ENERGY CRISIS IN BELIZE? WHAT WILL GOB DO? IS THERE A PLAN?

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Of one thing that im sure is that UDP will not win the next general election if not even complete their term at all. People are already planning protests and its just their 1st year...jejejej i love seeing the interview they give to barrow about everything going up. Man sweat heavy and he look lost. Big UDP's are fucking feeling the pinch of their incompetent government. Maybe in one thing you are right. PUP's maybe mi thief cause lotta money mi di deh fu tek and give. The UDP dont even have an idea how to get money for their budget thats why they cant theif cause deh fool and cant stash up anything fu atleast tek leebit. hahahahahah maybe you should help them formulate a budget cause deh lost.

Newsflash....asswipe....PUP neva get di buss assing ah dem life because of rising fuel or food costs.....they lose because people mi tired ah dem thieving, crooked ways. Everything was about them and their crony so called first belizeans....thats why dem lose.

Newsflash.....dem wah lose again next elections because people will neva let johnny be prime minister...that is for several reasons including that the real leaders of the PUP mafia will not allow this. They will lose and francis or some other crook will take over the party.

Fuck You, Have A Nice Day.

perceptions are as strong as so-called reality, this is known. Oil companies gladly use the uncertainty and worry as indicators of poor future conditions and pre-emptively hike prices.

IN fact, in many oil-producing countries (Malaysia jumps out in the news for example) the price of gas at the pump is being raised in tandem with the prices charged in countries that must import their oil. People are complaining that it is an unfair price raise for a countries that produce their own oil. Why should they be charged as foreigners? It is as if your big sister owned a fruit orchard on the land your family owns. She sells fruits to people for a certain price. When you want to eat some of her fruits, she charges you just as much as she does strangers.

All this whining about PUP did this and UDP did this...demonstrates nothing but that those who blame such political parties and individuals for their hardtimes are either unthinking comprador beneficiaries — blind cronies to government (these people are shit-stains on Belize's bingo bag) or else ineffectual dumbasses, who have nothing better to do than complain about issues they do not understand, do not care that they do not understand and are content to wallow in their ignorant diarrheic blabberings as koncas fly in and out their mouth. (these people need counselling and special attention for which, unfortunately, they are ungrateful not realising its worth)

Why don't we concentrate on the positive things...what can WE do? Politicians are representatives. IF I proudly display my PUP colours and live in a UDP constituency, guess what...I am being represented by a UDP. So what? This just means i will work to change what i do not like by offering intelligent, constructive dialogue not pre-generated biased party narratives.

Soros blames speculators for skyrocketing oil prices

George Soros
Famous multibillionaire investor George Soros, notorious for his speculative transactions in global markets, has accused speculators of manipulating oil prices, which have recently reached record levels.

In an exclusive interview with The Daily Telegraph published in Monday's edition, Soros also warned that the record oil prices now look like a bubble.
Crude oil prices surpassed $135 per barrel last week to mark a record high and, for many experts, they may head to $200 per barrel in the current climate.

Soros noted that the weak dollar, ebbıng Middle East supply concerns and soaring Chinese demand partly explain the increase. But a significant effect comes from speculation, he added.

Although he was concerned about the future of oil, Soros claimed the oil bubble would burst if the US and Britain fell into a recession, after which prices could fall dramatically. "You can also anticipate that [the bubble] will eventually correct but that is unlikely to happen before the recession actually reduces the demand," he said, adding, "The rise in the price of oil and food is going to weigh and aggravate the recession."

Soros expressed his worries about the British economy as well. Britain is facing its worst economic storm in living memory, dwarfing those of the 1970s and early 1990s, with a housing slump and a serious recession, he noted.

"The dislocations will be greater [than in the 1970s] because you also have the implications of the house price decline, which you didn't have in the 1970s," he said. The warning undermines predictions that Britain will suffer only a brief and relatively painless recession, unlike the precipitous dives of previous years, the newspaper commented.

Soros also emphasized that a recent inflation report by the Bank of England represented a "Faustian pact," obliging it to keep interest rates high to control inflation, even as the economy is starting to slump. "You had the nice decade," he said. "Now that is over and you are in a straitjacket."

Be careful what you wish for.

I believe its easier to teach a dog a new trick than it is to try to put some knowledge in some of you guys heads....Do you honestly think high cost of living is only a problem in Belize. I thought you said you had cable.....and if you do then you better call your cable company because you obviously are not getting some very important channels. Any one out there who believes that a government with only 3 years in term can not only solve the world food crises but take us out of all the shit the previous administration got us in.....well you better stop living in fairy land and come back to reality. When someone speaks like that you can clearly see they are just an uninformed blabber mouth.....At least do some research before you publicly utter nonsense. Its best to be quiet and let everyone think your a fool than to open your mouth and let everyone KNOW your a fool. Or do you think Mr. Barrow has a golden magic wand that he can just wave and all the problems will be solved. No....definitely not that....this is something we all have to work towards.........we can't sit back and think that the elected members of the house can do this on their own...........

Seems you havent noticed but we all know the prices of fuel in the U.S. We got cable t.v as well. So please stop updating us with prices as if to try and convince and justify the rass and incompetence of the new govenment is due to the high prices in Alaska...hahahaha

Suddenly history has dicated the everything is going up right? Except when the PUP's where in goverment?? haahhahahahahaah you dah wah real dump ass kissing hole. Now this fool wah tell weh its a global problem. News Flash Ras Koncas.....finally you realize its a global problem. Go smoke some more horse shit

The oil companies are responsible for the high cost of living and food crisis around the world...yes including Belize. All of it is intertwined. Quarter after quarter and year after year all the worlds leading oil companies have record rise in profits but yet the cost oil gas and diesel and natural gases seem to go up every month. It seems as if there is nothing our government or any government can do about the cost of oil going up. The oil companies are the evil behind this. It is like they have the world held at ran some. Whenever the cost of oil goes up.....the greeter the need becomes for an alternative source of "safer burning fuel"....ethanol......green energy....Ethanol is being produced on large scale from sugar cane and corn. A new industry with a high demand for raw materials. Now most business men are in the business of making money rather that making the general public happy (they just pretend to do). Now if a farmer who knows he can get more money for an acre of corn that he plants when compared to an acre of rice or wheat....then its just practical that he would want to make more money for his labor. So as thousands and thousands of farmers turn to the planting of corn or sugar cane for ethanol production the less the cultivation of crops for human consumption becomes. Wheat, rice and other grains gets produced less. Corn is being used for ethanol production therefore there is none for making animal feed. Do you see now what I mean by it is all intertwined. As long as the world governments continue to allow the large oil companies to rape us.....the longer we are going to stay hunger and suffer. Therefore don't blame our local government for issues that are affecting every corner of the World. What we Belizeans now need to do is make good out of all this. Work the land! We have enough land in Belize to produce food for all our neighboring countries and still have enough to feed ourselves. The wall street journal predicts that "there is money in agriculture right now".....We have the land........

