Nice Radio’s Callaloo presents, Just Another Look.
Just Another Look is an innovative, exciting, albeit decidedly provocative and controversial, socio-political analysis of issues of a local, regional and international nature.
Just Another Look is heard only on Nice Radio on Saturdays at 6.00pm, with repeat broadcasts at 9.00pm on Sundays.
Remember too that you can also catch us on the worldwide web, www.niceradio.info.
You can check our JAL blog - www.vincyview.com

I am, of course, Keith Joseph

Introduction
Today is Saturday 12 May 2012.
Welcome, welcome, welcome to another edition of Just Another Look.

During the week now concluding we have had the good fortune of appreciating yet again why the Girls High School has established itself as the leading educational institution in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

On Tuesday 8 May the Girls High School celebrated its 101st year of existence. The celebration was rather simple yet effective enough to allow the entire nation to acknowledge the commitment of the institution not only to academic excellence but also and importantly to its history and legacy.

No one attending the Girls High School today can fail to appreciate those who have gone before and the proud tradition that they have left behind for those now in the classroom to enjoy.

To cap it all the Girls High School continued its Lecture Series. On Thursday 10 May the Girls High School Lecture Series 101 featured a distinguished former student, Alana Gumbs.

Fittingly, Ms Gumbs focused on reversing the brain drain for St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Utilising her professional training and experience Ms Gumbs pieced together the harsh reality that while governments often boast of the importance of remuneration from Vincentians living abroad to the local economy, objective analysis reveals that those who are considered as featuring in the brain drain contribute very little to that remuneration package.

Instead, Gumbs insisted that the brain drain wreaks havoc with the country given the limited contributions from those considered educated as opposed to those who are generally considered uneducated and of little consequence to the nation when they choose to live abroad.

The true professional that she is led Ms Gumbs to provide statistical evidence on the differing views of Vincentians living abroad and why they opt not to return home.

Finally, Gumbs offered a series of options available to Vincentians considered in the concept of the brain drain that would allow them to contribute significantly in the future to the development of St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Interestingly, Gumbs began by making it clear that she was part of the Vincentian brain drain.

Given the devastating impact of the global economic crisis, the lecture came at an appropriate time for this country where lies and innuendoes seem to feature prominently in the new dispensation.

The political divisiveness of St Vincent and the Grenadines today was also used by Gumbs to make her case. She felt that an appropriate strategy of connecting the dots of Vincentians at home, in the Caribbean and in the wider world could overcome the deficiencies inherent in political division as the national good is made to take precedence over all else.

Gumbs’ call for acknowledging the harsh reality that is life today should serve as a wake-up call to all Vincentians that the time is already upon us when we should put all our differences aside and strive to do more than survive in today’s world.

The problem is that in many respects the message from Ms Gumbs is not new. We have heard it several times before. On each occasion however our people have ignored the message.

The difference with Gumbs’ message is its timeliness. The world around us has changed and requires a new dispensation.

Gumbs’ recommendations seem to suggest a sort of return to traditional values in our society in so far as allowing us to see ourselves as one national community where we are each other’s keeper.

A greater sense of community allows us to open our homes to welcome returning nationals who are retired but who wish to contribute to the development of our society.

It requires a return to traditional values to adopt an approach where we can agree to use our connections to avail of cheap flights to get some of our professionals back home to help when they have vacation.
The Girls High School continues to make significant contributions to our nation’s development. It is unfortunate that the St Vincent Grammar School, a few years older, cannot follow the lead set by the younger institution.

The Grammar School’s 100th anniversary was hardly recognisable by Vincentian society.

For all intents and purposes the celebration came and went and that was that; end of story.

The St Vincent Grammar School has far more former students scattered all over the world and could make a major contribution should the institution be able to connect the dots of all of these people and get them to assist in national development.
Indeed the Grammar School could do well with some assistance to its own needs from its disaporic community.

The Grammar School has provided this country with Prime Ministers.

Even with the attempts by the current Prime Minister, Ralph Gonsalves, to convince some of us that there is an education revolution in progress, he seems to have ignored his alma mater.

The current state of the institution is a reflection of the very problem Alana Gumbs highlighted.

What does it take for us to take on board the good examples around us?

Ms Gumbs’ presentation served to remind us of what is possible even for a small society when its people, wherever they happen to live at any point in time, remind themselves from whence they came.

Thank you Alana.

Thank you Girls High School.

Sound financial policies, NCB Monies and all that
Following his return from Barbados where he underwent surgery recently this country’s Prime Minister sought to use the opportunity at the VIP Lounge at the ET Joshua Airport, to inform the nation that the country is on sound financial footing.

While the Prime Minister did not use the words that are in this document he did declare that the latest Bonds were subscribed in very short order.
According to the Prime Minister this reflected the confidence that the business fraternity have in the way this government does business such that they can feel safe with their investment in the Bonds.

Politicians love themselves perhaps more than anybody else. They tend to give themselves kudos, seemingly fearful that the public may not do so.

This country’s Prime Minister is a politician and loves himself.

The Prime Minister knows better than to try to convince us that the subscription of the Bonds is a reflection of the confidence people anywhere have in his government, governance or financial management skills.

He knows better than anyone else that this is not necessarily the case.

Just Another Look would wish the Prime Minister to tell this nation who were the major subscribers to the recent $40m Bond Issue here so that we can determine for ourselves whether there has in fact been a sort of politicking in the entire matter.

Since this is the same Prime Minister that offered us all open government there should be no reason for not giving us the whole truth.

Just Another Look asks this question because the Prime Minister has, over the years, given us much reason not to have confidence in what he tells us about the Vincentian economy.

We shall examine a few of the reasons here.

Monies at NCB
Listeners to Just Another Look may recall that in the latter part of 2009 there were some issues with the National Commercial Bank in this country and some deposits made in a relatively short period of time.

Just Another Look insisted that some explanation as necessary and what we got was the usual political diatribe.

There seems a place for accepting political garbage from Prime Ministers in this Caribbean that defies logic. This should have been a surprise had it not been for the spectre of one of the Caribbean’s leading political analysts, Neville Duncan, seemingly going beyond himself in a visit here some time ago apparently to lend support to his colleague, the Comrade.

Duncan’s image and stature may well have suffered as a result of what was an obvious faux pas from our vantage point.

Gonsalves has been able to sweet mouth his minions to the point where almost anything becomes acceptable.

Certification is not education and many abound in the PM’s caboose who are prime examples of this reality.

Just Another Look continues to ask the Prime Minister of this country to explain to Vincentians the matter of the $1m USD that was taken to the NCB some time in the latter part of 2009.

When this matter was raised by the Opposition back then the Prime Minister sought to offer some namby pamby explanation that seemed acceptable only to his minions.

How was it possible for one million dollars to be taken to the NCB just like that?

Was due diligence done by the authorities at the NCB?

Where was the Finance Intelligence Unit – the laudable FIU?

Did the FIU engage itself in due diligence?
Importantly, whose money was it, originally?

Where did the $1m come from?

Just Another Look continues to ask to this day several years later, what was it that prevented us from demanding as a nation a fulsome explanation from the Minister of Finance for this particular transaction?

We continue to ask whether or not this was the first attempt at depositing $1m US at the NCB by the same sources?

Who carried the money, the $1m US, to the NCB and who within the institution approved its acceptance?

As the nation’s Minister of Finance it is not enough for the Comrade to dismiss, out of hand, the question from the Opposition in Parliament on this matter of the $1m USD.

As far as Just Another Look is concerned, the Prime Minister’s failure to respond to such a question is highly irresponsible and most unbecoming of the holder of the nation’s second highest office.

Had the situation been such that the NDP had engaged in a similar transaction the ULP would certainly have made capital of it, using every available media to raise different aspects to cajole the populace into action.

But when the situation is such that the ULP is in the hot seat, the media are used to deflect attention from itself.

Perhaps it is one of the weak areas of the NDP that it has not been able to use the media in the way that Gonsalves was apparently able to do with Glen Jackson in the past.

Just Another Look is of the view that the Minister of Finance should not only have responded with a fulsome explanation of the $1m US taken to the NCB, but he should have been humble enough to apologise to the people of this country for his arrogant stance on the matter.

But then again, humility may well not be one of his strong points.

It must be remembered that among the individuals making the US money transactions at the time were members of his immediate family and a relative.

The response therefore left many in the nation distraught at the level of arrogance. Indeed, to the minions of the ULP it was as though people were wrong to ask questions about it.

Justice must not only appear to be done but must always be seen to be done.

One cannot be flippant on such matters regardless of how much power one wields at any given point in time.

The problem is that the way in which things seem to be done leaves many Vincentians overly concerned about fair play, transparency and accountability.

The fact is that this is one episode that did not and cannot go down well with Vincentians. It did not back then and does not now engender confidence in the leadership of the country.

$100m from CDB and Sale of the NCB
A second issue is that of the National Commercial Bank itself.

For years we were aware that things were not going right at the NCB under the new dispensation of the ULP government.

Things had gotten very bad and even staff at the institution unfortunately found difficulty in objectively analysing what was happening around them.

In many respects the NCB became something of an embarrassment.

Despite repeated calls for care to be taken the government’s overdraft skyrocketed almost uncontrollably.

Who within the administration dared put a stop to what was happening?

The NCB became a veritable cash cow for the ULP government to the point where one government institution after another topped the list of debtors to the institution.

When the information was revealed to the Vincentian public and the mode of operation of the ULP government exposed to ridicule, the leadership again sought to deflect attention from the reality and the minions took to the airwaves in chorus.

When the Leader of the Opposition opted to break his silence on the matter, it was the authorities at the NCB that called on him to resist the temptation to go public lest there be a run on the NCB and the institution collapse.

It was out of loyalty to St Vincent and the Grenadines, commitment to the NCB as a national treasure and respect for the caller that led the leader of the Opposition to stay his hand and that of his party to hold their peace on the true state of the NCB.

The old people say that often times the hand that feeds is often the one that gets bitten. Eustace learnt this lesson yet again when, after the sale of the NCB, the caller dared to suggest that the NDP was making much ado about nothing.

The Gonsalves-led regime found itself cap in hand before the Caribbean Development Bank seeking $100m in loans to clear the indebtedness of the government of this country and its several institutions in order to make way for the sale of the NCB.

Some one who wants to be king had the audacity to try to fool Vincentians claiming that this action of going cap in hand before the CDB was a master stroke by the ULP leadership.

How silly can any one individual get in the name of political prostitution!

Surely that individual can only live off the fat of the hog.

The sale of the NCB therefore reflects the paucity of the financial stewardship of the leadership of the ULP administration. To suggest therefore that the recent response to the Bond issue in this country is a reflection of the level of confidence people have in the administration is to fly in the face of the truth.

Suffice it to say that the nation cannot have confidence in the leadership where financial matters are concerned. Gonsalves is not an economist nor is he a financial wizard of any sort. He continues to show in so many different ways his limited understanding of matters of finance in respect of the Vincentian economy.

It is also unfortunate that his so-called financial advisors have allowed themselves to be cast in the same mould given their continued alliance.

Decline in the annual Budget
Thirdly, we must recall that in the presentation of the 2010 Budget address the Prime Minister/Minister of Finance boasted of having crafted the largest budget in the history of St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Indeed he was extremely boastful about it. For him it was a major milestone and this at a time when he knew that there was a global financial crisis and that the effects were already impacting our country.

At the time the Prime Minister and Minister of Finance was warned that he was merely spitting in the wind but he carried on nonetheless. He and his minions seemed to suggest that it was the Opposition NDP that were sour grapes and timid.

Of course we have heard it all before.
The Prime Minister is a man of vision. He sees around corners. He is better than the man in Lord Nelson’s calypso, King Liar, who could see a man coming around the corner and make him a suit without having to measure. Far better too than the one who won the competition, who could make a suit for a man simply by being shown ‘where the fella pass’.

Yuh hear lie!

That is lie!

The truth is that by January 2011 the first thing dealt with in Parliament on the day that the Estimates were being presented to the House of Assembly was information on a plot to kill the Prime Minister.

To this day not one single person has been arrested for the plot that was presented to the House for more than three quarts of an hour.

Yuh hear lie!

If it is not a lie then produce the evidence. Make the case.

Arrest the culprits.

Jail them!

What else is anyone left to conclude when a Prime Minister could take so long to tell a story of an unbelievable plot to kill him yet two years later not a single person has been arrested in connection with said plot.

It is much more incredible when the person telling the story was also the Minister of National Security.

We are here speaking about credibility and confidence in leadership.

But the Prime Minister was so bold face that after his incredible and ridiculously long story about the plot to kill him, announced a $126m reduction in the 2011 budget over that of 2010.

Just so things changed.

Perhaps the story about the plot to kill him was intended to be another deflection/distraction away from the harsh reality.

Not easily given to making apologies the Prime Minister went through the Estimates – the beginning of a series of bitter pills for the average Vincentian – with his usual gusto.

In his presentation he dilly-allied on the real issues impacting the country while attempting to suggest that somehow what he was presenting was characterised by prudence and enterprise. In fact the people of this country got neither prudence nor enterprise.

2012 – the hardships continue
We are in 2012 and the year began with the harsh reality of a budget without hope.
The year began with the harsh reality that civil servants would not be receiving the 3% increase that they were due back in January of 2011 any time soon. They were given another promissory ole talk; note even a promissory note.

The year began with the harsh reality that the government was unable to realise more than another year of economic contraction familiarly called negative growth.

Vincentians of all walks of life, except perhaps those with the stickers – We naah tun back, I am Labour, Own de campaign – are suffering untold hardships never before experienced in the post Independence era.

Still, the perennial optimist swivels in the big chair, seemingly oblivious to the changing fortunes of the majority of Vincentians.

Epilogue
How are Vincentians, given the foregoing, to exude any measure of confidence in the current administration relative to the management of the Vincentian economy?

It is extremely difficult to accept the comment of the Prime Minister and Minister of Finance at the ET Joshua Airport on his return from Barbados, that the response to the most recent bond issue is a reflection of the confidence of the subscribers in the government of the day.

Wheel and come again Comrade.

Yuh done know!

J8 VAX
Today the 12th day of May 2012, marks 1,964 days since the disappearance of SVG Air J8 VAX, if we are actually checking the day the plane disappeared on Sunday 19 November 2006 with pilot Dominic Gonsalves and one passenger, Rasheed Ibrahim.

J8 SXY
Today 12th day of May 2012 marks 645 days since the disappearance of another SVG Air aircraft, J8 SXY, a Cessna 402. Just so you would remember, this aircraft left St Vincent in the evening of Thursday 5 August 2010 bound for Canouan. Like J8 VAX, the aircraft never reached its destination. It never completed its mercy mission.

The plane disappeared and as yet no word has been received in respect of the lone occupant, the pilot, Suresh Lakram.

The sad case of Patricia Bowman
Just Another Look wishes to leave our listeners with the sad reminder that on 19 September 2011, the husband of Patricia Bowman, Alban Bowman, sat in sad reflection on the third anniversary of the cruel death of his wife.

She died a cruel death on 19 September 2008.

Nuff said!!!

You have been listening to another edition of Nice Radio’s Callaloo presentation, Just Another Look.
Just Another Look is an innovative, exciting, albeit decidedly provocative and controversial, socio-political analysis of issues of a local, regional and international nature.
Just Another Look is heard only on Nice Radio on Saturdays at 6.00pm, with repeat broadcasts at 9.00pm on Sundays.
Remember too that you can also catch us on the worldwide web, www.niceradio.info.
You can check our JAL blog - www.vincyview.com

I am, of course, Keith Joseph

Nice Radio’s Callaloo presents, Just Another Look.
Just Another Look is an innovative, exciting, albeit decidedly provocative and controversial, socio-political analysis of issues of a local, regional and international nature.
Just Another Look is heard only on Nice Radio on Saturdays at 6.00pm, with repeat broadcasts at 9.00pm on Sundays.
Remember too that you can also catch us on the worldwide web, www.niceradio.info.
You can check our JAL blog - www.vincyview.com

I am, of course, Keith Joseph

Introduction
Today is Saturday 5 May 2012.
Welcome, welcome, welcome to another edition of Just Another Look.

Anesia Baptiste and the NDP
During the past few weeks the political airwaves have been inundated by comments about the decision by the NDP to remove Anesia Baptiste from being one of its senators in the House of Assembly.

Of course there have been so many views expressed on the matter that what is said here may indeed have little or no impact on the discourse but we must always take another look.

Just Another Look holds brief for no one and seeks here, as always, to dispassionately analyse the matter and venture another view allowing the Vincentian masses to engage in even further analysis.

Despite all that has been written and said about the replacement of Anesia Batiste the fundamental issue revolves, really, around the role of religion in our politics. Failure to see this is really spitting in the wind.

Historically religion has played a major role in the politics of the Caribbean.

Religion has always been viewed as being an integral component of Caribbean political culture. St Vincent and the Grenadines is no different. Religion is an integral part of the country’s political culture.

Let us return to some fundamentals.
Politics has often been defined as being concerned with the making of decisions in a society in respect of the distribution of available resources.

Politics is essentially about decision-making, about who gets what and the factors that influence the resulting distribution of the country’s resources.

It is in this sense therefore that many argue that there ought not to be a separation of religion from politics. This stance is adopted because it is argued that members of religion are also members of society and are therefore involved intimately in the making of decisions that impact the distribution of available resources in that very society.

However, it must be remembered that religion is a belief system and in this regard becomes an individual matter not to be imposed on others but rather a matter of individual choice.

People of like faith often get together to practise their particular form of religion and engage in their peculiar activities. The ultimate objective is to live a life in accordance with their fundamental beliefs and eventually gain access to the heavenly kingdom.

Political parties are formed of people of like minds. They establish themselves based on certain fundamental beliefs and principles – their ideology, and engage themselves in the pursuit of accessing the reins of government.

The primary role of a political party is to access political power – to hold government.

It has been argued that in pursuit of accessing government a political party is expected to:
• Organize public opinion in an effort to gain members and adherents.
• Communicate its demands in respect of changes that would catapult it into leadership of the country
• Educate its followers in respect of matters of national, international and local matters
• Facilitate the systematic development of the organisation inclusive of modification of the structure and mode of operation to facilitate change
• Enhance internal unity at all times
• Stay focused on its mandate to seek political office

A political party therefore has to ensure that it presents a picture of cohesion to the society at all times. This means that internal issues are to be settled within the organisation and stay there.

It is an unfortunate reality that over the years the invasive nature of the media has led to what should otherwise be internal party matters being brought into the public domain.

In St Vincent and the Grenadines the situation has been compounded by the pervasive nature of gossip and the plethora of call-in radio programmes as well as ready access to and use of the numerous social networks.

Additionally, there is now a question of truth about almost everything that finds itself on some of these social networks since commitment to truth is not always a priority or in many cases not even a necessity.

Another practice of course is the deliberate leaking of documents to the media and to friends to place on social network sites.

Still, internal party issues remain the concern of the party.

Political parties operate in societies. In many respects they are part of the social landscape and therefore integral to the culture of the society.

But there is what is called the political culture – a set of attitudes, beliefs and sentiments that give order and meaning to the political system and provide the underlying assumptions to rules that govern political behaviour.
Samuel Finer’s “Comparative Government” Classification: distinguished between countries with developed, low and minimal political cultures.
In the Caribbean the political culture varies from one country to the next.
Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados have a relatively high political culture. There is great involvement in the political process.

Here in St Vincent and the Grenadines we are still at a relatively low level of political culture although there have been significant improvements in the past few years given the increase in political activity and the media programmes.

Listeners may well be wondering why we are discussing all of this just to handle the matter in respect of Anesia Baptiste and the NDP.

It is all about context.

We have to understand what politics is and how it impacts a society.

We have a political culture here that places religion in a very strange position.

Political parties in this country have always seen religion as a critical component of our culture and all at one point or other ensure that they thread carefully where religion in concerned.

Political parties are particularly sensitive in respect of how religion is treated by them and their members.

The norm has been to commence our political meetings with hymns and prayers and use the same approach to the conclusion of public meetings. It does not seem to matter that between the opening and closing prayers and profession of faith the content of many of the presentations run in stark contradiction to the intent of religion.

In St Vincent and the Grenadines like much of the Caribbean our early politicians behaved on the political platform like budding pastors. It was often difficult to distinguish between their political rantings and their preaching.

In today’s St Vincent and the Grenadines things have not changed much and our politicians operate in a manner that suggests respect for religion and a fear that undue criticism or anything that even remotely appears to fall within that ambit is avoided – avoided like the bubonic plague.

The recent issue involving Anesia Baptiste falls within this context.

It is the political culture that has, over the years, demanded a hands-off approach regarding the way politicians and politics treat people’s religious beliefs. In this sense it really does not matter who is involved.

Conventional wisdom would reveal the transformation of Ralph Gonsalves. He was once seen as a committed socialist and to many, a committed communist. He may have a different view but that it how he was at once perceived.

The Gonsalves of today is a very different person. Whether by deliberate political strategizing or by dint of some sort of conversion he seems to have offered himself to the Vincentian community as a Roman Catholic.

He became seemingly close to Catholic Bishop at the time, Robert Rivas.

One was not certain as to what transpired but suddenly we were apparently hearing more about Reverend Job of the Methodist faith than Rivas of the Catholic Church from the mouth of the Prime Minister.

But nothing should surprise us here. We went that way before with Parnel Campbell and his involvement with the Baptist apparently through to becoming a Pointer and his presence at so many religious ceremonies that seemed to coincide with the coverage by the NBC Radio while he was Minister of Ecclesiastical Affairs.

The politicians seem to have an awareness that their politics demand at once that they appear religious themselves and that they also facilitate respect for all religious faiths practised in the country.

Because St Vincent and the Grenadines is a religious society politicians are particularly sensitive to distancing themselves from any perception of undue criticism of religion.

It is therefore in this context that one can understand the stance of the NDP in respect of not wanting to have anyone even remotely close to it as an organisation, appearing to be deemed critical of any religion, whatever their personal views.

The nuances of individual personal religious views therefore recede into near oblivion in this regard.

This is the fundamental issue at hand in the case of Anesia and the NDP.

It is of little consequence to argue on matters of principle and constitutionality since the harsh reality is that the political culture treats this matter very brutally. There can be no crossing of the lines since it spells the death of the organisation.

In the context of Caribbean political culture anyone desirous of challenging the leadership of a political party when decisions are made in respect of instances where he/she is deemed to have crossed the line the individual at the centre has a number of choices:
1. The individual can determine that he/she would tender his/her resignation from the party
2. The individual can wage a war against the party
3. The individual can seek to establish his/her own political party

In the context of the Caribbean, inclusive of our own St Vincent and the Grenadines, any decision to stand and fight within the party can only lead somewhere if the party observes a change in the broader national political culture.

The fundamental issue then becomes the choice of the individual since the party has taken a decision.

Another important component of our political culture is the power of the leader within the organisation once he/she is duly elected. James Mitchell used to say, they elect me to lead, not follow.

In many respects if an individual member with the political party disagrees with or disapproves of the conduct of the leader there is little that can be done unless the objection has popular support within the organisation. When that is not the case the end result is that the individual has to take the road out of the organisation.

In the context of our political culture there is as yet no such change that would allow for the continued membership of an individual who dares to suggest repeatedly that he/she will not obey the decision of the leadership and the leader.

The only option that is therefore left open is the door out of the organisation.

Therein lies the problematic.

Had the political culture been different then there would have been an alternative that is acceptable to the political party. In the current political culture this is not possible.

Anesia can therefore raise as many issues as she deems necessary but will not find room for her continued membership of the organisation as long as the political culture is what it is.

J8 VAX
Today the 5th day of March 2012, marks 1,957 days since the disappearance of SVG Air J8 VAX, if we are actually checking the day the plane disappeared on Sunday 19 November 2006 with pilot Dominic Gonsalves and one passenger, Rasheed Ibrahim.

J8 SXY
Today 5th day of March 2012 marks 638 days since the disappearance of another SVG Air aircraft, J8 SXY, a Cessna 402. Just so you would remember, this aircraft left St Vincent in the evening of Thursday 5 August 2010 bound for Canouan. Like J8 VAX, the aircraft never reached its destination. It never completed its mercy mission.

The plane disappeared and as yet no word has been received in respect of the lone occupant, the pilot, Suresh Lakram.

The sad case of Patricia Bowman
Just Another Look wishes to leave our listeners with the sad reminder that on 19 September 2011, the husband of Patricia Bowman, Alban Bowman, sat in sad reflection on the third anniversary of the cruel death of his wife.

She died a cruel death on 19 September 2008.

Nuff said!!!

You have been listening to another edition of Nice Radio’s Callaloo presentation, Just Another Look.
Just Another Look is an innovative, exciting, albeit decidedly provocative and controversial, socio-political analysis of issues of a local, regional and international nature.
Just Another Look is heard only on Nice Radio on Saturdays at 6.00pm, with repeat broadcasts at 9.00pm on Sundays.
Remember too that you can also catch us on the worldwide web, www.niceradio.info.
You can check our JAL blog - www.vincyview.com

I am, of course, Keith Joseph

Introduction
Today is Saturday 4 February 2012.
Welcome, welcome, welcome to another edition of Just Another Look.

Bonadie passes
On Sunday last this nation received the news that just over one week after having suffered a stroke, David Bonadie, known for many years at the helm of Bonadie’s near the Kingstown Market, had succumbed to his illness.

In many respects David was a very simple man committed to the development and sustainability of the family business – super markets.

David Bonadie had come to be liked by everybody and his business was regarded as catering to the needs of the small man – the average Vincentian.

Kind at all times, David was accessible to every patron of the super market.

Not given to pomp and ceremony, David avoided the high society groupings in St Vincent and the Grenadines. This is the very reason he walked out of Parliament under the Mitchell administration. It conflicted with his simple lifestyle.

In many respects David Bonadie reminded the host of Just Another Look of Mr C D Veira, the man who built SINGER from the burnt ruins several decades ago. They were both satisfied with being among the simple folk.

They did not care for the bright lights and sought no glory from people.
They were satisfied that they had been allowed to make a contribution to Vincentian society.

David did not change from being a humble Vincentian businessman who helped where and when he could.

Thus it was most surprising to have heard the Bonadies being called out on the ULP political campaign platforms in 2001 alongside that of the Greaves and Veiras.

The ULP campaign blasted the trio as supermarket magnates and all because they were associated with the then ruling NDP.

From the platforms came the challenge and later after assuming government the apparent clarion call to engage individuals and or groups of individuals to establish supermarkets here, presumably to pose a challenge to them.

David Bonadie did not flinch. He took everything in stride and continued to provide great yet humble service to the Vincentian masses.

David never had to thump his chest while claiming to be a model of humility. Instead, he was just plain humble and everyone knew it simply by being in his presence for the briefest of moments.

David is gone and certainly not easily forgotten. In his life he would have impacted many a Vincentian.

Well, Gonsalves does not have to worry about ranting on the political platform about seeking investors to challenge at least one Bonadie, David Bonadie.

David Bonadie is now free of the vitriol of Gonsalves and others on the political platforms. He died on Sunday 29 January 2012, leaving Gonsalves and the rest of us here in this troubled land.

One can only hazard a guess that the emphasis would now shift somewhat.

Funny how no motivation has as yet come in and to the Comrade to apologise for his comments in the past in relation at least to the Bonadies.

Funny too that as yet he has not been moved to apologise for what has become of his tirade on the aforementioned supermarket owners.

Incidentally, one is not at all surprised that these days he seems to be getting movements. Maybe he is the contemporary version of Saul.

Could he ever become Paul?

Your guess is as good as mine.

Gonsalves & Manning
Eye water fuh so!!!
Gonsalves weeps for Manning, in full view of the media.

The foregoing represents the theme for the next section of Just Another Look this week.

In the recent past the Prime Minister of this country appears to have been virtually bending over backwards in what could only be described as seeming to suggest some strong religiosity.

It is not in anyone’s interest to challenge another’s religious belief, real, imagined, new-found or otherwise.

But the old people always caution that we should not play with religion.

It was rather interesting but predictable that we would have had the media in TnT reporting that Gonsalves cried during his visit to Manning. We do not mean while he was in the room, of course.

Interestingly, it appeared that the crying was not something private. One got the impression that the crying was in full view.

There are things here like the failure to pay the civil servants their 3% since January 2011 that is worth crying for and Gonsalves has not been seen shedding a tear for that.

The fact that our unemployed and under-employeds are increasing in number almost daily is worth crying for and Gonsalves has not shed a tear

The unwarranted increases in water and solid waste management rates are worth crying for and Gonsalves has not shed a tear.

The fact that little Nevis has taken the lead in the Eastern Caribbean in respect of geothermal energy – alternative energy while we like Dominica and St Lucia lag behind, is well worth crying for but Gonsalves does not shed a tear for that.

The Vincentians who have their monies tied up and likely to be lost in BAICO and CLICO are already crying for their losses but Gonsalves is not yet known to have shed a tear for that.

The fact that this year’s budget will bring untold hardship on Vincentians especially the poor should be reason enough for everyone to cry. But Gonsalves, the deliver of the bad news budget 2012 is not yet known to have shed a tear.

Crying is often a ruse used by politicians, especially Prime Ministers. But when it comes to Gonsalves we cannot help but remind ourselves of Poorsah’s calypso some years ago in respect of another political leader here, all mih eyewater done.

SVG Budget 2012 analysis – Part 4
As we enter another edition of Just Another Look it is imperative that we reflect on some of the comments made during the 9 January 2012 presentation.

We continue to tell listeners that if there is one reaction that we can expect from the Vincentian population to this year’s budget as presented by the Minister of Finance of this country is precisely that – Murder! Murder! Murdooo!

Nobody complained
During the budget presentation on 9 January 2012 it was clear that the Minister of Finance and indeed, all of the members on the government side of the House, had lost focus.

Just Another Look is not intent on embarrassing anyone who occupies legitimately, a seat in the otherwise honourable House of Assembly, but it is unacceptable for us to stomach some issues.

Just Another Look asks, is it true that it was stated in the House of Assembly that the government did not give any bonuses for the year ending December 2011 and there were no complaints?

Murder! Murder! Murdooo!

Just Another Look is of the view that something must be wrong here.

One must remember that when the ULP administration began offering the bonuses at the end of each year the Minister of Finance boasted that while the monies did not seem large, they nonetheless afforded a new pair of shoes etc ., to the recipients.

At the time only Just Another Look suggested and insisted that he did not know what he was speaking about.

It was only Just Another Look that insisted that the Minister of Finance was mamaguying Vincentian public servants.

The problem at the time was that the ULP administration was still enjoying its honeymoon and many Vincentian public servants were still enthralled and caught up in the trauma of a change of government long since needed, given James Mitchell’s seeming intransigence and arrogance.

Gonsalves at the time convinced himself, first and foremost, and his minions thereafter, that he was making a huge impact by giving an additional few dollars to public servants.

In 2011, nothing was said about the extra monies.
Suddenly, the same Gonsalves did not seem to care that the public servants were not getting the monies to buy the extra shoe etc., and this in the same month of December that he once thought so important.

Was it that they are only important in the year of elections at the national level?

Instead it seemed easier to boast in Parliament that no one complained despite the fact that the monies were not made available.

The idea that someone in leadership in this country could be so callous and disrespectful as to suggest that he/she had heard no complaint from people in the public service who had not received what they thought was customary bonuses in December, reflects the extent to which he/she does not care about Vincentians.

These are, by the way, the same people who once claimed that Eustace used to beat up on public servants.

Just Another Look also asks, is it true that it was stated in the House of Assembly that the government did not give any salary increases for the year ending December 2011, and which were due in January of 2011, and there were no complaints?

Everyone in the public service knows that some years ago the government, in its own deliberate judgement, told public servants that effective January 2009 they would receive 2% in 2009, 3% in 2010 and 3% in 2011.

At the time the ULP administration thought that the Minister of Finance knew what he was about. At the time they did not yet come to an appreciation of his incompetence in economic and financial matters.

Now things have changed and significantly so.

Now the ULP’s minions are at a stage in their own situation where some have begun to challenge the old socialist concept of Maximum Leader, and they are challenging the family dynasty. The chips are all falling into place, but not to some other’s liking.

To say that there were no complaints is to fly in the face of the truth.

We are not saying that they are lying.

We are simply saying that somehow they are strangers to the truth. – major strangers.

Barrels get no extension
For the past two years the government that loves the poor of this country more than any government anywhere in the world, sought to display its generosity by extending the free barrels at Christmas into the first month of the following year.

The generosity seemed to have been one where consideration was being given to those who, for one reason or another were unable to get their barrels here before the end of December.

Not so this time around.

Things are so bad with the government that once 31 December 2011 passed by the Vincentians whose barrels came afterwards had to pay full voltage.

So much for the generosity of the government that loves the poor more than any other in the world.

POVERTY REDUCTION AND JOB CREATION
Mr. Speaker, a central focus of my government’s public policy revolves around poverty reduction and job creation. Our budget for 2012 continues to reflect this in several ways: First, the insistence on the maintenance of macroeconomic stability including financial stability, fiscal consolidation and rebalancing, public debt sustainability, low inflation, economic competitiveness, enhanced public sector efficiency, the strengthening of law and order, and a judicious mix and balance of the private, cooperative and state sectors in driving economic activity.
Without these macroeconomic fundamentals, the necessary and desirable framework for poverty reduction and job creation would be absent.

