'Unanticipated' Raise in Taxes Suddenly Here
Hon Chief
Minister, John Osborne
On December
4, 2001, Chief Minister John Osborne held a rare press conference (read
the text of the CM's 04/12/01 press conference here), forced out of
him following the end of the Country Policy Plan (CPP) talks which was held
almost two weeks prior.
The Chief Minister responded, "That
doesn’t indicate any increase in taxes whatsoever.
They are saying that we should collect the money that is due to
government that is out there to be collected.
This government does not have any intention right now to increase taxes
as far as I am aware."
A few persons are asking today whether the Chief
Minister deliberately misled the press and the people of Montserrat about his
government's intention not to raise any taxes, when two weeks later, on December
20, 2001, just days before he boasted about savings made by civil servants to
pay themselves "back pay," he had led the hike of vehicle licence fees
for 2002 in the Executive Council.
Under Statutory Rules & Orders No. 35 of
2001, dated the 20th day of December, 2001, and made by the Governor
in Council (i.e. Executive Council) an Order cited as the Vehicle and Road
Traffic (Fees) Order deemed to come into effect on 15th January, 2001
imposes increases on vehicular and driver's licences from between 25 and 66
percent on previous fees. This replaces the old law dated January, 1991.
Last week, only two days into the new year, the
Reporter learnt that vehicle owners who showed up early were turned away at
Public Works Department where vehicle licensing usually takes place, being told
that the department was not yet ready to collect licence fees and they should
"return next week or some time
later."
The news later broke that this was to facilitate
the introduction of the new licensing fees, which have come as a complete
surprise and shock to vehicle and heavy equipment owners.
In the meantime, following calls to the Attorney
General's office as to the legality of the non-acceptance of licence fees for
vehicles and drivers in particular, a scramble ensued and the department
responsible began collecting drivers' licence fees.
Hon AG Brian Cottle and Former CM David Brandt
The Attorney General saw the problem as an
administrative one, but lawyer David Brandt publicly chided the government while
speaking to ZJB Kafu Cabey: "…the government is increasing the burden on
the people of Montserrat and it is unconscionable because they have just
committed the increased the water rates, the increased electricity rates the
increase of cable rates and telephones."
He addressed the legal issue involved in the
non-acceptance of drivers licence fees: "By not issuing a driver's licence,
for instance, the citizen is subject to legal peril. Firstly, he could be
reported by the police for driving an unlicensed vehicle. Secondly, by not being
licenced when he drives his vehicle it is not insured."
Minister for Communication and Works Dr. Lowell
Lewis appeared along with backbencher Claude Hogan in a call-in program on ZJB
to defend government's actions and methods. Dr. Lewis had remarked earlier that
there was not much to be said about the issue but that the NPLM government is
prepared to make difficult decisions when required.
Hon Dr Lowell Lewis, Hon Claude Hogan
Mr. Hogan said he didn't think the job being an
elected member of government "would be such a difficult one," nor that
"the economy had deteriorated as much as it had."
Dr. Lewis began the defense of the non-licensing
of vehicles. He said: "The licence fees - this is just an administrative
arrangement…Once a vehicle is insured the insurance is valid from the day the
insurance is issued."
MP Hogan assured one caller: "Your license
cannot be expired because you have a grace period until March 31 each
year."
When asked by a caller if this is law, he
responded: "It is not written in any particular Ordinance, but it is a well
established practise which has locus standi in any court of law…And the
government passes a notice in Executive Council which basically bona fide says
we are giving you this administrative period so it is as legal as it could
be."
All but the Executive Council members seem
surprised at the way the increased fees were being introduced without any
warning whatsoever, coming right after many would have spent or have been
encouraged to spend much over Christmas holidays. In some instances the increase
will be as much as 66 percent.
One resident said: "The spin-offs are too
terrible to think about: Higher trucking rates, thus higher consumer
goods, higher taxi rates, higher auto rental rates, higher bus rates. It
was bad enough when electricity, water and cable TV all went up in the
latter half of 2001."
The new roller coaster increase has caused some
controversy, as it appears according to the Order that the new fees could not be
put into effect before the 15th day of January, 2002.
Picking right up from his constant and pressured
attack on the government as a champion spokesman for the people, Mr. Brandt also
told Kafu Cabey: "I believe the people elected the government to lessen
their burdens rather than increase their burdens. When this new rate comes into
effect the government will permit drivers to increase their fares, and many
people who are using the public transport, they have no transport of their own
and they are very poor people, and I expect the government to look after the
poor because the rich can look after themselves."
During the call-in program Dr. Lewis led the
discussion as to the progress government is making in obtaining more monies and
spending powers from the British, and plans to put the economy on a forward path
by next year.
Import
Fee 'Correction' Bodes New Flour Shortage
Exactly two months ago on Wednesday we carried a
story about an anticipated flour shortage in Montserrat. Once again this
terrible occurrence looms, only this time it may be worse than before if
government and the private sector, or more specifically the flour importers do
not meet very soon and make this event turn around and disappear. Already some
supermarkets are out of flour.
Two months ago the problem centered on the port.
At that time it involved stevedores and rough seas, which eventually forced a
ship to leave port with its flour cargo still on board. This time although the
stevedores are somewhat involved, the problem runs deeper, and the availability
of flour later on could mean more money from consumers or less bread for the
same money.
Sources out of M.S. Osborne Ltd. said it is just
not viable to import flour at a loss to their business. The problem arose out of
a change -- or as the port manager prefers to call it -- a correction in the
port charges on flour being landed and handled at the Little Bay port.
Port manager Roosevelt Jemmotte explains:
"Port charges are based on weight or measurement . . . importers are
required to provide information on both and the system figures out (as required
by law) whichever will bring the greater revenue to the port."
Prior to this, Mr. Jemmotte argues that not only
the port authority lost revenue, but the port workers, who had been arguing for
some time over payment they received for handling flour, were cheated when
charges were made according to weight rather than measurement.
It is reported that when the matter was brought
to the attention of the port authority board, they readily accepted the proposal
for the change, but a former port board member said that this goes back almost
20 years, while members overlooked this to avoid the additional burden it would
naturally pose to consumers, on a charge that would not be significant to the
port authority. That former board member said further, "It is almost
convention that flour is not charged by measurement; almost no where in the
world do they use measurement for flour."
Meanwhile the new charges, according to
importers, denies them any income from the importation of flour, was already
very low and hardly worth their while.
Price Control officer Rudolph Christopher
confirms that flour is among certain items regulated and importers must operate
under certain procedures. One of these is that "the allocation for the
landing charges for the importation of flour stands at 2½ percent of the c.i.f.
value of the goods."
He added that wholesalers are only allowed an
11-percent markup and this markup is not based on all the expenses. Importers
argue that there are several hidden costs which are no longer slight and it is
this that is forcing the decision not to continue importing the flour.
The Price Control department said they have asked
importers to support their complaints with supporting documentation so that the
matter could be taken up with the authorities, the government ministers.
In the meantime, however, one leading bakery
proprietor who usually handles his own import of flour came to the rescue and
landed flour on the island yesterday. The Economy Bakery proprietor said that he
was able to import flour from St. Kitts, supplying other bakeries on the island.
Bakery owner Randolph Riley said he is able to absorb the new charges as he does
not have the same costs as a wholesaler, importing the flour himself.
He told The Montserrat Reporter, "This is a
one-off attempt that will avert the impending shortage of flour, but I am
working on finding new and cheaper suppliers, who will supply the flour in
containers thus avoiding the new system of port charges."
The main supply of flour was previously imported
out of St. Vincent.
Lyandra Hobson, Miss Montserrat
Lyandra Hobson
In a surprising turn of events at the 2001 Miss
Montserrat Pageant on December 29, 2001, 19-year-old Lyandra Hobson swept all
four categories to win the coveted title of Miss Montserrat 2001.
Ms. Hobson, who was sponsored by the Montserrat
Festival Committee, was awarded best Swimwear, best Talent, best Evening Wear,
and best Introduction.
Twenty-year-old Roselle Osborne, also sponsored
by the Montserrat Festival Committee, was first runners up, while 18-year-old
Sasha Farrell, sponsored by Delta Petroleum, was second.
The other contestants were 22-year-old Shenlia
Fenton, sponsored by Tropical Mansion Suites, and18-year-old Letticia Allen,
sponsored by the Montserrat Festival Committee.
Lyandra Hobson, Roselle Osborne
Sasha Farrell, Letticia Allen
Each contestant received $2,500 from her
sponsors. Competitive prizes were; Miss Montserrat, $1,500 in education funds, a
colored television compliments of Equipment and Supplies, an air ticket to any
Caribbean destination compliments of LIAT, and a trophy; first runner up, $1,000
in education funds, a microwave compliments of Equipment and Supplies, and a
trophy; second runner up, $500 in education funds, a VCR and a trophy.
All prizes were presented to the contestants at
the close of Festival City last Saturday.
Hustler Crowned Calypso Monarch
Veteran calypsonian Earl (Hustler) Brown was
crowned King as the top performer on the evening of December 30, 2001, at
Festival City in a night of musical extravaganza.
Singing "Solidarity" and
"Temporary," Hustler depicted Montserrat as an island with loyalty
among the region, and Montserratians abroad as not wanting to return because
they think everything on the island is still temporary.
Following Hustler in order of rank were
16-year-old Silk (Garnet Thompson), Candy (who lost her crown), Basil (Tea Bush)
Chambers, and Andy. Other calypsonians were Cupid, Kilman, Buck, Princess I,
Rachel Collis and Dangerous.
Silk, the new kid on the block and favored by
many in the crowd, won second place by calling for war against administrative
suppression and the revival of festival in his songs "Wage War" and
"Play Your Part."
