Friday, January 19, 2007 The INdependent Reformer Page 1

INdependentReform for the People

Vol. 2 No. 3 Friday, January 19, 2007 $1.00

Inside this Issue

The

ContributedThere has been talk of a Third

Political Party to compete with the twopowerful ones we already have. Is thisa good idea?

The problem is not one of numbers,but of color. When it comes to givingthe people a choice, 3 parties shouldbe better than 2, but if it is numbersthat count then 10 parties should evenbetter… and it probably would be.We now have a BLUE party and aRED party. If you mix RED andBLUE together and form a new partyyou get a PURPLE party. What haveyou gained? Let’s look at it from anoperational perspective. If you startwith a party of thieves and a party ofrobbers and then you form a party ofbandits, you have given the people awider choice, but is it a better choice?It certainly is NOT a wiser choicebecause the results will be the same.

On the other hand, if you want toform a YELLOW party that shineswith a sunlight to illuminatemismanagement, dishonesty, and

A new partyincompetence, or a WHITE party thatwill clean out corruption and trulyserve the interest of the people, thena new party or even two new partieswould be better because you havecreated a broader, wiser and betterchoice for the people. But where doyou get new party people who thinkYELLOW-honesty or WHITE-anticorruption? It takes only a verylittle touch of either RED or BLUE toquickly spoil the purity of the color,the purity of the ideology.

In a recent article ‘Pussy Foot’expounded on the needs for anelected Senate, rightly implying that aSenate with equal footing with theRepresentatives would create betterchecks and balances. You go to adoctor today and he will give youmedicine to cure the symptoms thatgive you discomfort. Your body issupposed to eventually correct thedisease that causes the symptoms.New parties and elected Senates aremedicines that can cure the politicalsymptoms, but there is no body that

can correct the disease of corruptionwhich remains and festers… andeventually will be fatal.

Our political system is the coredisease that not only causes thesymptoms of corruption, dishonesty,incompetence and mismanagement,but makes these practices inevitable.The British Empire perfected aprogram of rape, pillage and plunderof their colonies over some threecenturies of intensive practice. Theyconvinced the colonial “natives” thattheir British government had all theanswers, and it was everybody’s dutyto accept such governmental guidanceand dictates without questioning.

Sensing the Empire was dying,colonies began to demand the right togovern themselves, and the officials ofthe crumbling Empire, aghast thatmere “natives” should even think theywere capable of self government,turned their backs and walked away.There was no effort to train or educatetheir replacements.

If the “natives” were stupid enoughto believe they were as capable astheir British “superiors”, then let them(Please Turn To Page 6)

I went to see the Old One who lives atthe ruins. I told him I was confused aboutoil. Oil is so important that the US andBritain invaded Iraq and threatened otherMiddle Eastern countries to protect theiroil supplies. Oil has made a lot of desertfolks rich enough to trade in their mangycamels for a Mercedes or Rolls Royce.Oil has solved many of the financialproblems of the struggling Third Worldcountries. In fact oil seems to be the mostimportant issue in world commerce today,so if oil is that important, why the Helldoesn’t somebody tell us what is goingon with our oil in Belize?

“The best information comes for thoseinvolved,” the Old One said. “Go directlyto the sources, to the people involved andask your questions.”

That made sense so I tried GOB, andfound that our government knows that wehave oil, but that seems to be about allthey know. How much oil? This is yet tobe determined. How will it benefit usBelizeans? This is yet to be determined.

Belize oil fiascoBelize oil fiascoBelize oil fiascoBelize oil fiascoBelize oil fiascoBy Des Parrett

Will it be good for Belize like it is for othercountries? Obviously. How? Well, thisis yet to be determined. Will our schools

and hospitals benefit? Within governmentprojects benefit according to their priority.Hmmm. What’s that supposed to mean?

So I tried BNE and found that the oilcompany also knows we have oil. Howmuch? Sorry, they are not at liberty todiscuss that. How will the oil revenues helpBelize? Sorry, that’s a question thegovernment must answer. Will it be goodfor Belize? Oh certainly. We are doinggreat things and have created a lot of newjobs for Belizeans. Aha! Now I havefound a benefit. Have the oil activitiescreated any big problems? Sorry, but theyare not at liberty to discuss that. Butwhatever problems there are will beeliminated when the pipeline is finished.Are there any other good things Belizeanscan expect from the oil production besidesa few jobs? Sorry, that’s a question thegovernment must answer. Hmmm.

It appears that those directly involvedwith GOB and BNE, don’t have anythingdirectly to say. Maybe those directlyaffected could help, so I talked to theMennonites at Spanish Lookout. I hit amother lode of information.

“Has the oil production affected thecommunity,” I asked a Mennonite I know

(Please Turn To Page 13)

Photo: Michael Stravato -The New York Times

Are all cruise shipprogrames bad?

pg. 3

Fantasy IslandPg. 4

AdjacencyZoning Issues

Pg. 5

INdependent will notbe intimidated!

pg. 7

Home stays sweetenedwith chocolate

pg. 9

Friday, January 19, 2007 The INdependent Reformer Page 2

Editorial Director

Meb Cutlack

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Karla Heusner Vernon

General Manager

Trevor Vernon

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Letter to the EditorLetter to the EditorLetter to the EditorLetter to the EditorLetter to the Editor100% increase inwork permit fees

Dear Editor,I have been here just over a

year now and have applied forresidency, my first interview is18th January, my work permitruns out on the 23rd of January.So I went to ask for an extensionand was told that I have to applyagain from scratch.

I thought this was madness asthey already have all my detailsand nothing has changed, but noI have to fill in all the same formsagain and this time it is going tocost me $2,000 for a workpermit, when it only cost $1,000this time last year!

I have been employingBelizeans in my businness for ayear, not taking a wage formyself and won’t be this year,but because I own the bussiness

I have to pay the $2,000 for awork permit.

This is really crazy andfrustrating, especially if it takeanother 2 years for my residencyto come through. Someoneneeds to put this system torights.

Signed: Jane Beard

Suggestion for Rufus X

Dear Brother Rufus: It is so refreshing to hear you

each week on theKREMANDALA Show talkingabout “men being manly”. I thinkit would be a good idea if youwould publish a “ManlyManifesto” so these terriblepoliticians can have some“manly” guidelines. I would liketo forward a few suggestions: A)Men who have children out of

wedlock, including current &former ministers, should be manenough to make the childrencarry their names. B) Ministersin Government should abolishGST on medicines and doctorfees: after all nobody buysillness. C) Abolish GST on tiresand spare parts sincegovernment seems incapableof f ix ing our roads anddeveloping our infrastructure.D) Al low entry for a l lBel izeans in to the FreeZones; after all Belize is forBelizeans- is that not theycontinually tell us? E) Bemanly enough to properlymanage Bel ize’s s inglebudget, since innumerablehousewives seem not onlyefficient at handling her homebudget but also the budget atwork!

Respectfully: T. Thompson

Friday, January 19, 2007 The INdependent Reformer Page 3

There has been a lot of good debateabout the cruise ship industry, mostlypointing out the potential negative effects,and it’s important for our people to knowthis. It seems to me that the main issuesare the number of passengers, what theydo, and were and to whom the moneygoes.

However I believe when properlyplanned, regulated and supervised, thecruise ship industry can be beneficial toour environment and society. The eco-tourism part of the Toledo People’s EcoPark Plan has two small cruise shipprograms. Many believe these canprovide badly needed economic income,support NGOs working on environmentaland cultural conservation, as well as thelocal businesses and the general publicboth in the rural villages and Punta GordaTown.

The program “The Gulf of HondurasMini Caribbean Cruise,” is a three daytwo night regional tourism package. Itopens the bottleneck between LivingstonGuatemala and Placentia Belize via PuntaGorda Town and Monkey River. A smallferry, capacity 100 passengers, leavesGuatemala 6:00 a.m. and arrives PG Townby 7:00 a.m., clears customs in time forbreakfast at 7:30 a.m., ready to take awide variety of tours offered by the localtour operators, toledo tour guideassociation in the rural villages and in andaround Punta Gorda Town. The visitorschoose which restaurants and hotels theywant to sleep and eat in, including theoption of staying overnight in the awardwinning TEA village guest house eco trailprogram.