Dear listeners, what did the foregoing paragraph tell us about poverty reduction and job creation?

The answer is absolutely nothing.

Why then did the Minister of Finance find it necessary to include this paragraph in his presentation?

It seems that he may well have thought that it would allow him to sound bright – erudite and competent.

In reality it did none of the above.
It fell flat.

The Minister of Finance should really have been in the construction business especially in light of the numerous occasions on which he has to assure us that he has this or that framework for just about everything he does. One can only suppose that here again it is intended to make him sound bright.

The Minister of Finance then stated,
Secondly, this budget goes for economic growth from which springs the stimulus for poverty alleviation and employment.

For the past four consecutive years we have been having the Minister of Finance deliver budgets aimed at growth. He never once predicted negative growth. We were always supposed to end up with positive growth.

What has been the reality however?

Negative growth!

We have been given negative growth one year after another for four consecutive years.

What is most embarrassing is the bold-faced nature of the Minister of Finance that he returns to the Parliament year after year and repeats the same garbage of producing growth when in fact we are getting into negative territory.

The Minister of Finance has never once apologized to the country for failing to deliver on the promised growth in any of the last four consecutive years.

Isn’t that bold-facedness par excellence?

Without remorse of any sort the Minister of Finance dared to suggest that … this budget goes for economic growth from which springs the stimulus for poverty alleviation and employment.

In a recent release we have been told that many countries have experienced problems with poverty especially over the past few years. Here we are being told otherwise.

What then explains our hopeless unemployment and underemployment situation?

We are being given the political run-around instead of the facts.

Some may recall that the 2011 budget presentation bore the theme, FISCAL AND FINANCIAL STABILISATION, JOB CREATION, WEALTH CREATION, AND SOCIAL SAFETY AT THE TAIL-END OF THE RECESSION

Anyone examining the performance of the government throughout 2011 would be forced to conclude that there was no real job creation. In fact the budget presentation for 2012 said as much. In this regard therefore the government failed miserably.

Just as there was no job creation the government found immense difficulty in showing the people of this nation that in 2011 there was wealth creation.

If there was any wealth creation the government could not locate it.

Finally, the government also cannot produce any evidence of social safety any more at the end of 2011 than was the case at the beginning of the year.

In essence therefore the report card on the ULP government’s performance for 2011 relative to its own target as set out in the 2011 budget was decidedly poor – putrid to the extreme.

Little wonder then that at a Press Huggins earlier this week the Minister of Finance who is also the Prime Minister, could boast of receiving $500,000 from Georgia and that some time in the future we can expect more.

He travelled to Georgia for $500,000. He said that would allow the purchase of vehicles.

Big deal!

We were also told at the time of the presentation of the 2011 budget that it reflected an approach characterized by prudence and enterprise.

At the conclusion of 2011 Vincentians could see neither the prudence not the enterprise that was promised at the beginning of the year.

One got the impression at the end of 2011 that the theme was mere window dressing and that it appears impressive to the presenter – the Minister of Finance.

This year the theme of the budget presentation was, JOB CREATION, ECONOMIC GROWTH, FINANCIAL STABILISATION, FISCAL REBALANCING AND SOCIAL EQUITY AT A TIME OF CONTINUED GLOBAL ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY.

Clearly the Minister of Finance appears misled in that the content and the reality of what obtains here bear little relation to the theme. There is a serious disconnect between the theme and our reality and the Minister of Finance knows this but seems more anxious to leave his head buried in the sand with the rest of his anatomy remains exposed to the vagaries of the elements.

In his budget presentation for 2011 the Minister of Finance treated poverty reduction by itself and began by hankering back to the report by the Cariri Consultants on Country Poverty Assessments.

This year he lumped Poverty Reduction and Job Creation. His link has not however been attractive since he really had nothing to offer.

In 2011 the Minister of Finance boasted of the various initiatives and programmes which this government employed over the past nine (9) years in the ‘War Against Poverty’. These were driven by a decisive approach to poverty reduction and guided by a carefully elaborated Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy
Paper. This has been the blueprint for all poverty reduction initiatives undertaken to date. Mr. Speaker, the time is right for a more up-to-date strategic response in keeping with the findings of the 2007/2008 Country Poverty Assessment.

He then boasted,
The specific areas to be addressed by the consultancy include, among other things:
a. Provisions to improve targeting of social safety nets to individuals living in extreme poverty which would eventually lead to the eradication of indigence and reduction of poverty.

The Vincentian economy has been moving in the opposite direction and therefore during 2011 he and his government were unable to make much headway in this regard.

We were also told that there would be
b. Social marketing of wellness to encourage changed behaviours
to the management of health and control the incidence of non-
communicable diseases and limit the spread of HIV/AIDS, other
STDs and STIs.

Here again there has been absolutely no progress.

At a personal level it is difficult for the average Vincentian looking at either the Minister of Finance or the Minister of Health, Wellness and the Environment and feel good about progress in the area of wellness.

They do not lead by example.

Thus it is that while we have had the Ministry of Health speak on wellness there has in fact been little done in practical terms to allow us to say with any measure of confidence that the poor of this country have been treated to the promotion of wellness.

The economy moving consistently backward may well have forced the poor to retain the practices that have given rise to their experiences of NCDs and CNCDs in this country.

c. Provisions to support the educational advancement and training of mothers, particularly single mothers, to improve their participation in the labour market. This would include the provision of day and evening care services.

By the end of 2011 the Minister of Finance appeared to have forgotten that this was stated in his budget in January.

d. Programmes to diversify the agriculture sector, giving special attention to well established systems, accessing available financial resources, strengthening marketing skills and improving market intelligence and training farmers.

Here again the Minister of Finance, at the end of 2011, must have been like Alice in Wonderland. He could not point to any definitive undertaking that hinted at progress in respect of diversification of the agricultural sector.

Indeed, with the Black Sigatoka taking over the banana fields as a result of the lack of consistent spraying of the fields the Minister of Finance should have hung his head in shame at the end of 2011.

The Minister of Finance further told us…
e. Macro-economic adjustment supported by industrial policy,
private sector cooperation and reform of the tax system.

There was no progress on this matter in 2011.
Then he told us in 2011 about
h. Investment in the advancement and upgrading of the workforce
through education and training and with programmes designed
to promote participation among those who have already left the
traditional school system, including social marketing techniques.

It would have been great for the Minister of Finance to have taken the time to identify precisely where this took place and with what measure of success before he delved into the 2012 budget.

He further advocated that the government would be …
i. Strengthening of labour markets to ensure productivity and
competitiveness.

j. Institutional strengthening to improve the efficiency and
effectiveness of public sector investment as a vehicle for
upgrading the economic infrastructure.

Without a shadow of a doubt the Minister of Finance, in delivering his 2012 budget on 9 January must have been hoping that no one still had in their possession the budget address of 2011 in which he spoke to these matters.

It must have been very instructive that he steered clear of these issues on 9 January.

However, that he dared to raise the issue of poverty reduction reflects a level of bold-facedness that should otherwise have been beyond comprehension.

But alas we know the Minister of Finance and there is always an eagerness to put the doctoral spin on virtually everything he says. This perhaps allows him to not be embarrassed regardless of how often he fails.

The Minister of Finance, in his 2012 budget address, further stated,
Roughly 40 percent of the capital budget of EC $184.9 million has been allocated to economic affairs from which, inevitably, flows jobs directly, and indirectly through the building of appropriate physical infrastructure, which has a knock on positive effect on economic growth.

There is a major problem here with job creation.

The ULP has done a particularly poor job of creating jobs in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Under the ULP even in the face of a badly beaten economy, the line of march for the party is to own d campaign, own d jobs.

Thus it appears that even when jobs are created the ULP supporters seem to receive priority treatment.

Once more, knowing the Minister of Finance here, had he been in possession of evidence of success he would readily have boasted on the possible number of jobs to be created under this medium and jumped all over the Opposition in the House of Assembly. But he has no idea of any progress taking place in the near future so he leaves us with the usual erudite trash; no specifics.

But the Minister of Finance could not contain himself. He somehow appeared anxious to leave listeners believing that good things are in store. He continued,
Additionally, the remaining 60 percent of the capital budget for 2012, the bulk of which is allocated to health, education and environmental protection, has a not dissimilar positive effect on jobs and enhanced economic activity as that aforementioned portion which is focussed on “economic affairs”.

