DENIS KELLMAN’S COLUMN- THE DEBATE

SEPTEMBER 13, 2007

Congratulations are in order for Prime Ministers King and Golding. Mr. King has a mandate to complete after the death of Sir John. Mr. Golding has been able to get his own, even though some might say controversially.

These two elections are rather interesting but do not really have common features. Sir John had a job to do in the interest of UWP and he ensured he did it before his death. Some critics who do not understand politics have criticized his reentry into politics at such an advanced age. I fully understand why he did it. They are some members of political parties that do not understand Caribbean people and believe that politics is about technology and not the common touch. These persons believe that the electorate has to change to suit them, so they sit in their living rooms and hand pick persons that they believe that the masses have to accept, based on everything that is not relevant. The educational standard in the Caribbean has been so advanced that common sense is now so relevant that people believe that it can be given.

These organizations have to understand that politics have changed and the best example was the return of Sir John. He knew that he was the one to deliver his party and he accepted the message of the people. Political parties have to understand that you have to choose the best candidate in constituencies based on voters acceptance and now based on a too few. I have witnessed countries and organizations being destroyed by this too few approach. It seems that these countries do not understand that at the end of the day, it is the majority that matters.

Mr. King, unlike Mrs. Portia Simpson needs to understand that he has a new mandate that must be accepted by him as his own. This is so because the term has now started for his Government. Portia’s term was about to end and with the goodwill, she should have called an early election to deal with the internal and external problems. Her choice of trying to prove a point was senseless.  Had she gone to the electorate with the personal votes she had along with the party support, she would have been able to deal with her critics.

I sometimes have to question the political persuasion of some politicians and believe that they have been able to misguide loyal supporters that they share the same political feelings. I have never been so misguided.  I have always known my genuine comrades and those who continue to pretend. Fortunate for me, I know the Bs in the DLP and the Ds in the BLP. The unfortunate thing is that some are known and others are not.

These persons can easily create problems for honest politicians who are prepared to do like Sir John in order for their institution to reign. They find themselves more often having to down play accusations from within by counterfeits, which they sometimes prefer to live a seclusive life, than to mix for others to use their association to plant lies.

Prime Minister King needs not do that now, he has the mandate and has been able to measure the worth of his enemy according to newspaper report. He must now ensure that he keeps the support of his loyalist and try where possible to satisfy the needs of the opportunist within the rank.

He has to win the public’s support to ensure that he is not held to ransom. Once he wins the public support with his goodwill, all others will have to fall in line. He has to understand that country is bigger than party, and if he does not understand this point, he will be a one term Prime Minister. For this reason, he cannot be too caught up in internal politics, but must ensure that he has a trusted foot soldier to look after internal affairs. Too often politicians spend most of their time dealing with internal affairs, forgetting that power is sought from the masses. These politicians care more about internal politics than external and find themselves unable to deliver.

Mr. King represents a party that had a long-standing relationship with the one I represent, and must feel free to ensure that the workers, investors and the Government are looked after. He should ensure that he implements a taxation system that will see more disposable income going to the workers to offset inflation and to increase capacity without adding to the social costs by increasing the population. He must also create opportunities for local investors and make them the envy of the world. Often times, we see local investors having to beg for equal status. If we treat our own best, everybody would want to come to enjoy the benefits.

I have always argued that we should have bettered the conditions for our investors as the answer to the OECD charges. We are so smart in the Caribbean that we have reduced charges on an industry that is being dictated by outsiders. But then again, I am not qualified to talk about these issues. Any first former in Economics will learn that scarcity and demand increase costs. So I am yet to find out why we have waited at this late hour to reduce property transfer taxes when the product is scarce and the demand is great.

I was most surprised to learn that the PNP allowed the JLP to promise the people of Jamaica Free Secondary Education.

When it was being touted about three years ago by their Members of Parliament. It shows that politics is not for the procrastinators, but for the proactive persons.

In Barbados, the DLP must ensure as I have written before that land be the most important issue to be tackled along with increased disposable income. These two issues cannot be ignored. Everywhere you go you are hearing young people saying that the DLP gave them free secondary education and now they cannot get a piece of land or a proper salary.

Those of us who are disciples of the Right Excellent Errol Barrow must ensure that we try to put Barbados on an economic path where land will not be the main industry and creating social unrest in the country.

 The rambler has already spoken and written about these things. Too often in this country, politicians believe that they are so bright that they have to spoon feed the masses. I have already said when I am speaking not to expect a lesson from a teacher, but expect to use your brain. I do not expect persons to listen to me and digest everything at the same time without discussion. Whenever this occurs, it means that I am failing. Politicians must learn to speak to create discussions after they have spoken. Too many times people attend meetings and nobody can tell you what was said by some of the speakers. Another complaint from my critics is that I deal with too many issues. My answer to that is I would prefer to spend thirty minutes dealing with ten issues, than to spend an hour trying to find one.

In politics, my critics have called me so many names that it is clear that they spend more time dealing with negatives than positives. I have no time to fish in dry ponds and while they do, I am looking for succulent bait to hook snappers, while they are hooking for pond sharks in dry ponds.

I have said before that Barbados will not be a developed country until St. Lucy is developed. It seems to me that it has fallen on deaf ears. The project at Harrison Point must include a baseball pitch. This request is in keeping with a similar request more than ten years ago. With the upgrading of North Stars for international cricket, and Checker Hall for football, then it is only wise to create a baseball field at the old naval base and let us promote our tourism by offering a new sport that is internationally popular.

Previously, I said that we need to develop a sport for Americans and I believe that sport can be baseball. We have the right climate for it.

I am begging the BHTA to buy in on the idea, because it could be the difference between getting American tourist and losing them. We have to be proactive and use areas for their history. That location is known to Americans and we must ensure that we develop a project that will have goodwill for the former soldiers and their families. I can see persons like Mr. Will Merritt enjoying that facility and telling stories to his children and comrades who would have served with him. .tourism statistics will show that we enjoyed a favourable tourist count from America when the Naval base was here.

Somebody must tell the Minister that we need more house spots, but not at the expense of our international runway.  Houses can go anywhere, but runways cannot. The opportunity cost of land in St. Lucy is great and should be respected. Government must move swiftly to provide or adopt a land usage policy for St. Lucy.

Under a DLP Government, we must ensure that farmers get proper land to cultivate and house and land providers get land by means of swapping. It means that if you have land that is arable and you want house spots then you would be allowed to swab it for rab land.

Peace, love, unity, humility, commonsense, Kellmanomics, wisdom and understanding.