM lost their four countries to ALBA. Which was started by Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez in 2004.
The idea is to make internal trade in some other currency than the uncontrollable US dollar, or EUROS.
The four former CARICOM countries used to belong to CARICOM, which fell apart from feudal wrangling over sovereignty and power. There is a hollow remnant of CARICOM left, but it is basically in disarray, or death throes. Belize continues to give lip service to CARICOM unity, but is hollow and has no practical effect, other than a Caribbean Supreme Court which has been proposed. There are traditional links with other Caricom countries out of Belize, but these are mostly to do with copy cat legislation, some legal educational training. There is no effective trade, air, or ship transportation between the former CARICOM countries. The little trade that is done is such small scale as to be more described as a cottage industry. There is no effective way to join CARICOM together. Most former and present CARICOM countries are mismanaged bankrupts.
Russia and China have also recently signed deals to trade with each other in Rubles and Yuan, and avoiding the EURO and DOLLAR. This strikes at the heart of the Jewish controlled financial banking establishment in European countries and the USA. A USA congressman recently published many articles saying the US Congress was totally controlled by the ZIONISTS of Israel through their religious groups in the USA, which formed a semi secret, fifth column subverting the USA government. Believe his name was Trafficante? His allegations join hundreds of other articles and books on the same subject.
This century wars are starting off economically, and the goals of all contestants seem to be the RESOURCES OF AFRICA, the resources of the EASTERN SLOPE of the ANDES running all along South America, from the Caribbean to Patagonia. The CHINESE it is claimed are building up AFRICA and seem to be bent on shipping their excess population to major sectors of the AFRICAN continent. They will eventually control huge segments of AFRICA by assimilation of population. You can win wars with AIR POWER and bombs, but to control the ground, you have to have people. The CHINESE have lots of people to spare. The USA recently lost a puppet leader in Guinea and the resources were lithium and buaxite I believe? The Chinese have signed contracts for these minerals, eliminating the USA as buyers.

MAYA OF BELIZE SAY A NEW MAYA CALENDAR WILL START ON DEC. 22ND., 2012

part of Cahel Pech Mayan ruins, the oldest in Belize. 3,511 years ago.



WE MAYA OF BELIZE, WISH TO INFORM THE WORLD POPULATION, THAT THE END OF THE CURRENT MAYAN CALENDAR ON DECEMBER 21 ST., IN THE YEAR 2012, IS ONLY THE END OF A GREAT CALENDAR CYCLE AND SMALL CYCLE IN HUMAN AFFAIRS. A TIME OF CHANGE!

By Ray Auxillou, Oct. 20th, 2009
( author of the EARLY HISTORY OF BELIZE - found on the internet FREE! )

There will be no world disasters on December 21st, 2012, say the Maya of Western Belize District of Cayo in the foothills of the Belize Alps and the Caribbean entry into the heartland of the ancient Mayan civilizations of Guatemala. The oldest Mayan pyramids in Belize are found in the town of San Ignacio, called CAHEL PECH, which was built around 3511 years ago, during the time of an earlier Mayan Empire before the traditional classic Mayan Empire of more recent times. Cahel Pech ruled over the Macal River Gorge, the entry way into the interior Chiquibul Plateau, a rich agriculture area of ancient times, but today a remote forest reserve with nobody living there. A Mayan temple there called CARACOL is still the tallest building in the whole country of Belize for the most recent CLASSIC Mayan Empire, that rose to the biggest it ever got in size, between 300 A.D. and 900 A.D. The Maya still live in Western Belize and are famous in agriculture production and famous as Marimba players. We also produce some of the best marijuana found in Belize, called Belizean Breeze.
A new third Mayan calendar starts after December 21st, 2012. This will be the end of a shorter cycle called a Baktun, The current calendar and there are known to have been at least two, long calendars, are roughly a little over 5,123 years long. Baktuns divide up this longer calendar, which the current one ends on December 21st, 2012 which is what all the media hoopla is about. There are 394 Baktuns in the longer 5,123 Mayan calendar. This current calendar due to end in 2012 started about 3,114 B.C. by the Christian calendar, used in Europe and North America.

