Hon Walwyn begs for re-election of NDP
He was speaking at the launch of Shaina M. Smith’s First District run on May 12, 2015 at the Capoon’s Bay field. Smith, a former member of the Patriotic People’s Alliance (PPA), is contesting under the National Democratic Party (NDP) banner.
“On June 8, 2015 you are going to be making a very critical and important decision. As Shaina said, you are making a decision not for yourself but for your children and grandchildren and I ask you to think long and hard about that decision. Don’t make a decision based on emotions,” he said.
He said the electorate should vote for the NDP because of their achievements over the past three and a half years but he said this time is not enough to do all that the party intends to achieve for the territory.
We need 12 years
“You cannot change Government every four years. That don’t make no sense. You can’t make the progress that you would like to make. We need up to 12 years in order to do that. We have the example of your very own H. Lavity Stoutt. HL could not have done the things he has done if he was in for four years and out for another four. He had continuity,” he said.
Hon Walwyn argued that it is for this reason the NDP should be allowed to continue in office. “We elected HL to hold the reins of this country so many times and we see the progress. It is the same thing here with Dr Smith and his team. We need four more years.”
According to the controversial minister, continuity is also important for investor confidence as investors do not like to see a Government changed every four years. “It doesn’t send the right signal especially when you will have politicians telling people that if you invest in the cruise pier you won’t know what will happen with your investment. We can’t take those chances,” he said.
He asked the voters in the First District to use their influence to help get the NDP re-elected to another term.
39 Responses to “Hon Walwyn begs for re-election of NDP”
Too much corruption
Too much victimization
Too much sexual harassment within the public sector and no one to turn too
No increments
Too much conflict of interest
And after 3 and half years nothing has been done for the people only for pockets
- The NDP robbed our civil servants of their increments, to pay for "other things" that to date, remain unidentified.
- The police force is understaffed and under equipped.
- The police station in West End is still closed.
- The fire station in West End is still closed.
- The fire department is under equipped.
- West End Ferry Terminal is still an outdated mess.
- The ferry system is still a disaster and largely unregulated.
- Our schools are still overpopulated and in dire need of updating, equipment and resources.
- We still aren't allowed to use solar power despite promises made in 2011. That privilege seems to have been allocated for government projects only.
- The prison has been completely ignored, is falling apart and bulging at the seams.
- The CTV cameras STILL aren't operational.
- Our electricity supply is still hit and miss.
- Our water supply still isn't fully operational.
- Our sewerage system still isn't functional.
- Our roads are being hastily and improperly patched and repaved, just in time for the election.
- Our hospital is under equipped, understaffed and waaaay overpriced.
- Road town is a disaster, looks seedy and the parking situation is STILL a major problem.
- The Queen Elizabeth Park is STILL a mess.
- We are STILL watching Spanish TV.
- Government has not addressed the pressing matter of beach access in certain "exclusive" areas.
- The bridge to Frenchman's Cay is still falling apart.
The list goes on and on. The point is that the NDP government has put almost everything they were elected to take care of "on hold" in order to further THEIR pet projects. Many of these thing are "BASIC" requirements entrusted to all governments around the world.
Does anyone believe that the people of New York City, Los Angeles, Paris, Rome, or any city around the world would put up with having their government ignore 90% of the "basics" in order to hire consultants, build a cruise ship pier or pay to send politicians on trips all over the world? NO THEY WOULDN'T. So why are we expected to put up with it?
Had they been busy spending all that money fixing the schools, rebuilding ferry terminals, building a fire station, providing new fire trucks, hiring more police, providing police vehicles, buying computers for the schools, hiring more teachers, fixing our electricity system or sewerage system, then I would say "job well done!"
But that's not what they have been doing! They are pinning all hope for our future and our children's future on the stupid cruise ship dock and land side development. If they get in again, they will divert MUCH, MUCH more money away from the basic necessities to their fanciful airport expansion!
Since begging seems to be in order these days, I am begging everyone to consider how long it took them to finish the hospital and how much it cost. The land side development for the cruise ship pier is not yet completed. Who knows what the price tag for that will be. The airport expansion they are talking about is going to cost hundreds of millions to complete.
