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CHRISTIE ON THE LABOUR DAY PARADE: The Prime Minister Perry Christie and his colleagues and supporters were out in full numbers on the annual Labour Day march in Nassau. We celebrate Labour Day in this country on the first Friday in June. The PLP and Labour have traditionally stood together. It all dates back to the days of the Federation of Labour when the late Sir Randol Fawkes teamed up with the PLP and supported the general strike of 1958. Before that the then Mr. Fawkes as a labour leader was elected in 1956 as one of the first six PLP Members of Parliament. Later, it was the PLP and the Trade Union Congress in a historic concordat in 1977 brokered by Franklyn Wilson and the late Sir Lynden O. Pindling. But in the latter years the party and the movement have tended toward independent courses. However, the PLP has always seen itself as a friend of labour and has always turned out to support the Labour Day marches. This year Labour Day was named in honour of Frank Carter, former head of the Airport Airline and Allied Workers Union. That was on the National Congress of Trade Unions (NCTU) side. On the Trade Union Congress side the day was named in honour of the late labour leader Sir Clifford Darling. There is a split in the labour movement. But the PLP was there with its leader in a supporting role. Prime Minister Christie on the labour day parade then is the photo of the week shown being greeted by the crowds who lined the streets of Nassau as the parade passed by. The photo is by Peter Ramsay of the Bahamas Information Services.
COMMENT OF THE WEEK THE FAILURE OF BEC POWER
On Wednesday 2nd May at 12:10 a.m., the entire island of New Providence went dark. There was no power. Across the dark void though there were lights on Paradise Island. No doubt the rich with their automatic generator switches did not have to suffer the indignity of heat and discomfort brought on by a loss of power. It took more than six hours to get the power up and running and a full 12 hours later some establishments and neighbourhoods were without power in New Providence.
As usual, you could get no answers from the Bahamas Electricity Corporation about why the power failed. They have an emergency number 3235561. It gives you an annoying voice which if you can get it to answer simply tells you they will take a message and get back to you. It is useless. What it did say shortly after the power failure: that there was an island wide shut down which would be restored beginning at 12:45 a.m. That was a great big fat lie. 12:45 came and went without one flicker of light.
By morning, BEC as they usually do had their act together with the range of excuses as to why the power went off. They said that someone touched with an aluminum ladder one of the high tension wires. It was a work crew not associated with BEC and this shut down the entire system. The switches which they had installed to prevent the entire system from failing did not work, although newly installed. This was the second such shut down in a month. The earlier one was precipitated by someone from a road crew cutting a wire and that shut the entire system down island wide.
We know that BEC is in trouble. We know that BEC is failing as a corporation. It has just rid itself through the general election of Michael Moss, who was so FNM , that he could not see the forest for the trees. Under his watch as Chairman, innocent engineers were fired from BEC simply because they were PLP or so it appears. Hopefully that will be reversed. Michael Moss spent much of his time like other FNM ideologues simply blaming the PLP for everything under the sun at BEC. His last promise was to get in rented generators to make sure that there were no power failures during the summer heat. Just as he made that promise there were power failures.
BEC is also broke it appears. There is a report that a loan comes due for BEC on or about the 1st of August of this year for a payment of 212 million dollars. They need another 80 million dollars just to get by for the fiscal year. So you are talking about raising a potential 300 million dollars to keep BEC afloat at a time when its revenues are plummeting because of the bad economy and the lack of jobs and the country is pressed to find money.
The question you have to now ask is how long will the new administration take to find out that it has to look at new management for BEC? Something is terribly wrong at the place. There is not one week that God sends when there is not some failure of power from BEC. They are expert at explaining why the power went off but cannot keep the power on. And all the public asks is that the power be kept on.
Nicholas Brady, the former U.S. Treasury Secretary, who lives out a Lyford Cay once gave a speech at a Chamber of Commerce dinner in which he warned the country that it must have a reliable supply of electricity if its development was going to succeed. We do not have such as supply. In fact, the supply even though spotty is a double whammy for businesses because it is so expensive that in Freeport it is the single business complaint about why investment is not coming to Freeport. The cost of power is simply too expensive. At Our Lucayca, the signature property in Grand Bahama is now adding ten dollars to each bill as an energy surcharge for all guests.
In Jamaica, the Bahamian Dan Theoc, who is the Chief Financial Officer, of the power company there, revealed that they are going ahead with a 600 million dollars US plant financed by the World Bank and IDB to switch to natural gas as a fuel for the power plant thereby effecting they think a thirty per cent reduction in the cost of power. Where is The Bahamas and its forward planning on this issue of power supply?
We are simply sick and tired of being sick and tired about BEC. It does not work. Something is dreadfully wrong and the rod of correction must be administered. This is simply not the way to run a power company. It cannot keep the lights on.
Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 2nd June 2012 up to midnight: 127,351
Number of hits for the month of May up to Thursday 31st May 2012 up to midnight: 705,517
Number of hits for the year 2012 up to Saturday 2nd June 2012 up to midnight: 3,717,186
The Labour Movement in Freeport headed by John Curtis of the Bahamas Public Services Union, held its annual Labour Day parade in Freeport on Friday 1st June. The PLP’s Deputy Leader Philip Davis joined by colleagues Fred Mitchell MP, Obie Wilchcombe MP, Greg Moss MP, Michael Darville MP, Senator Tanisha Tynes and Senator Julian Russell were on the parade. The photo is by Van Dyke Hepburn of the Bahamas Information Services.
PLP ON CARS
The silly season continues even though the general election is over. The down market Punch carried a story and The Tribune was threatening to carry one during the past week on the fact that the PLP had bought new cars for ministers costing almost a million dollars. This was propaganda no doubt meant to counteract the serious news that Hubert Ingraham and his administration had left a half a billion dollar deficit which the PLP has now to finance. The Chairman of the party Bradley Roberts issued the following statement:
Press Statement
Progressive Liberal Party
Vehicular fleet ordered by former administration
29h May 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The claim made in today’s edition of the Punch that the PLP government bought 12 vehicles for a reported $750,000 is false and a deliberate attempt by the Punch to misinform the Bahamian people through political mischief and sensationalism.
The inconvenient truth is that the vehicles in question were ordered, authorized and committed by the former administration more than two months ago.
The existing fleet assigned to cabinet ministers was poorly maintained by the former administration and many of the vehicles are in “run down” conditions. This seems to be a pattern with the FNM as the maintenance of BEC power plants was similarly neglected which led to numerous needless blackouts.
The incoming government on 7th May did meet a sizable budgetary deficit that presents fiscal challenges for the operations of the government.
This state of affairs is not new to the PLP as it mirrors the fiscal state of the country when we assumed office on 2nd May 2002.
The PLP government at that time did not engage in foolish idle talk but rolled up its sleeves and got to work for the Bahamian people, tackling crime, restoring fiscal discipline and building a strong economy. By God’s help we will do it again.
We will protect the fiscal integrity of the Bahamas government again as we did in our last term in office, invest in our people, create safe neighborhoods and put Bahamians first.
No amount of obfuscation, distractions and false propaganda by those who naysay will deter us from this sacred and solemn mandate given to us by the Bahamian people.
CHRISTIE PRESENTS HIS FIRST BUDGET
Yet again it falls to Perry Christie and the PLP to pull the country out of a dangerous hole. The new Prime Minister and Minister of Finance announced on Wednesday 30th May a budget of billion dollars but a funding gap of 504 million dollars. This is a legacy from the ineptitude and overspending of the last administration. One example they allocated some 25 million dollars for the emergency hiring programme they put in place just before the general election. They ended up spending some 48 million dollars on the item. It is well known of course that there are almost 100 million dollars in cost overruns for the New Providence Road Improvement project with no end in sight. Mr. Christie said that notwithstanding the tightness of the fiscal situation the PLP intends to try and carry out its programmes. To do so, the party put in place a line item of 15 million dollars in the budget to allow some room to contribute to the social programmes that have been promised. He announced that there would be a housing repair programme as part of the Urban Renewal programme which would see one million dollars of that 15 million being spent to effect repairs to homes.
The photo shows Andre Rollins in his maiden debate during the debate on the speech from the throne. Photo by Peter Ramsay BIS.
One of the traditions of the House is that following the Governor General’s reading of the speech from the throne there is a debate in the House to thank the Governor General for his most gracious address to the Parliament. The end of the debate brings to an end the ceremonial aspects of the start of a new Parliament and then the work gets going in earnest. The debate on Wednesday 30th June, ranged from furious attacks on Hubert Ingraham for his conduct during the last administration to the obsequious excuses put forward by the rump of the FNM that remains in the House of Assembly. Philip Davis, the Deputy Prime Minister and Alfred Gray, the Minister of Local Government, were able to charge that the Ingraham administration spent money in their constituencies and offered jobs to voters in the weeks up to the election including election day itself which in their view amounted to attempts to bribe voters. Mr. Davis believes that the law should be asked to investigate the matter. He said that the farmer now has the gun. This was in answer to a well known barb by Hubert Ingraham when he won office. He used to say that the rabbit got the gun. Mr. Davis said: “Thank God that the farmer now has the gun back.” Two stand out presentations that are worthy of mention for different reasons. André Rollins the MP for Ft. Charlotte gave a great account of himself. His presentation was an attack on Eileen Carron, the Tribune’s publisher for her attack on the Bahamian people. The day after the general election she wrote an editorial calling the Bahamian people ungrateful because they did not vote for Hubert Ingraham in the general election. His presentation was calm studied and direct. Look for great things from him if one judges by his starting performance. Then with everything there is something bad. Richard Lightbourn, the MP for Montagu goes down in the category of the most odious and hateful department. He is a relic of a bygone era. In his presentation he attacked the crowds for exercising their democratic right to boo FNM politicians that they did not support during the speech from the throne. The Prime Minister Perry Christie in response reminded Mr. Lightbourn how FNM supporters booed Sir Lynden Pindling in 1992 when he showed up for the Speech from the Throne in that year. Then he tried to say that the last UBP speaker Robert Symonette was in fact the youngest speaker ever. The UBP (United Bahamian Party) was the racial minority party that ruled The Bahamas prior to 1967. He was quickly corrected by the Speaker Dr. Kendal Major who said that he had said that he was the youngest Speaker since majority rule but that in fact he was second youngest since Sir Arlington Butler was younger than he was when he became speaker. Then Mr. Lightbourn said that the UBP had left a blueprint for urban renewal and the PLP never carried it out. There will be plenty of fireworks coming in response to him. Mr. Lightbourn is the closest thing to a racist in the House of Assembly and one can look for more of this defence of the UBP as he gets up and time and again. Those who now think and are well disposed to Hubert Ingraham can see now in Richard Lightbourn what he has really put on us and what he really is. It is time to read Harriet Beacher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
FRED MITCHELL ON INGRAHAM’S POLITICAL COWARDICE
Fred Mitchell MP for Fox Hill and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration spoke on the debate from the speech from the throne on Wednesday 30th May. In his address, Mr. Mitchell attacked Hubert Ingraham, the former Prime Minister for not staying around for the speech from the throne. Mr. Mitchell was furious with the former Prime Minister because he called the PLP incompetent. Mr. Mitchell said that in the future when people ask how do you spell incompetent they will spell it I-N-G-R-A-H-A-M.
The new Member of Parliament for Golden Isles Michael Halkitas is the Minister of State for Finance. He is responsible for the day to day running of the Ministry. We hope one day soon, he will get the substantive job as Finance Minister. Mr. Halkitas explained in greater detail the facts and figures behind the budget in a statement which he read at a press conference right after the Prime Minister’s budget statement. The Prime Minister joined him as did other colleagues of the government. The photo is by Peter Ramsay of the Bahamas Information Services.
Forrester Carroll writes from Freeport that Hubert Ingraham is still around behind the scenes. He argues that Hubert Ingraham is a political coward and ruined the economy of our country. He scorches Mr. Ingraham for showing up at the House at the opening and then disappearing.
Webster comes up far short of sufficient (and suitable) adjectives with which Hubert Ingraham can succinctly be described. He announced his return to private life and said he loves it; however his deportment, since taking that posture, speaks volumes louder (to the contrary) than his empty words. What can I or anyone say; the man is an egotistical narcissist-he thinks, of himself, more highly than he ought.
After having been soundly rejected, at the polls, by the Bahamian electorate he continues, unabated, to refuse to accept that he was his party’s number one problem and that the Bahamian people had good reason for rejecting his old tired behind like they did. I would welcome nothing more eagerly now than to move on and leave the Ingraham factor to history but the Negro just won’t go away quietly into the sunset.
Just when I thought this Negro had reached his peak, in “gutter rat” politics, he surprises me once again with his loose chicken-behind lips. This man (and I guess I should apologize to our manhood for including him) showed up for the opening of parliament (on Wednesday 23rd May) signed the book and disappeared, like the coward he is, through the back door of the parliament building to his waiting Jeep. The shameful scoundrel continues (right up to the end) to show his lack of respect for the proud traditions (of our country’s governance) which have been the hallmark of this fragile democracy for more than three centuries?
On his way out of the Chamber (as he hastened his get-away through the back door) he encountered a former cabinet minister (in the Christie 2002-2007 PLP government) who told me that he felt privileged and delighted to have had the opportunity to, finally, cuss the sucker as he ran, like a snake, from the crowd of Bahamians gathered; many of whom, undoubtedly, cheered him in the recent past. The former minister said that he felt obliged to tell the fleeing dictator-coward to quote, “carry your stink ass and never come back.” The former minister told me that he enjoyed telling Ingraham what he wanted to tell him for a long time and that it felt good. He said that he regretted, nonetheless, that Ingraham still got in the last word when, while running toward his waiting jeep, he sucked his teeth at him and told him to kiss his (meaning Ingraham’s) behind.
The shameless, disgraceful piss-head had apparently arranged an exclusive interview with NB12 news, in advance, for that time period. It was abundantly and patently obvious that this beaten down disgraced former prime minister had no intentions, from the very beginning, of remaining in the parliament for the duration of the opening ceremonies on that day. One would have thought that a “Head of State,” who served in that position for 15 years and who only three weeks ago was fighting tooth and nail like hell to win the hearts of the Bahamian people (for a further five-year term) would have, at the very least, remained through the entire opening ceremonies but not that DUDE.
I should like, in this article, to examine some of the crap the piss-head ran on with when responding to questions put to him by NB12’s news reporter. But before I do let me suggest that if the Nassau Guardian really wanted to pay any kind of tribute to this mongrel they would have searched their archives for a better looking Photograph, of the piss-head, than the one they included under the captioned headline. That photograph has to be the worst looking photograph the creature has ever taken; but let me hasten on to the business at hand.
During the interview Ingraham opined: “The current administration is INCAPABLE of being anything other than incompetent;” “The PLP is incapable (he told the reporter) of doing anything other than talking a lot. They trip over each other to talk and talk. You watch the actions; watch the results; it’s not going to be long now before people compare the promises made with the delivery being received.” unquote. Ingraham claimed that he is not worried about being brought before a commission, to answer to his and his government’s recklessness; that he can defend his record and what he did; this is bull crap of the freshest kind; can you believe this guy? Here is a prime minister who has been in power for five solid years and was not able to attract one single foreign investor to the country during that time? To use his now famous phases; “it is unbelievable, unthinkable” that this dung-bag would repeat all this garbage when, in fact, the record will show that the only viable projects the country had in the works, during 2007-2012, were projects initiated and left on the table by Christie and the PLP?
Isn’t it mind-boggling that this two-bit FNM leader would have the nerve to brand the PLP government as mere good talkers and incompetent? Especially after having sat in government for the past five years- 2007-2012-feeding at the public’s trough, like a fat pig, while screwing up the lives of countless hundreds of Bahamians? He assumed governance, in 2007, with a robust economy and a vibrant middle class but left us in shambles with a broke treasury and a once vibrant middle-class dissipated. Some of the many adversely affected thousands moved in with relatives (after losing their jobs; their houses; their pride; their middle-class status if they were lucky) and others having to resort to camping out permanently in their vehicles if they were fortunate enough to hold onto them. Now this nincompoop purports to talk about incompetence in team PLP? But why am I responding to anything this creature says anyway? Hubert Ingraham should be the last person, in the Bahamas, to talk about incompetence; this Negro should be in hiding not running his stupid mouth. Ingraham’s fifteen years of incompetence and failure is a matter of public record and the only record Christie has (on the record) to compare to his (Ingraham’s) is his (Christie’s) five years of phenomenal growth and prosperity-2002-2007. Christie inherited a broke and busted country, in 2002, from Ingraham; a country drowning in debt, unemployment, crime and hopelessness yet he was able to pick up the broken pieces and put humpty dumpty back together again. In 2007 we gave this bastard (Ingraham) a country bursting at the seams with growth; five years later he gives it back to us tattered and torn and he can talk about who is incompetent? But I guess we all know what his real problem is; he cannot accept the fact that Christie retired him and that is exactly what has him so bugged. ingraham wanted so badly to go off the scene (one day no doubt in a wheel chair) in a blaze of glory; he wanted so badly to be able to boast that he whopped and retired Christie, as he claimed he did Sir Lynden, but alas he can’t and that is what is killing the bastard; shame and disgrace is eating him up inside and he can’t stand it; that is why the former cabinet minister was so pleased for the opportunity to cuss him stink when he saw him fleeing from the parliament the day of the official opening of the new assembly.
On the night, when he had no choice but to concede his loss to Christie, Ingraham claimed that he tried to contact Christie to offer him his congratulations but that he couldn’t get hold of him; well everybody know that that was a damn lie. Everybody, and their siblings, knows that all leaders in a contest such as what we had do normally stand by with their telephone lines wide open either to make that call or wait to receive it; Christie was no exception. I am quite sure that there is a telephone number that he could have called-one that none of us may have-to get Christie but the soar- loser- coward didn’t try.
Someone wrote recently opining that Ingraham could never retire from politics; that he loves politics too much to retire fully but that he should, at least, now take off his political battle suit and try, as best he can, to work toward becoming the nation’s “Elder Statesman;” but that’ll be the damn day. What the writer, of the article, fails at this time to see and take into account is the fact that the Bahamian people (if one listens carefully to their conversations) hate Hubert Ingraham’s guts and they do so with a passion. While I would discourage hate of anyone, I do fully understand the strong sentiments of the Bahamian people having been, as Malcolm “X” puts it, hoodwinked; bamboozled; lied too; pissed on and run amok;” forgive me for adding two phases of my own. Those who lost every damn thing they once owned, under Ingraham and Laing’s crucifixion of the Bahamian economy, would like to get them both in the backyard of the bush somewhere and put something on them Ajax would have difficulty getting off.
In an effort to determine the reason(s) why the FNM lost the election Ingraham‘s opinion, as he suggested to the reporter, was that he thought it was the party’s lack of sufficient funding. He claimed that the PLP was able to start its campaign well before the FNM and that we, unlike them, were adequately funded; nothing could be further from the truth (i.e. that the PLP was adequately funded). Get it through your huge head, Hubert Ingraham; your election loss had nothing to do with funding. I recall the last few weeks of the campaign that you had commercials running on every single TV and Radio network every five minutes; I dare say that if you had an additional $100 million it would not have helped you retain governance. Get it through your thick skull mister; the Bahamian people were tired of you and your lousy, clueless, abrasive crew. You, Hubert Ingraham, were the FNM’s biggest problem; you were the principal cause for the downfall of your party and now the rag-tag few who is left standing will not emerge to govern this country, again, any time soon. Those around you knew that you were their party’s problem and if they were too stupid to see that then they sure do see it now. Bahamians didn’t bring you back, Hubert Ingraham as you often like to tout, you invited yourself back into the game and now you’ve destroyed both yourself and your party. Generally Bahamians hate you Hubert Ingraham; they are just too afraid still to tell you. Besides I am convinced that Almighty God, the Father, had to cut you down as He did Lucifer who tried to ascend higher than God his Creator; he tried to take God’s Glory, for himself, and had to be brought low. You tried as well, Hubert Ingraham, when you joyfully permitted the campaign to substitute your name (Hubert Ingraham) in the “no one greater than you” song. You were very pleased (the night they played the song) with them substituting your name instead of God’s until a couple days later when you realized that the Bahamian people saw it as sacrilegious and exposed what they decided was the devil in you. You apologized but no one believed that you had any regrets; we believed then, as we do now, that you offered that stale apologize only because you realized that you would continue to lose votes if you didn’t. There is an inherent curse, I say, on the FNM and unless forgiveness is sought for, by the leadership, the curse will remain and indeed will follow the FNM party from one generation to the next.
I say to you Dr. Hubert Minnis; you might be personally innocent, in these matters, but you have inherited the FNM party with all it’s past unforgiven sins and baggage. I warned before and I’ll warn you now; unless and until the leadership of the FNM apologizes to the nation and ask God the Father for forgiveness for the murders (in 1972), associated with your organization, the generational curse will follow you; you are captaining a ghost ship my friend.
Hubert ingraham told his party’s one-day conclave (at the church hall) that he was happy to go; well guess what, we are happier and indeed relieved to see him go.
Thank you.
Forrester J Carroll J.P
Freeport, Grand Bahama
June 2012.
IN PASSING
The Horse Loves Kentucky
From the Facebook page of Pedro Burrows, an interesting photo of the horse drawn surrey in Little Nassau pulling up for his fix of FKC.
Get Real Candia
PLPs were quite pissed off at the attitude of Candia Dames at the press conference of the Minister of State Michael Halkitis on Wednesday 30th May. It was held in the government committee room of the House of Assembly just after the budget statement by the Prime Minister on 30th May. (See story above). Miss Dames pushed the envelope, cross examining the Prime Minister about whether or not there was a conflict between when the referendum on gambling was going to be held or whether the arrangements for the referendum on gambling would be made within the first one hundred days. She claimed that in one PLP document it said the arrangements would be made in one hundred days and in another it said that the referendum itself would be held. Many of those gathered there thought her attitude bordered on impertinent. They added she obviously had not gotten the memo that her buddy Hubert Ingraham has lost office.
Officials Wanted To Postpone The Budget Speech
There was a power failure on the morning that the budget ws going to be presented Wednesday 2nd May ( See story above). The officials left the Prime Minister’s residence at 3 a.m., putting the finishing touches to the statement. There was no power in the Office of Prime Minister. The reason: the generator failed to come on when the city power failed. When they finally found a technician, they discovered the reason it did not come on was because there was no fuel in the generator. So much for Hubert Ingraham and his efficiency of administration. The suggestion by the officials was that the Prime Minister should postpone the speech because they had no way of printing it. The Prime Minster was incredulous. Just think of that. After all this stuff about Perry Christie not being able to deliver on time. He comes back to office full of vim and vigour and the officials think that they can get away with the new Prime Minister saying that he had to postpone his first big moment. Some people must have mush for brains.
Labour Day
The reason that we celebrate Labour Day in The Bahamas on the first Friday in June is because the Burma Road Riot took place on the 1st and 2nd June of 1942. The riots broke out on Bay Street over a dispute over wages being paid to Bahamian workers at what was then Windsor Field now the Lynden Pindling International Airport. The result was two days of unrest which saw the destruction of government property in Bay Street and in Grants Town. When the riot ended British troops were on the streets and three people were shot dead for breaking the curfew. Ronnie Butler sings about the riot when he says: Going Down Burma Road. Randol Fawkes, the labour leader and Lynden Pindling, the founding Prime Minster of the country were both little boys when the riot took place. They remembered the contribution which the workers made to social change. Following the riot, there was a commission of inquiry which led to changes in the law to protect workers and to improve the social conditions in the country. In honour of Burma Road, we now have Labour Day, the first Friday in June.
Leader Of The Opposition’s First Time Out
When you are a rude boy, you have to take a time out. The Leader of the Opposition Hubert Minister had his first time out on Wednesday 30th May during his maiden speech in the House of Assembly as Leader. Dr. Minnis claimed that Minister of National Security Bernard Nottage consulted with criminals when he made a statement about changing the mandatory penalties put in place by the Free National Movement for certain crimes. Dr. Nottage called him a liar for which he subsequently apologized and explained that he said no such thing about consulting with criminals. Dr. Minnis seemed embarrassed and confused when he could not find his supporting documentation. Time out!
Transfers Of Public Officials
Now that the government is fully appointed, it is time for the moves in the public service to take place where the people who are the Permanent Secretaries and Directors are shifted about. This is absolutely necessary to getting control of the government.
Die Stubbs Wanted In Shoot Out
The man known as Stephen Die Stubbs who is charged but not yet formally charged with a number of suspicious deaths in the country is in police custody after being involved allegedly in a fracas at a night club which left a man dead. Folks say that after the manhunt successfully apprehend him if some of the old line police officers were still on the force, Mr. Stubbs would not still be around to tell the tale.
Al Jarret Buried Euolgised By The Prime Minister
Perry Christie, Prime Minister, and the entire Cabinet, came by police bus to the Ebenezer Methodist Church to attend the funeral of Al Jarret, the former banker who died suddenly on 22nd May. Mr. Jarret was a hard battler for the Progressive Liberal Party. The Prime Minister said he was a great friend and supporter and regretted that because he was PLP the business community did not embrace his (Al Jarrett’s) talents in retirement. Mr. Jarret was to become the Chairman of the Bank of The Bahamas but died before he could resume the post he held prior to 2007. Mr. Christie said that Mr. Jarret was a pioneer in Bahamian banking and that Nathaniel Beneby and Tanya McCartney both now leaders in banking at Royal Bank of Canada would publicly admit that Al Jarret helped to blaze the trail. The photo is by Peter Ramsay of the Bahamas Information Services.
Grand Bahama Youth Choir Celebrates Anniversary
The Grand Bahama Youth Choir under the direction of Kevin Tomlinson held its third anniversary concert on May in Freeport. The choir has gone from strength to strength and is a source of great pride for the community there. The video clip from the concert below featuring Danielle Morgan.
Is There Another Split In The Labour Movement?
Some say that former National Congress of Trade Union President and Bahamas Public Service Union President john Pinder is unhappy about Jennifer Dotson his successor to the post of head of the umbrella union. Stay tuned.
Pakeisha Parker For North Abaco
There is a lot of speculation about who will run for the North Abaco seat which Hubert Ingraham, the former Prime Minister says that he intends to vacate on 19th July. We live in hope. Amongst those they say are John Swain who is in Abaco and lives in North Abaco; Pakeisha Parker, the candidate who was trounced recently by Obie Wilchcombe in Grand Bahama and some say Zhivargo Laing who is a now a senator for the FNM who ws recently defeated in Ft. Charlotte in Nassau.
Bahamas High Commissioner At Diamond Jubilee in London
Bahamian High Commissioner to London Paul Farquharson represented The Bahamas at the official observances in London over the past weekend for the 60th anniversary of the coronation of Elizabeth II who is the Queen of The Bahamas and head of state. The observances included a flotilla of ships on the Thames river, a reception at Buckingham Palace and a church service. The Governor General and Prime Minister were unable to attend.
Governor General For Cataract Surgery in Cuba
Sir Arthur Foulkes and his wife Joan are now in Havana, Cuba for three weeks. The Governor General is to have cataract surgery during his absence. Will act while he is out of the country.
Seventh Day Pastor Hugh Roach New Chaplain
The Speaker of the House Dr. Kendal Major announced that Pastor Hugh Roach is the new chaplain of the House of Assembly. he replaces Rev. William Higgs in that job from the Methodist Church. Pastor Roach is shown.
A Young Kid Touches Obama's Hair
We thought that this was an engaging photo of a young black kid touching Obama's hair. The little boy wanted to know if the American President's hair was just like his. Priceless.
3rd June
Today is the day of that song made famous by Bobbi Gentry an American country and western singer. This is the day in the song that Billie Joe Macalister jumped off the Talahachee Bridge.
Dame Marguerite Sworn In
Dame Marguerite Pindling was sworn in at Government House as the Deputy to the Governor General and will act for the Governor General Sir Arthur Foulkes while he is out of the country. See story In Passing.
Facebook Shuts Down Bahama Press Page
The page for Bahama Press has been inexplicably shut down by Facebook. This shows the danger of relying on these sites for the dissemination of information. There is no free lunch. The main and independent bahamapress.com continues.
Vell Muddoes
There is an internet page that is being circulated that is dedicated to attacking the new PLP government. It comes directly to In Boxes in The Bahamas. The thought is the page is operated by FNM operatives either from the camp of Tommy Turnquest or that of Opposition Leader Dr. Hubert Minnis. Beware.
Hubert Ingraham Reconsidering
After last week's disastrous performance in the House in the Debate on the speech from the throne, Hubert Ingraham is said to be reconsidering whether or not he will step away. This is the same playbook as in 2002. He pretends he is leaving. Leaves his people in place and then they beg him to comeback. Look for a turnaround in that story soon.
BTC
Prime Minister Perry Christie has reaffirmed that it is the PLP's intention to regain the majority shares in BTC, the phone company. This is welcome news particularly given the level of poor service by the phone company since privatization. The following announcement was made by BTC on their Facebook page: BTC wishes to advise the public that it will be conducting major installation of new billing and texting platforms to improve its mobile network. As a result, customers will not be able to add minutes to their cell phones on Sunday June 3rd from 10pm. Between the hours of 1 a.m and 3 a.m on Monday June 4th ALL prepaid services will be interrupted for a period of between thirty minutes to one hour. Prepaid roaming and prepaid international long distance will be unavailable from 12am - 3am. We expect all upgrades to be completed at 6am on Monday June 4th . This is to allow BTC to shut down old equipment and install new equipment allowing us to provide a stable network offering a world class mobile customer experience. We ask all prepaid customers to plan accordingly and make alternate arrangements.
10th . June ,
2012 Welcome
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IMPORTANT SPORTS VISITORS: Prime Minister Perry Christie was the host of a meeting of two important visitors from the International Association of Amateur Athletics (IAAF) last week at his office. The IAAF plans to hold international relays for the first time separate and apart from the other track and field events in 2014 and 2015. The Bahamas has been chosen as the place where the inaugural events are to be held. This is a tremendous honour but also presents a tremendous challenge to the country. The visitors came to see if The Bahamas is up to challenge and whether it will accept that challenge. The challenge will require that the venue which is the Thomas A. Robinson Stadium is up to date. At the moment, the FNM officially opened the stadium but did not leave an officially certified track and field for the country. The track and field remains to be certified and may even have to be taken up. Many will remember when Fred Mitchell MP for Fox Hill issued a statement to the press about this, Charles Maynard the then Minister of Sports denounced it as PLP lies and propaganda. Turned out to be the truth. Which says a lot about Charles Maynard, now Chairman of the FNM. Our photo of the week then is the courtesy call on the Prime Minister by the IAAF officials with Minister of Sports Daniel Johnson and Dr Bernard Nottage, Minister of National Security and former head of the amateur athletics in The Bahamas and Mike Sands, the present head of amateur athletics in The Bahamas. The photo is by Peter Ramsay of the Bahamas Information Services.
COMMENT OF THE WEEK THE PUBLIC HAS A SHORT FUSE
This was a tough week for us. We did not like how this week went all. We (PLP supporters) should still be basking in the glow of a magnificent victory instead we were distracted by a storm in a tea cup which was of our own making. This column for some obvious reasons is followed closely by the Bahamian elites for some clues as to what official thinking is on these matters, even though our disclaimer is quite clear. It does not represent official thinking but few people pay attention. It does however make for some awkward moments and this is one of these.
