New US Ambassador’s Controversial Past Resurfaces

Ambassador Bauer arrives with a political past that once placed him at the center of national controversy. During a 2010 town hall meeting on government assistance, Bauer made remarks about people receiving public benefits that drew sharp criticism from his political opponents and sparked widespread backlash. The comments came when Bauer was a younger politician, but as he begins his diplomatic posting in Belize, that controversy has resurfaced and could determine how some Belizeans view Washington’s newest representative.

 

Paul Lopez

“A decade and a half ago as a younger politician you drew a comparison between government help for poor people and feeding stray animals during a town hall meeting. The comments were made as a apart of an argument about government benefits. How do you respond to Belizeans who may be unsettled when they read those reports?”

 

Andre Bauer, U.S. Ambassador to Belize

“If I did not know the background and the way the press tried to present it, I would feel the same way they did. But I would  tell you number one, it was not about healthcare. It was about generational problem where we don’t lift people up. If you just give someone so much dollars to get by but you show them no vehicle to lift themselves up, America is about opportunity. It is about giving people a vehicle, pathway to better themselves and their family. So when America has a policy that I disagree with, because I actually qualified for free lunches when I was younger. I came from a broken home and I qualified. So, I believe in doing all we can instead of just giveaways. Things like healthcare or transportation to help someone to get their job, or someone to take care of their children while they try to get an education so they can fully not have to always worry about the government taking care of them. I am all about access, opportunity and lifting people up. Not saying hey, here is where you are always going to be. So, some people in government sound really good saying, hey we want to do this. But a lot of time, the difficult conversation is the one I have, the one where you get beat up by media because you engage in real discussion about change. It is easy to say, hey I just want to give away money. I am from the government, and I am here to help you. If you really want to help people then sometimes you have to have difficult conversations.”

 

Bauer later defended his remarks, saying he wanted to reduce dependence on government aid.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

Watch the full newscast here: