The teachers' rally and demonstration was timed to coincide with today's budget debate. And during the house meeting as they gathered on the National Assembly stairs, making their songs and chants heard inside the house chamber.
And we mean heard above the din of name calling and insults flying across the house floor. As might be expected for the budget debate, things did get pretty heated today. And, opposition leader John Briceño set the tone with his cutting response to the Prime Minister's budget presentation. Here's how he put it:
Hon. John Briceño, Leader of the Opposition
"Our nation is in crisis, violence has overtaken the Southside of Belize City and crime is rampant in every municipality in our nation. Our national hospital has been so neglected that the roof is literally falling down, we are a nation on the edge. This budget can best be described as empty, hollow, devoid of any creativity. Instead we are going to tax the one thing that should be driving the new economy, data or as many know the internet. This government is so void of any real ideas to generate earnings through economic growth that they intend to go after the lee break Belizeans get when they go to buy a bottle of wine at the duty free shops in the airport. The prime minister and his cabinet have thrown in the towel, they have quite on the Belizean people so we on this side do not support the 2018-19 appropriations bill."
"And at 0.5% growth after a year of negative 0.5% growth is no real growth at all. I say again this budget is a fallacy. What Belizeans are feeling is no retreat on crimes, no retreat on taxation, no retreat on poverty, no retreat on neglect. No retreat from the crippling national debt, no retreat from the poor quality of life for average Belizeans. Rather than optimism Belizeans will tell you that things dread under the red. So convince are we that our true blue philosophy is the best option for Belize in 2018 that we say to those on the other side who seem less concerned about the betterment of this nation if you tired then quite. If you can't stand the heat in the kitchen, then get out! And if you ready for the fight, let's get it on."
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