Only a warped sensibility would discern in Rufus Bousquet a man without sin. Indeed, he would be among the first to admit he has fallen to temptation more often than was good for him. That alone makes him different from many of us who see sin only in others, never in the man (or woman) in the mirror. Still crazy (like a fox!) after all these years, Rufus Bousquet, perhaps more than most, is cognizant of man’s frailties. Unlike many of his critics, he has learned to forgive so that others might appreciate the virtues in forgiveness. It is unlikely you will ever hear the 50-year-old veteran politician brutalizing the character of another politician.
Hear him well, his parliamentary addresses tend to relate to issues, home grown and imported, whether or not contagious. While many of his House colleagues indulged in contumelious exchanges at the last budget debate, much of what Bousquet said predicted the fallout from the so-called economic meltdown that is now the world’s primary topic. Bousquet is an ideas man, articulate, forward looking, absolutely at home in the Era of Obama. This time around, we at the STAR could find no one more deserving of our Person of the Year award!
By Rick Wayne
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
Person Of The Year (cont'd)
Bousquet their Person of the Year, on the basis that “we didn’t seek someone we always agreed with. Instead, our primary criterion was one who generated tremendous public interest and, for better or for worse, impacted the lives of Saint Lucians at home and abroad.” Just as Time magazine has done from time immemorial.
Saint Lucia.com also noted that Bousquet was proving to be the prime minister’s strongest supporter, that he always reports promptly on his return from overseas assignments, unlike some who simply never bother, and others who come and go without the prime minister’s knowledge. Perhaps it is that promptness in reporting that recently inspired the prime minister to let Bousquet deputize for him at two important overseas conferences.
I would add that his reported loyaBousquet to stand up and speak his mind publicly, whenever it occurs to him that the prime minister is not acting in the best interests of the country. As he has on more than one occasion demonstrated, loyalty to country, in particular, to the people of his Choiseul constituency, comes first.
It is hardly a secret that the trade minister is far from happy about the behavior of some of his colleagues toward the more deprived of our nation, especially in the current economic climate. It remains to be seen if he can persuade his fellow Cabinet ministers to tighten their elastic belts in the best interests of Saint Lucia’s poor—or whether it will take public action by him before the government does what needs to be done.
The persistent word is that he remains to be persuaded that a bailout for the nation’s leading hoteliers will redound to the benefit of the tourism industry as a whole. He is concerned that other stressed-out business people might see their government as practicing a kind of economic apartheid at the expense of native entrepreneurs, for whom life has always been more difficult than that of foreign-based counterparts.
The word is that the recent announcement by the prime minister of impending increases in the price of certain staples caught the trade minister off guard. If true, I suspect we’ll soon be hearing from Rufus Bousquet. Who knows what it will take to convince the finance minister that the hoteliers must show slate before public funds are handed over to them, whether in cash or in kind? For my part, I believe Rufus Bousquet will do what he has to do in the public interest, regardless of the risks to his political career. He’s been down that road before and knows the pitfalls; still he will not be dissuaded. It’s just the way he’s made.
Like Saint Lucia.com, our choice for Person of the Year was never restricted to goody-goody-two-shoes types. Which is not to say they are excluded from consideration. We are just as much interested in them as we are in other candidates whose actions, positive or otherwise, impacted on our lives during the year under scrutiny.
Saint Lucia.com also noted that Bousquet was proving to be the prime minister’s strongest supporter, that he always reports promptly on his return from overseas assignments, unlike some who simply never bother, and others who come and go without the prime minister’s knowledge. Perhaps it is that promptness in reporting that recently inspired the prime minister to let Bousquet deputize for him at two important overseas conferences.
I would add that his reported loyaBousquet to stand up and speak his mind publicly, whenever it occurs to him that the prime minister is not acting in the best interests of the country. As he has on more than one occasion demonstrated, loyalty to country, in particular, to the people of his Choiseul constituency, comes first.
It is hardly a secret that the trade minister is far from happy about the behavior of some of his colleagues toward the more deprived of our nation, especially in the current economic climate. It remains to be seen if he can persuade his fellow Cabinet ministers to tighten their elastic belts in the best interests of Saint Lucia’s poor—or whether it will take public action by him before the government does what needs to be done.
