bahamasuncensored.com
AUGUST 2008
Compiled, edited and constructed by Russell Dames Updated every
Sunday at 2 p.m.
Volume 6 © BahamasUncensored.Com 2008
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the press, as a courtesy, journalists are asked to attribute the source
of their material from this web site.
10th August, 2008
17th August, 2008
24th August, 2008
31st August, 2008
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| PHOTO OF THE WEEK:
The 174th version of the Fox Hill Festival
began in Fox Hill on Friday 1st August. Each year the Fox Hill Community,
unique in all The Bahamas marks in both festive and solemn ways the anniversary
of the abolition of slavery. Slavery was abolished throughout the then
British Empire in 1834 with a four-year apprenticeship period for the slaves
to learn a trade. They became totally free on 1st August 1838. Fox Hill,
a village of liberated Africans and former slaves, has celebrated from
then to now. The tradition includes a day when the Baptist Churches provides
a programme of recitations by the children of the Village for the adults,
followed by a treat. This is called Fox Hill day and is celebrated on the
second Tuesday in August. Our photo of the week shows the official party
at the official opening of the Fox Hill Festival, which in its present
incarnation has been going for 20 years this year. This year’s Festival
is named after Eric Wilmott Senior. Present for the opening was Minister
of State for Culture Charles Maynard, Fred Mitchell Member of Parliament.
The photo shows from left: Senator Jacinta Higgs (FNM), Fox Hill Festival
Committee Chair Charles Johnson, Eric Wilmott Senior, Charles Maynard and
Fred Mitchell. The photo is by Patrick Hanna of the Bahamas Information
Services. |
COMMENT OF THE WEEK
ECONOMIC COLLAPSE
The country appears to be in the midst of an economic crisis.
The statistics may not tell the story. In a small community, it is the
anecdotes that frighten and set the tone. On Thursday 31st July, Craig
Walkine who up until now had been seen as a master at making money with
his stores Price Busters was clearly in deep trouble. He told ZNS news
that of the 14 stores that he had been operating in various locations in
New Providence; he was closing all but one. The last one standing would
be the store at the Mall At Marathon. This is a shock to the community.
No doubt, his bankers, his Board of Directors, his family and friends
saw this coming. But to the staff who have now lost their jobs and see
a bleak future, to the general public who came to rely on the stores for
cheap quality goods, to the other young Bahamian businessmen, this must
be frightening indeed. One cannot help but ask the question: what went
wrong.
The last people you would want to ask are the bankers. They are most
likely complicit in any failures of businesses. What happens is businessmen
when they become successful must be extremely disciplined and careful not
to accept the blandishments, offers and largesse of banks? It is a two-edged
sword. As long as you appear to be making money, the banks are busy wanting
to throw money at you. They are never there when you get into trouble.
They abandon you like rats on a sinking ship, and in fact in many cases
help to put you under. At that time, each man must save their hide and
it is not the bank’s loan officer that is going to take the fall for the
failures of a once thriving business.
So Mr. Walkine will find out pretty quickly, if he has not
already that he no longer has any friends in the world.
Mr. Walkine's story may not be unique, and it leads to the
larger public policy question which bedevils and vexes the country’s governments,
how do you empower the new entrepreneur so that greater wealth can be created
in the country and stay in the country.
There are too many stories of once seeming economic giants
who have been minimized by excess, profligate ways and some bad luck, bank
obduracy and government hostility.
This economic climate is a brutal one. The successful young
businessman has to be extremely disciplined in the environment. One of
the easy pits in which to fall, is to spend a lot of money on a big car,
on a huge house and on fancy travel all over the place as a sign of the
new wealth. It is a well-worn path. The most difficult thing to be able
to do is to set aside some cash that you will not touch. It would be fine
if after you become a big businessman all you hurt is yourself if you fail
but the problem is many scores of people go down with you in your pain.
Where are we now on the question of economic empowerment? The government’s
schemes are pitifully far and few between. There is a venture capital fund
started by the PLP that has some 2 million dollars to administer. There
is the Bahamas Development Bank that is funded in part by the government
and by the Caribbean Development Bank that provides development loans that
many say are so onerous you simply don’t want to take them. That too is
a PLP inspired institution. Then the FNM has come up with enterprise grants
for young entrepreneurs to be able to get a start. These schemes together
have not, do not and cannot tackle the wider issue.
When you look around the country, the same people who had the wealth
fifty years ago continue to have it and they have gotten richer. To be
sure, you have the newer examples of Franklyn Wilson and the Sunshine Group;
you have that of Sir Garret Finlayson and the Burns House Ltd. group; you
have Franklin Butler and the Sir Milo Butler and Sons group, but even these
are products of the immediate aftermath of the PLP's coming to power in
1967. The question remains does the young man or woman in the country have
faith that they can be empowered in this economy and make it.
We hope that Craig Walkine is a story that does not end in destruction.
We hope that he can bounce back. The libertarian will say that is the story
of life and business. You are up today and down tomorrow. Some make it
and some fail. That it is not the business of government to interfere in
the process of the market. To some extent that is true but a society cannot
continue to develop the image that there is no social and economic mobility.
If the younger people are to feel tied to this economy, feel committed
to the country, there has to be a clear path to success on your own steam.
The great challenge then is to design our public policy institutions
to make them neutral in their application so that the parochial issues
that now plague us in their applications will disappear. So even as we
wish Mr. Walkine luck, we lament his story. We hope that his is not the
story of a larger economic collapse, which because of the present government’s
policy of stop, review and cancel will lead to even more failure.
Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 2nd August 2008 up to
midnight: 217,734.
Number of hits for the month of August up to Saturday 2nd
August 2008 up to midnight: 26,574.
Number of hits for the year 2008 up to Saturday 2nd August 2008 up
to midnight: 8,106,549.
CONTACT US AT E-MAIL:placid_point@yahoo.com
TRAGIC
DROWNING
Three young women died tragically in Long Island while
swimming in Deal’s Blue Hole. The Pinder family of former Church of God
head Harcourt Pinder and Mrs. Pinder have lost three of their own. The
reports say that on Wednesday 30th July at about 3 p.m. 7 year-old Dava
Major watched her mother, Faye Major, 45, drown and this was followed by
the drowning death of her older sister Deidre, 13 and her beloved Aunt
Renee Pinder, 41. The latter Ms. Pinder was the Vice Consul at the Embassy
of The Bahamas in New York. Former Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell issued
condolences at a press conference on Thursday 31st July on the part of
the PLP as follows:
“I want to first express my condolences and that of the PLP on
the passing of the daughters of Bishop Harcourt Pinder and Mrs. Pinder
and their grandchild. I am good friends with the family. In particular
I worked as Minister of Foreign Affairs with Vice Consul Rene Pinder. I
know how hard she worked, and what a great love she had for her country
and the sacrifice that she made for her country in her service overseas
in New York. I am sure that all of her colleagues will miss her dearly.
I know that the Bishop and his wife are people of faith and even in this
time of trouble they know that life will endure. ”
According to police reports, the victims were part of group of
about six people swimming in about 15 – 20 feet of water just off the shoreline
of the blue hole in the Turtle Cove area, west of Clarence Town. Police
say that one of the females, who was walking along side the edge of the
blue hole, fell in. That's when the other two women jumped in attempting
a rescue, sometime around 3 p.m. This is the second incident of a mysterious
or sudden drowning that has panicked the Bahamian population. The first
was the death of a corporal on the police force who died during a training
exercise three weeks ago when he was sucked under in sinkhole off Goodman’s
bay in Nassau and could not be revived. The Pinder family has now called
for signage at the Blue Hole warning swimmers of the danger. We have learned
however that a swim rescuer has been trying for some time to get the attention
of the government to the issue of safety in the water. On beaches used
by thousands of tourists in The Bahamas and Bahamians as well, there are
no lifeguards and no signs. There is no safety equipment provided. It seems
clear that if any or three together had been available the Pinders would
still be alive today. Let us hope that this tragedy makes the government
act. One thinks of Bishop Pinder in the very winter of his life, enjoying
his retirement and looking at his life’s work as its benefits pass down
to his grandchildren. To find it all go horribly wrong in front of his
eyes with him helpless in the situation. The book of Job perhaps is the
only comfort to a man of faith: “The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away!
Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
WHAT
DOES EMANCIPATION MEAN?
We want to congratulate the people of African descent
in The Bahamas for enduring to now. In the face of the oppression, in the
face of all the negativism and degradation, these are a people of an indomitable
sprit. This is also however a time to congratulate all the people of goodwill
in The Bahamas black or white who fought against slavery, and who fought
for social justice in The Bahamas. That is why this holiday, Emancipation
Day, is not just a holiday for people of African descent. It is a holiday
for all Bahamians of goodwill. There is still much to be done in The Bahamas
to solve the problems of injustice but the face of emancipation in 1834
started us on our way. There could be no 10th July without 1834. There
could be no 10th January 1967 without 1st August 1834. So on this occasion
we ask you all to celebrate with the people of Fox Hill this glorious anniversary,
the affirmation of our freedom.
DECEPTION
ON CRIME
The news story was to say the least surprising. The Minister of National
Security Tommy Turnquest admitted on Friday 1st August to buying “numbers”.
For those who are not familiar, “numbers” is the colloquial term in The
Bahamas used for buying illegal gambling tickets. He says that it was a
long time ago. He said that he supported the legalization of gambling.
We hope that his irrational boss does not wake up on the wrong side of
the bed. The last we heard it was not the official policy of the government
to legalize the “numbers racket”.
The Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham did say that he thought that
the law should either be enforced or taken off the books. Now the actual
chief crime fighter has said that he bought numbers in the past, admitting
to breaking the law. What does that say to the youngsters? What will the
silent- in- the -face- of- the- FNM- church say to that? Not that we disagree
with him. It is the height of hypocrisy for this country to continue on
this path that it is, against gambling and “numbers’ but the law is absolutely
unenforceable. We repeat what Fred Mitchell MP for Fox Hill said about
Mr. Ingraham’s comments that it was a shot across the bow to those black
Bahamians who were in the web shop business that Bay Street’s “Delivery
Boy” was coming for their businesses to give it to Bay Street.
A warning to these web shop owners that as they become more open
and ostentatious, it is not beyond the present Prime Minister to take one
of them and make a public example of the lead one of them, even arrange
for a trial and heavy jail sentence in order to destroy that person and
his political clout, particularly if he is known contributor to the PLP.
Be warned! Crime is however, a major issue for the country and this
government and you would think that the Minister, especially the National
Security Minister would want to be careful what he says on this issue.
What was equally as startling was the admission by Prime Minister Hubert
Ingraham in an interview published on Monday 28th July that his government
was doing as much as it could to fight crime. This is the same leader of
the FNM who when in Opposition was scorching the earth about the PLP and
its inability to get on top of the crime problem. It is certainly much
worse than when PLP was in power. What can you say about these folks? They
are hopeless but good at public relations. Their view is that public relations,
describing the problem will solve the problem. One comforting fact that
they have, and it is a small comfort, and that is that the rest of the
Caricom region is fighting the same battle. Jamaica for example is about
to pass a set of draconian laws to suspend the right to apply for bail
for 60 days for certain crimes and to increase the penalties for illegal
possession of a gun to include up to ten years probation. The human rights
fraternity is screaming but “the times they are achangin’ ”.
PHOTO
ESSAY ON THE FOX HILL OPENING
The Fox Hill Festival, two weeks of activities to mark the occasion
of the abolition of slavery in 1834 got off to a rousing start on Friday
1st August, the 174th anniversary. Next is Junkanoo on 4th August at 1
a.m. until and the ecumenical service attended by the Governor General
Arthur D. Hanna on 4th August at 11 a.m. Patrick Hanna of the Bahamas Information
Services was there at the opening to record the event. This photo essay
shows: one of Charlene’s Angels’ dance troupe dancing at the opening ceremony
; the popular entertainer Sweet T, Dexter Thompson, son of the famous entertainer
Sweet Richard dancing on glass to the wonderment of the Fox Hill children
; the Member of Parliament for Fox Hill Fred Mitchell addresses the audience;
the church band from the Macedonia Baptist Church ; Eric Wilmott Senior
after whom the Festival is named is presented with a gift from his granddaughter
; Eric Wilmott Senior after whom the festival is named is presented with
a gift from St. Anselm’s Church where he served for 50 years as the organist
receives a gift from Monsignor Preston Moss, rector of St. Anselm’s Church
Fox Hill.
THE
MINISTRY OF THE ENVIRONMENT
In one sense, Hubert Ingraham is a master at propaganda,
more properly deception. The latest is the creation of the Ministry of
the Environment. You go around the country and you hear people praising
this man for creating this Ministry of the Environment. The interesting
thing about this is that this is the same man who scrapped the Ministry
of Energy and the Environment that was left in place by former Prime Minister
Perry Christie. The Ministry was created in February 2006. Therefore, the
newly constituted Ministry of Environment is the same Ministry. It has
the utility companies in it, including the power company. It has town planning
and environmental health. The praise then should really go to Perry Christie,
the PLP’s Prime Minister who had the foresight to establish the ministry,
which Mr. Ingraham foolishly scrapped and then had to recreate after one
year. Typical.
ROBIN HOOD OPENS EXPANDED STORE
Sandy Schafer and his partner former Minister of Trade and Industry
Leslie Miller mean to beat the prices of all other food stores in the country
in a new mega store at Tonique Darling Highway. Tens of thousands of square
feet of store space with groceries, baked items, fresh meat, fresh produce
and appliances are available at the store that promises if you find a lower
price once verified they will beat that price. At the official opening
on Saturday 2nd August attended by former Prime Minister Perry Christie
and Minister of Health Dr. Hubert Minnis for the now Prime Minister, Mr.
Schafer told the crowd that he wanted to make sure that the store provided
good prices that equaled or beat Miami’s prices. He is even arranging a
give back to the favourite charities of each customer who are asked to
say what is their favourite charity as they leave the store. That charity
then gets a check every three months. He is arranging a free bus service
from town to the store. Patrick Hanna of the Bahamas Information Services
was there and the photos show: Sandy Schafer, a native of New York, CEO
of Robin Hood as his daughter cuts the ribbon, while his wife and other
children look on. At the ceremony looking on is Dr. Minnis and former Prime
Minister Perry Christie ; In the second photo Sandy Schafer looks on as
Dr. Bernard Nottage Leader of Opposition business in the House; Fred Mitchell
Fox Hill MP; D. Shane Gibson MP Golden Gates; Dr. Hubert Minnis, Minister
of Health and Rt. Hon. Perry Christie are shown around .
HAITIAN
ILLEGALS SWAMP NASSAU
The week began in Nassau when the press reported
that over three hundred people were arrested seeking to gain illegal entry
into The Bahamas on wooden boats coming toward the southern shore of New
Providence. Some people perished on the journey, others scrambled away
in the bushes. The next day another one hundred or so were found. The repatriation
to Haiti began immediately. The U.S. Coastguard also reported to Bahamian
authorities that 24 Cubans were on a Bahamian Cay illegally and they had
to be picked up. Clearly, this is taxing the patience and the resources
of the country. It still defies logic how slow wooden boats that can be
spotted making their way up the chain can make it all the way to Nassau
without being spotted. Something must be wrong. It must be the same wrong
that causes the fishermen to complain that the fishermen from the Dominican
Republic seem to have carte blanche access to our fishing grounds. The
story of these illegals was just one very public story. However, what about
the stories that we do not hear. The situation in Exuma is quite serious.
Illegal Haitian migrants breach the southern shore of Great Exuma and melt
into the shantytown community there just over the hill from BTC in Georgetown.
Malaria, which is not endemic in The Bahamas, has since these unrestricted
incursions become a feature of life in Exuma. The government seems helpless
in the face of it, like deer staring at the lights on the highway. Eleazer
Regnier suggested that there needed to be surveillance in Haiti itself
to stop this. Well said. This is an idea that was mooted when Fred Mitchell
was the Foreign Minister and actually concretized in a draft agreement
between the Haitian government and The Bahamas' government. It still awaits
signature. However, do not wait for it to happen any time soon. It is a
PLP plan so Mr. Ingraham is unlikely to implement any of it.
IN PASSING
Wishing The Best
Within a short time, the Bahamian Olympic team will take to the world
stage again. Given the history of previous teams, there is a high
expectation in The Bahamas that they will do well. But we want them
to know that getting there alone simply makes us proud. They should
proudly represent themselves and their country. We are all with them.
This year in particular, the eyes of the country will be on the swimming
team. This is a new field for us. But the swim team will acquit
itself well. This is the highlight for the parents who trained their
children in a sport that is pioneering for Bahamian children. The
countless hours spent by their parents, waking up in the wee hours, getting
into a chilly pool, scraping and saving to send them to special camps and
expensive schools. Well this is the moment now that they have all
been waiting for and to which they have been looking forward. Some
have been before at this level. Those in track and field know the
drill. So to the swimmers we say a special good luck and do your
best. It is all you can do and your country thanks you.
Waitresses And Prostitution
The Nassau Guardian reported two weeks ago what it said was a prostitution
ring at the Arawak Cay Fish Fry in Nassau by waitresses at the fish fry.
We are surprised that someone did not sue them for such a general and non-specific
allegation. The Vendors Association took time out from their memorial service
for the founder Earl Hall who died at the age of 56 from asthma to say
that they would investigate the matter. A few days later, they said that
they would leave the matter to the police. We still say that the waitresses
at Arawak Cay should get together and sue the Guardian for such an irresponsible
statement without any proof.
Man Arrested For 2 Million Released
Two weeks ago in Grand Bahama with much fanfare the police raided a
home where an alarm had been set off and recovered over two million dollars
in pure US cash. They arrested the occupant of the home on the suspicion
of living off the proceeds of crime. The unusual thing about this piece
of legislation governing that crime is that it switches the burden of proof
so that there is a presumption that you are living off the proceeds of
crime and the person charged has to prove that he is not doing so. It is
said that the man a Haitian was living off the proceeds of “numbers” (see
story on DECECPTION ON CRIME above). He was released last week without
charge and pending further inquiries. No word on what happened to the money.
It reminds us of the stories told by one of the leading “numbers” men in
Nassau who said the police routinely raid his businesses take the cash
they find and then release him without charge and nothing is ever heard
about the money. Perhaps this is the price of doing that business.
Memorial For Nicholas Nuttal
A touching
memorial service was held for the late Sir Nicholas Nuttal Bt. Of the United
Kingdom and of Lyford Cay in The Bahamas on Monday 28th July. Sir Nicholas
died last year after a brief illness. He was married to the former Eugenie
McWeeney, granddaughter of the late Pearl Cox and sister to former Attorney
General Sean McWeeney. The memorial service was held at the seaside at
Clifton. Speaking at the ceremony that was just over an hour Cyprianna
Mcweeny, former Miss Bahamas and now radio executive of GEMS radio and
wife of Sean McWeeney, praised Sir Nicholas for his devotion to The Bahamas.
She thanked him on behalf of the Bahamian people for the fight he undertook
to save Clifton from the developers who wanted to destroy the Bahamian
heritage. Clifton is now a park held in trust for the Bahamian people.
It was established by Progressive Liberal Party Prime Minister Perry Christie
after he won in 2002, following a campaign by environmentalists to save
the area from destruction.
Missick’s Men Lose The Case
On Monday 28th July, the High Court in The Turks and Caicos Islands
rejected the application of two Members of the Parliament in the Turks
and Caicos to limit the scope of the Commission of Inquiry set up by the
British to investigate corruption in the Turks and Caicos. The action was
brought on the basis that the inquiry's scope was too wide and indeterminate,
that it amounted to a fishing expedition. Sir Robin Auld the Commissioner
is about doing his work. Some Bahamian lawyers are consulting with the
politicians in the Turks about what the next move should be.
Jamaican Independence Day
The Jamaican community in Nassau will celebrate the 46th anniversary
of the independence of Jamaica from Britain. The country is now led by
Prime Minister Bruce Golding of the Jamaica Labour Party, the party of
Sir Alexander Bustamante, the Jamaican National Hero, who took Jamaica
to independence after scuttling the West Indian Federation in 1962. The
local community will mark the occasion at a service of thanksgiving at
Zion Baptist Church on Sunday 3rd August at 4 p.m.
Simpson vs. Philips Again
Former Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller who lost the election
last year and now serves as the Leader of the Opposition will face a challenge
again this year at her party’s conference. It is a rematch between Pr.
Peter Philips, the Leader of Opposition business in the House in Jamaica
and Mrs. Simpson-Miller. Mrs. Simpson Miller defeated Dr. Philips, a former
Minister of National Security in the previous match up three years ago.
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to the top of the page.
|
| PHOTO OF THE WEEK:
The Beijing Games have begun. The politics is
front and centre, with the world complaining how the Chinese have cracked
down on dissent and how reporters are not able to access the places that
they want to. In one case, a former athlete had his visa withdrawn because
he was part of an effort to change China’s policy of cooperation with the
Sudanese government. The government of Sudan is engaged in a war against
its own people in Darfur with murderous consequences. The U.S. President
George Bush went to Thailand just before he landed in China for the opening
of the Games and blasted the Chinese for their human rights record. China
rejected that as interference in their internal affairs. All of that aside,
the Games began with a spectacular show. China is said to have spent some
40 billion dollars putting on this show, $300 million on the opening alone.
A full Bahamian team is there, and we wish that team well. We wish the
Chinese people well but we hope that their government gets the message
to allow their people greater freedom. The photo of the week is that of
Debbie Ferguson, Olympian, carrying the Bahamian flag on to the field from
the opening of the Olympics in Beijing, China on Friday 8th August. |
COMMENT OF THE WEEK
WHEN ARE WE GOING TO IMPROVE?
There was a huge thunderstorm over New Providence in The Bahamas
on the evening of Friday 8th August. The lightning lit up the night. There
were loud claps of thunder rumbling all over town. The rain came down in
a steady pour. There was not much wind. In a modern capital, this is something
that should be easy to cope with, particularly since everyone knows that
in the summer there will be thunderstorms. While there might be some localized
flooding, the cars have been able to deal with it. The houses withstood
the rain. Everyone should have been safe and comfortable. Except that everyone
knows that as soon as thunder starts to roll and lightning goes off, grab
the flashlights because within minutes the Bahamas Electricity Corporation
(BEC) is going to fail its customers and the island would be plunged into
darkness.
The same situation occurred in the Fox Hill area on Saturday 9th
August in the mid afternoon. Within twenty minutes of the storm, the area
plunged into darkness. In Highland Park in New Providence, the customers
were without their power for 16 hours as a result of the first storm.
The routine has become so well known that BEC has become the laughing
stock of the country. There is not a time in the history of this country
that BEC can be counted on to keep the lights on. This summer the lights
have been off innumerable times. The real story is they did not plan well
enough and the company does not have enough power to keep everyone in lights
at the peak of the summer demand.
What however is their excuse in the winter? Rest assured when the
power goes off as it frequently does particularly in the east of the island,
there is always an explanation. BEC is quite expert at explaining why the
power went off. They are excellent at describing the problem. You then
ask yourself, if they know so much about why it went off, why can’t they
keep the lights on?
There is the story of the young child who is so accustomed
to BEC not being able to take the pressure of thunderstorms that as soon
as he heard the thunder start rolling, the little five year old runs for
the flash light. He has come to know in his short existence that BEC is
simply not reliable.
It is not only BEC of course. There is Bahamas Telecommunications
Company Ltd (BTC) that can’t keep us connected to one another in the island
much less to the outside world. The cell phone system is perennially jammed.
The system is so jammed that even in the middle of the day now you cannot
get through to land line numbers because all circuits are busy. Not to
speak about the dropped calls, the poor transmission where you have to
keep asking your party on the other end to repeat what they are saying
because you can’t make out what they are saying.
Not to talk about the Water and Sewerage Corporation, whose water
ruins the clothes of many scores of our citizens each week and day because
they cannot deliver water to their homes of those customers without it
being filled with rust? They supply filters to help. Sometimes, they offer
to give compensation for the ruined clothes. Most times, there is not even
an explanation or an apology. You just have to live with it.
Nicholas Brady, a former Bush I Cabinet member, whose family
has had a home out at Lyford Cay since the 1920s made a speech at the Chamber
of Commerce of The Bahamas once and made the point that no modern society
could develop properly unless there was a reliable supply of electricity.
We add to that, a reliable communications infrastructure and reliable potable
water supply. The Bahamas has none of those. It electricity supply, its
water supply, its telephone supply are all unreliable.
You have to ask yourself as citizens of The Bahamas whether
or not it is possible for any of this to improve. The BEC problem has been
a problem for at least fifty years. Shortly after the majority rule government
took over, there were power supply problems. Blackouts were the order of
the day for long and unpredictable periods of time. At one time, a British
ship was hooked up to the Bahamian power grid to give the city of Nassau
some relief from the blackouts.
Hubert Ingraham’s solution to all of his is to sell BEC to
the private sector. That might be a good idea one supposes if we did not
look back to the history of the power supply throughout our country and
the fact that the private sector did not serve the communities of The Bahamas
well at all with electricity. That is why BEC owns the power grid today.
The private sector did not supply the power needs. The one remaining private
power plant is Freeport Power. If you went by that company, you would certainly
not recommend turning anything over to the private sector. Freeport routinely
has power cuts, and again the culture of non communication must have infected
the Americans who run it. Freeport Power is no better than BEC.
The frustration of the public over their infrastructural issues
is rising at such a rate that the political question is being asked by
some who would not have asked the question before: are we in over our heads?
In other words, is running The Bahamas too much for us to run. Is it that
we do not have the capacity, the management skills to run The Bahamas?
The apparent answer is a dangerous one for any nationalist to contemplate.
But after the nationalism and the emotions of that are set to one side,
you must ask yourself as citizen of The Bahamas whether this government
or any previous government of The Bahamas really provided the leadership,
the management and the integrity to get the job done on some important
issues like keeping the power on?
When you look back at the facts, the facts staring us in the
face today, the reality is that when the thunder goes off, when the lightning
strikes, the power goes off within minutes of the storm. We know that Florida,
the U.S. state right next to us is said to have the worst thunder storms
and lighting strikes in the world. Yet, Bahamians have been to Florida
as they are now in Florida shopping for their childrens’ school clothes.
The power does not go off in a lightning storm. So what gives here? What
do the people who run Florida Power and Light know that we don’t know?
We ask the question, when will we get better? When will we improve?
| Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 9th August
2008 up to midnight: 220,096. Number of hits for the month
of July 2008 up to Thursday 31st July at midnight: 1,242,714. Number
of hits for the month of August up to Saturday 9th July 2008 up to midnight:
257,119. Number of hits for the year 2008 up to Saturday
9th July 2008 up to midnight: 8,326,645. |
CONTACT US AT E-MAIL:placid_point@yahoo.com
TROUBLE AT INAGUA
Late word is that the ongoing industiral dispute
in Inagua, the southern most Bahamian island, has led to disturbances in Matthew
Town, the capital. A strike vote was taken by the Union that represents
the workers at the only employer in town Morton
Salt. Last night there was reportedly an attempt to burn down
the home of the Manager of the salt operation. Royal
Bahamas Defence Force and Police Force personnel are on patrol.
Next week full details.
CROWING
ABOUT THE D+
The things people say when they get to power. The FNM
along with others were busy chastising the PLP for the D average that was
the national grade average for school children during the time of the PLP.
Tried as the Minister under the PLP and the staff of the Ministry did to
explain that D average did not mean that this was an actual reflection
on the state of the country’s learning but rather should be looked at as
a useful indicator of the skills of the school aged children, they failed
to make the case. On the scale, D was not what people thought it meant
but the fact is they all thought D meant bad, one step above F for failure.
No one bought the Ministry’s arguments under the PLP and it was good fodder
for the FNM opposition party. Fast forward to today when the Minister of
Education Carl Bethel with an absolute straight face announces that yes
indeedy do, D+ is the average and this is an improvement. We say that he
said it with a straight face and a beatific smile. Then get his quote from
the Bahama Journal of Friday 8th Augusts: “When the environment was conducive
to learning, the children learned, and it is reflected in the results of
national examinations. When the police were there it went from D+ to D.
When the police were out it went from D to D+." So the police out of the
schools are what caused the grade average to go up. What will they think
up next? Only the FNM could say such absolute claptrap and get away with
it. The evidence is that the police kept the peace in the schools and allowed
the children to learn. The police did not keep the children from learning
not the other way around. Where is your head man?
GINN
GIVES WORDS OF COMFORT
Bobby Ginn is the driving force behind a four billion dollar investment
in Grand Bahama at West End called Ginn Sur Mer. Some 675 million dollars
was borrowed from Credit Suisse and the reports were circulating that the
development was about to default on the loan. The actual story was that
talks were being held about rescheduling the loan before an actual default
was called. Mr. Ginn told the Bahama Journal on 8th August not to worry;
some 124 million had been put into an escrow account to protect against
bankruptcy and some 36 million in another account to finish the golf course.
He did not think that the project was in trouble because of the world economy.
Here is what he told the Bahama Journal on Friday 8th August in his own
words:
“Just the housing market by itself really doesn’t affect us
here much. People are going to buy a lot and build a house here. They’re
not the ones that you hear about in the housing market.
"Most of the American housing market came out of easy under-priced
money for mortgages and a lot of people bought houses under these loans
(and) now that these loans are maturing and the interest rates are adjusted
back to where they are, they can’t pay for the houses. The banks are taking
them back and they are selling them now at discounts. That is going to
take two years, in my opinion, to flush out. "
I don’t think the housing market is a real issue for us or the economy
in the United States and now the U.K. The world is becoming a global economy
and that’s going to slow us down but the good part is that we had two years
more of getting this project ready. "So if everything works out like I
think it works out, [with] the hard work [that we put into it], we should
be in the perfect position going into 2010.”