Next morning after breakfast hosted bythe toledo btia, the ferry takes them toNew Haven Harbor where they can visit

Are All Cruise Ship Programs Bad?Are All Cruise Ship Programs Bad?Are All Cruise Ship Programs Bad?Are All Cruise Ship Programs Bad?Are All Cruise Ship Programs Bad?By Punta Gorda correspondent the Salt Creek Wildlife Preserve operated

by tide or take a boat to and up MonkeyRiver with the monkey river tour guideassociation, or visit Wild Cane Cay to seethe only Maya temple ruins found on aCay. After lunch prepared by the peoplefrom Punta Negra the ferry takes them toPlacentia village where they again havetheir choice of restaurants, hotels andentertainment, hosted by the PlacentiaBTIA and their tour guides, after breakfastthe last morning of the tour they head outto the Sapodilla Cayes for a full day onthe sandy beaches and swimming abovethe reef hosted by taste. The ferry arrivesback in Puerto Barrios Sunday afternoonin time to catch the evening bus toGuatemala City in time to be back to workMonday morning if need be.

The second cruise ship program of theTPEP plan is for a larger passenger cruiseship of up to 700 to 800 passengers. Theycould come once or twice a week, offeringthe following four packages.

#1 Village tour, when 20 local busesToledo bus drivers association take 20tourist to 20 villages for one an a half hourvillage presentation and a half hour ecotrail walk in the rain forest.

#2 The 6 day Eco Cultural Tour ofToledo. Where the six principal ethnicgroups, Garifuna, Maya, Kriol, EastIndian, Mestizo, Others, have designed aspecial presentation with music, dance,food, history, and a visit to a protectedarea Toledo taxi drivers association, canaccommodate 30 visitors each.

#3 At the present time we have 10licensed boats with toledo tour guidesassociation tour guides, that can take upto eight visitors on a short fishing trip orriver exploration.

#4 We have four private tour operatorswho can take 15 visitors each.For a total of 700 visitors:Village Tour and Eco Walk 400

Eco Culture Tour 6 X 30 18010 Boats X 6 604 Private Tour operators 15 X 4 60 ———

700This leaves 100 visitors who may for

one reason or another preferred stayingaboard, or who may want to take aninexpensive walking tour of PG Town.

For those who stay on board we havea slide show, lectures, arts and craftsmaking lessons and other activities theycan choose from.

Potential problems: While cruise shipsthat stay overnight can contribute to drugsand prostitution, research has shown thatthe increased drugs, prostitution and othercrime that can come with uncontrolledcruise ship programs is not from the mostlyolder passengers, but from the crew whichcan number as high as 1 crew member toevery 2 or 3 passengers, so a cruise shipwith 600 passengers can have 200 plusmembers of the crew.

By restricting their shore leave, thepotential crime can be greatly reduced,this with a well planned and supervisedshort 3 hour shore visit should be able tototally controlling these potential negativeeffects.

While environmental pollution due to

improper waste disposal is another validconcern, the International MaritimeOrganization estimates that up to twokilograms of waste per passenger isgenerated. The fact in Toledo District isthat pilot projects for community recyclingprograms of our solid waste haveindicated that our volume of recyclableproducts has been too low to make iteconomically profitable at this time. Socontracting with the cruise ships to takesome of their selected waste can actuallyhelp to make our community recyclingprojects a reality.

Another problem has been destructionof coral reefs by cruise ship anchors andthe back wash generated by their bigpropellers. Again this may not be aproblem for a small cruise ship visitingPunta Gorda because the Belize Barrierreef is 40 miles to the north east, and wherethe ship would be anchored are barrensand banks and the currents run down intothe basin, the shore being many milesaway. Passengers can be ferried from theships to shore as they are now in BelizeCity.

While there are definitely other potentialproblems that must be considered andsolved, limited space prevents us fromaddressing them all.

Announcing our new internet host:For an online version of the

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Friday, January 19, 2007 The INdependent Reformer Page 4

By: Karla Heusner Vernon

To celebrate our 124th Foundation Day and the arrivalof the Sisters of Mercy to Belize, Saint CatherineAcademy, in conjunction with the Women’s Departmentis holding an Anti-domestic Violence March on Friday,January 19th, 2007. The theme for this march is“STOP THE MADNESS, END THE SADNESS”.

The day begins with a mass at 8:00A.M. at SCAgrounds. The mass will be followed by presentationsDr. Carol Fonseca from the Women’s Department andvictims of domestic violence. Immediately after thepresentations, the march will proceed through theprincipal streets of Belize City. The March ends atConstitution Park with a rally and musical presentations.Booths set up by various organizations that supportthe struggle of women in Belize will be on-site to offerinformation and services.

The walk leaves SCA at 10:30 am into Marine Parade,North Park St, North Front Street, Queen St, Daly St.Craig St, Barrack Rd. Freetown Rd., Douglas Jones,North Front St, Swing Bridge, Albert St., King St.Euphrates Ave, Cemetery Rd on to Constitution Park.

The public is invited to join us as we take a standagainst violence and pray for God’s mercy on Belize.

STOP THE MADNESS,END THE SADNESS

Anti-domestic Violence Walk

On Tuesday, oil traded near an 18-month low at $55.64a barrel in New York, down nearly 9 percent since thestart of the year.

source New York Times

My husband and I spent part of theweekend at the cayes, enjoying thespontaneous escape and sense of adventure.As soon as we hit the Belize City harbor Iknew we had made the right turn off thepothole ridden Northern Highway. If onlyscenic drive to town along the river was aspleasant as it used to be….will it ever getbetter?

Sometimes I think the conditions of theroads are just a metaphor for the conditionof our nation, the pieces eroding awayrepresentative of the erosion of power andcontrol, the lack of funds for sustainablerepairs like the state of our foreign debtservicing—both now in default.

But I drive these thoughts out of my mindas we drive. Or try to.

Instead, today I will just enjoy the patchesof sunlight breaking through the clouds, theblues and greens of the water stretching outaround us with its usual vibrancy. It feels andlooks and smells the same as it did when Iwas a child heading out with my father andmother and sister.

Within minutes, our cares are behind us.But within minutes, the reverie was

disrupted. How could we keep from lookingtowards Stake Bank and Swallow’s Cayeand other areas that will be affected by tourismdevelopment if all goes according to the grandplan?

How different this whole area will be in afew years, perhaps even months. Even nowstakes are in the water; it will only be a matterof time before construction begins.

How sad.Not just for us, but for the tourists. Who

among us is not nauseated by the ConeyIsland appearance of the Tourism Villagefrom the harbor? Is this really the firstimpression we want to give visitors to ourcountry?

What will they think when they are shuttledto Stake Bank on a causeway and cordonedoff into an area of manmade beach? Perhapshula girls will greet them with leis, bid them“Aloha” in the same inaccurate Disney landingthey got when the village first opened andpeople dressed up like Indians were broughtin to take photos with tourists. NorthAmerican Indians, mind you. Not even Mayawarlords or demure ladies in huipils.

Just more of the tacky souvenirs for themto take home with their coconut monkeyswhittled out by Japanese artisans and Africancarvings of giraffes and elephants, puka shellsfrom Indonesia and Bali-esque batik patternsarongs and tequila shot glasses proudlyproclaiming “Belize” manufactured in Taiwan.Oh, lest we forget the brilliantly colored handwoven textiles and sling bags made right here

Fantasy IslandFantasy IslandFantasy IslandFantasy IslandFantasy Islandin Guatemala.

Don’t get me wrong, I know the bravefew who venture outside the security of thevillage despite the dire shipboard warningsof muggings and rapes buy a Belikin or twoand some Marie Sharp Pepper sauce. Afterthey locate the bathroom at the Museum ofBelize or Chon Saan Restaurant on NorthFront Street, enjoy the air conditioning atMirab and buy a Crystal water from thevending machine out front.

Soon they will be able to see even moreof the real Belize City as they stroll down theboardwalk, completely segregated from thepost office and other diabolical tourist trapson North Front Street. Soon enough those

unsightly sand lighters and fishing boats willbe barred from the Swing Bridge area.Heaven forbid the tourists see men who makea living off the water.

I guess you can see by now I am notimpressed with express line tourism wherevisitors are herded onto buses and cast downrivers in inner tubes and allowed to walk alongthe reef and break bits of it off.

Even if they spent an average of $200 USa day each, and paid $50 each in head tax Iwould not be thrilled to have these head hunterstrampling everything, sampling a smorgasbord ofBelizean “culture,” all-you-can-eat style. I want to yellat some of them, “Stay home if you want McDonald’s!”But I don’t.

Rather I pity them they will never get totaste panades, or walk up a set of woodenstairs in some rickety house, unpaintedoutside but lovingly filled with mementosinside, invited to sit at grandma or auntie’splastic covered table as she dishes out herhomemade rice and beans and chicken andsalad and tells Junie to turn the fan towardsher guests. “Goodness but e only hot tidday!”

The chances of any cruise ship visitor gettinga taste of authentic Belize is slim due to theirhectic schedules and carefully crafteditineraries. Perhaps only those who sit forhours at the hair braiders get any chance toslow down. Probably most of them regrettheir decision 20 minutes into the inaction.

To those who do not join the snorkelingtours or inland “adventure” treks, but makethe decision to knock around Belize City fora few hours, I wish I could apologize. To tellthem we are sorry and ashamed ourcommunity is looking as it is, that believe it ornot it did not always look this way. That we

wish we could rid them, and ourselves, ofthe crackheads following people around.That they should not be wary of the hardworking tour guides and taxi drivers whohave had their dignity stripped away by asystem which keeps them outside the gatesof the Village instead of providing them spaceinside it.

I want to tell them that we too are shockedand dismayed by how everything is fallingapart. How certain streets depress us andthe view from the Haulover Creek looks likeportions of war ravaged countries and wedon’t know what to do about it.

Most of all I want to tell them that themoney they might be spending is NOT

trickling down to the communities they visit,but being hoarded by a greedy few. Exceptperhaps the tips.

I’d also like to tell them they have beenmisinformed on shipboard if they have beentold Belize City is an island, that there is a

beach, or that its okay to walk around townin your bathing suit, red skin and upper torsoexposed, flip flops flopping. I wished for acamera the day I was driving down RegentStreet in pouring rain, trying not to splash officeworkers in their uniforms when a youngCaucasian lady tried to cross in front of me,half clad in a bright orange sarong, with ahibiscus in her hair sipping something out of acoconut with a straw!

It was such a remarkable contrast to theworkaday world, ridiculous really. Poorflower child, she was totally out of her elementout in the elements. I am sure she will stick toMaui next time.

Then again, maybe she had fun on FantasyIsland. Maybe she will be the first one to signup for a return trip to Stake Bank. To eatbuffalo wings and drink tequila and sing “Ifyou like Pina Coladas, or getting caught inthe rain…” to her boyfriend or husband ashe swills Belikin and asks if he can buy somemore to take back for his buddies. “And afew packs of those cigarettes too, what’s inthem things anyway?”

Who am I to rob them of their exoticholiday. After all, my hubby and I needed ourown retreat from civilization too. MaybeBelizeans have more in common with thetourists than we’d like to think. Maybe in someways, we need the break more than they do.

We can’t turn them away, they have foundus already.

But we should be able to ensure their fundoesn’t come at our expense, or alter foreverthe things we love most about Belize.

“...I was driving down Regent Street in pouringrain, trying not to splash office workers in theiruniforms when a young Caucasian lady tried tocross in front of me, half clad in a bright orangesarong, with a hibiscus in her hair sipping somethingout of a coconut with a straw!”

Friday, January 19, 2007 The INdependent Reformer Page 5

By: Trevor Vernon

A number ofreaders asked mythoughts on bothMinister GodfreySmith’s column inthe Belize Times,“Flashpoint,” onBelize andGuatemala and the

Adjacency Zoning IssuesAdjacency Zoning IssuesAdjacency Zoning IssuesAdjacency Zoning IssuesAdjacency Zoning Issues

recent related release from the MexicanForeign Ministry on a soon to be signedBelize Mexico border treaty.

Both Mexico & Honduras were veryhelpful to Organization of AmericanStates’ (OAS) negotiation process. Thatis to say: they acquiesced to creativemechanisms along their respective borderwith Belize in the form of the tri-nationalmarine park in the south and the shiftingof the marker at Aguas Turbias in thenorth.

To my mind it is clear that PickstockRepresentative Smith is putting all hopesof any Guatemala settlement to rest at thispoint. That much is crystal clear. So, nomore worries of attacks on gringo owned

resorts out west. No more expensivenegotiations.

According to the Prime Minister’s NewYear’s message, the focus now shifts togetting Guatemala to agree to go to theWorld Court. Presumably at the proddingof SICA (Central American IntegrationSystem), and other non-CARICOMcountries.

Smith appears to disagree. Remember,he was a key player in the recent OASsponsored negotiations, from its formal

of initiatives now. All that can berealistically expected from them is thetrademark temper tantrums Belize playsin regional and international trade talks.It’s not just matter of temperament;Minister Smith, an attorney by profession,also holds a masters in internationalrelations from some high brow college inBoston, while his successor does not.

Smith believes the OAS negotiationsand Ramphal-Reichler proposals weredoomed from the outset because of the

There should have been only onefacilitator in the Belize-Guatemala talks andit should have been Rigoberta. Why?Because in the ancient world all Mayaalong the corridor were related politically,and indeed the issues on the ground intoday’s “adjacency zone” are whollyMayan issues in Mayan territory. Yesexclusive Mayan issues: land ownership,health, education, cultural, political andeconomic integration.

But the Guatemalans were/are afraidof this leader and Belize probably backedoff, trying not to infuriate the “rabbi-blancos” that control the Guatemalanpolitical landscape. The nefarious Guatleader Rios Montt is known to considerall Maya to be lesser mortals ...and that’sbeing kind to his bloody legacy. He hasparticular reason to be wary of Rigoberto;for she went on shortly after the talksstarted, to file charges against Rios Monttin Spain for crimes against humanity,holding him accountable for her ownfather’s death. Too many ghosts in hiscloset.

Having Reichler & Ramphal take onthe roles instead distorted the issues,

inception in June, 2000. For a goodportion he was either Attorney Generalor Foreign Minister, playing a substantiverole in the process. And, he oversaw thefirst rotating Belize Presidency of SICA.

Mr. Smith too, to my mind, is saying toeveryone: don’t expectmuch from our Foreign Ministry in terms

political situation in Guatemala at the time.I could further argue they failed becauseLead Negotiator, aka AmbassadorThirteen, did not get Guatemala’s Nobelpeace prize winner Rigoberta MenchuTum to play some buffer role as facilitator.The lady has serious “indigenous leader”credentials. (Please Turn To Page 7)

Cartoon sponsored by Belize Medical Associates

“...I have to give it to Godfrey, he is- in the words of Luke Espat - “abright minister”.”

Friday, January 19, 2007 The INdependent Reformer Page 6

“Quote of the Week”

3. Best Money Laundering Bets--thesame here as Laundromats from aroundthe world. Give them your dirty moneyor launder it yourself.

Land Developments are wonderful.They need lots of money. “Buy low,sell high” sounds like a good idea, butthe development costs are alarming.Roads, rain gutters, water lines, powerlines, sewers (well, maybe not in Belize!)– all of these take money. And thesuppliers will take cash! (No tax trail.)

Casinos. Another wonderful place!“I want to buy some chips —

$10,000 worth.”“Certainly, sir.”Later…“Can I cash these in?”“Certainly, sir.” Spun dry!Oklahoma is full of casinos, run by

the Native Americans on theirreservations. I visited one. Where doall these customers come from? Iwondered. Texas!! Texas has nocasinos. It does have lots and lots ofMeth Labs, however, out there on theplains where the nasty fumes won’tbother anyone. What to do with themoney? Visit Oklahoma, or Shreveport,Louisiana (five “Riverboat” casinos, justa few miles from Texas.)

Cash Businesses. In the US, “themob” – organized crime – usually has acorner on vending machines, illegal slots(in private clubs) and juke boxes. Lotsof coins. Take those to the bank.

“Where did all this money comefrom?”

“I have a vending machine business.”“Oh…OK.”

But it doesn’t have to be machines.Any business that deals in cash providesthe same answer, even if it’s only ahamburger stand, and it doesn’t reallymatter if the business is actually showinga profit!

New Businesses. What a good usefor dirty money! Start a new business.Use dirty money to buy all theequipment, or to fill the store with stock.The business may be slow to turn aprofit, but if your investment dollar onlycost you ten cents, you can afford towait. And you’re helping out youngbudding entrepreneurs.

Private Banks. Jeffery Robinsontalks a lot about these in his book “TheLaundry Men.” In Belize, the CentralBank closely scrutinizes all of its banks,public and off-shore, but that’s not soin many Caribbean countries.(Robinson has written a newer bookcalled The Sink – his name for theCaribbean basin!) If you want to openan account with a thousand or even tenthousand dollars, you will be closelyexamined. But if you have a milliondollars, what bank would be crazyenough to turn you away? And bankshave a wonderful device for spinningmoney dry. It’s called a wire transfer– a standard device in many JohnGrisham novels.

Special Attractions of BelizeJeffrey doesn’t say much about

Belize, even in his newest book, butthere are lots of opportunities if you lookaround.

Land. Compared to other countries,Belize has a lot of wilderness. Warmwilderness. A friend of mine says“Belize as more undeveloped land thanany place that’s not freezing cold.” Atleast half of it is protected, but there’sstill plenty available for development.

