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Is it a calling or just in it for the money by: Hubert Pipersberg
Is it a calling or just in it for the money
This underscores the point that we have been discussing on social media for awhile now. The
system is in need of serious structural reforms. Insanity is define as doing the same thing over
and over and expects to get different results. Public service is a choice that one makes and it
comes with certain sacrifices. It’s a given that one’s compensation will not reflect that of the
private sector, The public sector and the so called third sector(non-profit) will never be able
to compete compensation wise with the private sector. The reason is that in public service the
compensation is under-written by taxpayers the government gets its money from tax collection
unlike a business that operates for profit. One enters public service with the assumption that you
are serving the public good. You are doing so strictly for altruistic reasons. It is suppose to be
a calling to service higher than yourself. What better way to make a meaningful contribution to
society via public service? The goal becomes blurred when we expect more out of public service
than what the stated results can give. Having said that, how do we determine compensation?
Aligning it with the cost of living would be a start. Offer civil service protection with built in due
process to protect from arbitrary dismissal. In addition, appointed positions such as the CEO
of a ministry who essentially serve at the whim of the minister is still a bureaucrat working in
public service as such they cannot be expected to receive CEO type private sector compensation.
Granted they signed a contract. However, their compensation should commensurate with
scholarship and experience. They should also be evaluated based strictly on performance. Since
they are in fact public servants, they should be compensated enough to do their job for the
public good without compromise or any under-hand dealings. They should be able to serve with
integrity. This is where ethics in government plays a significant role. Bear in mind morality
cannot be legislated. In short, they must still be held accountable to the public trust. I can think
of interventions such as the integrity commission as a start.
As for these powerful elected government ministers with mandates to intimidate bureaucrats,
they operate under a different banner the spoils system. Suffice to say again it boils down to
sacrifice for the public good. I believe that they should be compensated. I am not prepared to
suggest a number. However, it should be aligned with the cost of living. This is an example of
where the Westminster model exposes its short comings. An ongoing discourse or framework
is what is needed to determine the most effective reform to our system of governance and
jurisprudence. What is the most effective model if so how will it be implemented? I am not
prepared to suggest one only because I believe that input will be required from all the stake
holders (the people). I will say this; the stated goal should be for proportional representation. In
addition, I have argued consistently, in this space, that I believe that it should in fact begin with
s sober look at our carbon copy constitution; a constitutional conference/convention would be
my preference. Since the constitution is the highest law of the land we should fashion one that
mirrors our struggle as a people.
Daily Dingleberry 01-25-12
Image via Wikipedia
I think we are all getting a little exhausted bc now we are starting to turn on each other…so let’s look elsewhere for today while we gather ourselves and our thoughts. Can we say OBAMA!!! Wow! He left his opposition basically stuttering. It was awesome! Even if you won’t vote for him, that was so admirable last night. He was eloquent and confident. But what I liked even more was, he addressed accusations made against him. He addressed less than popular issues and he made a stand. I loved how he called out the Congress and I hope they felt ashamed because basically they are just cock blocking. That is never acceptable. At this point, I think the Republicans are their worse enemy and has been for a while but if that’s what it took to get our first bi-racial president elected? Then so be it. I hope they get over their outdated views and get with what is best for the country. We all need representation. We are all important. It takes all kinds. Sounds just like Belize doesn’t it? Maybe Belize will finally get a female president…but under what banner? Which party will be brave enough, forward thinking enough to accept a female leader?????
HELLER!!!!! Humble Grats for the Stats!!!!!!
Let’s get past the 2000 views today lovers!!!!! Thanks for staying interested…It’s getting harder and harder for us to find different ways to say the same ish LOL
Pro Con List: By: Aria Lightfoot
Elections are drawing near; the propaganda machinery is in high gear. Information, money, mortgage write-off, Belizean citizenship, finger pointing and empty promises are being thrown your way from every direction. We are all weighing in on this circus for our votes. The media sources, political foot soldiers, religious organs, special interest groups and citizens are making noise. The frenzy is confusing and feels like mosquitoes irritatingly buzzing in your ear.
I guess what is bugging me is my inability to write a pro and con list. I know the importance of voting, but as a voter can I truly make a difference? If vote for PUP, do they plan to change their evil ways? I am not sure. Am I wrong? But it seems that PUP candidates are the same perpetuators of some serious corruption and flaws in judgment in the past administration. These candidates and affiliates are proudly displayed on their websites and out campaigning.
