No dumping on Greenland / COU COU & FLYING FISH

Publication: Sun on Saturday
Paper Section And Page: 11
Paper Date: Sat, Sep 2, 2000


THESE DAYS few people are talking about the plan to go ahead with the Greenland landfill, even though nothing will now stop the dump from going ahead in St. Andrew. Observers can't help wondering what's the difference between then and now. If it was wrong for one then, can it be right for another now? Yet the critics are rather quiet. Does this mean that the Greenland problems will go away for the Bees in the same way that they went away with the Queen Elizabeth Hospital? Political observers are saying that if that's so, the Prime Minister's mastery of these problems is nothing short of magical. In fact, he probably understands the Bajan psyche better than anyone else in contemporary politics.

Banking on republic?
FROM all indications, Barbados is well on its way to becoming a republic. No one knows for sure how soon, since a referendum is to be held to make the final decision. But is it true that we could have a republic bank even before we become a republic? Banking circles are abuzz with speculation. And it is not all hot air.

For men only?
Why is it that women in a certain ministry seem to be overlooked every time training is available? It may be that god-daughters are lucky, but are women being given the chances that men are getting for training? There is a concern that someone who worked his way to the top by playing both political parties, may be using excuses not to advance the development of female employees. They want him to know that they too want a chance to study for degrees. They have asked Cou Cou to point out that even the men who go to work to sleep and drink rum are making more progress than the women who work very hard in that ministry.

Not all Dems happy
NOT everyone in the Dems' camp is happy about the choice of Leroy McClean to be the new member of the Senate. The men feel that he has come all the way from left field to centre-forward and that his record in the party and in elections is not very impressive. There are those who wanted to see Marilyn Rice-Bowen get the pick, even though we understand she is not yet ready to take that plunge. But they feel that if it was necessary to put a woman there  when the party was on its back after that 26-2 defeat, then a woman should be there now to help the process of appealing to female candidates and female voters. But David Thompson's problem with the women around him is that  none of them brings the experience needed to add to the debating strength in the Senate and that chamber is not a place for political greenhorns.