look at this article from the associated press. America can't seem to solve the oil crisis and rising food costs....BUT I'M SURE JOHNNY BRICENO AND THE PUP HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS RIGHT ARMAGEDDON??????

hahahahahahahahaha

AP
Gas hits national average of $4 for first time
Sunday June 8, 12:06 pm ET
Gasoline prices hit national average of $4 for first time, expected to go higher

NEW YORK (AP) -- Drivers are paying an average of $4 for a gallon of gasoline for the first time. AAA and the Oil Price Information Service say the national average price for a gallon of regular gas rose to $4.005 overnight from $3.988. But consumers in many parts of the country have already been paying well above that price for some time.

Gas is expected to keep climbing, putting greater pressure on consumers and businesses, because the price of oil is soaring in futures markets. Light, sweet crude shot up nearly $11 a barrel Friday and approached $140 for the first time.

Along with higher fuel costs, consumers are also contending with higher prices for food and other goods because of rising transportation costs.

Fuck You, Have A Nice Day.

From ever since ---30's , 40's , 50's....90's etc people been complaining all over the world that things hard, things dread, this haad out yah. It is what it is....there ain't no lowering the cost of living when our goods and services are provided by foreigners. For example...the rising fuel cost influences the rising cost for shipping by ships bringing in the goods. Then we pay our import duties...then everyone adds some profit ....then truckers delivering our goods over the country needs to add some shipping too. So what you are experiencing....the 25cents, 50 cents. etc rise in cost is the added cost of shipping due to fuel cost. As for electricity and phone rates being reduced lawd knows what will become of us. All this government can do is stabilize costs and create new opportunities for businesses, those seeking jobs, and investors. If u think gas gwen to $9, rice to 75cents, sugar for 35 cents, and flour for 55 cents like it used to be when u mi young then u the fucking fool yourself. What i can't understand it why after 100 and change days u want to see the country change and do a complete 360 degrees turn around and PUP had 10 years or 3,650 days and didn't lower the cost of living. Bitch and moan all u want...UDP has been elected for 5 years and if after the 5 years people are pissed off then democratically we will remove them from office....as simple as that.

Fuck You, Have A Nice Day.

I am asking you, Ras Koncas, cause you seem to be the know it all man when it comes to the current administration - What is GOB plans on lowering cost of living?

I read The Reporter and i see nothing in there, maybe i missed it, so please educate me............ and the rest of Belize.

Be careful what you wish for.

Current State Averages: Click on state for detailed information
*Prices Are In US Dollars Per Gallon.

http://www.fuelgaugereport.com/sbsavg.asp

State Regular Mid Premium Diesel
Alaska $4.299 $4.549 $4.809 $4.864
Alabama $3.855 $4.121 $4.244 $4.674
Arkansas $3.821 $4.031 $4.287 $4.663
Arizona $3.953 $4.123 $4.361 $4.775
California $4.398 $4.682 $4.759 $5.090
Colorado $3.932 $4.206 $4.394 $4.702
Connecticut $4.269 $4.633 $4.754 $4.975
District of Columbia $4.049 $4.312 $4.441 $4.850
Delaware $3.974 $4.222 $4.407 $4.829
Florida $3.963 $4.294 $4.373 $4.762
Georgia $3.945 $4.241 $4.429 $4.738
Hawaii $4.171 $4.411 $4.494 $5.088
Iowa $3.859 $4.063 $4.258 $4.643
Idaho $3.976 $4.196 $4.312 $4.788
Illinois $4.103 $4.414 $4.551 $4.786
Indiana $3.958 $4.258 $4.378 $4.776
Kansas $3.857 $3.960 $4.114 $4.666
Kentucky $3.908 $4.191 $4.381 $4.629
Louisiana $3.872 $4.128 $4.320 $4.651
Massachusetts $3.990 $4.290 $4.453 $4.877
Maryland $3.965 $4.216 $4.322 $4.793
Maine $3.997 $4.312 $4.433 $4.830
Michigan $4.016 $4.253 $4.424 $4.800
Minnesota $3.842 $3.996 $4.100 $4.637
Missouri $3.788 $3.942 $4.173 $4.576
Mississippi $3.828 $4.037 $4.219 $4.617
Montana $3.933 $4.101 $4.299 $4.626
North Carolina $3.920 $4.160 $4.343 $4.699
North Dakota $3.935 $4.071 $4.217 $4.633
Nebraska $3.923 $4.010 $4.122 $4.641
New Hampshire $3.934 $4.261 $4.413 $4.772
New Jersey $3.879 $4.160 $4.317 $4.756
New Mexico $3.901 $4.155 $4.334 $4.734
Nevada $4.092 $4.313 $4.470 $4.839
New York $4.183 $4.475 $4.570 $5.091
Ohio $3.925 $4.185 $4.353 $4.708
Oklahoma $3.805 $3.934 $4.153 $4.540
Oregon $4.156 $4.385 $4.451 $4.789
Pennsylvania $3.980 $4.196 $4.381 $4.915
Rhode Island $4.035 $4.293 $4.435 $4.922
South Carolina $3.787 $4.027 $4.222 $4.604
South Dakota $3.936 $4.188 $4.360 $4.648
Tennessee $3.830 $4.054 $4.248 $4.624
Texas $3.852 $4.075 $4.222 $4.664
Utah $3.961 $4.178 $4.360 $4.786
Virginia $3.892 $4.083 $4.240 $4.684
Vermont $3.965 $4.266 $4.451 $4.902
Washington $4.205 $4.356 $4.573 $4.900
Wisconsin $3.970 $4.122 $4.312 $4.725
West Virginia $4.046 $4.230 $4.442 $4.833
Wyoming $3.854 $4.018 $4.280 $4.636

Fuck You, Have A Nice Day.

US gasoline prices are expected to cost almost $5 US by July 4th. Look at the average price of gasoline in the US:

http://www.fuelgaugereport.com/

National Unleaded Average

Regular Mid Premium Diesel
Current Avg. $3.986 $4.232 $4.384 $4.760
Yesterday Avg. $3.989 $4.236 $4.387 $4.770
Month Ago Avg. $3.618 $3.842 $3.981 $4.242
Year Ago Avg. $3.131 $3.324 $3.445 $2.905

V-Power Shell gasoline can be found for a minimum of US $4.09/gal in SOME states. Look at the price of oil as of yesterday US $150 per barrel !