Sounds brilliant?

It may sound good but really said nothing.

But over the past several years we have witnessed virtual stagnation in respect of job creation in the areas of health, education and environmental protection.

We dare the Minister of Finance to inform this nation of the number of jobs created in these areas over the past five years. We would not request for only one year but allow for the last five years.

Kindly tell this nation how many jobs were created in Education, Health and Environmental protection in the past five years.

Once we have this we could virtually read the trends and suggest fairly accurately the potential for job creation in the coming year and years.

Dr Cut and Paste could not give us details here and he is a stickler for such details.

Had the Minister of Finance any confidence in the creation of jobs he would have gladly engaged in chest-thumping at the delivery of the budget. Instead, it was a lack lustre exercise from which he may never recover.

The Minister of Finance nonetheless continued…
Indeed, the estimated capital spending for 2012 amounts to over 9 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), a figure which exceeds the accepted norm globally, for developing countries.

Significantly, immediately after making this point, the Minister of Finance appeared to wake from his slumber. He stated,
Unfortunately, experience teaches that the capital budget will not be fully implemented due principally to two factors: the insufficient institutional, and effective, capacity of the public and private sectors which are engaged in the implementation of the capital programme of the central government; and the delayed availability of the capital monies, drawn largely from grants and soft loans, to execute on a timely basis the capital projects.
Given the state of preparation of the capital projects, the sources of funding, and their likely timely availability, I have been advised that in 2012, effective capital spending would amount to no less than 75 per cent or roughly EC $140 million of the estimated capital programme. Such an achievement would be commendable and would amount to a creditable 7 per cent of GDP, an undoubted economic stimulus on the spending side.

After many years of criticisms by the leader of the Opposition, Arnhim Eustace, Gonsalves appeared to have finally got the message.

Ever since taking office and presenting national budgets in 2001 this is the first time that Gonsalves appears to have taken on board the criticism of Eustace in respect of the expenditures re the capital budget.

Eustace has always chided Gonsalves for failing to understand that he was placing excessively high capital budgets without any real possibility of achieving a fairly large percentage of what was put on paper. He repeatedly called on Gonsalves to get real and be honest with the people of this country.

Finally Gonsalves has listened.

The realism that has set in has forced him to cut his capital budget to suit what is possible.

Later on in this segment of the budget presentation the Minister of Finance stated … the 2012 budget makes certain that targeted social welfare payments and related poverty alleviation programmes continue at undiminished and substantial levels.

This part was intended to serve as an introduction to a regurgitation of what was delivered in the 2011 budget read earlier. Indeed, this part seems repetitive for the past several years. It may well be a bit of cut and paste and a tweaking of what is presented the time before.

Mr. Speaker, since 2001 my government has made massive strides in reducing poverty… bla, bla, bla.

He then went on… In this regard, the record of my government speaks for itself. Upon the arrival of my government in office in March 2001, the general level of poverty was independently assessed by Cariri Consultants of Trinidad and Tobago … bla, bla, bla

In the presentation the Minister of Finance appeared not to be in sync with the impact the poor economic performance of this country has had on the poor in this country.

It may well be that while he boasts of having helped to reduce poverty under his watch he may unwittingly have overseen the increase in poverty in this country.

But the Minister of Finance could not help himself. He moved on with the following…Mr. Speaker, Honourable Members, the private and cooperative sectors most decidedly create jobs and thus contribute immensely to the war against poverty. Job creation, wealth creation, and poverty reduction accordingly go hand in hand. As such my government yet again reaffirms its ongoing practical and strategic partnership with the private and cooperative sectors through a range of public policies including those touching and concerning lower taxation; fiscal incentives; the maintenance of law and order; financial stability; education; health and the environment; a more efficient public service; a reliable and reasonably priced delivery of electricity and water; a better and liberalised telecommunications system; a competitively priced and productive labour force; improved road, air and sea transportation and relevant infrastructure facilities; regional integration and a facilitating trade policy; good governance; the maintenance of an open and competitive economic system; and a quest for a sufficiency of credit on reasonable, competitive terms, particularly for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).

What was all this about?

He took a full paragraph to try to impress us all that he has been somehow creating jobs.

Where have these jobs been created in precise terms? We are not told.

Indeed, in hindsight the Minister of Finance may well have been correct. He may well have created jobs. He may well have allowed or facilitated a number of retirees to stay on in employment at the behest of his government.

Eustace and others have repeatedly pointed to the number of individuals who have been retained in this manner.

So jobs may well have been created but not for the young people of this country.

One challenges the Minister of Finance to declare what proportion of the aforementioned jobs have been given to ULP supporters – people who carry the stickers, I am Labour, Own d Campaign, on their vehicles and opt to wear red as often as possible.

When the Minister of Finance stated,
My government’s “National Economic Plan 2012-2025” and the upgrading of its “Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy” contain critical policy initiatives for further job creation, wealth creation, and poverty reduction, he could not have been serious. He must have been embarrassed as he spoke the aforementioned words.

The explanation that the Minister of Finance then gave the nation on the state of unemployment in the country was at best laughable and at worst shameful.

His presentation in respect of the state of employment may well have been intended to suggest that the unemployment level here is not too high. That is a joke.

The Minister of Finance knows the output from the secondary and tertiary institutions each year. The numbers are well in excess of the numbers retiring each year in the government and private sector.

Indeed, since the government does not appear anxious to let some retirees go home this exacerbates the unemployment situation amongst the nation’s youths.

The Minister of Finance knows how many of the graduates each year fail to gain employment. This is a much better indicator of the state of unemployment and under employment in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

J8 VAX
Today the 4th day of February 2012, marks 1,867 days since the disappearance of SVG Air J8 VAX, if we are actually checking the day the plane disappeared on Sunday 19 November 2006 with pilot Dominic Gonsalves and one passenger, Rasheed Ibrahim.

J8 SXY
Today 4th day of February 2012 marks 548 days since the disappearance of another SVG Air aircraft, J8 SXY, a Cessna 402. Just so you would remember, this aircraft left St Vincent in the evening of Thursday 5 August 2010 bound for Canouan. Like J8 VAX, the aircraft never reached its destination. It never completed its mercy mission.

The sad case of Patricia Bowman
Just Another Look wishes to leave our listeners with the sad reminder that on 19 September 2011, the husband of Patricia Bowman, Alban Bowman, sat in sad reflection on the third anniversary of the cruel death of his wife.

She died a cruel death on 19 September 2008.

Nuff said!!!

You have been listening to another edition of Nice Radio’s Callaloo presentation, Just Another Look.
Just Another Look is an innovative, exciting, albeit decidedly provocative and controversial, socio-political analysis of issues of a local, regional and international nature.
Just Another Look is heard only on Nice Radio on Saturdays at 6.00pm, with repeat broadcasts at 9.00pm on Sundays.
Remember too that you can also catch us on the worldwide web, www.niceradio.info.
You can check our JAL blog - www.vincyview.com

I am, of course, Keith Joseph

Introduction
Today is Saturday 28 January 2012.
Welcome, welcome, welcome to another edition of Just Another Look.

Gonsalves & Manning
Just Another Look thought that we would begin this week’s programme on the lighter side – with a bit of humour.

Did you hear the news item about this country’s Prime Minister leaving the State to visit his old friend and former Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Patrick Manning?

Well, Manning got a stroke during the week now concluding and has been hospitalised in San Fernando, south Trinidad. His sudden illness has sparked as much controversy as his leadership.

On the one hand he was in the Intensive Care Unit for a few days during which he, rather interestingly, was allowed to have visits from all sorts of people, including his old foe in Parliament and national politics, Basdeo Panday and the latter’s daughter. However, the current leader of the PNM, Manning’s successor, Keith Rowley, was turned away.

The Manning family has been attempting some damage control by telling the media that Patrick was asleep, or something of the sort.

However, Trinidadians are aware of the bitter political feud that has characterised the relationship between Manning and Rowley for the past several years and have no doubt that this is the primary reason for Rowley not being admitted to see Manning at the ICU in San Fernando.

It is rather interesting therefore that while the current leader of the PNM cannot see Manning, Gonsalves can leave St Vincent and get to see him.

There is another twist to this illness of Manning.

Gonsalves seems to have suggested somewhere that he and Manning go back a long way and managed to slip in that they played steel pan together.

Now that must be the most humorous thing we have heard from Gonsalves for a very long time.

