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The INdependent ReformerSunday, September 2, 2007Page 1TheINdependentReformerVol. 2 No. 34Belize’s Rebel PaperSunday, September 2, 2007 1.00Double TroubleAs if the damage to the north and anxiety throughout the rest of Belize fromHurricane Dean was not enough, onWednesday Belize City was practicallyunderwater as a tropical wave dumpedtorrents of rain. The Belize Met officereported that over 10 inches of rain fellin one day! More rain in one day thanthe previous record of 7.2 inches forthe entire month of August.The drains in low-lying streets in thisbelow sea level town just could not absorb all the water coming down so rapidly and within a matter of hourspeople’s homes and businesses on lowerflats had water spilling over their thresholds.The Northern Highway was submerged in the usual trouble spots before the Haulover Bridge and Ladyvillehad a half mile stretch of flooded road,both of which threatened to make thehighway virtually impassable had therains continued unabated.Princess Margaret Drive was a riverAn SUV churns up a wake as it ploughs through flood waters on Barrack Road after torrential rains on Wednesday.(Please Turn To Page 10)Dean 3 most intense hurricanerdBy JOHN PAIN, Associated PressMIAMI - Hurricane Dean was thethird-most intense Atlantic hurricane tomake landfall since record keeping began in the 1850s, based on its centralatmospheric pressure, forecasters said.The pressure in a hurricane’s eye isoften used to compare storms throughout history because in the past, windgauges were often damaged or destroyed by powerful hurricanes. Now,technology exists to more accuratelymeasure winds, said Jamie Rhome, ahurricane specialist with the NationalHurricane Center.“And the damage is caused by thewind, so that’s what most people lookat,” he said.But pressure also measures strength:the lower the pressure, the greater ahurricane’s power to suck in air. AHurricane Dean’s 165mph winds blewdown trees, ripped off many rooftops and left amnyfamilies homelss in Corozalhurricane’s winds are blown becausehigher-pressure air rushes toward thelower-pressure eye to equalize the dif-ference.Typically, the lower the pressure, thefaster the air speeds in. But because ofother variables in each storm, a certainpressure does not always correspondto a specific wind speed.Dean was a top-scale Category 5storm at landfall Tuesday on Mexico’sYucatan Peninsula. Its maximum sustained winds were near 165 mph andgusts reached 200 mph. Just beforelandfall, a Global Positioning Systemdevice dropped from a hurricane hunteraircraft found it had a central pressureof 906 millibars, forecasters said.The only other storms that hit land witha lower pressure were the 1935 LaborDay hurricane that hit the Florida Keysand Hurricane Gilbert, which hitCancun, Mexico, in 1988, forecasterssaid.Gilbert caused more than 300 deathsin Latin America and the Caribbean. The(Please Turn To Page 11)ANNOUNCEMENT: The Independent Publishing Co. (Belize) Limited is seeking expressions of interest inequity participation in the publishing of the weekly paper: Independent Reformer. Serious inquiries only.Please contact The General Manager, Independent Reformer Weekly and President, Independent Publishingby email at publisher@independent-newspaper-Belize.com or by phone at 664-1627.
Read Independent Online at http://belizenews.com/independentAlarmed andAshamedKarla Heusner VernonTrevor VernonDesign/Layout/Environmental editorWilliam G . YsaguirrrePublished by:Independent Publishing Com-pany (of Belize) Ltd.P.O. Box 2666Belize City, 1-1964email addresses:http://tinyurl.com/245dppPage 2Letters to the EditorEditorGeneral ManagerorDear Editor,I recently received a call asking ifI would donate to the relief efforts inthe Corozal District. Evidently theBelizeans in the Tampa area are asking for funds so that they can shipdown some bottled water and othersupplies. The Belize newspapers havestories of unhappiness and some serious problems with relief supplies beingdistributed.It all brought back the horror stories of the hurricane Iris relief efforts inMango Creek area and SouthernBelize. The number one helpers interms of not trying to steal anythingor make a profit out of Hurricane Iriswere the Mennonites. Never in mylife did I see such withholding ofgoods and services for the poorpeople that needed help the most thanduring Iris!I was really ashamed to see thestealing of funds and material bythose in charge. It appears to me thatthe same might happen again in re-gards to this distribution effort Signed,KCStop Dog poisoningDear EditorGreetings from Seine Bight Village. I am writing in response to thestrychnine eradication being plannedfor Belmopan 26 August.I am a Belizean, and a member ofthe Placencia Humane Society and Ihave to agree with the BelmopanHumane Society that such a practiceis totally inhumane and senseless andcan be handled in a more modern waythat does not harm any beloved pets.The poisoned chicken will bearound for days. Yes, you may kill afew strays but you will also kill pets.Most cats are not tied or leashed,plus, the poison is around for a longtime after the date of poisoning, andcan poison any wild creature or birdas well, not to mention a dog beingwalked properly on a leash—we seeour own dogs gobble up garbage offthe beach even when we are scolding them. They just cannot resist!My family experienced the strych-nine poisoning of our beloved dogDee in 2005. She was in our yardbut someone planning a robberythrew some strychnine-laced meatinto the yard that night and she ate it.We were lucky enough that a veterinarian was conducting clinic in ourarea the next day and we rushed herto the clinic where she had bloodtransfusions for about 12 hours. Thestrychnine had seized up her musclesand her teeth had actually clampeddown so hard on her tongue that theteeth came through the other side.Her body was tensed as a rock. Everyone at the clinic was horrified anda story in our local paper PlacenciaBreeze was printed about this terribleincident. Our dog was saved but onlylived a short 2 years before her livergave out from the poisoning, as theveterinarian explained might happen.A few months ago this year she suffered stroke, loss of coordination andfinally died, years ahead of her natural time.Dee was poisoned by strychnineand we all know the suffering an ani(Please Turn To Page 15)Comments? Suggestions?or want to share your thoughts & photos? Email us atIndependent.newspaper.bz@gmail.comFor an online version of the INdependentReformer visit us paper.bz@gmail.comnewspaper.comP.O. Box 2666Belize City, Belizemy FREE T-shirt with my year’s subscription of the INdependentYES! Send meReformerfor BZ 60.00 inBelize(US 60.00international)“QuoteoftheWeek”Printed by:National PrintersNew RoadBelize City, BelizeName(please print)AddressApt.CityStateZipEmail AddressPayment IncludedBill me laterPrices for subscription and postage may vary for subscription outside Belize.
The INdependent ReformerSunday, September 2, 2007ArizonaChandlerAJ’s ChandlerLiquor SquarePhoenixAJ’s CamelbackAJ’s CentralSportsman’s LiquorsScottsdaleSportsman’s LiquorsTucsonRumrunner LiquorsCaliforniaBeverly HillsRobert Burns WinesCosta MesaHi Time WinesGlendaleRed Carpet WineHollywoodK&L WinesLos AngelesBeverage WarehouseRedwood CityK&L WinesSan FranciscoK&L WinesGranite CityCorrall LiquorsSkokieSchafer’s Wines & SpiritsWaukeganPaul’s Armanetti LiquorsIndianaBloomingtonBig Red LiquorsCarmelClassic SpiritsHamilton BeverageKahn’sIndianapolisA-1 LiqoursElite BeveragesThe Hop ShopKahn’s Fine Wines & SpiritsCrown LiqoursJohn’sLa PorteBottle Shop OneMilfordMilford Party PackBradentonZodiac Fine Wine & SpiritsRum Runners LiquorMishawakaBelmont BeverageDeltonaDeltona LiquorsMuncieFriendly PackageEllentonAAA Discount LiquorsSouth BendCity WideFt MyersABC Store: 75ValparaisoTrail Inn LiquorsFt. PierceRoy’s LiquorsMichiganAnn ArborA&L Wine CastleMiamiJ & J LiquorsPamen Liquor #2Tio’s LiquorsMiami-Dade LiquorsNaplesBottoms Up Liquor and WineOrlandoShamrock BeveragePalm BayABC Store No. 6Pembroke PinesGaby’s Lounge & Liquor StorePointe Vedra BeachABC Store: 195St. PetersburgPic Pac Liquors St. PetersburgTampaGaspar’s GrottoLiquor DepotTotal Wine & MoreTom McEntee Fine Wine & SpiritsTarpon SpringsB-21 Wine CompanyWest PalmCongress Avenue LiquorsIdahoAny Store, Special OrderState Liquor DispensaryIllinoisBellevilleBelt West LiquorsBloomingtonFriar TuckEdwardsvilleCrushed GrapesFairview Heights,Randall’s Wines & SpiritsofFt. WayneCap N CorkBrandonKingdom Liquors & Fine WineKissimmeeANA Spirits And GrocerytheEvansvilleUniversity LiquorWinetreeMiddleburyChalet Party ShoppeJupiterCountry Liquors & Fine WinestastehomeO’FallonPlaza LiquorsFloridaBoynton BeachRoyal Wine and SpiritsJacksonvilleTotal Wine & MorePage 3Available in the USA!BelmontHome Run Liquor and DeliBelmont BeverageBridgeportU.S.A. Liquor ExpressCantonThe Cracker BarrelComstock ParkParty WorldEmpireDeering’s Food MarketGrosse Point WoodsOxford Beverages & DeliHollandYoungs Party ShopSouth Side Party StoreBayshore Yacht ClubLivoniaBrass Mug LiquorMarine CityUni-Can Duty FreeMarysvilleGronek’s Party StoreRoyal OakLate Night Party StoreSaginawOppermann’s Cork ‘N’ AleSouthfieldMajestic MarketSpringportDuck’s PointSterling HeightsFranklin DrugsUticaMax Liquor & Wine ShopWayne7 Star MarketOregonAny Store, Special OrderOR Liquor Control CommissionPennsylvaniaAny Store, Special OrderPA Liquor ControlTexasAustinA&A liquorChris Liquor # 2Oak Hill LiquorDallasPK’s DallasMonticello LiquorState Street SpiritsPogos LiquorsAndrews Fine BeveragesDuncansHoustonHouston Wine MerchantSunny’s Liquor & DiscountRoyal LiquorCrown LiquorRight Liquor StoreSan AntonioDino Discount LiquorBootlegger’s Fine Wines & SpiritsVirginiaAny Store, Special OrderVA Alcoholic Beverage Control.WashingtonConcreteContract Liquor Store: 513SeattleState Store No. 101State Store: 28State Store: 43MississippiAny Store, Special OrderMS Alcoholic Beverage ControlSultanStore No.594NevadaHendersonLee’s Discount LiquorWyomingAny Store, Special OrderWY Liquor Control Board.w w w. on eb a r r el r um . c o mw w w. bluefi el d - p r od . c o mTRAVELLER’SLIQUORS LTD.
Read Independent Online at com/245dppPage 4W here to put my XBy: Charles L. PayneAnother election is coming up andthe political machines are gearing upto make their pitch to a mass ofpeople with unclear vision. The propaganda is usually so stifling that thesmoke screens are layer deep. Youwould almost have to have a degreein political science to sift through thecesspool of cons, briberies, trickery,etc.I would like to offer one logical approach to it, a sort of a strategic voting, a sifting tool to filter all of the garbage being thrown at you. This election is going to be like a math probability, an equation so to speak.What is the Value of X and whereshould it go? The Value of X is easilyanswered .”IT IS DIRECTLYPROPOTIONAL TO ONE’SSELFWORTH”! To some people Xmay be valued as a swamp lot offeredby a political bribe OR you can beboughtfor 100.00BZ, 1,000.00BZ, a political promise orfavor etc.The fact of the matter is that a bribeis a criminal offence and any politicalcandidate or their assigns’ offering youa bribe is a criminal, period! Do youwant to vote for a criminal? We madethat mistake already and look at themess we are in. Taking a bribe is alsoa criminal act.Some people ask, “What if I taketheir offering but I vote against them?”Actually, that is not a criminal act asyou are not giving anything (your vote)in return. Voting is a private and moralissue. You are who you are you cannot lie to yourself.When our civil servants (politicians)offer you a swamp lot (as they keepthe good stuff for themselves) don’tforget that we are the ones that haveempowered them to do this act byvirtue of the office we have given themby the power of our vote. It is therefore part of our “constitutional right”to receive property form these civilservant ministers. THIS IS NOTTHEIR PROPERTY .THIS ISOUR HERITAGE AS BELIZEANS!I truly believe that the value of Xshould be something with real meaning, a long term investment in yourcountry such as the greater good ofall Belizeans, the greater good for theenvironment, a better financial life foryour children and their children, abetter quality of life. Belizeans tendto have this “NOW” mentally—instant gratification and shortsightedness. Politicians know this factand they exploit you easily. They giveyou cash now, and they “own” youforever!Life in Belize City is like living inthe past in Nazi Germany. There is atangible taste of fear in the air. Thereis an absence of police, desertedstreets at night, self imposed curfew,high violent crime. Keeps the peopleoccupied with fear, depressed, poorand helpless and control is yours. TheDevil operates best in chaos; I use theterm Devil loosely.Yeah, but we have it all under control (Belize’s socio economic, socioethnic, upwardly mobile and Nouveuxriche) .We have our huge concretehomes/fortresses with concrete backyards 3 stories high all dressed upwith barbed wire and pit bull terriers.Locked up tight inside with all of theNorth American luxuries such as largecolored TV, stereo, fancy furniture,expensive foods from superstores-WOW Double WOW. We have succeeded in bringing the US to us! Thetrue fact is that we have created abeautiful JAIL for ourselves. We venture outside in our air-conditionedSUV comfort OR we say somethingagainst the Government and we couldbe the next victim. Watch your Back!!I feel diminished as a Belizean whenI hear the saying, “They are both thesame” referring to the two Politicalparties the PUP and the UDP. This isthe type of Propaganda the PUPdishes out and feeds off. You see, thisstatement justifies their corruption,gives
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