bahamasuncensored.com
JULY 2008
Compiled, edited and constructed by Russell Dames Updated every
Sunday at 2 p.m.
Volume 6 © BahamasUncensored.Com 2008
While material on this web site can be used freely by other sections of
the press, as a courtesy, journalists are asked to attribute the source
of their material from this web site.
13th July, 2008
20th July, 2008
27th July, 2008
Click on a heading to go to that story; press ctrl + home to return
to the top of the page.
|
| AMERICANS CELEBRATE INDEPENDENCE:
US
Independence Day is the 4th July even though the history shows that the
signing of the declaration which it celebrates was actually signed on 2nd
July. Never mind all that, no one at the US Ambassador’s party was
thinking about it at all. The wine was good and copious, the food
was delicious, and the company was excellent. Ned Siegel set a new
standard of partying to mark his country’s independence in this his second
time at the helm as US Ambassador for the event. The usual eclectic
group of Bahamian and US citizens showed up and apart from the traffic
nightmare of getting to the event, a fine time was had by all. Governor
General Arthur Hanna represented The Bahamas at the do, and the Cabinet
was out in force including Acting Foreign Minister Tommy Turnquest.
Our photo of the week then is that of U.S. Ambassador Ned Siegel, his wife
and Governor General Arthur Hanna together with National Security Minister
Tommy Turnquest and Shawn Turnquest and US Baseball star Hank Aaron and
Billie Aaron cutting the independence birthday cake at the Ambassador's
residence Liberty Overlook. BIS photo: Derek Smith |
COMMENT OF THE WEEK
SETTING A LOW STANDARD
In
one sense, Brent Symonette, the Deputy Prime Minister and Sidney Collie
(pictured in this Peter Ramsay photo), the now Blue Hills MP are victims.
They and their wives are entitled to think how in the world from where
they started they ended up like they did. In the last FNM administration,
Brent was asked to resign as Chairman of the Airport Authority because
he gave a contract to fix a bit of the airport’s roadways to a company
owned by himself. Sidney Collie was forced out of office as Minister
for Local Government in a stunning announcement on Monday 30th June in
the House of Assembly. His sin was botching the local government
elections, partially held on Thursday 26th June. Yet as Mr. Collie
took his seat on the backbench, he could see to his left Zhivargo Laing
who was implicated in causing revenue loss to the country through allowing
a product sold by his sister in law Mona Vie to be imported at a reduced
rate contrary to the regulations, still sitting as a Minister of the Government.
And even Brent is now one of Mr. Ingraham’s favourite sons. Even
though he is involved in a clear conflict of interest sitting as the Chairman
of the Committee on the relocation of the container port of Nassau to Arawak
Cay when he is an owner of one of the landing places, he still sits.
What must Mavis Collie, the ambitious wife of Mr. Collie, now think of
all of this?
The Opposition PLP’s Chairman Glenys Hanna Martin ought to accept
full kudos for causing Sidney Collie to resign. We congratulate the
PLP Chairman for engineering a real victory for the public by bringing
this to the public and prosecuting it in the Courts. We don’t think
that the PLP took full advantage of it though. It was almost as if,
the party did not want to fully embrace and take credit for what had happened.
But take credit they must. This is what Opposition parties do and
how they spend their time. The aim must be to bring the government
down. Mr. Ingraham in the short term has been able to pull this off
as some gesture of decisiveness that he acted quickly to cut off the cancer
in his administration, as a contrast to the propaganda on PLP Leader Perry
Christie that he allowed things to run on for too long and took the PLP
down with him as a consequence.
One thing we know though is that as proud as a peacock as Mr. Ingraham
may feel, he did in fact act to cut off the cancer. That means there
is blood in the water. The PLP can smell the blood and it is only
a matter of time before there is another one. Mr. Ingraham cannot
think that just letting Sidney Collie take the fall is the end of the matter
for his administration.
Look at it this way. The justice of the matter is important.
Mr. Collie’s infraction was not his alone. There is plenty of blame
to go around. You can blame the public service in his Ministry.
You can blame the Parliamentary Commissioner. You can blame Minister
of National Security Tommy Turnquest to whom the Parliamentary Commissioner
reports. Not so the case of Zhivargo Laing where by his own admission,
he was personally involved in the matter of ensuring that his sister in
law benefited from ministerial direction to lower the duties on the imported
product Mona Vie.