The presentations on stage were spectacular, but
by far the most competitive were those of Hustler and Silk.
For "Solidarity," Hustler had members
of the Defence Force on stage, along with flags of Montserrat and the Caribbean,
while some of his supporters waved flags in the crowd. "Temporary"
however stunned the crowd when Hustler emerged on stage from a well-put-together
helicopter, reminding Montserratians abroad that notwithstanding its temporary
nature; there are means of returning home.
Silk on the other hand, had the crowd in a
frenzy, screaming and applauding.
In "Wage War" the tax collector could
be seen harassing the hard-working contractor, while people with placards showed
how costly land was. A gentleman with a sign, which said he was the embodiment
of DFID, could be seen in conversation with an annoyed Chief Minister played by
Elijah King Silcott. The "Chief Minister’ called in the Defence Force to
throw DFID out and control tax collection.
In ‘Play Your Part’ Silk emerged from a
coffin carried on stage by pallbearers and proceeded to revive festival from the
grave. Dressed in masquerade costume, his props included Miss Goosey which
encompasses the festival spirit and revelers doing their thing to make festival
what it used to be in the good old days.
Some disgruntled supporters claim that Silk was
denied the top prize because of his inexperience and tender age.
Hustler said in a ZJB interview that Silk was his
only competitor on the evening in question.
“A lot of people underestimated him …and he
came back with a bang… well good. In the first round I felt he had it,” the
two-time calypso monarch said.
"Something
New for Montserrat, Plenty Increased Cost of Living"
Stopping to think, it would not be difficult to
agree that there is a relationship between quality of life and the cost of
living. For many of us, successive incremental increases in the cost of living
mean a continuing deterioration in the quality of life.
If there is to be a serious effort at socially
transforming this volcanically ravaged country, and a wholehearted attempt at
eradicating poverty, before the island is totally consumed and its society
overtaken, then government ministers and legislators must do the simple thing,
"the right thing," all of the time.
A member of government cannot (but he did) go on
radio and try to humiliate any former government minister or legislator, having
just said that he "didn't know" that the job being an elected member
of government was so difficult, or that he didn't know that the economy had
declined as badly as it had. In the last Legislative Council meeting in
December, he did warn of the difficult times that lay ahead for the next three
years, after his Chief Minister had said there was going to be a whopping
15-percent growth in 2002. He was also present on December 4, 2001, when the
Chief Minister told us "the government does not have any intention right now to increase
taxes."
The right thing is to stop trying to confuse the
people of Montserrat about how much trust and confidence the British Government
has in us when they are giving us "autonomy" over nothing.
Why was it so difficult for the four ministers of
government to get the proper advice from the relevant departments (we know that
they did not) instead of trying to make a secret out of something that needed
not be a secret? The problem here is a government that believes it decides who
gets prosecuted in our courts and when.
When they tell us on radio that they issued
administrative directives to stop the police from taking the necessary action if
the occasion arose to charge someone for driving without a licence or an
unlicensed vehicle; or the insurance company refuses responsibility in case of
accidents because of non-licencing, one senses a kind of arrogance and ignorance
as to how the law and the courts function. Common law, as one of the callers
(not the legal expert) to the program mentioned, doesn't stand in court when
there is a law on the issue.
There was no reason whatever for the government
to keep secret the fact that they were going to raise vehicle-related licensing
fees in 2002. It was probably thought necessary considering the awareness that
any increase on anything in Montserrat poses further hardship for most. Once the
decision was made the people should have been told what to expect.
NPLM does have a problem, having campaigned on
the claim that they know how to deal with the British and that they will take
Montserrat out of grant-in-aid inside of five years. Now, of course, they find
they cannot deliver, so it is time to come clean and keep telling us the truth
and nothing but the truth, as difficult as it might be. People must be in a
position at all times to make informed decisions, and they were not in December
when they were spending money during the festivities.
What is facing Montserrat is almost like
extinction. It is the belief among many that Montserratians at home and abroad
talk of nothing now but either leaving or not returning. It has never been more
crucial to keep the dialogue and information at a higher level than before.
The discussion in a popular forum saw this
comment: "The spin-offs are too terrible to think about: Higher
trucking rates, thus higher consumer goods, higher taxi rates, higher auto
rental rates, higher bus rates. It was bad enough when electricity,
water and cable TV all went up in the latter half of 2001."
It is going to require a kind of collaboration to
check this continued burden and to stop the spinning and trying to fool people.
Last year Man from Baker Hill wrote several pieces on the topic of taxation in
which he showed that we don't only pay taxes on income, but also are taxed in
one form or the other.
When flour becomes scarce because of increases in
customs rates (taxes), even the people who receive welfare will suddenly find
that what was already less than minimum will become unmanageable. When the
utility subsidy is fixed in 2001 and increases come in 2002, the pain then is
even more unbearable.
The people must honestly know the significance of
money coming into or going out of the island and what it means to the economy of
any country.
One thing doesn't change. Money must be spent to
make money. The problem is that the money has to come from somewhere before this
can happen.
Back to where we started, what will the quality
of life be, or what is it right now, if the cost of living becomes unbearable?
The planning has to be good and the selfishness and deals must stop dead in
their tracks, so that the select few don't end up creaming the rest of us.
This was another opinion expressed even before
the threatened flour shortage came about, still commenting on the unexpected
vehicular fees increase:
"Some who ate bread and cheese in early
2001, went to bread and butter, then bread and margarine by year end,
but now will have to suffice with dry bread moistened with spit."
Serious.
Except for
the editorial, opinion articles expressed in these pages are not necessarily
those of the Montserrat Reporter editors, employees or advisers.
Readers are encouraged to submit commentary articles.
All viewpoints, unless libelous, in poor taste, or anonymous, are
welcome. Send your contributions to
The Editor, P.O. Box 306, Olveston, Montserrat, W. I., e-mail: editor@montserratreporter.org
or monrep@candw.ag. Manuscripts
will not be returned unless accompanied by a return stamped envelope.
The Montserrat Reporter is a privately owned independent newspaper.
Jus
Wonderin items may be called in at telephone 491-4715 or Fax 491-2430
Personal But Not Private
We will tell the coming generation the
glorious deeds of the LORD,
and his might, and the wonders that he has
done. – Palm 78:4
THROUGH the years I have encountered parents who
said, “I do not want to impose my faith on my children, so I do take them to
any one church. When they are old enough, I want them to be free to choose for
themselves.”
My own father, whom I loved and respected and
idolized as a child, was silent about his
faith. I could see many good qualities in him,
some of which I felt had to have come from faith in God.
Yet
he never talked about it, so I grew up Puzzled. What was my father’s faith?
What was his relationship with God? He was my
role model – and a great one in many areas. But what he Modeled to me about
faith in God was silence. Is faith something so personal we cannot talk about
it, so private we cannot share it, even with our children?
Faith
is personal, but it should not be private. Our faith should shine from our lives
through our actions, and it should spill joyously from our mouths in testimony.
Our children and grandchildren should hear of our
faith and see our faith in action every day of our lives.
PRAYER:
Dear God, you have done many wonderful things for us, and your grace overflows
in our lives. Give us such joy and appreciation that we naturally tell others
about your love. Amen
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Every encounter is an opportunity to show how
true faith is lived out in daily life.
John O. Eby
Vacation
Turns to Worry When the Rent Multiplies
Dear Editor,
We are a group of persons with Montserrat roots,
now on the island hoping to enjoy what could have been a wonderful holiday.
While in the UK we met a villa/house owner who
was living in London at the time and she informed us that she had a property
that we could rent for six weeks in Montserrat. While in London she was our
friend, or so we thought. Over a period of time we negotiated a price for her
house in Olveston, and came to a verbal agreement. Over several phone
conversations things were finalized and we thought as a friend, we would have
really enjoyed this beautiful island. We were very helpful to this person and
her children in the UK.
We arrived in Montserrat on the 5/12/2001 and
moved into our negotiated house in Olveston. After staying in the house/villa
for two weeks we were very surprised when the price negotiated had suddenly
changed, by the property owner. Her price was over 400 percent more than
negotiated. She turned out to be no less than an indescribable creature. We came
to the island with a budget based on our negotiations. When she changed her
price, we were wondering what to do as we had been taken advantage of and really
could not afford this outrageous price. We could not eat or sleep for nights
until one Mr. Cassell came to our aid. Mr. Cassell found a villa two minutes
away for less for the remaining four weeks.
We know that the price verbally agreed may not
have been the going price, but while in London we had no knowledge of where, and
what type of house we were going into. This woman decided to charge us £1,400
for the two weeks we spent in her house, which turns out to be 400 more than
what she had agreed to charge for the six weeks. Is this the normal way villa or
house owners behave on Montserrat? We had to borrow money from friends and paid
her £700 and thought that was the last we would see or hear of this lady.
To make a long story short, the lady brought a
lawyer to the house we are staying in and has now summoned us to appear in court
for another £700.
If she is a friend, what is an enemy? She did not
try to renegotiate, she demanded we pay or go in Salem to make money. We really
could have gone to other places for our holiday and avoid that type of volcanic
stress.
Despite her ruthless antics we tried to enjoy
Montserrat, but suing us on our last week has really added insult to injury.
Please let everyone know that we are not unreasonable but a deal is a deal.
We would like to say, however, special thank you
to Claude Gerald, Mr. Brandt, Cecil Cassell, you, Mr. Editor, and all the
friends we have met during this testing time. If it wasn’t for this God knows
what lady we would have really have a wonderful time.
God bless and have a wonderful 2002 to all of
Montserrat, even the money gluttonous lady.
A Long Memory
Delights Return Visitors to Island
Dear Editor,
My husband and I are completing a three-week
visit to Montserrat, our first since 1996.
We have been staying most the three weeks at the
Vue Pointe Hotel.
At breakfast on our first morning, we were
greeted by Cordela (Mrs Raymond Cabey), who had often served us at Montserrat
Springs Hotel where we had frequently stayed in the past.
Imagine our surprise when Cordela asked if we
still ate a large breakfast of eggs and bacon, or the like only one day of the
week.
We were even more surprised and pleased, when she
asked if we still wanted our toast buttered in the kitchen rather than brought
to the table with the butter on the side.
She remembered all this five years after she saw
us last.
Cordela displays the mark of a professional, one
who makes an effort to make guests feel welcome beyond what is required of her.
We wish her success in all she attempts to do.
Sincerely,
Betty Messenger
Columbus, Ohio.
Thanks
and Greetings From Internet Reader
Dear
Editor,
Just a quick note to say "Thanks" for the fine reporting work you do!
We appreciate being able to keep up on the Montserrat news via the Internet.
We
will be back again in February for a few weeks and are looking forward to the
wonderful people and weather of Montserrat!
Our
Best Wishes to all for a Healthy, Happy and Prosperous 2002!
Phil
Kenny
garland@worldpath.net
Dr.
Gibbs, Teacher Sarah Deserve Congratulations
Dear Editor,
Congratulations to Dr. Erica Gibbs and Teacher
Sarah Allen on being nationally recognized through the award of the M.B.E.
The awards reflect the positive appreciation of
the duo and also of the impact these honourable ladies have had on the lives of
ordinary citizens over many a year.
Their works, though different have made them similar.
Dr. Gibbs, a physician and the wife of a past
Administrator of Montserrat, has integrated beautifully into the lives of us all
since the 1960’s. Her practice of medicine has been special and different with
emphasis on ‘caring’ in keeping with her professional oath. Her work with
the National Trust is stellar and continues to be a sound pillar to that
organization in rapidly changing times.
Teacher Sarah is devoted to service, whether in
music instruction or in her signature performances with choral groups, notably
the Emerald Community Singers. A core teacher at the important primary level,
she continues to be an energetic molder of values in our youngsters. And like
her famous cricketing brothers, the late and musical George Allen and the
peerless Jim Allen, she combines humility with excellence.
Praise to these two exceptional individuals and
congratulations to those who sponsored them to Her Majesty.
Claude Gerald
Visiting
Teams Perform Vital Eye Surgery Free
The return of Dr. Dorothy Scott and her husband
Glenwood Scott continue to provide what is among the more worthwhile free
services that have been given to Montserrat almost every year for several years
now.
This year the ophthalmologist has returned with
her husband and brought with her two teams of surgeons who have been performing
surgeries at St. John's hospital. The teams arrive separately and the first one
currently on island is led by cataract surgeon Dr. William Christy. He has been
carrying out up to 28 cataract surgeries on deserving persons free of cost to
the government and people of Montserrat. Next week a refractory surgeon Dr.
Dipendra Dhaliwall along with ophthalmologist Dr. Rokia Massce will be on island
to carry out treatment to those people requiring his attention.
Dr. Scott once again repeated her concern about
the follow-up treatment to the patients treated and other persons who may
require such medical treatment. She expressed her serious concern that blindness
from glaucoma, often caused from diabetes, be identified and treated early.
Another concern expressed by the ophthalmologist is a home for the expensive
equipment donated and used on island. "These are very delicate pieces of
equipment and get easily damaged when moved from place to place," she said.
Her concern has to do with the easy access of the
equipment, by nurses who were trained well over a year and who will conduct
follow-up service during her absence, carrying out the tests necessary to
identify early incidences of glaucoma and patients who need to diligently
continue taking treatment for their eye ailments.
Once again the Cudjoe Head Health Clinic, headed
by Family Nurse Practitioner Anjella Skerritt, is host to the Dr. Scott and her
team of doctors along with some 70 volunteers from the island.
Governor Longrigg on Wednesday paid a brief visit
to the clinic in the presence of local press. He was given a tour by Dr. Scott
and shown some of the services provided. He commented, "from what I've seen
briefly it is an amazing operation and I didn't realize that there was so much
eye problems on Montserrat."
Expressing appreciation, the governor said:
"Montserrat should be grateful to Dr. Scott and her team."
In a final comment to the press Dr. Scott advised
that during her next visit she hopes to bring on island a retinal surgeon.
Montserrat’s Festival Ends in Parade, Prizes
By
Helena Durand
The Montserrat Festival, which officially began
on December 8, 2001, ended with a street parade on New Year’s Day.
The colorful parade began at Government
Headquarters in Brades and ended at the Festival Village in Little Bay.
The Calypso King Hustler, the Soca Monarch Andy
and Miss Montserrat Lyandra Hobson participated in the celebrations.
There were two sets of Cheerleaders, and seven
troupes. The Hybrid Masquerade and the Brades PTA Masquerade also made
appearances.
At Festival City the winners for the carnival
were chosen. The Emerald Survivors Mass Troupe got the award for King and Queen
of the band, and also best costume for the adult category.
The Rainbow Revelers from the Lookout Primary
School got best Troupe for the children’s category, while the Emerald Stars
won the Cheerleaders category.
The official closing ceremony of the festival
last Saturday brought together participants of every level to receive gifts,
prizes and trophies.
The Miss Montserrat Pageant 2001 contestants and
queen got their prizes, so too did the calypsonians and other participants in
the festival activities.
Of the Calypsonians, King Hustler was awarded a
checque of EC$6,500, fist runner –up Silk got EC$4,500 and Tea Bush got
EC$2,000.
There were varying comments and little analysis
of the Festivities which, except for a few spots, drew favourable comments from
residents and visitors alike. One young Montserratian, who visited for the
entire festival remarked, on her way back to the Bronx, New York, "It will
only be my loyalty to Montserrat that can entice me to come back next Christmas;
even though the hype has begun for the 40th festival, I fear it will
not be better than this year."
That sentiment seemed general while patrons to
the functions observed that although there were several functions, and mostly
well attended, something seemed lacking in terms of variety and life.
"Organisers appeared genuine and attended to
the job on hand," was another comment that surfaced.
There have been no official figures yet
available, but it is believed that between 2,000 and 3,000 visitors arrived on
island during the festivities.
Plans
are afoot to revive the Pacesetters Sports and Cultural Club on Montserrat with
a meetuig on February 10 at the Tropical Mansions Suites Hotel.
The
meeting will involve former members and prospective members and will begin at
6:30 p.m., followed by a get-together, starting at 7:30 p.m., of persons in the
community who have worked with the Pacesetters and have contributed to the
success of the Club in former years.
Highlight
of the evening will be a special exhibition of the work of the Pacesetters which
will be on display in the Exhibition Room of the Hotel. To round off the evening
the One Man Band will provide music for the evening's entertainment.
The
Pacesetters Sports and Cultural Club was once a vibrant community and sporting
organization on Montserrat in the 80's and early 90's. The Club has seen its
membership depleted by the onset of volcanic activity. According to Rachel
Collis, founder and first President of the Pacesetters, the Club was started to
provide an outlet for the boundless energies of young people at that time.
Numerous requests from former members and others who have heard about the Club
have prompted this rebirth.
According
to Ms. Collis plans are already being made for a major activity at Easter. She
says that support for the Club has never been lacking, and there is vast
encouragement from the public for this new phase in the Pacesetters'
development.
Prospects Brighten For Double Amputee
By
Helena Durand
Things seem to be looking up for 62-year-old Mr
Thomas O’Garro of St. Johns, who lost both his legs in a road accident last
October 26 on the St. Johns road.
Mr O’Garro had been forced to remain a patient
at Glendon Hospital in St. Johns because he had no home to go to. Things are a
bit different now.
He was recently taken to see the newly
constructed housing units at Lookout and was reportedly quite impressed.
Eugene Skerritt, Permanent Secretary of the
Ministry of Education, Health and Community Services, told the Montserrat
Reporter that Mr. O’Garro should be able to make a new life for himself in the
Lookout Community.
He has to wait just a bit, however, until the
specially designed housing units for amputees and those with severe physical
handicaps are constructed sometime this year.
Mr. Skerritt said as it relates to the housing
units, the Government is doing the best it can to meet the demand for housing.
“The next 20 houses are practically underway”
he said. “It will be so designed as to facilitate rolling into the doorway,
the shower etc.”
Living in one of those specially designed units
would give Mr. O’Garro almost total independence, Mr. Skerritt said
“He will be able to roll himself anywhere in the house and lift himself
out of his chair using hand stand. He can take his shower in private and do
other things for himself.”
Better still for Mr O’Garro is the knowledge
that the hospital is looking at the possibility of fitting him for prostheses in
Barbados sometime this year.
Meanwhile, Mr O’Garro maintains that he is fine
and feels that he has been given a new lease on life, “because it could have
been my head and I could have been dead,” he told the Montserrat Reporter.
The Carr’s Bay Mural, A Panorama of the Past
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A new mural at Carr's Bay depicts the Montserrat
Oriole, the Waterfall at Galloways, the War Memorial Clock with the Plymouth
Post Office in the background, the Fort Ghaut Bridge and Government House.
It is the work of 40-year-old Kelvin (Tabu)
Duberry, one of Montserrat's multi-talented sons of the soil, who was born in
St. Johns. A former student at local schools, Tabu, as he is affectionately
known, is also a former teacher on Montserrat who left the island in 1994 for
London, where he currently teaches Art and Design.