The Maya number today, around 21 different language tribal groups of 12 million people, throughout Guatemala, Southern Mexico and Belize. Some of these Mayan languages are as different as Russian and English, or Romanian and French. Astrologically, the Maya since the last ICE AGE have been, or since around 8,241 B.C., studying the celestial cycles, that we know of. The current second calendar ending in 2012 will occur at the time the SUN and the CENTER of the GALACTIC WHEEL, will line up on the horizon. As the SUN goes down, the CENTER of our hub of stars, OF OUR GALAXY will rise in the same place. This occasion occurs once every 28,500 years.
What occurs at the end of a BAKTUN ( 394 years mini cycle ) is a change. Political, climate, war, something? A transformational change of renewal in how we live. The effect if anything is political thinking among ordinary Maya people.

SOLVING THE NATIONAL DEBT CRISIS OF BELIZE DEBATE

SOLVING THE NATIONAL DEBT CRISIS OF BELIZE
By Ray Auxillou, Oct. 2009.

There is just starting to be some debate about ways to resolve the debt crisis of Belize. The current UDP government is looking to re-structure in a new BOND issue some of the debt we owe. About $3 Billion Bz currency worth. ( Exchange rate of $2 to $1 usa ) Of this amount, $125 million USA currency, is to be issued in a new BOND at a rate of 9 ½ %. The goal is to postpone the payment of principle on the bond and only pay the interest. The super bond $3 billion worth comes due on principle payments in August, ten months away and will totally cripple the government. The interest proposed is actually higher than that we currently pay on existing BONDS. If there is any advantage, it is to postpone the payment of principle out another nine effective years.
The Amandala newspaper has started the ball rolling with an article in the issue of October 18th, 2009,.
Essentially heavy national debt, by Keynesian Economics, requires you to stimulate your down sliding economy with borrowing. The borrowing has to go to growing the GDP. In Belize, we have two types of GDP growth. That of the private sector, exporting for foreign exchange type and the other type is government spending on infra-structure to pump salaries and the economy. The latter is partially non-productive and the only real way to absorb the national heavy debt load is a growing GDP through manufacturing and agro-processing exports. There is a third way being proposed which is totally disastrous, and that is using the borrowing to expand socialist programs. This whole borrowing to increase GDP growth is a delicate instrument. Which would mean heavy emphasis on newer ways to stimulate new businesses. Which in turn means a new bureaucratic attitude to small businesses to let them start, experiment and grow over time, with less harassment, more sympathy and leeway and support, than currently available from civil service bureaucracies. Politics being about votes, means politicians do not have the luxury of time, to wait for results and demand instant voter gratification, which is a drawback. USA Economists in discussion panels have debated this approach of Keynesian Economics on television. Astute panel media people asked the ticklish question they didn’t want to hear. What happens if you don’t get the GDP growth from pumping in borrowed loan money you expect? There was for a moment total silence and then one courageous proponent of Keynesian economics answered truthfully.
“You are going to be in a lot worse shape than when you started.”
That should give the UDP government Cabinet people pause for thought, when they consider borrowing to extend current BOND requirements from lower interest rates to higher interest rates to push out the balloon payment due date, by a BOND restructuring for only a nine years, capital principal breather. Sometimes it is better to bite the bullet, no matter how hard and distasteful and get things over with quicker and so you can make a fresh start, instead of postponing the inevitable? I'd be in favor of just defaulting. Our bonds are HIGH RISK anyway and lenders should absorb some of the costs, or losses involved.
Currently the Belize bureaucracy is so dysfunctional, most needed serious services are not available, or at least not available within a decent productive time frame. New investor requirements of prompt land titles, transfers and immigration residency and citizenship processes are far too long, to attract the smaller and middle level investment Belize needs. There is also a mind set in newer bureaucrats of political patronage persuasion, chosen not for their skills but for their voting party allegiance, to harass existing businesses, particularly the small businesses that cannot afford legal defense lawsuits, with permit and fines, as a way of raising money for the government in straightened times. This is counter productive to growing the GDP the proper way with more businesses and economic activity by the private sector. In fact, it accelerates people giving up in disgust, with the government harassment and going out of business. It happened to me recently and I have since heard it has happened to others that have spoken to me. The number of small businesses closing because of bureaucratic harassment is rising.