FEAR OF
CUBA IRRATIONAL
It appears to us that Bahamians are always looking around for a problem
where there is not one. Nothing made this more clear than the debate engaged
in and around the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) when supposedly
intelligent people were busy creating a problem where there was not one.
The same cast of characters are stirring up false enemies and false
issues with regard to the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the
Europeans.
Now, grounded on a reference in a report by the International Monetary
Fund (IMF), the press has been circulating that The Bahamas will be in
trouble when Cuba opens up to Americans. According to this scenario, there
will be such pent up demand for U.S. visitors that the US visitors will
all abandon The Bahamas and head to Cuba. How silly can you get?
The Bahamas has its own unique product mix and that will not change
because Cuba opens up. The new tourism Minister Vincent Vanderpool Wallace
if he is worth all the hype about him, the boy wonder, ought to move with
alacrity then if the situation is so alarming to get The Bahamas to readjust
to the market. We think that The Bahamas will continue to get its share.
The problems that The Bahamas face are much more fundamental than
Cuba opening up. It has to do with the deteriorating quality of service
in the country, the run down infrastructure, the bad airport, the inability
to get things done on a timely basis, all underpinned by a lousy educational
system. Fix those and you won’t have Cuba or anything else to worry about.
The people who are making these false complaints about Cuba ought heed
the advice given that one of the reasons we need to have relations with
Cuba is so that we understand precisely where are neighbour is on these
matters.
FOX
HILL JUNKANOO
The sounds, sights and beat of Junkanoo came alive on the Fox Hill
parade as the people of the Fox Hill Village celebrated the 174th version
of the emancipation of the slaves. Some 12 Junkanoo groups participated
and a great time was had by all. Peter Ramsay of the Bahamas Information
Services was there. The scenes from Junkanoo Fox hill are by Mr. Ramsay.
The Saxons were the overall winners of the parade. More
photos
JACK
LARGE AND IN CHARGE
Jack Hayward was quoted in the Bahama Journal
on 30th July in a manner that told the public that he was large and in
charge up in Freeport. It appears in the war of words and what is actually
happening in the Grand Bahama Port Authority’s building in Freeport, Sir
Jack Hayward and his allies are in the ascendancy.
It appears that the St. Georges were duped by the present Chair
of the Port Group of Companies Erik Christiansen. They thought that he
would support their position but it is now a whole other story now that
he is in charge at the Port. Jack Hayward was quite fulsome in his press
interview defending the Grand Bahama Port Authority. He said he thought
that the Port does a pretty good job.
In the meantime, the Fleming group, headed by Roddie Fleming,
a Brit, says it has an agreement to buy the Hayward share in the Port.
In pursuance of their quest to run the Port, they put out a glossy, flashy
93 page booklet that they sent around to leaders in the community including
Members of Parliament. If you believe what is in there you will believe
anything. The unfortunate thing about it is that the press published material
from it uncritically as if what they say is the gospel truth.
One must be careful of the list of snake oil salesman that have come
to Freeport. Some of the assertions are patently absurd. One that sticks
out is that the people of Grand Bahama are opposed to the government taking
over the regulatory powers of the Port or Hutchison owning the Port area;
another the assertion that Grand Bahama drives the economy of the northern
Bahamas when the economy of Abaco and Bimini are going great guns despite
the down turn in Grand Bahama. Where do the Flemings get such information
from?
The Flemings also promise that they are going to provide greater
growth for the GDP of The Bahamas reversing what they say is a decline
in GDP in real terms for 20 years. The Flemings also have a credibility
problem. Their partner Jack Hayward is looked at with a jaundiced eye.
Most people in Freeport are convinced that the sale of the Hayward interest
is not a sale as such but a back door way of Sir Jack to maintain control
of the Port. Most people are equally convinced that if that happens this
mean Hannes Babak, who was ousted by the Courts as Chair and is widely
reviled will run the Port as Sir Jack’s agent. Reports are that the other
major partner in Freeport Hutchison Whampoa wants no part of the Flemings,
Sir Jack or all that comes with him.
The Flemings’ booklet is a great big promotion exercise. The
sound of too much protest. Tread carefully with them. Edward St. George
was the brain behind whatever success the Port had. Jack Hayward collected
his dividend while Edward made the money. What would make people want to
trust Jack Hayward to bring the success that he says he can in the face
of the history of his past involvement in the Port. Here is what he said
in his own words to the Bahama Journal:
"[I am] one port owner and I don’t think the St. George’s have
done anything…I don’t know where they are. They are never here. But certainly
this Hayward family has fought to get them here.
"I was in one restaurant the other night; we could not get a table.
It was absolutely full. We went to another restaurant and it was absolutely
full. The recession is due to the American recession and the high cost
of fuel," he said.
"You must have a whipping boy. Who do you blame but the port?
You blame the port for everything. If your dog is sick, it’s the port’s
fault and if your wife is sick, it’s the port’s fault. But we think we
do a good job.”
(Editors note: How does one trip to a restaurant in Freeport and
not being able to get a table mean that Freeport is doing well? How silly
can you get? Freeport is a city with tens of thousands of residents. Suppose
there are only two specialty restaurants in the town. Obviously on any
given night it would be difficult to get a table. That’s the problem with
Jack Hayward, clueless to the pain that exists in that city and the abuse
to long serving Port employees that is being done in his name. That is
why during his lifetime Edward St. George kept him the hell out of the
Port’s day to day affairs. Every time he opened his mouth he put his foot
in it.)
RAYNARD RIGBY’S BLUEPRINT
Former Chairman of the PLP Raynard Rigby has intervened several
times in the past months since he stepped down to urge reform of the PLP
and new leadership of the PLP to take it into the next general election.
Some have sought to isolate him because of it. He remains PLP but has now
embarked on a more ambitious project of reform. He wants to start a national
conversation among the people of the country about where we ought to go
from here. To start the conversation he has published a book called A BLUEPRINT
FOR THE FUTURE. You can obtain a copy of online at blueprintbahamas.com.
Mr. Rigby told a press conference on Wednesday 6th August that he believes
that The Bahamas has great potential. He said he also believes that many
Bahamians desire to play a more active role in ensuring that The Bahamas
presents the best for her people. He said that was part of the reason for
presenting the blueprint and inviting the beginning of a national conversation.
You
may click here for the full statement.
HUBERT
PREOCCUPIED WITH FRED
A few weeks ago in this space, we exposed a columnist
called “The Scribe” who writes for the down market rag called The Punch.
This newspaper column that is thought to be the mouthpiece of Hubert Ingraham,
the Prime Minister, was busy attacking Fred Mitchell. It was remarkable,
the same Hubert Ingraham who tried to dismiss Fred Mitchell as next to
nothing, was busy throughout the column, the entire column going on and
on about Fred Mitchell and what he did and did not do. The columnist seemed
particularly exercised about this column and blaming the column for the
sins of Fred Mitchell. On Tuesday 5th August The Punch and The Scribe were
at it again. This time as before the columnist was attacking Fred Mitchell,
and blaming him for every conspiracy under the sun. Again bahamauncensored.com
was the subject of the column, being accused of being masterminded by Fred
Mitchell MP behind the scenes. The Scribe’s column is laughable. It must
still be taken seriously. One of their mouthpieces in the mainstream news
media Oswald Brown, a prime Uncle Tom, if you ever have seen one, was working
up a head of steam to get the Commissioner of Police to investigate the
column, as if the Police have nothing better to do. We were very concerned
when the Commissioner of Police was appointed, dispensing with others who
were more qualified for the job and filled by someone who it appears would
carry out the bidding of the Prime Minister. We are again concerned. Mr.
Ingraham is now on holiday. The press said that he has gone on a Caribbean
cruise. But he has been known to leave his dirty work to be done by others
while he pretends not to know anything about it. All PLPs must be careful.
Both The Punch and The Scribe are dangerous and must be stopped.
IN
PASSING
Commissioner Of Police To Leave?
Acting Commissioner of Police Reginald Ferguson may be coming to
the end of his term in office. This is a report of bahamaspress.com. The
website said that the job is to be offered to one of the two officers now
on study leave in Canada, Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police Ellison
Greenslade and Assistant Commissioner of Police Marvin Dames. If that happens,
it will be a surprise. The job should go to Mr. Greenslade who is the senior
man but this site has reported that because Hubert Ingraham believes that
Mr. Greenslade is PLP and Mr. Dames is FNM that the job will go to Mr.
Dames. He wants to offer Mr. Greenslade the job of taking over the Customs
Department. Reginald Ferguson himself has replied to the rumours. In a
story written by the Bahama Journal of Friday 8th August, he said in his
own words:
"Whatever has got to be done will be done. I have no reservations
about the service that I have given. I have given the best of my service.
I know that and I was always motivated by doing that because I knew that
if I served well, my organization would benefit.
"I’ve never had any problems and I’ve never fought for promotion,
or steal or orchestrate or try to engage any public relations firm on my
behalf. You hardly hear anything about me on this Force. I just work and
I continue to do just that.
"All the responsibility for the organization is what I
am doing now. [Commissioner is] only a title. All of the responsibility
of this Royal Bahamas Police Force is mine. The day- to-day operation is
mine. It’s only a name change.
"I come to work very early in the morning and sometimes at 6:30
a.m. I am behind this desk. This is because I recognize my responsibility
being in this position. I make sure that I carry out my responsibility
in the highest of tradition. I consider myself to be blessed. I believe
if that is what is supposed to happen [becoming commissioner] it is going
to happen. Nothing is going to stop it. I said before, I am very motivated
by the service that I give and I am very satisfied about the opportunities
that I have had to serve my country in my capacity as a policeman and I
think that is the highlight of my career.
"I am very satisfied about the service that I have given
to my country. I feel very good about it and I always strive to conduct
myself to the highest degree of integrity and not compromise my service
in any way to this Commonwealth of the Bahamas. I am very satisfied about
what I have been able to do in terms of serving my country through this
Royal Bahamas Police Force. I understand that I am to serve. As long as
the opportunity for me to serve exists, I will do it to the best of my
ability."
Exuma Casino To Be Sold
After four years of good news under the PLP, it appears that Exuma
is bracing for some hard times along with the rest of The Bahamas under
the FNM administration of Hubert Ingraham. The tourist property the Four
Seasons that drives Exuma’s economy is in receivership and they are looking
for a buyer. There have been two outbreaks of malaria in Exuma. Now the
press reports that the owners of the Casino have said they want to sell
the casino. It is not making as much money as they wanted. The marketing
people say that the casino is not a good fit with the kind of business
that Four Seasons attracts. They have already dealt with it on their books
as a dead investment. They want to sell it as a going concern but if it
goes on too long they will close it down.
Erica Is The New Managing Editor
The Nassau Guardian announced during the past week that Erica Wells
has become the Managing Editor of the Nassau Guardian. Congratulations
to her. Ms. Wells has a Masters degree in Journalism. She is a former editor
at The Tribune and at the Bahama Journal. We have also learned that Candia
Dames, late of Love 97 has joined the Nassau Guardian’s staff. We notice
that former Guardian employee Tamara McKenzie is now writing for the Bahama
Journal.
LNG People Tired Of Waiting - Wait Some More
AES, the company that bought Ocean Cay off Bimini, to turn the once
aragonite mining facility into a natural gas terminal to pump the gas to
Dania, Florida was quoted in the Nassau Guardian of Friday 8th August as
saying they are getting “a little tired” of waiting for governmental approval.
Perhaps Aaron Samson, the head of the project, is a little slower than
we are but by now his company should get the point. Go away!
The Guantanamo Disgrace
Don’t you think that the U.S. ought to be thoroughly ashamed and embarrassed
to have the Guantanamo facility still open with people still there after
six years without trial and the trial that they just had being clearly
a show trial that can have no legitimacy. The conviction (?) last week
of the driver of the hunted Bin Laden who is alleged to have perpetrated
the 11th September attack on New York city is not worth the paper it is
written on. Surely the new U.S. President has to do better than this and
close this facility down and let these people imprisoned there go back
home. This is embarrassing for a country that believes in the rule of law
and due process. There is nothing that cannot be dealt with by the criminal
justice system.
Reg Says Crime Under Control
The Bahama Journal of 8th August led with a story and picture of the
Acting Commissioner of Police Reginald Ferguson saying that crime was under
control. With the country up to 40 murders and people living in fear of
crime, with the backlog of cases in the courts in the thousands and the
government with no idea what to do except throwing up their hands, how
can he make such a statement? But you know as long as the FNM is in power,
with this Commissioner, all things are possible.
Bahamians Are Migrants Too
With thousands of illegal Haitian migrants coming to The Bahamas each
year, Bahamians are fed up with it. But we thought that Director of Immigration
Vernon Burrows made a wise intervention in the press last week when he
told the Nassau Guardian that Bahamians migrate to the United States illegally
as well. The US State Department's report says that as of the last nine
months 91 Bahamians were deported from the U.S., most for crimes but many
for overstaying their time in the U.S. Translation, they are illegal immigrants.
LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR
A National (BGCSE) Average of D+ is apparently acceptable
The National Grade (BGCSE) Average of D+, for the Bahamas General
Certificate of Education, was released recently and the Minister of Education
seemed rather pleased with this level and quality of scholastic achievement
by our students. The Minister went as far as to align this academic “success”
with the removal of the police from public school campuses. I wish to put
the FNM government’s present position into political perspective.
It was not long ago when, at a rally, the leader of the FNM and the
Honorable Member for North Abaco said that “education went from bad to
worst” after Alfred Sears relinquished the ministerial portfolio of Attorney
General to focus exclusively on the Ministry of Education. I note that
the National Grade Average was a D+ at the time this charge was made. Donald
Saunders, the FNM candidate for the Golden Gates Constituency in the 2007
General Election, wrote a letter to the editor of the Nassau Guardian and
publicly charged that the PLP government “failed” the Bahamian students.
I note again that the National Grade Average was a D+ at the time that
letter was published. Editor, as a matter of public record the position
of the FNM regarding education and the D+ average was framed and well documented
prior to May 2nd 2007. Did I mention that the scholastic improvement
from a D- to a D+ in 2006 corresponded with the introduction of the School
Policing Program? The record shows that there is a direct and parallel
relationship between these two national developments. I am not suggesting
that the academic improvement back in 2006 was a direct result of the introduction
of the School Policing Program, I am not that bold and presumptuous; I
am simply stating a historical fact.
Editor, you could appreciate my extreme curiosity and cynicism at
this somewhat precipitous shift in the rhetoric of the FNM. If the letter
D is at the mid point of a seven letter range in a Bell curve, certainly
the FNM knew this all along because they helped introduced the grading
system. The political machinery of the FNM refused to acknowledge this
when it did not suit their purpose.
Once again and suffice it to say, the FNM manages to come across
as hypocritical, opportunistic, untrustworthy, and committed to the most
politically expedient route to power. Those who aspire to lead should never
be prepared to say and do anything for power.
If the emperor was naked in 2006 (as the FNM seemed to suggest),
the emperor is surely naked in 2008. I urge the FNM government to cloth
the emperor with urgency instead of using a slick public relations and
propaganda campaign to convince the towns people (Bahamians) that emperor
is fully regaled.
Yours etc.;
Elcott
Coleby
Click on a heading to go to that story; press ctrl + home to return
to the top of the page.
|
| PHOTO OF THE WEEK:
For the past week, it has been the Bahamian swimmers
who were the subject of review and praise. No one made it to the finals
but all made personal and national bests as they competed against the best
in the world. The surprise for the games has been the Bahamian boxer Toreano
Johnson who trained in Cuba and has won the two of his bouts so far against
the Ukraine and Grenada. As we upload, he is to face a fresh opponent.
[LATE
NEWS: Toreano Johnson lost his bout to China]. The country is
turning it eyes now on the area that has traditionally brought us some
rewards in track and field. [LATE NEWS: Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie finished
seventh in the 100 metre final, which was swept by Jamaicans. Said
Debbie, "To my Caribbean brothers and sisters, congratulations. Congratulations,
Jamaica. The girls were running fast and they shocked the world." Derek
Atkins qualified for the semi finals in the 100 metres. His times were
a bit slow. Some said he was slow getting out of the blocks and if he could
rectify that position, he could still a have a chance for the podium. That
proved not to be. He did not make the final. Chandra Sturrup was able to
qualify in her heats as well. She is a former gold medal winner from the
Sydney Olympics in 2000. Our photo of the week is that of Toreano Johnson
as he defeated his opponent in boxing from the Ukraine on Thursday 14th
August 2008. nbsp; |
COMMENT OF THE WEEK
FEELING NO PRESSURE
Zhivargo Laing, the embattled Minister of State, the insecurity
showing clearly on his now wearied face, drew himself up to his fullest
height in his chair and put on his best Hubert Ingraham imitation. He told
the press that the government of The Bahamas feels absolutely no pressure
from the unions of The Bahamas and in particular, the Bahamas Communications
and Public Officers Union (BCPOU) as a result of a strike called on Tuesday
12th August. He was speaking on Wednesday 13th August at a press conference.
We don’t believe him. This is just playing man because the bigger boss
Hubert Ingraham was vacationing on a cruise to Haiti and beyond.
The claim of Mr. Laing made no sense in the face of the fact that
on the front pages of the newspapers and on television there was the number
three man in the Government, Minister of National Security Tommy Turnquest
on Bay Street begging the Bahamas Telecommunications Company’s (BTC) workers
to remove the trucks from Bay Street where they were blocking traffic and
settle their dispute. If there was no pressure, why then was the Police
Minister out in the street negotiating?
The rank and file FNMs were counting on a different result as soon
as the big bad wolf comes home from vacation. They are predicting that
the FNM will fire all of the workers who went on strike during the week.
We would love to see it and we encourage them to do so. We will sit back
and watch what happens.
You can tell that for some reason this country is on a knife’s edge
and it is not a good result for the FNM who appear to be living in a world
of oblivious unreality.
Down in Inagua, there was also a strike, this one with more disastrous
results. BTC we understand. The Morton salt matter we do not understand
it and we think that the strikers are wrong.
The cause of the strike is the dismissal of a worker who went and
turned the power back on to his mother’s house even after the company Morton
Salt that supplies the electricity turned it off for non payment. He was
dismissed. The union goes on strike for that. In the process, they damaged
all the pumps in the salt pans, causing there to be no salt processing.
New pumps have to be brought in. They also attacked the trucks taking the
salt to the ships and so that operation had to come to a halt. One man
has been prosecuted for attempting to fire bomb one of the employer's homes.
How does any of that make sense with Morton being the only employer in
town? Dion Foulkes, the Labour Minister tried to put a good face on it,
but it appears that Morton will close its doors to all employees and start
over again with new employees because of this action.
With regard to BTC, many people are ambivalent about it. Former Prime
Minister Perry Christie speaking in an interview on Tuesday 12th August
said that the BTC workers should be at the table for the discussion on
privatization. The PLP allowed it. The FNM is not allowing it. It appears
that the workers have now accepted the government’s assurances on the point.
The problem is that BTC itself is a deeply unpopular company because
it simply does not provide good service for the Bahamian people. It has
a record of dropped calls, poor land line service and intermittent internet
service. People are so fed up with BTC that while the Union has a good
point, many of the public were against what they did.
There is no need for the PLP to get in it. The disintegration can
only help the PLP.
The website bahamaspress.com reported that Hubert Ingraham held a
Cabinet meeting on the matter by telephone and Ministers of the government
are divided over what to do in response to the matter. The site said that
there was a shouting match between the Prime Minister and one of his ministers
over just what the government's response should be to this. We are not
surprised. We know what Mr. Ingraham would want to do. But reelection means
nothing to him. He has already had the pinnacle of glory and success. There
are others looking toward their future.
Silent in the face of all of this was the Acting Prime Minister Brent
Symonette, son of the Bay Street Boys last Premier Sir Roland Symonette.
He had nothing to say on the matter and allowed the lesser mortals to go
out and try to settle it. It appears he is only the Acting Prime Minister
in name.
This is a difficult time for the country. The economic trajectory
on which the country was headed under the PLP is fast declining. The food
prices, the oil prices, the cost of living, the mortgage foreclosures,
the decline in tourism, the school fees that have gone up, all have people
on edge and seeking to relieve the pressure. In the meantime, there is
no help from the government and just a continued display of mean spiritedness.
The FNM is in deep do do and they don’t know it. It could not have happened
to a finer bunch. That is what they get for inviting the King of Mean back
to government again.
| Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 16th August
2008 up to midnight: 170,287.
Number of hits for the month of August up to Saturday 16th July
2008 up to midnight: 427,406.
Number of hits for the year 2008 up to Saturday 16th August 2008
up to midnight: 8,496,932. |
CONTACT US AT E-MAIL:placid_point@yahoo.com
FNM PERSECUTION
Neil Campbell is an administrator in the public service. That is
the position that used to be called Out Island Commissioner. The FNM administration
decided to charge Mr. Campbell and a number of other public servants with
various offences to do with the use of duty free exemptions as a result
of the hurricanes and storms. The evidence is tenuous. These are judgment
calls. The government has decided to act. Inquiring minds wonder if the
reason that these prosecutions have come is because each of those prosecuted
is suspected of being PLP. This is a matter, which goes to the very essence
of the fairness of the justice system in The Bahamas. The lives of these
individuals may be ruined because of a decision, which is a serious one
but which if it is politically motivated should be condemned in the strongest
terms. All of these employees now end up interdicted from their jobs. Imagine
the financial hardship this will cause on half pay for God knows how long.
Some of them have never been in trouble with the law before and have served
the public service with distinction for decades. One of them Pat Evans
was a particular favourite of Hubert Ingraham and did his bidding even
though he was well known as a PLP. Now this mean-spirited FNM government
appears to be engaging in a witch hunt and is using the courts in pursuance
of that agenda. We call for an investigation into this. We think also that
these persons who are the subject of these charges should immediately file
actions against the Attorney General and the Prime Minister if indeed this
is an action, a vendetta, for taking bread out of their mouths because
they are PLPs.
MITCHELL
PRESS CONFERENCE
The Opposition spokesman on Foreign Affairs Fred
Mitchell held his monthly press briefing on Foreign Affairs at the Opposition
Committee Room of the House of Assembly on Wednesday 13th August. Mr. Mitchell
challenged the government to reveal to the public the full story on the
Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) signed with the government of the
United States on 11th August. Kirsten Madison, Deputy Assistant Secretary
of State of the U.S. came to Nassau to sign the agreement with Foreign
Minister Brent Symonette. It appears to dispense with permission from Bahamian
authorities to board Bahamian ships when U.S military vessels believe there
are weapons of mass destruction on board. Mr. Mitchell called for the full
agreement to be tabled in the House of Assembly. He also chided the Ministry
for not updating its website. He said that the information on the site
was outdated. The Ministry’s site is mfabahams.org.
Since that criticism, there has been a slew of postings on the site. He
called on the government to revisit the Haitian/Bahamian Agreement to establish
a Joint Commission to look at issues related to the problem of illegal
immigration between Haiti and The Bahamas.
You may click here for the
full statement.
THE
ANGLICAN COMMUNION
The Anglican Archbishop of the West Indies Drexel Gomez who
is also the Bishop of The Bahamas has begun his farewell tour of The Bahamas
as Bishop. He has just returned from his fourth and final Lambeth Conference
at the place in London where the Archbishop of Canterbury presides as the
titular head of the Anglican Communion. By all accounts, it is a communion
in name only. It does not have the cohesion of governance like the Roman
Catholics, and it now it appears that on doctrinal issues, there is an
agreement to disagree. The Lambeth Conference, which is held every ten
years, was boycotted by the Bishops of the conservative wing of the church.
They met in Jerusalem at their own conference. The dividing issue, human
sexuality and more particularly those who are oriented sexually toward
the same gender. One half says that the Bible is clear on the issue; the
other half says that a loving relationship is blessed by God in any dimension.
It appears that the Archbishop of Canterbury who has been trying to keep
the flock together has the latter view. No comment on that from the Anglican
Archbishop at his return press conference but he did say that the communion
is not split. The rest of the communion is waiting to see what happens
when the American church meets, whether they will recant from their heresy
and not ordain any more Bishops who are homosexual. Archbishop Gomez says
that there are simply two approaches to the church's doctrine. We have
already said what they are. Archbishop Gomez throughout his life as a priest
has been skilful at moving on to the next stage in his life and career.
From priest to Bishop of Barbados, retiring there to become Chair of the
Public Service Commission in The Bahamas and on to being Bishop of The
Bahamas and then Archbishop of the West Indies. We hope that all of the
intellectual talent that he has put into this issue pays the reward of
some wider work for the Anglican communion overseas. It would be a shame
for a man at such a relatively young age in these matters (He is 72; compare
and contrast the Pope at 84.) should be out to pasture. At his side was
his successor Bishop Laish Boyd who espoused a more inclusive Ministry.
He said that he never dreamed that he would be a bishop; his sights were
always on being a good parish priest. Let us hope Bishop Boyd takes that
thinking and that talk to Addington House.
THE BAR
COUNCIL’S APPEAL
We have been reluctant to join the press of The Bahamas in its reporting
of the troubles of Andrew Thompson, the Attorney of years of standing,
grandson of former Judge of the Supreme Court Maxwell Thompson, who was
ordered suspended from practice at the Bar for six months; if he does not
repay hundreds of thousands of dollars to clients from their funds by 17th
September he is disbarred. The Bar Disciplinary Committee decided that
they would suspend him and give him an opportunity to pay the money back
and then be able once again to practice as a lawyer. That is not good enough
for the Bar President and the Bar Council. They have decided to appeal.
Wayne Munroe, speaking as the President of the Bar, to the Rotary Club
on Thursday 14th August said that the penalty was not enough and that he
must be disbarred absolutely and forthwith for what Mr. Thompson had done.
The problem is that this comes off as mean spirited and spiteful. The problem
is that his speaking about it now may prejudice the case on appeal against
Mr. Thompson. Is Mr. Thomson now entitled to say that he cannot get a fair
appeal because Mr. Munroe has already prejudiced the case by speaking about
the matter in public? This is particularly so if the case is headed to
the Court of Appeal where we have made the point before that he is too
often defending Dame Joan Sawyer, the President of the Court of Appeal
in her many unacceptable interventions in the public arena from the bench.
There is also another troubling point about this speech. We have made this
point before. The President of the Bar is supposed to be an advocate for
lawyers. Too often, he is in the press downing lawyers instead of defending
them.
No one holds a brief for anyone who takes the money of clients but
the matter should be left alone. There should be no appeal. The Tribunal
of fact made its determination. Now leave the matter alone. This way, Mr.
Thompson has an incentive to at least try to get the client’s money back.
We would guess that is all the client wants. If he is disbarred forthwith,
then what incentive does he have to try to resolve the problem?
FOX
HILL DAY
Each year on the second Tuesday in August, the people of the Fox
Hill Village in New Providence gather to mark Fox Hill day. It is a tradition
that has been celebrated since at least the 1880s and it ends the Fox Hill
festival, which marks two weeks of activity observing the anniversary of
the emancipation of the slaves on 1st August 1834. Fred Mitchell MP for
Fox Hill visited each of the four Baptist churches with former Prime Minister
of The Bahamas and PLP leader Perry Christie. At each stop, the Fox Hill
Festival Committee made available to the churches a sum of money for the
support of their Fox Hill Day programme. The funds were secured from a
grant from the Member of Parliament’s vote. The photos of Fox Hill Day
Tuesday 12th August are by Vaughn Scriven.
Fox
Hill Festival Chair presents cheque to St. Paul’s
|
Mother
Jones of St. Paul’s with Fox Hill Festival Chair |
Samantha
Carter, former Miss Fox Hill and former Miss Bahamas directs the children
of Macedonia Baptist Church
|
Group
shot outside Macedonia Baptist Church, Church member Esmeralda Rutherford;
Paula Tynes, Treasurer Fox Hill festival Committee, Eunice Johnson, wife
of the Chair of the Fox Hill Festival Committee, Fred Mitchell, Fox Hill
MP, Charles Johnson, Chair Fox Hill Festival Committee, Perry Christie,
Leader of the Opposition, Eric Wilmott, after whom the Fox Hill festival
is named this year, Pastor David Johnson, Janet Davis, Committee Member |
Samantha
Carter, former Miss Fox Hill and Miss Bahamas
|
Rev.
Carrington Pinder, Pastor St. Mark’s Native Baptist Church
Bishop
Michael Symonette, head of the St. John's Native Particular Baptist Churchs
of which St. Mark's is one. |
Shantell
Brown, Prison officer and St. Mark’s member performs
|
Jason
Dean St. Mark’s member is the MC for the occasion, dressed in costume
|
Fred
Mitchell and Perry Christie wait to enter Mt. Carey Baptist Church
|
Akeem,
the rapper 12 years old and very much in command
|
Fox
Hill MP Fred Mitchell addresses the Mt. Carey Congregation
|
The
children are shown the old way it used to be done Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
at Mt. Carey Union Baptist Church
|
MORE
FOX HILL JUNKANOO
We thought that you did not get the full sense
of the beauty of Junkanoo in Fox Hill on Monday 4th August. We present
again this week, photos of Junkanoo taken by Peter Ramsay of the Bahamas
Information Services.
OLYMPIC IMAGES
While no Bahamian has so far made it into the finals, we would
like to show you some of the images by the international press of Bahamians
at the Olympics. Also congratulations to Usain Bolt, the six foot, five
inch runner from Jamaica who set a new world record of 9.69 seconds in
the 100 metre dash. Our Derek Atkins did not get below 10 seconds and did
not make it out to the finals. He was eliminated in the semis where he
came 12th. The photos show Derek Atkins at work, Chandra Sturrup, Jeremy
Knowles in the pool, and Usain Bolt of Jamaica crossing the finish line.
TWO NEW
COURT APPOINTMENTS
The Judicial and Legal Services Commission has announced with great
flourish and fancy pictures to go along with it that Claire Hepburn, the
recent FNM Attorney General, is now a Judge of the Supreme Court. She promised
that she would be back to serve in another capacity and now here it is,
less than a year as an FNM politician, now a Supreme Court justice. Claire
Hepburn’s appointment is okay, but it is important to point out that bit
of history. The more difficult problem is the appointment of Justice Jeffery
Lyons as Senior Justice. We reported earlier on this site that Justice
Jon Isaacs was to get the second appointment as Senior Justice. The other
Senior Justice is Anita Allen. It appears that Mr. Justice Lyons made a
lot of noise about this, and the Judicial and Legal Services Commission
has now buckled to his incessant clatter and given him this appointment.
We disagree. We believe that Justice Lyons should be made to leave The
Bahamas. He denigrates The Bahamas, Bahamian lawyers, Bahamian leaders.
Some of his judgments have been used to intervene inappropriately in the
public policy of this country. We have said before, if he does not like
The Bahamas and Bahamians he should leave. Instead, he stays and gets promoted
for all of the inappropriate things he has said about Bahamians and their
leaders. This country clearly suffers from a lack of self esteem on these
issues when it can act as doormat for any journeyman to come and walk and
wipe his shoes on it. The country cannot be so democratic that it allows
this to happen, self-inflicted. However, no one from the Bar will make
a peep. The President of the Bar who was busy talking away this week to
Rotary will have nothing to say on this insulting appointment. It appears
to some that after Mr. Justice Lyons was appointed as Acting Chief Justice,
he suddenly had a change of heart about The Bahamas, seeing things from
a different perspective and so he stopped all the criticisms he was making
of Chief Justice Sir Burton Hall behind his back. Now we wait to see whether
he will take the money that comes from the Treasury. Remember this is the
same Judge whose friends claimed that The Bahamas had the mark of the devil
because the amount of the raise he got under the last raise for judges
amounted to some 666 dollars per month and he was returning it to the Treasury
because it was illegally conferred. We wonder what he will say now with
the increase he gets for being Senior Justice. This is the same judge who
friends boasted that he brought down one administration and he would bring
down another. This appointment is almost as outrageous as the PLP renewing
the work permit of John Marquis at The Tribune so he could destroy the
PLP. What a country? Where will it all end?
NEWSPAPERS
AND THEIR WEBSITES
We on this site depend on public sources for information and
comment. It has become increasingly difficult these past weeks because
of the unreliability of the newspapers that appear on line. The Tribune
does to have an on line service so it is expected that one will have to
see what they say in hard copy as it has to be done for the down market
Punch. But the Nassau Guardian and The Bahama Journal advertise an online
services. The service is not very good. It is not updated on a regular
basis and it appears that The Guardian in a misguided attempt to get more
people to buy the paper, they do not update the paper until the next day.
So that what appears on the site is one day late. The Bahama Journal has
not been updated since last Friday 8th August (at the time of this upload).
The Nassau Guardian had not updated its site since Thursday 14th August
and before that for four days. This is supposed to be a modern country
but in some ways, we continue in the dark ages. Interestingly enough, Front
Porch, a column that appears in the Guardian made the point this past week
that there is no accountability by the press in this country, no independent
watchdog, no press Commission to police wrongdoing and injustice. There
is no public editor where the newspaper gives space to an independent writer
to review the practices of the paper and how it dealt with a subject. We
appeal to the Guardian and the Bahama Journal to take their roles seriously
and update their websites. It is the responsible thing to do for newspapers
of record.
LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR
MAMA
CO
Dear Editor:
I am utterly shocked
that your associates at Bahamasuncensored.com failed to mention the sudden
passing of Corienne "Mamma Co" Ferguson the past Wednesday. She was a pillar
in the Johnson Road and greater Fox Hill Community area. Her funeral will
be this coming Saturday at 11am at St. Paul’s.
(We take the point. She was a great woman of
Fox Hill. May she rest in peace – Editor)
CALLING REUBEN RAHMING
Dear Editor:
There was an article
about the Public Transit Association (PTAB) in The Bahamas, led by a Mr.
Reuben Rahming. I was curious if you happened to have Mr. Rahming's contact
information? I wanted to ask him a question . Thank you.
Turner W. Rentz, III
- Chief Executive Officer ATR,
Inc.
http://www.atrwireless.com
- tel./fax
770 433 9113/5
(We publish this
as it was sent to us on 31st July 2008. If any one has
a contact with Mr. Rahming, please advise us or him – Editor)
IN
PASSING
Tommy Cleare Dies
News came in the mid afternoon on Saturday 16th August that businessman
and PLP political supporterTommy Cleare, part owner of Bahamas Fire and
Welding, partner of the FNM's Alphonso "Bugaloo" Eliott is dead.
He reportedly died of a stroke following a dinner in Chicago. This
is quite sad and we offer condolences to his family.
Rosie Fernander At 75
Happy Birthday to the former Rosemary Brown, daughter of the late
H.W. Brown, since Fernander and married two more times since then. She
had great fun about it at a party thrown by her children to celebrate the
birthday at the gardens of the law firm of Lockhart Munroe and Co at the
end of Buen Retiro Road in Nassau. Before the party, there was a mass at
Holy Spirit Anglican Church in Chippingham.
Keva Major Released From Florida Jail
You must remember all the hoo-hah earlier this year made about the
extradition of Dwight and Keva Major, the husband and wife couple who were
arrested for running a drug operation in Long Island in the southern Bahamas.
After fighting extradition for five years and being in jail here in Nassau
the whole time, the couple were sent to Florida to face the American courts.
Mrs. Major has now been released. The Bahamian newspapers said that she
had been released without a trial and was simply awaiting deportation.
Turns out that was wrong. Mrs. Major pleaded guilty to the charges and
was sentenced to time served. She is therefore going to be deported back
to The Bahamas. In the meantime, her father one Dorsett, said to be a reverend,
was on TV saying how happy they all were that the problems were over. He
knew that God would make a way. He knew that there was no evidence against
her. False! There was evidence against her and she pleaded guilty to it.
We keep saying this is a remarkable country. It reminds you of the case
of the five baggage handlers who were caught red handed smuggling drugs
on planes in 2006 and were arrested in Florida when they went there for
a training course that caused a cry against former Foreign Minister Fred
Mitchell, who had nothing whatever to do with it. The end result, the five
pleaded guilty as charged to the offences. No more noise, just mumbling
under their breaths but no apology to the former Minister.
Turks Premier And His Wife Fight Literally
Someone needs to have quiet word with the Premier of the Turks and
Caicos Islands Michael Misick and say enough is enough. His defenders might
be the best to do so but the whole spectacle of the last week in addition
to his other public problems with the British have become an embarrassment
for the region. It does not matter who is right or wrong in the situation,
and only the Premier stands to lose. The Premier's personal business is
not to spill out into the street like you are a yard fowl. This past week,
the press reported that Mr. Misick and his wife of barely two years LisaRaye,
a B TV actress from the United States was to be dissolved. He said that
he was committed to dissolving it amicably and would have nothing further
to say. The words were hardly on the paper when the next thing we read
was that he and his wife were in a fight at the Premier’s residence and
that both had separately filed reports with the police that they had been
assaulted. This is really low class. Both issued statements. The Premier
said that she had barged her way in past the security guards when she knew
she no longer had permission to come into the House. She said that she
was prevented from coming into their home by the Premier. Both reported
that they went to the hospital to be treated for cuts and bruises. The
press releases appear below, but really, this is absolutely disgraceful
on their parts, simply yarddie.
THE STATEMENT OF TURK’S PREMIER MICHAEL MISICK
“Last night, LisaRaye, her cousin Phillip Travis, and her publicist
Lynn Jetter, assaulted the guard at the Premier’s home, and proceeded to
ransack the house, and then assaulted the Premier and his sister.
The Premier, at no time, had any physical contact with LisaRaye, but
as a result of her assault on them; both the Premier and his sister were
taken to the hospital with injuries and later released.
“It is public knowledge that the couple has been separated for months,
and LisaRaye has no lawful right to be in the residence. Her conduct yesterday
clearly contradicts her stated commitment to dissolve the marriage amicably.”
LISA RAYE MISICK’S STATEMENT
Last night an attempt was made by, and on behalf of, my husband to first
prevent my entry into our home, and then later, to make me leave our home
by force.
“It was necessary for me to receive medical treatment for injuries suffered.
and in relation to those injuries, I shall continue to assist the police
force with its enquiries.
“While it is my sincere wish to avoid unnecessary conflict, I shall
not be intimidated, nor shall those individuals whose job it is to protect
and represent me.
”I have always been a supportive wife, even in light of the very serious
allegations currently pending against the Premier”
Condolences To Rawle Maynard
We offer our sincere condolences to Rawle Maynard on the death of his
wife Rosita. She died at their home in Georgetown, Exuma. She was buried
following a funeral service at St. Andrew’s Anglican Church in Georgetown
on Saturday 16th August.
Tanya Galanis Is The New Law School Head
Congratulations to Tanya Galanis, the wife of former MP and Senator
Philip Galanis, for her appointment as the new Principal of the Eugene
Dupuch Law School , the Nassau Campus of the Council of Legal Education
of the West Indies.
Ingraham Changes His Mind On Straw Market
With a straight face and without batting an eyelid, Prime Minister Hubert
Ingraham called in the Straw Vendors’ Association for the Bay Street Straw
Market headed by former PLP Senator Telator Strachan on Tuesday 5th August.
He told the vendors that he never said that the straw market would be moved
off Bay Street, he promised sooner rather than later to rebuild the straw
market on its old site, not make it a green space as his Minister of Environment
Earl Deveaux was saying. He also promised to repair the tent under which
the vendors have been housed for seven years. We say, all of this is said
by the Prime Minister with a straight face. These are dangerous times.
Tropical Storm Faye
There is a storm traveling but it appears that it will miss The Bahamas
and go just south of us and on to Florida. This is the most active part
of the hurricane season. The storm is Faye. At last report, it was said
to be over Cuba. There was a brief hurricane watch issued for Inagua and
the southern Bahamas.
Bar President Wrong On EPA
Wayne Munroe, the President of the Bahamas Bar, says that he is opposed
to the Economic Partnership Agreements to be signed with the European Union
on 2nd September. We wonder aloud if the leaders of this country want us
to continue to live in the dark ages. More fundamentally, has he actually
read the agreement?
The John Edwards Affair
Does the United States not have anything better to do than to flap
up their gums, their TV time and their press columns with news that John
Edwards who once ran for president had an affair with a woman outside his
marriage? He is married and lied about the affair. Mr. Edwards issued the
appropriate mea culpas and the press has been in overdrive about what this
means. It means absolutely nothing and has nothing to do with anything
about his abilities as a public man. It is a private matter, and it is
only the hypocrisy of the press and some American people and Bahamians
too for that matter that waste so much time on this issue particularly
one who is not a candidate for anything.
Click on a heading to go to that story; press ctrl + home to return
to the top of the page.
|
| PHOTO OF THE WEEK:
The roar of the crowd in the restaurant in Freeport
was growing, rising. What was the roar for? It was for the semi final heat
of the men’s four by four relay and The Bahamas had just won it by edging
out Jamaica in the heat. The restaurant crowd was delirious, muttering
under their breath about The Bahamas beating Jamaica. We don’t mutter under
our breath. We say congratulations to Jamaica for their six gold medals,
a magnificent testament to the fortitude of their athletes and their country.
Derek Atkins, one of the Bahamian team is after all part Jamaica, a first
cousin of Jamaican racer Asapha Powell. The Bahamian team went on to win
a silver medal in the final on Saturday 23rd August. The country was proud
and relieved and it added to the bronze medal for Leevan Sands. It was
a fine Olympics after all. Our photo of the week then is that of the final
in the four by four relay with Bahamians finishing the race in second place.
Let’s hear it for the boys. |
COMMENT OF THE WEEK
LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE BOYS
The women did well in the Olympics for the Caribbean region.
The women of Jamaica did well. The Bahamian women did not do as well as
they did in previous years but let’s face it they are still amongst the
top in the world. No problem there. But this year’s Olympics belongs to
the men of the Caribbean, in the colloquial parlance the boys. For the
region the Olympics belongs to the Jamaicans who have six gold medals.
The games of 2008 belong to the star Usain Bolt and his blinding fast speed
and showmanship. His country is over the moon and the Prime Minister Bruce
Golding and the entire country will be partying until the team comes home
and will party 'til the break of dawn.
We in The Bahamas should not be “begrudgeful” but should be happy
for them. Jamaica has a hard time. The country has a reputation of being
awash in crime and in drugs. People often criticize them in the region
for being too aggressive. But with these Olympics, let’s forget all of
that and give credit where credit is due. They have done a good job. Some
of their coaches were Bahamian. One of their women athletes gave praise
to her Bahamian coach for piloting her to victory.
We must not forget the Trinidadian sprinter Derek Thompson who made
it to the silver medal in the one hundred metre dash. Great job.
We think that Usain Bolt should enjoy his moment. He is after all
21 years of age. He is six foot five. He is the Olympic champion and the
fastest man in the world. No one can take that away. And certainly not
the grumpy old curmudgeon Jacques Rogge who is the Chair of the International
Olympic Committee (IOC). Mr. Rogge criticized the Jamaican runner because
of his celebratory mood as he won the race. He tried to clarify it later
by saying he thought that the way the race was run, Mr. Bolt was disrespectful
to the other athletes. He thought he should have congratulated them. A
point maybe. But let the kid enjoy himself. He’ll do better next time.
Just enjoy himself.
Mr. Rogge should be criticized for his cowardice really. You remember
that the Chinese government made all sorts of promises to the IOC about
the freedoms that their own people would enjoy for the Olympics and the
freedoms the world would enjoy accessing China. On the human rights front
there was no improvement, yet Mr. Rogge and his colleagues at the IOC said
not a word. But suddenly Mr. Rogge has the temerity to attack a 21 year
old athlete because he is celebrating a great victory. Go blow it out your
ear.
Our greatest praise though must go to our silver medalist Chris Brown
and his team who ran the anchor leg for the Bahamian team in the four by
four men’s relay. What a race! Mr. Brown lost narrowly earlier in the week
in the 400 metre race when in the last seconds of the race; the American
made a dive over the finish line and by .04 of a second edged him out of
the bronze. Mr. Brown who is best described as a scrapper held on in the
4 by 400 from the time he got the baton and as the Russian closed in from
behind. He ran and ran his heart out until he crossed the finish line second.
Good man. We think that of all our athletes, he must in fact be the hero
of these games. His mother who decided at the last minute not to go to
China for the games must have been watching there in Rock Sound, Eleuthera
as her son crossed the finish line, accross the world stage and into the
history books. Congratulations go out to the others who ran Andretti Bain,
Andrae Williams, and Michael Mathieu. Good job boys.