Exports/Imports. Containers goingin and out. Lots of places for powdergoing out and money coming in.Authorities in the US are swamped,trying to inspect all of the incoming

Money Laundering in BelizeMoney Laundering in BelizeMoney Laundering in BelizeMoney Laundering in BelizeMoney Laundering in BelizeBy Justin Other Gringo(Continued from last week)

shipments for nuclear devices. In Belize,they’re just swamped. Drug sniffingdogs can find powder, but have you evermet a money sniffing dog?

Customs for sale. In his interestingbook Down By the River, (Simon &Schuster, 2002) Charles Bowden tellsabout US Customs agents being paidone million dollars to overlook ahundred million dollar shipment ofcocaine coming across the Texasborder. It would take a lot less moneyto buy a Belizean agent. I personallywatched an agent at the Belize Citycustoms barn, going through a shipmentof shoes to find a pair she liked. Imaginewhat would happen if she found a shoebox full of money!

“Why don’t you just keep that box?”says the importer.

Tourist Traffic. Tourism is our mostimportant industry. And most of thetourists look pretty affluent. Just like amoney launderer. (Did you think theyall look like “Super Fly?”) They comeand go in big groups. The cruise shipslook wonderful – all those ‘hidey holes’and no time to search them all.

5. ConclusionsYou’ll have to draw your own

conclusions. Just as in the US, thereare plenty of things beneath the surfacein Belize. Secret deals and two sets ofbooks, and all of the devices we alreadyknow about from watching Godfathermovies. So this is really just speculationon my part, and you’re free to speculateon your own. Have fun. I do.

About the Author

Justin Other Gringo came toBelize in the 90’s from the U.S andlived here for many years.. He hasbeen involved in various local andinternational enterprises, and haslearned a lot about “How ThingsWork in Belize.” He now lives inthe U.S. You can email him atjustin_o_gringo@yahoo.com.

Opening HoursMonday - Saturday 6 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.Sunday & Holidays 7 a.m. - 7:30 pm.Breakfast Lunch and Diner

suffer the consequences. They hadshown the “natives” how to suck thelife blood out of their country, so nowthey could jolly well rape, pillage andplunder themselves. And with thatexample the results that followed wereinevitable.

“The political system created andput into operation in Belize must makethose old colonial Brit administratorssmile in their graves. We now electrepresentatives who appoint oneanother as Ministers with the sameuncontrolled power as their colonialpredecessors; Ministers whocircumvent the law whenever theywish; Ministers whose decisions arefinal and not reviewable, placingthemselves above the law and abovethe constitution; Ministers who shufflefunds and properties for the benefitof themselves, relatives and favoredones, without fear of retaliation;Ministers controlling sensitive areas ofour government without propertraining or education; Ministers whoborrow massive funds to cover lossesfrom their corruption withoutconstraints, burdening our futuregenerations with overwhelming debts.

“Corruption? How could weexpect anything else? And now thatour political corruption has pillagedand plundered our national assets towhere there is little of value left, wetalk about a new party as if that is theanswer that will cure the ills. NO, wedon’t need ANOTHER party, weneed a BETTER party dedicated tocorrecting the abuses of ourpoliticians. We need a BETTER partythat will realign our political system sothat it serves our people instead of ourpoliticians. We need a BETTER party

that will search out and prosecutecorruption. We need a BETTERparty that will put power back in thehands of the people. We need a BETTERparty that will make all of our electedofficials accountable for their actions andpunished for their infractions.”

I told the Old One we are all trainedor conditioned to think the same way.We only know what we know, and itseems to me that to make things bettermeans we will have to learn a lot ofthings we don’t already know. Doesthis mean that we have to continue tolive with our political corruption untilwe get a lot smarter or bettereducated… sometime in the distantfuture? It is easy to say what weHAVE to do, but isn’t our realproblem HOW are we going to do it?

“Exactly,” the Old One answered,“but the answers are all around us.Start looking for them.”

A new party(Continued From Page 1)

Friday, January 19, 2007 The INdependent Reformer Page 7

By Meb Cutlack

A report to us from top PUP circleshas revealed that the PUP hasappointed a ‘special‘unit under aleading Cabinet Minister to ·disrupt‘The INdependent.

The plan, as described to us, calls forintimidation of our staff and business

Independent will not be intimidatedIndependent will not be intimidatedIndependent will not be intimidatedIndependent will not be intimidatedIndependent will not be intimidated

contacts and advertisers and efforts toidentify and put pressure on whoeverthey can find who is ‘backing‘ us. Well,our backers are few but far. They areloyal Belizens who want to seetransparency, an end to corruption anda return to the democratic principles

promised by Independence.They out of reach of PUP

intimidation. Efforts to sink us will onlyresult in a greater resolve on their partfor us to continue our fight for reform.

From indications the UDP is also nothappy about our appearance on the

KHMH & UHS:Amalgamation or DamnationNurses, where will you be after Jan. 15th, 2007?

The Ministry of Health has put forward a concept to amalgamate theKHMH (public) & UHS (private) and the MOH has established a TaskForce to review the institutions’ services with a mandate to submit a reportwith recommendations by January 15th, 2007. Your professionalorganization, the NAB, has been monitoring the situation and has thesupport of other unions and associations on the position it has taken. TheNAB continues to make recommendations that will positively impactnurses and the health care delivery system.

The NAB continues to stand strongly by its position of

NO amalgamation without professional consultation!

NO amalgamation without sensitization of patient care delivery!

NO amalgamation without revision of KHMH Act!

NO amalgamation without job security!

NO amalgamation without salary negotiation!

Actions Taken to date

1.) Establish an NAB Task Force (representative from KHMH/UHSnurses)

2.) Requested the MOH to have representation on the its Task Force–Mrs. L. Longsworth

3.) Conducted a KHMH 18 hrs poll (responses were 89 NO / 2 YES/ 2spoiled)

4.) Press Conference5.) Review and compilation of various reference documents - KHMH

Act, KHMH & UHS Amalgamation Proposals, Cabinet press releaseon the issue, etc

Your input in the consultation has proven vital to the process as we standas professionals to safe guard the quality of care we deliver to our clients.In addition we stand together in solidarity to safe guard our socioeconomicwelfare and working condition. Please be informed that the CaribbeanNurses Organization (CNO) and the International Council of Nurses (ICN)have been informed of the situation.Let us continue to implore each other to aggressively keep abreast of theissues which impacts us as professionals and our clients!

E-mail: nab.nursesassociationofbelize@gmail.com

Professional single, non-smoking, quiet tennant soughtfor a self-contained, one-bedroomed, H&C water, ACapartment in Ladyville.

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scene. Neither of the two top retailersin the country, one PUP and the otherfirmly UDP, will handle TheINdependent.

Meanwhile, the PUP continues to buyup our Newspapers as they hit thestreet. They have not had much successin the City and even less in the districtswhere our newspaper is rapidlybecoming the top seller countrywide.

We will not be intimidated.

‘murkied’ the waters. Belize andGuatemala may just as well have appointedrepresentatives of the KKK...

The latest round of talks was a totalwaste of time because it was poorlystructured. Actually, it was thebastardization of a better proposal theusurping architect could not seeproperly. It was not his initiative, hisbrainchild. Try as he might he couldnever make it his own. Thirteen’sfixation was precisely what he told theIsraeli reporter: he wanted to patent asuccessful negotiation process thatcould then be used in the Middle East.

Wrong focus, Dorian Grey. And,unapologetically I have and will alwaystake issue with that end game...until thefowls have teeth. No one wants to saythis but facts are stubborn things: Thelast Shoman/Musa attempts at asettlement were a massivedisappointment and yet another verycostly failure. The vision, whatever it is,is unclear to the rest of us. Surely it’snot a resolution of the border dispute.At least, not as Belizeans envision it withGuatemala there and Belize over here.Everyone’s territory intact.

And if Lady Rigoberta could not havebeen brought in because of lack ofreceptiveness in Guatemala then talksshould NOT have commenced; forcingthe ripeness was not conducive to anythingother that massive complications that sawour border moved eastward, ridiculousadjacency zones established, millions ofdollars withdrawn from the Belize treasuryfor First Class travel, accommodations.

Most of all, it created a white elephanton the OAS’ doorstep...and placed bothMexican and Honduran foreign policymachineries in compromising positions.

Having said all that, I think the onlypositives to come the OAS negotiationsare:

1) confidence building measures (mostwere good) although westill have Santa Rosa…a hostileGuatemalan settlement in Belize.

2) big money sitting in accounts at theOAS in a Peace (or should we say “piece’)Fund for solving the political issue in thefuture

3) renewed interpersonal relations inboth countries (including by Oppositionmembers).