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A songwriter, former calypso king (1991), and
former national cricketer, Tabu studied graphic designing and print making at
the Jamaica School of Art in Jamaica from 1987 to 1991, when he graduated.
He has held exhibitions both here and abroad and
looks forward to continuing his work here on Montserrat.
“I really want to return home and make a
meaningful contribution to my country” he told the Montserrat Reporter.
This is his second visit since the volcanic
crisis.
“I actually came here to promote my recently
launched CD,” Tabu said. The title track is "Ancient Warriors," one
of 10 tracks on the album.
It was through the influence of Dr. Lowell Lewis
and Julian Romeo that he got to the mural at Carr’s Bay while he was here.
“Dr. Lewis approached me and said he wanted
something significant for the space. He did not tell me what he wanted; he just
gave me permission to use the space. Romeo provided the materials I needed,”
Tabu said.
At one time a island cricket stalwart, Tabu said
he choose to do the mural with pictures from the past, because the youth will
not remember what Plymouth used to be like, “especially as they may never get
a chance to ever see it again.”
The Fort Ghaut Bridge, he said, is of particular
interest because “It was the only one of its kind in the Leeward Islands.”
Tabu left the island on January 3 but plans to
return for Easter, when he hopes to add to the mural Sturge Park, where he took
party in many sporting activities.
Judy
Piece Fire Victim Now Housed at Geralds
Fifty eight year old Alfred Warner of Judy Piece,
more commonly known as Gabriel Paul, who lost everything in a fire last month,
is now housed at Geralds.
Eugene Skerritt, Permanent Secretary in the
Ministry of Education, Health and Community Services, told the Montserrat
Reporter that Mr. Warner would only be housed there for a short time.
The duration of his stay is dependent on how soon
the Government begins to relocate persons from that area for the construction of
the new temporary fixed wing airport.
Mr. Skerritt said although Mr Warner may become
eligible for relocation, he is being encouraged to purchase land so as to
facilitate the building of a new home for him by the government.
“If he has the land, it will make it much
easier” Mr. Skerritt said. He said this is being done this way to enable
persons needing assistance to try to help themselves rather than simply sit by
and wait for everything to be done for them.
He said contrary to earlier arrangements, it has
been reported that Mr. Warner will no longer be allowed to build on the land
where he resided at the time of the fire.
Queen Awards MBE To 2 On Montserrat
A release from Government House advised that Buckingham Palace
announced the award of Member of the British Empire (MBE’s) to two residents
of Montserrat in Her Majesty The Queen’s 2002 New Year Honours List.
They are Miss Sarah Allen of Lookout and Dr.
Erica Gibbs of Old Towne.
Miss Allen is being recognized for her lifelong
work in Education and Culture. A retired teacher, Miss Allen has returned to
teaching in her retirement, and also does tireless work in the island’s
cultural sector working with the youth, church and community choirs.
In addition, she is also an integral part of
Christmas Festival Planning and has for many years assisted with children’s
festival.
Dr. Erica Gibbs is the wife of former
Administrator of Montserrat, the late Dennis A Gibbs. Dr. Gibbs was born in
Barbados and spent the first ten years of her life in the Caribbean between
Barbados, Trinidad and Jamaica.
In all she has devoted some 36 years of her life
in Montserrat to community work. She has also helped the National Trust, and is
said to be the moving force and guiding light of the organization.
Her dedicated work has helped the Trust to
protect the natural environment and cultural heritage of the island and has
reportedly turned it into the vibrant and valuable institution it is today.
The Montserrat Reporter extends heartiest
congratulations to these two ladies of Montserrat.
Ex-CM Brandt Learns Of Award too Late to Go
By Helena
Durand
The letter from Club Zeni International (CZI) in
Jamaica reads, “It is with distinct pleasure that we hereby inform you of your
selection as one of the top fifty Caribbean personalities for the year 2000.”
Unfortunately this letter, dated November 1,
2001, which was sent to former Chief Minister David Brandt through the current
Chief Minister’s office, got to him only on
January 3, forwarded from the CM’s office and stamped January 2, 2002.
The letter informs Mr. Brandt that he is
“numbered among those who have made the most meaningful contributions to
development for the region over the twelve-month period encompassing that
particular year.”
It was intended that Mr. Brandt would travel to
Jamaica for the inaugural presentation of the Golden Ackee Premium (GAP) award
at a function scheduled for Tuesday January 1, 2002.
He was also supposed to have sent the Club a
4”x 5” head and shoulder colour photograph of himself which was to have been
published in the Club’s new quarterly edition of "Impact Caribbean
Magazine," a publication on culture, development, and entertainment that
was launched that evening.
Mr. Brandt told the Montserrat Reporter, “The
award was totally unexpected. I did not realize that the Caribbean was looking
at my contributions to the development of the country. I find this quite
thrilling.”
He is disappointed, however, that he was unable
to attend the function and has promised to make some calls to determine why he
got his invitation letter so late.
“I don’t know how that happened," he
said, "whether it was a deliberate calculation to prevent me from receiving
the award. It might have been downright carelessness or gross incompetence.
Whatever it was, it seems like somebody made sure that I didn’t attend and
that I got this letter very late.”
The award presentation is an annual event and,
according to the letter, is “endowed to the carefully culled fifty most worthy
of it each time. [It] is divided into three categories: (I) the three-seeded
Golden Ackee for the final forty of the fifty, (II) the four-seeded Golden Ackee
to the bottom nine of the ten and (III) the five-seeded Golden Ackee to the
number one person of the fifty.”
Montserrat
Red Cross Receives $27,000 Award
By Helena Durand
Gerald Wallette, a consultant with the Leeward
Islands Holding Company, presented the Montserrat Red Cross with a checque of
$27,000.00 in the Governor’s Office last week.
Mr. Wallette said the checque was “part of the
contribution to the relief efforts that the British Red Cross has been
conducting in Montserrat.”
Mrs. Camilla Watts, Director of the Red Cross
here, told the Montserrat Reporter that the money is welcome, but that it had
been there for them for years.
“We knew it was coming,” she said. “The
Lottery raised funds for the Red Cross using our logo but everything just had to
be organised because it is from all the islands. We feel very grateful to the
Leeward Islands Holding Company who is assisting us.”
Mrs. Watts said the money will be put to good
use, but the Committee will make the eventual decision. She said she believes
that it may go towards the construction of the new Red Cross building.
“We have some land in Brades for the building
so by early next year construction is expected to begin. This money will go a
long way in helping,” Mrs. Watts explained.
In a follow-up on another recent presentation to
the Red Cross recently, Mrs Watts spoke of the 20 CDs donated by Basil ‘Tea
Bush’ Chambers; “I have already sold ten and I am looking forward to selling
the other ten. Any assistance given to Basil is given to the Red Cross.”
In making the presentation Mr. Chambers said the
Montserrat Red Cross was his favorite charity.
Red Cross Headquarters is currently resident in
new quarters in Lookout.
Belize
Seeks to Unify Child Abuse Safeguards
BELMOPAN, Belize -- The National Organization for
the Prevention of Child Abuse (NOPCA) opened a three-day conference Tuesday, the
National Conference of Children Protection and Child Rights, a multidisciplinary
approach to the unify protection of children's rights by Government, the private
sector and NGO's.
Dolores Balderamos Garcia, Minister of Human Development, Women and Children and
Civil Society, told the conference that "no one person, organization,
country nor government can ensure the protection of children and their
rights."
The morning's ceremony included the signing of a
statutory instrument to strengthen the fabric of the Families and Children's
Act. It contains provision for:
* The reclassification of the
Social Services Practitioner.
* A mandatory medical certificate to be presented in court for every case of
child abuse.
*Professional classification of injury by doctors or other examining health care
professionals.
*The mandatory reporting of all child abuse cases to the Ministry of Human
Development by the Belize Department.
*The protection of a child's privacy when testifying in the court in a child
abuse case.
Region
Set to Adjust To Arrival of the Euro
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC - Caribbean countries
braced themselves, with little concern, for the January 1 introduction of the new European
currency, the euro, that will be used as the basis of exchange in 12
participating countries.
The historic introduction of the euro means the replacement of the various
national currencies, whether in the form of electronic payments or cash, to form
a true national currency.
Seven banknotes in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 will be in
circulation and eight coin units that will involve 50.6 billion euro coins and
14.3 billion euro notes.
Although it is seen as an important step in the march towards a single market
and economy, the euro for many European companies has been a reality since it
became the virtual currency of the continental unified monetary system almost
three years ago.
This will impact the Caribbean in two important sectors: trade and tourism.
Sugar exports under the European Union protocol will be paid for in euros, and
the currency has declined against the U.S. dollar since its active introduction
almost three years ago. It now trades at US$0.87.
While the actual financial adjustments in Europe will not be burdensome for the
Caribbean, there might be some psychological resistance on the part of consumers
who will be cautious in their spending.
Where the impact is most likely to be felt is in the area of institutional
investments, since in the initial stages there will be strong deflationary
pressures on the 12 economies.
This deflationary pressure will be applied not only by consumers but also by
businesses to their own suppliers.
More important for the Caribbean, the success or failure of the euro will be a
powerful point of reference for the governments of the region who are marching
along a similar path towards a single market and economy.
Following is the weighted average of the old national currencies of the 12
participating countries as against the euro:
CURRENCY
Austrian schilling 13.7603
Belgium franc 40.3399
Finnish markka 5.94573
French franc 6.55957
German mark 1.95583
Greek drachma 340.75
Irish punt 0.787564
Italian lira 1,936.27
Luxembourg franc 40.3399
Netherlands guilder 2.20371
Portuguese escudo 200.482
Spanish peseta 166.386
St.