The success of Jamaica tells you something. We too had the formula.
We did it when Tommy Robinson and Bernard Nottage and Arlington Butler
and others put together the winning strategy to take our girls into gold
in Sidney, Australia, and in Athens, Greece with Tonique Williams Darling.
Ordinary men and women rolled to the world stage through sorts, through
discipline and hard work.
Some were worried as Jamaica blazed accross the line, that The Bahamas
would be left out. But let us face it, The Bahamas has 300,000 people.
We are fortunate in the game of probability to be there from such a small
population.
Consider that the great United States with its 300 million people
dropped the baton both the men and women. Consider that Tyson Gay, their
great sprinter did not make the final. If those things happen to them,
consider how fortunate indeed The Bahamas is. We still won medals. It means
that the raw talent is here and we can do it we can stop the political
bickering in sports administration and if the FNM government would support
sports in The Bahamas. Jamaicans don't divide over sports. They pull together.
That is the lesson then of the Olympic in 2008. The swimmers did
well. We have good crop of swimmers coming up. They will do better next
time. No doubt about it.
Our final thought is that the young boys of The Bahamas now have
proper role models. Not these worthless drug dealers that some lawyers
seem hell bent on defending their reputations in the face of overwhelming
evidence. They now have these clean athletes. The picture of Leevan Sands
jumping for the bronze, infectious smile, clean cut, decent young man.
The picture of Chris Brown simply working hard and winning. Those are the
men we want to praise and defend. So many times, the women themselves wonder
what is happening to the men in our country. In these Olympics it is clear
to see. So on this occasion, lets hear it for the boys.
| Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 23rd August
2008 up to midnight: 240,040.Number of hits for the month of August up
to Saturday 23rd August 2008 up to midnight: 695,578. Number
of hits for the year 2008 up to Saturday 23rd August 2008 up to midnight:
8,736,972 |
CONTACT US AT E-MAIL:placid_point@yahoo.com
WORKERS TOO FAT IN THE HOTELS
Jus cuz she fat!..
You know I like it like dat
-- Bahamian pop song
One day a Chinese diplomat stationed in The Bahamas asked a Bahamian
diplomat an earnest question. He wanted to know why Bahamian women were
so fat. The Chinese now are discovering for themselves what the wages of
wealth are. You eat too much food. Scientists from throughout the world
and most recently a special investigative mission headed by Chancellor
of the University of the West Indies Sir George Alleyne have warned that
there is an epidemic of non communicable chronic diseases from which the
region is suffering. Obesity heads the list and it is leading to high
blood pressure and diabetes. The Bahamas Hotel Employers Association has
now taken up the message with its President J. Barrie Farrington saying
on Friday 22nd August that most of the hotel workers in the country are
obese. He said that most of the country’s hotel workers are like “walking
time bomb”. Mr. Farrington bombs was
officially launching a healthy lifestyles program for workers in the industry.
The Bahama Journal reported that Mr. Farrington said a significant
number of hotel workers are afflicted with non-communicable illnesses
like obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer, which are affecting
their level of performance.
According to the Journal Mr. Farrington said “Obesity and the accompanying
health problems tend to lead to more sick days, less productivity on the
job, so the worker and the employer and the industry loses. With lowered
productivity in a major industry, our economy eventually suffers and so
does the country."
Mr. Farrington revealed that a screening of 2,945 hotel employees
between 2003 and 2004 showed that 80.4 percent of them had a body mass
index greater than 25, meaning they were overweight. Forty two percent
were moderately obese and 8.8 percent were severely obese. Women led the
way with almost 47 percent of them being moderately to severely obese compared
to 33.6 percent of men.
"With statistics like these, everyone loses," he said. "Something
had to be done."
The Journal reports says that The Bahamas Hotel and Allied Industries
Health and Welfare Benefits Fund has enlisted the services of Jemi Health
and Wellness Center on Blake Road to help hotel workers in the country
adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles. Janette Martin-Isaacs of Jemi Wellness
said the healthy lifestyles program will target four common illnesses –
hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol and obesity.
"It is a three month, 12 week "well on your way" program, so persons
who sign up for this program are going to be screened when they first come
in and screened in the areas of their present health, their past health
and their family health," she said. “Once we get that information from
them we’re going to do the screening for blood sugar, blood cholesterol,
blood pressure and of course height and weight to determine their body
mass indices."
We think that this a worthwhile investment and we hope that the
Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union is on broad the idea.
There is a dissenting thought that is worth considering on this issue
of obesity. Obesity is not something that is about the will of the individual.
There are complex biological, psychological, physical and cultural issues
that relate to why people are the way they are. It is not as simple as
willing your way to losing weight. One of the issues people who are not
overweight have to come terms with are that their prejudices on this issue
should not cause them to ignore the complex factors that we have just outlined.
The issue therefore must be approached less judgmentally and with some
sensitivity.
PHOTOS
OF OUR ATHLETES AT WORK
Our country is in a thrall this weekend because of
the success of the Bahamian males at the Olympics. The men won the silver
medal in the four by four relay and Leevan Sands got a bronze in the long
jump. The winning silver medal team for The Bahamas is: Andretti Bain,
Andrae Williams, Michael Mathieu and Christopher Brown. We also feature
Leevan Sands as he won the bronze and accepted his medal on the podium.
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We also show the Jamaican winning team in the
four by one hundred relay Their team was made up of Nestor Carter, Michael
Frater, Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell. We also present Derek Thompson, the
Trinidadian athlete who was second in the men’s one hundred metre behind
Usain Bolt. Congratulations to them all. The photos are by Getty Images. |
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BEIJING - AUGUST 21: Leevan Sands of Bahamas competes
in the Men's Triple Jump Final held at the National Stadium during Day
13 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 21, 2008 in Beijing, China.
(Photo
by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images) |
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Bronze medallist Leevan Sands of the Bahamas poses during
the medal ceremony for the men's triple jump event of the athletics competition
in the National Stadium at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games August 22, 2008.
REUTERS/Mike
Blake (CHINA) |
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Levan Sands- AUGUST 22: (L to R) Silver medalist Phillips
Idowu of Great Britain, gold medalist Nelson Evora of Portugal and bronze
medalist Leevan Sands of the Bahamas stand on the podium during the Men's
Triple Jump medal ceremony at the National Stadium on Day 14 of the Beijing
2008 Olympic Games on August 22, 2008 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Stu
Forster/Getty Images) |
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See Photo Gallery for all pictures
LAYOFFS
IN THE HOTEL SECTOR
The Our Lucaya Hotel in Freeport with its 1200 rooms is running
with 20 per cent occupancy. The Bahamar Project in Nassau with its Sheraton
and Crystal Palace properties has just lain off 43 workers. Business is
down they say. The shocker though was Ed Fields, the mouthpiece of Atlantis
at Paradise Island, announcing that as of 1st September, the Beach Tower
with its 423 room will be closed for two months until the end of October.
The earth quake was felt around Nassau. Mr. Fields tried to play it off
as just a routine fall closure at a slow time but with the economic news
getting worse and worse. It is a cause for concern. Some digit around reveals
that the entire Atlantis property has fallen 50 per cent behind in its
bookings last year when compared to this year and they are considering
closing all the towers expect for the newly built Cove property. If that
happens then there will be massive layoff at Atlantis. Atlantis is the
largest employer in the tourism sector and if such layoffs ensue there
will be serious consequences for the government. In the meantime, the government
does nothing but hope that this economic crisis will go away. As people
brace for the start of the new school term, it has become clear that the
taxes put into effect by the FNM are causing an outcry in the country.
Many FNMs now see what the PLP is saying.
NAOMI
SEYMOUR TURNS 70
Retired straw vendor and former FNM Senator (1997-2002) Naomi Seymour
turned 70 years old on 9th August. To mark the occasion her son the Minister
of State Zhivargo Laing and her other children held a birthday bash for
her in Freeport on Saturday 23rd August. It was like a party to end all
parties. Freeport’s high society turned out and visitors from Nassau including
Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham and former Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell
came. Former Prime Minster Perry Christie sent his regards. Naomi Seymour
was a strong PLP and an ally of the late Jeffery Thompson. When the PLP
put Mr. Ingraham out, she was one of the first to follow him. She encouraged
him within the PLP to dissent when difference emerged between him and former
Prime Minister Lynden Pindling. Her son Zhivargo is the beneficiary of
that early support. Before politics, Ms. Seymour was an active straw vendor
in the Freeport market. Happy Birthday to former Senator Naomi Seymour.
THE
SENATE CASE IS FINALLY HEARD
On Tuesday 19th August, the case of Perry Christie as Leader of the
Opposition against Hubert Ingraham as Prime Minister began. It is long
overdue. The court has to answer the question why this matter has taken
almost one year and a half to come to court. Given the constitutional importance
of it, the matter should have been heard months ago. Nevertheless the arguments
have begun. The record reveals that the former Prime Minister takes the
position that the three appointments to the Senate under Article 36(4)
are for the PLP. He argues that Senators Anthony Musgrove and Tanya Wright
are not PLPs. They were appointed by Mr. Ingraham when the two could not
agree on how many seats the PLP should have in the Senate. Paul Adderley
the former Attorney General is arguing the case on behalf of the Leader
of the Opposition. Mr. Adderley said that Mr. Ingraham in making his appointments
to the Senate without taking the advice of the Leader of the Opposition
was making up his own constitutional rules. The purpose of the three appointments
under that Senate provision is to secure that the political balance of
the Senate mirrors exactly what the political balance in the House is.
The PLP has 17 seats, 18 at the time the case was tried and now the FNM
has 23 with one independent to make a total of 41 seats in the House. When
you apply the percentages between the FNM and the PLP and independents,
it is clear the three seats should go to the PLP. Mr. Ingraham seemed to
recognize that when he tried to appoint former PLP cabinet Minister Leslie
Miller. Mr. Miller later declined the appointment. One hiccup pointed out
by the Judge when the case started is that Loren Klien from the office
of the Attorney General represents both the Prime Minister and the Hubert
Ingraham, the political leader. The Judge pointed out a conflict and asked
Mr. Klein to withdraw to consider whether he can properly discharge both
obligations. The Chief Justice should go further and order Mr. Klein to
remove himself from one or the other and for the Mr. Ingraham to get his
own lawyer. Don’t hold your breath.
NO
IMPROVEMENT IN NEWSPAPER SITES
Last week we wrote about the newspapers the Nassau Guardian
and the Bahama Journal and their lack of attention to their websites. Again
this week, there was little improvement or explanation. If you go on line,
you will see that neither newspaper has its Saturday edition on line for
this week. For several days this week, there was no update at all on either
site. This is unfortunate. It is also a useful contrast or irony to point
out that newspapers that are so critical about the way this society is
run are so sloppy when it comes to their own product.
GRAND BAHAMA COUNCIL ELECTIONS
 |
CAPTION:
NEW GRAND BAHAMA PLP COUNCIL
OFFICERS pose following their election on Wednesday evening. Seated, left
to right, National Asst. Secretary-General, Michelle Reckley; Secretary,
Bernadette Bethel; Council Chairman, Sen. Pleasant Bridgewater; and Vice
Chairman, Dr. Michael Darville. Standing, left to right, Executive Officer,
LaQuay Laing; Treasurer, Constance Hanna; Executive Officer, Eulita Strachan;
Asst. Secretary/Treasurer, Denise Lewis; Executive Officer, Cassietta McIntosh,
and, Member of Parliament, West End & Bimini Constituency, Obie Wilchcombe,
former National Chairman. |
A new slate of officers from Progressive Liberal Party Branches throughout
Grand Bahama was elected to the Grand Bahama PLP Council to direct the
Party’s affairs on the island during a Special Meeting held on Wednesday
night in Freeport.
Senator Pleasant Bridgewater was the unanimous selection of the branches
to again head the body. Joining her are Dr. Michael Darville, Vice Chairman;
Bernadette Bethel, Secretary; Constance Hanna, Treasurer; Denise Lewis,
Asst. Secretary/Treasurer; and Executive Officers, Cassietta McIntosh,
La Quay Laing, and Eulita Strachan.
The meeting and elections was conducted by former National Chairman
of the Party, the Member of Parliament for West End & Bimini, Obie
Wilchcombe assisted by Assistant Secretary-General Michelle Reckley.
Sen. Bridgewater immediately challenged the new officers and supporters
in attendance at Party Headquarters to prepare themselves for a focused
effort to return the PLP as the government and resume the progress of the
country delayed from May of 2007.
“We have a challenge ahead of us,” she said following the meeting,
“but we have done this before and we will do it again.
“I was concerned today when hearing of the vandalization of the
new public school and want to make it understood that we condemn such actions
which has no place in our community, and which could possibly impact the
start of the new school year.
“Within the next week we will visit as many of the schools on the
island as possible to see for ourselves just how close are they to being
ready for receiving our students for the new term; we also want to hear
from the teachers and principals about staffing and supplies,” said Miss
Bridgewater.
Mr. Wilchcombe urged Branch representatives to be proactive in addressing
the concerns that are escalating from the communities throughout Grand
Bahama.
“We must ensure that those persons who are experiencing rough time
are seen and heard and where possible assisted; in these trying times the
PLP must be seen as organization that can possibly bring relief to their
pains,” said Mr. Wilchcombe.
Read press release
print press release
LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR
From: Dorsett, Randol
<rmd@gtclaw.com>
Subject: Re: Bar Council's Appeal
To: placid_point@yahoo.com
Date: Thursday, August 21, 2008, 10:14 AM
It
is not often that I disagree with the sentiments expressed in your editorials,
much less, feel compelled
to express such disagreement in the manner I now do. However,
I must say that I cannot differ in stronger
terms as it relates to your recent comments under your story
captioned "Bar Council's Appeal".
The
matter is simple. The alleged acts of misappropriation, if proved,
are worthy of no less a consequence than disbarment.
A lesser penalty sets a dangerous precedent, which will only
result in the continued erosion of the integrity of this great profession.
I commend our President Mr. Munroe for his leadership in this
regard. It would appear that you would
criticize him for seeking to enforce and uphold a standard of
integrity that is beyond reproach.
A
disappointing logic! He is supposed to be an advocate for lawyers,
and in this regard he has been, in seeking to ensure that our profession
does not condone, but rather completely condemns such unethical behaviour!
And
das my 5 cents!
Randol
M. A. Dorsett
(A
very Junior and proud member of this Honourable Bar)
(We
accept that Mr. Dorsett disagrees with our criticism of the penalty.
We accept that that he disagrees with whether it should be appealed.