But all in all, I have to give it to Godfrey,he is—in the words of Luke Espat “abright minister”. The initiative at the OASis not only dead, it was stillborn. NowMexico has to scramble to deal with thefallout and try to spin it positively. Honduraswill be next.

So what’s next? Do we will have towait until the old dinosaurs like The Generaland the Oxford trained scholar Kramerexpire for ripeness to occur? Kramer hasbeen looking ahead too, indoctrinating awhole new generation of political elites.

So there is no end in sight really, unlessthis thing is redefined within an indigenouspeoples’ context. That just might fly sincethe rights of indigenous peoples is hot rightnow, both in Washington and at the UnitedNations. Not to mention with the citizenryof the US and Great Britain, even all ofEurope. Collective white guilt may find that$100 Million Guatemala wants as

compensation.And just maybe when Lady Rigoberta

takes the Guatemalan Presidency, we’llhave better luck nailing down a finalsettlement.

In the meantime, Minister Smith mightconsider another proposal to resolve bothissues: if the squabbling between the Belizebig money boys and the cruise companies

is indeed at an impasse, why not proposeGuatemala big money interests take thecruise port? For Guatemala, it wouldsolve the Guatemalan cart road problemand their desire for access to the cayes.For Belize southern portions of thecountry (including indigenouscommunities) would benefit and BelizeCity residents wouldn’t have to worryabout those pesky potholes and paltryhead tax anymore and it wouldn’t takeany skin off the nose of the border-dwelling Mayan Communities.

Adjacency Zoning IssuesAdjacency Zoning IssuesAdjacency Zoning IssuesAdjacency Zoning IssuesAdjacency Zoning Issues(Continued From Page 5)

Friday, January 19, 2007 The INdependent Reformer Page 8

TOPICAL TIDBITSTOPICAL TIDBITSTOPICAL TIDBITSTOPICAL TIDBITSTOPICAL TIDBITS

The Peninsula Citizens for SustainableDevelopment (PCSD) is seeking to raiseBZ$15,000 as the remainder of fundsneeded to challenge government approvalof the Ara Macao Resort and Marinaproposed for the northern end of thePlacencia Peninsula.

Most of the funds necessary to launch ajudicial review of the development wereraised locally by PCSD in the last two weeksof December 2006 in a fundraising effort thatbegan on 13 December 2006 after PCSDmet with a team of international and localattorneys about the Ara Macao review andapproval process.

The Belize Department of the Environment(DOE) began circulating a draftEnvironmental Compliance Plan (ECP) forthe project for review by the NationalEnvironmental Advisory Committee in mid-December 2006. Execution of the ECP byDOE and the Ara Macao developer isnecessary for formal approval of theproposed development, and DOErepresentatives have stated that the ECP willbe signed shortly.

However, DOE representatives haverefused to provide any additional informationabout the status of the ECP.

Donations to the Ara Macao litigation fundmay be made anonymously by depositingfunds into the PCSD account at AtlanticBank, account number 100158838.Donations may also be made by checkpayable to the Peninsula Citizens forSustainable Development, General Delivery,Placencia, Belize. Donors who makedonations by check may also requestanonymity.

Please contact the Peninsula Citizens forSustainable Development at

For an online version of theINdependent Reformer

visit us athttp://www.belizenorth.com/

independentreformer.htmOR

http://belizenews.com/independentonline.pdf

info@placenciadocuments.info for furtherinformation.

The Peninsula Citizens for SustainableDevelopment is a grass roots communityorganization of Peninsula volunteersconcerned with the rapid, and often poorlyplanned and executed, development of thePeninsula. PCSD seeks to bring informationabout proposed developments to Peninsularesidents to ensure that all developments areenvironmentally sustainable with respect tothe fragile eco-systems of the Peninsula andits communities and cultures.

ECO-WATCHINdependentINdependentINdependentINdependentINdependent

Litigation Fund, Ara Macao Resort and Development

When friends fall out! say carefree) about envrionmentallaw as it relates to both theirprojects. Perhaps both LordAshcroft and Godfrey Smith andtheir champions, Luke Espat andMike Feinstein, should take alesson from the Spanish Lookout oildisaster (see below)and think aboutactually complying withenvironmental law BEFOREproceeding with their mega projects.

Spanish Lookout Oil SpillThere is plenty of blame to be

shared by all in the spray of oil overthe village of Spanish Lookout. Formore than a year the oil companyBNE has ignored Department ofEnvironment instructions to submitan Environmenal ImpactAssessment. For this same amountof time the Department Environmenthas made threatening noises but littleelse. Well, the real blame lies withthe PUP government’s laisse-faireattitude towards all environmentallaws, placing themselves and their

cronies above all law.Our Roads!

They are now such a disgracenationwide that it is going to needmillions of dollars to make themeven half roadworthy. Thisspendthrift (ie. he who spends moneyprodigally and who is extravagant andrecklessly wasteful) government hasnil when it comes to funds to fill anyof the pot holes. The Public WorksDepartment depots coutrywide looklike abandoned equipment yards,their staffs are underpaid and theirability to repair roads reduced to trucksof sand and gravel and a couple of menwith shovels. Even where they do paveis up and gone within days.

BTL’s reputation at zero!A financial journalist visiting

Belize on a cruise ship commentedon the new ‘cell’ phone serviceavailable on board: “About the onlycomplexity in thecellular at seasystem is that it switches itself

offwhen the ship arrives at port,putting you at the mercy of localcarriers such as BelizeTelecommunications Ltd. (BTL).That outfit has a virtual monopoly inthat country.

I figured BTL is not necessarilysomeone I wanted to trust with billinginformation, so I stuck with the on-board cellphone service.”

Troubled youths scam?The INdependent wants to recruit

youths to work and sell paper the

It is quite a uniqueand fascinating sightas the bully boys ofthe PUP fall out and

go for each others throats in such apublic manner. It is obviously noholds barred between Luke Espat(reportedly backed by MichaelAshcroft) goes head to head withMichael Feinstein (backed byTourism Minister Godfrey Smith).According to Smith, who backsFeinstein’s Stake Bank proposal:“For Stake Bank to be feasible itmust be designated as a port to beable to collect taxes to repay itsloan.” But, Luke Espat is equallyadamant that Belize Ports Limitedhas a contract with the governmentwhich prevents GOB from issuing“any other commercial portlicences in Belize without givingBPL the right of first refusal.” Ofcourse, both Stake Bank and BPLhave been very carelesss (if not to

newspaper in BelizeCity. The newspaperwill pay the highestsales comissions in

town (50 cents a copy) to theyouths. The newspaper has tried tofind the so called ‘troubled youthprograms’ but been unsuccessfull.Maybe these programs don’tactually exist and are no more thananother PUP scam which sucksmoney from abroad.

Friday, January 19, 2007 The INdependent Reformer Page 9

Visit TheBelize Zoo

The Best LittleZoo In The World

UK TelegraphLast Updated: 12:01am GMT 06/01/2007

Cho, Choc, Choco… in the Toledodistrict of southern Belize, even the localsurnames carry echoes of the region’smost important crop: cocoa. Cyrila Chohas invited me to her home in San Felipeto see how brigadeiros (chocolatesweets) are made.

First, Cyrila roasts the beans, whichshe grows and ferments herself, on acomal - a circular iron hotplate over awood fire. After grinding the cocoa byhand, she adds condensed milk,allspice, ground black pepper and tzibik- wild vanilla. When the mixture cools,Cyrila rolls it into large balls, and fromthese she fashions smaller ones the sizeof truffle chocolates. “We sell them tolocal hotels,” her daughter, Anna-Marie,explains, “and to holidaymakers touringthe villages.”

By “the villages”, she means theMaya settlements - about 30 in all,radiating out from the tiny regionalcapital of Punta Gorda and extendinghigh into the Maya Mountains. WhileLamanai and Altun Ha (in the north ofBelize) and Caracol (in the west) arethe places to go for ancient ruins, Toledois the heartland of the living Maya.Comprising two thirds of the population,they are conspicuous by their squatphysiques and broad, Maori-likefeatures - shared with other descendantsof the ancient Maya, from the YucatanPeninsula of Mexico to Honduras. InPunta Gorda, they have set up their ownradio station broadcasting in Kekchi -the language of the modern Maya - viathe old Voice of America radio mast.Its flashing red light blinks eerily abovethe town, and there are other signs ofPunta Gorda’s proximity to the UnitedStates. Members of the Peace Corps -the US equivalent of Voluntary ServiceOverseas - cycle by, and there seem tobe more young Americans working forNGOs than there are locals.

Inside her kitchen - a shack with agas cooker and a single low-energy lightbulb - I notice Cyrila Cho’s distinctiveAmerindian features. Her language isguttural and unfamiliar and she speakslittle Spanish, nor does she display anyof the Hispanic traits so common inCentral American people.