Kitts/Nevis Exhibit Celebrates 30 Carnivals
St. Kitts -- An exhibition showcasing various
folklore groups that have participated in past Carnivals was mounted at The
National Museum (the former Treasury Building) and Government Headquarters by
the Archives Department to commemorate St. Kitts and Nevis’ 30th
year of National Carnival and to spotlight its rich and creative history.
Archivist, Victoria O’Flaherty said the
exhibition is an interesting mix of cultural diversity. "We wanted to
remind people of past achievements and give them the opportunity to compare the
costumes of then and now," Mrs O’Flaherty said. "I think this is
important and can be used as a measure of our peoples natural and technological
progression."
The display highlights crowd favourites of the
national festival including Fine Dance, the 2001-2002 Carnival Grand Marshall
Clarice "Coolie" Fleming, and past Calypso Kings and National Queens.
The display was mounted at the request of the
National Carnival Committee and will be dismantled today.
Region's News Sources Shut Down, 50 Laid Off
Compiled
from dispatches
News communications across the Caribbean suffered
a crippling blow last week when the Board of Directors of the Caribbean Media
Corporation temporarily shut down the organisation for re-structuring effective
Friday January 4, 2002.
The closure meant the suspension of services of
CANA Radio, CANA Wire and CBU television services. Fifty of the 54 members of
staff were laid off.
The other four were retained to work on the
speedy financial re-structuring of the organization.
The Board said its decision come only after
months of efforts to re-finance, re-structure and re-capitalise the organization
while continuing regular operations.
Antigua and Barbuda's Prime Minister Lester Bird
quickly wrote to CARICOM Secretary General of Edwin Carrington proposing that
the closure of CMC be placed on the agenda of the scheduled meeting of the
CARICOM Bureau in a few days time.
In his letter to the Secretary-General, which was
copied to all CARICOM Heads of Government, Mr. Bird said, "As we are moving
toward the solidifying of the single market and economy (SME) in CARICOM, it is
unsatisfactory that the region should lose the means of informing each member
state about developments in the other. The SME would suffer considerably
from this loss, as indeed would the entire process of regional integration which
has benefited immeasurably from the daily flow of information provided by CANA,
the CBI and then the merged CMC."
Mr. Bird's appeal followed an earlier public
lament by Antigua and Barbuda's High Commissioner to London, Sir Ronald Sanders,
who was a founder member of the Board of Directors of CANA and a former
President of the CBU 25 years ago. He urged Prime Minister Bird to solicit
CARICOM's urgent attention.
“The closure of CMC for an undisclosed period
of time is a grievous blow to the flow of information between Caribbean States
and takes us back to the conditions of a quarter of a century ago when the
Caribbean had to rely on news about itself from news agencies in London, Paris
and Washington,” Sir Ronald said.
The High Commissioner said, “There is an urgent
need for Caribbean governments to learn more about the closure of CMC and to
take steps to ensure that it is reopened in an appropriate way as quickly as
possible. Ministers responsible for
Information in CARICOM and the CARICOM Secretariat should give urgent
consideration to convening a meeting with the Board of Directors.
CMC, like the University of the West Indies and West Indian cricket, has
become an institution too vital to the region for us to allow it to fall by the
wayside."
Sir Ronald's call echoed several such reminders
at recent meetings in which it was pointed out that regional Ministers of
Information had not met for a long time to discuss communications in general and
the importance of CMC in particular.
To underscore that lapse, Sir Ronald expressed
concern that the 50 members of staff were laid off with no indication about
severance pay or other entitlements. “Some of these people are among the region’s best
journalists," he said. "We should do all we can to keep them in their
trade.”
Meanwhile, Sir Shridath Ramphal, former Chairman
of the West India Commission, recalled that 10 years ago that body ended the
section labeled "Time for Action devoted to Communication" with this
reminder:
"Community is about communication. Without
effective communication between the people and the countries of CARICOM, the
reality of Community cannot be sustained." "We specifically identified
the regional mass media as 'an integrative factor in the Region,' " Sir
Shridath said, "and singled out CANA and the CBU - later brought together
in the CMC - as deserving of special regional support. The prospect of their
disappearance a decade later as Caribbean integration deepens and widens is
devastating news. This must not be allowed to happen."
4 Cruise
Ships Spend January 1 in Antigua
Antigua -- GIS - The arrival of four cruise ships
in St. John's Harbour on New Year's Day greatly boosted the spirits of tourism
officials and others in the hospitality industry as store-owners and vendors
alike scuttled to open their businesses very early for the tourists to shop.
The four cruise ships which brought some 9,000
passengers to spend New Year's Day in Antigua were the Nordic Empress and
Carnival Destiny, carrying over 5,000 and docked at the Heritage Quay Port, the
Aida and Sunbird, with another 4000 passengers berthed at the Deep Water Port.
The visitors were given a sneak preview of
Antigua's Carnival as Officials in the Ministry of Culture launched the 2002
Carnival on New Year's Day. A spokesman for the Tourism Ministry expressed
delight in having four ships in port at once, adding that, this is proof that
the cruise industry is a good thing for the Caribbean.
The Government of Prime Minister Lester Bird has
just spent some $20 million on the dredging of the Heritage Quay Port to allow
for the berthing of the larger cruise ships known as "Mega Class"
ships.
Already two of the world's largest cruise ships,
the Infinity and the Radiance of the Seas, make weekly visits to Antigua.
The world's largest cruise ship, the Majesty of
the Seas, will dock for the first time at the Heritage Quay Port in April. Prime
Minister Lester Bird has been invited to join the Captain, crew and passengers
in Puerto Rico for the ship's inaugural cruise to Antigua.
Antigua
Group to Probe Child Porn, Prostitution
Antigua -- The Government of Prime Minister
Lester Bird has set up a Task Force to look into allegations of Child
Pornography and Prostitution in Antigua and Barbuda.
Mr. Bird announced last November that he would be
setting up the task force through the Ministry of Health and Social Improvement
to look into allegations of Child Pornography and Prostitution, for the purpose
of analyzing the root problem.
Minister of Health John St. Luce announced that
the full task force has now been set up. The
members are Dr. Ermina Osoba and Dr. Knolly Hill, chairpersons; Ms. Sheila
Roseau, Mrs. Maurine Lewis, Mrs. Joan Gomes, Mrs. Faustina Jarvis, Mrs. Patricia
Bird, Dr. Jimmy King, Father Arnold Francis and Major Joycelyn Maxam.
Minister St. Luce said that persons, groups or
Non-Governmental Organisations who wish to submit comments on the matters should
do so through the Department of Social Improvement in the Ministry of Health and
Social Improvement in the Cecil Charles Building on Cross Street.
The
Bahamas Looks To Minimum Wage
NASSAU, The Bahamas -- The Bahamas is joining the
United States and Western Europe in establishing a minimum wage.
Prime Minister Hubert A. Ingraham says the U.S., which has the most successful
economy in the world, has had a minimum wage since the 1930s.
In an interview Dec. 30 on Island 102.9FM Radio, he said countries in all of
Western Europe, which also have successful economies, also have minimum wages.
"We have done what we think is very right," he said. "The British
have done it and they have extended it to their dependents, the Turks Islands,
the Cayman Islands and the British Virgin Islands -- all of them have a minimum
wage, and not The Bahamas?"
The Prime Minister said the minimum wage
legislation, which has already been passed in the House of Assembly, will be
passed by the Senate later this month. It calls for a minimum wage of $30 a day.
The Prime Minister said minimum wage has been discussed and debated in The
Bahamas for a long time. He said the Progressive Liberal Party during the 1950s
and 1960s promised to introduce a minimum wage, and when the party assumed
office in 1967 it
passed a law - the Fair Labour Standards Act - that provided the power to create
a minimum wage and a workers' council.
He said that for 20-plus years afterwards the PLP government did nothing to
implement a minimum wage.
The Prime Minister said he believes $30 a day is a "reasonable sum" to
pay an employee in The Bahamas.
"There are others who will argue that it should be more," he said.
"If the economy of The Bahamas was different, I would support that view. I
think we made the right judgment, and it applies across the board."
The only people who will be excluded, said the Prime Minister, are children 16
years old and under.
OECS Grenada Meeting To Seek Vibrant Economy
Grenada -- Representatives of private and social
sector organizations from the OECS will meet in Grenada next week to seek common
ground on productivity, wages and employment in the region.
The January 11-12 consultation was mandated by OECS Heads of Government at
their special emergency meeting last September 28, which discussed the impact of
the new international situation on the region's economies especially in light of
the September 11th events.
The Grenada consultation will seek agreement on a more vibrant private sector;
closer involvement of the private sector and civil society in promoting and
sustaining the integration movement; and putting institutional arrangements in
place to ensure continuing dialogue among the stakeholders on development
policies and the sub-regional integration movement.
Participants will include various private sector organizations, private and
public sector unions, employers associations, and representatives of umbrella
NGO Groups.
Financial support has been provided by the Canadian International Development
Agency (CIDA) and the European Union, through the OECS Export Development Unit
(EDU).
Barbados Swears In New Chief Justice
Barbados, CMC - Former Attorney General Sir David
Simmons was sworn in last week as Barbados' new chief justice.
Sir David, a parliamentarian for 25 years, took the oath of office during a
brief morning ceremony that was attended by his wife and children. He replaces
Sir Denys Williams, who retired from the post.
Sir David's former post has been filled by former
Education Minister Mia Mottley, who is the country's first female attorney
general.
Sir David was made a Knight of St. Andrew in the Independence Honours List
announced on November 30, paving the way for his accession to the highest
position on the bench on January 1.
Sir David announced his decision in August to retire from active politics,
setting in motion the machinery for a by-election in St. Thomas, the
constituency he had represented in Parliament.
