POLICIES

This page allows you to post your ideas of policies, which can assist Barbados and Its people in their development. The Democratic Labour Party will analyse those policies, which are sent and see those which are useful and practical

9 Comments

  • Thistle
    July 3, 2007 at 5:17 pm

    DLP, I read your comment on BFP concerning your policy on Graeme Hall, which made me very happy. I know now that my faith in you has not been misplaced.

    Reply
  • RoyBoy
    August 17, 2007 at 1:43 pm

    I would like to understand what is your policy on disclosure of personal assets by politicians before elections, during their term in office (assuming the politician is elected to parliment, say on a yearly basis) and on demitting office (when new election is called whether or not they are seeking re-election).
    I think a stated policy on this issue is important, especially to middle income Bajans.

    Reply
  • Margaret Knight
    September 14, 2007 at 9:42 am

    DLP:

    I would like to say a lot here, but I am a great believer in brevity in journalism, so I will keep this as short as possible. There is an article in today’s Nation (September 14) by Lionel Worrell, which, in my humble opinion, should be required reading for ALL. It is entitled “Shore Birds in Danger” and it struck a very vital chord in my heart. It is nothing short of disgraceful that migratory birds, looking for a haven to rest, after long flights from N. America and Europe, should find themselves at the mercy (did I say MERCY??) of a bunch of trigger-happy men (maybe women too?) who shoot them just when they think they’ve found that haven. Why can’t these people use the Clay Pigeon Shooting Club instead?

    I would respectfully request that the policy-makers in the DLP – when it forms the next Government – have a serious look at introducing legislation to stop this disgusting slaughter of birds. (Did I hear someone say that we’re approaching First World status? Don’t make me laugh).

    I know many people will choopse their mouths and say, “Who cares about birds?” Those are the ones who also say, “Who cares about animals?”. Well I care. And so do many others and it is time to shut down the swamps and stop the wanton shooting of birds. I hope my appeal does not fall on deaf ears.

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  • Henderson Dalrymple
    September 15, 2007 at 12:21 pm

    Being born of the doubting thomases clan, I must say that I will make some suggestions here, but doubt that this comment will see the light of day, thanks to the moderators and those that do not think they bring quick headlines.

    Lets look at local democracy and the participation of ordinary Barbadians. Barbados as one of the more developed Caribbean countries (and I use the word developed most guardedly) is today without a system of local government, where local people can have a greater say in the development, the distribution of resources in their area, and above all how the local environment can be made to fit in with the wishes of the locals rather than merely that of some developer.

    It would also take much of the allocation of scarce resources out of the hands of one centrist politico who often takes his cue from the head honcho. The rule being if your area did not vote for the government no resources were ever to be allocated to such an area.

    We are all usually bombarded by the tourist industry and their calls to be good ambassadors for the sake of the industry. Yet today we boast one of the oldest cities in the western hemisphere that does not have a mayor or department to run the city. A department that can provide a cohesive, coherent and holistic approach to development in the city, proper traffic management schemes, suitable planning policies for both able bodied and disabled persons alike, and much more control over the planning of events that would be of some benefit to locals and visitors alike. There is much to be gained from this and even more benefits for the local folks. I urge the policy makers to give these ideas some thought.

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  • Henderson Dalrymple
    September 15, 2007 at 12:36 pm

    While we are on policies, I am rather intrigued that we cannot, will not consider that we can be pioneers in some areas too, especially in the area of healthcare for the poor. What is stopping us from again setting up a number of decent health clinics along local government lines that will provide a one stop shop approach to preventable medicine.

    How difficult it is to provide a clinic where once you have visited the institution, all of your health care needs are provided, where all records of treatment are contained preferably computerised. At this clinic all aspects of health are monitored and from a very early age too, so that obese children can be watched for signs of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, cancer , tumors, dental treatment, systematic eye testing, every possible area of modern day health monitoring is done. Preventable medicine at an early stage would save considerable resources in the long run and would dramatically improve the health of our nation.

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  • Henderson Dalrymple
    September 15, 2007 at 1:14 pm

    I would dearly like to turn to policies of housing but again fear the scourge of the moderators of this blog. To allocate two or three comments at the same time is by their definition criminal and therefore is to be discouraged.

    Whether we care to admit it or not, housing is and will be one of our major problems for the next two decades at least. It is a commodity that supply can rarely keep pace with demand, yet there are a number of policies that can help to alleviate some of our darkest nightmares.

    The National Housing Corporation and its terms of reference needs to be revised as soon as possible.Yes it should provide low cost affordable housing, but this can be done through a variety of ways. Amid howling and all kinds of objections,it should rent homes, have a programme of part rent/ part buy for tenants, selling of homes to those who want to buy, must be in a position to offer mortgages on an intergenerational model, where parents can part rent and part buy as much as they can afford, and on their deaths or retirement, their children can if they wish take out a mortgage on what is left.

