Other People’s Money

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Ian 'Magic' Hughes

Friday, 23 March 2012 02:30

By Ian Magic Hughes

Antigua St John's - Ok! Enough is enough. Can someone please tell Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer and Attorney General Justin Simon that the people's money is not theirs to squander.

That the government of Antigua & Barbuda is taking HMB to the Privy Council is almost criminal.

Apart from the fact that this administration has spent the better part of its eight years fighting losing battles in court, this HMB matter could have been avoided.

When the government, moved to "huff" HMB from its rightful owners to give to Ponzi schemer R Allen Stanford, the UPP and Baldwin Spencer vehemently opposed.

Before the UPP settled into office after winning the 2004 general elections, Spencer flip-flopped on the matter and completed the transaction Bird initiated.

Incredibly, Spencer and the UPP, armed with the "legal mind" of Simon, thought he could accomplish this feat without a fight, instead of simply returning HMB to its owners.

If that was done, Antigua & Barbuda would not be in the US$65 M hole it now finds itself in. By the time the Privy Council hearing is over, the people's debt will be much larger.

It would appear that Spencer and Simon could care less, since it’s not their money; for them it must be like playing monopoly. I would even submit that there are individuals who are more prudent with monopoly monies than Spencer and Simon are with that of taxpayers’.

Since returning the property was so much easier, and I dare say the correct thing to have done, perhaps Spencer’s green light to Stanford had a deeper meaning.

Rather than look at its bad fiscal policies, the premier excuse used by this government when it comes to the economy is that the world is in an economic crisis.

While I agree that the world is facing an economic crisis, Antigua & Barbuda’s financial woes are mainly due to poor management - bad decisions made possible by a severe lack of accountability.

This government came into office and started spending monies like it was going out of style, like there was no tomorrow.

Even at a time when the rest of the world is struggling, this administration continues to spend, spend, and spend, with little or no regard to the consequences.

The legal battles, purchase of unnecessary buildings, above-cost fences, poor contracts for the building of roads and sidewalks, and even the construction of the Wadadli Power Plant are just a few of the items on the list of bad spending.

When the UPP was in opposition, Spencer and his colleagues had the remedies to all the ills that plagued the nation.

They have not demonstrated, however, the fiscal prudence they demanded from the then government of the day, the Antigua Labour Party.

Even the International Monetary Fund (IMF) seemed helpless in sorting out this government’s financial dilemma.


It is going to take a serious overhaul of the UPP’s fiscal policies if the financial bleeding is going to stop.

Sadly, the prime minister and his colleagues in the UPP do not seem to have the answer, as every day, stories like that of HMB raise their ugly heads.

No matter what, make money or lose money, Spencer, Simon and their colleagues take home a pay cheque before anyone in government.

Perhaps if they had to pay from their own salaries, they would consider not spending taxpayers’ monies like it’s grown on trees.

Give the people a break please, we need it now more than ever.

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