Trinidad
Feminists Decry Pursuit of Racial Politics
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC - The Caribbean
Association for Feminist Research and Action (CAFRA) ended 2001 by telling
politicians in Trinidad and Tobago to stop playing on the insecurities of the
major ethnic groups and wedging them apart in the current political atmosphere.
CAFRA said in a statement that the
constitutional instruments are inadequate to deal with the political
complexities and encouraged the population to demand that persons vying for
political office stop exploiting the weaknesses of the Constitution.
It also urged that such people stop playing on the latent insecurities of the
major ethnic groupings of the country in order to support decisions to promote
narrow partisan interests.
"Party politics based on pushing Africans and Indians apart only will serve
to sink all of us together," the feminist group said.
"In addition, regardless of who holds the office, the Presidency itself is
powerless to address our complex political reality."
CAFRA's statement comes in the wake of controversy over the president's decision
to appoint Patrick Manning to the position of prime minister, dethroning the
incumbent Basdeo Panday in a bid to end the December 10 elections 18-18 seat
deadlock.
Mr. Manning leads the People's National Movement (PNM),
which is predominantly supported by African descendants here, while Mr.
Panday's United National Congress (UNC), although more representative of the
various ethnic groups, has its core support among Indo-Trinidadians.
Belize
Official Protests Miami Airport Treatment
BELIZE CITY, Belize -- A meeting was held last
week at the United States Embassy here between Honourable Dave Burgos, Area
Representative for Orange Walk East, and Ms. Mary Witt, Deputy Chief of Mission
at the U.S. Embassy to clarify circumstances around difficulties Mr. Burgos
experienced at Miami International Airport on 22 November, 2001.
Mr. Burgos was returning to Belize after
attending a conference in Rio de Janeiro as a representative of the Government
of Belize. While transiting the Miami airport, Mr. Burgos said, he was
questioned by authorities and treated rudely.
At the meeting, Ms. Witt apologized profusely for any inappropriate conduct by
the authorities. She said the Embassy's investigation of the matter produced no
substantiated for Mr. Burgos' being pulled over; she explained that since
the September 11th terrorist attacks in the United States travelers
have been pulled aside often, based on random numbering, and that no record
exists of his being questioned.
The Government of Belize has instructed its Ambassador in Washington DC to
inquire further into the matter.
PAHO Calls for Better Anti-AIDS Strategies
WASHINGTON, CMC - National health systems in the
Americas could improve the way they handle the AIDS epidemic, as well as the way
they provide care to individuals who have the disease, according to guidelines
from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
"Combating the epidemic in the region also requires that we focus on the
dignity of people already infected who are living with HIV/AIDS. This includes
improving access to care and quality, humane treatment," said Dr. George
Alleyne, Director of PAHO at last week's launch of a new strategic plan for AIDS
prevention and control in the Caribbean.
Nearly 2.6 million people in the Americas are infected with HIV, the virus that
causes AIDS, PAHO said in a statement.
Of these, 1.3 million live in Latin America, 360,000 in the Caribbean, and
almost 1 million in North America, according to the figures in Update on
HIV/AIDS Surveillance in the Americas, the report of the joint WHO/PAHO/UNAIDS
Working Group.
In 1997, this same group reported almost 750,000 cases and 440,000 deaths from
AIDS since the PAHO surveillance system went into operation in 1986.
As of May 2000, a cumulative total of 1,088,053 cases in the Americas was
reported, representing more than a one-third increase.
At the same time, the number of pediatric cases (children under 15 years of age)
rose from 13,119 to 19,321, nearly 1.8 percent of the total.
The spread of the epidemic and the need for a humanistic approach to patient
care led PAHO to launch its "Building Blocks Model for HIV/AIDS
Comprehensive Care," aimed at strengthening and improving care for people
living with this disease in the Americas.
"This model offers specific guidelines for patient care in the community,
the family, and health services, in accordance with the available resources and
capacity," PAHO said.
PAHO's regional strategies to control and prevent AIDS have focused on
surveillance, research, health promotion, information dissemination, direct
technical cooperation, resource mobilization, training, and international
cooperation.
At a PAHO meeting on 20 September 2000, the ministers of health of the region
adopted a resolution on AIDS in the Americas, calling for all countries to
consolidate their individual efforts to combat the epidemic by focusing on
better monitoring of trends.
It also called for improved prevention of the disease through all ways of
transmission: sexual, mother-to-child, and illegal drug use.
Access to medicine is key to the treatment of AIDS patients and has become a
serious problem for many countries in the region. The resolution asks the
director of PAHO to continue working on developing a system that would allow
member states to buy medicines at lower prices.
PAHO also functions as the regional office for the Americas of the World Health
Organization.
Officially established in 1902, it is the world's oldest health organization and
works with countries of the Americas to improve health and raise the standard of
living.
BWIA Jetliner Undamaged After Hard Miami Landing
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad CMC - Trinidad and Tobago's flagship carrier,
BWIA West Indies Airways, said last week that a mishap involving one of its
planes at Miami International Airport on New Year's Day occurred as a result of
rough landing.
The airline said in a statement that on arrival at Miami International Airport,
Flight BW432, an MD83 aircraft from Georgetown via Barbados, experienced a rough
landing that resulted in the nose wheel of the aircraft running into the soft
earth at the end of the runway.
About 120 passengers and six crew members, along with their luggage, were taken
by shuttle buses to the terminal. There were no injuries to any of those on
board.
The aircraft was later towed to a gate location and inspected by BWIA and
Federal Aviation Administration officials before routine maintenance checks and
service were conducted and the aircraft deemed airworthy.
The aircraft was flown to Trinidad for further
checks and returned to service January 2. BWIA is also conducting internal
investigations into the incident.
Antigua Woman's Body Found in Sept. 11 Rubble
Antigua, CMC - The remains of one of the only two Antiguans believed to
have died in last September's terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre in New
York have been found among the rubble, an Antigua diplomat has confirmed.
United Nations' Ambassador Patrick Lewis said
last week that dental records and DNA test had determined that Katherine
Henry-Robinson, missing since the incident, died of blunt trauma to her head.
Ms. Henry-Robinson, 46, was employed by the First Union and Wachona Corporation
at the World Trade Centre. Her aunt, Geraldine Joseph, said the family was
experiencing mixed emotions.
"We are happy and sad," she said. "Happy because we have some
sense of closure and sad because we have lost her."
Ms. Henry-Robinson's remains are being flown to
Antigua for burial on January 12. At least one other Antiguan, Esmelda Perry, is
still unaccounted for.
First Hooded, Chained Prisoners Flown to Cuba
abcnews.com
U.S. forces flew their first group of chained,
hooded al Qaeda and Taliban prisoners out of Afghanistan yesterday, as recovery
teams converged on a crash site in Pakistan where seven Marines were killed
Wednesday.
Footage from CNN showed 20 prisoners shackled
together at Kandahar airport being pulled single-file line into an U.S. Air
Force C-17.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told reporters
at the Pentagon yesterday he had authorized the Marines to use "appropriate
restraint" in dealing with the prisoners.
"We are determined to make sure we do not
repeat the mistakes of Mazar-e-Sharif," First Lt. James Jarvis, spokesman
for the Marines based at Kandahar airport, told The Associated Press, referring
to a prison uprising in November that claimed the life of CIA operative Johnny
"Mike" Spann.
There have been reports in recent days that
prisoners being transferred to Cuba would be sedated, chained to their seats and
forced to use portable urinals. Pentagon spokeswoman Victoria Clarke has refused
to comment on the reports. Ms. Clarke maintained the detainees would be treated
in accordance with the Geneva Convention rules on prisoners.
The prisoners were expected to be flown to
Incirlik Air Base in Turkey, where they will be loaded onto a C-141 equipped for
prisoner transport to arrive at Guantanamo Bay today. The detainees will be kept
in temporary "outdoor cells" until a permanent detention facility is
built.
The Pentagon said the United States is currently
holding a total of 364 Taliban and al Qaeda prisoners. It was not clear how many
of them would be moved to Guantanamo Bay.
Antigua Opposition Leader Appoints a Party Opponent
ST. JOHN'S, Antigua, CMC - Antigua and Barbuda's opposition leader,
Baldwin Spencer, last week appointed as a senator the man who had challenged him
for the leadership of the United Progressive Party (UPP) last November.
Mr. Spencer announced the appointment of prominent lawyer Harold Lovell to
replace retiring veteran trade unionist Lionel Gomes in the Senate.
Mr. Lovell contested and lost the UPP leadership race at a party convention
where only the party leader was allowed to speak. Observers had tipped him to
become the party's next deputy leader but Mr. Spencer is yet to make that
appointment.
Mr. Spencer also named Lovell as one of his party's 11 spokespersons. He said
his spokespersons will "articulate UPP's policies and positions" and
"critique (the ruling Antigua Labour Party) ALP's performance and
non-performance in (the) areas" assigned.
Guyana Gold Mines Due $647-million Road Work
Georgetown, Guyana -- As the mining industry continues to advance
development in the interior regions of the country, some $647 million will be
further spent to make easier access from Puruni/Itablli to Kurupung for miners
and other residents of the region.
Tony Shields, Executive Secretary of the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners
Association (GGDMA), told reporters at a news conference at the Guyana Geology
and Mines Commission (GGMC) Georgetown Office last week that around $500 million
was spent on constructing an initial 60-mile stretch of roadway along Puruni/Itaballi.
Government had given the ETK Mining Company approval to operate a
ferry service from Itaballi to Mazaruni Granite and that company, along with
Barama Company Ltd,, later undertook the Puruni/Itaballi road construction.