“Cho, Choc and Choco are Mayanames,” she explains, using Anna-Marieas interpreter. I realise I am looking at aliving, breathing, modern-day MayaIndian - complete with the traditionalMayan flair for making brigadeiros.

Spiced chocolate, it transpires, isnothing new in Toledo. Kukuh, the drinkof the ancient Maya, was flavoured withblack pepper, chilli and spices andsweetened with forest honey. Next day,

we sample a version of it in Dolores, aremote village near the Guatemalaborder, where we have lunch withSebastian Putul and his family. In theirsmoky hut, festooned with hammocksand drying clothes, we sit on the floorand slurp the sweet nectar from plasticbowls. Then we are treated to caldo(spicy soup) and tortillas made fromblack corn harvested that morning,cooked with ground limestone orcrushed snail shells to counter the effectsof thiamine deficiency. Sebastian and hisfamily eat paca (pronounced pay-kah),or gibnut, a wild rodent considered asmuch of a delicacy as hickatee (riverturtle).

Such experiences can be had throughthe Toledo Ecotourism Association(TEA), which arranges stays atguesthouses in eight Maya villages.Outwardly, the tourist lodgings areindistinguishable from the rest - long hutswith plank walls and thatched roofs -but have showers, toilets, bunks andbedding. Meals are taken with differentfamilies in rotation, to spread the incomefairly.

On the road from Dolores back toPunta Gorda, we pass settlementscalled Otoxha, Corazon Creek, SantaTeresa and Jordan. Each comprises adozen or so clean, tidy huts scatteredacross an emerald clearing where boysplay soccer (not American football) andsmaller children run exuberantly in thesunshine among the cats, dogs, hens andginger pigs. Watching the smoke risefrom the chimneys and catching the smellof tortillas on the griddle, it’s easy toromanticise the Maya way of life - butthese are among the poorest, mostoppressed and least socially integratedpeople in Central America.

Only in Belize (in general) and Toledo(in particular) have they gained a newdignity and a unified voice through thePunta Gorda radio station, the TEA andthe Fairtrade project run since 1994 byGreen & Black’s, the chocolate brand,which buys up every single organiccocoa bean in the district. It helps, aswell, that Belize is more culturallytolerant and diverse than other CentralAmerican countries, thanks to the Mayaresistance to Spanish occupation. In theconquistadores’ absence, Britishpirates, loggers (the Baymen) andAfrican slaves from Nicaragua foundopportunity in Belize and pragmaticallyco-existed.

On the drive to dinner , we pass themost bizarre tribute of all to Belize’sethnic diversity. A woman walks by theroad, wearing a winter frock and abonnet like something out of a Dutchold-master painting; her son has blondelocks tumbling from beneath a straw hatand is dressed in denim overalls.

“It’s a Mennonite family,” says our

driver, explaining that these hard-working farmers are the descendants ofan Anabaptist group founded in theNetherlands in the 16th century. Themost traditional among them rejectmechanisation and technology (riding inhorse-drawn buggies, like the Amish)and speak Low German, while the moreprogressive speak English and have noqualms about using tractors, pick-uptrucks and bicycles.

As darkness falls, we dine on thecandle-lit veranda at Hickatee Cottages- a complex of Caribbean-style cabanasset among nature trails, with a butterflyhouse, an orchid tunnel, a pineapplepatch and vegetable plots where theEnglish owners, Ian and Kate Morton,grow produce for their restaurant.Pumpkin soup is followed by a salad ofcitrus and jicama (a legume also knownas Mexican turnip), then a choice ofcoconut shrimp, chicken parcels stuffedwith calaloo (like spinach) or catch ofthe day - snook, landed that morning,brought fresh to Hickatee by bicycle andpan-fried with butter, lime and garlic.

It’s a standard of cuisine repeated atThe Lodge at Big Falls, which combinessimple accommodation with

birdwatching. Some 490 species havebeen spotted in Toledo, half of them inthe grounds of the lodge. In thesurrounding jungle, snakes, paca andkinkajou (nightwalkers), members of theracoon family, are common.

By the swimming pool at the CoralHouse Inn, tastefully appointed withlocal wood carvings and terracotta floortiles, I sip a Belikin beer and readabout the scuba diving at SapodillaCayes. Encounters with manatees,the gentle mammals also known as seacows, are likely - but today the sea istoo rough.

Two days later, the weather lifts andour Cessna soars out over the cayes intoclear blue skies and blinding sunlight.Below, in the improbably clear water,we can make out the tiny shadows ofmanatees grazing on sea grass. “We’llhave to come back,” I say - but alreadythe orange groves and vast industrialshrimp farms of central Belize areunfurling below us, bringing us sharplyback to the modern world. Toledoseems like another country.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/main.jhtml?xml=/travel/2007/01/06/etmayamodern06.xml

Home stays sweetened with chocolateAndrew Purvis in Belize discovers ancient sites and a modern heartland

Toledo is the heartland of the living Maya,comprising two thirds of the population,

Friday, January 19, 2007 The INdependent Reformer Page 10

“The Airline Of Belize”Fly Tropic Air - Fly Tropic Air - Fly Tropic Air

As a child of God, each of us isca l led to eva lua tethings…unfortunately for most ofus….including myself, it is not aneasy task. We have this innercompulsion to jump in and correcteveryone who’s not doing something“right” (the way I do it or see it).This is not always the most effectiveway as Christians. We can be verydestructive and thoughtlesslycriticize someone’s message oraction. Sometimes we do this justto show up our opponent.

Yes, there are times when all ofus can benefit from our correction.For example, correcting a statementthat is clearly contrary to Scriptureor totally untrue, or a governmentpolicy that hurts the nation on awhole. We’re called to hold eachother accountable for Christ-likeactions and biblical teachings. Butwhen we do, the way we approachthe issue is as important as what wesay. If God leads us to challengeor deal with a problem, theques t ion i s : How to do soeffectively and responsibly?(a) Get the facts first: Too many of

us draw conclusion and rush tojudgment based on erroneousassumptions. Make an effort toinquire and ask the relevantques t ions . Do not a l lowprejudice, class, race, status,politics, or religion be thedecisive factor.

(b) Don’t confront in anger. Workthrough your anger before theLord, not in scathing letters inthe media or on the radio.Sarcasm may make you feelc lever— but i t i s neverconstructive. Hang on to thatletter or e-mail for at least 24hrs – a week is better – beforeyou send it. “The anger of mandoes not achieve therighteousness of God. “ (Jas.1:20)

(c) Stick to the issue. Talk aboutwhat the person did or said thatis of concern. Do not questionhis character or assume youknow his/her motives. Implyingthat someone is not walkingwith God and is dishonest isdeeply hurtful and uncharitable.Without facts or evidence youare becoming judge and jury allin one. Not healthy! Besides,

Criticizing or Correcting?By the Rev’d Canon LeRoy Flowers

it’s very difficult for a personwhose character has just beenattacked to willingly receiveyour comments.

(d) Be Objective. Too many of usallow emotions and past failuresto guide our current discussionwith opponents. Too many areguided by prejudice.

(e) Be part of the solution. Whatsolution do you advocate for theproblem? I believe that we shouldhave at least one solution to offerevery problem we confront.

(f) Speak respectfully. To help keepwhat you say in the right spirit, askyourself:* Is my primary motive to help

this person?* Do my comments reflect love,

joy, peace, patience,kindness, goodness,faithfulness, gentleness, andself-control? (Gal 5:22 – 23).

* Am I giving the person thebenefit of the doubt?

* Have I affirmed or praisedthe person for what he/she’sdoing right?

* Learn to listen with yourhear t , to what youropponent is saying.

* Am I confronting in humilityand respect rather thanbeing superior?

* Will the effect of my wordsand act ions be to teardown, or to build up?

* If I had made the samemistake, how would I wantsomeone to approach meabout it? (Matt. 7:12)

(g) Do Speak. Most leaders wantto hear from people who areunhappy about somethingthey’re doing. They preferdealing with problems directlyand openly. Often talking tothem is best. But it should bedone respectfully. Letters canbe mis in terpre ted , and ameeting can clear up issuesmore quickly. “The moredeeply felt the issue, the moreimportant it is to meet face toface.”

It is a holy responsibility tocorrect and admonish one anotherin Christ. Even if what we say isright, words offered in the wrongspirit can do more harm than good.Jesus said, “First take the plank

out of your own eye, and then youwill see clearly to remove thespeck form your brother’s eye?(Matt 7: 3-5)

Before we correct someone, weneed to examine our own lives for“planks” like pride, a demanding,demeaning spirit, lack of love and,failure to forgive. With such planks

in place, we are set to criticize anddestroy. We are the only correctones! Such an attitude is notconducive to building fellowshipand relationships. It is certainly nothealthy in nation building.