Ignorance goes across political party lines. It is not isolated to even find PUP ex Cabinet Ministers with the wrong idea of what growing the economy through GDP growth, to solve the National Debt crisis is about. The IMF has come out against this new BOND at higher interest rates idea.
Keynesian economists say you must GROW your GDP way out of debt. The idea of borrowing is to stimulate GDP growth. In the past, the GDP growth came artificially, from past party politics on spending on wasteful non-productive things. The idea proposed by the UDP is that this new BOND will release in the short term, some necessary cash flows from tax revenues in a shrinking economy. What is alarming though, is that the proposed use of these released, or rescued cash flows will be used for socialist programs. The amorphous fighting poverty rhetoric, which means nothing at all other than misuse by party politicians in a grab bag, or health care, or education programs, or security as in more police. All these things are WRONG things. You can only grow your way out of debt with an increasing GDP from the productive, private sector, as in more exports and more new businesses. To use this release of funds through a higher interest rate BOND replacement exercise for SOCIALISM programs ( even if we would like them ) is self defeating and can only dig the hole deeper for debt. SOCIALISM must be paid for out of productive economic activity taxes, not from borrowing loans. We understand the current crop of politicians lack ideas, for new businesses and what they are promoting while sounding good political rhetoric, in agro processing publicity, needs more activity in the entrepreneurial field. Since bureaucrats do not do private sector business, it is hard for them to change the verbal encouragement sounds bites they spout, into action. One idea coming to mind is a VENTURE CAPITAL investment fund, to buy shares in new businesses. Usually existing successful small businesses want to expand into newer and more businesses but lack the capital. While the idea of borrowing loans route is the only thought of our current townie politicians, it is enterprises like the Bamboo furniture people, Channel 5, Bowan and Bowan, Briceno’s who sell shares in their business ideas, that are doing the real right thing for GDP growth for the country. There has to be a fundamental shift in thinking among both bureaucrats and political hopefuls on how you encourage business growth and exports in Belize. Businesses need all the help they can get. Part of that is a sympathetic and prompt service for bureaucratic requirements. Less harshness and confrontations from bureaucrats to do with the way businesses are run. BAHA came under attack in recent newspaper articles, and I thought it was well deserved. Certainly the Belize Tourist Board are legislatively correct, but improperly administered by the clerks in the offices with grand sounding titles. Many small businesses only work, because they are family run and mostly unpaid for labor. The large numbers of them though, keep the economy greased and operating and money circulating, which is very important as a national function, due solely to the large number of them. In fact, it is the Mom and Pop businesses that are seemingly unimportant that are the blood in the veins, driving our economy. Rather than arbitrary application of regulations and laws in the way of permits, licenses, and fines to struggling marginal enterprises, we need a more understanding and cooperative bureaucracy and certainly a more pro-active political cabinet. New clerks lack the experience how to administer the legislation. Legislation is used as a guide, but discretion and wisdom is needed not to hamper the blood flow of our nation, represented by small Mom and Pop businesses. Without which, the economy will die very quickly. My two cents on this GDP growth expectations debate from borrowing loans decision by the CABINET.

Belize, SAN ANTONIO TOWN FARMERS FORM GREENHOUSE GROUP OF 20 MAYA FARMERS!

*** Central Farm teaching worm farm facility, to make rich organic fertilizer from compost using worms.
CC
*** Greenhouse in Belize


MINISTER RENE MONTERO INAUGURATES THE NEW GREEN GROWERS GREENHOUSE PROJECT IN BELIZE for SAN ANTONIO TOWN FARMERS.