Mr. Ingraham in defending his decision to fire Sidney Collie said
that he wanted to set a high standard but he did not. If he wanted
to set a high standard, clearly, Zhivargo Laing had to go and has to go.
There is a court case now brought by Mr. Laing against the Members of Parliament
who made the allegations public about Mona Vie and against the Comptroller
of Customs John Rolle. What happens if the courts rule against Mr.
Laing? Is he then to resign as well?
There is also the broader question of design in this matter.
We do not believe that Sidney Collie had the guile to design the machinations
that were the cause of his undoing. Even though, Mr. Ingraham denied
it, we believe that he is the architect of it all. The question that
must be asked is why was there an attempt at the last minute to change
the local government boundaries in any event? We suspect that the
reason was entirely political. It was part of Mr. Ingraham’s grand
scheme to conquer local government districts in the Family Islands.
Now having designed the scheme it was only left to the local government
minister to carry out the design. That is where the fault came in,
not following the rules about gazetting the changes to the districts.
Mr. Collie said that he made up his mind to resign once the court ruled
that he had made errors. He said that it was something that he did
on his own.
Knowing the structure of an Ingraham administration, there is no
way anyone can believe that. So what we believe is that you have
Sidney Collie taking the fall for a grand design initiated by Mr. Ingraham
and embraced by his entire Cabinet, and Sidney Collie had to take the fall
for the whole thing. The way it has been orchestrated to seem, though,
is that Mr. Ingraham is decisive and acted quickly to stop the rot.
Unfortunately for him, there is still more rot to go, and the real question
is whether our Opposition party is in a position to take advantage of the
rot.
This resignation coming as it did on the eve of the Cabinet shuffle
by the Prime Minister announced on Monday evening 30th June, had ministers
destabilized. They were quiet as the resignation was announced in
the House and tense even as they thumped in unison at their self proclaimed
goodness at moving supposedly quickly and honourably to send Mr. Collie
to the woodshed.
The Cabinet changes did not help them much. Essentially Ministers
were stripped of their wider portfolios and Mr. Ingraham ended up taking
power to himself and creating another Minister to do so. Picking
up the garbage and cleaning the streets is now transferred to Earl Deveaux.
Mr. Ingraham touted this as some new initiative when in fact Perry Christie
left in place a Ministry of Energy and the Environment. He dismantled
it and now Mr. Ingraham one year later announces it as if this is some
revolution. National Insurance is taken away from Ken Russell and
he is left with the Department of Housing, perhaps he can now get around
to building one house. Neko Grant after one year was stripped of
tourism and he was sent off to the Ministry of Works for his troubles,
replacing the one minister who appeared to know what he was doing.
Carl Bethel has been stripped of Youth, Sports and Culture and left with
teaching the children, admittedly a fulltime job but given that he is one
of the brightest in the lot, you wonder what is that about? And then
Tommy Turnquest, the crime fighter, has been stripped of the Department
of Immigration, which is now given to Brent Symonette. The Minister
of State Bran McCartney, another bright lad now has the day to day running
of the Department. Certainly his more pleasant face and demeanour
will be a welcome relief to the Department that had been hard done by
his predecessor there who simply irritated the staff and had a holier than
thou attitude toward granting work permits. Mr. McCartney’s role
will be to lift the morale of the department, make some decisions but prevent
Brent Symonette from giving away the whole country lock stock and barrel
to work permit holders.
So brace for it. There is blood in the water and the sharks
are circling.
Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 5th July 2008 up to midnight:
183,277.
Number of hits for the month of June up to Monday 30th June 2008
up to midnight: 955,621.
Number of hits for the month of July up to Saturday 5th July 2008
up to midnight: 135,148.
Number of hits for the year 2008 up to Saturday 5th July 2008: 7,020,779.
CONTACT US AT E-MAIL:placid_point@yahoo.com
INGRAHAM’S
PURGE
The FNM blood letting continues. BahamasUncensored.Com
has discovered a plan by Hubert Ingraham to systematically purge the civil
service of PLPs. He is attacking all suspected PLP Permanent Secretaries
and senior civil servants and removing them to positions with nothing to
do. The purge started with the police force and he is slowly moving
throughout the civil service. He does not fire. He simply gives
these senior officers nothing to do. More next week.
WHAT
WOULD YOU CALL ALVIN SMITH?
