Mahen:

Here in the United States we are expecting 2.0% growth in 2013, and that's if we get lucky--and guess what---those who can't put food on the table will increase to over 50 million---50 million Americans on food stamps---and 25 million unemployed or underemployed.

So if there is great struggle in the richest country in the world---a little hardship in tiny Guyana is to be expected---even as the business sector booms in that country.

Rev

TK:

The bigger point I was making to Mahen was even in the richest country in the world, the great US of A, there are severe hardships--nearly 50 million Americans are on foodstamps---and 25 million are unemployed or underemployed---and so it is to be expected that even if Guyana experiences significant growth rates in the coming years there will still be hardships among some in that country.

Rev

A genip is not antidesma. A poor in America has a safety net and a network of charity to tap into. The poor count is driven by cyclical downturn. In Guyana it is mainly structural. A poor in Berbice is not a poor in Florida who typically drive a car. 

I'll give credit where it's rightfully due, and you are 100% correct---poverty in developed countries is vastly different from poverty in developing countries.

In America a family of 4 making less than 29K is entitled to food stamps---in Guyana a family of 4 making US29K would be wealthy.

RE: GUYANA

There is poverty in Guyana--but not the same poverty that exists in sub saharan countries, for example---the majority of Guyanese have food, shelter, clothes, health care, education.

And by the way, since the PPP took over the leadership of Guyana---living standards in Guyana have increased--not decreased---thousands of people have technically been lifted out of poverty----more houses---more schools---more health care centers---more foodstuff---more jobs.

GUYANA IS ON AN UPWARD TRAJECTORY!

Rev

The Indian government should be deeply ashamed---India prides itself in being a nuclear power---and yet you have 1 in 3 malnourished children worldwide are found in India---42% of India's children under age 5 are underweight.

Looks like India is doing worse than sub saharan Africa when it comes to extreme poverty.

BACK TO GUYANA!

You dont have malnourished children in Guyana today---infact the problem in Guyana right now is overweight kids and adults---every joint in Guyana there is a chinese restaurant---Guyanese are feasting on too much junk food.hahahaha

Rev

They did not do a poverty survey in Guyana for over 10 years. You would be surprised. 

How about life expectancy ?

* Do you know what was the life expectancy in Guyana in 1992 when the PPP took over ?

* What is the life expectancy in Guyana today ?

* How much progess has the PPP government made in improving the life expectancy in Guyana ?

RE: THE SPECIALTY HOSPITAL

Once completed it would be a plus for the health care sector in Guyana--won't it ?

Is the AFC still against the speciality hospital being built ?

Rev

Rev,

It's like throwing water on duck's back when trying to convince some of these people that the PPP is doing and will be doing a better job than the opposition combined.

They are not collecting the social statistics like poverty, depth of poverty and inequality Gini. Unemployment rate is a mystery as is the labor force participation. We are instead fed growth of volatile commodity sectors. The specialty hospital is the only seriously transformational project the PPP has envisaged since Oct 5, 1992. The positive spill overs can be enormous. The AFC never opposed the hospital. It expressed opposition to the contractor which was given the contract. And you should not blame AFC for that given the Fip Motilall fiasco and the numerous bad work being done (Skeldon being the best examle). A good idea is this hospital but these people have to mess it up with the aim of oligarchic extraction. 

There's no unemployment in the Skeldon area. The management of the Skeldon factory is always looking for laborers. Most people know someone in America who is sending money for them. They refuse to work. They prefer to fetch country ban for an hour to supplement their income.  If there was not a shortage of labor and industrial unrest provoked and encouraged by the opposition, the factory would do a lot better.

Oh yeah...our genius knows there is NO unemployment. Wow! 

I live there. The ones who don't want to work are the bums who beg for a raise to satisfy their alcoholic appetite. You don't have to be a genius or have a Phd in econ to know this. I go back to Skeldon every year. I was born and lived in Skeldon b4 I migrated to America. You guys do not want to hear the simple truth.  Give the PPP a basket to bail a sinking boat.