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080607/ap_on_bi_ge/oil_prices

.....of course armageddon will more than likely blame UDP.

Fuck You, Have A Nice Day.

As soon as i see the word "truth" up there i get suspicious. People that herald "truth" are usually completely biased. This is because they pretend to know everything about an issue and are therefore unwilling to consider situations outside their conceptual framework.

An example of this might be the Belize Times which is completely biased and has the word "truth" blazoned about its motto (though it does not claim the paper itself wields that truth, just that there is a truth out there that can make you free).

I doubt we need to pay attention to this particular interpretation US concerns however.

the issue of peak oil and the reliance on developing 'better' more efficient extraction technology is based on Grand Narratives of progress which contain their own teleological. Therefore, while they laugh off 'peak-oil' as the fantasy of faithless environmentalists etc., they promote an unsustainable and quintessentially American thesis, "more production...grow...increase...etc.". Indeed, while efficiency is mentioned in the last paragraph it ends on the note of 'we can do better'. The entire article is marred by these glaring ideological biases.

MYTH NO. 1:
GAS STATIONS ARE GOUGING CONSUMERS.
REALITY: If consumers are getting gouged, then gas station owners are being impaled. When gasoline prices spike, as they have in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, windfall profits rarely accrue to gas station owners. Kim Do, owner of a Coast station in Pleasanton, Calif., reports that in the immediate aftermath of the storm, she lost 8 to 10 cents on every gallon of gas she sold. "Customers are very angry—they call my prices a rip-off," Do says. "I tell them, 'I'm just like you.'" In fact, because retail prices are stickier than wholesale ones, gas stations make the fattest profits when prices are falling—a point made in a recent study by Berkeley economist Severin Borenstein.

Pumping gasoline is a dog-eat-dog business even when prices are normal, especially with Costco and Wal-Mart now muscling in. Low profit margins on gas are why so many gas stations double as convenience stores. "The objective is to get you to fill up on coffee, not gasoline," quips Gene Guilford, director of the Independent Connecticut Petroleum Association (ICPA).

Those low margins can turn into no margins when there's a sudden rise in gas prices. Metropolitan service stations don't have much inventory stored in their underground tanks. That means they're buying gasoline from wholesalers at least once a day and are just as vulnerable as their customers to rising prices. What's more, most independent stations can't pass along all their costs because they compete with the likes of Chevron and Valero, which do have large inventories of lower-priced gasoline by virtue of being big refiners (see "The Soul of a Moneymaking Machine"). During price spikes, the majors use this advantage to underprice fuel, relatively speaking, in hope of gaining market share. In Connecticut, for instance, the ICPA figures the retail price of gasoline should have been $3.31 cents a gallon on Sept. 7, adding up all the taxes and costs. But the actual retail average was $3.08. No matter: On Sept. 8, Connecticut attorney general Richard Blumenthal announced he was looking into price gouging by gas stations.

What about Big Oil? Aren't the giants guzzling profits? Sure, but there is nothing sinister about that—no cabal of cigar-chomping oil barons plotting how to squeeze the world for their evil ends. Yes, a few crooked traders were able to game the California energy markets for a time in 2001. But in a market as big and wide-open as oil, there are thousands of traders all over the world making the action. Unlike California power prior to the crisis, oil is a freely traded commodity. The markets, not the magnates, set the price.

MYTH NO. 2:
HEDGE FUNDS ARE INFLATING THE PRICE OF OIL.
REALITY: No, it's the Trilateral Commission in cahoots with the World Bank. Just kidding. Still, even many sophisticated people believe that hedge funds are driving up prices. Sean Cota, a Vermont heating-oil dealer who sits on the executive committee of the Petroleum Marketers Association of America, points out that average daily trading volumes in NYMEX crude oil and heating oil futures have risen dramatically—61% and 36%, respectively—since 2000. When the trading volume of oil grossly exceeds consumption, he argues, that is a sign that hot money is firing up the market. "Prices are now being set by fear and greed, not by supply and demand," he concludes. His estimate: At least $20 of the current $65 price of oil is a byproduct of speculation by hedge funds and investment banks. Germany's Economy Minister, Wolfgang Clement, recently put the figure at $18, a sentiment echoed by Chancellor Gerhard Schröder.

That is not, however, an accurate reading of how financial markets operate. Take Cota's concerns about excessive trading volumes. Futures trading in all commodities far surpasses the amount consumed by end users. And according to NYMEX, hedge funds account for less than 3% of volume in oil futures (a figure Cota disputes). In any case, basic market theory states that high volume leads to more, not less, efficient pricing. That's why thinly traded stocks tend to be more volatile—and vulnerable to manipulation—than heavily traded names like Microsoft or GE.

"People make these kinds of arguments because they have their own ideas about where prices should be," says Stephen Figlewski, a finance professor at New York University's Stern School of Business and founding editor of the Journal of Derivatives. "Oil producers think prices should be high, and oil consumers think they should be low. But if the price isn't where they want it, the one thing they all agree on is that it must be someone else's fault." The truth is that emotion—fear of dwindling supply—drives oil prices harder than speculation ever will.

Even if speculators were dominating trading of oil and gas futures, it's still not clear that would lead to higher prices. Futures require two to tango. A hedge fund cannot purchase a contract to buy oil at $65 a barrel in November if someone else isn't prepared to take the bearish side of that bet. That someone else can be an oil company looking to offset some risk or another hedge fund looking to profit from falling fuel prices. Data from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission show that the week before Katrina sidelined much of the Gulf oil industry, 14% of all short, or bearish, positions on crude oil were held by "noncommercial traders"—a subset that includes hedge funds and banks. This same group held only a slightly larger share—16%—of long, or bullish, positions. "For every hedge fund that's made money, I know a lot that have lost money," says Morgan Stanley chief economist Stephen Roach.

Still dubious? Consider this: The average hedge fund has gained only 2.1% year so far this year. The average managed futures fund (the type most likely to invest in oil) has actually lost money, dropping 6.6%. Why? Because many have been shorting oil, according to Merrill Lynch hedge fund analyst Mary Ann Bartels. So if hedge funds really are driving up oil prices, they're doing a lousy job of profiting from it.