You could call him an idiot. You could call him stupid. You
could call him any number of unkind things, but we won’t. What he
is, is out of his league. He does not understand the rules and is
still too anxious after one year to please Hubert Ingraham and the FNM
even after the PLP moved a vote of no confidence in his leadership.
His ridiculous decision to “name” Fred Mitchell the MP for Fox Hill is
a sin that is unforgivable and he can expect to rue the day that he did
it.
Naming means that the Member has to leave the precincts
of the House for the day. It is a step that the Speaker has used
before, is much too drastic, and used too quickly by him in the name of
punishing defiance of the chair. He is not even handed. He
is biased in his application of the rules. Once he gets a clear signal
from Mr. Ingraham then everything is all right. It is increasingly
clear that this is a man who is not supposed to be where he is, jumped
up to high in a position that he cannot handle.
We were quite simply appalled at the Speaker's conduct.
We have criticized him before, just thought that he was new and was just
dull. Our view about his dullness has been confirmed. He is
no longer new and so does not have that excuse. The next step then
is to look toward his intellectual heft. Some people have it and
some people don't have it. He simply does not have it. The
House is not well served by him and neither is his constituency well served
by him. He needs to go sooner rather than later. Unfortunately,
there is at current no way to force him to go short of some scandal that
will lead him to resign. Perhaps that is where the PLP ought to be
looking.
If Alvin Smith continues this way, he will go down
in history as the Speaker who did the greatest damage to the traditions
and freedoms of parliament by his subservience to the executive.
The events unfolded on Monday 30th June. Fred Mitchell was livid.
We urge him not to forget it. We do not believe that Fred Mitchell
will forget it.
OBIE
SAYS NEKO IS THE WORST TOURISM MINISTER
It was an unusually strong statement for Obie Wilchcombe,
the Opposition’s spokesman on Tourism and the former Minister of Tourism
(shown in this file photo), but say it he did. He proclaimed Neko
C. Grant I, the worst ever Minister of Tourism in the history of The Bahamas.
We also think that Mr. Grant was not a good minister. The response
of Mr. Wilchcombe was reported in the press of Wednesday 2nd July.
Mr. Wilchcombe was asked to comment on the Cabinet shuffle of Prime Minister
Hubert Ingraham announced on Monday 30th June.
The Prime Minister effectively demoted Mr. Grant,
making him a short lived tourism minister. There was widespread rejoicing
in the Ministry of Tourism, gone was the grumpiness, the can’t hardly read-ness,
the too much emphasis on form and protocol and not much on substance.
Unfortunately, all that has now been unleashed on the Ministry of Public
Works, but Mr. Ingraham in anticipating that has reportedly brought back
the retired Permanent Secretary Anita Bernard, one of the few FNMs that
the PLP allowed to go quietly into the goodnight. Now she is back,
reportedly as Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Works, to make sure
that at least someone in the Ministry knows what is happening because the
new Minister surely won’t.
JAMES
SMITH POOH POOHS THE CABINET SHUFFLE
 |
Stan Burnside's
'Sideburns' from The Nassau Guardian of 4th July, 2008
Stan Burnside the cartoonist made fun of the shuffle
of Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham in his own way as he marked the 4th July
independence celebration of the United States in the daily cartoon that
appears in the Nassau Guardian reprinted with his permission.
But for our money, we thought that former Minister
of State and former Central Bank Governor James Smith captured how we felt
about the so called shuffle, much ado about nothing. Here are former
Minister Smith’s comments about the new Ingraham Cabinet in his own words
as reported in the Bahama Journal on Thursday 3rd July.
“I was happy to see that we brought back Mr. Vanderpool-Wallace, who is
one of our top tourism experts, and put him in charge of the policymaking
area of tourism. That’s quite welcome, and I think going forward
we would need to find people of that calibre, and put them in policymaking
positions.
“It cannot be left to run this country in the
future merely to people who have political ambitions.
“Other than the appointments of Messrs. Vanderpool-Wallace
and Michael Barnett (as attorney general), there was simply a lot of shuffling.
“In all of that, you still see that the portfolio
of the prime minister has just been growing and growing and growing.
So I think somewhere down the road, he’s going to have to shed some of
that, and so you might have to have another mini-shuffle, or at least those
responsibilities put in the hands of someone else.
“While the focus on the environment was welcome,
in my opinion the government hadn’t gone far enough.