If I vote for UDP, do they plan on changing their evil ways? UDP has backtracked on most campaign promises to offset corruption and in fact celebrated the “spoil system” as PUP gave an approving nod. They have conducted some questionable activities and lately they seem more like the PUP that was voted out of office.
Mein, I feel frustrated and powerless as a voter, I don’t even think there is a third party candidate in my division and if there was, would voting for them just be wasting my vote? How can a party without the requisite seat plan to address any changes when they cannot even come up with 31 candidates?
I am not like those abused, forgiving voters…the ones who make excuses and try to justify the evil of their party. I want to know what these parties are doing for Belize. Will they change it? Will they run Belize to the ground until there is literally nowhere else to go? Do they care about my vote? Let your voices and expectations be heard clearly as they canvass for your vote. Stop treating fellow citizens from a different party like your enemy because here is the real tidbit:
Our politicians are becoming super millionaires with your vote endorsement. Their children attend the best schools worldwide and have the posh jobs. Dean Barrow and Francis Fonseca don’t really hate each other! Let me say it again! PUP and UDP politicians don’t hate each other! They all hang out together, go to the same parties, belong to the same clubs, and celebrate each other successes in life and in many instances, RELATED to each other! When we witness the argument in the House of Representatives, that is just the obligatory show time performance for the “fool fool” Belizeans. So we di fool fool ones think that these politicians are sleeping at night worried about our well being. IF they truly loved Belize, the first day in office they would begin implementing the changes to cure the deficiencies that create corruption.
Wake up my Belizean people, take off your red and blue and yellow lens and let’s start seeing where our country is broken and let’s start fixing it…! DEMAND ACCOUNTABILTY FROM THESE LEADERS WHO DEPEND ON OUR BLIND ALLEGIANCE!
Daily Dingleberry 01-24-12
People make me soooo tired *sigh*
Eribadi just yak yak yak yak…are we listening to anything?
I see lovely, passionate people but instead of debating ideas…we are debating records…as in, who duh what, when, where….we are gonna get nowhere like this. We need to establish a solid, sound framework within which our government, blue, red, pink needs to work. We have to acknowledge that the system is ROTTEN TO THE CORE. As long as our rules and laws are outdated, as long as we are operating under the same old premises and archaic ideologies, we will be third world. Third world ideas, third word behaviour, third world life. Don’t like that? Meh…sux for you.
We need to stop this ‘crab enna bucket’ mentality. We need to stop letting rich and powerful families get away with murder, literally. Nothing can get done if people are intimidated and threatened at every level. The smart people keep yaking yaking yaking (wait, would that include me? LOL) but we continuously fail to address the fact that we are fighting some pretty strong, deep seated, (no, it’s not deep seeded cause anything planted too deep doesn’t grow, hence has no roots) historical and cultural factors. ANd then it all comes back to who, how, when, where and with what the hell money?
Depressed yet?
Daily Dingleberry 01-23-12
Today I”m gonna give you a dingleberry: What would happen if ALL the Belizeans AND their families came home ALL at once?
Voting Behavior – By: Hubert Pipersburgh
Honest Assessment Needed
While relying on empirical data to predict election outcomes has proven to be sound, even with
the utilization of regression analysis and the null hypothesis, the accuracy of such polling data is
reasonably inaccurate because of intangibles that cannot be quantified. In addition, it is useful
to analyze Belize’s voting patterns within the context of post independence voting behavior. It
gives us a more nuanced understanding of voting in Belize as it relates to election outcomes.
This understanding of voting patterns which contributes to the overall electoral process in Belize
is what is lacking most. It can be argued that a more inter-disciplinary approach is needed to
gain better comprehension of Belizeans’ choices in the voting booth. By that I mean sociological,
anthropological, psychological, and economical factors. They are all important in an honest
assessment and they are not mutually exclusive. Since independence, elections in Belize has
mirrored a certain pattern–of the 5 elections held there have been three landslides . The UDP
have won two and the PUP one. A closer examination of those elections showed a positive
correlation between successfully outlining the issues and the outcome of the election. Perhaps,
what needs to be examined is Belizeans’ behaviors and attitudes while casting their ballots. What
are they influenced by? What drives them to make the choices they do?
Driven By Perception
In the ‘84 cycle UDP brandished the issue of PUP being out of touch and corrupt. In the ‘98
cycle PUP’s use of the Killa Vat and the retrenchment of government workers leading up to
Christmas of ’95 resulted in UDP’s devastating loss. In the ’08 cycle the UDP highlighted PUP
corruption and largess with the Venezuelan moines and the universal hospital fiasco, along with
Mr. Musa and Mr. Fonseca as the centerpieces of that argument.