Gonsalves, whose ULP administration is credited with having established the Pan Against Crime Initiative, has never been seen going near enough to a steel pan as if knowing anything about playing the instrument.

No doubt from an academic standpoint and given his extensive reading habits Gonsalves would be able to articulate something about the steel pan. However, when it comes to playing the instrument this is all new.

Gonsalves may well have mistaken playing with the steel pan for playing the steel pan.

On a serious note, however, even as Gonsalves visits his friend Patrick Manning, while Trinidadians are praying for their former leader, Gonsalves, our leader, leaves Vincentian irrigation workers here at home, praying that they would receive their wages and in a consistent, timely manner.

Rather ironic indeed!

The roads and gasoline
Some years ago the mini bus owners and operators made much of the state of the roads under the NDP administration. At the time the then Opposition sought to make much political capital of the situation and joined in the street protests held by the owners and operators.

Cleary the street protests were successful more for the political profile they gained by virtue of the support of the politicians at the time than for their own cause.

When this kind of analysis was made back then it received heavy criticism, largely from the political opposition members, thereby confirming the analysis, in a manner of speaking.

Under the ULP administration, the roads have deteriorated to a sorry state well below what obtained at the time of the NDP’s leadership. Add to this the fact that fuel prices have hit all-time highs in this country and the cost of parts and the cost of living generally, have skyrocketed. The situation with the Vincentian economy is sure to get rougher in 2012. In the face of all of this the mini bus owners and operators have not come anywhere near what they were seemingly encouraged to do several years ago – take to the streets.

Everyone, including the government of the ULP, seems aware that the roads across this country are in a deplorable state.
Now that we have a gas company declaring that it cannot take fuel by road to the North Leeward area because of the state of the roads one would not be surprised if that spurs immediate reaction on the part of the government to do something quickly.

Thus it is that Just Another Look consistently argues that the ruling regime of the ULP is at beat reactionary.

There is nothing revolutionary about the mode of operation of the ULP administration or its leadership.

Vincy Classroom
Following on from last week’s edition of Just Another Look we continue to impress upon those keen on having their children make good use of their laptops to use Vincy Classroom as an important resource.

The way things are happening and the pace at which progress is being made Vincy Classroom will easily become this country’s primary online education resource.

Already scores of educators have been showing interest in being part of what they perceive to be a truly important advancement for Vincentians and it is non-political in content.

One of the most recent additions has to do with puzzles for children of all ages, an important tool for pre-schoolers.

In the coming weeks Vincy Classroom will provide resources for university students thereby making certain that no category of students is left out from its portfolio.

One would hope that should the Prime Minister allow himself to rise to the level of statesmanship that he would apologise to Vynnette Frederick and the NDP for his unfortunate comments on Vincy Classroom and join Vincentian educators in welcoming the site and encouraging parents and students alike to use it for its tremendously current contribution to educational development in this country.

Budget Presentation 2012 Part 3
Today, dear friends, we return to the budget as presented in the House of Assembly on 9 January 2011. This is part 3 of our analysis of what was delivered.

While the leader of the Opposition NDP, Arnhim Eustace, referred to the 2012 budget presentation as hours and hours of excuses Just Another Look simply states, if there is one reaction that we can expect from the Vincentian population to this year’s budget as presented by the Minister of Finance of this country is precisely that – Murder! Murder! Murdooo!

Unlike the members of Parliament who have specified time limits to their presentations on the 2012 budget, Just Another Look does not have any such constraint.

Thus it is that we continue to address the budget, weak as it is, in several editions of Just Another Look.

All we ask of our listeners is that they get hold of a copy of the budget and judge what we are saying here compared with what the Minister of Finance delivered.

Just Another Look is convinced that Vincentians can only hold their heads, band their bellies and bawl, Murder! Murder! Murdooo! – for all of 2012.

Just Another Look is also of the view that something will have to give. Vincentians may not be able to withstand the immense economic pressures brought on by an insensitive and incompetent ruling ULP regime.

Industry
In this week’s edition of Just Another Look we begin by examining the budget presentation on Industry.

It is generally believed that a country’s development potential is reflected in its approach to industry, especially the manufacturing sector.

While many countries place great emphasis on tourism, the truth is that this is a very fickle industry and highly susceptible to weather and a wide range of factors that can, almost without notice, derail its growth at any point in time.

The Minister of Finance declared on 9 January,
Mr. Speaker, five principal state agencies with leadership roles in the industry sector are the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Trade, the Ministry of Industry, the Centre for Enterprise Development (CED), and the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Bureau of Standards. The latter two state enterprises are under the Ministry of Industry.

So we already knew that but we can say that he loves repetition since it takes up time and on occasions may have the potential to make him sound knowledgeable and almost erudite.

The Minister of Finance then stated,
Manufacturing output in 2011 increased by 6.5 percent over 2010, largely because of modest to strong growth in output of beer, beverages generally, flour, and galvanised sheets which more than offset declines in the production of animal feeds and packaging. This is a commendable performance despite the global economic recession and industry specific challenges.

Just Another Look is now certain that the Minister of Finance does not always hear himself when he reads. His presentation in the foregoing paragraph is almost laughable had it not been so serious a matter.

The Minister of Finance told us that Manufacturing output in 2011 increased by 6.5 percent over 2010, largely because of modest to strong growth in output of beer, beverages generally, flour, and galvanised sheets.

It is significant that the Minister of Finance did not state whether the increases in manufacturing as presented were placed in order of priority in terms of their contribution to the growth in the sector of 6.5% over that of 2010.

If what was presented was in order of priority then the Minister of Finance is unwittingly supporting the thesis long held by Just Another Look that when things are bad economically in a country the people turn to alcohol for comfort. The increase in the output of beer in this country therefore can easily be explained in terms of the negative impact of the state of the economy on the average Vincentian. They turn to beer, sold for the most part at 3 for $10 throughout the year, 2011.

We are all aware of the Minister of Finance’s love for figures and when he has them in his possession he takes his time to relish in telling a story around them.

What is it about the figures attendant to the improvements in the production of beers that prevented the Minister of Finance from detailing the precise figures?
What was he afraid of at the time of making his presentation?

Interestingly, following the successes achieved by the beer sector of Industry here the 2012 budget immediately targeted the product for price increase.

Such is the approach of our beloved administration that they saw an improvement in beer production and sales and immediately raised the price for 2012.

Great!

Just great!

One would have imagined that with manufacturing expected to be one of the most critical components of our development strategy we would have heard much more by way of successes.

After all, remember we had investors lining up, waiting for Gonsalves to become Prime Minister before investing here.

But alas, we had no such glory to behold in the 2012 budget presentation.

After the opening salvo under Industry the Minister of Finance could find nothing more by way of successes via production. He then shifted gear. He stated,
In 2011, eight manufacturing companies were granted fiscal incentives for the production of a range of commodities, including agroprocessing, furniture, and building materials.

Yes?

Then what?

What about these eight manufacturing companies?

We all know this country’s Minister of Finance and had he great expectations of these eight manufacturing companies he would have been sure to boast of them.

What happened?

Where was his usual bravado?

One can only conclude that there was nothing really for him to say about these eight manufacturing companies that would have left him and his government seeming successful in the eyes of the listeners to the budget presentation.

Listeners must understand that over the past several years we have grown accustomed to the way in which this Minister of Finance presents his budget. This time around he has gone almost mute.

He had nothing to shout about in terms of performance of the manufacturing sector so he was left little choice but to delve into the realm of promissory notes for the future of this important component of the Vincentian economy. Let us listen to him again. He said,
Mr. Speaker, in 2012, the Ministry of Industry will enhance its coordination with Invest SVG on the issues of investment promotion, the creative industries, and the incentive regimes for industry, tourism, and ICT. We are on the hunt for local, regional, and international investors in the industry sector.

The aforementioned comment serves to tell us the true state of affairs in the Industry sector of the Vincentian economy. The ever-ebullient Minister of Finance, silenced by the absence of success stories and a blighted economy under his watch and with no real answers to give to the Vincentian people, seeks to suggest here that in 2012, the Ministry of Industry will enhance its coordination with Invest SVG on the issues of investment promotion, the creative industries, and the incentive regimes for industry, tourism, and ICT.

Do you believe this?

Did you ever expect that after almost 11 years in office and as this country’s Minister of Finance this man would dare to come so empty before the Parliament and the people of this country with more promises?

It is unbelievable!

But what is worse, Gonsalves seems to have once more forgotten his statements/pronouncements of 2001 during the elections campaign. He seems to have forgotten that investors were supposed to have been lining up awaiting his triumphal accession to the big chair that is the PM’s Office.

