Friday, July 20, 2007 The INdependent Reformer Page 1 The dependent IN Reformer Belize’s Rebel Paper Vol. 2 No. 29 Friday, July 27, 2007 $1.00 judges. Except, BNE claims that disputes are supposed to be settled by arbitration and Spanish Lookout is saying “no” to arbitration. A Belize Natural Ener gy The Mennonites have a well (BNE) source charges that established reputation for being fair Spanish Lookout is causing the and wanting to get along with oil company tens of thousands everybody, so just what on earth is of dollars in damages every day going on here? by refusing to grant them more At the recent Landowners drilling permits to expand the Association meeting held at Spanish development of the Spanish Lookout, Allen Reimer, Chairman of Lookout field. the Spanish Lookout Oil Committee, BNE claims they will be commented that the problem is NOT holding Spanish Lookout that Spanish Lookout won’t grant accountable for the losses permits for the two new wells, because their refusal is because they will always abide by unreasonable and in violation of their agreements. He says the their agreements. problem is that BNE is in default BNE currently has 5 wells on a number of issues, and the Oil producing about 3,500 barrels Committee has required that the oil of oil a day at Spanish Lookout. company cure all of the defaults At current prices of BZ$145/barrel, On the other hand, Spanish Lookout BNE claims that they have been damaged involving the existing production that‘s half a million dollars a day, which hasn’t done anything with the oil. It is because they have to wait until next week before any new drilling site is means that the oil company is losing still in the ground ready to be pumped, or next month to make the same amount approved. some BZ$100,000 per day for each so it sounds like a lot of legal baloney of money that they want to make today? Frank Redmond, a consultant for new well they can’t drill. and huffing and puffing threats when But that is why God created courts and Spanish Lookout, at the Landowners meeting said the issues are very serious and involve moral as well as financial and legal issues, but he The famous British statesman W inston the country dry while thousands of transparency and accountability for the use would not elaborate. Churchill said, “For a nation to try citizens go without, and the poor and of taxpayer funds, yet neither political party It seems that the oil problems are to tax itself into prosperity is like a middle class are victimized? has proposed it. Such reform does not points of discussion for everyone in man standing in a bucket and trying It seems so, for the awarding of seem to be contained in either of the two the Spanish Lookout Community, to lift himself up by the handle.” bloated contracts continues and the main party’ s political reform proposals or but no one seems to have many What would he have thought of Belize government continues to borrow to manifestos. Do the major political parties details. right now? absorb the losses from these over simply want the crony system to continue At least two big problems exist: 1) Belize’s economy cannot survive payments. The national debt has so politicians can pay off their election BNE owes a lot of money to SLO the burdens that are being placed upon sky-rockets to $2.5 billion, a sum that season debt? for flaring penalties and refuses to pay it. Not just from taxes, but also the the grandchildren of today’ s youngest Another great burden on the Belizean it; and, 2) BNE refuses to install bloated contracts entered into by citizens will be strapped to pay for many economy is the excessive cost of utilities. meters to measure the oil production Government. There are records of years to come. There is not any country in the W estern so no one knows how much oil is construction contracts awarded by the It has to be a matter of political will, Hemisphere whose citizens have to pay as produced. Government which exceed four times for the practice could easily have been high of a rate for electrical, water and I asked Jim Cavanaugh, Spanish the amount of the bid of the lowest stopped by the appropriate legislation. phone service as is charged in Belize! Lookout Oil Consultant, about the qualified bidder . Legislation that would require all A major cause of the high cost of refusal to arbitrate and two big By spending excess taxpayer money, contracts above $10 million to have all electricity is the Government’ s guarantee problems. Government officials have acted as if bids published in generally circulated to Fortis of a return of 15% on its “The law requires that the they have a right to award contracts to newspapers at the time the award is investment. W ith this guarantee, Fortis can parties go to arbitration,” higher bidders, generally well connected made, along with the terms of the profit excessively by building dams, and Cavanaugh responded, “when they individuals, even when there are low contract that was eventually accepted rejoice in the size of the costs of overruns. cannot come to an agreement on qualified - and occasionally better by Government. Fortis could probably obtain financing in compensation. The problem at qualified - lower bidders. Further more, any citizen should the vicinity of 5%. The 15% guarantee hand is not failure to come to an Has either political party done anything have the right to proceed in court to gives a perpetual excessive return. The agreement, but rather default on to stop this practice? If they have, it is have the bloated contract declared return is close to being equal to twice the agreements that already exist. not apparent and most importantly, it is void and recover damages by way of proper return on the investments and Actually arbitration suits the not working. If they haven’t, why not? enforcement. spirit of the Mennonites very Is the crony system destined to bleed This type of legislation would ensure (Please Turn To Page 15) (Please Turn To Page 13) Read Independent Online at http://belizenews.com/independent or http://tinyurl.com/245dpp Friday, July 27, 2007 The INdependent Reformer Page 2 element, of the Heartland of Belize. The Only one of the new parties running Mennonites original agreement was that in this next national election offer much our national government would let them hope for the nation in my current fluid LettersLetters toto thethe EditorEditor govern themselves. They have built their opinion and that is the Mennonite run own schools, churches, streets and NRP. If this NRP could attract people The PUP is headed for OBLIVION! highways and paved roads, factories like Wil Mehia in Toledo and Clinton Dear Editor, manage the country, if they ever could, and stores, electric hydro dams, etc. Luna up in Corozal and hijack the With the birth of many new political and all indications are they have been For fifty years they have shown the rest honest UDP politician in San Pedro and parties, I think the PUP will disappear lousy managers, or at best mediocre. of us Belizeans how to govern. There maybe Mario Castellanos in Central into oblivion and history? In the The only thing the PUP have going for are now 50,000 of them. Cayo, they may have a chance? beginning, they were the party of the it, is a superb political machine, with I doubt the NRP as a Mennonite run There is no question about it, poor masses. Today they are the party block captains, active vote recruiting, party could find enough candidates for especially financially speaking, things of the rich who want to get richer and or vote buying systems, using tried and all district seats of their persuasion, but are going to get worse for the nation, if run by the wealthy. Consider that 55% true political patronage to ensure even so, if the Mennonite business the PUP are re-elected; using their of the working population work for allegiance. In this, they have no equal philosophy could control the purse formidable party patronage machine and the PUP government, at salaries ranging and in the past this has won many strings as Finance Minister, and Prime rich treasure chest. The only media on average around $1200 to $1400 a elections to make the PUP members Minister, and lend common sense and newspapers free, seem to be THE month. You notice in this statistic that more rich. long range planning to the Cabinet and REPORTER, THE INDEPENDENT the 55% of adult workers are I think the majority people, the poor control things. I think it is certainly and the AMANDALA this election government workers, yet their people, are slowly waking up and worth a try to change horses in the next time? I would ask them to promote associated family members most often hopefully this next national election, they election. these new political hopeful parties and are not. This gives another interesting will vote for the most HONEST Certainly after forty years of UDP and give us some choices. None of these statistic of 85% of the majority candidate and ignore the political party PUP we have learned the system of self new parties have newspapers, or population in Belize with cash incomes affiliation. It is definitely time for a interest and greed do not do much good television stations, or money to of only between $100 to $400 a month.