Those three cycles stand out because it shows voting in Belize is often driven by Belizeans’
perception or lack thereof as it relates to their choice of party. Often times they cast a protest
vote which leads to these landslides. In the ‘89 cycle the PUP used the Coca Cola land deal to
recapture momentum by dubbing UDP as greedy sell outs. The ’93 cycle (which UDP won by
a very close margin) is an anomaly only because PUP’s top brass mis- calculated the resolve of
the electorate. The people were still not convinced that the PUP had the answers to their issues.
Also, they were not prepared to trust any party with more than one term in power.
Of particular interest is the ‘98 and ‘03 cycle. This was the only time since independence that
either party could argue definitively that they were the true majority party. I reference this
to argue that Belizeans’ decisions in the voting booth are driven by very basic and primitive
concerns. Their choices are based on their perceived notion that the spoils system determines
their choice. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs may be helpful to explain this attitude. At the
very base of that pyramid is the need for security, survival, and physical needs. Hence,
physiological needs take precedence and dominate behavior. Rational choice theory and some
variation of standpoint theory might also explain Belizeans’ voting behavior because those are
based primarily on self-interested individuals who in this case exercised their franchise against
their own economic interest. In other words, their decision is based purely on what they can get
and not what is necessarily best for the whole. It also reflects a growing feeling that voting does
not make a difference.
The Two Party Spoil System
The spoils system recently defended by Mr.Barrow is one of the major influences in the way
Belizeans’ vote. Mr. Barrow has set out to ensure that the spoils system plays a central role in
his quest to convince Belizeans that the UDP is now the true majority party and should be given
a second term. All his major public policy initiatives and promises since the election points to
that fact. In short, Mr. Barrow knows that Belizeans respond to the beat of the spoils system
when faced with conflicting imperatives. Another possible explanation is that elite opinion
usually drives mass opinion. Thus, when presented with conduct unbecoming of a particular
party, Belizeans bypass the working through the process of resolution and summarily arrive to
public judgement. The underlying assumption being that public judgement is far more permanent
than public opinion and its implications more longterm.
This has led to the watershed electoral cycles that I have discussed so far. Political parties in
Belize are often times undone by their own actions such as corruption, nepotism, cronyism,
and disastrous machine politics. Image matters more than substance. For many Belizeans, the
major parties are superficial and unresponsive to their major concerns. The elitist character of
these parties obstruct a broader view of what democracy really is and the role that citizens must
play to make it meaningful. Thus, for the disenfranchised and marginalized masses, electoral
democracy becomes an empty charade unless accompanied by structural reforms to our system
of governance and jurisprudence. Worse still, the party apparatus is indistinguishable from the
government itself.
Myopic Tendencies
Historical irrefutable evidence shows that both political parties in the context of the Westminster
model that was grafted upon Belizeans take advantage of the spoil system. This pattern of
behavior perfected over the past thirty years have created and solidified a culture of voting
that perpetuate myopic tendencies and self-degradation. Both parties points out the flaws and
weaknesses of the system when they are in opposition, but quickly develops a kind of selective
amnesia towards said flaws when handed the reins of power. A classic case in point; the mass
registration of immigrants that we are now presently witnessing just before the announcement of
a major election. To this end, it illuminates the fact that our entire political structure in Belize
undoubtedly is the problem and in need of serious reforms if Belize is to ever make that great
leap forward.
The Belizean electorate isn’t sophisticated and/or informed or aware enough to absorb and
discern the complexities of the politics involved and therefore are easily swayed to support
the parties who appear to address their physiological concerns most effectively leading up to
elections rather than the party who proves to be most effective and qualified. This is evident in
their voting patterns since the country’s independence where they continue to rotate one corrupt
regime after another. They appear completely inept in how to create and maintain a successful
government. This naiveté has been the key factor in them obviously electing corrupt individuals
devoid of any moral compass ever since. Politics vs. government….government is what runs a
country and politics is what runs the government. Surely government administration should take
precedence over politicking.
