Collet Representative Patrick Faber famously used his mother's day cheer funds to sponsor a family day in Corozal for his constituents. As the political narrative went, he used $36,000 dollars to buy them tacos - a gesture that for critics has crystallized all that's wrong with Petrocaribe funded political patronage.
But, on Friday in the House, Faber said it wasn't all spent on tacos:..
Hon. Francis Fonseca, Leader of the Opposition
"Man, we've heard about the member for Collet taking people to eat tacos and swim in the sea and drink beer."
Hon. Patrick Faber, Minister of Education
"We did not wish to have a mother's day celebration Mr. Speaker. So, what we chose to do instead was to have a family day. we took mothers, we took fathers, we took the entire family Mr. Speaker on a day Mr. Speaker that brought entire the family together and Mr. Speaker the other $36,000 I noticed the news people are quoting me to say, (Jules Vasquez needs to correct his story) because I at no point in my interview said that the family day costed us $36,000, that was the portion of the Mother's day money Mr. Speaker that was spent on that family day but if anybody who has any sense of these things would check it out. You would see that a trip like that, taking 22 buses Mr. Speaker to Corozal will not cost $36,000."
Hon. Julius Espat, Cayo South
"When Patrick Faber was talking Petrotacos, that your term right Jules. Petrotacos. It hurts me. I am ashamed because we don't have any new hospitals. We don't have any new schools. I have children lining up in my office that needs scholarships to go to schools. Where have we invested in our people? Where have we done with the Petrocaribe money that guarantees us that our economy will grow?"
Faber says he also had a senior's day for 200 his elderly constituents at Bird's Isle the following week with the balance of the funds. Each attendee left with a check for fifty dollars.
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