“I would have gone for a more permanent Department
of the Environment, build a structure with its own legal basis to avoid
ministries coming and going depending on the whims and fancies of the (political)
leadership.
“On Finance, [the shuffle] it took back some
areas that were not in the Ministry of Finance and I felt that should have
been there. For instance, the Registrar of Companies was elsewhere
under the Christie Administration, and so was the regulation of the insurance
industry – I think they needed to be in the Ministry of Finance, because
finance is the regulator of the financial services system.
“So it [would have been] very difficult to have
them sitting out on one side of the street while they are doing things
on the other, and so finance has its plate full. I think that they
have the capacity to deal with it, now that they have it all under one
umbrella.”
THE
AMBASSADOR’S PARTY
US Ambassador Ned Siegel threw quite a party to
mark the 232nd anniversary of the independence of the United States of
America. There was a huge party in the yard of the home of the Ambassador.
Special guests at the event included Hank and Billie Aaron pictured here
with Fox Hill MP Fred Mitchell and Senator Allyson Maynard Gibson.
Mr. Mitchell is also pictured with the Ambassador. Mr. Mitchell is
the Opposition’s spokesman on Foreign Affairs.
VINCENT
AND MICHAEL
Most observers agree that the only aspect of the
recent shuffle of Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham that one can give kudos
to is the fact that he used his two remaining possible ministerial appointments
in the Senate to make Michael Barnett the Attorney General (pictured, right)
and Vincent Vanderpool Wallace (pictured, left) the Minister of Tourism
replacing the lost and ineffective Neko C. Grant I.
Mr. Barnett is a lawyer’s lawyer and the appointment
makes sense in the face of the hopeless failure that Claire Hepburn has
been in the job. The appointment of Vincent Vanderpool Wallace was
clearly a surprise and for most people a pleasant surprise but for the
PLP it again shows that just below the surface there were FNMs working
in their employ. Not that we think that Mr. Vanderpool was as bad
as Joshua Sears who pretended to be one thing as the PLP’s Ambassador to
Washington and then went and ran against the PLP in 2007 or Brensil Rolle
now FNM MP and former Controller of Road Traffic who was hanging out with
Hubert Ingraham so openly during the Christie administration without any
consequences and now turns out to be the chief critic of the very Ministry
for which he was the chief advisor.
We hope that these two new technocrats turned policy
makers don’t get lost and turn shortly into another set of political hacks.
That was the problem with William Allen former Central Banker and FNM Minister
of Finance. He unfortunately lost his way and with it the respect
of the general community as he facilitated Mr. Ingraham's wickedness in
1997 helping the FNM to buy the election by enabling the largest deficit
in the history of the country.
WHAT
WERE THEY THINKING?
With Hubert Ingraham, you can never sit still because with him you have
the case of the devil finding work for idle hands to so. One day
he was complaining that he could not carry out a promise he made because
in his words he had a million and one things to do. Add to that one
million and two. He and his colleagues hatched a plan, God knows
why, to appoint the ‘independent’ Member of Parliament for Kennedy
Kenyatta Gibson (pictured) into the Chair when the House resolved itself
into the Committee of the whole. It was pointed out that the proper
person under the rule was the Deputy Speaker. The PLP’s Leader of
Government business said while there was nothing personal against Mr. Gibson,
the rule was the rule. Mr. Ingraham had to back away from it.
Look for them to try it again when the House meets on Wednesday.
What they will do is arrange for House Deputy Speaker Kwasi Thompson to
hide out downstairs in the committee room and then elect Mr. Gibson to
the Chair. What this is in aid of no one knows but it does not show
the independence of the Member, it shows that the FNM decides what he does.
ZHIVARGO
LAING CAN’T ESCAPE MONA VIE
Frank Smith the Member of Parliament for St. Thomas More (PLP) told the
House of Assembly that if the public wanted to ensure that prices were
kept down they needed to have Mona Vie. Mr. Smith brought a bottle
of the stuff that has been the nightmare of Minister of State for Finance
Zhivargo Laing.
You will remember that Mr. Laing filed an action
in the courts to stop discussion of the fact that he used his public office
to ensure that his sister-in-law was able to continue importing the Mona
Vie drink into The Bahamas at the rate of duty of 10 per cent instead of
the normal rate of duty of 45 per cent. Mr. Laing said that he penned
instructions that the higher rate of duty should not apply to the Mona
Vie drink. He did so because of a complaint by his sister-in-law.
