by Colin Hyde

I say, not only it is that some of us can’t be politicians, but we should never harbor such ambitions. It takes a special type to think nonsense, know they’re thinking foolishness, and speak the garbage to forward their narrow agenda. Some of us say stupid things in jest. Politicians say stupid things in earnest.

Of course, they would say they know better. But then, to know better and say rubbish instead, that makes one a deceiver, and one really should try desperately to not number in that crowd. I recall a speech Jesus gave about liars, and who their father was. You do know who the Devil is. My gudnis, the hogwash analyses you hear or read from the mouths and pens of politicians and people with political ambitions!

Whoa there, I’m going out of character today; I’m going to let the mud smear all, so no specific philistine need worry about their dirty backside being exposed. The hope here is only to make those bohgaz think. They must think, for love of Belize. They must think about the effect of their words, how they move Belize toward the glory, prosperity, or toward ignominy, poverty.

CEOs were, ehm—mercenary

The story goes that the CEOs saw public employees get back their 10% and they raced to restore fat perks that were given them when we were rolling in Petro and BNE oil. Life haad out ya, very hard, and in lean times priority must go toward addressing needs, not wants. Were our CEOs absolutely in a financial crunch that they had to take more meat from our meager reserves?

I didn’t say they didn’t deserve what they got. The CEOs are our best talents; the government we voted for thinks so, and in a capitalist world talent gets the lion’s share. We shouldn’t be offended. We have to pay for talent. All capitalists understand that.

Whoa there, some of us gripe, and all the while we are capitalist animals at our core. If you don’t know if you’re one, let me help you with this first lead. If you are a Belizean living in the USA, or a Belizean aspiring to go and live/work in the USA, you are a CAPITALIST. It doesn’t matter if you are rich or poor, if your dreams are there, that’s the cap you wear.

These men and women the GOB has chosen to lead the show on the ground are operating in the pressure cooker, very demanding situations, and their business is to produce, no ifs, ands, or buts. Oho, if they fail, come the next election their bosses will get the people’s boot in their behind. And if their bosses go, they must pack up and leave too.

Uh-uh, wait a minute there; they have no need to fear! The fact is that in many instances CEOs are more secure than their bosses. They are all international citizens. Regular folk – some political leaders are regular folk – have to bow to get that visa. These highly trained professionals who serve at the CEO level, they pick, choose and refuse when it comes to the country where they live. No, they won’t starve when their bosses get booted.

On our lower tier, we should try not to grumble about the CEOs’ allowance restoration. These people have major jobs to get done. You pamper talent, because you need it to deliver. But, but I will say that in this ya haad time, the lee sacrifice would have been good. Ouch, they look quite mercenary. And the optics, ai, their bite doesn’t make good for their bosses ataal.

Red camp games

I say, this red camp is really trying to play us, like some tunuball. We know all about Dean Barrow and Michael Finnegan fighting to maintain control of the UDP. It is so that some people can’t sail off into the night. We understand why Fidel couldn’t give up control. The mighty USA would have “crumbled” their revolution. But Barrow and Finnegan had every opportunity to build a good system in their party and train the best talents so that they were worthy to lead their party and our country.

Oh boy, this UDP here. Keeping it simple, Barrow and Finnegan, two nepotistic bohgaz, wanted their family member in Mesop, so they kicked out Zenaida and Pehreh. To make up to Pehreh, Barrow tried to give him Port, but John and Patrick colluded, used Willoughby to box him out. Bah, Barrow gave his sister Queen’s Square, which she absolutely didn’t want. Bah, to please her brother, not the people, she took it.

Jumping to the latest low scheming, Patrick said John called him 4 o’clock one morning with a promise to support him all the way if he pledged to support the members of the party who caused former PM Barrow to scream out, “For God’s sake, stop it!” Barrow had come to fame for pointing out the dishonesty of the PUP, that blue gang’s likeness to whitéd sepulchers, and then he found out that he was presiding over the graveyard. My gudnis, Faber said the gang-ehm-sters wanted to run unchallenged.

Don’t stop only at that bus stop

Long years ago, when Belize was young, an observant man said top personnel in the MoW shouldn’t drive monster trucks, but should drive small cars, so they feel every bump or hole in the road.

Hmm, today I’m after the only area rep, minister, whom I’ve been friends with. I understand the Minister of Transport wants to improve the industry, for all of us, especially regular commuters. They said Barack Obama’s hair was black when he took office, and his hair was white when he completed his eight years. The Transport Minister – I heard him say he is familiar with riding buses – he got smart and took a baldy when he got into politics. Since he doesn’t have any hair to pull out, I bet he’s biting his nails. Getting the buses upgraded, and keeping the fare low so we can pay, are giant tasks.

I bet we all understand the struggle there. What I don’t grasp is this absolutely elitist move that is being promoted, to limit bus stops to only designated bus stops. Point blank, I will tell you it is folly. The bus operators want it, for it would make life much easier for them, and it would be cost-saving too. Yes, and it would show that we either don’t know our country, or don’t have a heart.

It’s more than an inconvenience to get dumped at a bus stop that’s half a mile from your home. You know that people have to walk on the highway to get to their homes. Can you see a young female UB student being dropped off at a bus stop and having to walk half a mile in the dark to her home? Can you see an oldster limping home with their luggage after making purchases in the city? How will a small vendor with a sack of sweet potatoes make it to market? Are we expecting them to pay extra for passage on a truck?

I have been off buses for a while because of the Covid and the fact that I don’t need to go anywhere, but I took a trip recently and got an upfront view that somebody is pushing “training” on us for the sorry day when the bus will stop, only at a bus stop. In Belmopan the conductor yelled, “last stop”, at the bus stop by A&R. If you don’t know Belmopan, the bus stop is more than a third of a mile from the bus terminal. It was raining when I got to my home village, and the, ehm, conscientious driver really wanted to drop me by the bus stop a couple hundred yards from my home, so I didn’t get wet. Oh really! I think I’m old enough to make that choice.