AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums Talk Belize Weather Tropical Storms & Hurricanes What about the POOR who lost ?

RM and others...please re read what is posted. Carefully! It states that building materials that Jeff Gram took down there were given out to the poorest people and gone in minutes.!!!! No reference to rich getting the materials.
The reference to rich and poor alike was the food. Are the rich(er) supposed to starve? There was no food on the island to be bought even if you had money. Be reasonable. Some restaurants were cooking food and giving it away because it would have spoiled without refrigeration. I doubt if they asked if you were rich or not. AND knowing some of the people on AC, they probably did or will repay those who helped them. As far as rebuilding, all I have heard on this board is about rebuilding in San Pedrito and that area....wanting to rebuild those homes much better so they have a better chance to withstand another storm. GO BACK AND READ SOME OF THESE POSTS BEFORE YOU START SPOUTING OFF!!! You people must be paranoid or something.
Of course the bigger resorts have insurance and will not need the help of this money to rebuild. But everyone will benefit from such things as getting the power, water, phones, etc. back. This kind of thing is costing money too in one way or another. The general cleaning of the streets and the beaches is for the good of the general public not just the rich. This all costs money.
That is where a lot of this money is going. If someone who owns a resort or big, fancy house asks someone they know to bring them a generator or such, that is not taking away from the poor is it?
Everyone on this board...especially Marty (I am sure) is 100% in favor of getting the poor back on their feet ASAP. To think otherwise is ludicrous.
SORRY to go on so long, but this thread made me see red.
PEACE all of you.

[This message has been edited by Belize Mama (edited 10-10-2000).]

The Town Councils are distributing the money and materials.

I'm sure the resorts are bringing in their own materials, not waiting for charity. The goods brought in will be used to rebuild the village, not the resorts. No one ever said that. Thanks Belize Mama for the support.

No problem, mon. Just trying to inject a bit of common sense here.

The name of the place on the west end of the island is San Pedrito, or Little San Pedro. Its land which was owned by Dr Elmer and "somehow" taken over by UDP. It was subdivided and given for votes. UDP lost the election and has been neglected ever since. The residences are hard working people from mainland Belize and throughout Central America. These people are used to being overlooked and seek support and solice from their neighbors and OUR CREATOR. I've been posting questions about San Pedrito til I've gotten sick from the loud silence. I must say that the only one so far who is taking much in the way of consern for San Pedrito is MARTY. Marty is not the source of the news blockade. Maybe like in the Jack Nichasons (MS) character, the Marine General, "You can't take the truth". Maybe I couldn't either.

Interesting how my inquiries on how the poor would benefit from the relief and building material donations was met with negative and defensive criticism. Also interesting that people who question the status quo are dismissed as nutcases and creeps. I am neither. I rest my case!!!!

I went to San Pedrito. Massive destruction. Unfortunately, the the town board seems to be helping the San Pedranos mostly, especially PUP constituents. They have requisitioned all private vehicles - even of tose who are desperately trying to keep the rain out of there homes. San Pedrito ain't getting any help that I could see, except for the Brits. If you want to help the "poorest", I'd suggest you find someone that will give the supplies DIRECTLY to them. The Brits are pissed off about the way Patty and the rest are taking the supplies for their own. Mainlander Belizeans and those from Guat, Honduras, Salvador, etc., are doing without. Please don't contradict me - I saw it with my own eyes and am totally disgusted...

FIND AN HONEST PERSON WHO WILL DISTRIBUTE DIRECTLY TO THE PEOPLE. IF YOU GIVE IT TO THE TOWN FATHERS YOU CAN KISS IT GOODBYE...

Sorry, Marty, but that's the way it IS.

Celeste cphillips001@hotmail.com

Celeste, I was afraid of this very thing happening. That is why I expressed my concern. Just what I feared would happen, is happening. Thank you for telling it like it is.

No one is a nutcase. we're all trying to find out whats going on.

Thanks for the info Celeste. I guess its hard to do right sometimes even when we try real hard.


Heard the Brits pulled out. Is that true?


[This message has been edited by Marty (edited 10-10-2000).]

Two years ago, Betsy and I started a relief effort for
Roatan, Honduras in the aftermath of Hurricane Mitch. We
made a major effort in our home town of Port Aransas and the
nearby city of Corpus Christi, Texas. Via newspapers,
television, the Internet, word of mouth and speaking at
business clubs, we quickly raised about $20,000 and an equal
amount in food and construction supplies, and medicine and
medical supplies. We called major wholesalers of food and
lumber in Fort Lauderdale and arranged for them to purchase
food and lumber and load it in containers which were
delivered to Hyde shipping. Hyde transported it free to
Roatan (after a delay of several months). Then we had a
terrible time getting it out of the customs area and to the
people. We finally got an American missionary nurse to
spring the stuff and get it delivered. The mayors and the
governor whom we knew personally just would not get moving.
We had a lot of worry about it getting into the wrong hands.
Even then the roofing material was scarfed up by the
government, but it was used on a big school and the
hospital, so that was O.K. Mostly the culture is, that if
it is not for me or mine, I am not going to waste my time
for the poor people who really need it.
If we were ever to do something like that again, we would
raise ONLY MONEY and the fly down and write checks. Sending
stuff is an amazing pain in the ass. Tons of clothes were
donated, which ended up rotting in a warehouse up here.

The response on the U.S. end was amazing with private
donations up to $500 and $1000 and money coming from far
away with people just trusting us. An amazing elderly
gentleman who owned a small trucking company gave up his
Thanksgiving WEEK with his family and towed a huge trailer
with 20 pallets on it all the way to Miami from South Texas
by himself, with a very old and beat up truck, all at his
expense. Other people boxed, palletized and packed goods.
It was non-stop work for weeks, then at the destination, no
one in power gave a shit. We should have expected that,
after living there for 17 years, but I guess we have been
conditioned differently.

Your experiences are no surprise. Take money down and hand
it out personally. Several small houses were finally built
with the construction materials by U.S. missionaries, while
the locals watched. The food was distributed where it was
needed.

Oh, yeah. Not one word of thanks ever came back even though
the source of the donations was on every singe package.
Strange system.

Marty, no-one is criticizing you. You are providing a selfless, incredible job keeping everyone informed. I, too, think you deserve public, official recognition.