During a three-day tour to the region last November, Prime Minister Sam Hinds
had inspected the newly constructed road and expressed enthusiasm over "the
opening up and development of the interior region."
Crooks Snatch Data From ATMs to Rob Bank Accounts
By Paul Eng
abcnews.com
At the corner market, the skim is in the
refrigerated milk — and perhaps in the store's cash-dispensing ATM.
But this particular "skim" isn't good
for customers since it involves the poaching of an unsuspecting consumer's bank
card data.
Thieves have found a way to steal not only
someone's account number from an ATM or debit card but also the person's
seemingly secret personal identification number. With this double dose of
information, thieves can electronically rob unsuspecting victims of their cash.
The scam has been reported in New York, Florida,
California and points in Canada.
The cybercrooks' technique is so clandestine that
consumers often don't know that they've become victims until they check their
monthly bank statements — or when checks start to inexplicably
"bounce" due to lack of available funds.
Chris Lundie, a 28-year-old market surveillance
analyst with a Wall Street investment firm, was one such victim.
Last month, Mr. Lundie and his fiancée checked
their bank account online in preparation to pay their Manhattan apartment rent.
But, they noticed two odd withdrawals — for $500 and $600 — made within
hours of each other at bank ATMs in Flushing, Queens.
"At first we questioned how this
happened," says Mr. Lundie. "We don't work in Queens and we've never
been to those ATMs."
After calling his bank to stop further activity
on the account, Mr. Lundie called his local police precinct and discovered that
he was the latest victim of a high-tech crime ring that may have been targeting
automatic teller machine users for more than a year.
Detectives with New York City Police Department's
Special Fraud Unit wouldn't comment on the "ongoing investigation"
into the ring. But according to a recent report in the New
York Post, the thieves may have stolen as much as $1.5 million. Authorities
told the Post they suspected the scam was the work of the Russian mafia.
Law enforcement officials did not disclose how
the ring operated, but industry sources gave ABCNEWS a hint at how the ring
might have stolen money from unsuspecting victims.
According to one source, the thieves may have
targeted non-bank ATMs — the stand-alone cash dispensers found at local
grocers, bodegas, gas stations, and shopping mall food courts. The machines are
rigged with tiny devices that can read a debit card's magnetic stripe as it is
run through the ATM's built-in reader. A special "logic board" or
cover is placed over the ATM's keypad and records when users enter their
four-digit PIN codes.
Both the card's magnetic data and the user's PIN
information are stored in a separate memory module. The thieves retrieve the
memory module and, using commercially available computer technology, encode the
stolen information onto their own blank cards. These "cloned" debit
cards can then be used with the captured PIN to withdraw money from the victims'
accounts using other ATMs.
Chinese Bible Importer May Get Death Sentence
HONG KONG (Reuters) - A court in China's Fujian
province has issued an "evil cult" indictment to a Hong Kong
businessman for transporting Bibles into China and may hand him a death
sentence, a Hong Kong rights group says.
The court in the city of Fu Qing said Hong Kong
trader Li Guangqiang had "used an evil cult to damage a law-based
society," the Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy said in a
statement.
Li Guangqiang in April and May 2000 took 33,000
Bibles in two lots into China's Fujian Province to supply an underground
Christian group called the Shouter's sect, the group said on Saturday. He was
arrested on his second trip.
Mr. Li, 38, is a long-term resident of Hong Kong.
He was responding to a request in October 2000 by a leader of the sect, Yu Zhudi,
who travelled to Hong Kong and said the group needed Bibles.
On December 30, a Chinese court in Hubei's
Jingmen city gave the founders of the underground South China Church, Gong
Shengliang and Li Ying, a death sentence, calling their group an evil cult.
Because Mr. Li's indictment mentioned an
"evil cult" he may be sentenced to death, the rights group said.
The group said it called on the Hong Kong
government to support Li and demand that China specify the definition of
"evil cult".
It said that although China had never made public
how many such groups there were, the rights group estimated at least 16
Christian organisations had been listed that way.
Israelis Seize PA Weapons Ship
India Likely Victor If War Erupts
Shoe Bomber Trained by bin-Laden?
Leeward
Islands Cricket Balks Montserrat Again
The challenge to sell Montserrat as a viable
island that is no longer in crisis continues.
Every strand of local development must be linked
to our indomitable spirit of surviving as a normal Caribbean territory ready to
take its place within the region. It is unfortunate, however, that our public
relations efforts in this regard are scant and sporadic.
The recent debacle during the selection for the
2002 Leeward Islands Cricket team saw Montserrat being marginalized once again
within regional forums. It therefore calls for a concerted effort from this
nation to defy such moves.
According to evidence given by Vice President of
the Montserrat Cricket Association Roy Greaves, the Chairman of the Leewards
Cricket Team selectors, our own Fitzroy Buffonge, was bushwhacked at the recent
L.I. selectors meeting in Nevis. On radio call-in programmes on Thursday and
Friday this week, both Mr. Buffonge and Mr. Greaves reported that only two other
selectors turned up to the meeting and they colluded against Mr. Buffonge on
team selection. Mr. Buffonge was also denied the casting vote in his capacity as
chairman, since that vote could only be used if there is a deadlock. According
to Mr. Buffonge there could not be any deadlock, since the two other selectors
evidently were holding ‘one head.’ In
his view, as a matter of principle he had to refuse to participate in such a
one-sided affair, since there was no balance in the selection process. The two
selectors, John Archibald (coach) and Stuart Williams (captain), allegedly chose
the team.
It came over during the broadcasts that Mr.
Buffonge walked out of the meeting. In a personal interview, however, he
revealed that he actually concluded the session and was the last to leave. After
ending the meeting, Mr. Buffonge states, he gave a letter to President of the
Leeward Islands Cricket Association (LICA) Carlisle Powell explaining that the
selection process was flawed and indicated there was no balance or equity
without another selector. He says he could not function in such an environment.
There are some who believed that Mr. Buffonge
should not have left Nevis without making every last effort to deal with the
issue. However, the Chairman of the Selectors said he believes that the
situation showed premeditated collusion to which he was defenceless without
another selector. He commented repeatedly that he would have seen the process in
a different light had there been a fourth selector present.
According to Roy Greaves it was unfortunate that
during a previous phone call LICA President Powell suggested that it was Mr.
Buffonge’s absence from the meeting that assisted in no Montserratian
selection. Of course Mr. Greaves considers such an argument faulty, since team
selection should be based on performance and not influenced by selector
nationality.
The radio programmes further revealed that no L.I.
matches are to be played here, although Montserrat was asked to choose the ones
it wanted. Mr. Greaves stated that Mr. Powell asked L.I. team representatives if
they wished to play in Montserrat given its ‘volcanic crisis’. Mr Powell
said he did ask such a question. He was also commenting on the issue during a
simulcast on ZJB and Observer Radio in Antigua. Mr. Greaves and callers to the
programme saw such a question as negative in tone, with implications that
Montserrat either does not have the capability to host a L.I. match or the
volcano will impede play. Announcer Basil Chambers says this should not be an
issue since we hosted South Africa and the UWI Vice Chancellor’s 11 as
recently as last year to rave reviews for our facilities in the safe north of
the island. It was also noted that Montserrat has the stamp of approval from the
West Indies Cricket Board as a venue for matches.
During the programme, there were differing views
between Mr. Powell and Mr. Buffonge and the LICA President called the Chairman
of the Selectors unprofessional for revealing some of the discussions from the
selection meeting. Mr. Powell stated that Mr. Buffonge would receive a letter
relieving him of his duties. It must be made clear that Mr. Buffonge and Mr.
Powell are selected by a Board, therefore it is only the Board which can make
such a decision.
In a conversation, cricket commentator and
journalist Keith Stone Greaves said he was fed up with Montserrat's being
marginalized each year within L.I. cricket. He said that although we complain
about the insularity at the West Indies Cricket level, the evidence shows that
it is worse in the L.I. He
suggested that we should abandon the league this year in protest, especially
when it is known that Montserrat, even with its depleted population, takes more
gate receipts for L.I. matches than any other participating island.
Montserrat must continue its battle to be
accepted within the region as a functioning and capable island territory. In
such challenges, however, it would be wise to involve some amount of political
weight and behind-the-scenes dynamic to ensure we are not left out and
disrespected.
Many will agree with Mr. Buffonge for standing
his ground on principle; and it is clear that he has the support of the MCA. It
must be realised, however, that for each major regional event that took place in
Montserrat post volcanic crisis, there was much closed-door interaction to
convince our regional brothers and sisters of our capabilities. This national
collaboration must not cease.
Peter
Adrien
Who is unfit for service? West Indies fast bowler
Cameron Cuffy will have to find EC$800 for medical treatment in Trinidad (EC$500
for the scan and EC$300 for the airline ticket). The WICB has refused to pay for
the overseas medical treatment but has instead made arrangements for him to see
a doctor in his native St. Vincent, even though there are no facilities for the
MRI scan to be done there.
The WICB has cash flow problems, having been
impoverished by the US$5.4 million-loss recorded in its 2000 audited accounts.
This reflected some US$525,000 which cricketing body lost through bad investment
by the finance department.
Aren’t we talking here about the same Cuffy,
who stands head and shoulder above all other bowlers against the South Africans
at home, and who looked ready to take the mantle from the departing Courtney
Walsh? Who is really unfit? - Cuffy
or the WICB?
This latest development forces us to enquire into
the injury problem which has plagued the West Indies team. Why are young players
so vulnerable to injury? It seems that the current West Indies cricketers are
destined to be victims. As we are battered and humiliated, our foot soldiers
fall by the wayside because of fitness problems. In the last few series, the
problem has become a very serious cause for concern. The loss of players due to
fitness problems of one type or another, or the inclusion of relatively unfit
players in the team, has partly contributed to the severe drubbing that the West
Indies team has received in the last few encounters.