Deal effectively with the issues inan objective manner so we can trulyjoin in correcting each other, notdestroy, nor tear each other down.“Praise God from who all blessingsflow!”

Let us all seek to build a betterBelize for the greater good.

15 St. Thomas StreetBelize City, Belize

Tel: 223-6348Cell: 610-1078

Email: slingshotads@gmail.com

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Friday, January 19, 2007 The INdependent Reformer Page 11

Jungle WalkJungle WalkJungle WalkJungle WalkJungle Walk

Punta Gorda Town January 8,2007

As the Toledo Insti tute forDevelopment & Environment(TIDE) prepares to enter its tenthyear of conservation work in Belize,it bids farewell to the founder of theaward winning organization, WilMaheia, and welcomes CeliaMahung, former CampusAdministrator and Lecturer of theUniversi ty of Belize, ToledoCampus, as its new ExecutiveDirector.

Outgoing Executive Director, WilMaheia, has stepped down asExecutive Director of the leadingNon-Government Organization inthe Toledo District to undertakepersonal endeavors of leadership.In his final staff meeting Mr.Maheia told the TIDE staffthat he is confident that Ms.Mahung will take TIDE toanother level of distinction inits conservation efforts.

As an active member of TIDE’sBoard of Directors, Ms. Mahunghas been extremely instrumental inthe growth and success of theorganization since its inception in1997. She has represented TIDEat in ternat ional meet ings on

New Executive Director for TIDE

sustainable development and haspar t ic ipa ted in fund-ra is ingseminars as wel l as severa lleadership training sessions forTIDE’s Board of Directors. Forthe pas t three years , sherepresented the University ofBelize, Toledo Campus on the Portof Honduras Marine ReserveAdvisory Committee.

Ms. Mahung knows andunderstands her country, hercommunity, and TIDE, which she

has promoted loca l ly andinternationally over the last decade.She is committed to the long-termsus ta inabi l i ty of the na tura lresources of Toledo, andcommitted to the continued growthof the organization. Her particularstrengths lie in her passion for thedevelopment of the Toledo District,leadership experience, capacitybuilding expertise, vast knowledgeof local and national people andcustoms, and her familiarity with

TIDE employees: (from left to right) Mario Muschamp-PCNP manager, Darius Avila-Accounting Consultant,Stephene Supal-Office Manager, Celia Mahung-Executive Director, Jonathan Labozzeta-Development Director,

Wil Galvez—Program Manager.

TIDE’s conservation efforts. Sheis enthusiastic and highly motivatedto protect and help develop theToledo District.

TIDE is committed in its efforts topromote sustainable development ofthe Toledo District by fosteringefficient and effective management ofthe region’s resources, conductingrelevant research and by promotingtraining and advocacy in order topreserve our natural heritage forpresent and future generations.

Curassow –taken from the book“Jungle Walk” with permission ofthe author Katie Stevens

Mr. & Mrs. Curassow (Crax rubra)are a most distinguished lookingcouple. They are as large as a henturkey but more elegant, with trimfigures and sophisticated plumage.The male is formally attired in ablack suit with a glossy but discreetgreen bib and spotlessly whitepantaloons. His grooming isimpeccable, each forward curl of hiscrest in fastidious place, while overhis beak he sports a large, brightyellow knob known in bird circles asa caruncle. His lady wife has twooutfits, one brown, the other reddish(rubra), but her head and neck arealways striated black and white andher black crest is white-lace.Curassows are related to the

guan family and also—dare it bementioned—to those rowdy, dowdychachalacas from the other side ofthe tree.The curassow spends much of its

life stalking about the forest floor,

ten meters up.Once a liaison is formed,

neither Mr. or Mrs. C would eventhink of philandering. The maleis the dominant spouse, leadinghis family about and warning ofdanger with a high-pitchedwhistle. He also has a uniquesong, very low-pitched but far-flung, which consists of a seriesof patterned notes. The pairmutter together about domesticmatters.Two fluffy chicks are hatched

from rough-shelled white eggs.They prefer to clamber about inshrubs and other densevegetation rather than to join theirparents on the ground, but at theend of the day they flap their wayto their mother’s roost andsnuggle in for the night, oneunder each wing.The future of these birds is linked

to the continued existence of tropicalforests from eastern Mexico throughCentral America into Colombia andEcuador—and to the food fads ofpeople of these regions.

dining on what it finds there: appetizerof tree seeds, a large beetle as an entre,perhaps a fallen mango for dessert.However, with the help of its mate, itbuilds its nest in a tree, usually at about

Curassow

Friday, January 19, 2007 The INdependent Reformer Page 12

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LOCATIONJust 20 minutes from Belize City, 7 minutes to InternationalAirport close to grocery shopping and 2 banks

Taxes-- approx BZ $200/year property taxes (fully paid up)

PRICINGproperty appraised at $ 420,000 but ask for details

Private ListingLake Gardens, Ladyville

“Chalet d’ Eve”

VIEWING

by appointment only

Please call Trevor @ 600-1627

Friday, January 19, 2007 The INdependent Reformer Page 13

who was parked in the FTC parking lot?”\“Oh, yes.”“Could you tell me how, exactly,” I

pushed?“Well, we have a lot more dead

chickens now. I know at least two cowshave died. Stinking flares burn all nightcovering our houses and fields with slimysoot and never allow the night to be darkenough for sleeping any more. Ourchildren complain of belly aches. Manyof us now have breathing problems andsome of our families had to move to getbetter air. The noise is constant. Oil trucksare pounding our roads to potholes. A lotof very rude people are running aroundtelling our people we have to do what theysay because they own the oil and they cancome on our property whenever theywant to. And did you see Channel Five?The oil company just had a spill which theytried to cover up, even though itcontaminated our water reservoir andpastures. Our oil consultant warned us andI guess we should have listened to him.”

“Who is the consultant?”“Don’t know his name, Jim something,

but he has been right on with everythinghe has told us. Allen Reimer is in chargeof our oil committee and he knows what’sgoing on. Try him.”

Unfortunately Allen Reimer was in ameeting. I stopped to get gas at the Essostation, and asked one of the men therewhat they thought about the oil production.

“Just had a bad spill from the Usher 2that came all the way up here. See thereon that tractor, those oil spots. You canfollow them all the way back to the well,a half mile away. Those oil people don’tseem to care much, but our reservoir iscontaminated now too. Don’t know if itwill make the chickens and cattle sick‘cause they have to drink that water. ThatBNE oil woman was telling us a while backthat we didn’t have to worry once oilproduction started because there wouldn’tbe any problems then, just during drilling.Our consultant said he didn’t want to sayshe was lying, but if she wasn’t lying shewas plumb ignorant. Looks like he wasright.”

“Who is your consultant,” I tried again.“Don’t know his name. It is Jim

something. White hair, white beard andhe’s at full market weight,” he laughed.“Just saw him a little while ago checkingsome soil pasture grasses for oil kill. He’sgot some age on him, but he sure getsaround.”

It wouldn’t be right to pass WesternDairy without stopping in for ice cream. Ifound a couple of older Mennonite menthere who were enjoying an ice creamcone and asked if they thought the oil wasa good thing?

“Must be good for some people, butthey don’t live in Spanish Lookout,” oneof them responded.

I pointed out that I understood theCommunity got a lot of money from their

share of the oil royalties. Didn’t they thinkthat maybe in the long run the money theywere getting would be beneficial forSpanish Lookout?

“Money we are getting? That oilcompany has paid for some of the damagethey have done, but after two years of themstomping our crops, invading our barnsand peeking in our windows, theCommunity has never received a pennyof royalties from the oil production. Andit doesn’t look like we are going to either,‘cause the government is supposed tocollect the money first and then pay us. Iexpect we will see eggs at a dollar an eggbefore we will see the first dollar from thegovernment!”

I commented that I was surprisedbecause the law said the landowners weresupposed to get 5% of the oil revenues orsomething like that.

“Doesn’t seem to matter what the lawsays because the government runs the law.But it is a lot less than 5%, and it don’tmake any difference even if it were 50%‘cause we aren’t getting any of it anyway.Talk with Allen Reimer or our consultant.They’ll know all about it.”

Decided to make one more stop atMidway Convenient Store where I founda Mennonite friend of mine talking aboutthe oil pipeline that was being installed. Itold him I saw where they were installingtwo pipes, a big and a little one, by theThrift Shop, and I understood the pipelinewas going to stop all of the problems theywere having with the gas flares, and oilproduction.

