Bassy, Otto Sam will not be silenced!

01.FEB.08

EDITOR: A few weeks ago I thought that Bassy was losing his memory when he tried to show that the Teachers’ Union under me was sold to the government. Unable to deal with the factual, evidence-based response, Bassy’s brain slipped into steep simplicity/ stupidity.{{more}}

In this piece, I will thank Bassy for his support and or advice, show his inconsistency, show that he really is losing it and prove to him again that key public servants have been and are setting up this government.

First, let me thank Bassy for his support for the `schol’ and his advice to `pick-up’ my book and leave writing to him, since the money is too much to waste! Let me assure Bassy that my studies, not only academic, are ok, but my Bible studies and relationship with God are also going fine. I completed my drafts six weeks ahead of time and I have submitted with days to spare, so I have stocks of time to salvage his brain. Further, Bassy does not have to mischievously play with incorrect figures. I put the figures in the News so get that right. Noticed I first published, because am a student of politics.

I do not think Bassy knows that 12 to 20 students left SVG in September with government scholarships or major funding. Bassy, what did they sell to get that? A former NDP Minister’s family received close to $250,000 in scholarship and funding for their children from this much hated Ralph Labour government. Did they sell out or did the MOE or MOF give them any horrors? No! Several known NDP homes have many fully funded scholarships. So what’s the deal? The fact that God had to move De Comrade to open a door outside of the bureaucracy is evidence of who really rules the town. No amount of political mischief and convenient malfunctioning memory can change that!

Yes, I did write that teachers would be elated that Reclass will be implemented as agreed. No one knew of the apparent hidden agenda, so I was speaking about positions agreed to at the Steering Committee, and since there seemed to be no objection… and notice I said as agreed! Who would have agreed to that trickery that was unfolded by the hench-men? No one could have thought that our union leaders close to reclass would have left without seeing what was agreed to. Bassy, go to SEARCHLIGHT of 31st August and 21st September to see what I meant as of being our agreed position. In fact, I did encourage the President to have a Press Conference to update the members on the exact package and to mobilize teachers for Teachers’ Solidarity Week. That is history. However, I must and will always support my Union when it calls!

Let me draw your attention to Bassy’s inconsistency, simplicity and mischief making. Now, Bassy surveys me as a `Salesman’ who sold the teachers consistently and fulsomely on reclass, and on the other end he holds up Honourable Arhnim Eustace as a man of guts and spine, his hero! He mischieviously and implicity portrays me as selling for a $9,000 annual board membership amount, and Mr Eustace as a `champion’ of principle.

Now what does the fact sheet show? Otto as a member of the ULP, political activist, and member of a Board consistently, in the print, on radio, via correspondence and on television bashes the government he supports when they do foolishness. However, Bassy’s hero, so he says, was paid at least one million as Fiscal Advisor at a time when Ottley Hall Fiasco took place; the Rum Factory (a money maker) was given away, efforts to pay Government Ministers and their spouses big bucks. The most corruption in the history of SVG took place and there is no evidence of his public position against any of these. Don’t need a doctor to tell you that Bassy is sick, full of mischief and unthinkingly inconsistent! How dear you, Bassy! Otto demonstrated manhood and spine in challenging the status quo, and the evidence is there. Bring me the evidence of your heroes! You ran from the discussion with union leadership being pro government, but you are beaten again with your own tools. I have already told you that the NDP time will come again, but that’s for God and the citizens to decide, not you sitting around a wishing pool!

Editor, I regret Bassy dragging the Honourable Leader of the Opposition into this, but Bassy dishes out his dunce, dirty crap forgetting that his hero (who has `guts’ and spine and not a salesman) was one of the longest serving lucrative contracted servants and Board members) collecting million(s) from his Fiscal Advisor’s job and WIBDECO. But in his glee to gain political mileage and make mischief, his murky memory paused. How dare you, Bassy! If there were ever salesmen in SVG, then your hero, the Leader of the Opposition, must rank as CEO! Who sold to Adamas, the Italians, the Scott brothers, the Canouan developers? Please put your brain into gear before attaching pen to paper, Bassy!

People like Bassy are behaving like the NDP and Eustace are some divine invention and intervention which never existed on our landscape. But history recorded the mess and chaos the backward NDP created! How come Bassy forgot? Pretending that you are not NDP does not save you! That’s what you and your hero are, and the history of NDP is wrapped up with all.

I guess that Bassy does not know that we all lived and still live in SVG, so we know! Like Otto who sold out for a scholarship. Did your hero sell out for the fiscal money/ job? The Ottley Hall debts will hardly go away. Don’t you know, Bassy, that you write for an international audience? So if being on a Board is considered corruption, and contracts and board payments are wrong (even if I agree that some people should be out), put a comparative table, showing that there were no Boards or contracts under NDP, so this is a new thing created by this government.

Your writings, whatever you are supporting must not be so steeped in simplicity and shallowness! You are far better than that. Look at me. I always maintain my voice. But name the man under Sir James who talked! Let me assure you that I will not be silenced! I will respond to everything so I look forward to your pieces!

Bassy, my independence and forthrightness would have saved this government more bruises. For example, a committee appointed by Cabinet to review study leave, recommended drastic cuts, almost abolishing it. Needless to say, the PM was buying into it. When the Union met with the Prime Minister, I told him point blank that these guys want to get rid of his government and they are the same people who helped get rid of Sir James and he must remember that development has a price. So, leave the study leave he met there, just leave it. Why must it be said that a government headed by Dr Ralph Gonsalves got rid of study leave? At least he listened!

Another apparent hatched plan was to put every body on the NIS re: pension…. This was being advocated even if the Teachers’ Pension Act 4. (1) speaks clearly to issues of pension and gratuity. Clearly, any government who tampers with workers’ benefits, seeking to bring them downwards, will see hell. I again stood up in a meeting and told the PM that there is a plan to get rid of him, and I normally treat the `big’ boys as equals when I am in meetings, so they can’t handle that.

Bassy, when VAT was introduced, a letter went to schools urging them to raise the price of school meals. The letter had the Chief’s signature, but clearly it did not come from her. Was it another case of attempting to undermine the government? But who cares? De comrade often defends his ardent enemies!

Let me also say to Bassy that if Otto was leading the Union as he mischievously suggested at that last meeting on Reclass, nobody could have sent us home without seeing and signing to what we agreeded to for reclass. Moreover, I would have had a press briefing to inform our membership of exactly what the package was. None of them could have given Otto any “pig in bag”, so everything would have been avoided or maybe you would have had industrial action even before December! I was not selfish. I did offer that suggestion to my successor.

Bassy, I have my pay slip and again “the Ministry of Finance headed by The Director General of Finance and Planning has again refused to honour Article 29-6 (a) related to Principals Duty Allowance and (b) relating to School for Children with Special Needs Teachers. This, after several reminders. Every teacher knows that these people have no regard for teachers, the Union, or an agreement signed by the Prime Minister. What makes us so sure that the same contemptuous behaviour was not displayed on reclassification? Wasn’t it designed to mash-up the town so that you didn’t have to sit around the wishing pool?

Contrary to Bassy’s mess, the evidence is clear who has and had voice! Get the research going and you will find Bassy, that Otto might have been more critical of ULP over the past seven years than the NDP. Indeed, the Opposition Leader would tell you the way I handled government on the Education Bill and my respect for him certainly grew because he did not make it into a political football. As I said, I thank God for De Comrade and all who supported me to beat the system and be out here, but as stated, it’s an indication of who really has power in the town. And, Bassy, if I who took on the government, the system and the feared officials am a salesman, then your hero who never took a public position against the NDP is a `tycoon’? Please clean your head and come again.

Otto Sam