MYTH NO. 3:
WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF OIL.
REALITY: This one is true. Sort of. Unlike wind or water, oil is not a renewable resource. So by definition we're using it up, in the same way that we are all dying all the time. The real question is, When will it become impossible (or impossibly expensive) to recover enough to meet demand? Answering that question is not easy. New discoveries and new drilling technologies have transformed the science of exploration, which is why global reserves have doubled since 1980 (to 1.3 trillion barrels) even as consumption has soared.

There's no shortage of oil experts, however, who say that the industry cannot keep up the pace, and that the age of ever-expanding reserves is over. These "peak oil" theorists argue that we need to prepare for an era in which supply trails demand, particularly given the fast-growing needs of China and India. The guru of the peak-oil set—and author of its latest manifesto—is Matt Simmons. A leading energy banker in Houston, Simmons spent years poring over oilfield engineering reports and concluded that some of the world's most important fields are thinning out. "I believe the Middle East has no spare capacity," he says. He's even more pessimistic about some newer fields like those in Russia and the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

Simmons is no kook—his book on the subject, Twilight in the Desert, is a must-read in energy circles. But there is a Chicken Little aspect to the peak-oil viewpoint. There have been a dozen or so oil shocks over the past 60 years—all replete with handwringing over in-the-ground reserves—and cheaper oil has returned each time. "The one thing I've learned," says Roach, "is that oil is a mean-reverting commodity." This time around, Roach expects high fuel prices to dent consumption—he's predicting a downturn in travel and other discretionary spending—while spurring oil companies to dig deeper and farther afield for oil.

The analysts at Cambridge Energy Research Associates have done their own painstaking global survey of oil production, and they couldn't disagree with Simmons more. In their view, production could rise 16 million barrels a day by 2010, leaving a comfortable gap between supply and demand.

The real problem with the peak-oil argument has less to do with engineering than with philosophy. It lacks imagination. Thirty years ago few thought it would be possible to produce price-competitive oil from Canadian oil sands. Today the cost of producing that oil is about $20 a barrel and is still falling (see "The Dark Magic of Oil Sands"). Similarly, you can't rule out the idea that today's speculative energy technologies (see "Here Come the New Fuels") will become cost-efficient by the time Middle East oil production starts to wane. "The peak-oil argument underestimates the potential for technological progress," says Economy.com's Thorsten Fischer, who expects oil to fall to about $40 a barrel by next year. Simmons thinks prices could triple by 2010.

Peak-oil theory also overlooks alternative explanations for why oil exploration hasn't been terribly fruitful in recent years. It may be that there is oil to be found, but investors haven't given oil companies the requisite incentives to find it. Blame the dot-com boom. Having been burned by accounting cheats and profitless wonders, post-2000 investors demanded cash flow, dividends, and stock buybacks. So despite booming profits and revenues, Exxon Mobil spent less on capital and exploration in 2004 than in 2003. And the $11.7 billion figure for 2004 was $3 billion less than the company earmarked for dividends and buybacks. Of course, $65 oil has a way of changing priorities. After years of stagnation, drilling-rig counts have soared 36% since April 2004. There are 2,895 active rigs worldwide, according to Baker Hughes, the most since 1986.

MYTH NO. 4:
THE U.S. IS RUNNING OUT OF REFINING CAPACITY.
REALITY: So what? It's fair to say that in recent months supply has been straining to meet demand and that U.S. refineries had to work flat-out just to convert enough crude into gas to keep the pumps filled. Then Katrina came, knocking out 20% of the industry. But America's struggle to ramp up capacity—we haven't built a new refinery in 30 years, though many existing ones have expanded—does not mean doom. There are many products that the U.S. happily consumes in which we are not self-sufficient—think kiwi fruit or funny T-shirts.

The U.S. should easily be able to import gasoline and other refined petroleum products from India, the Caribbean, South America, and other places where labor costs, NIMBYism, and environmental regulations don't cripple new construction. The Department of Energy projects that worldwide refining capacity will increase 61% over the next 20 years. Says Fischer: "There's little reason to build a new refinery in the U.S. if you can do it faster and cheaper overseas." And while not all overseas refineries can produce gasoline that meets our environmental standards, who doesn't want to sell into the U.S. market? New plants will be, and already are, designed to meet American requirements. Finally, if oil companies don't want to build, their customers may beat them to it: In mid-September, Virgin Group founder Richard Branson announced plans for a $2 billion refinery that will help his airline defray the high cost of jet fuel.

MYTH NO. 5:
THE GOVERNMENT MUST INTERVENE TO BRING DOWN ENERGY PRICES.
REALITY: Nooooo! The last time the U.S. went down that road, in the 1970s, the end result was gas lines, shortages—and little change in prices. But evidently they don't teach much history in politician school anymore—a frightening number of elected officials seem ready to re-embrace price controls. U.S. Senators Carl Levin (D-Michigan) and Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) want to give President Bush the power to set gasoline prices. In Massachusetts, secretary of state William Galvin has proposed a moratorium on natural-gas price increases. Hawaii's Republican governor has signed a law imposing limited price controls on gas; it will be interesting to see how much gas is left for the state to control.

A confidence-boosting release of some crude from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve might help to calm tempers, but all in all, the best thing the U.S. can do to bring down oil prices is—nothing. Ask yourself, Which is more likely to deliver cheaper oil: bureaucratic controls or all those new drilling rigs that went up only because of the incentive provided by high prices?

Of course, "I did nothing!" won't fly as a campaign slogan. And in fact, there are things the U.S. could be doing to treat our oil addiction. Because here's another uncomfortable truth: The U.S. now imports almost 60% of the oil it consumes each year, and that figure will only grow. One unfortunate result: Prickly characters like Hugo Chavez have us over a metaphorical barrel .

For starters, Congress could raise fuel-efficiency standards for cars. Even a 10% improvement would save the equivalent of two million barrels a day by 2025—more than we now import from Saudi Arabia or Venezuela. We could reverse policies that encourage consumption, like the absurd tax incentives for small businesses to buy pickups and SUVs. We could ease some of the moratoriums on domestic oil and gas exploration. We could think harder about how to diversify supply; displace oil from uses not associated with transportation; and kick-start, through the wise use of market incentives, the journey toward a future beyond oil.

Years of relatively cheap oil—and low gasoline taxes—have allowed the U.S. to get away with being extraordinarily inefficient in our use of energy; we don't get nearly as much economic activity out of a barrel as our economic peers. The U.S. will never be self-sufficient in oil, even if we pave Alaska and drain the Gulf. But we can, and should, get more for our oil bucks. The U.S. is vulnerable to oil tremblors like the kind we are experiencing now because we have made a series of decisions—about taxes, subsidies, housing, transport, lifestyles—that have led precisely to this point. With the Gulf still damp from Katrina, it's time to ask if we can do it better.