Daily Dingleberry 01-22-12
OK PIPPLE!!!! This one REALLLLLLY bothers me. We are being damn hypocritical about the way we express our feelings about immigrants coming to Belize…I can hear the spit fly and bile swallow when we seh “deh pania”. But people, many of our family members are immigrants facing the same prejudice in other countries, yes? Especially, the US????? How can we show such animosity to a group many of us represent? And then, cussing how they take our jobs while we starve? Why di hell you nuh di pick fruit and calleck garbage? Why you nuh di chap cane and clean toilet? What? You tu good fi mek an honest dallah? YEAH….you much rather work the biggest industry we got in Belize right? WESTERN UNION! Well mek ah tell uno di straight up straight. YOUR relatives tyad ah you di beg fi money. YOUR relatives tyad ah heah bout deh alien whe tek uno job and das why u bruk! Cause the irony is? You di depend pan wa immigrant di tek somebadi job ret yah da states tu! And it aint no fun to feel unwelcome and unwanted and treated less than. when we are developing and contributing to the communities within which we live. Don’t be hatin’ on your neighbours, man. We are all part of one world, one human family. Show some compassion and in the meantime, stop lying to yourself about why you are in the situation you are in. Dah yuh paliticians tief! Dah yu son di sell weed! Da u nuh wa do jobs yu feel are beneath you! If you want your country to grow and become strong, you literally have to toil the soil you are so desperately fighting about and for.
Put that in your bong and smoke it!
Duh Soh, Nuh Like Duh Soh by Fayemarie Anderson Carter
It is a sunny morning in the Jewel and children all over are rushing to school. Some stop at the Chineyman shop to buy haadtimes and sweets or pencils and erasers. Others dawdle on corners waiting for their friends to catch up so they can walk the rest of the way together. On the junction of Fortification and Judgement Streets, passersby can hear the screeching of a frustrated Dodes as she hustles the children out the door.
“Marion! Marion! Get your little sister and get your bottoms out of here NOW!” screamed Dodes.
“But MOOOOM! She is so slow dis morning and she will make me late. Can’t you take her?” asked Marion.
“Marion, if you backansa mi one mo time, ah wa wahm you lee rass fi be suh rude,” responds a very visibly angry Dodes.
Bernie hails the children from her perch trying to distract them and Dodes from escalating and also to signal to Dodes that the neighbours are hearing everything.
“Morning, Marion, Lyndsey. You bettah run a little to catch up on time, girls. You only have 20 minutes. Hold her hand Lyndsey and don’t give Marion any trouble ok? See you dis evening girls. Maybe you come visit me and I’ll have some treats fuh yu ok?” said Bernie kindly.
She didn’t deal with this in the morning at all. Their driver took her children to school and she had time then to chat with Dodes over a cup of tea before she had to go to the factory. The bus passed by their street around 8:45 am. She was the last one the company driver picked up. She was close to the highway and it was only five miles to the factory. They usually made it with about six minutes to spare, just enough for a last bathroom run before she clocked in at 9:00 on the dot.
Dodes looked especially flustered as she sidled next to Bernie. “Aye, gial. Sumtimes, deya pickney just tek it outta mi. My day staat at 5 in the mawning. By di time da damn bus come? Ah ready fi lay down again.” Dodes sighed heavily.
“Come Dodes. Ah have yu tea ready fi yu. Ah cud call Maisy and have her bring us some fresh tortillas if you want, with some dutch cheese? guava jelly?”
“Thanks, Bernie. Ah mek breakfast fi di pickney but den dey staat fight and of course, ah nevah finish mines.” Bernie calls to her housekeeper, Maisy and instructs her to bring Dodes some breakfast.
“Now Dodes. Tell mi whe happen. All ah heah da lata railin up and screamin. Who do what now?”
“Well da Marion and Darnell again. Ah nevah know what wa set off Marion these days. Shi so quiet and moody and her mouth di staat to sting.” Dodes looks up at her friend with tears glistening in her eyes. “Sometimes, I wonder if ah mek a mistake kicking her daddy out. Ah mean at least he would be here now fi help me.”
“Dodes. Nuh duh dat tuh yuself gial. You did what you felt was best at the time. He was cheating on you and withholding money and spending it on the other women. How you know anything would be better or even different now? 10 years later? Maybe you guys would be fighting so much, it would be worse. And then he has five more children pan top. What if he mi have dey while he mideh wid u still? How u miwa deal wid dat? And what bout Melanie and Lyndsey? They wouldn’t be here now, would they?