The persistent word is that he remains to be persuaded that a bailout for the nation’s leading hoteliers will redound to the benefit of the tourism industry as a whole. He is concerned that other stressed-out business people might see their government as practicing a kind of economic apartheid at the expense of native entrepreneurs, for whom life has always been more difficult than that of foreign-based counterparts.
The word is that the recent announcement by the prime minister of impending increases in the price of certain staples caught the trade minister off guard. If true, I suspect we’ll soon be hearing from Rufus Bousquet. Who knows what it will take to convince the finance minister that the hoteliers must show slate before public funds are handed over to them, whether in cash or in kind? For my part, I believe Rufus Bousquet will do what he has to do in the public interest, regardless of the risks to his political career. He’s been down that road before and knows the pitfalls; still he will not be dissuaded. It’s just the way he’s made.
Like Saint Lucia.com, our choice for Person of the Year was never restricted to goody-goody-two-shoes types. Which is not to say they are excluded from consideration. We are just as much interested in them as we are in other candidates whose actions, positive or otherwise, impacted on our lives during the year under scrutiny.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Perso Of The Year 2008 (cont'd)
It should also be acknowledged that the nation’s ambivalence toward Rufus Bousquet is not disconnected from the political history of his deceased father JMD, about whom we were similarly disposed in his time. The same might also be said about Rufus’ uncle Allan, also expired. In their heyday, reams were written—in George Odlum’s Crusader especially—about the two parliamentarians, much of it egregiously unflattering. From the convenient perspective of the paper’s holier-than-thou publisher, Allan Bousquet was without university credits, therefore unqualified to operate Saint Lucia’s Ministry of Education.
Odlum contemptuously referred to Allan Bousquet as “Fairty,” indicative of how the minister mispronounced thirty. As for JMD, suffice it to say his handling of his work-permits portfolio inspired angry public demonstrations led by a politically ambiguous, not yet fully uncovered Odlum—but that, as they say, is for another show. It is enough to say that for many, including the alleged visionary John Compton, there was never a greater role model than Allan Bousquet, in or out of the education ministry. Meanwhile, in the hearts of the Choiseul people, JMD lives on as their immortal folk hero.
But this is not about Muhammad Ali. Neither is it about the early Bousquets who have long passed, unlike Rufus who is still very much with us. So obviously that in last weekend’s Voice, much of it devoted to an attributed HTS review of the main events of 2008, Rufus Bousquet predominates.
Almost from the moment he wiped out the Labour Party opposition in the 2007 elections, he has been regular fodder for the press. He was the central, if seemingly vacillating figure in the much debated issue of the new government’s relationship with Taiwan, despite Sir John’s involvement. Bousquet was credited with choosing to go with Taipei, not Beijing, despite the prime minister’s expressed contrary wishes at the last minute—and after related documents had been signed. Of course, there’s a whole lot more to that particular episode than has so far been revealed. Count on it, that will be corrected in due course.
In the meantime, even as the foreign minister Bousquet was being systematically scapegoated in some quarters, and accused of hastening the eighty-something Sir John’s final departure, the government, in address after public address, was describing its relationship with Taiwan as close to life saving. Project after government project was credited to special diplomatic arrangements with the Taiwanese—all of which made a mockery of the notion that a near comatose Sir John, with his wonky signature on a related letter, fired his foreign minister for securing the oh so fruitful arrangements in the first place.
The Bruce Tucker brouhaha added fresh spice to the media’s favorite luncheon meat. For weeks, out of work taxi operators, underemployed male seamstresses and other just plain unemployed losers burned up the phone wires, inadvertently contributing to the main communication provider’s declared end of year profit of some $50 million.
Odlum contemptuously referred to Allan Bousquet as “Fairty,” indicative of how the minister mispronounced thirty. As for JMD, suffice it to say his handling of his work-permits portfolio inspired angry public demonstrations led by a politically ambiguous, not yet fully uncovered Odlum—but that, as they say, is for another show. It is enough to say that for many, including the alleged visionary John Compton, there was never a greater role model than Allan Bousquet, in or out of the education ministry. Meanwhile, in the hearts of the Choiseul people, JMD lives on as their immortal folk hero.
But this is not about Muhammad Ali. Neither is it about the early Bousquets who have long passed, unlike Rufus who is still very much with us. So obviously that in last weekend’s Voice, much of it devoted to an attributed HTS review of the main events of 2008, Rufus Bousquet predominates.
