Caribbean News Now!

Dear Sir:

In the continuing saga of good governance in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), I give you the Argyle International Airport Project (AIAP). Too often in SVG, we are sold a bag of goods without questioning the intention of those who sold us the bag of goods. Also, whether or not there are goods in that bag.

The airport was said to not cost Vincentians one cent and will not add to the national debt. However, the cost continues to be shouldered by the people of SVG. While most Vincentians yearn for an international airport and many embrace the development, it should not be to the detriment of the economy, the infrastructure (roads, buildings, etc.) and the healthcare system.

Were there good governance principles in attempting to build the AIAP? What was the rationale for not bringing the largest project in the history of the nation to be discussed in the parliament?

What is more, when asked in the parliament about signed documents or agreements to build the airport, the answer was telling. More of your good governance on display; show me your title deed! Well, the opposition leader’s home and title deed belong to him and his family.

On the other hand, the airport belongs to SVG, even if it is built under your administration. It is not yours or your party’s! Such a reply can only have its underpinnings in arrogance and ignorance, and certainly not in good governance.

Under a good governance model there would have been signed agreements by all members of the so-called coalition of the willing to build the airport. Moreover, there were no signed documents/agreements with many of the so-called coalition of the willing to build the airport (including supposedly major contributor, Venezuela). Clearly an economic cost benefit analysis and market analysis should have been done before breaking ground.

Furthermore, a re-evaluation of the AIAP was necessary with the then pending global recession and its onset in the fall of 2008. But then again, they say we have good governance in SVG!

Since airports are a function of commerce, not government, here are a few questions:

• When will the airport be profitable?
• What would it take to make the airport profitable?
• Who are the international airlines signed on to fly into the airport?
• Would the people of SVG be subsidizing any international airlines flying into the airport? If yes, what is the projected cost per year of this subsidy?

Today, we are told some EC$214 million or so is needed to finish the airport. But oh how it is neatly packaged as $80 million, with most people leaving off the “US”. US$80 million is equal to about EC$214.4 million (yes, we money).

Good governance also implies fiscal responsibility. With all the robust developments in the declining economy in SVG, was it wise to mortgage our future for such an unsustainable project? Such is the robusticity of blind governance in SVG.

Peace and justice and get real.

Lenford O’Garro
Washington

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Ian Francis, Toronto, Ontario:

1. Are you implying that the Government of St. vincent should not build an international airport?

2. Are you categorically saying that an international airport will be an burden to the people of St.Vincent?

3. Did the Maurice Bishop International Airport; the Hewanorrah Airport in St.Lucia; the Robert Bradshaw International Airport in St. Kitts or the Vere Bird International Airport in Antigua.

4. What precisely are you saying to readers/ Should St. Vincent build an international Airport or just hang on to Arnos Vale.

Frankly, I have no problems for you criticizing and attacking the Comrade Prime Minister. However, when rhetoric and unsubstantiated foolish comments are advance by you and the other babsy twin, the anti-comrade line must be exposed.

Time that you and the Babsy twin bring a halt to your continuous mischief.

STEVE_HUGGINS:

Francis, where were you when GRENADIANS were BUTCHERING OTHER GRENADIANS over this STUPID MARXIST-LENINIST IDEOLOGY - - - the self-same ideological madness the your 'dear comrade' ralph gonsalves has publicly espoused and advocate from as early as 1974?

ARE YOU, IAN, TELLING ST.VINCENTIANS AND GRENADIANS, as well as other WEST INDIANS THAT YOU and the "Call-me-comrade,too" Copy-cat Castroite Communist Gonsalves WANT ANOTHER BITE OF THE APPLE in staging another OECS 'scientific socialist' revolution, so-called?

Did you publicly support Ralph Gonsalves when he ranted publicly, in PILOT-esque fashion, that the guys in Grenada, his erstwhile Russian-backed International SOCIALIST comrades, had gone EXTREME LENINISTS? I don't recall hearing your public voice, then?

Incidentally, were'nt you a organizational friend of Unison Whiteman, also?

WHAT part did you play recently when the CABINET ASSASINS WERE RELEASED?

Or, back in the EXPECTED, USUAL, COMMUNISTIC PURGES - - - which side did we hear you publicly support?

Would you shamelessly, unconscionably, help to foist such IDEOLOGICAL MADNESS of MARXISM-LENINISM on our good denizens of SVG, or other peace-loving peoples of the OECS/CARICOM?

Didn't you just several weeks ago, fail to objectively relate the big Grenada diplomatic scandal, and its serious, politically deleterious, implications for Ralph Gonsalves' similar political shinanegans? Or, are you merely being highly selective? How is the readership of your vaunted articles going these days? Oh, I don't mean those subjective, partisan, parries that you have begun to throw our way here in the Vincy side of the fora.

You come off as parochial, partisan, and mendicant as that politically fraudulent guy WILLIAMS who was parading in these august columns under certain names, then.

Just another fanatical Gonsalves' body-kisser, politically speaking of course.

Ian Francis, Toronto, Ontario:

When did Cold War RHETORIC ended? I think you are really living behind historical times. Buck up man and show more REALISM in regional politics.

jason :

If constructing the airport is of detriment to the economy, how come we are seeing steady progress being made on a number of projects in the country. Yes we are making a sacrifice now, but it wouldn't be in vain.

Here is a list of some of the infrastructural projects:

The ongoing work on the Colonrie Bridge.

Modern Custom Building in Kingstown, next to the Save Alot Supermarket.

