BELIZE GOVERNMENT UDP LOSES 2 POINTS ON PERFORMANCE REPORT CARD. ( TO 58% )

PUP opposition member and former Prime Minister, Said Musa.
Leader of the PUP Opposition, of Belize, Johnny Briceno.
Prime Minister Dean Barrow of Belize.


BUDGET DEBATE IN THE PARLIAMENT OF BELIZE 2011

A good budget debate this year. The first real debate worthwhile in the three years the UDP have been in office. The Opposition PUP have had a poor showing up to now. But with elections just a couple of years away, one has to suppose they are getting their house in order.

John Briceno, the PUP leader in OPPOSITION made an excellent debating speech. The first one I was ever impressed with. Paramount was his attack on the current UDP Prime Minister Dean Barrow over the use of the SUPER DEBT the PUP left behind. He went on to describe where the money went and made it sound very good for their 10 years in office. The incumbent UDP rebutted with a list of the money that went missing, embezzled, stolen, or misused. Both arguments from both sides ended in a DRAW I would think. The real remarkable thing was the organization and presentation by the Opposition PUP leader Johnny Briceno. It was a nice job and if the Opposition had a performance report card, would have earned some points for it. Key was the enquiry why the current Minister had not yet negotiated a set of new terms for the SUPER DEBT BONDS. A very legitimate question.
Former Prime Minister Musa spoke and the only item of interest was accusation that the current Prime Minister Dean Barrow is liard and went on to enumerate the lies Dean Barrow gave in the previous year´s Budget speech and since at least one of the items I had knowledge of, I found it enlightening. Musa made the point that the current Prime Minister continues to lie on this budget. I found the argument plausible and believed Mr. Musa and disbelieved the current Prime Minister Dean Barrow. The item I was familiar with, was the APPRENTICESHIP program. In which last year the Prime Minister Dean Barrow promised to spend $1 million on apprentice ship mentoring training programs. Musa on the other hand from OPPOSITION pointed out that only $50,000 was spent. Since I had applied in the spirit of good will and nation building to mentor and train an apprentice and been rebuffed, or rather ignored by the CABINET and Prime Minister and my application/invitation simply tossed in the garbage without courtesy of reply, I believed Musa´s list of grievances of the current Prime Minister´s lies. No faith in that regard at all anymore.

Of more serious concern is that the current administration of the country will lose 2 points from their performance report card, from 60% to 58% The loss is due to the lack of performance by whoever is TRANSPORTATION MINISTER these days. A trip over the Western Border Monday for medical attention, saw the side of the highway loaded with people with their bags walking the highway verges with bags, to and from the Western Border crossing, due to lack of bus service. This is an old problem and has not been solved. 1% deducted for that lapse. Another 1% went because on Wednesday my wife and I wanted to go to the port to meet a Doctors appointment and found that the Express Bus was loaded and not taking any more passengers and all of the subsequent 30 minute buses, the local chicken buses were overloaded, with people standing crammed in like sardines. From 6:30 a.m. to 9;15 a.m. we were not able to get on any bus, to travel to the coast and since we ran out of time to make the appointment, gave up and returned home. Transportation to the West of the country is in a mess. Loss of two points therefore from the UDP Report card.