By Adrian Bailey — concerned citizen
Firstly let me state that I don’t hate the ULP, I hate what the ULP has done to our country. Because I LOVE MY COUNTRY, I will begin by stating what I hate that they have done, in point form and by the categories of economy, morality, healthcare and education. (Overlaps are obvious.)
- I hate that we are the lowest in terms of economic growth in the OECS and 2nd to last in the region.
- I hate that our unemployment rate is over 36% nationally and over 50% among the youth. (The true figures will be revealed shortly)
- I hate when I have to hear that we have more people on “Poor Relief” in our country. (That is not a good sign)
- I hate that agriculture has dropped from EC$256m in 2001 to EC$36m in income in 2019.
- I hate that the arrowroot industry is almost non-existent.
- I hate to hear that our tourism product is reduced from EC$300m in 2001 to $180m in 2019
- I hate that our fishing industry has not been attended to and even though we have the most sea space, we are not seeing the income levels that our friends in Grenada are.
- I hate that all the banana depots stand derelict even after being fully renovated.
- I hate the fact that the inner roads are in such a bad state and that only persons who support the ULP get their roads fixed.
- I hate that most of the shops in the countryside have had to shut their doors because of a lack of economic activity. All we have now is rum shops. (I know this because I operated a business selling stuff to those shops in SVG.)
- I hate to hear that no audit of the public accounts has been done since 2014, so we have to take the word of the government on the fiscal health of our nation. Hmm can we?
- I hate to hear that we have to pay for the international airport an amount of EC$1.3 billion dollars, when we were promised that it wouldn’t cost us a cent!
- I hate to hear that the ULP government has not built a single additional mile of paved road. When the NDP came into office, there was 960 miles in 1984 and by 2001 when they left there was 3363 miles of paved road.
- I hate to hear that it is only after the opposition brings the issues in the various constituencies to John public that roads and parks are now being fixed, as election approaches.
- I hate that we were promised a state of the art national stadium but all we get is a track (Sports tourism anyone?)
- I hate to hear that since 2006, the ULP, in government, had the opportunity to make the Ottley Hall Project into a thriving business, with employment for 150 persons in the first instance and an EU accredited training facility, but refused to do so. Why???
- I hate to hear that the promise of geothermal cheap energy project failed, and so we continue to pay exorbitant rates on our electricity bills.
Morality
- I hate that we have become internationally famous for rape.
- I hate that I had to be handed the phone by my wife (now deceased) only to hear a prime minister asking her to meet him in Antigua — and when I said, “Hello”, he put down the phone.
- I hate to see on YouTube, an American talking about the things done to Yugge, a daughter of the soil, allegedly by a prime minister’s son.
- I hate when we have to hear the things that our young females have to do to get scholarships and or jobs.
- I hate to hear about the fact that you are asked who you vote for or have to present a party card before you are even considered for a job in the Civil service or statutory corporations. (There will be persons backing up this indictment shortly.)
- I hate to hear about the treatment of the women/mothers in our society.
Health Care
- I hate that we have to hear that we are always short on supplies in the health centers and smart medical centers. I have had that experience.
- I hate when we have to hear of a breakout of scabies and bed bugs at the Mental Health Centre; the scant disregard given to the mentally challenged persons; the unhygienic environment that both the nurses and patients have to live in every day.
- I hate to hear that we have six deaths from dengue — a totally preventable disease, especially when we were warned by regional bodies about such a breakout more than a year in advance.
- I hate to hear that no modern hospital has been built even after it was promised by the ULP in 2015.
- I hate to hear that we have to carry our own linen to the hospitals.
- I hate to hear that we have to pay $150 for every dialysis treatment at the center in Georgetown
- I hate to hear that we don’t have a health insurance scheme in SVG up to now!
Education
- I hate that the Book Loan Scheme was dramatically defunded in 2001 from EC$6m to EC$1m by the ULP and never reached the EC$6m mark in funding since
- I hate that our students, rather than the government, still have to pay to sit the exams for their CXC and CSEC subjects.
- I hate that so many of our students who have learning disabilities are still pushed up into higher grades even if they fail and or need additional attention.
- I hate to hear that we have not catered for the blue collar worker in the education revolution.
- I hate to hear that we have no National Youth Council. Why is that?