Last week, the press had a field day with the PLP over the issue of whether or not the Minister of National Security and the Minister of State in that Ministry carried weapons for their protection. This was confirmed by the Minister of State and he added that both individuals have weapons training.
The FNM’s Loretta Butler jumped right on it and made much of it.
That is what Opposition parties do.
We do not want to get into that argument. Nor do we want to pronounce on the question of having a weapon or not. For us, the issue of security is personal to the individual minister.
The Minister of National Security went to great pains to explain to a deliberately obtuse Loretta Butler Turner in the House on Thursday 7th June that he as Minister does not decide the size of the detail of the former Prime Minister. We hope that this job is reserved in the first instance unto the Commissioner of Police. In other words, security is a matter which should be personal to the individual in conjunction with the decisions of the technical people in charge of security: the police.
Bahamian ministers will soon need close protection and that is likely to come in the not too distant future if things continue to progress the way they are. At the moment, it appears that only the head of government and the governor general receive such protection unless there is a specific need to issue protection for individuals.
At one point Bradley Roberts even as an Opposition MP, had close protection. It was also offered to Fred Mitchell MP for Fox Hill when he was minister for extraditions but was refused by him.
Again, we say it is personal.
So what then is our even larger point: the matter should not have come up for debate because it does not belong in the public domain. It was put their voluntarily and thereby created a distraction from some good work which is being done by the PLP to get things up and started.
In the future, our friends have to think carefully before they speak.
There is a standard answer on matters relating to security and that is: “ the government does not comment on the security arrangements and details of ministers and public officials”.
Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 9th June 2012 up to midnight: 87,907
Number of hits for the month of June up to Saturday 9th June 2012 up to midnight: 119,941
Number of hits for the year 2012 up to Saturday 9th June 2012 up to midnight: 3,821,785
Fred Mitchell MP for Fox Hill is the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Immigration. He spoke in the House of Assembly on Wednesday 13th June in the annual budget debate. In his fifty one minute address he spoke about the need for loyalty by foreign affairs staff in the face of an allegation earlier this year published in the American Wikileaks cables of a Foreign Service employee from The Bahamas who leaked confidential information to an American foreign service officer. He reviewed the role of the immigration minister in seeking to regulate the work permit regime to protect jobs for Bahamians while at the same time the revenue made from work permits is almost fifty million dollars per year. You may click here for the full text of his remarks issued to check against delivery. The video was captured by C. Allen Johnson. The photo is by Peter Ramsay of the Bahamas Information Services.
PROBLEMS WITH THIS SITE
On Wednesday evening 6th June, this site went dark. We found out by happenstance when a faithful reader in California notified us that the site could not be accessed. When we checked it turned out indeed to be true. The fault lies in the nature of what the internet is. This site began in 1998 in November of that year as fredmitchelluncensored.com. It became bahamasuncnesored.com in 2002 and has operated under that name uninterrupted since then. There are two aspects of putting the site up. One is the company that hosts the site; where the server is located and the other is the company that owns the domain name. At the start, they used to one and the same. At some point, the latter bought the former but never changed the name, just started operating as separate companies. So when the site went down, the editors addressed the issue to the company they thought controlled everything and that turned out not to be so. Some further checking showed that the new company had telephone numbers but simply sent an e mail notification and there was no follow up call. Then once the issue with them was resolved for the renewal of the domain name which is bahamasuncensored.com, they lied about how long it would take to be resolved. In fact, it took almost forty eight hours for the service to be fully restored. We give this long explanation in order to avoid any conspiracy theories about why the site was down. Needles to say, we were horrified and embarrassed by this and wished there was a solution which could withdraw from a company that allowed that to happen. Hopefully it won’t happen again and we will do our best in the future to avoid such an event. We hope that you enjoy today’s column.
ANGLICAN BISHOP ON THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS
The Anglican Bishop of the Bahamas who is also the Bishop of the Turks and Caicos Islands Laish Boyd issued a statement on the political situation in the Turks and Caicos Islands on 4th June. The statement was shockingly direct. It urged the British government to use its best endeavours to restore direct democracy in the islands who are our neighbours to the south. The statement said: The Anglican Diocese of The Bahamas and The Turks and Caicos Islands notes with very grave concern the high levels of anxiety and discontent in The Turks and Caicos Islands. Importantly, the Anglican statement fixes the issue of the moral responsibility for what happened in the Turks and Caicos Islands firmly on the British themselves: We note the advance of the investigation into alleged wrongdoing and the fact that some 13 persons have been charged. This process is necessary, and must be allowed to take its course. While members of the former elected administration are subject to the above, we are alarmed that the British Government appears to accept no part in ultimate culpability. This cannot be right, if, at all times during the period of alleged wrongdoing, Her Majesty’s representative, in the person of the British Governor, was in office. One would assume that the serving Governor at any given time had to have knowledge of and consultation about many matters, even if he was not in agreement with some of them. He would have had to sign off on the majority of matters, as it is the responsibility of the holder of that office. If that Governor was not comfortable with decisions taken by the Premier and the Executive Council, it was his place to refer them to the Secretary of State, to whom he would have been answerable, for advice and guidance, and then to advise Executive Council accordingly. The point is that there is always responsibility on the part of officers, and a chain of command that must be followed: from Governor, to Secretary of State and on upward.
Although the Commission of Inquiry did not indicate any criminal wrongdoing on the part of any serving Governor, certainly there are moral implications which must apply ultimately. Honest, thinking people sincerely ask these questions, and rightly so. Such would be of paramount concern to anyone who has the well-being and the future of the Islands at heart, especially those who have no other country to go to, or those who do not wish to emigrate to another country.
The last living founder of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) died in the Princess Margaret Hospital on Thursday 15th June. He was 89 years old when he died. William Cartwright, Cyril Stevenson and Henry Milton Taylor are credited with being the founders of the PLP on 23rd November 1953. H.M. Taylor writing in his seminal work “ My Political Memoirs” said this: “ My friend Bill Cartwright, informed me that he was going to England for the coronation ( Queen Elizabeth II), and that another friend of mine was accompanying him. Cyril Stevenson, who was a reporter on the staff of the “Nassau Guardian”, and Bill left for England. Soon after their return from London, they visited Jamaica.
“Whatever prompted them to do it, and decide to form a political party, I do not know. Cyril and Bill called me by telephone one night soon after their return from Jamaica and asked if I would go along with them in forming and establishing a political party. I readily agreed.”
Prime Minister Perry Christie speaking in the House of Assembly said that the government will provide a state recognized funeral for Mr. Cartwright:
The Progressive Liberal Party issued the following statement upon the death of Mr. Cartwright:
Press Statement
Progressive Liberal Party
On the passing of William “Bill” Cartwright CMG
7th June 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Mr. William “Bill” Cartwright CMG, the last of the founding members of the oldest political party in the history of the Bahamas, the PLP.
Mr. Cartwright was born at Long Island, Bahamas. He is the son of England Cartwright and Eva Strachan Cartwright. He was educated in public schools in Hope Town, Abaco and Long Island, Bahamas. He also enrolled successfully in correspondence schools in the United States and the United Kingdom and held certificates in Journalism from the Magazine Institute, New York.
Affectionately known as “Bill” by friend and foe alike, Mr. Cartwright is hailed as a revolutionary, a National Hero, a Freedom Fighter, a Drum Major for social justice and a trailblazer as his political activism shaped and figured prominently in the modern political history of the Bahamas.
Mr. Cartwright devoted some twenty years to public life. He was elected to the House for the Cat Island District in 1949 and served in Parliament for seven years. It is recorded that with no model to go by to start a political party and at great financial expense, he traveled to London in June of 1952 to attend the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. It was in Jamaica on the return leg of this trip that he gathered valuable information and guidelines in establishing the first political party, The Progressive Liberal Party, which made its debut in September of the same year.
As a sign of the times, Mr. Cartwright paid a heavy price for his bold and revolutionary stand as he was crushed by the political and economic power of Bay Street. History now records that the maturity and embellishment of the party system in the Bahamas and its indelible influence on our democratic development place Mr. Cartwright on the right side of history.
Further, the history of the PLP and its inextricable link to the creation of the modern Bahamas and the continued growth and development of this country are testaments to the relevance and timelessness of the vision of Bill Cartwright. The Bahamas is a better place because of Bill and we owe him a debt of gratitude.
We express our heartfelt condolences to his family and our thoughts and prayers are with them during this very difficult time.
May his soul and the soul of all the dearly departed rest in peace.
-END-
PETER TURNQUEST MP SUED
The Nassau Guardian on Friday 8th June carried headline that the Minister of State in the Attorney General’s office had been sued for one million dollars by a former client a Japanese man who Mr. Gomez represented while he was in private practice. The client is dissatisfied with the amount of money that he received in settlement from Mr. Gomez who took the matter all the way up to the Privy Council and won. It appears to be a dispute about fees but it is dressed up in the garb of malfeasance. This no doubt sells newspapers. The first thing about this is that you have to wonder how this man ends up using Godfrey Pinder as his attorney to bring this action. Mr. Pinder himself is stone’s throw away from being disbarred. You have to question the validity of a headline grabbing suit at this time and given who is filing it whether in fact it is valid at all. The press did not add that detail. We shall see in time. What is interesting is that Peter Turnquest, the FNM’s brand new representative for East Grand Bahama is being sued in the courts for the following which is put in affidavit by Lynden Steven Mitchell In The Matter of Sky Bahamas Limited Action Number 5/2012 in Freeport: “ Kevin Peter Turnquest knowingly with intent to cause me loss and in collusion with the Secretary of the company falsely and inaccurately misrepresented my shareholding in captured Dreams Ltd” . No lurid headline there though. Different standards between what goes for the FNM and what goes for the PLP. In both cases they are only allegations, thus far unproven.
PLP SENATORS GET TO WORK
The Senate began its work for and on behalf of the Bahamian people on Monday 4th June. The occasion was the debate to thank the Governor General for his reading the speech from the throne. The Senators were captured in their maiden addresses: Alex Storr, Cheryl Bazard, Julain Russell and Joseph Curry. The photos are by Peter Ramsay of the Bahamas Information Services.
Alex Storr
Julain Russell
Joseph Curry
Cheryl Bazard
Keith Bell
Gary sawyer
Jerome Gomez
Greg Burrows
THE MINISTER OF LABOUR SPEAKS
Shane Gibson is the Minister of Labour. This video was released which is the annual Labour Day address by the Minister of Labour. This is Mr. Gibson's maiden address in that position.
STALWART COUNCILOR B SAYS PLP MUST MOVE PS'S
In the late 1980’s, A. Loftus Roker was the Minister of National Security in the Pindling’s administration. At a PLP convention, Mr. Roker gave the keynote address on Paradise Island in which he was quoted as saying “Mr. Leader, take this ship to higher ground.” You will recall that this was a turbulent time for the PLP. Hard decisions had to be made for the good of the order. It was an uncomfortable message that had to be delivered; and, history would prove that Roker was right and today the PlP is better off because of that message.
The hard fought May 7th, 2012 general election is behind us. There still remains some housekeeping to be done by the Christie-Davis administration to ensure smooth sailing. As we move forward, firstly, there is the business of redeploying permanent secretaries. This is paramount to the orderly transition from one administration to the other. In this regard, you might find that some permanent secretaries have gone so far off course in the execution of their duties that they will never be able to work with the present administration. Where this is the case these PS’s should now take their leave in the public interest. In other cases, you may have permanent secretaries because of their longevity in post see themselves as policy makers. Secondly, the Americans found themselves with a similar problem in the former FBI Director, Edgar J. Hoover who wielded considerable power and influence. In this instance, where we find that we have permanent secretaries wielding that type of influence and power, they should be redeployed for the good of the order. Thirdly, you have cases where permanent secretaries presiding over the complete breakdown of government’s structure. We have creditable reports that some permanent secretaries turned a blind eye to improper contract signings, hiring of 52-week workers on the Saturday evening prior to the general elections. This could be considered voter buying. The question to the administration about these senior members who fit into these categories is what should be done with them?
The Minister of Foreign Affairs who I consider a friend made an intervention in Parliament this week. He said that all foreign diplomats will be returning home within ninety days. With the greatest respect Minister, I consider this okay for those diplomats who during the election campaign did not come home and engaged in open campaigning against the PLP. But for those who was seen all over the Islands campaigning openly; and after the FNM lost, shamelessly hopping on a plane and returning to their respective posts, that proposition of ninety days should be null and void.
Like Loftus Roker in the eighties who said take this ship to higher ground; I say to the leadership of the PLP, beware of the Ides of March. The PLP will not succeed with sleeper cells working in the inner sanctums of government. Ministers are responsible for making policies; permanent secretaries are responsible for the implementation of the policies. A word to the wise should be sufficient.
Stalwart B
LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR
Forrester Carroll writes this week from Freeport about the new Leader of the Opposition Dr. Hubert Minnis. He says that the FNM has gone from a dictator and bully in Hubert Ingraham to a pussy cat in Dr. Minnis. He examines and critiques the first foray of Dr. Minnis in that new position and suggests that the person to watch is Loretta Butler Turner who is the Deputy Leader of the FNM.
The FNM has gone from having a two-bit, second-rate, box-fish head, cowardly-bully-dictator as its leader to a Pussy-cat. The Tribune’s editor chastised Bahamians for (as she put it some weeks ago) showing our ingratitude when we voted that bully-dictator out of office after (she said) his 35 years of selfless service to us. The Tribune’s editor obviously thought that we should have kept Ingraham (the bastard) until death did us part. Mrs. Carron wrote (in an editorial written the day after the results of the general elections were known) about graciousness and ingratitude but (I ask) what about Ingraham’s ingratitude and lack of graciousness when he sent then Governor General, Sir Clifford Darling, out of the country because he didn’t want him reading his government’s speech from the throne in 1992? Ingraham sent Sir Clifford packing so that Sir Kendal Isaacs (the FNM deputy governor general at the time) could read the speech. Well clearly that act showed the vast difference between him and Christie. Christie could have done the same, on the 23rd May, but he didn’t which speaks volumes of the characters of both; one gracious and grateful while the other an ungrateful ungracious bastard. Desmond Bannister, in his contribution in the Senate on Monday 4th June, spoke of his disgust over the fact that people jeered Hubert Ingraham when he made his cameo appearance at the opening of the new Assembly; well I would ask Bannister two questions; “Have you forgotten the immoral crimes Ingraham committed against Sir Lynden? Have you forgotten that what goes around comes around?” Christie did not send Sir Arthur Foulkes out of the country, like Ingraham did Sir Clifford Darling, but yet Bannister had the nerve to stand in the senate chamber and talk about him being appalled at the fact that Bahamians jeered Hubert Ingraham? I would remind the senator of his own disrespect for the elderly voters in the North Andros constituency whom he referred to as geriatrics during his campaign; what is good for the goose (man) is good for the gander.
The pussy-cat’s (Dr. Minnis’) first outing, as opposition leader in the Hon. House of Assembly, was dismal to say the least. His performance was that of a big boy in school who was so dumb that all the other kids (his age) left him behind by two classes. Now that he finds himself older (by far) than the other kids he has to interact with, almost automatically he is thrust into the role of leader of the kindergarten children. He must now show that he has leadership skills and qualities but finds himself immediately, notwithstanding, incapable of even leading that class. And so for the big dummy it’s become a formidable and most difficult task. The only thing the poor guy has going for him is his big size and his age. It was a most disgraceful first time out for the new milder gentler FNM leader (poor fellow). It is more disgraceful, though for the party, that Ingraham would leave them in the mess he has. He knows that Minnis is no leader; that he has no leadership abilities and that he will fail. I am prepared to predict today that Loretta Butler-Turner will emerge as the one best suited to lead the rag tag group; she already knows this as well. Loretta will, sooner or later, undermine Minnis’ leadership because the man is simply too naïve; she will very easily (sooner or later) steal his marbles from him. This is the point at which, I predict, the FNM will completely disintegrate. Ingraham wasn’t/isn’t ready to retire, as he said; his real problem is that he is not prepared to face the expose on his and Laing’s management of our economy and financial affairs, these past five years; he just doesn’t want to sit in the house of assembly (like a little puppy dog) and be scolded for what he has done to the Bahamian people; he would rather stay out of camera range and so he claims to have retired and gone into private life. This same Negro retired before and came back, claiming the people forced him out of retirement but that was a lie; I won’t be surprised if he isn’t planning the same trick again. Negros hardly ever retires; they usually go out in a pine box.
If the FNM’s performance on Wednesday (30th May) is any indication of what we are to expect from them during this parliamentary term then lack-luster would be putting it mildly. The first thing Minnis did (that was ill-advised and so wrong) was his attempt at bringing the minister of national security’s good reputation and credibility into question-into public ridicule if you will. Doctor Nottage is one individual who guards his good reputation with his life and Minnis should have known not to go there. The new, inexperienced, FNM leader should not have gone there (as I said) just to make some silly point, especially when he used a story published in the Tribune (of all publications) as the basis for his evidence. He accused the good minister of consulting with criminals? As well Minnis accused Nottage of advocating lighter sentences and penalties for persons convicted of crimes? He was immediately shot down, however by the speaker, when on a point of order the speaker asked for proof for which he accused the minister. The newly elected FNM leader quoted a Tribune story as the basis for his accusations and at that point the chamber (certainly all the PLP members) burst into laughter. Everybody and “they mah them” knows that the Tribune is worse than the Punch when it comes to embellishing, negatively, any story published about the PLP or any of its leaders/ministers. They hardly ever regard direct quotes as sacred. The media, but especially the Tribune, if obliged to report on anything that the PLP and or its leaders does or says, would ensure that when the report is written it would definitely reflect negatively on the PLP no matter how positive otherwise.
Minnis, in my view, feels that his and his party’s role, as the official opposition, is just to oppose no matter how stupid it makes them all look. Neko Grant seems to be of the same mindset, (I’ve concluded), after seeing his first performance as one of only two or three senior members, of the rag-tag opposition, left in the Hon. House of assembly. Are you guys seriously prepared to look stupid all the time, at all cost, come what may Dr. Minnis? Is that the road you guys are prepared to travel this entire five-year cycle? Well we shall see; we shall indeed see.
I listened intently to Dr. Minnis, Neko Grant and Loretta Turner and not one of them had anything sensible to say. The three of them, without exception, spoke foolishness the entire fifteen minutes allotted them. Minnis tried to imply that Dr. Nottage (the very keen and experienced Assemblyman) decried criminals being punished harshly and that he (Nottage) seems to advocate being soft on criminals. The FNM leader, knowing he was being disingenuous, didn’t mind be so, so long as he thought it would win the FNM some political points. Are you guys, I ask again, prepared to make your stupid arguments at the expense of what credibility you may have left? The new opposition leader accused the Hon. Minister with “consulting with criminals.” Dr. Nottage took exception to Minnis’ accusations, rose to his feet on a point of order to deny that he ever made such statements, to any reporter, and neither did he ever consult with prisoners (or criminals as Minnis suggested he did) and so he asked the speaker to require the Killarny MP to show proof or withdraw his assertion. Dr. Minnis defended his accusation citing as proof a Tribune story. As I said earlier the entire Assembly burst into laughter as members thought Minnis’ use of a tribune story, to substantiate his claim, was laughable stupidity on his part. Come, come Dr. Minnis, you’ve been around long enough to know better; your conduct was amateurish, to say the least, and stupid at best. Even I who’ve never spent an hour in that chamber am well aware of the standards at which debates are to take place. Your facts, when making direct accusations against fellow members, must be irrefutable and verifiable. A Tribune story is certainly no creditable basis on which to levy accusations against any member, especially a PLP member, given that publication’s hate for anything PLP. The world knows that the Tribune’s mission (life long) has always been to show the PLP in a bad light and so they twist and embellish any story, no matter how positive, to show our party in a negative way. The tribune has been on this journey since 1967 and I don’t see them ever adjusting their course anytime soon.
Thank you. Forrester J Carroll J.P Freeport, Grand Bahama June 2012
Reynaldo Collie who is a Progressive Young Liberal and a customs officer wrote this piece in praise of the contribution of Fred Mitchell MP for Fox Hill to the debate on the speech from the throne:
Fox Hill should be proud as this was a brilliant, thoughtful and inspiring contribution. Mr. Mitchell's statements on the reformation of Parliament is indeed a forward thinking vision we should strive to achieve. The other day,Chancellor Merkel of Germany described Obama as the most "inconspicuous world leader I have ever met. He carries none of the pomp or prestige of the office and instead treats it as the most important job in the world, not for himself but for the citizens he serves and represents."
That is what Fred Mitchell brings to the people of Fox Hill and like Obama he sees more than himself but rather those he represents. Well done Mr. Mitchell, Sir Lynden would indeed be proud of you!
IN PASSING
BTC Gets Worser And Worser
We seek to copy the words from Alice In Wonderland that things get curiouser and curiouser. That applies in The Bahamas to BTC, the telephone company privatized in a rush and at a fire sale price by the Hubert Ingraham administration last year. The service has remarkably bad, worse than anyone could have imagined, with dropped calls and breaks in transmission of data and lack of availability of circuits. All the company has in response to these problems is PR blurb. The Prime Minister Perry Christie repeated the position of the government that he intends to retake the company for the Bahamian people. The government must not go soft on this. The employer’s confederation issued a statement last week opposing what they called the renationalization of BTC without clear and compelling reasons. The fact of the matter is that Prime Minister when he was leader of the opposition warned Cable and Wireless to be warned that the deal would not stand and they went ahead and did it anyway. So suffer the consequences. In the Bahamian context however, we say the service is getting worser and worser.
DNA Candidate Rodney Moncur Does It Again
Rodney Moncur has a penchant for saying silly things. He is the once leader of the defunct Worker’s Party and the defeated DNA candidate in the general election. The latest was his foray into the world of women’s health where he (and we are not sure whether this was on radio or twitter first) said that women ought to stop taking birth control pills. He said that the pills were agents of the devil and that the women should allow man’s seed to break thorough. This kind of atavistic nonsense, anti intellectual claptrap made the front page of the press and there was understandable outrage from woman’s group about. It is best put in the dung heap where it belongs.
A Time For Silence
It is difficult we know sometimes to make the transition from being an activist and campaigner to being a government minister and a public figure but it must be done and quickly. The best thing that we can do is give this advice from the book of Proverbs 3 verse 7: A time to keep silence and a time to speak
Anthony Forbes Dies
Life is full of little cruelties. We know the Lord gives and the lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord but the death of Anthony Forbes is simply cruel. He was fifty eight years old on Thursday 7th June when he died of a heart attack at his home in Eastwood. He was the Deputy General Manager of the Bahamas Electricity Corporation but more than that he was the resident PLP and almost certain to take over the corporation from its now General Manager. He suffered during the FNM regime of Michael Moss, the FNM ideologue who took over the corporation and ended up firing PLPs from the corporation during a reign of terror there. There was relief in sight with the general election result being what it was. Alas that was not to be. Mr. Forbes is from the storied Class of 1970 of St. Augustine’s College which produced Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell and Chief Justice Sir Michael Barnett and Prime Ministerial advisor Teresa Butler. But once you are dead, it is all for naught. Now all we have are the memories and we wish his family well at this cruel time. His classmates were beside themselves with shock and grief and full of advice on the need to stay healthy, well and connected.
The FNM On Use Of RBDF
The Free National Movement in Opposition has adopted the philosophy of the Republican Party in the United States which is to say no to anything and everything, once it is proposed by the governing PLP. Thus the attack on the use of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force to fight crime. Leader of the Opposition Dr. Hubert Minnis decried the use of the RBDF in fighting crime. The National Security Minister Dr Bernard Nottage last week indicated that the RBDF will be used in a supporting role for the police in fighting crime. Our view is that we need to use all the resources we have at our command in this fight and something needs to happen now and quite dramatically if we are to get on top of this and get the public on our side on this.
FNM’s Duane Sands Attacks PLP’s Housing Programme
What about losing the general election does Dr. Duane Sands not understand? The FNM lost the election big time on 7th May. Yet here they are the party of no again, talking about what they are opposed to. The latest is Dr Sands who disgraced himself by developing the reputation of putting poor people out of their homes just before the general election because they couldn’t pay their mortgages says that the government cannot afford to build 1300 homes. This was the goal announced by the Minister for Housing Kenred Dorsett for the PLP within this term. Dr Sands asked where the money is going to come from? The nuns used to say: where there is a will, there is a way. That is the PLP’s way and the big difference between the PLP and the FNM. The FNM says it can’t be done. The PLP asks: why not?
Loretta Tells Hubert Off At Her Party
The celebration party hosted by the winning Deputy Leader candidate, Loretta Butler Turner was held at the Poop Deck. One man was not invited and that was Hubert Ingraham, the former Prime Minister. He crashed the party, uninvited. After all, he still thinks of himself as the bigger boss. He asked Loretta why she did not invite him to the party to which she replied: why should I invite you when you did not support me. Our girl Loretta has a hard mouth. She has designs on the leadership of the FNM and no big head like Hubert Ingraham is going to stop it.
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WILLIAM CARTWRIGHT LIES IN STATE: he was the last of the three people, who were credited with founding the Progressive Liberal Party, the now governing party of The Bahamas, to survive. When he died last week at the age of 89, he had accomplished a remarkable life, from returning home to Nassau from the Coronation of Elizabeth II in 1953, stopping in Jamaica to consult with political leaders there and then he and Cyril Stevenson and Henry Milton Taylor founding the PLP on 23rd November 1953. He died in a nursing home and in relative poverty and obscurity but in his later years he had come to be fully lionized by the PLP as the man who caused it all to happen. A moment of silence marked his death in the House of Assembly on Thursday 14th June and his body was laid out in the foyer of the House of Assembly on Friday 15th June. Our photo of the week then is that of the Deputy to the Governor General Dame Marguerite Pindling paying her respects at the casket of the late William Cartwright CMG. The photo is by Peter Ramsay.
COMMENT OF THE WEEK THE STRANGE CASE OF RICHARD LIGHTBOURN
You examine the video clip for yourself and see if the headline is not justified. Richard Lightbourn is a relic of a bygone era. He is a supporter, apologist and champion of the dreaded United Bahamian Party, the government of the racial minority that ran The Bahamas from their merchant seats in Bay Street prior to 1967. As Fred Mitchell MP described him: “unrepentant, unreconstructed, unapologetically” UBP. Mr. Lightbourn denied it in the House of Assembly last week again. But words have their plain and ordinary meaning.
While denying that he was championing the UBP, he went right into unabashedly supporting them in his statement to the House last week.
Watch the video clip. It is 26 minutes long.
The clip will show an interesting construction. Mr. Lightbourn started out by seeking guidance from the Chair because the press published the exchange between himself and Ryan Pinder, the MP for Elizabeth the week before last during the debate on the speech from the throne. In that debate, Ryan Pinder accused Mr. Lightbourn of spitting on Mr. Pinder’s father during the case in the election court of 1992 in which Mr. Pinder senior was a litigant and Mr. Lightbourn was a witness. Mr. Lightbourn denied that this happened and Mr. Pinder ultimately withdrew the allegation. Mr. Lightbourn’s complaint to the Speaker of the House was that even though it was withdrawn it still made it to the newspaper and he wanted guidance on what to do. The Speaker rightly told him that unless it was expunged from the record which it was not then there was little that could be done save that he could respond to it.
Just a quick note to all and sundry, The Tribune has thoroughly researched this issue and take the legal position that even words expunged from the record can be reported in the paper.
But when you review the tape the issue of spitting was not Mr. Lightbourn’s real intent. He wanted to use the complaint against the press that you can make allegations that are untrue in the House without redress to make a wild accusation of his own. That accusation was that the Member of Parliament for Fox Hill Fred Mitchell made an inflammatory statement regarding race. Mr. Mitchell vigourously objected to Mr. Lightbourn’s assertions and ultimately Mr. Lightbourn withdrew the statement and the allegation was expunged from the record.
What is also interesting about the video clip is that you will see that the FNM was part and parcel of Mr. Lightbourn’s attack. The Leader of the Opposition Dr. Hubert Minnis got up and sought to further the allegations against Mr. Mitchell. He did this after he and other colleagues in the FNM were quietly telling PLP MPs that they did not agree with what Mr. Lightbourn had said and done. This is typical FNM strategy: to assure you privately and then savage you publicly to their benefit while you have been lulled by their private assurances.
This fact then is clear. The FNM in its present incarnation embraces the United Bahamian Party and all that it stood for. This makes them dangerous. If we did not know it already, the PLP had better be on its guard and ever on the attack for this. It is all the more reason why we must do something to make sure that the history of this country is taught in our schools.
Mr. Lightbourn in a moment of candor told an informant that it looked like Mr. Mitchell wanted to fight him. No Mr. Lightbourn Mr. Mitchell would not have wanted to fight you in the physical sense but in the political sense, he and the PLP must fight you and all you stand for, lest our country be taken backwards into the abyss of oppression from which we have emerged.
The photos by Peter Ramsay show Mr. Mitchell and Mr. Lightbourn in the House of Assembly on Monday 11th June 2012 during the exchange.
Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 16th June 2012 up to midnight: 88,485
Number of hits for the month of June up Saturday 16th June 2012 up to midnight: 208,426
Number of hits for the year 2012 up to Saturday 16th June 2012 up midnight: 3,910,270
The former Minister of Health Dr. Marcus Bethel made the following contribution in a letter to the press about the role of the fourth estate: 11th June 2012
The Fourth Estatewhich today includes print, television, radio, electronic and social media, is considered the best bulwark against tyranny and abuses of power by governments. We have witnessed in recent times the positive impact of accurate news and information on the global political, social and economic systems. The results of the recent general elections in the Bahamas not only provided an overwhelming mandate for the PLP, but resulted in a weakened opposition FNM lacking “political gravitas”.
Therefore an urgent need exists for a strengthened and vibrant Fourth Estatein our beloved Bahamaland.
Strengthened in the knowledge that fair and balanced reporting is recognized and appreciated by the population.
Fair and balanced reporting encourages wider community-based intelligent discourse of national issues creating a more informed and mature body politic.
Parliamentary and public policy issues in particular should be critiqued in a balanced and fair manner to inform and not inflame individuals. Unfair and overtly partisan reporting fosters disdain and cynicism towards the media resulting in loss of credibility and influence in the national discourse.
Vibrant in conducting thorough investigative journalism. Journalists encumbered with unreasonable time constraints are prone to publish incomplete and inaccurate reports.
Highlighting on a continual basis the outstanding and progressive community-building activities of the many unrecognized and unsung heroes including students, teachers, athletes, clergy, community activists, professionals, entrepreneurs, musicians, artists, artisans and civic organizations can inspire others to emulate and achieve.
We must believe in one another, take pride in our accomplishments, support and encourage each other to strive for excellence. Successful integration of the Bahamas into the global village requires an informed, inspired and educated society.
Nation building requires all sectors of our society to play their roles with pride and integrity, and to be supportive of each other.
The Fourth Estatehas a vital role to play in this nation building exercise.
MOTOR MOUTH CHARLES MAYNARD IN GARBAGE
Minister of the Environment Kenred Dorsett revealed last week the challenges faced by the government to collect the garbage in New Providence. Mr. Dorsett said that of the 25 garbage vehicles needed in New Providence there were only 12 working. The result was that in the circumstances of the rains which were more heavy than expected in the months of June and May, there was a problem keeping up. He said that the government would continue to let private contractors assist in collecting the garbage. Not to be outdone, the FNM’s motor mouth Charles Maynard, their national chairman, responded by saying that the PLP should not blame the rains. This is coming from the same chairman of the FNM that left the country overrun with rats during their time. Here is his full statement:
INCREASED rainfall is a pitiful and unbelievable excuse for the delay in garbage collection across New Providence.
While rain reduces the efficiency of garbage truck crews, five weeks without collection is inexcusable - and an indication of the PLP government's inability to deliver.
Under the former FNM administration, garbage collection was never suspended, even throughout the rainy season in May and June.
The FNM left in place scheduled garbage collection. The most challenging routes were contracted out to the private sector: Bahamas Waste, a public company, United Sanitation and Impac. Each had defined routes. The department, with a fleet of 25 vehicles, 17 of which were operational on May 7, collected the rest of New Providence.
Is it that the PLP government has contracted incompetent or non-performing persons who will again raid the cookie jar?
Or have they terminated or suspended the contracts of reputable and efficient garbage collection companies?
Many areas in New Providence are still littered with piles of festering garbage, meaning that rodents, mosquitoes, cockroaches, dogs and general ill health are real and immediate dangers.
The FNM will conduct a systematic island-wide survey and continue to monitor the situation.”
It is imperative that government maintain a clean and pristine environment for the protection of the health of all Bahamians and visitors.
PLP CHAIRMAN ON WILLIAM CARTWRIGHT
The Progressive Liberal Party’s Chairman Bradley Roberts delivered the following statement at a special service for the late William Cartwright at the PLP’s Headquarters Lynden Pindling Centre in Farrington Road on Friday 15th June. You may click here for the statement of Mr. Roberts. Mr. Cartwright who died on 7th June is to be buried following a state recognized service at St. Gregory’s Anglican Church on Monday 18th June. The photos shows Prime Minister Perry Christie paying his respects at the House of Assembly on Friday 15th June and Fred Mitchell Minister of Foreign Affairs paying his respects. The photos are by Peter Ramsay of the Bahamas Information Services.
THE SCOUTS MARCH IN FOX HILL
The 14th Bahamas Troop of Scouts in Fox Hill is perhaps the most vibrant in the scout movement in The Bahamas. Headed by Trevor Pratt the troop held its annual march and awards ceremony in Fox Hill on Sunday 10th June. Fred Mitchell MP for Fox Hill attended the awards ceremony.
SHANE GIBSON CALLS FOR CENSURE OF FORMER PM
The news now is that Hubert Ingraham told a reporter from the Bahama Journal that he is reconsidering the idea of giving up his seat on 19th July. The House of Assembly is adjourned until 25th July so that it will not be possible to mark the day 19th July should the former Prime Minister decide to go ahead and give up the ghost. The story never made it to the air or the papers, because the former Prime Minster refused to allow the remark to go on the record. Watching the behavior of the FNMs in the House, they have stopped talking about the departure of Mr. Ingraham in July and keep commenting that the date 19th July has no significance. We would not be surprised if he changes his mind. We said so in this column that he never intended to go in the first place. He spoke too quickly and was angry at the time at being defeated. Now of course, he sees what a mess he has left the troops in and how demoralized they are, plus the fact is he will be handing his seat over to the PLP, he wants to stay. Add to that, this is a man that is hungry for power and just cannot get out of the ring. We will see shortly. In the meantime, we again urge the PLP to get with it and investigate this man so that we can put him in the political casket and bury him once and for all. We agree with Shane Gibson that there is a need for a Select Committee of the House to investigate the practices of governance under the FNM and to arrange a formal censure of the former Prime Minister for the way he conducted the government. Mr. Gibson made his comments in his statement to the House of Wednesday 13th June.
THE BRITISH GIVE DEMOCRACY BACK TO TCI
In their usual dull tones, the worthless British government has announced that they are returning a modicum of democracy to the Turks and Caicos Islands, our neighbours to the south. The British seized the Turks and Caicos Islands government and displaced it with direct rule from London in August 2009. Speaking in the House of Assembly during the budget debate in Nassau, the Foreign Minister of The Bahamas Fred Mitchell said on Monday 4th June that he was concerned about developments in the Turks and Caicos Islands and asked that there be a return to direct democracy in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The Bahamas government should be pleased at the latest developments there. The announcement comes following a scathing statement by the Anglican church issued on 4th June about the state of the Turks and Caicos Islands. The statement on the return of democracy to the Turks and Caicos Islands was made by the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom William Hague.
The Tribune reported that Fred Mitchell, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, sent condolences to the government of Haiti on the reported deaths of 11 Haitians who were trying to reach the United States aboard a vessel called Glory Days on Sunday evening 10th June. The ship’s captain is now wanted in connection with the deaths (see story below). The Minister of National Security Bernard Nottage gave a statement to the House of Assembly on Wednesday 13th June as the facts were then known. You may click here for the statement of Dr Nottage.
Mr. Mitchell added: "My concern is what we do in the future on this. And that is why the conversation with the Haitian Ambassador is important. We have been sayidng that we need to, as countries; we need to get together and revive this joint commission that we had before to look over this issue because we need to stamp this out. It doesn't look good for the reputation of the country for this kind of death first of all, and then to be associated with smuggling. So I just want to encourage Bahamians to discourage this wherever possible and do all we can to stamp it out and stop it because it just is not good for the Bahamas.
Mr. Mitchell said the government of the Bahamas should revisit the legislation with a view to ensuring that this practice is properly stamped out. "I have agreed to look at the penalties as well and will initiate that discussion with my colleagues because clearly it can't be routine, this kind of loss of life. But I go back to this, the root cause is the poverty in Haiti and that is what is driving it to the wealth of the north in the United States. So we in the Bahamas, and the United States, together with Haiti have to work together to put a stop to this. And I think that you will see some initiatives coming in the next couple of months to try and deal with these kinds of things."
BRANVILLE SAYS NO TO REJOINING THE FNM
The Leader of the Democratic National Alliance Branville McCartney is still making headlines, although not so much on the front page. After all the bluster and excitement, the prediction made in this column came true. His party won no seats in the House and none of their candidates managed to garner enough to get their deposits back by winning one sixth of the votes in their elections. Overall the DNA garnered just over eight per cent of the votes but not enough to win any seats. Now Mr. McCartney has to make himself relevant as an informed commentator on radio and television and an occasional foray into the press. The best advice for him is to join one of the major political parties. Last week, he denied that he was joining the FNM or that he would go back to the FNM. He will continue to say that for a while. The realities of politics being what they are however means that at some point if he wants to remain viable in politics, he has to join either the PLP or the FNM. The PLP did not win the majority of the votes in the election. Most people in the country voted against the PLP. The PLP won because of the system that we have first past the post. It now governs and the momentum was with the party. So this means that the DNA’s leader nor the FNM will lose heart. They know the facts. They know how quickly things can turn around with an impatient public. The PLP knows it too. We are all knowledgeable people. With that in mind, those who have ears to hear had better hear.
THE PAPAL NUNCIO COMES A CALLING
Pope Benedict XVI has appointed His Excellency Archbishop Nicola Girasoli (in photo) the new Apostolic Nuncio to the region.
The announcement was made December 21 by Fr Daniele Liessi, Chargé d’Affaires at the Apostolic Nunciature in Port of Spain, Trinidad. Archbishop Girasoli will be the papal representative to countries of the Antilles Episcopal Conference, which includes Antigua and Barbuda, Suriname, Bahamas, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados, and Trinidad & Tobago.
He replaces US-born Archbishop Thomas E Gullickson, who was appointed Papal Nuncio to Ukraine in July. One of Archbishop Gullickson’s last acts was to preach the homily at the rededication of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in St George’s, Grenada.
The Papal Nuncio presented his credentials to the Deputy to the Governor General Dame Marguerite Pindling on Thursday 14th June at Government House in Nassau. Earlier the Nuncio met with the Prime Minister Perry Christie and Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell. The photo of the presentation of credentials is by Peter Ramsay of the Bahamas Information Services.
LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR
Forrester Carroll writes from Freeport in the second part of a two part series on the leadership of the FNM and its future possibilities without Hubert Ingraham. This week he starts off with an analysis of Loretta Butler Turner and then looks Neko Grant, the former Minister of Works under the FNM:
Loretta Butler-Turner (that wannabe PLUTOCRAT) appeared both shaggy in her appearance and (yes) shaggy in her contribution. She acted as though her going to parliament, for the session that morning to thank the Governor General for his speech from the throne was an afterthought; that she didn’t intend going but after thinking through the matter decided to attend the session after all. I submit that her consideration might have been for how she felt Long Islanders would view her absence from the chamber so early in her first attempt at representing them. Guys, I know you’ll still punch drunk but yinna must try and get over it; you have an awesome job, for the next five years, defending your ousted government’s bad five-year record.
I intentionally listened for Neko’s speech and wasn’t it a dandy. Now please Neko Grant, the next time you open your mouth to begin your speech by saying that you are there, in the chamber, to represent the good people of Central Grand Bahama; Change that wording slightly (please) and say that you are there representing the FNMs, who voted for you, in Central Grand Bahama. You don’t represent me and never have. I’ve lived in South Bahamia since the 1980s and you’ve always represented the area but you’ve never done a damn thing to represent us. As a matter of fact you, Neko Grant, are not capable of representing me (us). The one time we needed you to mediate a situation, for us home owners in the Bahamia housing sub-division with the Budimyer group who recklessly increased our service charges by 60% for no good reason, you sided against us and with Budimyer and his Lawyer. Several home owners, who have always supported the FNM, admitted to me after we were so very unsuccessful in our efforts, that they appealed to you personally for your assistance but to no avail. They said they felt that if you, their representative, intervened on our behalf that there could have been a compromise but you refused to lift a finger. So please don’t ever include me when you say you represent the good people of Central Grand Bahama. I have a Senator, who represents me, and his name is Senator the Honorable Julian Russell and don’t forget it.
Neko Grant performed far better though (I must admit) than both his leader and deputy. However all of what he said, in his speech, was regurgitated stale FNM election talking points and lies. His speech was littered with; “we left this and we left that in place” as if to say all the PLP now need do is to finish what the FNM started and the country would be alright. But isn’t this the same crew that prided themselves on bragging that they always finish the things they start? Isn’t this what Neko Grant, and his band of fools, kept accusing the PLP of not doing; of not finishing projects? Besides, the projects that Neko listed in his speech are projects the PLP started, in its 2002-2007 term; the completion of which Neko’s FNM government could not accomplish. He talked about the Royal Oasis and miss-led parliament when he lied that the property closed its operations under the PLP; that it was the FNM who had to come to the aid of the 1500 employees who were left stranded after the closure. Well nothing could be further from the blatant truth. As long as this rag-tag, demoralized FNM group continues to twist the truth we in the PLP must continue to defend truth and not just ignore the liars as some would have us do. We all know what is said about a lie; if it’s repeated often enough sooner or later the lie begins to echo like the truth and indeed is believed as such, sooner or later. The following is the truth of what happened in the case of the Royal Oasis Hotel; During the FNM’s 1997-2002 term in office they were obliged to find and approve a buyer (or a suitable operator) for the closed Princess Hotels (as the Royal Oasis was named at the time). The property was closed, under the FNM, for sometime prior and Ingraham became desperate to have the place reopened before the general elections of 2002. He settled for the Budimyer group despite being warned of the group’s bad reputation for acquiring such properties only to resell them soon after spending a little money to bring them up to a minimum marketable standard. The group’s bad reputation (actually) for operating hotels was well known in the country and the PLP-well we- warned Hubert Ingraham, Neko Grant and the rest of the gang against acting out of desperation. We warned that it would not have been a wise decision, on their part, to allow that operator onto the property but they didn’t listen. We were sure their “Due Diligence” revealed the group’s many, many shortcomings but Ingraham nor Grant adhered to the good advice given them. Well, so said; so done; after the hurricanes of 2004 and 2005, which devastated Grand Bahama resulting in the closure of the hotels, the Budimyers found it a convenient time to abscond after settling with the insurance companies. They took the alleged $70 million received, in the hurricane damaged settlement, and left town overnight like Nicodemus; leaving behind huge amounts of unpaid BTC bills; bills at the power Company, the Grand Bahama port Authority, many other vendors and (as well) 1500 stranded employees. The PLP Government (which inherited the FNM’s mess), after using all legal means, at its disposal, to track down and attempt to bring the culprits to justice (going as far as New York without success), found itself in the precarious position of having to come to the aid of the stranded employees. The amount due to the employees was calculated at some $8 million; $4 million of which the PLP government paid immediately and the other $4 million the PLP provided for in the budget of 2007/2008. Well we (the PLP) lost the 2007 general elections and so it was left to the new FNM government to follow through and pay the stranded employees the remaining $4 million which they did. However if one were to listen to, and accept, the FNM lies (as Neko continues to hap on this same lying story) one would believe that the PLP was at fault for the hotel closing, in the first place, and that we didn’t lift a finger to aid the stranded workers but that was one of the damn FNM lies told, repeatedly, during the recent elections and Neko and the rest of the rag-tag nincompoops continues to tell it still. From all indications this will be their theme for the next five years but I, for one, certainly will not allow the truth to be lost among the maze of their persistent lying. The FNM’s big, big problem happens to be that they don’t have a positive record to preach about so they have, obviously, prepared themselves to act like jackasses straight through to 2017.
Grant went on with his lies about PLP projects, which he claimed were his government’s, when in fact his government had no projects (of their own while in office) except for the road works which we all know has turned out to be a disaster unmatched by any other (to date) in our history. Their single road works project stands as a glaring testimony to the failure of a rogue Administration which, during its five years in office 2007-2012, gave a new meaning to the phase, “incompetent nincompoops.”
Listening to most of the Senators speaks today (4th June) I was appalled at the performance of the four FNM members but especially Zhivargo Laing’s. He just can’t help trying to convince the world that he is smarter than anyone else. The little Twit thinks only he has common sense and the rest of us are stupid but I liked how freshman Senator Tanisha Tynes scored on him. Laing attempted to make the point that the PLP was governing without a clear mandate from the majority of Bahamian voters. He told the senate chamber that this was the first time in the history of “one man; one vote” elections in the country that a government was elected and serving without a clear fifty per cent or more of the majority of votes cast; that’s not true of course. If Laing (who senator Tynes proved is not very good with percentages) had only done a little more research, before he made the statement in the senate, he would have known that the FNM won in 2007 and served for the five years with less than 50% of the popular vote; I stand corrected (and will have to recheck the records for accuracy) but if my memory serves me correctly the FNM received only 49.2% of the popular vote while the PLP and others received the total balance (50.8%). The PLP, if am not mistaken, received a little more than 47%; to be sure though the young “smart ass’ “ assertions are without facts to back them up.
All of them (team FNM) seem to be singing from the same page of the same pre-arranged hymn book; they all had the same theme, that of reminding the PLP government of its promises to the Bahamian people. It was obvious that they agreed together, with their few members in the lower chamber, that that would be their battle cry throughout the term. They are banking on the PLP failing and they would be able to go into the next election proclaiming that the PLP is always good at talking but short on deliverance but the devil is a liar. Well, we really don’t need the FNM to remind us of anything; we know what we promised the Bahamian people and, unlike them, we intend to keep our promises by the help of the God we serve- Jesus Christ our Lord. We don’t need that failed, washed-up and rejected Administration to remind us of anything.
Guys we understand the hurt of losing (we lost in 2007 when we were sure we would win); we understand what you are going through but actually rooting for us to fail after what the Bahamian people have undergone under your five years in office is really criminal. We understand that you need a little time to adjust to the loss, after the shellacking the PLP put on you, but please don’t be so obvious in your rooting for the PLP government to fail; if we fail it would mean more suffering for the Bahamian people and they can’t endure anymore suffering. By the Grace of God, though, we will not fail; we will succeed in our quest to rescue our people from the shit-hole you guys (FNM) put us in, with or without your cooperation or blessings.
Thank You Forrester J Carroll J.P Freeport, Grand Bahama June 2012.
IN PASSING
Water Spout In Harbour Island
This picture of a funnel cloud or tornado or water spout made the rounds on Facebook last week.
Former Grenada MP Visits Perry Christie
Grenada’s former Prime Minister and now Leader of the Opposition Keith Mitchell paid a courtesy call on the Prime Minister Perry Christie on Friday 8th June at the Office of Prime Minister on Cable Beach in Nassau. Dr Mitchell was in town as the guest of the Executive Flight Services. The photo of is by Peter Ramsay of the Bahamas Information Services.
The FNM Candidate Still Messing About In Fox Hill
FNM candidate Shonnel Ferguson thinks that she is some kind of co-representative. Since the general election, she has been shadowing Fred Mitchell MP at various functions and giving gifts of money left right and centre. The FNM is still trying to buy support. The latest was showing up at the Sandilands Primary School prize giving and presenting to scholarships to the school of Dr Jacinta Higgs who ran for the FNM in Fox Hill before Shonnel and who is now running a school. She also gave a lap top computer to the top boy and to girl. Then she shows up at funerals as well. So it’s going to be five years of this again.
Gippie’s Kingdom Premieres
Now Gippie’s Kingdom is a TV series that follows Everet Gibson a bus driver and his family’s trials in the ever drama filled Bahamian society. Written by Dr. Ian Strachan and directed by Travon Patton the show features the talents of local talents such as Fanchon Dawkins, Tony McCartney and Chigoze Ijeoma. The series premiered on Wednesday 13th June on ZNS TV. The video is a trailer and interview with its author and producer Ian Strachan.
Boat Captain Wanted in Abaco Chancelaire Baptiste They say that the trip costs five thousand dollars per person. There were some 34 people on the 25 foot vessel making the treacherous journey across the sea from Abaco to Florida. As it stands, they did not make it and 11 people are now in the morgue having been dived up from the deep off Fox Town, Abaco. The police are looking for the captain of the vessel Chancelaire Baptiste in connection with the smuggling and deaths on Sunday 10th June.
Zhivargo Admits BTC Failing
Zhivargo Laing is obviously not one of them joining Phenton Neymour, the former Minister for the Environment, on the beach in Exuma watching the TV programme Law and Order on his phone. Mr. Neymour became infamous in the House of Assembly during the debate on the sale of BTC, the phone company, by saying that the company should be sold so he could watch Law and Order on TV on the beach in Exuma. Neither of them can do so. Mr. Laing was the loud mouth FNM Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance who promoted the sale of BTC to Cable and Wireless. Now he had to admit last week that the phone company is not operating up to par with the collapse of phone services in the country last week. That’s a start. Now we need him to say sorry. He spoke to the Nassau Guardian.
Facebook Response On Zhivargo’s Salary
When it was revealed that Zhivargo Laing , the Minister of State for Finance and Hubert Ingraham's blue eyed boy got special treatment as a minister of the government in terms of salary ( see story below), Mr. Laing did not take kindly to what the people said on Facebook about his good fortune. Here is his reply on Facebook:
I read a note from a young man name Centino Kemp, who said that I was making almost $100,000 a year and that was why I was a millionaire. I feel sorry for this young man because this is the kind of thinking that that has so many people screwed up in their thinking about what politics is and what it does. When Ientered politics in 1997, my networth was $14,000 plus. When I lost office in 2002, my networth was a little over $200,000. When I returned in 2007, it was some $800,000, four times what it was when I left. Today my networth is $900,000 plus, just $100,000 more than when I went in in 2007. I have no difficulty disclosing this because I had to do so for years. How in the world did my salary make me a millionaire. It is difficult to become rich in government unless you are crooking. You spend a lot of your money helping people and paying for things that you might not otherwise pay for. Do not let ignorant people get away with making their love and bias for others say things that show how ignorant they are. IF YOU CAN, WATCH WHAT HAPPENS TO THE NETWORTH OF GOVERNMENT MINISTERS NOW. YOU CAN ALSO WATCH MY NETWORTH, AS i TOO WILL HAVE TO DISCLOSE. BEING IN PRIVATE LIFE ONCE AGAIN, I EXPECT MY SKILLS TO FURTHER ENHANCE MY WEALTH, NOT POLITICS.
Halkitis exposes the FNM on salaries
Michael Halkitis, the Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance, told the story last week of how the big mouth of the FNM government Zhivargo Laing was paid more than his other colleagues who were ministers of state. Mr. Laing was crowing from the roof tops about an error made in the budget book which listed the salaries of Ministers of State at 66,000 dollars instead of 60,000 as it is in law. This required an amendment to the budget resolution which was passed on Thursday 14th June. Mr. Halkitis explained that in order for ministers of state to get the same compensation as senior ministers Prime Ministers had decided in the past to make it up with allowances. In the case of Mr. Laing, he got an allowance over and above his fellow Ministers of State of the FNM which brought his compensation to 99,000 dollars instead of 93,000 dollars like the rest. We always knew that this was Hubert Ingraham's blue eyed boy. Now we have it confirmed.
Jerome Tells The FNM: You Oughta Be Shame Of Yourself
Jerome Fitzgerald, the Minister of Education, told the FNM’s spokesman on Foreign Affairs and Immigration Hubert Chipman that he ought to be quiet when it comes to talking about scholarships for Bahamians since the FNM made a complete mess of the scholarship programme and brought the programme to an abrupt end, stopping many students for going away to school. His comments came as the debate was ending on the budget on Thursday 14th June.
PM To Meet On BTC
Geoffrey Houston head of Bahamas Telecommunications Company Ltd. (BTC), the telephone company sold at a fire sale price last year by the FNM government to Cable and Wireless has confirmed that their company’s bigger boss is to meet with the Prime Minister about the way forward for the company. Prime Minister Perry Christie earlier announced that he plans to regain control of BTC. Mr. Christie cancelled plans to sell the nine per cent of the shares of the government to the public after it was revealed that this was part of a secret deal by the FNM administration to pay off a secretly negotiated overdraft of 200 million dollars with the Royal Bank of Canada. The head of Cable and Wireless has a lot of splaining to do given the bad service by his company including dropped calls and unconnected calls and slow service. Mr. Houston also denied claims that the company is not run by Bahamians. He claimed in last week’s press conference that 99 per cent of the company was Bahamian. This came after it was revealed that BTC obtained 40 work permits for foreigners to work at its establishment in The Bahamas. Minister of Labour Shane Gibson also announced that in future labour certificates will not be granted to allow for work permits without the utmost scrutiny.
Dame Marguerite With The House Of Assembly Wives
This engaging photo of the women who are married to the men who run the country was taken at Government House on Thursday 14th June. It appeared on Facebook.
Cell Service Collapses on Wednesday evening
The cell phone service offered by Cable and Wireless through BTC collapsed completely on Wednesday 13th June. There was no explanation from BTC about why. This is unacceptable.
Anthony Forbes Buried
Anthony Forbes, the late Deputy General Manager of the Bahamas Electricity Corporation, was buried in Nassau following a service at St Margaret’s Church in Kemp Road where he served around the altar. Fred Mitchell MP for Fox Hill and a classmate from the Class of 1970 attended the service. Also in attendance Prime Minister Perry Christie, Deputy Prime Minister Philip Davis, Picewell Forbes MP and Leslie Miller MP.
The Back Bench Of The PLP Activates?
While Neko Grant the MP for Central Grand Bahama might have been amused, what we saw in the House of Assembly last week was the PLP’s backbench at work. For the first time in a generation, backbenchers made comments which were not totally in consonance with their colleagues on the front bench. It took Andre Rollins MP for Ft. Charlotte to do it when he asked for an investigation into the death of a man in police custody. The Minister of National Security Bernard Nottage responded by saying that in law there would be a coroner’s inquest and that when MPs speak they should not speak irresponsibly. You could have heard a pin drop. Neko Grant was amused shaking his head. “Rolling all over the deck,” he said. Back benchers are not subject to the same constraints as Cabinet ministers and Hubert Ingraham absorbed all of backbench in the Cabinet so you never heard from them. The PLP’s style is that all of this should be done behind closed doors and them come out united. But what happened was healthy though!
Father's Day
Today is Father's Day in the western world. Best to all fathers on this day.
Statue Of Sir Lynden Pindling
The new Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Perry Christie toured the second phase of the airport construction project on Friday 15th June. The Minister for Transport Glenys Hanna Martin announced that a statue of Sir Lynden is to grace the airport upon its completion. Good job. About time. The photo of the Prime Minister and his colleagues at the airport is by Peter Ramsay of the Bahamas Information Services.
Tornado In Exuma
Vernon Curtis posted this photo of a waterspout in Exuma on his Facebook page which he said he saw out of his front door on Saturday 16th June.
Police Make Arrests
The Nassau Guardian reported in its Saturday 16th June edition that 3 people have been arrested with the deaths of the 11 people who drowned in Abaco while seeking to get into the United States from Abaco last Sunday evening.
Our Man Kelly
Is he singing the blues these days as his friends have turned on him for his own choices and being a man of his word and own design? Leave him alone.
24th . June ,
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RIO PLUS 20 was what it was billed. It was the summit to follow up on the progress made in the world toward sustainable development since the first earth summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. The leaders of 130 countries came in from around the world to Rio to say how they are committed to saving the earth by adopting the green economy and the blue economy. The green economy has to do with practices on land, the blue economy has to do with practices in the marine environment. The Bahamas sent its Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell to speak on its behalf. He gave his country’s statement on Wednesday 20th June. You may check the video below. The photo of the week is the team in Rio from The Bahamas with Fred Mitchell the Minister from left: Earlston McPhee (Director of Sustainable Tourism, Ministry of Tourism), Sasha Dixon (Foreign Service Officer, Ministry of Foreign Affairs), Arthur Rolle (Director, Department of Meteorology, Ministry of Transport and Aviation), Frederick Mitchell (Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration), Chet Neymour (Deputy Chief, Finance and Revenue Officer, Ministry of Foreign Affairs), Philip Weech (Director, Bahamas Environment, Science and Technology (BEST) Commission, Ministry of Environment and Housing)
COMMENT OF THE WEEK INGRAHAM MADE A SERIOUS ERROR WITH BTC SALE
On Monday 18th June, the telephone service to, through and from The Bahamas collapsed. Even in times of hurricanes this has not happened save for one time when BTC under the FNM forgot to charge the batteries at its Poinciana Centre and the land phone lines went dead as the batteries ran down. It has happened and it happened on the watch of the British from Cable and Wireless. This is the phone company that bought BTC without proper bidding at the invitation of the Bahamas government which led to acrimonious battles in the streets with the government and which led ultimately to the defeat of the Free National Movement.
We now live with the consequences first of the incompetence of the Free National Movement administration. Now we live with the incompetence of Cable and Wireless. It is not as if the government of the FNM had not been warned. They had been told not to do it. It was simply a bad idea. The other nations in the Caribbean could tell us the stories of what a lousy company Cable and Wireless is, their sheer incompetence, their only interest is in profit taking.
One small example was the fact that in the Dan Nottage area, the company had the generators running 24 hours a day after the failures on Monday 18th June because they refused to allow some basic work to be done to the power supply system. The result was that when there was a BEC power failure, the generators came on and the generators could not be shut down for fear of greater failure. The MP for the area Jerome Fitzgerald was besieged with angry calls from the neighbours about the noise of the generator. The employees complained to him as well that this is the kind of nickel and diming that exists under BTC.
But that is small potatoes compared to what happened on Monday 18th June when the whole live long day, the country was without both landlines service and cell service. This happened quite fortuitously as it turned out on the day when Tony Rice, the CEO of Cable and Wireless was in town to speak to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister said the product demonstrated more than anything why the PLP had to go ahead and get the majority shares back and control of BTC.
This is an important time to act. We should not go wobbly on this subject. Frank Smith, now a senator, said last week in the senate that Cable and Wireless is raping the Bahamian people with their rates. Amen brother! The forces of darkness are busy working against this. One letter writer blamed it on the employees of BTC, saying that they are some of the same employees who ran the company before. The argument is a hollow one. It all depends of control of the enterprise.
Hubert Ingraham was not a patriot in making the decision to sell BTC to Cable and Wireless. He sold us down the drain. He sits now in the comfort of retirement preening his feathers while the whole thing collapses around us. His usually big mouth had nothing to say in the face of the collapse. He made a serious mistake in selling BTC to Cable and Wireless. We are paying for it. It is not too late to try to recover.
PLP act now!
Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 23rd June 2012 up to midnight:106,096
Number of hits for the month of June up to Saturday 23rd June 2012 up to midnight:323,718
Number of hits for the year 2012 up to Saturday 23rd June 2012 up to midnight: 4,025,562
Everyone is pipe dreaming these days in the middle of the recession. In the United States there was a saying: “There’s gold in them thar hills!”. That was the cry which caused a gold rush and people would run in to get the gold, usually that did not exist. Such is the frenzy now in The Bahamas. You have a country that is mucked down in a bad recession with no obvious platform for increased wealth to ease the pain so people keep pipe dreaming about oil in our waters. We are not one of those who say don’t drill for oil. In a revenue challenged environment it would be silly not to try to find oil if it’s there. But with the price of oil falling, the technology changing on oil and with the likelihood of there being oil next to zero, why waste time in those dreams. The United States Geological Survey helped with this pipe dreaming when the Nassau Guardian reported on 18th June that there are some 4.3 billion barrels recoverable oil on the Bahamas Platform. Compare this to 267 billion barrels by Saudi Arabia and 297 billion by Venezuela. A mere pittance if recoverable at all. Our country while not turning its nose at oil should be concentrating on the old fashioned way of earning our keep that is work and planning. The tourism product has greater potential than it now has to feed and clothe us; so does the financial services sector. But we suppose people will continue to dream on because after all there is oil in them thar waters and we will all be rich one day.
U.S. SPOILS THEMSELVES OVER TRAFFICKING REPORT
Every year the United States government issues various annual reports which assess the countries around the world on various matters. There is one on human rights, another on drugs and another on human trafficking. Human trafficking is narrowly defined under various international conventions as having to do with the movement of people around the globe in involuntary servitude and for sexual work. The U.S. has laws with sanctions if countries are not deemed to do what the U.S. thinks they ought to be doing. It is a bit of check on their part, being the world’s police. But one supposes you get to do that because you have the military and financial muscle to be morally superior and to go around telling people what to do. Last week the report on human trafficking was released and the usual tale of woes was reported. The country is on the tier two level of bad countries which means that we did not do enough mainly our officials think we didn’t prosecute anyone so that means we did not do enough. The report claimed for example that Chinese working in The Bahamas are restricted in their movements in the country. It quoted a report from the press to support their report. No substantiation other than a press report. Bahamar which hires Chinese on their project out on Cable Beach said they could not have been talking about them because the Chinese are in no way restricted from moving about the country or anywhere for that matter. Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell issued the following statement in response to the report:
STATEMENT BY FRED MITCHELL MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
ON THE TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS REPORT BY THE USA
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
20th June 2012
While any report from the United States government about The Bahamas should be taken seriously, Bahamians should not be unnecessarily defensive in response to these matters. The Bahamas’ record is clear on the issue of trafficking in human persons and we beg to differ on several of the assertions in the report. Some of the assertions in the report call for speculation and are inconsistent with the strictures of international law. The speculation in the report then leads to lack of evidence based conclusions in the public domain.
The report is an American domestic report with extra territorial affect. U.S. and Bahamian officials work all year long on these issues. The approach of the report is therefore unhelpful in that it saps the morale of those hard working and patriotic Bahamians and Americans who work on these issues in The Bahamas in an environment which is resourced challenged. It is a point made to U.S. authorities both here at the embassy and in their capital.
