plans to make hay of the backs of the poor little reptiles on Maria Islet; a last desperate bid by those who will drown in the sea of their own deceit and hypocrisy. The masquerade of forked tongues knows no limits. But the music is all but over. It stopped with IMPACS and the Grynberg oil deal.
The apparent dissatisfaction with DSH is a diabolical political manoeuvre by political operatives that have lost all pride. No one is fooled! As the saying goes you can fool some of the people some of the time but you cannot fool all the people all of the time. Unfortunately, that truism cannot stop those who deal in untruths from trying to fool whosoever will not learn from the past.
Vieux Fort has stagnated in the last twenty years more than it had ever done. The town has regressed ever since the people were misled by the 1997 propaganda. This is the truth it has to face. The people declined as political opportunists and back-room moneychangers ascended during the last 20 years. It was as if a curse had visited Vieux Fort even as it drifted slowly north from its foundation near the mouth of the Vieux Fort River and the southern seashore. No one told the money changers that the barrier created by Hewanorra Airport would limit the northern spread of the town. Who cares that the western part was slowly dying? Who cares that the bridge over to Coco Dan and Black Bay lay in ruins as the former SLP administration claimed it built 14 new bridges island-wide?
It bears repeating that one does not need to be a town planner to see that the town has remained stunted and continues to cry out for a visionary leader. A visionary leader would do whatever it takes to adjust any development plan for Vieux Fort and try to build linkages between Vieux Fort, Laborie and other centres of population in the south.
I said on ‘Mr. Chairman’ (the Dave Samuels TV show on Calabash Television) that the apparent neglect of the western portion of Vieux Fort is one of the weaknesses of the DSH proposals. If the original proposal by the developer was to build a racetrack only, whose idea was it for him to present instead a broader development plan encompassing the beaches north and east of Vieux Fort? Frankly, no serious development plan for Vieux Fort can neglect the western part of the town. This is tantamount to an act of betrayal of the people of Vieux Fort.
Save and except that omission, I fully endorse the DSH proposals for the town. There is no plan from DSH to link the Maria Islets to the mainland. To appease the voices of those who have suddenly found themselves friends of Maria and her hidden little reptiles, appropriate steps ought to be taken to dry their tears. I would employ a reputable research foundation to remove the little reptiles for safekeeping in a new negotiated location. Those who are interested would be given free access to visit as often as it pleases them.
This real purpose of this article is to pose the following questions:
1. Why did the former SLP government sit on the DSH proposals, especially with an approaching election, without a word to the people of Vieux Fort?
2. Had they won the last general elections, how long would the former SLP government have waited before implementing the DSH project? Would it have consulted the people of Vieux Fort?
3. Was the original DSH project for a horse race track only? If yes, did the SLP government encourage DSH to submit a larger scheme
to include all of Sandy beach, Ma Coter and Hewanorra Airport?
4. Was there any discussion between the former SLP government and DSH for the development of the western part of Vieux Fort, including a marina at Coco Dan and affordable housing and restaurants at Black Bay and Laborie?
5. How much income, research information and pleasure have the people of Vieux Fort and the south derived from the poor reptiles which survived the violent ruptures during the formation of these islands?
6. When was the CIP officially launched and who were the foreigners issued with Saint Lucian passports before the CIP came into effect? How much money did the government collect for the sale of these Saint Lucian passports?
7. Why is the SLP creating all this smoke screen over DSH when a new UWP government seems determined to proceed with a fairly broad and ambitious DSH project?
8. Will DSH create employment and benefit the people of Vieux Fort and the south of Saint Lucia?
9. Finally, I join my voice to that of the many thousands who say it’s time to give Vieux Fort a new deal. Any right-thinking person must ask:
what plans do those who oppose DSH have for Vieux Fort?
I rest my case.
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I have always been of the belief of cession for Vieux-Fort from the North. As lame as this may sound Mr. Josie cc: Rick Wayne ; for too long even to date (fact) every dollar secured by the State, 75 cents is spent on the Northern Towns of Rodney Bay and Castries to appease their so called Cosmopolitan Life Style and infrastructure developments, while Vieux- Fort is pleasantly neglected. I will agree, (rare) The Kenny Administration took a slow lack luster approach in implementing a new renaissance atmosphere for the development of View- Fort and it's keen assets such as the Water Font for cruise ship arrivals, offering appealing tax incentives for the use of government lands for development to cooperate entities and small businesses with out leasing it for a dollar for ninety nine years. Presenting a profound portfolio to the stakeholders in The Tourism Industry to strengthen St Lucia product by building in Vieux- Fort due to it's close proximity to the island international airport which is the heartbeat of St Lucia's economic engine. Any of the above few, if implemented would garner longevity prosperity to Vieux- Fortians and St Lucians on a whole.
This article has missed the point because as usual everything in St. Lucia is being seen and challenged with political bias. Whenever legitimate questions asked of any government in office about proposed developments that will impact negatively on the population today and future generations it is defended from a political stand point.
We must learn to question and analyse from an objective perspective, all government in office regardless of colour and party must accept objections and challenges to proposed developments. The government should not defend its positions from simply a political stance but basically Lear to put forward detail information and explanations to convince the populace that their proposals for developments presented will benefit them today and the future generations.
I am a UWP supporter and have been from the time I had an understanding of politics, I demonstrated against the SLP government that won the elections in 1979 immediately following independence. I can categorically hear that I do not support the DSH project in its present form as it will not be beneficial to the future generations of this country of my birth. I am of the opinion that the current proposal of linking the the main land the islets will have an irreversible impact on flora and fauna of this islet. The terms of the agreement to give so much to one developer for very little in return and little protections thus ensure the future generations are saddle with being chief cook and bottle washers to foreigners that have bought our citizenship for $100,000. In simple terms we are set the future generations to be slaves in the own country to the wealthy a corrupt so call Nestor that can afford to buy our citizenship.
We the people must challenge any government be SLP or UWP in office willing to give or sell our patrimony.
The mental retardation across the Caribbean by our leaders that we must and only progress with the foreigners investment is a false promise that continue to endorse and cement us into economic slavery.