Skeldon:

According to a world bank report:

* In 1992 when the PPP took over--Life expectancy in Guyana was 61.48 yrs

* In 2011 the life expectancy in Guyana was 69.86 yrs

We are now into 2013, and surely the life expectancy in Guyana has climbed above 70.

Life expectancy is a guage of the healthiness of a country--Guyana's life expectancy has improved remarkably under the PPP(from 61.48 in 1992 to 70+ today)---the PPP has invested wisely in the health care sector--that investment has paid off.

Rev

QUESTION: DOES MECHANIZED CANE HARVESTING HAVE A FUTURE IN GUYANA GIVEN THE LABOR SHORTAGES ?

There has been a movement to mechanized cane harvesting in neighboring Brazil.

How soon before Guyana transitions from slash and burn to mechanized harvesting ?

* Isn't slash and burn considered harmful to the environment ? What does the environmental doctor "Dr barath" think ?

* Also slash and burn is not economically sound

Once again, will mechanized harvesting be the future in the Guyana sugar industry ?

Rev

Rev,

The harvester has been tried at Skeldon Sugar Estate.

My cousin's husband works as a laborer in the sugar cane fields. He said the problem with the cane harvester is when it rains a lot and the fields get saturated, the harvester pulls the canes off their roots. When this happens on a lot of plants, the fields have to be recultivated(chop and plant for those of you who are not familiar with the process). At the same time the harvester is unable to navigate its way. There are of of incidents where the machine is unable to cross over to the beds during the wet seasons to continue harvesting. 

I was told that burning the canefields eliminate the rats(the PNC thugs) and arrest the sucrose content of the sugar cane.

Skeldon!

Brazil and India are two of the largest sugar producers in the world---both have been using mechanized cane harvesting rather successfully.

The technology of the harvesters has improved---the machines have become very advanced---check out this John Deere:

Your cousin knows what he is talking about--but with the improvements in the mechanized harvesters inclement weather can surely be overcome.

I dont believe there will be a complete transition into mechanized cane harvesting in Guyana---but if labor shortages persist Guysuco should look into mechanized harvesting.

Rev

I think this will be a good tool for the cane farmers to experiment with. As you can see the land is flat. Another thing to consider is the system is designed to handle punts to be transported thru canals to the factory. 

This was a most disappointing message from the DUCK.  Who really writes his speeches.

I was told that Jugdeow and Lumubaduma are out to undermine the DUCK and will put in Rawbert as the next Prez?

Is this true?

Jailall:

I like your description for the PPP - the POM POM Party.

Until they work for the people, they will always be ridiculed.

If you read the letter pages, people write against Donald as if he is a muckraker?

Why?

Why is he being so disrespected?

Stop the tiefing, PLEASE!!!!!

Get your sorrowful lil ass accustomed to hearing dem bais talk, you gon be hearing from them for a looooooong time, very loooong.

Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success.
Napoleon Hill

We will wear him down and we will be patient.

You are not fighting him you fool, you are fight everyone on his side and a pesky fool like you can hardly wear down a fruit fly.

I agree with you MUD HEAD Baseman, we fighting the 10% AL$ BABA$.

Skeldon:

Hopefully the sugar industry in Guyana will rebound in the next few years!

The past few years have been difficult.

Credit must be given to the PPP for persisting with the sugar industry.

The $200 million skeldon factory was a huge investment---but unfortunately it was poorly planned---and there were some technical problems---once those problems are ironed out---there is a south african firm trying to fix things---but once the problems are fixed---the sugar industry will boom again.

OF COURSE, A BOOMING SUGAR INDUSTRY WOULD BE BAD NEWS FOR MOSES AND THE AFC.

I have never seen a bunch of people who want to see Guyana fail more than the hustlers and losers running the AFC---Moses, Ramjattan, Nigel, Trotman, etc, etc

Rev