But the legal point and a lawyer should understand this that the President
of the Bar in his comments he may have prejudiced the appeal by speaking
about it in the manner that he did and if Mr. Thompson takes the objection
in the end, the Bar President may not accomplish the “justice” if you can
call it that he desires and that is real point. Editor)
IN
PASSING
Death In The Afternoon
And eleven year old boy reportedly hanged himself while playing
alone in his backyard in Hay Street in Nassau. Devante McPhee described
by family and friends as a smart boy who was a bit of a loner was discovered
in his back yard. The matter was reported as suicide but the police are
treating it as an accident. The death came on Tuesday 19th August.
Fighting For Hugh Small
There is a report that the Bar Council is in the middle of a fight
over whether or not to admit former Justice Hugh Small, a former Minister
in the Government of Jamaica who served here on the Supreme Court, can
be admitted to a special call to take over the cases of Michael Barnett
at his former firm Graham Thompson and Co. Mr. Barnett is now the Attorney
General. Foreign Attorneys have to be approved by the Bar Council in order
to practice here. President of the Bar Wayne Munroe opposes the Economic
Partnership Agreement (EPA) that would allow the profession to be able
to enter into joint ventures with a firm abroad and have their attorneys
come to the region to practice as would lawyers from this jurisdiction
be able to go to Europe subject to agreement on professional qualifications.
The government here does not propose to make lawyers a part of their services
offer on the EPA so it really does not arise as a proper concern but Mr.
Munroe opposes it anyway. Back to the issue of the call of Mr. Small. It
appears that the Bar President does not have a difficulty with the call
of Mr. Small. What will the Bar Council do? If they are consistent with
Mr. Munroe’s objections to the EPA then they will reject the application.
Musharraf Gets Dumped
The General Pervez Musharraf who seized power in a coup in Pakistan
in October 1999 and was considered an indispensable ally in the fight that
the Americans call the war on terror that permitted them to invade two
sovereign countries and remove their governments has now been dumped himself.
The Parliament of Pakistan called for him to resign or be impeached. He
looked around for support from his own party in Pakistan and his British
and American allies. They gave him no support so he gave up. He resigned
on 18th August. The resignation was reported as breaking news on the BBC
in the dark hours of the morning. The US networks did not break a sweat.
They were busy talking about floods in Florida while the Fox News Network
was savaging black presidential candidate Barak Obama. No time for the
resignation of Mr. Musharraf.
The Russians And Georgians Overreach
The Georgians started a war they could not finish. Little Georgia
that up until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 was a part of Russia
tried to take on a resurgent Russia on Thursday 7th August and lost big
time. The West is fuming, after putting Georgia up to fight the Russian
bear. More correctly, the Georgian President overreached himself by launching
an attack apparently misinterpreting the U.S. President’s support as meaning
the U.S. would come to his country’s rescue if the Russians invaded. The
West is unable to put their money where their mouth is. The U.S. Defence
Secretary Robert Gates made it clear that despite the words and the trip
of the U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to the country, there would
be no intervention by U.S. troops. Though there is a ceasefire negotiated
by the French President on behalf of the European Union, Russian troops
are still on Georgian soil and Russia has said they will stay there to
protect against any future attack by the Georgians.
Rigby Not Starting A Political Party
Since publishing on this site reports that Raynard Rigby, the former
PLP chairman has published a thought provoking work call a Blueprint For
The Future (blueprintbahamas.com),
tongues have been wagging in The Bahamas about whether or not Mr. Rigby
is starting a political party. We wonder why, since the announcement was
clear. He is a PLP and wants to start a conversation about the future of
the PLP and where The Bahamas goes from here.
Lavardo Moncur Is Murder No. 43
Lavardo Moncur was stabbed and gunned down by a person or persons unknown
on Tuesday 19th August. He was a 43rd murder of the year in The Bahamas.
A quiet young man, he is grandson of Joyce Moncur of Gleniston Gardens
North. He was 26 years old at the time of his death. Mrs. Moncur raised
him from a baby and is distraught about the senselessness and the brutality
of it all. The police have no clues or motive and are asking for the public’s
assistance
Who Can Run For PLP Leadership!
Paul Moss, the anti the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) campaigner
has announced that he is going to run for the Deputy leader’s position
of the PLP at least so says The Tribune. Reminds you of the song that says
“Get on board chillun, there’s room for many a more.”
Keod Smith Says A Strange Thing
Keod Smith is busy defending himself and his clients these days on
radio and anywhere else that would sit still for him to do so. His latest
was an appearance on the talk show on GEMS Radio. His favourite whipping
boy is the extradition of his clients Keva and Dwight Major. He is smarting
from his failure in the courts and his being sited for contempt of court
by Chief Justice Sir Burton Hall. He said that those who are public officials
who flout constitutional rights in extradition cases should resign. Presumably
he is talking about the Ministers of the Government including those of
the PLP. Wishful thinking since no court of law has pronounced that any
public official has violated the constitution in extradition cases. We
know some foolish judges made some comments in a case that were not germane
to the case but that has no legal standing and neither does what Keod Smith
says. Oh yes update! Keva Major pleaded guilty to trying to smuggle 100
kilos of cocaine into the United States. She was sentenced to time served
which was five years and she is now out in the States without being able
to leave. She has three years of supervised release and she is to be deported
at the end of it. Her husband awaits trial for the same offence of which
she has been convicted. We say again, she pleaded guilty.
Hilda Barett Dies
The former Hilda Donaldson, daughter of the late head of St. John's
Native Particular Baptits in The Bahamas, has died. Ms. Barett was 80 years
old. Ms. Barrett was a pianist extraordinaire and taught generations of
Bahamian pianists. At the time of her death she was the organist at the
Prysberterian Church in Nassau. The death was reported on the front page
of The Tribune of Wednesday 20th August. She is survived by daughters Juliet,
D'Anne and son Timothy.
Perry Christie's Birthday
The former Prime Minister and now Leader of the Opposition celebrated
his 65th birthday on Wednesday 21st August. Happy birthday.
Click on a heading to go to that story; press ctrl + home to return
to the top of the page.
|
| PHOTO OF THE WEEK:
Tuesday 26th August marked eight years since
the passing of the late Sir Lynden Pindling, the founding Prime Minister
of The Bahamas. As was the custom, his widow Dame Marguerite Pindling visited
his grave with a group of friends and supporters. This year she was joined
by West End and Bimini’s PLP Member of Parliament Obie Wilchcombe. Sir
Lynden is credited with founding the modern Bahamian state and putting
in place many of the institutions on which the country now relies. He is
buried in the St. Agnes Cemetery on Nassau Street in New Providence in
a specially built mausoleum. Our photo of the week then is that of the
Dame Marguerite Pindling’s visit to the gravesite of her husband on the
occasion of the 8th anniversary of his passing. The photo is by Peter
Ramsay of the Bahamas Information Services. |
COMMENT OF THE WEEK
WHAT WILL THE PLP DO?
One of Hubert Ingraham’s boys tells the story, a recent occurrence.
He asked the Prime Minister did he think that Perry Christie would step
down as leader of the PLP and transition to another leader before the next
general election? Mr. Ingraham laughed that hearty, silly, irreverent and
dismissive laugh. “Not as long as I am here. Perry is going nowhere.” Arrogant
to the core.
The PLP faces that question of its leadership once again now that
the press was able to breach the PLP’s own boundaries and publish a confidential
report on why it lost the election of 2007. It is now an open question,
assuming that the report is in fact a PLP commissioned report, what was
the use in leaking the report, save to feed Mr. Christie’s enemies. The
report was leaked to the Nassau Guardian and was published in bits and
pieces throughout the past week beginning on Monday 25th August. The Guardian’s
version placed the blame for the loss in 2007 on Mr. Christie and the perception
that he was weak and indecisive. And so something that should have been
buried by now, with the PLP well on the way to reform, is again in the
minds of the public.
According to the Nassau Guardian of the people surveyed 57 per cent
of them said they did not vote for the PLP because of their view of Mr.
Christie and his leadership. Substantial numbers over 35 also blamed the
matter of Shane Gibson and Anna Nicole Smith as a reason why did not vote
for the party. The Guardian’s version of the report also said that the
PLP's base was narrowing and that increasingly it was pulling from a dying
base of old and the poor, when the country was becoming richer and more
educated. The report also laid out some features of reform. The Guardian
did not say if it found any evidence that anything had been done since
the report to effect reform.
No doubt the first recourse was to finger pointing. Whodunit? In
other words, not to think about the report (assuming it is a true report)
and its consequences but to try to find out who leaked it. It is the equivalent
of someone alleging that a man is keeping a sweetheart and the first thing
he says is “Who told you that?”
The down market trash newspaper that so many PLPs read and believe
to their detriment and that of their party suggested that Vincent Peet,
the former Financial Services Minister had the report leaked to sabotage
Mr. Christie. The Punch only alleged that because of Mr. Peet’s relationship
with Candia Dames, the reporter who wrote the stories. But anyone who knows
Mr. Peet knows that of all Mr. Christie's parliamentary colleagues, he
is the most loyal to Mr. Christie and he would never do such a thing to
harm Mr. Christie. You can swear on a Bible for it.
The real point is whether or not the report is in fact a true report
and if so does the content of the report bear any relevance to what the
PLP must do? It is regrettable that this report, if accurate, was not made
public by the PLP itself and public immediately after the report was done.
Had it been done last year, by this time, the PLP would have been in a
position to give examples that reform was well on the way. The Guardian
said the report was done in June 2007. The earlier official release of
the report could have been part of an excellent public relations strategy
to show that the PLP got it, the lessons of the loss. None of that can
now be claimed.
The other PLP instinct is to go into protective mode. Obie Wilchcombe
(PLP West End) who himself desires to be Leader of the PLP was the first
to speak out to say that the report was wrong. He told the Nassau Guardian
that Mr. Christie was in fact a strong leader and defended Mr. Christie
against the critics and the report. He also pledged that he would never
run against Mr. Christie for leader. He has a point in his protest because
no matter what the public perceived, Mr. Christie ran the government, no
one else did.
It is well known that Mr. Wilchcombe has put his hat in the ring
for the post of Deputy Leader if and when it becomes available and of his
ambitions to be Leader. He came close to announcing for the top post last
year. When rumours started to surface, there was a fierce reaction by Mr.
Christie's loyalists. That sent most would be contenders scrambling and
cowed.
The PLP is good in protective mode but one should remember the debacle
of 1997 when the PLP tried to convince the nation in the face of the overwhelming
public antipathy to hold on to Sir Lynden as leader. The PLP went up in
flames and it was only that defeat that caused the reforms and transition
to take place, leading ten years after it should have to Mr. Christie taking
over. Mr. Christie having taken over so late in his career, there is a
knock-on lateness that now exists in the PLP. The question many ask is
who will have the courage to make that correction so that the time gap
can be caught up?
The PLP wants of course at all costs to avoid the bloodletting, bitter,
nasty split that saw Dr. Bernard Nottage leave the PLP after the 1998 leadership
race. It led to the break up of the party even though having done it, the
PLP went on to win the election in 2007 as the new PLP. Is the lesson in
that : no pain no gain?
The Guardian says that the report recommended that there be a cleansing
of the party’s reputation, conveying the former Prime Minister’s leadership
qualities (in this it appears to assume that Mr. Christie will stay on
to the next election) and advancing the PLP’s progressive social agenda.
The Guardian said the report was done by an American firm Greenberg Quinlan
and Rosner. It is unfortunate that PLPs in the rank and file learned of
the fullest disclosure of such a report from the Guardian and not from
their own party. They can only now assume the Guardian’s accuracy since
the PLP has said nothing in response.
The report was not all negative to the PLP or Mr. Christie. It showed
he great strengths of compassion and caring for people. It said that he
remains by far the most popular figure in the PLP. One consequence of that
is the improbability if not impossibility that he can be successfully challenged.
It he stays, and there is some indication that he is preparing for a transition,
it appears given what the report said, the PLP will have to rally round
him and build on his strengths if there is no transition within the next
year or two, hoping in the mean time that with the economy imploding that
the FNM will collapse and the government will fall back into the PLP’s
lap. Some argue that this is a generous scenario with a lot of “ifs”.
Of course, what was published in the report, if it is accurate, should
be nothing new to any PLP who did not have his or her head in the sand.
Most could have guessed the reasons why the PLP lost. So people ask the
question when will the PLP get on with the job of reform and stop grieving
about the loss, take their fingers out of it and get to work in an organized
and disciplined fashioned?
Let’s just take one example : how the PLP dealt with this report
and what it says about the state of the PLP. It could not even defend itself
about this report. No spokesman for the PLP or the PLP as an institution
has responded. What then are its supporters to think? Just saying Mr. Christie
is a good guy with more does not cut it with anyone who is intelligent.
At least the leadership of the party could have issued a statement saying
that the report’s release was not in the best interests of the PLP, that
it was an internal report and that its piecemeal release without seeing
the background to the whole matter led to unfair and inaccurate conclusions.
(Assuming of course that it is not a true report.) But nothing was said,
as with so many things with the PLP, just silence in the face of adversity.
It could even have said that the report was false and that the Guardian
had made the whole thing up, if indeed that was the case. Silence! Nothingness!
That was its record as a government in the face of too many adverse reports
and it continues to be the record now.
The best trained generation of PLPs could not hold on to the government
for more than one term. There is no doubt about the disgrace and embarrassment
of that. This generation of PLPs has to get its act together and more importantly
for the sake of this nation get the country back. The present crew of FNMs
are a scrap gang, a wrecking crew. The PLP was defeated by them. Lord God
almighty! What is the PLP going to do? When will they get real, dispense
with sentiment and act on empirical information? When are they going to
do it? We would like to end that reign of Hubert Ingraham and stop that
silly laugh about which we spoke at the start of this piece.
Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 31st August 2008 up to
midnight: 173,680.
Number of hits for the month of August up to Saturday 31st August
2008 up to midnight: 882,662.
Number of hits for the year 2008 up to Saturday 31st August 2008
up to midnight: 8,910,652.
CONTACT US AT E-MAIL:placid_point@yahoo.com
HAIL OBAMA!
The Democratic Party in the United States hit a home run this week
when it nominated Barak Obama as its candidate for President of the United
States. It was unfortunate that there was a choice between a woman and
a black man. Both are history making opportunities. Mr. Obama wowed the
party with a football stadium sized crowd in Denver when he accepted the
nomination and in a masterfully crafted serious speech lashed into eight
years of the Bush administration. It is hard to see what the Republicans
can do to make comeback. Their comeback, some think it is a stunt, was
to nominate a woman Sarah Palin Governor of the state of Alaska , trying
to capture the voters that Hilary Clinton got in the Democratic primary.
Most observes think that it’s a trick that won’t work. Kudos to the Clintons
for their grace under fire, and the way they handled their exit from the
centre stage on this occasion. If you were in The Bahamas on Thursday 28th
August, you would have sworn that Bahamians had a vote. The PLP Council
held its monthly meeting and nary a soul showed up. Obama on the mind.
The television sets were on throughout the country, and glued to their
sets were Bahamians who have no vote in the United States but almost 100
per cent back Obama’s campaign. The facts on the ground in the U.S. say
despite all the bad news, despite the grumpy image of the Republican candidate,
the race is too close to call. If Mr. Obama loses, given all that, he is,
and with all else continuing to be equal, there could be only one reason
why he is not elected. The question will then be what is the true meaning
of her creed that all men are created equal?