San Antonio Town is probably one of the most active and strongest farming communities outside of the Mennonites on the North West, in the nation of Belize. It was chosen by the Agriculture Department for a test case of greenhouse growing of vegetables.
The first startup is simply to start young plants as in a transplant nursery. Seeds in Belize are still in the experimental stage. Traditionally the few AGRO Stores in Belize have ties to some brand name imported seed suppliers, usually in the USA and a lot of these seeds are not the best choices for Belize. In the past three years, seed experiments have shown we need to persue a program of cross breeding our own local varieties to deal with our local environmental tropical conditions. Seed varieties are probably the only big problem facing year round vegetable green house production.
The project is two fold. A first greenhouse for seedling production for local San Antonio farmers and the second project is the production of worm farm organic fertilizer. The new group of interested active San Antonio Town farmers call themselves the Maya Green Growers Group. This town was once not so long ago, your typical Mayan Indian village, with dirt floors, palmetto walls and thatch roofs. Nowadays it is concrete buildings and all the conveniences of modern living. All by their own industry and sweat. San Antonio Town is a true success story.
The Mayan farmers ( a group of 20 farmers ) are interested in anything that makes money in the new modern world they have transferred to, away from the traditional milpa small scale subsistence life style. The Agriculture Department idea, is to even out the flow of vegetables grown in Belize to a more steady year round activity. Up until now imports of vegetables have filled short fall requirements costing foreign exchange.

BELIZE INTERNET AVAILABILITY IS THE PITS!

BELIZE CULTURE LISTSERVE COMMENTARY ON LOUSY INTERNET AVAILABILITY IN BELIZE!

Perhaps it is economies of scale and cost of bandwidth? But here we can only supposedly get maximum 128K, not those 1 meg bandwidth you talk about there in Finland, as a public right. That from SMART telecommunications, Ashcrofts newest venture here. Though I haven't got it yet, they keep promising me wireless, but it is running 5 weeks since I ordered from them. You cannot get anything from BTL and nobody else has anything affordable. I have been waiting 16 years for internet here. So far, I cannot get it at all. I did ask SMART for something higher, but they said 128K is all they have. Beggars cannot be choosers in Belize. 100 meg bandwidth in Belize is real dreamland.

--- On Sun, 10/18/09, Lan Sluder wrote:


From: Lan Sluder
Subject: Bz-Culture: Internet access as a legal right?
To: "Belize Culture" , "Belize Culture"
Date: Sunday, October 18, 2009, 11:55 AM


This message sent to the Bz-Culture Mailing List from Lan Sluder :
Finland is set to become the first country in the world to have
broadband internet access as a legal right. By 2010, the 5 million
people in the country will have access to at least 1 meg broadband
connection (though no one is required to have it). By 2015, everyone
is supposed to have access to 100 meg connections.

--Lan Sluder

PEOPLE FROM BELIZE GET A SHOCK WHEN THEY ACCESS A HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOM IN THE USA

BELIZEANS COMPLAIN OF THE MEDICAL ROBBERY IN THE USA


One of the problems with the USA is the medical system. It is bad and it is outright extortion and robbery, in my opinion. For example: My 19 year old grandson is living up there trying to finish his Bachelors and works for a $100 a week, to make ends meet, when he can find work. He suffers from some sort of allergy, to do with certain kinds of chemicals they put in food. When he gets hit, his eyes close up and he starts to lose his ability to breath. A couple of weeks ago, as a new two year USA resident, he eats something that triggered his allergy and was able to drive himself to the emergency room of the nearest hospital, with one eye already closed shut. The other swelling and closing. The emergency room gave him BENEDRYL I think they call it? Probably a little stronger tablet than available over the drugstore counter anyway.

Then the medical bill came to the house in TEXAS and he gets a bill for $1700 usa dollars. There is no way in my imagination I can even begin to figure out how you can value an eight cent strong BENEDRYL tablet, or injection service from an emergency room doctor at $1700. To me that is plain extortion. Pure criminality. $10 would be more proper as a value for pill and service. No, he does not have health insurance. How can he pay for health insurance at his current student income level? I’m retired and I cannot even afford to have MEDICARE and MEDICAID, as it cost me $82 a month and I need that money myself to eat. Even so, where I used to live in GREATER MIAMI you couldn’t get anybody to treat you with Medicare or Medicaid anyway. They all refused, it was a useless $82 a month health insurance payment, which I eventually cancelled as worthless. Medical treatment is much easier and better in Belize for me in my retirement. For old people it is FREE!

