On Tuesday night’s news, you saw when George Betson was thrown off the property he called home and had his home dismantled. It was the order of the Court of Appeals, and it was final and incontestable. Since then, there’s been a good deal of public outcry about his flight, and today, his employer, the City Council came through with some help. Deputy Mayor Anthony Michael told us more.
Anthony Michael, Deputy Mayor
“Mr. Betson is an employee of the Belize City Council within the sanitation department. When we saw the news I spoke to you earlier this morning and you felt pain, when you could see a poor person being evicted out of their home because of the rich trying to get richer. That is a sad situation; my daughter cried, my wife felt pain – I think Belizeans on a whole. And I urge Belizeans to see in whatever way we could come out and support Mr. Betson and his wife. I contacted, along with Councilor King, this morning Mr. Muncho Galvez. He rents apartments and I am happy to say that we have worked out a special arrangement for three months, where Mr. Betson will not have to pay one single penny. Myself and Councilor King will look after the financial part of it. Mr. Galvez has given me a very very big discount for his apartment. It is a two bedroom apartment, fully equipped, full furnished. So Mr. Betson and his wife will only have to bring some of their minor stuff, their butane tank and stuff. It has a refrigerator, stove, and everything. It is a very safe area, very comfortable, where he doesn’t have to worry to lay his head.”
George Betson,
“Before this morning I felt I was alone, nobody called until I see this morning like a miracle take place, Councillor came up, Mr. King, they came to my rescue. They found me a place, an adequate place, which is, I don’t know how much to thank him. This is just for a temporary basis, three months, and then I will try to find a real place for me, according to what they had explained. So I just have to thank the Councillors Mr. Anthony Michael and Mr. King. They’ve showed a lot of interest in my behalf, which I was amazed, really amazed and it is like a lifting from where I was and I have to give thanks again to the people of Belize that are standing behind me and I just want them to know it is coming from the bottom of my heart, the deep appreciation.”
Jules Vasquez,
Is this a short term fix to what appears to be a quite intractable and long term problem?
Anthony Michael,
“Temporarily right now with the three months, what we want to do is get something together within this three months. Naturally I will be asking the Ministry of Natural Resources to see if we could procure a parcel of land, certainly not the size that he presently had, and I use past tense because apparently he is no longer there. But a little 75 by 100 that is filled where we could give him a lease land.”
Betson will move into his new digs at the MJ’s apartment in front of BTL Park tomorrow morning. He is still soliciting assistance to take his case to the Privy Council which he says will cost anywhere between $250,000 and $400,000.