Mr. Smith caused the Prime Minister to rise to his
feet and deny that the government had changed the classification of the
drink. He said that if this had been done then someone from the Ministry
of Finance would go home that evening. We like when he is pushed
like this, it shows just what kind of personality you are dealing with.
Since he has now officially denied it, we only have to find out whether
or not the letter that caused Customs not to enforce the higher and proper
duty has also been rescinded.
The photo of Frank Smith with the bottle of Mona Vie is by Peter Ramsay
and was taken in the House of Assembly on Wednesday 2nd July.
ALLYSON
EXCORIATES FNM FOR ARROGANCE
Opposition Leader in the Senate Allyson Maynard
Gibson Friday took the FNM to task over its handling of the Local Government
Elections. Mrs. Maynard Gibson's recurring theme was "Arrogance when
pumped up with ignorance is bad news". Please click
here for the full address.
MITCHELL
ON INGRAHAM’S CASE
By this series of time lapsed photographs, you can
see Fred Mitchell, the Opposition’s spokesman on the Public Service in
his response to Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham on Monday 30th June in the
House of Assembly. Mr. Mitchell was incensed. The Prime Minister
who is the Minister responsible for the Public Service was again ducking
the issue and in the words of the Fox Hill Member of Parliament seeking
to rewrite history. Mr. Mitchell had asked the government a simple
question; after fixing up Ruth Millar who was in a position as Financial
Secretary to fix her self up with the return of pension monies due to her,
when was he going to pay the 12 prison officers in similar circumstances?
Instead of answering the question, Mr. Ingraham
got up starting to whine on about Mr. Mitchell seeking to wash his hands
of a matter that he did not fix when he was there. Mr. Ingraham knows
that to be nonsense since the Cabinet conclusion by the PLP on both Mrs.
Millar and the prison officers was done the same day. He carried
out one and not the other. Mr. Mitchell stood up and interrupted
the Prime Minister telling him to sit down and stop trying to rewrite history.
The Speaker of the House Alvin Smith kept trying
to get Mr. Mitchell to sit down and then “named” the Member. Mr.
Mitchell was further outraged and told the Speaker that he would not move
and the police would have to carry him out. The Speaker resiled from
his position and said that if Mr. Mitchell apologized he would resile from
his position. He said that he had intended to give Mr. Mitchell a
right to reply. In the circumstances, Mr. Mitchell apologized and
the matter was settled. See comment up above WHAT
WOULD YOU CALL ALVIN SMITH?
BIS photos: Peter Ramsay
TRY YOUR
HAND...
You readers might have some fun with these Peter
Ramsay photos. We have supplied a tag line for these House
of Assembly photos but maybe you can supply a better one. Send your
ideas to: placid_point@yahoo.com
PLP All The Way! - Tommy Turnquest MP FNM looking on as Obie
Wilchcombe PLP MP and Fred Mitchell PLP MP (yellow phone case) chat after
the House meeting on Monday 29th June.
“Man Tinny It’s Time to Come Over To The PLP… I Guh Leh Yu Kno Nex
Week” - In the Senate Friday 4th July Senator Jerome Fitzgerald PLP,
Senator Michael Halkitis PLP, Senator Anthony ‘Tinny’ Musgrove FNM
THE
LEGACY BALL
The Legacy Ball is held each year at independence time to commemorate the
contribution Sir Lynden O. Pindling made to the public life of The Bahamas
as its first Prime Minister and the founder of the Bahamian state.
The Ball was not held last year because of the PLP’s loss at the polls
and the general exhaustion of the people after that event. This year’s
ball was a smashing success. The Ball raises funds for scholarships
for students to pursue their education at the College of The Bahamas and
abroad and this year a contribution is to be made to the construction of
the College’s library and to the School for the Deaf. This year it
was held on Saturday 5th July at the Wyndham Crystal Palace on Cable Beach,
hosted by the Pindling family led by Dame Marguerite Pindling. Top,
businessman Henry Storr of Storr's Electric is presented with an award
of excellence by Dame Marguerite Pindling and Governor General Arthur Hanna;
Fred Mitchell MP with the Williams sisters; from left, Sharon Stewart,
wife of Rev. Timothy Stewart; Mr. Mitchell; Dr. Ronnie McIver, Dentist;
and Elaine Pinder, owner of Le Rose Boutique and Bamboo Shack and Candia
Dames and Vincent Peet MP with Dame Marguerite. Above right, former
Prime Minister Perry Christie treasures a dance with his beautiful daughter
Alex. Please click here for a photo essay
of more pictures by Peter Ramsay.
IN PASSING
Turks & Caicos
The British Observer newspaper reported today that the British Foreign
Affairs Committee has recommended that the British Government hold a commission
of inquiry into allegations of corruption in that territory to the south
of The Bahamas. The report says that at the centre of allegations
are that Michael Misick the premier and his government have sold off crown
land with personal benefits accruing. This matter has been brewing
for some time and the outgoing governor said that he too had made a recommendation
for such an inquiry. This comes following allegations of rape made
by an American visitor against Michael Misick the Premier. Mr. Misick
remains immensely popular in the islands.
Grand Bahama Port Authority
The Grand Bahama Port Authority announced that Arne Christensen, a
Danish businessman living in Freeport is to take over the Port Group as
Chair of the Grand Bahama Port Authority group of companies. He will
be joined on the Board of the Port Authority and its group of companies
by Bahamian IBM businessman Felix Stubbs. Mr. Stubbs will reportedly
be the head of the Grand Bahama Port Authority. What do these new
permutations mean in the overall fight for control of the port between
the heirs of Edward St. George and the holdings of Sir Jack Hayward?
No one knows except that it resolves nothing and further complicates matters.
No word from the St. Georges on this and the government has given no response
to it. Hubert Ingraham, the Prime Minister has threatened to nationalize
the Grand Bahama Port Authority if the family dispute is not soon settled.
Emperor Is Captured
Dion ‘Emperor’ Knowles of Fox Hill who was on the most wanted list
of the police for the killing of his nephew last year was captured by the
police in an apartment in Coral Harbour. He has been on the lam for
a year. His girlfriend was arrested with him and both are said to
be in custody.
Nassau Guardian photo
Murders Continue To Climb
The Bahamas is now at 35 murders for the year. Each week, each
day seems to bring the discovery of some body or a report of some shooting
leading to a death. The Minister of National Security Tommy Turnquest
has not been able to offer a solution. The public was buoyed this
week when four bank robbers who tried to rob the Scotiabank Branch at Soldier
Road and East Street in New Providence were foiled in the act. Within
minutes of the attempt, they were all captured and charged the next day.
Unfortunately, a police officer and a customer of the bank were shot in
the attempt. The shooting and attempted robbery took place on Wednesday
2nd July.
A Wasted Moment In Politics
Many people would have liked to have been the fly on the wall when
former Minister of Local Government told his wife Mavis that he was about
to resign as Minister of Local Government. It must have been a hell
of a thing to explain that one when Zhivargo Laing continues to sit protected
by the Prime Minister for an act which was clearly his personal doing and
not that of officials as is the case with Sidney Collie.
Nottage At COB
Dr. Bernard Nottage MP, Leader of Opposition Business in the House
of Assembly (pictured, standing) spoke to the College of The Bahamas Government
and Politics in The Bahamas / Political Economy class this past week.
The senior course by Professor Felix Bethel (shown, seated) focuses on
the interface and intersection between world politics and global economic,
social and cultural concerns. Dr. Nottage talked about the importance
of Bahamians having confidence in themselves and pledged support for teacher
ed students; noted the importance of science and technology and spoke about
the need for Bahamians to own the tourism plant and other facilities.
Photo: Vaughn Scriven
Fox Hill PLP & Mitchell In Abaco
The Fox Hill Branch of the PLP took a time out and visited with PLPs
in Marsh Harbour, Abaco on Friday 27th June to Sunday 29th June.
The photo was taken by the publisher of The Abaconian newspaper David Ralph
on the waterfront in the midst of the summer outdoor festival, which included
that night Terez, and K.B. Mr. Mitchell in the white Cariba is pictured
with the branch executive of the Fox Hill PLP.
