Premier Smith throws angry words @ public in 2015 Budget Address!
It was at the time of his 2015 Budget Address delivered at the Second Sitting of the Fourth Session of the Second House of Assembly on November 17, 2014.
Fighting words to public
While it’s long established that the National Democratic Party (NDP) will be remembered for its hostility to freedom of speech and the press and bringing and passing a Bill in Parliament to censor the media and put journalists in jail it seems like Premier Smith has now turned on the public.
Honourable Smith in lashing out at the public’s right to speak out against his administration claimed that his Government's accomplishments were made “under a torrent of abuse, trumped up and unfair criticisms, misleading statements, deliberate attempts to undermine our hard work and a constant manipulation and misrepresentation of the facts”.
While Hon Smith did not name names, many residents interpret those words as insults and a Premier who is angry with the citizens for disagreeing with his policy direction.
Dr. Smith claims we are better off!! Hon Fraser disagrees
In his hour long address to the Territory the Premier and Minister of Finance asked the residents, “are we better off today than we were just over three years ago?”
He went on to ask, “Is the BVI a better place to live, work and do business than it was three (3) years ago? Are the affairs of the Territory better managed than they were three (3) years ago?”
The NDP Leader who is also serving as the second Primier and Minister of Finance in answering his own question said, “Madam Speaker, clearly the answer to these questions, is a resounding, YES!”
However, in a National Address to the public aired on November 12, 2014 by Virgin Islands Party (VIP) Chairman Honourable Julian Fraser RA, he articulated a different reality.
Hon Fraser said, “after three years of a National Democratic Party (NDP) Government led by Dr. the Honorable D. Orlando Smith, who has been telling you the economy is robust and that all is well. I ask you the people, is that the case?”
Today, according to Hon Fraser “record numbers of homes and vehicles are being repossessed. Parents have to work multiple jobs in order to provide for their families”.
The VIP Party Boss made clear that, “since the NDP became the government, residents are having a hard time paying their mortgages. Most of our young people have no hope of affording their own home”.
“Our young people are facing a future of hardship. But the NDP continues to tell us the economy is booming, with resorts, hotels, and marinas, laying off scores of people each month, even as trust companies downsize and relocate,” Fraser told the public.
The economy is not booming-Fraser
Despite Premier Smith believing that we are better off than we were three years ago and all is well, Hon Fraser believes the reality on the ground is different. He told the Virgin Islands people in his National Address of last week, that the economy is not booming, “when you visit places like the Stickett in Long Look, Scatliffe Alley in Road Town, parts of Purcell, Little Apple Bay, Baugher's Bay, Cane Garden Bay, Huntums Gut, Bell View and Parham Town.”
“For what will you discover?” Hon Fraser asked. “You will witness too many of our young people, without jobs or proper education, sitting around all day in hopeless despair”.
“This is very painful to me and is a social tragedy,” Fraser told residents.
“Add to this the fact that too many of our youth leave colleges and universities each year and return home with no career prospects,” he pointed out.
“This is certainly not good for the country,” said the Third District Representative.
The Third Chairman of the 42 year old Virgin Islands Party said, “for an economy to prosper, it must above all else, possess a prosperous middle class, and it must provide a route for anyone to enter the middle class, in order to generate opportunities for everyone, not just the fortunate few!”
44 Responses to “Premier Smith throws angry words @ public in 2015 Budget Address!”
That is why these politicians with their lobbyists fail all the time. They work for the rich and continue to scorn the poor who actually vote for them.
No I am wise up and not wize up who can't even spell.
Man I wish I could 'like' your comments a 1000 times.
If one person tells you you have a tail, you can blow them off. BUT if many people tell you you have a tail, you better look around...
I sometimes wonder where the guaranteed annual 425,000 cruise ship arrivals are going to find enough toilet paper to go around, let alone the public facilities available for their use? We have a population of about 16,000 people on Tortola. How many public washrooms are there? Does government expect restaurants and hotels to extend a welcome hand to cruise ship passengers, (most of whom don't spend a dime with them) to use their facilities?
Some of the bigger cruise ships owned by Disney and Norwegian Cruise Lines hold upwards of 5,000 to 6,000 people. How can our infrastructure accommodate all those people on a regular basis? What will the increase in costs be to maintain our already stressed roads? What did the government allocate for roads in the 2015 budget and will it be sufficient?
Our roads are horrendous now and the government can't seem to keep up with the repairs needed as it is. Just imagine what it will be like after two or three years of anywhere from 2,000 to 3,000 or possibly more people using the roads on a regular basis.
Just as it will cost 40 million dollars a year to run the hospital, where is that money going to come from?
The Premier can be as annoyed as he wishes claiming he has had to deal with a "torrent of abuse", but for some of us, it is terrifying to think where we are headed under his leadership. I'm scared to death for my children and their future.
they are planning right now how to fool you. They expect you
to forget thier foul actions by buttering you up close to
election with appliances, groceries cash on the lo etc.
Let them get Branson and Jarecki to vote for them, damn
setta lap dogs!!
NDP will win 10 seats next election. Remember you heard it here first. When people asked Fraser to apologize for the stop lights at the round about, he refused. When people told Fraser to reconsider Biwater, he refused. But now he cares about the people. Why? Because he asked you not to judge him by his past. The angry blogger above are upset because they didn't get what they wanted. To Shaw talking s..t about Resorts. VG for example would not be what it is today without investors so I don't now what emotional bullshit they're talking about. Shaw doesn't need anything and want the BVI remain as is for their benefit. They don't understand what locals feel.
District 1 - Andrew
District 2 - PEP (Alvin)
District 3 - NDP (OJ)
District 4 - NDP (Mark)
District 5 - NDP (Delores) Tight, but she will win
District 6 - NDP (Alvera)
District 7 - NDP (Pickering)
District 8 - NDP (Marlon)
District 9 - NDP (Hubert - with Myron and the team help)
At-Large:
Myron - NDP
Doc Smith - NDP
Ronnie - NDP
Toss up - (Archie a little weak. Depends on whether people vote full party)
District 2 VIP
District 3 VIP
District 4 VIP
District 5 VIP
District 6 VIP
District 7 NDP with a ?
District 8 VIP
District 9 VIP
VIP wins 3 at large seats- Myron the one remaining NDP at large member
Final result VIP 11 - NDP 2
And Fraser has promised no one will be victimized