Some have suggested speculation of a similar nature could be made in examining American domestic practices in this area. That is not however the role of The Bahamas and it would be improper to do so.
The Bahamas Government is fully committed to implementation of the United Nations Protocol on the Prevention, Suppression and Punishment of Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Girls, Supplementing the United Nations Convention on Transnational Organized Crime. The country not only ratified this Protocol in 2008, but in that same year, it also adopted the 2008 Trafficking in Persons (Prevention and Suppression) Act.
Where there is evidence in law to prosecute individuals, then prosecutions will follow. It is not a question of will but of evidence.
The position of The Bahamas on trafficking in persons is clear. It is fully in accord with the United Nations and the global community in recognizing trafficking in persons as a serious violation of human rights and a crime against humanity. People should not use force or threat of the use of force, fraud, deception or any other means to exploit other people, whether through forced labour or commercial sexual exploitation.
All foreign workers in The Bahamas without distinction can avail themselves of the protection of the law and in particular the fundamental rights and freedoms of the constitution which include the freedom of movement.
The country will continue to cooperate with the United States and other countries to discharge its obligations in international law in this matter.
end
BRANVILLE TAKES THE SAME LINE AS THE FNM
Branville McCartney, the leader of the moribund Democratic National Alliance (DNA) is a man without a mission and so is in search of a mission. Last week when we spoke about him, we wrote that he would eventually have to join either the PLP or the FNM. There is no hope for him to survive politically in front line politics if he does not do that. The only question is when is he going to join. He turned down, spurned is a more apt word the offer of the FNM to rejoin. He said that he will soldier alone. We wrote last week that he will continue to do that for a while seeking to make himself a pest in the media, with one statement or the next about this or that. True to form, he was in the press last week. This time he was criticizing the PLP’s Minister of National Security Bernard J. Nottage on the grounds that the Minister should get to work and stop stalling on the crime work. He said that he was opposed to the Minister convening a conference of civil society to discuss the crime situation. Please! If you have nothing sensible to say then say nothing. How engaging the community in the fight against crime is a waste of time and stalling, we don’t know. Then he said that he was stunned when the Minister spoke about revisiting penalties. This was a revisiting which was initiated by the courts who struck down the mandatory sentencing as too harsh. So what would Mr. McCartney who is a lawyer have the PLP do. The interesting thing though is that all of the buzz words of the FNM was in his statement in the Nassau Guardian. He said he did not want police to be social workers. That is an FNM argument. So of course we say again, he should join the FNM and put the charade behind us. But as we said, this is a man without a mission and so is desperately in search of a mission and a headline. The Nassau Guardian reported the story on 19th June.
THE BAHAMAS STATEMENT AT RIO
Fred Mitchell, Minister of Foreign Affairs was the head of delegation for The Bahamas in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday 20th June when he delivered the country’s statement on sustainable development
These photos by Peter Ramsay show Senators of the PLP as they worked on the budget debate last week. The Senate met on Wednesday 20th and Thursday 21st June. One shows Senate President Sharon Wilson with Government leader in the Senate Allyson Gibson. The other shows Senator Tanisha Tynes ( seated); Senator Gary Sawyer, Senator Cheryl Bazard; Senator Julian Russell and Senator Alex Storr.
THE FUNERAL OF A NATIONAL HERO
Well William Cartwright, one of the three credited with founding the country’s oldest political party, is now in the grave. The PLP which he founded is in power and presided over his funeral. The funeral took place on Monday 18th June at St. Gregory’s Anglican Church. The parson who spoke Sebastian Campbell said that the country did not do justice to Mr. Cartwright and that the PLP needed to act to bring into force the National Heroes Day legislation and to formally declare William Cartwright a national hero. We agree. The photos are by Peter Ramsay of the Bahamas Information Services.
MITCHELL ON JONES AND COMPANY
Fred Mitchell MP spoke with Wendell Jones and Godfrey Eneas on The Platform on Jones TV 14 on Wednesday 13th June.
DANCE THEATRE OF HARLEM’S PERFORMANCE
The photo of a bit of the performance of the dance Theatre of Harlem at the end of its Caribbean Tour, sponsored by the women’s organization Links. They put on the performance at Paradise Island on Friday 22nd June. Tickets 200 dollars. And a matinee on Saturday 23rd June. The photo is by Peter Ramsay.
STALWART COUNCILOR B FROM FREEPORT WRITES ON ZHIVARGO'S FATE
FNM LEADERSHIP
The 2012-2013 budget debate is finished. The FNM as a political party is in a holding position like planes lined up on a runway ready for take off. The question is will former Prime Minister, Hubert Ingraham resign his North Abaco seat as promised on July 19? This marks the anniversary of when he was first elected to the House of Assembly.
Sources in the FNM tell us that if former Prime Minister Ingraham resigns his North Abaco seat forcing a by-election, Dr. Hubert Minnis, leader of the opposition will not have the luxury of 18 months to prove himself as a leader as was clumsily announced by FNM chairman, Charles Maynard. He will have to hold on and win the seat; if not, he is finished as a leader. His performance as leader in the budget debate was subpar. In fact, all the FNM’s MPs left standing in the House after the general elections with the exception of the Deputy Leader, Loretta Butler-Turner, the other MPs performance were anemic. This crew would not know an issue if it hit them over the head. Another FNM described their performance as embarrassing. They all lacked the “it” factor: This is the thing that you are born with.
In the Senate, it seemed as if the former Junior Minister, Zhirvargo Laing attempted to stake out a claim for leadership of that body; but, that was cut short by PLP Senator Frank Smith when he disclosed that Laing was paid more as a Junior Minister than the rest of his Junior Minister colleagues. It would appear that only Ingraham and Laing knew what he was being paid to the exclusion of the rest of his colleagues. This revelation has caused great concern in FNM circles to the point where if Ingraham goes Laing should go with him. Laing is finished in the party; no other member of the party has received more benefits than Laing. Taking a page from the book Animal Farm, some animals are more equal than others. The fact that Dr. Hubert Minnis appointed Zhirvargo proves that he does not understand politics.
We further understand that back channels are being used to bring back Branville McCartney, leader of the DNA, back into the fold. If these efforts are not successful, then the FNM will find itself in the wilderness for a very long time thanks to the efforts and shortsightedness of Ingraham’s one man band rule.
Forrester Carroll this week from Freeport talks about the leadership of the FNM. He predicts that neither Hubert Minnis, Leader or Charles Maynard, Chairman, will last the year. He looks at the role that Zhivargo Laing is playing now that he no longer has a house seat and says there is a move afoot to get him elected to the House by asking Hubert Chipman to step down from his St. Anne’s seat.
Can you imagine the silly FNM leaders holding a press conference for the express purpose of requesting the PLP to give them (of all people)an accounting of where the party received its campaign funding for defraying the expenses of its recent general elections campaign? All the losers (Tommy Turnquest and the rest of the gang) were sitting there pretending, to be holier than thou, as if their own election funding (little though it might have been) came from legitimate sources. As much as this FNM crew pissed all over Bahamians, these last five years, they should hang their heads in shame; stay out of camera range and not show their guilty faces in public for the next five years.
Charles Maynard is the new chairman of the FNM; I know Charles Maynard’s ability (or lack thereof) very well; he is no Dud Maynard. I will give Charles until the next FNM conclave and he will turn in the keys to the FNM’s Mackey Street headquarters’ office and surrender his title. A friend of mine scolded me for being so generous to him by giving him so long; my friend said that he would be very surprised if Charles endures even another six months. The leader and his deputy will not last either in those positions. I have it on good authority that Minnis was not their cup of tea but they felt, at the time, that he was the less controversial and quite frankly the best they had available. The feeling is that at the next convention, or whatever they call their next gathering, Loretta Butler-Turner will overthrow Minnis. It is very obvious that she is going to be the dominant force, at the leadership level, and she seems prepared to take no prisoners. Another factor which cannot be ignored is Branville McCartney; he is poised to become leader of the FNM given the right conditions.
Lest we forget, when Branville McCartney embarked on his venture of captaining a new political party I wrote (very confidently) that his only purpose, for doing so, was to bide his time until after the general elections (when he knew Ingraham and the FNM would lose) and wait to be invited, by the remnant of what would have been left of them, to go back and pick up the pieces. The DNA was only the means by which Branville intended to help bring down Dictator Ingraham; he is not, and never has been, serious about a third party per say. I predicted, as well, that after the DNA would have been wiped out (not winning one seat or even one deposit back) they would eventually disband and Branville would be invited back to assume leadership of the FNM. I was wrong on the return of any of their deposits, because Branville won enough votes to enable him to claim a refund but I am right on all the others I can assure you. I’ve watched too many political moves, by politicians, not to be able to recognize and accurately predict Branville’s. With respect to my other predictions we will wait and see how ACT THREE plays out. I see where the new FNM chairman has already sent out the clarion call for McCartney to come back home and Charles Knows enough about politics to know that politicians, like McCartney, always has a price; in this case the price, as far as McCartney is concerned, is the leadership or nothing. When that deal is negotiated Branville will abandon the DNA, as quickly as he formed it, and run back to the FNM as its leader; look for this happening very soon. Please don’t forget who pulls the strings of the FNM, (behind the scenes on Bay Street) and who calls all their shots.
Bay Street’s only chance (they know) of ever regaining the government is if they succeed in bringing the demoralized remnant of the FNM and it’s totally annihilated first cousin (the DNA) together in a truce. Bay Street realizes that there has to be mediation, between the two FNM factions, with the view to getting the parties to compromise a deal otherwise the PLP will govern this country, easily, for the next 20 years consecutively without a real challenge from the FNM/DNA. The new FNM Chairman (I have noted) has already sent out (by way of the media) somewhat of a subtle backdoor message to McCartney telling him that he is both wanted and needed. Branville will not make any moves, however, unless and until Bay Street (who he will be depending much on for sustained financing) makes the overtures and in making their overtures commit to fully funding the now cash strapped ($1 million in debt) FNM party. There is no way Dr. Minnis could handle the job (Bay Street knows) of leading that group of cut throats, for the long haul. As a matter of fact I don’t expect him to occupy the leadership position, under any circumstance, for more than a year before Loretta Butler-Turner challenges him and take his marbles from him. Compared with her he is weak, lack-luster, boring and devoid of a fighting spirit. If she can run down sheep through those thick bushes in “over-back” Long Island she can easily outwit the very naïve Dr. Hubert Alexander Minnis.
“We are definitely going to reach out our hand to him and say;”Mr. McCartney, you’re an FNM. You always said that your first inkling in being in politics was looking at the FNM and being involved in the FNM. Whatever reason caused you to think otherwise-look at it again and see if it makes sense for you to come home where you belong or remain out there trying to keep a fledgling party going” unquote; this is the message that Charles Maynard sent out to McCartney when answering Jeff Lloyd’s question as to whether the FNM would invite Branville back into their fold or not. Branville has since confirmed I saw (but he took a long time doing so) that he won’t go back to the FNM but that he would continue with his fledgling part as Maynard opined. I submit, however that, that is his position only until Bay Street approach’s him. Like I said earlier, Branville will not move unless and until Bay Street indicates that they are willing to fully back his leadership and fully fund the FNM under his leadership. There is noise, around town, about one of the several factions, in the FNM, scheming to oust Chipman and maneuver a by-election in the St. Ann’s constituency. The plan is to get Laing nominated and elected, to the lower house, which if achieved would put him in contention for the eventual leadership of the party; I must tell you though that most of the FNM council and leadership hate Zhivargo Laing and would rather see him disappear so that plan would have a tough time succeeding.
These FNMs are such a laughable bunch; Zhivargo Laing was over at the Senate talking up a bunch of hot air as was expected. He has no defense for the policies employed, during their term in office, which screwed up the lives of thousands of Bahamians so he resorts to talking nonsense. The young minister of state (who we now found out was the only one of four state ministers who was paid on par with Ingraham and his substantive cabinet ministers) actually called on the new government to impanel a commission to inquire into FNM claims that the PLP bought the election by dishing out cash for votes. This young dethroned foolish state minister (who was paid a preferred salary from the public’s coffers) is such a donkey; I wonder if using the Public Treasury (as he and Ingraham did as if it were their own little treasure chest) to influence votes in favor of the FNM qualifies as buying votes? If it does then both you (Laing) and Hubert Ingraham (your co-conspirator) should be locked up and the damn keys thrown away.
I wish to explain some stuff (which really needs no explaining but I will anyway) seeing that the FNM’s Senate and House Teams have obviously agreed together to adopt the posture of pinning the country’s woes (so soon) on the PLP. They have been complaining, in both Houses, about the appalling conditions in the country (for which, I submit, they are responsible) and bold-facedly trying to pin the blame on the PLP’s six-week old government. I could have eaten glass bottle when I heard them (one by one in both Houses) attempt to blame the PLP for the bad economy; for crime; for the national “D” average; for the murder rate; because the wind blows in the wrong direction; for the high unemployment; for all the murders from two minutes after Ingraham conceded the loss of the elections on May 7th, etc; etc. Hey guys the PLP have only been in office for about four weeks; are you serious about blaming us already? We won the poll on the 7th May and our first meeting date (of the new parliament) was 23rd May and we are supposed to have corrected all your five years of screw-ups already? Are you guys serious? Shouldn’t the FNM own these conditions for at least until May 23rd 2013? And by the way (Zhivargo Laing) the budget you guys are criticizing (now in both chambers) is your budget, remember? It is the same budget you guys left on the table for us; we didn’t have time to revamp or make any significant changes to what you left so get real FNMs. All the conditions (good or bad) are to your account. We are committed to solving them but in the meantime they are yours. As we implement our programs, and they begin to produce results, you can then begin praising or criticizing us (the PLP) but only from May 23rd 2013. We are determined to expose the nonsense the FNM did in those five years and will keep on reminding the public for as long as it takes for Bahamians to be sensitized to the amount of PIG-DUNG the FNM piled on us during that rough period. Ingraham and his band of nincompoops will not be as lucky this time, to escape the consequences of their deeds, as they were in 2002-2007; we let them off the hook in 2002 but not this time. You bastards will pay if only by your continued dwindling of political support.
Talk about Hypocrites; Ingraham made a big deal, during the campaign, about Vincent Peet forfeiting his seat, in the parliament, and not being paid because he absented himself from the House of Assembly, for a period, without the prior approval of the House; well now he finds himself in the same boat so does he expect now, and accept, that the PLP should treat him the same way he advocated Peet should have been treated? I am quite sure he doesn’t; with Ingraham what is good for the goose has never been good for the gander; they are all so very hypocritical indeed.
Thank you
Forrester J Carroll J.P
Freeport, Grand Bahama
June 2012.
Pierre Dupuch, the fearless indefatigable former MP, is in the press again this week alleging that the developers of Bahamar are destroying the Cable Beach strip by their development. He says that a swimming pool is being built right into the natural beach. He calls on the government to reverse it.
PM Perry Christie Says Protection of Coasts Crucial, Yet Bahamar Destroys Cable Beach!
In April 2012, The Bahamas government celebrated Coastal Awareness Month, and Bahamians were urged to protect the coasts.
Ironically, in May 2012, Bahamar began the systematic destruction of Cable Beach to reclaim land for an artificial beach and pool deck called the Bahamar Pools.
The new pools are being built right on top of world famous Cable Beach, in similar fashion to the Crystal Palace pools that destroyed the beach in the 1980's. That same structure prevented Bahamians and visitors alike from walking the entire length of the beach, and caused erosion in front of the Nassau Beach Hotel.
While the Government lectured Bahamians about the importance of the coastal areas, they gave a foreign investor, whose principals live on private beaches in Lyford Cay, permission to mutilate and permanently destroy Cable Beach - one of the most important coastlines in the entire Bahamas, and one of the most beautiful beaches in the entire world - and build a wall that discriminates against Bahamians by keeping them off the beach in their own country!