- I hate to hear that we have failed to create an accreditation process for our artisans so that they can find work in different regions if none is available in SVG.
- I hate that so many persons have gone away to study only to return to find no job available.
- I hate to see that a significant number of the learning resource centers around the country now stand derelict with absolutely nothing happening in them.
I agree with you that it was a bad decision by the NDP Govt to close the Diamond Dairy. However, 19 years have passed under the watch of the ULP. You mean to tell me they couldn’t restore that manufacturing company back to life in some form? We have fruits and vegetables dropping off trees rotting. What is the ULP’s plan for that? Lest you forget it was the ULP government that said agriculture is dead.
Sugar Factory shut-down rhetoric
I believe that the closing of this factory was a very good decision. You may not be aware, but I was an auditor with the JG Thompson and Sons in the early 80s. One of the many statutory corporations that he held the audit for was the Sugar Factory. The factory, although it showed an operational profit of a mere $12,000 during the last year of its operation, was just one breakdown away from shutting down.
In fact, as a result of its closure, the comprehensive land reform program began, giving land to the landless and therein beginning the middle class in SVG. With the advent of bananas into SVG, citizens were able to build their homes, send their children to schools and live well from the fruits of their labour and lands.
The middle class is all but extinct now in SVG with only the upper class, the ULP class, and the genteel poor, on which the latter has to wait until every five years to get lumber, galvanize, cement, love boxes, and money envelopes through windows in the dead of night, to get votes.
So lets see this basic table:
SVG Labour Party 1976-1984 NO MIDDLE CLASS NDP 1984 – 2001 MIDDLE CLASS ULP – 2001 – 2020 NO MIDDLE CLASS
Lest you don’t know, the University of the West Indies stated that SVG had the fastest growing sustainable middle class from 1987-1998. Please check it out. Also, the statutory corporations Vinlec and the CWSA were declared as model institutions between 1988 and 2001 by the same institution.
One can only assume if you didn’t, and were not aware of all of these issues, then you are obviously in the ULP bubble where the gravy has slowed to a mere trickle. I sure you can attest to that.
With the absence of a comprehensive national plan, we seem to be pointing to the construction and repair of schools and other structures as development. Whilst they are necessary facets in the developmental process, there has been abject failure in the execution of these projects and/or a misuse or redirection of funds into other places that we cannot pinpoint.
MY LOVE FOR MY COUNTRY is exhibited by my quest to highlight the ills and problems of our society in order for our citizens to make proper and informed decisions in this upcoming general election.
Be ready guys. Nov. 5, 2020!!
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Fact is fact wonder who will dispute I hate ???
My brother this letter .need to be on the radio and tv and every Media broadcasting agencys
This is the article that could help to send Ralph Gonsalves and ULP into Opposition. We need to circulate the article to every living Vincentian. But we must go out to vote in our thousands and thousands on 5 November, if we opposed the ULP. There will be those who will still want to support the ULP.
You have my sympathies. Will you post what you would love to see next. Your hates are necessary reading. But they are not sufficient to balance out the hopes for the future.
So sad!
Aren’t they obvious. If one hates that there is no middle class, then one would love that there IS a middle class. But I would wait on the ‘lives’ too
We are not just among the lowest in terms of economic growth but also incomes and disposable income and standard of living. We need to take a different direction. One that leads to prosperity, higher employment levels and higher paying jobs.
It is unfortunate that if a reader does not know what the code SVG stands for, said reader would not be aware of the subject-country of this story. This is very poor journalism.
I imagine most Vincentians, if not all, all over the world know what SVG means. And think this article is written for them.
This is very, very, very good journalism. Stop being so silly with your criticism. Find something constructive to say, if you want to criticise the article.
Help me please . Tell me the code of SVG and what it stand for .just feel free to help me understand the code i dont have much time .the 5th is almost here
Most of the reason you hate the ULP because of the actions of Averica. North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). You sound to educated for rhe follishness you are saying.
I hate to hear that no modern hospital been built even after it was promised by the ULP in 2015. I they try to build one you will be there to opposer it.
I hate that we have the same leader for 20 year. I wish the opoosition was more constructive and just stop being so negative. SVG should not have term limits. I wish when we get a new leader he will implement term limits for a leader.
Yes, 3 terms maximum in power, USA has 2 terms.