Dodes smiled weakly and shook her head. “Anyways, suh Darnell have dis habit fuh nuh duh his chores and den po Marion end up di hafi do dem bc by di time I get home, da time fi Darnell duh ih homework. You know he nuh as smaat as di girls and so he tek twice as long fi duh anyting. Suh Marion decide dat she wa staat get back afta Darnell and stop wash ih clothes and shi di hide dey anda di bed stuck up all in between di bodes dem. I di look fi days everywhere befo ah finally find dey. Darnell di wear di same unifahm fi neahly a week now. Ah haftu di wash it da nite and heng it inna di bathroom. Suh dis mawnin, Marion squirt tootpaste pan di shirt and po Darnell had to goh da school wid a wet shirt cause ah had to rinse out di spot. And we use Close Up cause da di cheapest and da rass red. So po Darnell shut gat dis pink lookin stain crass and crass it. Aye.”
Bernie is laughing now as she imagines Marion doing this to her brother. “But Dodes, gial. Why yu nuh mek Darnell wash ih own cothes fi tru? He di get big unuh? Even lee Melanie wash clothes with Marion pan Saturday.’
“Really? Ah nevah know she midi actually wash di clothes. Ah know dey go dungstayz tugeddah but ah mi tink shi just di kip Marion company,’ said Dodes. “Ah feel like sumtimes my life jus outta control Bernie. Ah feel like day in and day out, ah just work and work and work and fi what? Ah di lose mi pickney. Sumtimes di look whe Marion give me, ah wah slap ah but den ah jus wah dissapear eena wah hole. Dah like shi hate mi. Anyway,” Dodes chewed a piece of her tortilla and swallowed before continuing,” Ah di try explain tuh Marion dat even doh Darnell wrong fi nuh duh ih chores and ih nuh wash ih own clothes and she hafi end up di duh it, shi just as wrong for hiding his clothes and ruining his shirt. Shi tell me how whe she do nuh as bad as whe hi duh and plus top, he get everything fuh duh absolutely nutting and shi get nutting fi duh absolutely everything. When dey wah lawn dat in di meantime, di two ah dey di mek it haad pan me! Ah just di try mek a life fuh all a wi you know? and ih feel like nuh mattah whe ah try duh, ah ciant get head and all dey duh dah fight di mek it woss!”
Dodes starts to smile. “Sound like friggin UDP and PUP huh? ‘you tief’ ‘no yu tief!’ Dodes moves from side to side changing her voice to represent each side.
“well, at least ah nuh as teifah as u!”
“Who seh so? wi still nuh know how much yu tief! At least when we tief, we pass it on to the people! Ask evibadi whe get turkey and ham fi krismus. At least dat da sumting!”
“Ha! what people? fi u people? O wait! da nuh even fi we people! Da di bloody alien whe uno just hurry friggin give citizenship!”
“Well when election time cum, u always drag out alla your votahs dem, even di one whe dead fuh 20 yeahs! At least ah nevah tek money fram Ashcroft fu mi campaign! Go google da shit! Ih deh ret deh pan wikipedia! And a bet dah only di million whe uno cop tu! Who knows how much ih reaaaaaalllly give uno!”
“Well look pan kettle di cuss pat! Who u fi seh jack shit? You represent di man den tun rung and sue ah??? Conflict of interest much? u lucky u nuh dead! You sure hitman nuh deh afta u?”
At this Dodes looked squarely at her friend,” Meanwhile me and you di get busup like pinata, right Bernie? Ah mean really? Put puss eena bag which one cum out fus? And dey one pa tv! O my lord!” Dodes puts her hands on her hips and imitates the tv personalities they all knew so well. ” I know my party nuh perfect but that is in the past! We are talking about this government today! They promise to do bettah and they haven’t! They are just as corrupt so out they must go!'” At this, Dodes cut her eye and sucked her teeth. “Da stupid di tawk but nuh stupid di listen. Ah mean who dey di fool? How I supposed to vote dem back in when demi worse and dey di actually agree da demi worse?? Soh dis govament tief tuh suh let’s vote een di one whe tiefarah! My goodness!”
By this time Bernie is laughing heartily. She loved it when Dodes got funny. “Aye, Dodes. Stop! U wah mek ah drop off ah disya wiyah. Hmmmmm.” She catches her breath. “Dodes. Dodes! Di bus di cum! Go lock u doh hurry!”
Dodes flies off to lock her door before the bus stops on her street.
“See you latah, Berns! whooohooo!” waved Dodes.
“Bye Dodes! See u latah fi tea!” waved back Bernie.
Dodes seemed in much higher spirits as she made her way to work. Another day, another win against unemployment and poverty. She made a silent promise that she wouldn’t lose her focus and determination even when her children questioned her actions. She needed to talk to Marion. She couldn’t stand the thought of losing her best ally, her best friend in this world. If she only knew that is exactly why Marion resents her.
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