The money has to come from somewhere and anyone with an ounce of common sense knows from past experience, that means "other things" will take a back seat. Those "other things" are the BASICS folks! Your pay increments, your child's school, the roads we drive on - all of it. They are stretching us so thin that at some point, they won't be able to supply toilet paper in government offices and will ask staff to bring their own!
Please think carefully before casting your votes on June 8th. Remember too that once all these things are completed, they must be properly furnished, staffed and maintained. It isn't just a one and done sort of deal.
What I am "missing" is responsible government. I am missing responsible spending, common sense and well grounded representatives who have a clue what they are getting us into when they commit PUBLIC funds to any major projects.
Is it progress to build a hospital you can't furnish or equip properly?
Is it progress to build a cruise ship pier to accommodate massive ships carrying 3 to 6 THOUSAND passengers and off load them into a town that can't handle any more traffic than what already exists?
Is it progress to allow our infrastructure to crumble around us while they build a new airport to bring in even more people and have them bump along our single lane roads that are increasingly clogged with slow moving jitneys filled with tourists, front end loaders, excavators, cement trucks and others in cars talking on their phones?
I've never taken a hand out and never will. I (unlike others) pull my own weight and don't need my government to do anything for me other than to ensure they do what they were elected to do. MAINTAIN THE PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE!
The function of any government is rather straight forward. Elected officials are paid to collect fees and taxes from and on behalf of the electorate and to distribute those PUBLIC FUNDS to:
- Establish and maintain domestic order and the administration of justice.
- Protect the civil liberties of the citizenry.
- Provision and operation of social insurance and welfare programmes as needed.
- Furnish and maintain all publicly owned buildings and assets.
- Protect the environment from any and all inside and outside destructive forces.
- Provide systems, policies and crisis response solutions for disaster management.
- Provide and maintain public goods and services that benefit all citizens. This includes public education, garbage disposal, sewerage, electricity, public transit systems, public parks and recreation, post offices, police departments, fire departments, mental health facilities, general health facilities, prisons, bridges, road systems, airports, ports, etc.
- Promotion of economic growth.
When "some" of those things are done well but others are not being done at all, GOVERNMENT IS NOT DOING ITS JOB.
Is it progress to shut down a local Water Company and bring in an foreign one because you don't like to owners and investors ?
Is it progress to send $1 million to Biwater behind your Gov't back and when NDP found out it was recalled ?
Is it progress to shut down a local Cellphone Company and bring in an foreign one because you don't like to owners and investors ?
Is it progress to put up traffic lights around a round about that muck up the traffic worst ?
Is it progress to build a Green House project for $6 million and give the project to your in...L without bidding ?
Is it progress to ONLY pave SCB the same week as Election ?
Is it progress to take $100,000 to refurbish a well down SCB because one of the Ministers bathe there ?
Is it progress to build the great wall of China down SCB for $1.5 million ?
Is it progress to take $100,000 for a frag racing consultancy ?
Is it progress when your Premier have to issue instructions to make sure ALL CONTRACTS are brought to his desk to sign no matter the size ?
I won't go point by point of your retort because I happen to agree with several of them. I will point out however that no cell phone company was "shut down" as a result of bringing in Digicel. In fact, I think that was one of Mr. Fraser's best moves. Competition is always a good thing and always manages to make companies more competitive and less greedy.
As for the green house project, all I can say is that it is a blessing for all that a certain minister is no longer in the political picture. But I must say, I think greenhouses are a good idea. I just wish government would get on the stick and do something with them. Are they going to let that investment die on the vine?
The drag racing thing annoys me more than you will ever know. Such a waste of time and money. It is in fact the main reason I did not vote for Fahie the last time around and because he still hasn't given up on that idea, is the reason I likely won't be voting for him this time either.
In regards to Ralph signing ALL CONTRACTS, considering the reasons, I think he did the right thing. Don't you?
To answer your questions:
CCT is not far from bankrupt, they are struggling to keep their doors open and its because the population of the BVI cannot sustain 3 cellphone Companies.
I agree Green House is good but clearly that Minister only started it to full his F.....pockets! It was not thought all the way true like it should.