Almost from the moment he wiped out the Labour Party opposition in the 2007 elections, he has been regular fodder for the press. He was the central, if seemingly vacillating figure in the much debated issue of the new government’s relationship with Taiwan, despite Sir John’s involvement. Bousquet was credited with choosing to go with Taipei, not Beijing, despite the prime minister’s expressed contrary wishes at the last minute—and after related documents had been signed. Of course, there’s a whole lot more to that particular episode than has so far been revealed. Count on it, that will be corrected in due course.
In the meantime, even as the foreign minister Bousquet was being systematically scapegoated in some quarters, and accused of hastening the eighty-something Sir John’s final departure, the government, in address after public address, was describing its relationship with Taiwan as close to life saving. Project after government project was credited to special diplomatic arrangements with the Taiwanese—all of which made a mockery of the notion that a near comatose Sir John, with his wonky signature on a related letter, fired his foreign minister for securing the oh so fruitful arrangements in the first place.
The Bruce Tucker brouhaha added fresh spice to the media’s favorite luncheon meat. For weeks, out of work taxi operators, underemployed male seamstresses and other just plain unemployed losers burned up the phone wires, inadvertently contributing to the main communication provider’s declared end of year profit of some $50 million.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Person Of The Year 2008
The Star Newspaper has named Rufus Busquet as Person of the Yesr. Following is the artcle penned by respected lournalist Rick Wayne It will be posted in four parts.
Person of the Year 2008!
January 26, 2009 by Star-Publishing
Rufus Bousquet: The dish that ran away with the spoon!
Far less love him than hate him. Or imagine they do. Which is reminiscent of Muhammad Ali before his conversion to Islam, when he was Cassius Clay and widely derided as “The Louisville Lip,” “The Mouth that Roared,” and several other pejoratives, each more demeaning than the one before.
Back in the day, the young Clay was hated. That the handsome, young, brash and unapologetically garrulous fighter from Louisville, Kentucky was savvy enough to turn the widespread loathing to his economic advantage was further proof that while some imagined he was crazy—in actual fact Clay was only crazy like a fox!
Remember when his fights were guaranteed box-office blockbusters? Maybe you don’t, dear under-forty reader. But your daddy would know. Or your mama. In his heyday, as many went to fights of Clay to witness yet another dazzling ring performance as bought tickets hoping to see the big mouth go down for the count. Of course, that never happened. Even though he went down once or twice—no one ever counted him out.
That he took to predicting the rounds when he would dispatch his abruptly outclassed opponents—famously including the demolition man Sonny Liston and George Foreman when his left hand could knock down brick walls—only generated more animus that inspired further stampedes to the box-office. Who would have imagined that following a controversial name change the former Cassius Clay would be revered the world over—even in the evidently unloving Middle East—as Muhammad Ali, World’s Most Lovable Man? Yes, who indeed?
By whatever name, Rufus Bousquet has been despised, loathed, abhorred, cursed, pilloried, and yes, intensely hated by people who never met him, let alone looked him in the eye. Their impressions of the man were created and sustained by a relentless press desperate to make up for its own pre-Jessica shortcomings. Which is not to say their target was a saint, altogether undeserving of the media attention!
Rufus Bousquet has also known love. How else could he have been elected to parliament as many times as he has since 1992? If only his faceless tormentors would bear that in mind, they might better understand the vicissitudes of small-island politics, including that your present adoring palm carriers can tomorrow turn on you shouting “crucify him! crucify him!” It’s the way of politics. So it was in the days of George Charles and John Compton, all the way to George Odlum and Julian Hunte. And lest we forget, Kenny Anthony, who once walked on water—as Barack Obama now walks on water!
Person of the Year 2008!
January 26, 2009 by Star-Publishing
Rufus Bousquet: The dish that ran away with the spoon!
Far less love him than hate him. Or imagine they do. Which is reminiscent of Muhammad Ali before his conversion to Islam, when he was Cassius Clay and widely derided as “The Louisville Lip,” “The Mouth that Roared,” and several other pejoratives, each more demeaning than the one before.
Back in the day, the young Clay was hated. That the handsome, young, brash and unapologetically garrulous fighter from Louisville, Kentucky was savvy enough to turn the widespread loathing to his economic advantage was further proof that while some imagined he was crazy—in actual fact Clay was only crazy like a fox!