    A DLP government must begin to get creative about such things. Government and NHC must be allowed to lease land for house building for nominal rents over as much as 99 years, money from the sale of NHC property should be used to provide more housing opportunities. Those who are able can form housing clubs under the auspices of the NHC to self build their homes providing their own labour. Necessity housing in some areas should be provided for teachers, police, nurses and other emergency type workers who may find it difficult to purchase on the open market. There should be partnerships done with NHC and financial institutions like insurance companies, credit unions etc to provide affordable housing.

    Finally the NHC and the planning department should work much closer especially in a system of planning gains benefits where large developments like golf courses or even large scale expensive multi million dollar homes are ofset by the provision of low cost affordable homes or contribution to the NHC budget if planning permission is to be secured. (Not only for housing is this planning gain sought but even for local economic development schemes. I have often presided over as much as £5 million worth of such money for training, job creation opportunities etc, so I know that it works)

    What is important is that the policy makers and politicians must begin to think creatively and not just within the box, but must also think laterally, horizontally and even beyond.

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  • Margaret Knight
    September 18, 2007 at 6:33 am

    In the British Daily Mail of Monday, September 17, there was an article entitled “Pesticides Can ‘Double’ The Risk Of Asthma”, which highlighted, by experts, the fact that exposure to pesticidal chemical sprays can and do double the risk of developing asthma.

    Farmers here in Barbados spray crops like spraying going out of style! And guess what? The doctors and health authorities are struggling to find out the cause of the extremely high incidence of asthma – especially among children – in Barbados. Years ago, we may have known what asthma was, but it was usually confined to northern climes.

    I would like to ask the DLP agriculture policy-makers to give some serious thought to the banning – or limitation – of crop spraying, and to come up with some alternative ideas, starting from now, so that when we win the Government they can put their ideas into use. Asthma is a very serious complaint and it is frightening to watch someone struggling for breath during an attack, especially a child.

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  • Roy Boy
    October 11, 2007 at 10:46 am

    I suggest a review of govt as it relates to formation of Stat Corps and Trust Funds (EGF).
    Issues:
    Appointment of officers and board members. these must be professional/qualified persons. There must be transparency and no potential for conflicts of interest.
    Non political and no political involvement. If the latter cannot be achieved then give serious consideration to more local elected govenment for social and health matters leaving more time for the Minister to take responsibility for the Corporations etc.
    The latter suggestion is made on the basis of te DLP promise of Ministerial accountability.

    Reply
  • Roy Boy
    November 6, 2007 at 1:52 pm

    DLP;
    Please review below. Is there a stated DLP energy policy? I hope not more of the same. Can we not be entreneurs as a government and become world leaders?
    DLP gov should have a policy on Greenland and seek alternative disposal methods including those that may be leading edge; e.g. incineration using sea water for production of energy. This method will spawn many ancilliary industries; e.g. chemical by-products, steam energy and re-cycling just to mention a few. Also, avoids using valuable land space.
    ————————————————————-Roy Boy
    November 3rd, 2007 at 3:18 pm
    CLB:

    Can you shed any light on claim by John Kanzius that he has discovered a way to use salt water as fuel? I would understand why the oil companies etc would not want something like this to see the light of day.
    Barbados would not have to drill a single well and put our beaches at risk. We can use all the salt water around us.
    In your opinion is it a hoax or not?

    Please review the video at ..
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tf4gOS8aoFk
    ————————————————————Straight talk
    November 3rd, 2007 at 3:34 pm
    Roy Boy;

    Amazing “backyard inventions” – I love ‘em.

    Wonder what the EROEI (Energy Returned on Energy Invested) is on his frequency generator.
    —————————————————————-
    Colin L Beadon
    November 5th, 2007 at 10:51 am
    Returning to Roy Boy on the question of clean energy out of salt water. I’ll pluck a stanza from Kayyam.
    ‘The Grape that came with Logic absolute
    The Two-and-Seventy jarring Sects confute:
    The Subtle Alchemist that in a Trice
    Life’s leaden Metal into Gold transmute. ‘

    The great innovators come to us between the ages of 17- 35. They bring a lot of trash, often, but then, lo and behold, one of them will stand up in a science foram, and start expounding, hesitantly and uncertainly, a new theory.
    To most in the learned gathering, the theory will seem far-fetched, or above their heads. To a few, it will seem a little old hat and too simple to really mean anything. But to just one or two, it will bring sudden light into their eyes, and they will rise up from their seats as if to hear better.
    That is how the great innovations arrive amongst us, like soft-falling snowflakes from God, and how they have always arrived, and been usualy laughted at, or tucked away and forgotton for years. This happens to many of the great abstract math equations, which, in their beauty nobody fully understood, and so they languished until , often 50 years later, they were taken out again, dusted off, and found to slot, exactly, into a new physics problem of today.
    You find out these things, if you read the books written by, or about, famous physicist like Freeman Dyson, Paul Davies, John Gribbin, James Gleick, and others, who wrote books for you and me to understand,…. and marvel at.
    So who should say,… saltwater, which holds so much of our hydrogen, could not be the golden new energy we are seeking ?

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