The drag race consultancy was a Political gimmick to grab the young voters and it FAILED!
Yes I was happy Ralph ask for all contracts to hit his desk for signature but for Ralph to request that shows us all that ALL his MINISTERS were doing a bunch of crap and killing his party!
I agree no party is perfect but VIP is painting NDP to be the most corrupt Gov't ever but we the people know better! If you live in a glass house don't throw stones!
I am always unbiased. I don't wear rose coloured glasses when it comes to government. I watch very carefully what government does and what all the ministers do.
But my comments were obviously in regards to our CURRENT government. I don't have a favourite horse in this race. The only horse I care about is the PEOPLE of the BVI.
I do admit to being terribly biased against socialism. I totally believe in capitalism. That's where I have a major problem with the NDP. Many of the things they have done and are doing reek of socialism. I don't think government should be involved in tourism other than from a marketing standpoint. WHY they bought Prospect Reef Resort and then did nothing with it (for the remaining 2.5 years they were in office), is beyond me. Here we are, 10 YEARS LATER and after yet another 3.5 years in office and they've - S T I L L - done nothing with it!
The land side development of the cruise ship pier really concerns me. It isn't anywhere near finished and I don't believe government was able to raise the funds needed to do so as yet. They are being very quiet about that these days.
I guess it all boils down to what I perceive as really poor planning (no contingencies and no cost/benefit analysis), greatly over-sized egos and a seriously underfunded bank account.
The "done deal" thing is so disconcerting that it reminds me of the single-mindedness of some past and current political figures who (shall we say) proved that the size of their egos surpassed the size of their wallets and their mental acumen. There have been many "leaders" of small nations who suffered from the affliction of grandiosity. Sadly, their shortcomings have almost always resulted in terrible repercussions for their countries in the long and short term.
I won't draw any comparisons to those that come to mind because none are very flattering. Let's just say that I believe we have very good reason to worry about what the next 4 years could bring if the NDP are re-elected.
Once again, I will reiterate that it is the SIZE of the mistakes made that worries me most.
It was progress to pay a local contractor how many million dollars when their was a case for Government to build but guess who the contractor was.
The local Cellphone company was knowingly killing customers. We now have choices. Liberalisation is good.
The traffic around the roundabout is muck up all now. It would have been nice to see how traffic lights at roundabouts work. I have seen some in more congested areas than Road Town.
The Green House need to be put in operation. We getting too much bad food in here. You don't see everything recalling. Omar had a vision, it may not have been done right, and we do not know, but it had a lot of vision. When is the green house going to be put in use.
The district representative paved other areas outside his district before paving his. He finalised his works, AFTER 4 YEARS as contracted by the people of these British Virgin Islands, by paving his.
Many more walls like that need building in the Territory to improve the appearance. Hold up though!, we building one at the High School now to protect the children. For real?
The young at heart and young inquired about drag racing. It was necessary to conduct that consultancy to review the feasibility of such. At least we know where that money went; now tell us where the $18 million went in the now consultancies and explain the progress on those.
More. It is progress for unpaid teachers to be purchasing school supplies from their salary to teach their classes.
It is progress to be building a basketball course where you cannot even do a high pass.
It is progress to purchase chinese equipment that have used parts on them and hard to find replacements.
It is progress to pave roads and not look at more priority areas like fixing the fire department, water issues and high electricity bills. A little patch here and there could have done the trick until we take care of PRIORITY things.
Rudeness, conflicts of interest, "listening to the people but "we won't be deterred from our goals"! What's that all about? oh... and outer island step-children.
This ball head man making more noise as if he own this place he and that half Cuban should go back to their roots and leave our politics we need people who will not give away our country these islands belongs to the people of the VI they want to sell an other one to the person who already own two I am warning these young people please think of you want before you vote don't be fool again take back your country from these greedy,,,, they only filling there pockets and their cronies they refuse to give the nurses what is due to them but they lavish on the cruise pier i tell me ball head you think that is right you all am not fooling me I prefer to vote for a jack@$$ than to vote for you all VIP ALL THE WAY.
Goodbye Felicia. We wish you the fondest farewell.
Signed
Nature's Little Secret aka BVI