Construction work on the modern Hospitality Institute at Diamond Industrial Estate.

Rehabilitate a section of Vigie Highway from Arnos Vale Roundabout northward to the junction of the Villa-fountain road.

During the last quarter of this year, we'll see the commencement of work on the Leeward Highway from Hospital Corner to Layou.

In the mean time, the Ministry of Transport and Works are currently patching a number of potholes. The airport bill should have been brought forward to the parliament for discussion.

So because the bill weren't debated should we remain without proper air access, or just hang on to the current one at Arnos Vale?

Huggis, go and read articles on the life and work of Chavez, and see how he'd transformed the life of so many poor people in Venezuela. I weren't aware that President Chavez had done so much work during the last (14) years since he'd assumed office.

Until I've read a couple of articles over the weekend that appears in the newspapers.

STEVE_HUGGINS:

THAT Marxist-Leninist 'REALISM', Mr. APOLOGIST for the unrepentant Castroite COMMUNIST Ralph Gonsalves, caused the SUMMARY EXECUTION, without due process of law, A LA Central Committee of the COMMUNIST PARTY OF cuba, OF THE MARXIST REVOLUTIONARY PRIME OF GRENADA AND MOST OF HIS CABINET, inclusive of a reputedly pregnant EDUCATION MINISTER and my friend Unison. What was your public or journalistic part in the WHOLESALE SLAUGHTER? Did you ever give public CONDEMNATION OF THE MARXIST REVOLUTIONARY doctrinaire extremism of the "EXTREME LENINISTS" as your 'scientific socialist' massa, Gonsalves-FRANCIS, so screechingly termed them once he heard that the "boley" was about to burst wide open?

WAS it the so-called COLD WAR, or not, which CAUSED THIS BARBARIC REVOLUTIONARY PURGE, so common in the totalitarian Communist regimes?

Ask the Communist RED Chinese if the COLD WAR is over, with regards to their constant spying on sensitive intelligence and military installations in Western democracies. Have they cease surreptitiously financing individual Western politicians with a view to 'controlling' them and/or their policies once they are elected?

Did the ruling COMMUNIST PARTY OF CHINA somehow inform you that they had forsworn the constant barrage of Government and Military hacking of the CIVILIAN, BUSINESS, BANKING, GOVERNMENTAL, RESEARCH AND MILITARY COMPUTERS AND INTERNAL WEBSITES OF WESTERN DEMOCRATIC NATIONS --- as so very many media, technical and intelligence sources are seriously charging?

Are we well into a full-scale CYBER WAR today, with the EASTERN COMMUNISTS feature prominently as sinister protagonists? Is COMMUNIST PARTY CONTROLLED CUBA again acting as a marxist subversive proxy in such cyber attacks, as the power-mad despot practised back in the early 1960s.

Is there peace in this increasingly dangerous, cosmocidal, world?

IS there not rather skyrocketing ECONOMIC WARFARE increasingly being waged, with an almost guaranteed imminent HOT WAR waged globally? Do the Communist enslaved regimes take any part in these international conflicts?

I stand corrected by the bandwagoner Ian Francis, that we now [surprising to me!] live in a nirvana world of sudden peace, ever since the COLLAPSE AND IMPLOSION OF THEIR CHAMPION 'union of soviet socialist republics', i.e., backward, medieval RUSSIA.

Peace . . . PEACE ... !!! says Ian.

Yuh know, 'Gunny apologist?

I-man 'ent see that 'PEACE' headed the human way, YET.

Keep worshipping a man, communist copycat Gonsalves, it will come to all true COMMUNIST 'believers.'

Or, at least, try 'reasoning' dishonestly on his political and ideological behalf. Nobody scorns intellectual dishonesty these days. What excuses we now have for journalistic (?) 'watchmen'.

THE 'TIEF DEM DON' GARNE WITH THE PLANTAIN.

Bull-dog and he crew CELEBRATING; SPENCER 'loss' he plantain.

In ST. VINCENT, dey 'TIEF CONSTITUENCY, dey 'TIEF PARLIAMENTARY RIDING, dey 'TIEF POLITICAL PARTY, and dey 'TIEF GRABAMENT.

DOAN LEY DEM 'TIEF YOUR MIND, YOUR CONSCIENCE, YOUR FREEDOM OF THOUGHT, YOUR INDEPENDENCE, YOUR SELF-RESPECT, and YOUR INTEGRITY, my fellow VINCENTIAN, OECS, CARICOM, and WEST INDIAN NATIONALS.

The price of freedom, is our eternal vigilance.

Remember the Grenada MARXIST-LENINIST slaughter and MASS MURDERS.

Quo Vadis, O.E.C.S.?

Lenford O'Garro:

Dear Ian my boy,

Do you not have any reading comprehension skills? Or is your purpose here to defend your socialist friend and Comrade Prime Minister at all cost?

Please checkout a link to a letter dated August 9, 2008 entitled “And what if they lied to you?” http://www.caribbeannewsnow.com/caribnet/archivelist.php?pageaction=showdetail&news_id=9667&arcyear=2008&arcmonth=8&arcday=09

“Let me start first by addressing your question, “Do we need an international airport?” The answer is No, because we cannot afford it. Just because my friend has a Lamborghini, it does not mean I shall sell everything I own plus beg, borrow and steal to acquire one too.”

I will deal with your questions later in a separate letter. By the way, don’t think you are throwing me off-track with your questions. The Robusticity of Blind Governance III has already been written over a month ago.