Somebody wrote me that you cannot get in and out of any hospital emergency room in the USA for less than a base charges of $700 usa nnd it goes up from there with add ons ( itemized extras ) they bill you for. What a shock Belize immigrant families moving to the USA get, when local hospital emergency care is FREE here! If you believe the USA television network media, they have a superior medical system in the USA. POOOH! What a huge lie and disinformation campaign the media in the USA indoctrinate their citizens with.

Side effects of world oil wars effecting Belize.

THIS CENTURY OIL WARS HEATING UP and Belize SIDE effects!


The news around the world, sort of effecting Belize is getting interesting. Mrs. Clinton, is over representing the USA in Russia. Apparently she is threatening WAR. Not sure what kind of war, but probably economic of some kind? The cause of the threats are because RUSSIA and CHINA are just signing off on a new agreement to conduct trade between China and Russia in Rubles and Yuan?

China is buying oodles of oil and natural gas from Russia and will sell them manufactured goods, I guess?

The idea is to cut out using the US DOLLAR as the INTERNATIONAL CURRENCY.

Russia has become the number one leader in oil exports in the whole world, surpassing the Arabian states of the Persian Gulf. The Arab producers have passed PEAK OIL production in the Persian Gulf anyway and their population have grown so much, and their cities are reliant on the one crop economy ( OIL ) that declining revenues are now hurting them. They are starting to suggest that the industrial world is going to have to subsidize their economies in Arabia. They can no longer financially make it. Especially if the USA quits buying oil from them and prices drop in the next five years.

The USA is shifting to a NATURAL GAS economy for energy. This is going to make them independent of Arabian oil in less than five years. The USA gets most of it’s oil from Venezuela anyway nowadays. Though Chavez has started a shift in marketing oil to CHINA and INDIA. Supposed to be a five year plan of his to do away with using the US dollar as a reserves currency?

Chavez has started the BANCO del SUR with some other countries and these are not members of ALBA either. Forget who, but Brazil is one of them. They are working on a new currency of the Americas, to rival the EURO and the US dollar. This is to be called the SUCRE. I fully agree with that, if they can get it done fast. The whole world is worried about the decline of the USA, and in particular the worth of the US dollar, which is currently the World INTERNATIONAL TRADING CURRENCY. The USA is the world's biggest importer and exporter. The USA is also Belize's biggest trading partner.

The world crisis is mostly over the US dollar and it’s worth. Apparently gold is not backing the money anymore and they are just printing money at the Federal Reserve. The USA government has a move afoot to remove printing money, or USA dollars, from the private Federal Reserve and return the function to the US Treasury. This has plenty of people worried. Inflation could be the result. I had been thinking of putting our pitiable small US dollar savings in Guatemala Quetzals myself. I’m very nervous about the USA too. It is just that the QUETZAL loses 6% annually in a planned economic devaluation. The only way I can think to make that work, is to buy land with water frontage in Guatemala. I’d rather have cash though. But where to save your money these days? I notice the Colombian peso is getting stronger again against the US dollar?

Lan Sluder printed an interesting article the other day, that outlined and compared, how while CHINA is big in the news, as being rich in TRILLIONS of dollars from exporting, that in fact the article stated that the USA still EXPORTS 60% more goods than CHINA does. So one cannot put the USA out of supremacy yet. A nation’s wealth is based on exporting.

