By Belize Live News Staff: Senator Louis Wade Jr. has laid out his reasoning for voting yes on the Millennium Challenge Corporation compact legislation, and the details are worth reading.
According to Wade, the United States is putting US$125 million into the Belizean economy. In return, Belize commits to three things in education.
Raise the school leaving age from 14 to 16. Introduce national assessment so the country actually knows how students are performing. Restructure vocational and technical schools so a trade qualification means the same thing everywhere.
On electricity, the compact funds a cable linking San Pedro to the mainland. San Pedro currently generates the most expensive power in the country. The mainland supply is cheaper.
Wade’s argument is that none of this should have required payment.
“No one needed to pay us to do what is in OUR BEST INTEREST,” he wrote.
He voted yes. So did all PUP and all UDP senators. His fellow independent senators abstained.
Wade also says he and other church leaders negotiated commitments on the Education and TVET bills before the vote.
Do you agree with how the senators voted?