Remember when his fights were guaranteed box-office blockbusters? Maybe you don’t, dear under-forty reader. But your daddy would know. Or your mama. In his heyday, as many went to fights of Clay to witness yet another dazzling ring performance as bought tickets hoping to see the big mouth go down for the count. Of course, that never happened. Even though he went down once or twice—no one ever counted him out.
That he took to predicting the rounds when he would dispatch his abruptly outclassed opponents—famously including the demolition man Sonny Liston and George Foreman when his left hand could knock down brick walls—only generated more animus that inspired further stampedes to the box-office. Who would have imagined that following a controversial name change the former Cassius Clay would be revered the world over—even in the evidently unloving Middle East—as Muhammad Ali, World’s Most Lovable Man? Yes, who indeed?
By whatever name, Rufus Bousquet has been despised, loathed, abhorred, cursed, pilloried, and yes, intensely hated by people who never met him, let alone looked him in the eye. Their impressions of the man were created and sustained by a relentless press desperate to make up for its own pre-Jessica shortcomings. Which is not to say their target was a saint, altogether undeserving of the media attention!
Rufus Bousquet has also known love. How else could he have been elected to parliament as many times as he has since 1992? If only his faceless tormentors would bear that in mind, they might better understand the vicissitudes of small-island politics, including that your present adoring palm carriers can tomorrow turn on you shouting “crucify him! crucify him!” It’s the way of politics. So it was in the days of George Charles and John Compton, all the way to George Odlum and Julian Hunte. And lest we forget, Kenny Anthony, who once walked on water—as Barack Obama now walks on water!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Bousquet Meets With Sports Enthusiasts
On Saturday January 24, 2009 The District Representative met with some key persons in the district who have been involved in sports. Some of these key persons were The Community Development Officer, Mr Mc Arthur Phillip, Mr. Glen Albert, Mr John Mathurin, District Education Officer, Miss Kay Clarke , Principal , Rivere Doree Combined School, and Mr. Jonathan Chalon, President, Choiseul Sports Council. Other persons there represented their different communities, like Caffierre, Balca and Village
Bousquet informed those present that he is disappointed with the way sports is being managed in the district. He made reference to reports reaching him about the dismall performance of the Football Committee during The JMD Bousquet Football Tournament. He emphasised the point that he is willing to give assistance in whatever way needed and that is why he has called this meeting with this selected group hoping to be able to chart a way forward.
Bousquet went on to lay some of his plans for sports for the year.
1) Field for Delcer
2) Multi-purpose court for La Pointe
3) Field for Morne Jacques
4) Pavilions for La Fargue
5) Upgrading of the Caffiere Field
The Park Estate Field was recently upgraded while the Coco field in Dacretin is currently being upgraded.
The meeting focussed mainly on the reasons for the decline of sports in the district. Glen noted " Some of the guys here have seen sports at its best and at its lowest ebb and with proper reflection we can find out what is causing its downfall. " He went on to recognise Mac for being able to get into the communities to get the clubs and teams going.
There seem to be a consensus among the persons present that poor administration and a lack of co-ordination are main reasons for where sports is today.
Mac told the meeting that when he resumes work he has some ideas wherby he hoping to integrate sports into his work calender.He also noted that a Sports Officer is needed for the district. This The Rep. says in forthcoming.
A second meeting is scheduled in two weeks time.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Bousquet In Top Gear
Yet another road project has commenced in the district. The community of Coco a small enclave inn Dacretin is to benefit from a road rehabilitation project. Presently tractors and backhoes are leveling the surface to lay the asphalt.
Speaking with a resident she said " Rufus is a grat man whom God has sent for us. He is a man of the people who understands our needs." The playing field will also be upgraded.
Presntly works are ongoing on the Morne Jacques/Dugard road.
Bousquet, making the people happy.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Fond Sabre Residents Get Footpath
It was late last year that the people living in Fond Sabre ( Jetrine ) had difficulty crossing a ravine. A bride was built and the residents showed much gratitude for the the speedy response by The District Representative to build that bridge.
That was only the tip of the ice berg as now The Rep. has undertaken the construction of a three hundred (300) feet footpath which leads from the bridge to the residents living area. The project is expected to be completed in a week's time.
Bousquet without a shadow of a doubt continues to touch the lives of his constituents. Bravo!