Local Government Elections
Local Government elections were held throughout the country except
for nine districts on Friday 26th June. PLPs held their own in PLP
areas but in non PLP areas notably Freeport, only one PLP was elected Kevin
Ferguson. No sooner than the elections were over, the contest began
for those who would become Chief Councillors. April Crowther Gow
thought that she would be a sure winner for Chief Councillor in Freeport
since she had served as Deputy before. No dice. The FNM had
other plans. She could not even get a seconder and Alvin Smith (pictured),
son of The Bahamas’ Washington Ambassador C.A. Smith was elected instead.
She was also not elected to the position of Deputy Chief. Ms. Crowther
Gow was reduced to tears in the meeting. But when she faced the cameras
all was well, she claimed that she would still serve to the best of her
ability and in any event she has been elected Caribbean wide as the head
of the association of Local Government representatives for the region.
Meanwhile Hubert Ingraham and his government have passed a law opposed
by the PLP that will make right all of the wrongs in the election process
in the islands and that will allow for elections to go ahead in the nine
districts where there were no elections.
Ingraham A No Show At Caricom Meeting
Hubert Ingraham did not show up at the Caricom heads meeting in Antigua
3rd - 4th July where he was supposed to turn over the Chair of Caricom
to Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer of Antigua. He used the fact that
he had to see a new local government act passed in the House as an excuse.
For all he added to the debate on Wednesday 2nd July he could well have
left the country. Of course, we know the real reason he sent Brent,
his Deputy to Antigua. He is afraid to leave the country in the charge
of his Cabinet. It speaks volumes about the thinness of his bench.
EPA Signing Postponed
Largely because of complaints from the President of Guyana Baratt Jagdeo,
the Caricom and Dominican group known as Cariforum has decided that the
signing date for 23rd July for the Economic Partnership Agreements with
the European Union will be put back until the consultations are done in
Guyana. The new date is in Barbados either 30th July or 30th August.
It is incredible that countries with whole ministries dedicated to trade
are still claiming that they don’t know what this simple agreement says.
Too Many Sirens
The island of New Providence has become so noisy and adding to the
noise is the constant sound of sirens at every time of the day even at
night when there is no traffic, ambulances have their sirens on.
This time of independence brings special nuisances from sirens. Police
are shunting public officials about at record speeds and they need sirens
to do so, not that it helps much because the public seems increasingly
like the public in the US; you hear sirens so many times you tend to ignore
them. Add to that the running of the prisoners up and down to Fox
Hill and the noise from unregulated motor bikes by unruly young men without
helmets, prancing unpoliced on every road, and you have quite a mess.
Farewell To FNM Senators
Now that it’s official, Elma Campbell and Claire Hepburn were told
farewell by Senators in the Senate on Friday 4th July. In the new
Cabinet arrangements, Ms. Campbell is to be the Ambassador to China.
There was a palpable sigh of relief in the Department of Immigration where
she has been an unmitigated disaster, sitting on files, refusing applicants
for no reason and just generally being a pain in the butt in the Department.
Maybe the new Minister will bring some welcome relief to the situation,
a smarter, certainly more amiable personality Bran McCartney is.
As for Claire Hepburn, given her personal circumstances, we refrain from
making any comment but Michael Barnett will help the situation we think
at the AG’s office. Photo of Senator Hope Strachan PLP saying farewell
to the FNM senators by Peter Ramsay.
Shame On Cassius Stuart
He is getting almost as bad as that gadfly with the psychological problem
that has been on everybody’s political payroll in the last 30 years.
Cassius Stuart who is head of the also ran Bahamian Democratic Movement
(BDM) in a press statement this week attacked Obie Wilchcombe the PLP’s
Minister of Tourism. He had to get into the fight because of Mr.
Wilchcombe's comment (click here for story above) that Neko C. Grant I
MP FNM was the worst tourism minister in history. In the Nassau Guardian
of Saturday 5th July, Mr. Stuart said that Mr. Wilchcombe was a bad minister
as well and that he inherited a good legacy but allowed it to be destroyed
on his watch. These days, you always have to examine the facts of
why someone would out of the blue make such a statement. It turns
out that Mr. Stuart did not disclose that he wanted to get a deal from
the Ministry of Tourism which the then Minister Obie Wilchcombe was unable
to give him, thus his public criticism of Mr. Wilchcombe on Saturday.
You really should declare your interest, that way you protect your credibility.
Is There More Trouble At The Bahama Journal?
There are late reports coming in that the anchor for TV news Paige
Ferguson of Jones Communications, Bahama Journal, Love 97 FM and the TV
14 is no longer with the station and that in the circumstances of how it
happened, there may be a further cascading effect on the employment rolls
at the station including the possibility of losing further high profile
longstanding members of the news team with immediate effect.
