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Monday, December 20, 2010

Baywalk Office Has Cost Taxpayer $1 million

Bousquet Excited to Occupy New Office

Submitted by BourneLucian


I stumbled upon this blog a few days ago while updating my Facebook account. I found it so interesting that I immediately bookmarked and linked to it on my Facebook page. My family roots are deeply embedded all over that beautiful community called Choiseul. Barring the exigencies of the job I pledged to myself to contribute regularly to this wonderful initiative by the community of Choiseul. Bravo to the team of Choiseul Powerhouse. Some of my other posts can be read at Luciantalk. There you will also find powerful writers such as Shakespeare(sample post 1, sample post 2), Demetrius and Sue D. Nym, and Tricycle.

Last week Rufus Bousquet, the Foreign Affairs Minister, stepped into his lavishly design and decorated $1 million office adjoining the Baywalk casino for the first time. You will recall that the 6 year lease agreement came into effect on May 1st 2010.


More details from Lease agreement:









Hence,

8 X 114,765 + security deposit (114765) = 1,032,885, i.e. over $1 million dollars of the taxpayers money has been paid to the landlords of Baywalk Mall, even before Bousquet moved into his office.

The UWP administration continues to manufacture lackluster reasons for moving to the Baywalk office.


Initially, Bousquet claimed it was the poor working conditions at the Carpark and the 6th Floor of the Francis Compton Building at the Waterfront and in the process broke the gentleman’s agreement between the NIC and government; in effect, jeopardizing the investment income of our only social security organization. Now he claims it is because “his office is the most important in the country” (more important than the Ministry of Finance, Economic Affairs, National Security or C&W).

Million dollar office justification -
First his office space wasn't enough

While Bousquet was bragging on one news media outlet, press secretary to the government, Darnley Lebourne, was offering a different explanation on another: “moving the foreign affairs ministry to Rodney Bay is part of government strategic plan to decentralize its services, relieve congestion in the center of Castries and reduce cost.” Isn’t the Castries-Gros Islet route the most congested in this island? Isn't the Baywalk office several times more costly than the NIC's? Please Mr Lebourne, don't insult our intelligence.


Then it was part of Gov't strategic plan to decentralize.

Now, it's because his ministry is the most important one.

Will we ever know the real reason for this additional burden which has been slammed on the taxpayer – was it part of any campaign finance deal? The public continues to speculate: "was it to move Mr Bouquet’s work place closer to his home? Does any Minister own a condominium at the Baywalk and was this part of a deal to negotiate this condominium at a lower price?"

Meanwhile the constituents of Choiseul are being asked to organise fund raising events to build the "Bruce Tucker Stand". If Bousquet is so keen on improving the sporting infrastructure in Choiseul . . . why is he so excited to move into his $1 million office. Couldn't some of that money have been used on the BTS?

Season’s greeting Choiseul. By the way, have you registered to vote? Voting is your right and responsibility. Enjoy the season and register early next year.
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Publishers’s Note: Welcome BourneLucian. Your contribution is most welcomed. We encourage Choiseulians and other St Lucians, at home and in the diaspora to submit their articles to the Choiseul Powerhouse. Hope to read some more of your posts soon.

The Editor.

5 comments:

  1. Excellent presentation, BourneLucian! I didn't know you were from Choiseul. Boy, Choiseul is such a powerful Empire and it's a shame and disgrace that you have a "Bruce Tucker" as your parliamentary representative. It's an utter shame on Choiseul. I know Choiseulians are anti-crime, so how come you voted an-ex-convict to the House. Are you blind.

    I follow Luciantalk too: are Demetrius, Shakespeare, Sue and Tricycle from Choiseul, too?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Congo Man from ChoiseulDecember 20, 2010 at 10:09 PM

    Oh Boy, this website is lighting up like a Christmas tree with more Stars than the heavens. The links to the videos, Facebook and the country music are first class! Choiseul has stars and brains like sand. Did Mr Bousquet say that Ministry of foreign Affairs is the most important Ministry and he is the face of st. Lucia overseas? What a calamity! What has he brought to st. Lucia? we had the economic crisis and I did see the difference he made. I have seen the difference after the storm. So waht does he mean when he says "Foreign Affairs is the most important Ministry. It probably was when George Odlum was at the helm. In one year, Odlum brought Mental Hospital, Stadium in Vieux Fort, factory shells, $100 million in the budget. He gave St. Lucia pride on the international scene. What has Bousquet brought? all his has achieved is the fattening of his pocket with Taiwanese money. He has earned more than $4 million from the Taiwanese and the people getting poorer and poorer. Also, the country's image is getting a bashing abroad.

    Bousquet is not even educated. No degree, not even CXC. so what do you expect him to do for us?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Uh Huh! this blog is run by e-people meaning educated people. The quality is excellent. Even people writing comments express themselves very well. The friend who sent me the link told me that the man at control is a doctor. Who is he? Why must he hide behind a false name? the blog is a good blog; one of the best I have come across. Even better than LucianTalk. The doctor can add credibility to the site by stopping to hide behind a pseudonym. all the articles make sense. If you don't get new information, you learn a lesson in logic or writing. So, Mr Doctor, come out and show your self.

    Mr Bousquet has forgotten us. We understand he was trying kick us out of the Choiseul Seat where we rightfully belong. He want us to vote in Laborie. And now he's coming back; but it's too late. I saw him giving people "STEP" type jobs to fool them but I think we in saltibus have made up our minds. Saltibus will create history next elections

    Native from Saltibus

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  4. What bothers me is the fact that this government seems unable to control its ministers, especially Bousquet who seems to still be cashing in on his fifteen pieces of silver for supporting King a few years ago. We need to do a cost benefit analysis to see what Bousquet has cost us versus what he has brought back to us. The figures will shock. Bousquet is for Bousquet.

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  5. Native from SaltibusDecember 21, 2010 at 8:20 PM

    I heard him on HTS saying the district rep is the best person to distribute Tomas Aids. What a downright shame! He also had the audacity to say Choiseul was hardly affected. He is so out of touch with his own constituency. Perhaps Choiseul wasn't but Saltibus was badly affected. I believe Rufus has abandoned Saltibus altogether. It hurts.

    Native from saltibus

    ReplyDelete