UNIONS
ATTACK BRENT SYMONETTE
All during the time that the Bahamas Communications and Public Officers
Union (BCPOU) were in the streets two weeks ago demonstrating to protest
the way the government is going about the privatization effort for the
Bahamas Telecommunication Company (BTC), Brent Symonette was the Acting
Prime Minister. Hubert Ingraham, our lord and master, was on vacation in
some exotic Haitian port on a cruise at the time, and Brent was the head
… in charge, well no we can’t say that, but let’s say he was the head man
in charge. He had nothing to say. It was left to poor Tommy Turnquest,
the number three man in the government, to go out to beg the workers not
to block the roads. Then it was up to Zhivargo Laing, the Minister of State
to get hard and say , the government would not be moved. Now that all the
tough work is over, the Deputy Prime Minister having reverted to his substantive
position, told the press that there would be disciplinary action taken
against the workers at BTC. Mr. Symonette was backed up in this by Julian
Francis, the BTC Board Chair who said there would be pay cuts and suspensions.
John Pinder, the Head of the National Congress of Trade Unions(NCTU) and
head of the Bahamas Public Services Union was quick to condemn the Deputy
Prime Minister for his remarks. He said the remarks were insulting and
disheartening. These were quotes from the Nassau Guardian of Friday 29th
August. Mr. Pinder said that he and the other unions would be standing
by their brothers in the BCPOU. Given Mr. Pinder's support for the FNM,
this would be difficult to understand but we are all watching to see what
happens. The lines have now been drawn and Mr. Symonette must be a man
of his word. The words of Mr. Symonette that offended Mr. Pinder: “Appropriate
action will be taken and persons who continue to move outside of the labor
laws should beware because I think [members of the] public have shown that
[they are] not going to accept those actions anymore and appropriate action
will be dealt with in those cases in the future,"
FRIGHTENING
HIV STATISTICS
The Director of the National AIDS programme Nurse Rosemae Bain told
the Bahama Journal on Thursday 28th August “ We’re in a crisis when it
comes to young females in this country being HIV infected. But it’s not
just here. It’s happening around the region and the rest of the world as
well."
According to the Journal, the most recent statistics show that up
to 31st March, 2008, 266 teenagers between the ages 15 to 19 had tested
positive for HIV. Of that figure, 189 were females, and only 77 were males.
In the 20 to 24 age group, there were a total of 756 HIV infections. In
this case, females accounted for 461 and males, 295.
According to Nurse Bain, one reason that females are outnumbering
males may be due to the fact that females tend to access medical treatment
more readily than males. In other words, more females may be tested.
Nurse Bain also said: "Females can also get HIV quicker (than males)
because of their anatomy. They’re receivers. Women can empower themselves
to protect themselves. But more importantly, we need to think of the importance
of monogamous relationships; understanding what true love, caring and being
faithful are all about.” The nurse recommends the greater use of female
condoms. The brand names include: Reality, Femidom, Dominique, Femy, Myfemy,
Protectiv’ and Care.
The Bahama Journal says that between August 1985 and March 31, 2008,
a total of 11,303 people tested positive for HIV/AIDS. Statistics also
show that of this figure, 5,600 people tested positive for HIV while the
remaining 5,703 went on to develop full-blown AIDS. At last count, 5,582
people were living in The Bahamas with HIV compared with the 1,767 infected
with AIDS, a total of 7,349. The story was reported by Macushla Pinder.
There is a tendency to ignore AIDS because people believe it is
now a manageable disease. Young people also believe that they are invulnerable.
These frightening stats show otherwise.
NAOMI’S
BIRTHDAY PARTY
Last week we reported that former Senator Naomi Seymour, mother
of Minister of State Zhivargo Laing celebrated her 70th birthday at a party
at her home in Freeport on Saturday 23rd August. The attendees was a whose
who of Grand Bahama and The Bahamas, including Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham,
former Prime Minister Perry Christie sent his apologies. Former Foreign
Minister Fred Mitchell was there as well. So were Grand Bahama MPs Kwasi
Thompson, Ken Russell, Vernae Grant, and Neko Grant. In the eighties and
early nineties in Freeport, Senator Seymour’s home was a frequent stop
for Mr. Mitchell, who is a big fan of the senator’s cole slaw. The photos
of the occasion show Senator Seymour at the centre with Fred Mitchell at
the left of the photo and her son Zhivargo at the right of the photo. Also
at the party were Sean and Euricemae Farrington who posed for the photo
with Mr. Mitchell. Mrs. Farrington was recently elected to the local government
council in Freeport . The photos are by Derek Carroll.
PATRICK
MANNING MAKES A VISIT
While
others are busy arguing about the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA)
with the Europeans, whether to sign or not to sign, Trinidad’s Patrick
Manning is a man on another mission. He is pursuing political union for
the Caricom states. He held a meeting in Port of Spain, his capital with
the Prime Ministers of Grenada, St. Vincent, St. Lucia and they signed
a memorandum of understanding committing to economic union by 2011 and
political union by 2013. That’s a hell of a pace. Most people think it’s
not realistic. This decision sent shock waves throughout the Caricom community.
Caricom has been struggling with its own version of integration, that of
a single market and economy. It was not been going well. Most countries
have backed off the single economy proposals by 2015 and the states who
met in Port of Spain are getting impatient. It remains to be seen whether
Trinidad will allows it currency rules and value to be set by the Eastern
Caribbean Central Bank in St. Lucia. The Caricom Single Market has run
into foul weather over the movement of people issues. The integration movement
seems moribund. The arguments over whether to sign the Economic Partnership
Agreement has become sophomoric and the signing has been put off again
from 2nd September to an as yet unspecified date. Mr. Manning is not someone
to sit still. Having found Jesus Christ and being a born again Christian,
the tremors in the Caricom governments sent him packing on his jet for
quick trips to Belize, The Bahamas, Jamaica and other countries in Caricom
to explain himself. Of course the Prime Ministers of Belize, The Bahamas
and Jamaica were quick to say they had no interest in political union.
Mr. Manning himself rebuked the Trinidad press by saying that he did not
ask anyone to join. He was simply informing others of the decision of his
group since they are all Caricom members. But these countries should not
be quick to dismiss this. Caricom is in danger of falling apart if some
more meaningful steps are not taken to deepen the integration process.
It should be clear as day that these little countries cannot survive on
their own and some more unifying process must take place. Right now Caricom's
decision making is so cumerbsome that the body is in danger of lacking
credibility with the international community. The performance of Caricom
leaders on the EPA leave the Europeans slack jawed. You simply can’t believe
that grown men and women sit in meetings agree as Heads of Government to
a concordat and then repudiate it when it gets a little bit politically
uncomfortable at home. The Bahamas government has announced that it will
sign the EPA. We say it should go ahead. We think that Mr. Manning's ideas
should be reviewed and the whole Caricom group should meet with Opposition
parties as well to determine where we go forward from here with the integration
process. The photos of Patrick Manning with Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham
was taken by Letiesha Henderson of the Nassau Guardian. Mr. Manning
visited The Bahamas on Monday 25th August.
WOMEN
ORDAINED TO ANGLICAN PRIESTHOOD
Two new female priests were ordained to the sacred priesthood on
Monday 25th August by His Grace the Archbishop of the West Indies and Bishop
of The Bahamas Drexel Gomez. He was assisted by coadjutor Bishop Laish
Boyd. The two are Rev. Marie Antoinette Roach, daughter of Canon Neil Roach
and Rev. Paulette Marie Cartwright . The photos are by Peter Ramsay.
IN
PASSING
RBC Branch Closes
The Royal Bank of Canada’s Bay and Victoria Branch is closing and
its staff, business and functions largely being transferred to its brand
new branch at Carmichael Road. This is a sign of the times and the shift
of population to the southwest New Providence. It also furthers the sense
of urban blight and abandonment in that area of Bay Street east of East
Street in Nassau. There is now one more empty shop and the FNM has no plans
for the revitalization of Bay Street. The street, which used to the heart
of the nation’s tourism product is now a dead zone and the loss of the
bank adds to that.
EPA Struggle In Caricom
One by one, Opposition parties are lining up in the Caricom region
to say they oppose the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA). The 2nd September
signing date has been postponed to the chagrin of the Europeans. In the
Jamaican Parliament last week, former Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller
said they (the PNP) cannot support the very pact they negotiated when in
Government last year because of the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) clause which
says if the Caricom countries give a concession to a third party, they
must offer equal terms to Europe. Lester Bird’s Antigua Labour Party (ALP)
has come out blasting Antigua’s Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer for not
revealing the full agreement to the public in Antigua. We mention of course
that anyone can read the bloody agreement on crnm.org. It has been in the
public domain since last December. This is all tiresome. The agreement
should be signed and without delay. There are no valid objections to it,
just partisan posturing, and shakiness from governments who sat in a room
agreed to what was advanced by the Caricom negotiators and now want to
say they did not know.
The Bahamians And Hurricane In Jamaica
Bahamian students were concerned this week as Tropical Storm Gustav
made a direct hit on Jamaica where they are studying. There are about 35
students on campus at the Northern Caribbean University in Mandeville and
some 70 or so at the University of the West Indies at Mona. It appears
that all of them came through the storm safely. No word or comfort from
The Bahamas government, whose Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Education
did not bother to concern themselves at all about the fate of the students.
The Papers On The Web This Week
The past week on the Nassau Guardian and Bahama Journal websites
there appeared to be some improvement with the sites updated everyday,
even though one could not predict when the sites would be updated. We have
been complaining about these sites for weeks. If you look at other sites
of Caricom country newspapers, you will see that if you check at 5 a.m.
each day, the newspaper has been updated to the current date. Reports are
that the Nassau Guardian is revamping its site and therefore is not paying
any attention to the present site. Some at the Bahama Journal say their
site is thought of as an afterthought. But with the dynamics of news and
information changing, there is a need to pay attention to this area of
their business.
More Unemployment In The Bahamas
The casino in Exuma attached to the Four Seasons will officially
close its doors on Sunday 1st September. Forty three people will be put
out of work. The economy of Exuma that was so dynamic during the period
of the PLP is coming to a crashing tough time in the face of the FNM’s
economic decisions or lack thereof. Under the PLP in Exuma, there was low
unemployment and money flowed. Under the FNM, there are job losses and
economic despair. The knock-on effect is in the housing market and on other
businesses in Exuma is beginning to take hold. Many people from Grand Bahama
were working in Exuma and now will have to return home to an already depressed
Freeport where the Our Lucaya Resort is giving staff two days work, operating
at 20 per cent occupancy. Meanwhile in Nassau, the report is that some
hotels in Nassau have their staff on two day work weeks. We also know that
Atlantis has closed down its 423 room beach tower for two months and furloughed
the staff and more closures are rumoured. This is what the Bahamian people
voted for.
Tommy Cleare Buried
PLP contributor, supporter and benefactor of former Deputy Prime
Minister Cynthia Pratt was buried on Friday 29th August following a ceremony
at the Joe Farrington Road Auditorium. Former Prime Minister Perry Christie
attended the service. Mr. Cleare was the co owner of Bahamas Welding and
Fire with Alphonso “ Bugaloo” Elliott. Mr. Elliott is FNM through and through
and one of Hubert Ingraham’s closest friends. Mr. Ingraham also spoke at
the funeral. Mr. Cleare was also a close friend of Black Belt publisher
Gorman Banister. Mr. Banister paid tribute to Mr. Cleare in the funeral
booklet. The PLP has lost a great friend in Mr. Cleare. He leaves behind
a wife of 42 years Elsiemae and nine children. His sisters: Glibertha Gaitor,
Judy Munroe survive him. His brothers: Roscoe and Edward.
The Business Community& Taxes
Bay Street retailers who wanted the PLP out and the FNM in are busy
crying now that the FNM has increased the taxes on the items that most
sell to tourists, making them uncompetitive. The taxes on leather goods
have gone up from 20 to 25 per cent and that on perfumes from 40 to 45
per cent. Remember Hubert Ingraham when he passed a new Excise Tax Act
back in June to try to fool the World Trade Organization that he was not
using customs duties for revenue announced that there would not be in raise
in the taxes. He said it was a simple matter of combining the stamp duty
with the customs duty and adding the two together. When people actually
checked, tax rates went up as much as ten per cent. Bay Street now has
the government it deserves.
What’s Happening With City Markets?
They haven’t paid a dividend on the shares in many moons. This from
a company that routinely paid dividends when Bruce Souder was its manager
and Winn Dixie its owner. Since the company was sold, no dividends. Now
comes reports that the company is in a struggle with a loss of eight million
dollars to show on its books. There is also fierce competition in the market
with Robin Hood and SaveCo two mega stores eating into the profits. Shareholders
must be very worried indeed about where this is all heading.
Don’t Blame It On Viagra
The latest habit in The Bahamas to-day when some relatively young persons,
i.e. in their 40s or 50s die suddenly and without some history of heart
disease or stroke, to blame Viagra, the drug that helps men have and maintain
erections when there is some underlying disease that presents them from
happening naturally. On this site we have expressed the concern that too
many people who don’t need the drug are using it and that it may have serious
consequences. But Viagra in death is said in whisper these days like HIV/AIDS
and cancer are often spoken when telling a cause of death. You can’t speak
it aloud. It is also a point of fun amongst men with a barracks humour.
Death of course is no joking matter. It appears that at first the police
thought that the death of a Defence Force officer was because of the use
of Viagra. Some pills were reportedly found in his mouth. Viagra in certain
circumstances may cause a sudden loss of blood pressure and lead to death
if you are taking a class of drugs called nitrates for a heart condition.
The clever sleuthing by the police in the suspicious death of Royal Bahamas
Defence Force Officer Gary Carey on 17th August at the age of 54 led them
to the arrest and charging of his girlfriend Shimeakima Pratt for murder.
It was the 44th murder of the year. It appears that the weapon was the
sharp point of a plastic comb that left a mark that was hard to spot. In
future then, perhaps we won’t be so quick to blame it on Viagra.
Hubert, Tommy and Michael Visit Sandilands School
What were they doing at the Sandilands Primary School? That is the question
Fox Hill residents wanted to know as the entourage of Prime Minister Hubert
Ingraham, Minister of National Security Tommy Turnquest and Attorney General
Michael Barnett visited the Sandilands School. Earlier in the day, Fred
Mitchell MP for Fox Hill was at the school seeking to ensure that it would
be ready for the children Monday 1st September when school opens.
| Freeport Morgue out of CommissionWe have learned
that the Morgue
at the Rand Memorial Hospital broke down yesterday. This is causing
serious concern once again. It is the second time in as many years.
Last year when the morgue broke down Alfred
Sears MP complained that his mother's body was affected by the break
down. No explanation was given by the government. We again
hope that quick action is taken to resolve this issue. |