How is it possible that he could have forgotten this?

Clearly he has. He told us on 9 January in the budget presentation, We are on the hunt for local, regional, and international investors in the industry sector.

Is Gonsalves for real?

In 2012, almost 12 years after his famous pronouncement that investors were virtually waiting on him to win at the polls and become Prime Minister to invest here, he now tells us, we are on the hunt for local, regional, and international investors in the industry sector.

Remarkable!

That is what we mean when Just Another Look insists that this Minister of Finance does not appear to hear himself when he speaks. Either that or he has bouts of convenient amnesia.

Yes!

He may well be given to bouts of convenient amnesia.

How is it possible that we are on the hunt for local, regional, and international investors in the industry sector.

Just Another Look says that all the Minister of Finance has to do is to go to those investors who were in the line awaiting his victory at the polls in 2001.

What has happened to those who were in the line then?

Where have they gone such that the Minister of Finance can now tell this nation, we are on the hunt for local, regional, and international investors in the industry sector.

Additionally, where is the Minister of Finance hunting for these people?

Is this what our relations with Iran is about?

Is this what the visit to Azerbaijan is about?

Is this what our new-found friendship with Georgia is about?

It is really amazing that after nearly 11 years in office we cannot seem to locate those investors who were in the line in 2001.

Wow!

Double wow!

If there is one thing that can be said of this country’s Minister of Finance it is his ability to stand firm even in the face of an embarrassingly empty budget presentation on 9 January 2012. Perhaps that is the reason he so badly wanted the Opposition to be present in the House of Assembly for his winding up. Having said nothing in the actual budget presentation and having imposed great hardship on the people of St Vincent and the Grenadines he may well have been looking forward to piggy-backing off the presentations of the Opposition members to have something to be ebullient about.

In the absence of the Opposition he had to contend with more blandness.

With nothing to show he went on and on about the future with more promissory notes. Uncertain of what would really come forth in the future he noted,
The St. Vincent and the Grenadines Bureau of Standards has a 2012 Work Programme which emphasizes a conduct conformity assessment programme; the preparation and promotion of standardisation; and the provision of technical services to the private sector. The Bureau has a subvention of $1.1 million in the 2012 Budget to carry out its work.

So this is somehow important in respect of making progress in the Industry sector of the Vincentian economy?

What income does this bring to the Vincentian economy?

How many jobs does this add to the current employment stock, already in decline, in this country?

Was the Minister of Finance serious here?

Then he went on..
The CED in 2012 will interface with the private and State sectors in respect of the development of business services; industry cluster development; training, capacity building, institutional development, public relations and communications; the Business Incubator Programme; and assistance in capacity building for fisher cooperatives. CED has a subvention in the 2012 Budget of $600,000.

Here again this tells us nothing.

The Minister of Finance, short of any substantial evidence of progress in the Industry sector, found himself literally clutching at straws.

You see, that is what happens when you take another look. Here is a Minister of Finance whose presentation of the budget of 2012, when systematically dissected as we are doing currently, can at best receive a failing grade.

In this way one feels sorry for the chap.

He must have been feeling sorry for himself and must be feeling worse as he listens to this dissection now.

Clutching for straws the Minister of Finance then thought he saw a spark. He said,
Active manufacturing employers registered at the NIS in 2010 numbered 128, a decline of 15 from 2001. Active employees at the NIS in 2010 amounted to 2,148, just 90 employees below the 2001 figure. Thus, over the past 10 years employment in manufacturing has been more or less stable.

If one were to revisit what we just read for you one would be forced to agree with Just Another Look that the Minister of Finance may have only read one part of the book, Straight and Crooked Thinking.

We are certain that you can tell which part he read.

He recoiled into the NIS seemingly for comfort. He must be aware that this is not the way to get at the true state of employment in our manufacturing sector but he had no choice. He needed some comfort.

Unfortunately for the Minister of Finance he could find no solace in using the figures he presented here.

To tell us that employment remained more or less stable in manufacturing is not a success. It is a failure.

That we only have active manufacturing employers registered at the NIS in 2010 numbered 128, a decline of 15 from 2001 means that we are not growing.

This is the same Minister of Finance who loves to boast of us doing wonderfully well.

How is it therefore that with investors lining up since 2001 we could have a decline in the active employers in manufacturing rather than an increase?

What does this tell us about making progress?

When we are told that Active employees at the NIS in 2010 amounted to 2,148, just 90 employees below the 2001 figure, does this mean we are making progress?

We are heading in the wrong direction.

No wonder we are on the hunt for investors.

We do need to hunt them down.

We have to literally hunt them down since they are not likely to come here on their own.

It now seems that we have to go after them like real bush hunters if we are to get them.

Perhaps that is the reason we are hunting amongst the non-traditional partners.

To lose one job in manufacturing is bad. The Minister of Finance does not yet seem to know and appreciate this fact.

Manufacturing has not been moving forward in this country and he had nothing enlightening to say about Industry, more generally.

The eternal optimist then dared to tell the nation,
Output has fluctuated, but it was on an upswing in 2011, compared to 2010.

Just Another Look remains amazed that the Minister of Finance could have told us this without telling us precisely what this statement, Output has fluctuated, but it was on an upswing in 2011, compared to 2010, means in real terms.

One cannot merely drop this statement without support. The problem is that the Minister of Finance did not have the supportive evidence enough to convince anyone but himself and his minions feeding at the trough.

Bereft of anything substantial under the segment of the budget dealing with Industry, a seemingly tired and obviously embarrassed Minister of Finance could only conclude with the following statement…
VincyFresh Limited, an agroprocessing joint venture between WINFRESH and the State owned National Properties Limited, is a promising enterprise which has come on stream to succeed the Lauders AgroProcessing Plant. VincyFresh is into producing a range of agrobased products and is linked strongly to the farming community. The Minister of Industry will provide more details in this regard.

That’s it?

That’s the best that the Minister of Finance could do?

Really!

He knew he had said nothing and therefore he could only have left us with another promissory note albeit half-heartedly, - VincyFresh Limited.

Wow!

Such substance in the budget of 2012!

Simply amazing!

It is as amazing as it is embarrassing.

Dear listeners, the truth has finally hit home. Even the Minister of Finance could not find the material substance to feed to the nation in respect of a bright future for Industry in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

After nearly 11 years in office the ULP leadership can do no more than deliver the delightfully putrid report card on Industry that was presented in this year’s sorry budget.

Indeed, the segment on Industry was not one of excuses.

Indeed the segment on Industry was really one of chronic failure and hopelessness.

Not even the Wizard of Oz was able to lift his own spirit in this particularly dismal performance in the all-important segment of our economy – Industry.

In the absence of a truly strong manufacturing sector, with agriculture in rapid-fire decline and tourism exposed to the vagaries of the international economic woes on the one hand and natural disasters on the other, the 2012 budget presentation on Industry reflected Gonsalves at sea with neither life vest nor life boat, adrift with no idea of how to swim.

The problem, dear listeners, is that he seems only too anxious to take all of St Vincent and the Grenadines along with him.

J8 VAX
Today the 28th day of January 2012, marks 1,860 days since the disappearance of SVG Air J8 VAX, if we are actually checking the day the plane disappeared on Sunday 19 November 2006 with pilot Dominic Gonsalves and one passenger, Rasheed Ibrahim.

J8 FXY
Today 28th day of January 2012 marks 541 days since the disappearance of another SVG Air aircraft, J8 FXY, a Cessna 402. Just so you would remember, this aircraft left St Vincent in the evening of Thursday 5 August 2010 bound for Canouan. Like J8 VAX, the aircraft never reached its destination. It never completed its mercy mission.

The plane disappeared and as yet no word has been received in respect of the lone occupant, the pilot, Suresh Lakram.

The sad case of Patricia Bowman
Just Another Look wishes to leave our listeners with the sad reminder that on 19 September 2011, the husband of Patricia Bowman, Alban Bowman, sat in sad reflection on the third anniversary of the cruel death of his wife.

She died a cruel death on 19 September 2008.

Nuff said!!!

You have been listening to another edition of Nice Radio’s Callaloo presentation, Just Another Look.
Just Another Look is an innovative, exciting, albeit decidedly provocative and controversial, socio-political analysis of issues of a local, regional and international nature.
Just Another Look is heard only on Nice Radio on Saturdays at 6.00pm, with repeat broadcasts at 9.00pm on Sundays.
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