“What you see is not really what youhave with that pipeline,” my friendcommented. Our consultant was reallyagainst the installation, because that smallerpipe isn’t an oil pipeline at all, it’s a highvoltage 25kva electrical cable. Accordingto our consultant laying a 25 thousand voltelectric line on top of, and in the sametrench as, a pipeline carrying a high volumeof explosive oil is a creating a futuredisaster just waiting to happen. The firsttime a backhoe accidentally breaksthrough that trench there will an explosionthat will kill anybody nearby.

“When the oil people started talkingabout a pipeline, a lot of us wereconcerned because it would crossproperty that we were planning to buildhouses on. BNE people told us not toworry that as soon as they put the pipelinein we could go ahead and build over it. Itwas a common practice everywhere. Ourconsultant said the BNE people were

either lying or just plain ignorant. Hearranged a trip and took the oil committeeto the States and Trinidad so they couldsee the problems with pipelines, and theyfound that nobody builds over any oilpipeline. In fact it was against the law inother countries. BNE then said we musthave misunderstood what they said, butwe didn’t.

“Our consultant asked for anengineering report on the pipeline but BNErefused to give it, or maybe they didn’thave one, so he asked for the engineeringdata so he could evaluate it himself, butBNE refused to give it. He asked forinformation on leak detection and safetydevices, but BNE just didn’t answer. Iunderstand that the Environment peopleat DOE also asked for it, but Ministersignore the laws when they want to, sonothing more was done and BNE acts likenobody asked them for anything.”

“Who’s your consultant,” I asked?“Man’s name is Jim and his card’s over

there on the wall. You should go look himup.”

I guess Consultant Jim is my next stop.Tell you next week what he has to say.

Belize oil fiascoBelize oil fiascoBelize oil fiascoBelize oil fiascoBelize oil fiasco(Continued From Page 1)

Comments? Suggestions?or want to share your

thoughtsEmail us at

Independent.newspaper.bz@gmail.com

Friday, January 19, 2007 The INdependent Reformer Page 14

“The Airline Of Belize”Fly Tropic Air - Fly Tropic Air - Fly Tropic Air

Hunt for good foodWith Anthony Hunt

Totally

eens

If you are between the ages of11 and 18 and would like toexpress your opinions emailus at:independent.newspaper.bz@gmail.com

T

This former colonial era hospital where many of us wereborn, has been a fixture of the Fort George area for manyyears. While the restaurant was quiet, the food was hot andample. We tried the Club Sandwich, Stewed ChickenandTomato Shrimp dishes, with varying reviews. While thesandwich was very good the other dishes get outshined byprevious reviewed establishments in thiscolumn. The servicewas decent and the view, great, but the prices were a bit outof the ustomary lunch budget for most. We do hear that thedinner service is much better attended. This is good news fora restaurant that has one of the best locations in town. DailySpecials, Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, $15 & up

Chateau Caribbean Restaurant,Marine Parade, Belize City.

ARIES(Mar. 21- April 20)

Travel should be on your mind. Your charm willattract members of the opposite sex. Make surethat you get legal matters checked out thoroughly.You can get good solid advice from relatives orclose friends you trust.

TAURUS(Apr. 21- may 21)

Talk to someone you trust if you need advice aboutbroaching the subject. This might not be a day forhasty decisions. You can make career changes thatmay put you in a much higher earning bracket. Findways to make extra cash. Start making things orreusing rather than buying ready made.

GEMINI(May 22-June 21)

This is a turning point. Talk to your mate about avacation and discuss the expectations of yourrelationship. Take care of your own responsibilitiesbefore you help others. Friends may not becompletely honest with you.

CANCER(June 22-July 22)

You won’t have to look for the action. Youremotional state could leave you vulnerable andconfused. Get involved in jobs that require creativeinput. You can win points with both peers andsuperiors. Changes to your self image will be toyour benefit as long as you don’t over pay.

LEO(July 23-Aug 22)

Try to be there for someone if they need assistance.Opportunities to meet new lovers will evolvethrough your interaction with groups or fundraisingfunctions. Be willing to listen, but don’t be fooled.You can make money if you’re willing to pushyour ideas on those in a position to support yourefforts.

VIRGO(Aug. 23 -Sept. 23)

Mingle with those who can help you get ahead.Make amends if you can. Get into fitness programsto keep in shape. Your ambitious mood may not goover well with loved ones. Consider starting a small

business on the side. Look for a marketable gimmick.LIBRA

(Sept. 24 -Oct. 23)Reciprocate by offering helpful hints. You can setyour goals and make a beeline for your target. Youneed an outlet. You must make sure that all yourpersonal documents are in order.

SCORPIO(Oct. 24 - Nov. 22)

Channel your efforts into achieving your goals. Useyour creative flair. A change in position could bebetter than you thought. Difficulties with your matemay lead to isolation.

SAGITTARIUS(Nov. 23 -Dec. 21)

Don’t let your emotional partner upset you thisweek. Someone you work with could try toundermine you. Try not to at tempt to do somethingunless you are fully intent on following throughwith the plans. Your lover may disappoint you insuch a way that estrangement will follow.

CAPRICORN(Dec 22.- Jan. 20)

If you are not already, think about going intobusiness for yourself. Female colleagues may beable to help you get the job done. Your involvementin sports or entertainment will lead to newromances. Get back into the swing of things.

AQUARIUS(Jan. 21 -Feb. 19)

You need some help this week. You can makepersonal changes that will enhance your reputationand give you greater self confidence. Your partnercould also use some time alone with you. You willhave original ideas for ways to make extra money.

PISCES(Feb. 20-Mar. 20)

You can expect to feel confused about your personalprospects. Try not to judge too quickly. You cancontinue to forge ahead if you make a few longdistance calls pertinent to closing pending deals.New interests are preoccupying your time.

Mothers

Mothers are sweetmothers are kind

my mother should knowI love her

She loves meI think that’s something we both can see that she is mine

By Julia Heusner

******************

A teacher was giving a bigtest one day to his students.He handed out all of thetests and went back to hisdesk to wait. Once the testwas over, the students allhanded the tests back in.The teacher noticed that oneof the students had attacheda $100 bill to his test with anote saying “A dollar perpoint.” The next class theteacher handed the testsback out. This student gotback his test and $56change.

Your dose of laughter

Friday, January 19, 2007 The INdependent Reformer Page 15

Lookingfor your copy of

Independent ReformerWeekly?

We currently have the followingdistributors Countrywide and are lookingfor more:

Corozal:Raidys

Orange Walk:Peoples Store, Del La Fuenta

Drugs StoreSan Ignacio:

Hangout El Che, Celinas, VenusJuan Chuc (Bullet Tree Road)

The New P Wang Super Store (Benque Road)street vendors

Succotz:Hua Yong Store

Benque Viejo Del Carmen:Long Lucky Super Store

Dangriga:Oscar Ramirez

Placencia:Noldan BrownPunta Gorda:

Natures Way Guest HouseBelmopan:

Hyde’s Mini MartDakers Stationery

Belize City:Albert & Queen Street Stalls, Twin

Supermarket and Slingshot on St. ThomasStreet, Water Taxi Terminal, Shell Service

Station,Ml. 2 1/2 N. Hwy.,

Ladyville:El Ca’s Supermarket, Jonze Salon, Celinas

Grocery, Highwayman Service Station,Bodale’s

Burrel BoomW. Thompson, Seidy’s Store

San Pedro:seeking a distributor

New Distributors are being added everyweek so look out for increasedavailability. You can also join our mailinglist, see page 2 for details.

Social Page

Belikin Calender models Tiffany Jones and Shanna Pott. The calendar was launchedon January 6, 2007 at the Riverside Tavern in Belize City

PUBLIC & BANKHOLIDAYS 2007

It is notified for general information that public and bank holidaysspecified in the First and the Second Schedule to the Holidays Act,Chapter 289 of the Substantive Laws of Belize, Revised Edition 2000,will be observed on the following days during the year 2007 in accordancewith Section 3 of the said Act:- Day Date Occasion

Monday January 1st New Year’s Day

Monday March 12th Baron Bliss Day (in lieu of Friday, March 9th)

Friday April 6th Good Friday

Saturday April 7th Holy Saturday

Monday April 9th Easter Monday

Tuesday May 1st Labour Day

Monday May 21st Sovereign’s Day (in lieu of Thursday, May 24th)

Monday September 10th National Day

Thursday September 21st Independence Day

Monday October 15th Day of the Americas (in lieu of Friday, Oct 12th)

Monday November 19th Garifuna Settlement Day

Tuesday December 25th Christmas Day

Wednesday December 26th Boxing Day

There were long lines at the calendar signing at the Tavern. (Photos by Richard Holder)

Friday, January 19, 2007 The INdependent Reformer Page 16