Courtesy Call
British High Commissioner Jeremy Creswell paid a courtesy call on the
Leader of the Opposition Rt. Hon. Perry Christie MP at the Office of the
Leader Opposition on Tuesday 1st July.
BIS Photo/ Kristaan H. A Ingraham II
Click on a heading to go to that story; press ctrl + home to return
to the top of the page.
|
| INDEPENDENT BAHAMAS TURNS 35:
On
the thirty fifth anniversary of the independence of the country on Thursday
10th July, there was a spontaneous outpouring of affection for the country.
The flag sales, the flags flying on cars, the clothing in the colours of
the flag could be seen everywhere. The people themselves turned up
in their masses to celebrate officially at the various venues. The
most popular spot is always the re-enactment ceremony that takes place
on Clifford Park. There is a cultural show and religious programme.
This is followed by the inspection of a guard of honour, this year the
inspection was done by Governor General Arthur Hanna. Following that,
there is the raising of the flag of The Bahamas as it was done on the first
time in 1973. The crowd raised its voices in support as the national
anthem finished playing. Tens of thousands of others watched by television.
The ceremonies were also played out in the Family Islands. This Peter
Ramsay photo shows the crowds at the Clifford Park ceremonies on the evening
of Wednesday 9th July marking 35 years as an independent country.
This is our photo of the week. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BAHAMAS! |
COMMENT OF THE WEEK
FNM PUNISHING EXUMA
If you want to find a more confident group of people of African
descent in The Bahamas about themselves and about their nation, you would
be hard pressed to look beyond Exuma. The island of Exuma was the
staging ground for the slave revolt in The Bahamas led by Pompey from the
settlement of Steventon. Ultimately, he was taken off to the stockade
in Nassau and then alienated to another island but the history of that
revolutionary resistance to slavery in The Bahamas is very much front and
centre in Exuma. There is now a monument to Pompey in his native
Steventon. No Uncle Toms here.
Exuma is PLP and the PLP’s colours, sounds, sites are everywhere.
The resistance to the current orthodoxy is everywhere to be found.
Mad as hell that the PLP blew the election but proud as hell that they
are resisting and can resist. It is a wonderful tradition.
The most recent form of resistance is when Floyd Armbrister, a potential
candidate for local government, thought that something was amiss in the
government’s attempt to redistrict Exuma without following the law.
He was in touch with PLP Party Chair Glenys Hanna Martin about it and ended
up swearing an affidavit in the matter, which led to the now famous court
case. On 25th June, that resistance proved to be worthy and correct
and the court ruled that there could be no elections in nine districts
including Exuma because of the irregularity by the government. Ultimately,
it led to the resignation of the then Minister for Local Government Sidney
Collie. The Ministry has since been dismantled, placed along with
a bunch of other departments in the Prime Minister’s office and is now
led by a Minister of State.
That resistance is all the talk in Exuma. They are awaiting
the setting of the new time for the local government elections. Chief
Councillor Franklin McKenzie is not running again so it is an open field
and the competition is fierce.
You may remember that the incumbent Member of Parliament is Anthony
Moss. Mr. Moss is himself a former local government councillor, having
won FNM Georgetown because of the wide respect that people of all political
parties had for Mr. Moss.
Hubert Ingraham thought that he would best Mr. Moss in the general
election and put former diplomat Joshua Sears up against him in 2007.
Mr. Sears was able to use his government position to fund himself while
serving under the PLP and then just before the election left to campaign
against the PLP. He was a life long PLP and many people felt betrayed.
He lost in a race that was a little too close but the fact is he lost and
lost convincingly. Mr. Moss has now come into his own. But
Mr. Ingraham still has Exuma on his hit list and another candidate in the
wings to try to best Mr. Moss. The lines are drawn.
Exuma is being punished for its resistance, just as the powers that
be in the 19th century punished Pompey for daring to rebel; they are punishing
the people of Exuma for voting PLP. Long Island, which is FNM and
of a different hue, is continuing to get the duty free exemption to allow
homes to be built to replace the damaged homes during the tropical storm
of 2007. Not so Exuma. The Prime Minister claimed that it was
being taken away because Exuma has in his words graduated from that level
and does not need the support. