The PUP has once again shown how callous and heartless they really are when they called yet another pointless press conference on Tuesday during which they boldly declared that the mothers of Belize do not deserve to be assisted by government.
The Government under the leadership of Hon. Dean Barrow took the decision to assist mothers across the length and breadth of this country to ensure that that they got some appreciation during this year’s mother’s day- absolutely nothing wrong with that! After all, it was not as if the government was giving Michael Ashcroft an 88 million dollar tax break or 20 million dollars was used to pay off a private debt. No, the money was used as social assistance to mothers in Belize.
This has become the signature of this government, help people, no matter who they are- at all times! This is evident in the social assistance programs which have been instituted to assist the least fortunate among us. There is the food pantry program, the BOOST program – now being used as a regional model, the School Subsidy program, the Christmas Cheer program and now the Mothers day program. All truly instituted to raise people out of poverty.
It seems however that because these programs have been so effective and are always conducted on an above-board level, that the PUP have taken issue with each and every one of them. The have publicly on multiple occasions stated that they will get rid of all of these programs since they say it is needless spending of government resources. Of course they will make such a claim, after all it is the poor who are benefitting from these programs and not the well connected cronies who had grown accustomed to feasting at the expense of government finances.
The latest announcement where the PUP boldly declared that mothers ought not benefit from a government sponsored mother’s day gift giving program only proves the mind-set of the PUP. It is all about them and nothing for the poor.
We can recall that at every instance where public monies were being distributed to the poor they have taken up issue with it. It began with the Venezuelan grant money, they complained that they were not getting their share, even though they had already given away the money to pay off Universal Health Services private debt and it was recovered by the UDP government. Then they complained about the Christmas Cheer program saying they were not getting cash to spend, instead the program was being closely monitored by the department of Social Services. Then they said that the other pro-poor programs would be done away with. Now it is about the mothers day program, apparently mothers do not deserve anything from government because the PUP simply has no love for Mothers.