In April 2012, Perry Christie told the Bahamian people that his PLP party cared about Bahamians, and HE promised that IF HE WAS ELECTED Prime Minister, HE WOULD put Bahamians and The Bahamas first.
Flashback to April 2005 when then PLP Prime Minister Perry Christie also issued a press release through Bahamas News Services stating that the protection of the coastal environment was crucial to The Bahamas.
Prime Minister Perry Christie must now live up to his Coastal Awareness pledge in 2005, and the PLP must live up to their promises to the Bahamian people in 2012.
The government must IMMEDIATELY:
(1) REVOKE the Bahamar Pools beach reclamation permit,
(2) STOP the destructive beach land grab before it is too late to save the beach,
(3) Make the developer remove ALL of the boulders, wall and debris from the beach to give Bahamians back their rightful access along the natural beach,
(4) Make the developer demolish the Crystal Palace Towers, pools and lagoon as they originally promised so that the sand can flow back down the beach towards Breezes,
(5) Establish aggressive new setbacks that restrict construction far behind the dune that apply to all property owners along the entire beach including Bahamar and their proposed pool system.
The PLP started the destruction of Cable Beach in the 1980's by approving the ill-fated Crystal Palace project.
Fortunately, Mr. Christie and the PLP are now in an ideal position to reverse the mistakes of the past by restoring the original dune system and natural beach from Sulgrave Manor westward to Westwind II.
If they reverse this destructive project, Mr. Christie and the PLP will go down in history as the government that gave this beach back to all Bahamians and all visitors, and restored the entire length of Cable Beach to its former glory - a shining jewel in our tourism product.
If they don't, they will go down in history as the government that not only allowed the destruction of the country's primary tourist asset, but the government that allowed a foreign hotel developer to take The Bahamas back to its segregationist past by using the PM's Office and other government agencies to SEIZE a public beach, then claim it as private property to discriminate against ALL Bahamians.
The developer has already convinced the government to divert Bay Street, block Skyline drive, take the tree lined boulevard and park system that Bahamians loved, and exclude Bahamians from the entire area so that they could have all of that property to build their condo hotel and casino complex across the road and away from the dune and beach. They have no right to now take the public beach from the people.
In addition to stopping and reversing the destruction of Cable Beach, Mr. Christie's government is also obliged to turn over to the public all information on (a) the Bahamar Pools project that has already destroyed almost a quarter mile of pristine white sand beach, and (b) the proposed OTEC and SDC energy project for Bahamar that will cut a large trench through Goodman's Bay public beach, protected bay and barrier reef system -- and let the public know what government agencies, and which Ministers granted the approvals.
The Bahamar pools beach reclamation project is destructive to the most important coast in Nassau, anti-Bahamian, anti-tourist, discriminatory and prevents Bahamians from enjoying their beautiful country - it should be reversed immediately.
The public and the media are urged to dig beneath the surface and see this project for what it really is - a land grab that has destroyed the natural beach to extend Bahamar's property out into the sea.
Thank your for publishing this important information.
Sincerely,
Cable Beach Resident
IN PASSING
Court Of Appeal On Randy Fraser
The question many lawyers are asking about the recent ruling of the Court of Appeal to affirm the conviction and sentence of Bishop Randy Fraser is whether or not the comments of the court do not lay the ground work for an appeal to the Privy Council as going over the top in terms of showing prejudice in the ruling. It is one thing to pronounce on the law and affirm the sentence, quite another to engage in what appears to be a rant of a moralistic nature that has nothing to do on the face of it with the law. Courts have to be careful in these matters not to be driven to much by public sentiment to the extent that it may jeopardize an otherwise safe conviction. Here is the court’s comment on Thursday 21st June on affirming the conviction and sentence of Bishop Fraser:
The unassailable facts reveal the appellant as a sexual predator under the guise of a man of the cloth and counsellor, who had abandoned all of his obligations and responsibilities, particularly his commitment to uphold the teachings of Christ himself who commanded: ‘Suffer the little children to come unto me.’
In doing so, the appellant obnoxiously betrayed this young, vulnerable and emotionally fragile complainant who was entrusted to his care for emotional and spiritual healing; disgustingly defiled the sanctum of his church; besmirched the good name of men and women of the cloth who daily perform their Christian duties with diligence and integrity, and has brought shame and odium to his church, his wife and indeed, his community. This was a contemptible act and deserves the severest condemnation.
Hue And Cry Over Urban Renewal Workers
The contracts of Urban Renewal workers come to an end on 30th June. The workers at the centres have been notified that their contracts come to an end and will not be renewed. The FNM’s Chairman Charles Maynard said that this is victimization by the FNM. Well my brother motor mouth: what goes around comes around. Remember all those people thought to be PLP who were let go by the FNM. It wasn’t victimization then we suppose.
Personal Message To The Leader Of The Opposition
Dr. Hubert Minnis is widely believed to be Hubert Ingraham’s man in the House of Assembly and personally chosen to lead the opposition FNM by Hubert Ingraham, but it seems that there are some who are not accepting his leadership willingly. Chief amongst the possible detractors is one Loretta Butler Turner, the voluble and ample Deputy Leader and the MP for Long Island. Mrs. Butler Turner was elected to office without the support of the former leader who openly supported former Education Minister Desmond Bannister for the position of Deputy Leader. She reportedly in turn did not invite Hubert Ingraham, her former leader, to her victory party which he crashed anyway. Back to our story. The talk is that Dr Minnis will be lucky to last a year; that Ms. Butler Turner is actively campaigning for his job. Dr Minnis himself is trying to find his feet but he always has the former leader whispering in his ear. For that reason Dr. Minnis tolerates Zhivargo Laing, Mr. Ingraham’s blue eyed boy, even though Mr. Laing has become an obvious national embarrassment for the FNM what with it being revealed that he was secretly getting more money as a Minister of State than the rest. But the talk is one person Dr. Minnis will not tolerate and that is Kay Forbes Smith, another Ingraham favourite, the former Senator and Consul General under the FNM for Atlanta. The talk is he refuses to take her calls and won’t return her calls. There must be a lot of steam up there in Freeport. The good doctor is not doing house calls. Hmmm!
Katherine Stewart Retires
Fred Mitchell MP recalls with fondness a lunch he had with an American diplomat with whom he had developed a good working relationship. At the time he was on his way to Harvard after a stint at ZNS as the Director of News and Public Affairs at the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas. The diplomat was the Deputy Chief of Mission of the U.S. Embassy. Perry Shenkle was his name. Mr. Shenkle said that they were looking to hire a local public affairs officer and he gave a list of names. One of them was Katherine Stewart as she then was. Mr. Mitchell had worked with Ms. Stewart at ZNS and was sure she was the right person for the job when asked what did he think. Ms. Stewart went on to get the job and keep that job for 25 years. Last week there was a picture spread in the Nassau Guardian where the embassy held a farewell party her upon her retirement from the embassy’s work. She was good at what she did and did much to ease the interface between the U.S. Embassy and the Bahamian public. We wish her well in her retirement.
BTC Collapses altogether on Monday
On Monday 18th June the phone system in The Bahamas collapsed. This was the same morning on which there was a four hour power failure in Nassau, island wide. Both BTC, the phone company and BEC, the power company were cussed left right and centre for incompetence. BEC is hopeless and everyone knows it, the company having been run into the ground by the FNM. Much of the ire went on BTC, the foreign owned phone company. This was the same company that was sold by the FNM government to the British company Cable and Wireless, nicknamed Cable and Wutless, at a fire sale price last year on the promise that they would improve service. Remember former Minister Phenton Neymour claiming that after BTC is sold, we would be able to watch Law and Order on the beach in Exuma. So much for that. BTC couldn’t get the basic phone communications going, not only were cells and data down but landlines were also down. The folk on Facebook had a field day. The Managing Director of BTC has the name Geoffrey Houston and some person said on Facebook: Houston we have a problem. This from the line in the Apollo 13 disaster movie when the astronauts were telling their command control in the city of Huston that there was a problem. Marvin Richardson said this: Pigeons for sale. We have trained pigeons that can send your messages across Nassau. No need to rely on BTC ever again. We are also in the process of training seagulls to transport messages to the family islands. Get your personal pigeons today while supplies last. Cashmere Farrington said this BTC and BEC should merge into one company and call it WTF! To add insult to injury Mr. Houston said it was the worst event for him in 25 years and he did not know what happened. He promised that BTC would make it goo and then came up with 3 million dollars in giveaways to ease our pain. Sorry. Not! Houston, you have a problem.
Christie Meets With BTC Mother Company Head
Tony Rice is the head of the company that owns BTC, the Bahamian phone company. On the day that BTC's service collapsed country wide, Mr. Lowe turned up to meet with Perry Christie, the new Prime Minister, who told him that the government intended to take back the majority of the shares in the company from them. Mr. Christie told the press that each side knows the other well and that he reaffirmed the position of his party. He said that he hoped that it would not be acrimonious but that party intends to press on. The Tribune in a story by Paul Turnquest suggested that something sinister was afoot when the failure of BTC took place during Mr. Rowe's visit. Problem is BTC itself blamed the matter on the power failure by BEC which happened at the same time and the inability of BTC to keep the phone system powered up.
BTC’s Plan To Compensate
Marlon Johnson, Vice President of BTC made the following announcement as compensation to customers as a result of the collapse of BTC on Monday 18th June. This was reported in The Tribune Friday 22nd June:
Starting at 12:01am on Saturday 23rd June until 7am Monday, 25th June , prepaid customers will receive $5 in free credit. In addition, all weekend long prepaid customers will be able to call anywhere in The Bahamas for $0.05 per minute, a 75 per cent discount over the normal weekend rate.
Pre-paid customers with data packages for smart phones or devices such as BlackBerrys, Androids (Samsung), iPhones or iPads have already received two free days that were added on to their 7-day or 30-day package.
Postpaid customers will get an entire weekend of domestic calls free between midnight Friday and Monday at 7am.
Data and landline customers will receive a $5 credit on their July bill.
Benefits apply to those individuals who were active subscribers - those who showed activity on their account - between 7am on June 4 and midnight on June 18.
The Twists And Turns Of Fate
Life takes twists and turns. Truth is stranger than fiction. You never know how things will turn out. Who would have thunk that Zhivargo Laing, tormented as he was in the House of Assembly by Frank Smith while they were both in the House about his intervention to give his sister a break on taxes for importing Mona Vie into the country. Now they are both in the Senate and Mr. Smith is on Zhivargo Laing like white on rice. Aint God a good god.
Zhivargo Laing Gives A Lousy Excuse On His Salary
Zhivargo Laing, the former Minister of State, who is in a contest with FNM Chairman Charles Maynard as to who is the biggest motor mouth of the FNM in Opposition, cannot get his story straight on his salary. He is mixed up like conch salad. He went running to the press to accuse the PLP of upping the salary of the Minister of State by six thousand dollars from 60,000 to 66,000 per annum. Turned out to be an error. It was corrected. But Arthur Hanna, the former GG, likes to say “ people who live in glass houses should dress in the basement”. Good advice to Mr. Laing who even after the Mona Vie scandal cannot get it that he should simply be quiet for a year or two and hope that the disgrace fades away. But no he keeps on yakking. So he and Frank Smith, the now PLP senator got into it in the Senate last week about his salary. Mr. Laing says that he was not paid more than other Ministers of State as was revealed by now Minister of State Michael Halkitis. He claims that he got the same pay but that he got an allowance of three thousand dollars per month which according to PLPs upped his take home to $120,000 per year. They said so. Mr. Laing was livid. An argument ensued. The Senate President said she had heard enough and said the discussion needed to move on. So it is but we continue to say Mr. Laing can't get his story straight.
Winnowing Down The Choices To Succeed Hubert
Leader of the Opposition Hubert Minnis says that he is now down to four people who are possible candidates to succeed Hubert Ingraham in the race for the seat in North Abaco which is expected to become vacant when Hubert Ingraham steps down supposedly on 19th July. The talk is that this just a charade by the FNM because Mr. Ingraham intends to go nowhere. The report of the choices appeared in the Nassau Guardian Friday 22nd June.
Latrae Rahming At The Prom
The photo shows Latrae Rahming, the PLP youth leader with date Patronelle Johnson at the British Colonial Hilton as they arrived for the prom on Saturday 23rd June. The photo is from his Facebook page.
The Olympic Trials
The Olympic Trials took place at the Thomas A Robison stadium ( the old one) because the new track was not certified by the FNM government. The trials took place on Friday and Saturday 22nd and 23rd June. The thrilling final the four hundred metre men’s race. Chris Brown, the Fireman and former Olympic silver medalist, went down to defeat to Demetrius Pinder of Grand Bahama.
Trinidad’s PM Shuffles The Cabinet
This is her second Cabinet shuffle in two years in office. Prime Minister Kamala Persad-Bissessar shuffled her Cabinet on Friday 22nd June. The leading Afro Trinidadian in her otherwise Afro Indian government Jack Warner , who was mired in scandal in and around football and who had to resign in disgrace from FIFA, got a promotion and is moved from the Ministry of Works to National Security. She called Mr. Warner an action man.
Former MP Carl Bethel Celebrates
It did not say what the occasion was. But it looks like someone’s birthday perhaps the wife who is giving him the cake. But this photo shows that there is life after politics and this is one of the real things in life. Carl Bethel, former Minister of Education and recently defeated Sea Breeze MP, is shown with wife Lisa from his Facebook page posted on Saturday 23rd June.
Webster comes up far short of sufficient (and suitable) adjectives with which Hubert Ingraham can succinctly be described. He announced his return to private life and said he loves it; however his deportment, since taking that posture, speaks volumes louder (to the contrary) than his empty words. What can I or anyone say; the man is an egotistical narcissist-he thinks, of himself, more highly than he ought. 
STALWART COUNCILOR B SAYS PLP MUST MOVE PS'S
The Anglican Bishop of the Bahamas who is also the Bishop of the Turks and Caicos Islands Laish Boyd issued a statement on the political situation in the Turks and Caicos Islands on 4th June. The statement was shockingly direct. It urged the British government to use its best endeavours to restore direct democracy in the islands who are our neighbours to the south. The statement said: The Anglican Diocese of The Bahamas and The Turks and Caicos Islands notes with very grave concern the high levels of anxiety and discontent in The Turks and Caicos Islands. Importantly, the Anglican statement fixes the issue of the moral responsibility for what happened in the Turks and Caicos Islands firmly on the British themselves: We note the advance of the investigation into alleged wrongdoing and the fact that some 13 persons have been charged. This process is necessary, and must be allowed to take its course. While members of the former elected administration are subject to the above, we are alarmed that the British Government appears to accept no part in ultimate culpability. This cannot be right, if, at all times during the period of alleged wrongdoing, Her Majesty’s representative, in the person of the British Governor, was in office. One would assume that the serving Governor at any given time had to have knowledge of and consultation about many matters, even if he was not in agreement with some of them. He would have had to sign off on the majority of matters, as it is the responsibility of the holder of that office. If that Governor was not comfortable with decisions taken by the Premier and the Executive Council, it was his place to refer them to the Secretary of State, to whom he would have been answerable, for advice and guidance, and then to advise Executive Council accordingly. The point is that there is always responsibility on the part of officers, and a chain of command that must be followed: from Governor, to Secretary of State and on upward. 
The former Minister of Health Dr. Marcus Bethel made the following contribution in a letter to the press about the role of the fourth estate:
The Tribune reported that Fred Mitchell, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, sent condolences to the government of Haiti on the reported deaths of 11 Haitians who were trying to reach the United States aboard a vessel called Glory Days on Sunday evening 10th June. The ship’s captain is now wanted in connection with the deaths (