What do you mean that tourism has declined? We built an international airport to boost tourism! Oh wait a minute, I am mistaken. It was built so we in the diaspora could travel home stress free with the Bajan harrassment. lol
You does get treated the way you behave you have international airport and does still have to go TNT OR BIM
To travel to different countries.
The last left is to hate yourself
Not really, REALLY. Those who should be hated are those that support the ULP knowing all the wrong that has been done in its name.
Dont worry and fight and kill your self people
The pm set his date .we all know for our own self ,how we feel ‘how things ‘are and what is stop fighting stop hate each other new government or old government we all still have to live
When people quote information and they are FACTUAL, they should also state the source of this information as a reference for persons who wants to verify. Where are your references? Oh wait, you have none. You’re just saying those things because you’re so full of hate.
Why now you decided to speak.of the issue in svg.i believe some of those things is happening, some of you guys only write when you when you vex with the party,after nineteen.
You know what SVG need….we need a new fresh breed of young vibrant intelligent and fo used YOUNG individuals who can propel this nation into the changing and diverse world that is creeping in on us. These new politicians must not be associated with the current ULP or NDP because even if they’re loved and educated the mare fact that they join an existing party they are going to be ridiculed. NEW PARTY new faces complete overhaul.
We all know that when we consider who to vote for, it comes down to party priorities. The ULP has stated that in polls they have conducted the hospital project was a low priority. The problem with polls
is that those asked do not always know what is good for them. A good hospital and functioning Healthcare seems unimportant until you need it. Many do not have cars so roads apparently are another low priority…until they are needed.
Whatever gets done it will take revenue to do it. How that revenue is gathered is the main difference of the two parties. The ULP believes heavy taxes for the working is the way. The NDP believes job creation is the way. Not difficult to figure which party has the better plan!
There is so very much needed in SVG and the bigger question may be: What should the next government start with first? You cannot please everyone and you cannot do everything at once. It is sad that the ULP has neglected so much. The roads alone will cost into the HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS! just to catch-up to an acceptable condition and the construction will cause traffic chaos for over a decade.
One thing not addressed by the writer is Karl Marx’s position on Religion which is quite well known, so it is not at all surprising when Marxist are pretending to be Christians or other religious followers, in order to hide their true intentions towards faith based followers, this they do by regularly quoting from religious books.
The Communist regime in China do not have to pretend to be either Christians or Muslims in order to justify their actions or retain their power. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQXzLjgSLoY but rather instead they try to stamp out all religions faiths.
The Communist in China plans to rewrite the Bible too, thereby confirming the Communist approach to religion. We also observe the Pope’s attitude to members of his church in China in appeasement as Vatican-China renew ‘power-sharing’ deal https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PY_dgNgY4gQ
What may we ask would happen to religion in SVG were the ULP to gain absolute dominance here?
I hate to be heckled that I am from the small island where the PM has been accused of rape, I hate hearing about the hospital where I once work, a friend said to me that I will not want to come there now I am well, much more being sick. The truth will always be the truth, the old people says the truth always hurt. It’s not easy when to take a sick asthmatic child to the health institution to hear they don’t have cough mixture and other emergency drugs. Who experiences it will know it.
I hate that you and I never saw the Istranka
I hate that strong rum was given to Greaves with no competing bid
I hate the traffic lights that Jerry Scott cronies from Holland put up for $1 million per junction
I hate Dr. Rholla. I hate that he tricked James Mitchell
I hate that we found out about Todd and Lines, the drug traffickers’ release on CNN from JF
I hate Bensecomi Adames
I hate the island off Ashton Union Island destroyed for the Ottley Hall marina
I hate Mitchell’s disastrous interview on CNN
I hate winter vegetables
I hate that Mitchell was allowed to be the sole negotiator for the Ottley Hall project
I hate that you an accountant still don’t understand the web; CCYY, Valdetarro, West LB…….
My goodness!!!! How do you sleep at night with all those hate? No wonder there’s a garment of hate over this country. Government cannot solve every problem, so why not ask the question of what can I do to support my country?
The financial crisis and COVID-19 are exogenous beyond any governments’ control. Think of the drag on economic growth. The international airport did take a substantial amount of financial resources but think of the long term benefits. Upgrades to clinics and secondary hospitals. Scholarships and investment in technology.
Vincentians will elect the government they think would be more trustworthy and competent to take them into the next 4-year cycle.