Sometimes the People’s United Party makes some statements that makes one wonder if they actually think Belizeans are either senile, gullible or both. Take for example the recent issue with fuel prices. They issued a statement to the effect that the “increases will place an additional burden at a time when Belizeans can least afford it.”
Look, the only person who thought that people loved to be taxed and could always afford it was Fonseca when he said Belizeans would, like Boxer in Animal Farm, subserviently work harder to shoulder the outlandish debts incurred by his government. That man was, in addition to many other things, a narcissist.
But let us return to the PUP and their press releases. First of all, the fuel tax is so much lower than at any period during the past two PUP administrations. In fact, at one time the fuel tax under the leadership of these same people issuing the press release was at an aggregate dollar tag of $5.75 per gallon of gasoline! This brought the pump price to over $11.50 per gallon at its peak in late 2007 and early 2008.
This is not to say that I personally would not want to see prices reduced. Of course I do. If I did not, you would instantly consider me a dupe or an apologist. But I appreciate that some things take a bit of time to address, and truly, we all recognize that the government needs to finance a revenue gap to deal with some of the very questionable debts incurred by the Opposition. This is the same Opposition that issued accommodation agreements to big corporations against paying taxes. But that, my friends, is another story.
The other example of PUP hypocrisy I want to bring to the forefront is presently happening here in OW. The PUP radio station has an advertisement running every so often inviting “victims’ of this “vindictive” government to lay their cases at the PUP office to see what can be done to assist them. They make strong reference to lands supposedly being taken away by the UDP government from the “poor” man and woman who have nothing. The PUP is committed; the ad goes, to fight to the bitter end for the oppressed.
What a load of crock! This is at best a political gimmick, another of the latest tricks being pulled out of the PUP bag. If any complaint is to be lodged at their office, it will be from the few that have previously received countless parcels of land and are known PUP cronies. In fact, many people are asking; could the reverse happen at the PUP office?
Can people make a complaint that prime, public lands were appropriated by the PUP leadership in OW town through their minions? Can the people of Belize get these properties back for national purposes? This is a fact; many of the green and white buildings and properties that in the past housed Civil Servants and Government Offices were sold to close PUP friends and family for pittances. Now we are seeing mansions and businesses being erected at these locations. Don’t take my word for it; as an example, check out who the present owner is of the plot of land where the Agricultural Officer once lived by the fire station in Orange Walk Town. After you do that, check out who is presently using the area for a parking lot. I can tell you this; it is probably a very prosperous TV station. Then they talk about victimization; these people who victimized and robbed an entire nation. We cannot afford to forget that.