Feedback jbirger@fortunemail.com

Be careful what you wish for.

that in some areas the chiney man the charge $4 a lb for chicken. I thought GOB put a price fix on goods. Isn't this illegal what these chiney doing?

Be careful what you wish for.

...guys!!!...Why all d nameCALLING & fussing between U guys???...Pick it up and keep it on an ISSUE level penGUINO...& u 2 ARMA-G!!!

One of d things that USAID stood by in terms of tracking d USEFULNESS of its MATERIEL & FINANCIAL largesses 2 POOR countRIES in d '80s & '90s was d use of LOGICAL FRAMEWORK...This analytical TOOL had ONE component that i believe would go a long way in perhaps assauging d edgySCEPTICISM of ARMA-G is an "ASSUMPTIONS" conTEXT...Thus as one fills out columns on d purpose & objectives & activities & resources in d MATRIX in relation 2 some PROJECT, these r tempered by assUMPTIONS in d last/rightmost column...So 4 xmple when honDOB/cmndrZERO spoke about lowering d COST of LIVING in d run up 2 superTHURSDAY, it had 2 b predicated on d assUMTION that d price of OIL would NOT have been at US$130/barrel and of course all d permutations associated with that in terms of d scarcities and skyrocketing prices 4 consumer GOODS & SERVICES!!!

Point next time I guen call you fu go fishin.

"Drink Up, Smoke Up, Juk Up...nothing else really matters"

you can keep up this on your own. I think i already sunk enough. Ta Ta.

Mr. Prime Minister you asked for the job, you got it. Now, deal with it!

Hog whey ball, da he get lick.

Your right 'Reaper Smurf.

I love the UDP
Said nuh liad
Ralph nuh thief
You da nuh Charlie
Hitler was a humanitarian
George W is the greatest US president
the moon is made out of cheese
etc...

"Drink Up, Smoke Up, Juk Up...nothing else really matters"

you making this personal, it seems that someone in PUP done you real wrong, or are you just the jealous type. Don't worry baby you got 5 years to thief your share, cause as far as you concern UDP are saints, but hey to each his own.

It shows how low you will sink, on personally attacking people's mothers and shit, and you call yourself intelligent my friend, you nothing but a common pre-school girl who get vex cause they bax your cookie out your hands.

But, keep up the personal attacks, don't use me to be calling other people's name in public, you have a problem with someone confront them face to face and stop act like a little girl.

Mr. Prime Minister you asked for the job, you got it. Now, deal with it!

she "passed" at least one asshole.

Do you prefer? (Get it, blue and white like you)

"Drink Up, Smoke Up, Juk Up...nothing else really matters"

my mom has passed asshole, maybe i could kiss your mom on the mouth.

Mr. Prime Minister you asked for the job, you got it. Now, deal with it!

Need i say more?...

"Drink Up, Smoke Up, Juk Up...nothing else really matters"

supposed to be prejudice, maybe I do have a problem with that fry chicken selling, rice eating, slanty eyed motherfucker.

"Drink Up, Smoke Up, Juk Up...nothing else really matters"

but it seems you have a personal problem with Mr. Charlie.

Mr. Prime Minister you asked for the job, you got it. Now, deal with it!

difficult to have a rational discussion with an idiot.

Charlie, you nuh gat some land fu go thief?

A cunt and an asswipe, geez, do you kiss your mom with that mouth?

"Drink Up, Smoke Up, Juk Up...nothing else really matters"

you simply dismiss someone's comment because they stepped on your widdle toes.

Mr. Prime Minister you asked for the job, you got it. Now, deal with it!

...i BELIEVE d issue of d HIGH COST of SOLAR TECH is a valid one that would impact/impeded the adoption and use of said OPTION by johnQpublic, however from d GLASS halfFULL perspective the VIABILITY of SOLAR 4 bze would conceptually rest on going after d leastCOST options...ONE of d FIRST things that struck me on my sojourn 2 ISRAEL in d late '80s was that every roof top had some sort of SOLAR apparatus...AND i use d term 'apparatus' because much of its was not SOLAR PANELS in d sense of myraid GLASS CUBICLES typical of CLASSICAL solar panel CONST...Much of what were on those roof tops were BLACK tarPAPER slabs overlaying a fine network of miniPLUMBING that were functionally for HEATING water as opposed to conVERTING photicENERGY 2 electricalENERGY...The point is that there could b a INCREMENTAL approach DRIVEN by PUBLIC POLICY where citizens r encouraged 2 SAVE energy by adopting this waterHEATING TECH widely used by d ISRAELI in eretzISRAEL!!!

This of course would only b ONE of a SUITE of measures that would need 2 b adopted 2 cut stanMARSHALL down 2 size!!!

I believe GOB should alleviate the 10% GST on our electricity bill, well at least for private house holds, that would be some cash in poor people's pocket by the end of each month, but then again the GST is only added if you use $150 worth of electricity or more.

We have the technology to feed all the people on this planet and create enough power for this planet for millenniums, but unfortunately the planet is being run and managed by multinational corporations that is in business to make a profit, energy independents will somewhat, in my opinion, have to be boiled down to individual self-sufficiency, if more and more people start becoming self-sufficient then the corporations bottom line will feel the pinch and they will make these, for example solar technology, become more affordable for they will want to make a profit instead of just fading out.

The technology is there, but these corporations simply cant introduce these techonologies until it is the right time, remember folks these guys have think tanks and master marketing gurus behind them, they know what they are doing - for example people actually think Y2K was an oversight, that was implanted to make a huge amount of money in one swipe.

Anyways, people need to start tearing of the corporations tits and start fending for ourselves.

Mr. Prime Minister you asked for the job, you got it. Now, deal with it!

the 30 year old Brazilian bio-fuel model?

On like the US model, which is based on corn and has lead to the increase of food prices, the Brazilians use sugarcane. Brazil is now fully energy self-sustained with over 300 bioethanol plants. Their bio-fuel process transforms the sugarcane into sugar, bioethanol, and electricity—the process leaves nothing for waste. They are also beginning to combine bioethanol and biodiesel to fossil fuels to extend traditional fuel supplies. This year, over 90% of all new cars sold in Brazil will be flex-fuel capable.

We have an established sugar cane industry with existing infrastructure, so our learning curb may not be too steep.

"Drink Up, Smoke Up, Juk Up...nothing else really matters"

fucked in the front:
the cost of solar technology is still high mainly because of demand in Europe especially Germany. Prices are dropping but probably not quickly.
cost of solar panels:

here is an article on it:
http://www.ecogeek.org/content/view/1704/

fucked in the back:
Continue to pay BEL until solar is truly affordable to the people that need it most and then pay for the panels.

Either option will probably cost the same but the first option helps the enviroment, empowers us and 'sticks it to the man'.

to have a rational discussion with an idiot.

"Drink Up, Smoke Up, Juk Up...nothing else really matters"

There are persons inside Belize attempting to illustrate the benefits and practicalities of Solar Power. These people seem to think that if enough people decide on their own to use solar power, larger and larger groups will educate themselves and sign on as well.

In theory i agree completely. However, probably only 10% of the population would feel financially secure enough to venture on what (for them) is an experiment. The modified diesel trucks and cars that i have seen in Belize running on vegetable oil are a more forceful move--it demonstrates easily, clearly and practically the benefits and possibilities and choices we all have. With a diversity of options and innovations more and more people will see these options as the viable alternatives they are and be brave enough to venture capital.

As for the rest....parasites realise they will go down with the host.

all that shit, they put the GST back on the BEL Bills

simply showing a ridiculous typo then i think i just found someone dumber than I - you!

If you dont have a useful comment to make other than pointing out a typo, then shut the fuck up, but then again, koncas should give you the job to go through its forum checking people's typo.

Mr. Prime Minister you asked for the job, you got it. Now, deal with it!

...that ONE can meaningfully discuss d SOLn 2 d HIGH COST of POWER in BZE without some conCEPTUAL frame of reference...In that regard i would say that d THREE most significant preREQUISITES r goodGOVERNANCE 2 b factored into d EQUATn, as well as d need 2 broaden d dissCUSSion beyond d PUBLIC GRID/stanMARSHALL talkingPOINTS 2 d larger issue of ENERGY USE in general, which would eclypse d high FUEL PRICE scenario at d PUMP that would drive d PRODn cost of agric & manufacturing industries 2 CRISIS proportions...OF course d THIRD concern would b 2 MARRY d whole energy DEBATE 2 d DEVELOPMENT equatn...In other words d discourse 2 fix d stanMARSHALL conUNDRUM and 2 depart from d SERIAL blameGAME of 'it was d PUP dat did it' cannot occurr in a vacuum, it needs 2 b referenced 2 some VALUE or some JOURNEY that d NATION wants 2 take!!!

This idea of harryLAWERENCE 2 do a HUGO on Sally & Suzy is assININE at best...It would create MORE problems than it solves!!!...It would in a WORD not sit well with d MANIFEST DESTINY ambitions/culture of either ghwBUSH or gordonBROWN...AND this is NOT counting MARKET SQUARE...In other words d COSTs would far outWEIGH d BENEFITs of doing it!!!

Apart from d geoPOLITICAL pickle it would create, d APORTIONING of d Sally & Suzy spanishLOOKOUT goldMINE by d GOB would just not make 4 a good mix of publiCONSCIENCE and fairPLAY that would b conSISTENT with d principles of goodGOVERNANCE...The necessity of goodGOVERNANCE in d equatn is relevant in guaranteeing that d publicTRUST would not b breached and that WE would not end up with another STAN MARSHALL situatn!

Broadening d discussion 2 d larger PIC of ENERGY as opposed 2 publicGENERATED electricity does TWO things...FIRSTLY it brings into FOCUS d need 2 consider ALL of d OPTIONS 4 electricity generation and distribution...The SECOND thing is that it brings into focus d outlying issues of PUMP PRICE and TRANSPORTATION COST which needs 2 b UNIFIED into WHOLE...they r BOTH a part of d overall ENERGY whole, which of course has STRATEGIC implications...The whole COST of PRODn and COST of SERVICES would also FIT under this WHOLE which is of course COMMON 2 d ECONOMY of d country...and whihc of course brings us 2 d DEVELOPMENT pic!!!

Unless there is a DEVELOPMENT context within which 2 frame d ENERGY discourse, it would in principle take place in a vacuum...Thus 4 exple d priorities 4 d GOB r exportORIENTED agric & light manufacturing industries and tourism, it stands 2 reason that it would b in d STRATEGIC INTEREST of d Country 2 ACCESS/DEV leastCOST sources of ENERGY...THis would of course bring in its wake d exploration of sources such as bioMASS, wind & solar energy, as well as hydro...The use of technologies 2 utilize the heavyFACTION of unrefined OIL prod in Bze also needs 2 b one of d options if indeed it can b done competitively...Thus it is not so much d need NOT 2 consider d part of mrLAWERENCES recc 2 use d spanishLOOKOUT oil as much as d need 2 recognize that these issues need a whole lot of analysis and though...and that all potential SOURCES would need 2 be XAMN in d process!!!

Putting our engergy future is oil is just putting a ticketing time bomb to our kids futures. Oil is finite it will run out then what? Grep has the right of it Germany is build large scale windfarms, and solar farms, they subsidise consumers to do the same. We are always gonna have sunlight without it we die so it doesn't matter, so why not push that as our long term soultion.

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, pee in it, and serve it to the people that piss you off. And supa-fly koncas has some fries if you want some! (No ideal what he might have done with them though :)

AG your agruements and conclusions are weak.

And stop lying, I find it hard to believe that you found someone dumber than you to bet with... That's way your typing gave you away (one vs won).

"Drink Up, Smoke Up, Juk Up...nothing else really matters"

I think we are focusing too much on oil. Yes, I agree we should be getting more economic gains from it, however, we are leap years behind. Lets look at alternative energy sources. That is the future. Industralised countries like US,UK,France,Germany(especially France and Germany) are turning their focus on alternative energy sources because we are experiencing first-hand what the over-dependence on oil causes.

By Harry Lawrence - Publisher

There is a way to solve Belize’s electric energy problems without bringing the country to grief. But it isn’t easy and it isn’t cheap! It is for the Government of Belize to nationalize BECOL - the ydroelectric supplier to Belize. BECOL would have to be compensated, of course, at fair market value.

Taking control of BECOL would accomplish three key objectives.

1. It would put Belizeans in charge of a key Belizean resource which influences and controls the future industrial development of Belize.

2. It would shield Belizean industry and consumers against run-away prices and exploitation.

3. It would correct the egregious mistake of the past which gave to Fortis a carte blanche mandate to exploit Belize for 40 years with a government- approved 15 percent profit guarantee.

Taking over BECOL would not of itself solve the energy problem. In addition, the government needs to acquire at least four large Wartsila generators capable of running on Belizean sweet crude. These generators are to be strategically placed in areas high enough to avoid wave and flood damage - one in Orange Walk, one in San Ignacio, one in Belmopan and one in Pomona Valley.

The Bowen Group plant in Big Creek should take care of Toledo’s needs. With a set-up such as this, Belize could still maintain a link with Mexico for emergencies, but she would be comfortable enough to contemplate power-intensive projects such as a cement factory (we have all the other raw materials) and a petroleum refinery.

Belize has a ten percent claim to crude oil production, so instead of selling that off on the world market, we should keep it to fuel the new Wartsilas.

In a world of fuel starved resources, Belize can position itself to attract new industries and new jobs by providing plentiful electricity that will not cost an arm and a leg.

We will not go into the justification for nationalization at this time, but Belize can make a strong case, especially if it finds that BECOL has been working with politicians to give them a share in the company in return for favourable concessions which hurt Belizeans.

At the annual general meeting of Belize Electricity Limited earlier this month, Mr. Stanley Marshall made the comment that Belize had become the most frustrating of all the Fortis investments.

Whereas before we were the most obliging and accommodating of clients, we have now, in recent months, become the most aggravating and troublesome.

Mr. Stanley Marshall in his speech as the annual general meeting of BEL came across as bullying and arrogant. He wants to lay down the law, even though Belize has through its PUC been following the letter and spirit of the law.

Belizeans turned against Mr. Marshall when they learned that he had secured a loan from one of his subsidiaries in the Caribbean at 15 percent interest, to be applied to BEL. Fifteen percent is more than twice the prevailing rate for this kind of loan in Canada and the United States. So how does Mr. Marshall justify that kind of manipulation?

Mr. Marshall has clearly outstayed his welcome in Belize. It may be time for him to go!

Mr. Prime Minister you asked for the job, you got it. Now, deal with it!

BTW people, Belizean Babes have been inactive for a loooooooooooong time, i have access and most of the pics on there has been seen on koncas in the early days, lone silly ras pics of girls doing pretty much nothing. BUT, they are still fun to watch, i know several of them from Pan, West and City.

If John Doe still reads this site please man i know there are tons of pics you holding out on us, post them o.k. dude. Or, send it out to your user list, that would work too.

Thanks Guys you made my week - Ras Koncas and Road Fly kudos.

Mr. Prime Minister you asked for the job, you got it. Now, deal with it!

The fuckers are coming out the wood work defending UDP to the soul.

Just wanted people on this forum see that you motherfuckers are panya matchet.

Thanks for proving my theory, i just one $100 bucks, thats my drink money for the weekend.

OK back to Belizean Babes for a little fun, already had fun fucking with you UDP fanatics. LOL. God you are even more pathetic than a potlicker Ras Koncas, i am glad you prove to me and whoever else read this site (if there is actually more than a dozen) that you and the UDP are pieces of shit who care nothing about Belize, your attitude dude is twisted.

Mr. Prime Minister you asked for the job, you got it. Now, deal with it!

comments. It is useful to know what the warped political fanatics amongst us think.

The passage of time, or lack there of, does not seem to mean anything to him.

Rational people understand that it is too premature to pass decisive judgment on the performance of the present GOB.

The question in my mind is what length of time is a good yard stick for their initial report card? And subsequently, at what other intervals should an accessment be made? Obviously, one important interval is at the end of thier term.

After the assessment periods have been determined, we an individually and collectively rate their progress (or lack thereof).

To be a balanced ass-wipe, other than his political views, I find that brother ArmaG can be quite on point in the areas of budgeting and living within one’s means.

It seems that insanity does not conquer all of one’s faculties at once.

"Drink Up, Smoke Up, Juk Up...nothing else really matters"

Calm down!!! I can see that you pup's are still going through the power widrawl syndrome. You guys still can't face the fact that the belizean public asked your party to leave. I love it how you vexer than us!!! The fucking audacity of you and your kind, to rob us blind and then come back as if you even have an input in how things should run.

No quarter for you fuckers!!!!

Now get the fuck out of here before I revoke your membership on koncas , you puto madafucka...

ok I don't have the authority to revoke it but if I did, I would seriously consider it since that internet connection you are using was probably paid for with the people's money. LOL

Armageddon; what about these promises?

go PUP
KEEP BELIZE FREE
Manifesto of the People’s United Party
2003-2008
More Belizeans to benefit from economic growth
More Jobs, Less Taxes for the needy.
Since 1998, the PUP Government has achieved average economic growth of 6.7% per year and lowered the rate of unemployment. We will continue to grow and transform the economy over the next five years, and will ensure that those most in need will benefit from this growth.
We will:
• Ensure the creation of 20,000 more jobs
• Remove sales tax from more basic items and from home phones
• Move towards the abolition of personal income tax
• Abolish property tax on properties valued under $20,000
• Abolish stamp duty on land valued under $5,000
• Abolish stamp fee for government leases
• Further reduce electricity and telephone rates
• Ensure that small local entrepreneurs have the same access to investment incentives as other investors
• Continue the responsible debt management strategy to reduce the debt burden and increase local and foreign investment in the production and services sectors
• Submit any new loans of over $10 million to approval by the House of Representatives
• Further strengthen the tax collection administration
• Direct all future foreign investors away from retail businesses and toward agro-industry and other productive and foreign exchange earning enterprises

i the wonder if u da wah fucking cross dressing faggot now because u on yah posting belize times articles like dionicia and the other PUP girls that like come on yah come post voices of the people lol U still can't tell we which tax went up since UDP buss unu rass. Businesses like brodies and some of the importers finally the pay duties they used to get away without paying under the PUP thats why wi di feel di pinch. Also, it appears that fuel cost is in the transportation of goods is affecting the cost as well....but u know what raise cost more than anything????? Chancey rass chiney and mennonites. The chiney dem raise price ah everything with no good reason and the mennonites the hold we hostage in our own country...so called fucking christians.When this consumer protection thing get in full flow dem fucka wah get di sense because now 1/2% tax on anything raise....so u explain to me why cost of things the go up!!!

Fuck You, Have A Nice Day.

you sound like a fucking broken heart bitch who the get drop lol. my bway hear what....shut the fuck up...lay back and enjoy this ride for 5 years bitch.

Fuck You, Have A Nice Day.

The PUP would be well advised to stop reminding us about wild UDP promises. We don’t give a damn. See, because there is no transparency in the system, the incumbent party gets away with a lot of craziness. For recent example, in their audacious bid to remain in control of the Central Bank vault, the PUP spent money it didn’t have, and started projects it knew it couldn’t finish. Scratch, scratch, the PUP even pull out the old 5% and 8% trick promise to fool the teachers and public servants again…just like they du in 2003. Hee, hee, Ms. Willoughby and Mr. Frazer refuse dehn raise a pay.

The people are very tolerant, lenient with an Opposition fighting against a government abusing the people’s resources to win the people’s vote. The big reason why the VIP party is so strong on campaign financing is because they have seen the way local incumbents do it, an ih noh nice a-taal. Boy, it’s a wonder that an incumbent party ever loses.

Stop fretting yuself about all these extravagant promises you cannot fulfill, Mr. and Miss UDP. There are things in the economics we will hold your hand to the fire to…like getting us a bigger bite out of this oil, and getting the sense into Messrs Ashcroft and Fortis. We will grade you on initiative, and hard work, and creativity in addressing the rise in the cost of living. We will grade you on your work in public transportation, and the delivery of health services. As for the hot air halving the electricity rate, we knew that was just palabras. So we don’t give a damn.

Look, unu PUP, stop waste unu breath about red pie in the sky. The people know exactly what they voted for…and what they voted against.

UDP noh ready

The PUP has called for the government to step up and bring home the windfall tax. To quote from the Belize Times editorial of June 1, How can it take longer than 100 days to figure out that BNE, the oil company pumping thousands of barrels of crude oil every single day at the oil fields in Spanish Lookout, should be paying a windfall tax so as to bring down the $10 per gallon of fuel? Indeed, what is taking the UDP so long?

This government did not hit the ground running, except for carrying out election night promises to try and jail Mr. Coye. This isn’t a serious party. They are very good at criticizing, but we don’t elect a government for that.

This party must be from Mars. I mean, what the hell kind of contractor is this? Take this budget exercise, for example. More than 100 days after the election, these people are still doing their research. You say you can do the job, so we give you the job. Now we find out you didn’t know what the job was. I see now why you people need five whole years. The first year to find out what the job is, the second year to draw up the plans, the fifth year to campaign for re-election. PUP hire. UDP fire…because they don’t do their homework.

Shame on Fisheries Department

Mr. Kenneth Gale from Placencia has thrown some boulders at the Fisheries Department. In a well researched piece in last week’s Reporter (May 25), Mr. Gale slammed the trawlers plying our waters, and this week (June 1) he laid it on heavy again, this time on the use of gill nets. This isn’t the first time that Mr. Gale has vented his anger at the authorities at the Fisheries Department. He is not alone either. Ms. Lisa Carne, a conscious marine biologist from Placencia, has spoken loudly about this craziness in the pages of the Amandala. And so have Amandala’s outstanding Assistant Editor, Ms. Adele Ramos, the dynamic Mr. Wil Maheia, this column, and others.

The Fisheries Department has done, and is perpetrating a great wrong to this nation by allowing trawlers and gill nets in our waters. In defense of their sanction of these types of fishing, they (Fisheries Department) published a study on the effects of trawling in a nation’s waters sometime ago. If I remember correctly (I remember correctly), the study showed a constant decline in shrimp stocks where trawling is allowed. In the incredible opinion of the Fisheries Department, Belize still had a few years before the industry hit rock bottom. Until it did, license for the horrors of the seas.

Whenever this trawling business comes up I remember the UDP 93 to 981/2, and especially Minister Garcia. I have written before that it is my recollection (no one has refuted me) that the two havoc boats belonging to Northern Fishermen’s Cooperative were issued their first licenses from the UDP and Minister Garcia. I remember because Minister Garcia was (is) a Rasta, so it hurt especially. I still love that brother and one of these days when I meet him I will ask him what the hell happened! A Rasta does not issue license to trawlers.

Gill nets mean obliteration of fish species that swim near the surface. Trawlers mean death to corals and bottom dwellers. Trawlers and gill nets destroy the livelihoods of hand line fishermen, the only sustainable type of fishing in the seas.

You know why the Fisheries Department has gotten away with this travesty? It’s because the brain trust at Fisheries, Ms. Wade and Mr. Myvette, ku talk. Yap, these “guys” are smooth, like brother Lynn Young.

I tell you, the field environmentalists and the hand line fishermen think fire and brimstone whenever they see a shrimp boat or a gill net in our waters. But, all of us put together can’t get near the Minister’s ear because of the two sweet talkers, in whose educated eyes all a we put together da fool. Maybe we’d make sense if the University of Belize (Marine Biology Department) and the Department of the Environment weren’t so outrageously quiet on the matter. With them on our side we’d bust those criminal nets and set Belize seas free. Shame, shame on you, Fisheries Department.

Drat, Jamaica again

I bet you felt the old envy in your veins too if you watched Jamaica’s Usain Bolt blow away the world record in the 100 meters this weekend. While our amateur leaders eat the pie (foreign trips), our athletes languish. Of course, the real pain is in football. The FFB gang has no interest in our athletes. As former national football coach, Mr. Palmiro Salas, pointed out, it is a criminal act for a nation to allow a phenomenal talent like Lennox Castillo to waste away for want of a minor operation. But, as long as the “true stars” - the sports administrators of Belize, get their trips abroad, and maintain their hustle…

We have fallen so far under these criminal sports administrators, and politicians that only wish to use sports for gains at the polls, that Jamaica doesn’t even consider us worthy rivals anymore. In respect to athletics, Marion saw us languishing and set aside money to assist in a good track nearly a decade ago. There should be an investigation.

Hey there, welcome to Belize, country that doesn’t invest a blank in its athletes. But you’ll not find a cadre of sports administrators its equal anywhere. No, their athletes never “medal” at the meets, folks. Heck, sometimes they don’t even bring athletes to the games. But bet your bottom dollar they’ll be there for the wine and caviar.

Give it up for the new king, Mr. Hilly Martinez, recently inducted in World Hall of Fame. Go, Hilly. All hail the old king, Mr. Ned Pitts, hands down World’s Most Eloquent Man. Oh boy, here comes the super smooth operator himself, Mr. David Cruz, recently crowned into ISF Hall of Fame. And last, but definitely not least, perennial finalist for the world’s best dressed man, AND the Houdini Award - Lord Bert Chimilio.

Braa, our poorly supported athletes can’t show a lick, but those old buggaz have the foreign dignitaries holding their sides all night long at the dinner table. I think we had more bloody pride when we were British. Shame.

Mr. Prime Minister you asked for the job, you got it. Now, deal with it!