Belize needs to export more. This brings in foreign exchange, which strengthens the local living standards and economy. The local Belizean/Chinese are teaching us a lesson in commerce. In that supermarkets dealing in food are successful, in both good times and bad times, as the growing world population still has to eat and buy their food. From this we can extrapolate at this particular time in Belize history, we need to concentrate on encouraging entrepreneurs to produce exportable processed food goods. We could copy the food packaging processing technology from Mexico and Brazil. How we can do that when the country of Belize is bankrupt is a political problem. For me, they can DEFAULT on that SUPER BOND. In the longer and intermediate term, even any cash shortages caused by doing so from foreign lending institutions would not last more than two or three years. The problem of cash flow is universal around the world right now. Europe has it. The USA has it. Everybody but China and Russia has it for the time being. Only the big banks in the USA, re-financed by US taxpayers and DEMOCRATS are making money these days. Salaries in China are rising and workers are not inclined to go back to factories in big industrialized cities they say, at the old salaries. So Chinese economic power is likely to level off anyway over the next decade.

The Europeans are stepping up their investment in South America. Massive investments in all kinds of manufacturing, processing and land buying. Big chain stores expanding from Europe throughout Latin America. China is also investing in South America, and in AFRICA also.

I can’t for the life of me figure out what the USA is exporting that makes it still the powerhouse it is? I know BOEING airplanes and military hardware are major items.

Funny that, South America and Central America is flooded with immense amounts of arms and ammunition. Yet there isn’t a single factory building arms within South America. Remember the PUP under MUSA signed an agreement with the USA that we would not manufacture arms and ammunition in Belize to protect USA armaments market share? What a crazy thing MUSA did. You can produce police arms, army weapons and even security guard shotguns right in Belize in a small backyard cottage industry. All you need is a lathe ( from China ) and a couple of small drill presses. We already have these tools in Belize and the capability. Could we sell and outfit the neighboring Guatemalan military and police forces as a start? Sure we could, that would be a political decision to tie two neighbors together. But not with the craziness in laws that MUSA passed under USA competitive pressure. Exports are the name of the game and small manufacturing.

For the future, both the USA and Belize are going to be getting oil from Venezuela. Could we trade arms made in Belize for Venezuelan oil? Not under the current laws in Belize. What a crazy Prime Minister, MUSA was?

There is a huge market for financial instruments and trading facilities, which comprises mostly of computers and technical people for need investment assets. Particularly with the YUAN, the new SUCRE as well as the good old standbys the Euro and US dollar. Will Belize be able to use our new trained University graduates and start something up here in currency trading, or offering of bonds and certificates of deposits for these foreign currencies?

There is going to be a new computer revolution very quickly. The new computers are going to be no bigger than a cigarette package. That is coming out of the USA invention matrix. Still need a big keyboard and screen though, if I was buying. Changing technology is going to change the export product flows.

If CARICOM were serious and we know they are not. They would buy a few ships at that big anchorage of hundreds of idle freighters off SINGAPORE, that are sitting idle. Bring them to the Caribbean for internal freight. Hundreds of freighters sitting at anchor for sale with no freight business. Could get a few ships dirt cheap.

Belize has the proven capability to design and build small aircraft. One has to wonder why some entrepreneur does not build the Belize Coast Guard, a small radio controlled drone, with a TV camera for patrolling the Great Barrier Reef from Coast Guard Headquarters. You could use a simple ROTAX engine as used by ultra lights in Belize. All of this technology is off the shelf. Nothing to be invented here, but if you sold a couple to the local Belize Coast Guard for patrolling, maybe other countries would buy them too? Voila! Another backyard shed business started in Belize. EXPORTS MON! That is the only future this bankrupt government has, if they could realize it and do something about encouraging it, instead of just bureaucratic and political hot air and bombast, waiting for the private sector to try. Then hit them with bureaucratic harassment, fines and myriad permits and licenses from dysfunctional Belmopan bureaucracies.

In the meantime the USA is worried about their supremacy and the US dollar as an international currency. I think Belize should encourage Venezuela with this new SUCRE as an alternative to make our hemisphere more competitive and self sufficient.

BELIZE CABINET TRANSPORT MINISTER, MELVIN HULSE UNDER SCRUTINY BY PUBLIC

Cabinet Transport Minister - Melvin Hulse


MINISTER OF TRANSPORTATION, MELVIN HULSE OF BELIZE - WILL HE DELIVER DEVELOPMENT?