Four players - Brian Lara, Mervyn Dillon, Cameron
Cuffy, and Kerry Jeremy - had to return to the Caribbean from Zimbabwe before
the commencement of the Test series, after sustaining a variety of injuries. The
bowling attack was particularly depleted after the departure of the most
informed fast bowler. The bean-like fast bowler has been out of action since
then.
It was obvious that the West Indies' poor
performance on Sri Lankan tour was exacerbated by the loss of players at a rate
that was too high for an uncompetitive team coming against one of the more
balanced team in international cricket. The nightmare started with the
last-minute withdrawal of Shivnarine Chanderpaul (back) before the team's
departure. Then, in Sri Lanka, Reon King (hernia), Leo Garrick (heart problem),
Dinanath Ramnarine (side strain), Mervyn Dillon (disciplinary problems) and
Wavell Hinds (family problems) were all forced to leave the tour prematurely.
But Lara, who returned to his best form on the
Sri Lanka tour, after a prolonged hamstring injury, dislocated his elbow after a
collision with Marvan Atapattu during the triangular ODI tournament in Sri
Lanka. This brought back memories of Steve Waugh's horrific collision with Jason
Gillespie on the same ground in 1999, which kept him out of action for some
time. The present West Indies team can ill afford that fate, as Gillespie is the
backbone of the batting lineup. Lara therefore became the seventh West Indian
player to be ruled out of an ill-fated and unsuccessful tour.
Now the thought of a repeat humiliation on the
Pakistanis' soil is certainly not groundless without the services of star
batsman Brian Lara for the Pakistan tour that follows. Even his antagonists
would be praying that the prince of international controversy wins the race to
regain his fitness in time. The West Indies team turned in some good
performances in the face of this adversity against an under-rated Zimbabwe team,
which was without their star batsman Andy Flower, himself a victim of injury.
But the West Indies had to struggle against high-quality batting in Sri Lanka.
Unless the administration and the technical staff find a solution to this
recurring problem soon, we could become the whipping boys of international
cricket.
Why are West Indian players so often sidelined
through injury? According to the literature, the repeated injury to sportsmen
and sportswomen may be related to (a) under-preparation; (b) prolonged
inactivity; (c) poor training methods; (d) physical disability and; (f) poor
habit of body movement, among others. All these may result in poor muscle
toning, dysfunctional body coordination and hence frequent injury. Courtney
Walsh (1999); Michael Holding (1993); and Sir Vivian Richards (1986) highlight
the virtues of maintaining fitness through continuous rigorous training in order
to keep the body under subjection and to maintain peak form.
This is particularly important for the current
West Indian players. Most players would have played few games (relative to their
international competitors) by the time they reach the international stage with
its hectic schedules. Continuous practice and physical training, in season and
out of season, are imperatives for their survival. This is why I am very
interested in the report of Team Manager Ricky Skerritt, who was mandated “to
investigate the recent spate of injuries to members of the West Indies team who
were on the tour of Zimbabwe with a view to determining the reasons for the
unusually high number of casualties and coming up with measures to avoid such a
recurrence in the future.”
Skerritt had been mandated “to gather
information and opinions from medical personnel who have attended to team
members in Zimbabwe, as well as from the WICB medical panel, persons involved in
the preparation and training of the West Indies team for this tour and from the
players.” What were the findings? And what is been done to correct this
problem? Is the problem related to
the curricula of the technical team? Is the problem related to the under-fitness
of the players resulting from their dislike for rigorous training, as was
revealed by former Australian physiotherapist, Dennis Waight?
Like the track and field athlete, the West Indian
cricketer must be placed into a fitness programme that demands continuous
playing and training.
But given the Cuffy scenario, are the WICB
putting their investment resources in the right place? Couldn’t it be that the
WICB’s cash problem is exacerbating the problem? Who is really unfit for
service? Is it the players or the WICB?
PHOTO CAPTION: Roger Harper – is the Team Coach
capable? (Photo: Peter Adrien)
Harper Says Windies Must Hunt for Bowlers
GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC - West Indies' coach Roger Harper wants Caribbean
cricket officials to carry out a serious search for quality bowlers to represent
the regional team in Test and One-Day Internationals.
Harper made the call on Christmas Eve on his return from the recent tour of Sri
Lanka, where the Windies were white-washed 3-0 in the Test series and lost the
final of the LG Abans tri-nation limited overs series, which also involved
Zimbabwe, to the host country.
"We didn't bowl well at all in the Tests, and allowed Sri Lanka to take
control with their batting," Mr. Harper said, but noted bowling was not the
only worry.
"We have to look at each area and work at the entire development of West
Indies cricket. . . . But the first thing we have to do is start a serious
campaign in looking for bowlers," he said. "We have to find players
with the right build and athleticism, then harness that into the rudiments of
fast-bowling."
Team manager Ricky Skerritt also lamented the
lack of fast-bowling talent in the Caribbean.
"There is no stability at all. We have used 17 or 18 bowlers in the last 18
months for whatever reasons, so no players have been able to constantly keep
their place and be in a position to improve gradually," he said.
By
Progressive at Heart
Let's wage war. By all means let's wage war.
Let's bring on the war paint and the camouflage. Let's haul in the heavy
artillery. Let's get ready, aim, fire!
But my people, please my people, be sure, be very
sure that we are waging war against the Proper Sinner.
And who exactly is the Proper Sinner? The Proper
Sinner, Dear Friends, is the one who has really and truly sinned against us. Not
the one who we blame because we have on blinkers or because we do not really
understand the issues.
Are the Proper Sinners the Cricket Selectors who
failed to select even one Montserratian for the Leeward Island side? Are they?
Did we not have a Montserratian on the Team of Selectors? And please, my People,
please recall that the Montserratian was no less once, I believe, the Honorable
Chairman. And how did our esteemed Montserratian Chairman conduct himself? Did
he stay with the meeting, dig in his heels and fight tooth and nail for his
fellow Montserratians? Did he ask for a short leave of absence to contact his
Department, his PS, or his Minister to seek their direction? And indeed, should
he have acted in such a manner as just outlined?
Ponder these things, my Friends, and then decide
who is the Proper Sinner against who we must wage war.
Cable TV provides us with a service. We pay for
this service. If we don't pay for the service Cable TV disconnects the service.
And that is the way it should be. But what if Cable TV agrees to provide a
viewing service on Channel 24 and Channel 38, and what if we pay for the
opportunity to view these Channels and then every evening at the only time you
would wish to view these Channels, the Channels are off? Should we still pay
Cable TV the full amount we agreed to pay every month? Should we withhold part
of the agreed monthly payment? And what if Cable TV disconnected us for part
payment? Should we then wage real war against Cable TV? And if we did, should we
blame the police when they seek to lock us up for the barrage of heavy artillery
we may have aimed and fired at Cable TV?
Should customers just accept any old service from
service providers? Who are the Proper Sinners here? Is it Cable TV for giving
less than they agreed or is it the laid back peace- loving Montserratian
Consumer who seems to have willingly adjusted to being continuously shafted?
Ponder these things, my Friends, and then decide
if it is Cable TV or our own laid back ineptitude that is the Proper Sinner
against whom we must wage war.
And what if we all, every manjack, toute mon and
baggai, every national, non-national and expat,, just refused to pay any
driver's licenses, water rates, electricity rates and increased bread prices?
So you don't know about the bread yet? Hold for it then! Will we all have
our licenses revoked? Will the police lock us all up? Will they take away our
cars? Maybe we will all have to learn to walk again. Will they disconnect all of
us and deprive us of water and light? Will we go to bathe at Run Away Ghaut.
Will we all be banished into dark nights with out Cable TV? Is this what the MP
means by empowering Montserratians? Will Monlec and the Water Authority have to
close down if we refuse to pay our monthly bills? Will we be asked to eat cake
if we can't buy bread? Will the latest explanation by the MP of what Plenty Love
and Money means make us any clearer on who is responsible for the increases?
Will the Ministers who make up part of the Executive Council own up to agreeing
to kill we with the heavy price increases as the other MP seem to be
insinuating? Will DFID be blamed for some or all of this confusion? And suppose
the MP is right when he says that the increases in licences, electricity, water
and bread is the price we have to pay for living on Montserrat. Does that make
him the Proper Sinner for telling the truth? Or is he the Proper Sinner for
misguiding us?
And what if we wage war against the establishment
like what is going on in Argentina? What
if we don’t go to work and only walk up and down by the Minister's Offices and
wave we placard and sing “Let's wage war”? Does that make us the Proper
Sinners? And what if the Ministers and them don’t really know what to do? Does
that make them the Proper Sinners? And so what if it
is we who elect them to Government? Does that make we the people the
Proper Sinners? And if we find out that DFID is taking all its money to
Afghanistan and done forget about Montserrat, is it that DFID is the Proper
Sinners?
But then again you must remember that the
Minister keeps saying that DFID was so pleased with how the Government is
running the country that they just go ahead and give them all the autonomy to
run Montserrat. Does that mean that we are the Proper Sinners to believe that
crap or is it the Minister who is the Proper Sinner to be spilling all that
crap?
And should we wage war against DFID, the
Minister, the Executive Council, ourselves, Monlec, Water Authority, Port
Authority, the MP's, the Government, the Governor or who?
Tell me which of all of them people is the Proper
Sinner?
And how should we wage war?
These things, my friends, these things, my
people, are all the things that we must ponder. Let us wage war. But let us be
certain that it is a war against the Proper Sinner.
12/27/01