We await with interest to see how this much ballyhooed publicity campaign on the airways, about requiring all bus companies to get their permits renewed by the end of this month. Just this past evening we heard Minister Hulse, talk about the changes and improvements he has made with transportation and the difficulties. Much of the talk was to do with the Ladyville – Belize City runs.

Out Western Belize we await with great curiosity to see if the Western bus run permits are going to require ALL bus companies with this permit renewal to terminate and begin their runs at the Western Border Entry and Exit facility at the extreme end of the Western Highway of Belize. Until now, the termination has been in a small park, in the center of an old colonial town called Benque Viejo, which is around 2 miles or more away from the border Customs and Immigration facility at the end of a double paved boulevard.

The current UDP government approval rating REPORT CARD stands at 56%. Depending on what happens at the end of this month and the re-newal permit exercise is over, we plan to AWARD the UDP government 10 percentage points if the permit system under the control of UDP Cabinet Minister Melvin Hulse, requires Western bus route permits to terminate and begin the run at the Immigration and Customs crossing buildings, thus offering regional and foreign tourism a way of entering Belize conveniently by bus. Should this not occur, then the opposite would occur and indeed penalties would be 20 points reducing the UDP Government approval rating REPORT CARD even lower than 50%. We can only wait and see what leadership is going to come out of this UDP CABINET?

Belize presents our Miss World contestant

*** Miss Letty will be representing Belize at the MISS WORLD PAGEANT in Africa.

POLITICAL PARTY CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS RAPED BELIZE!

HOW THE TWO POLITICAL PARTIES OF BELIZE RAPED OUR SMALL ECONOMY IN THE BIG BUSINESS – POLITICAL CAMPAIGN COMBINE.

Back in the Colonial Days, and self government years of Belize, there were not many people to get campaign contributions from, for elections. Santiago Castillo’s, the Belize Estate Company and for votes, the local burying Lodge, run by Arthur Hoare in the port of Belize City.
As time passed and we went Independent, the war for power and the ability to embezzle, with sweetheart contracts, phoney construction contracts, consultant fees, legal fees for party lawyers and just plain the opportunity to give oneself in the winning party membership, FREE MONEY under various disguises, evolved into the BIG BUSINESS – POLITICAL PARTY campaign contributions quasi-legal - criminal system in Belize.
Those pirates running the two political parties and wanting to get their hands on control of the tax revenues, explained quite simply. They had to get campaign contributions from BIG BUSINESS, in order to WIN the election. If you didn’t win the election, your opportunities were slim and life could be poor. All else including patriotism and development was subordinated to that.
Of course both the ordinary person and taxpayer was expected to pay for it all. Also the economy and future was to be sacrificed to winning the current election.
That is how it worked out in this BIG BUSINESS – POLITICAL PARTY election campaign contributions collusion criminal system. Today the next two generations of young Belizeans, born in yesteryear, are still paying taxes for the last three elections in our parliamentary system today. Those previous young children are the young adults now and they are required to pay increased taxes for development they never got. The politicians argue that they brought in development to build the country. Most of this investment simply occurred with a growing population naturally, plus the effects of immigration. Even with missing infra-structure. There have been four elections and still we do not have internet in our section of Santa Elena Town in Western Belize, for example. Nor do we have paved streets and roads, or decent bridges for commerce. Our neighbor Guatemala has all of these though.
President Eisenhower warned USA citizens of the Military Industrial Complex that used armament manufacturing and wars as foreign policy and for election campaigns, to get rich on kickbacks. It more or less works the same here in Belize. Though we do not go to war, to win elections. The results are the same though. In the USA they let their infra-structure deteriorate for thirty years. In Belize, we simply did not get the infra-structure we needed to be built. All because of campaign contributions to the two political parties, to win elections.
There was a scandal one time in port newspapers with a photograph of a million dollar cheque as a campaign contribution from a big businessman. He later in other articles got rewarded with a $15 million TAX WRITE OFF it was claimed. That is a huge profit. Not only did we lose the $15 million in taxes as a nation, we also were told we had to make foreign bank loans to pay for the things that tax write off money should have done, if those taxes had been collected. We are going to be paying those foreign loans to replace given away taxes and interest payments for another thirty years at least, perhaps longer? True to the rule of UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES, the actual foreign loans in turn have escalated through various things, to much higher swollen amounts, in the amount of $3 billion to be paid sometime in the future? Interest payments and law suits the most common effects. Another big private business operation did the same thing and financed election campaigns for tax write offs and even to get taxes from other citizen voters paid to him, on the grounds of a SECRET guaranteed profit contract in return for political party cash favors. Wherein the government were required to pay him more profit above and beyond his tax freedoms, to guarantee his wealth. Roughly $50 million a year was sucked out of the general tax revenues this way and went to England for campaigning in elections there, if the newspaper stories are true? All this lost tax revenue money had to be replaced by more foreign loans to operate the government. Lost infra-structure and nothing to develop our economy, were what Belize got. ALL BECAUSE OF CAMPAIGN GIFTS TO THE TWO POLITICAL PARTIES FOR ELECTION CAMPAIGNS. The best business investment in Belize is a political party election campaign contribution. Returns are more than 1500% per year. That sure beats the Standard and Poor average return of 8%.
As a small nation we cannot afford to subsidize political campaigns this way. But since the criminals run the political parties and make the laws, there isn’t likely to be any reform of the way political parties finance their political campaigns in Belize. What monies should be going to building the country are simply creamed off by the political party area representatives. Today that is BIG BUSINESS for political parties, at the expense of the voters and ordinary people, who have to lose their socialized medicine, exist with dirt roads, unable to build sufficient schools, or develop the country through a ( hic! ) participatory democracy.
Even foreign GRANT money was bundled up and handed out personally in a grab bag, to area representatives before the last election, in the amounts quoted in the newspaper articles of quarter million or more each. No accounting was required, it all relied on the honesty and good will of the political party area representatives. Some spent a bit on their constituencies but most simply acted like the pirates they are and took the money for themselves and ran. One of the perks of politics they said! That was the gist of the articles written in the newspapers on this subject. The taxpayer citizen has to pay for it all and we are indeed.
Nope! The collusion between BIG BUSINESS and the POLITICAL PARTIES over campaign contributions is bad for the nation of Belize and has stunted and retarded development in Belize, and it doesn’t seem like it is likely to change either? Most of the money collected in taxes goes to support a swollen government, built on foreign grants, more foreign loan borrowing and political party government organized patronage jobs. If Belize has socialism, it is over the provision of supplying government jobs for favored voters in a reward system. We do not under our international debt loads have anything left to invest in the country, so it just gets siphoned off in hiring relatives and party hacks in make work government jobs. Sort of a communist socialism, with a political party capitalist bent. We do actually, even in these straightened times, actually take in enough tax revenues each year to be self reliant theoretically as a country. Not going to happen though, while we are governed by two bands of pirates, without laws to control their behavior.

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Lake Izabal and sailing and staying at Finca Paraiso for the Auxillou patriarch.

** The trawler yacht, about a 32 footer for Marcos, the guy who has the Mopan Hotel on the border with Belize on the Guatemalan side of Melchor de Menchos, squeezed between Guatemalan Customs and the Mopan River. The place the yacht is berthed in Suzanne Marina, Rio Dulce National Park, Guatemala at the mouth of Lake Izabal.
** The lakeside cabin at Finca Paraiso, home of the thermal hotspring, across the coastal road two miles away.
*** Yours truly Grampa Cap'n Ray Auxillou at the helm. Sure felt nice to be back in command of a sailboat. 15 or 20 years I've been away from a lifetime of sea life. Miss it like heck!
*** My wife Mrs. Silvia Auxillou against the cabin of the sailing trawler and Sergio the OAS diplomat in the cockpit as crew. Calm day, we were chugging along at 5 mph with a 4 cylinder Volvo Penta diesel, on a straight drive shaft with a small maneuvering propeller.
*** shore line of Lake Izabal, from our sailing trawler trip
Lake Izabal, Guatemala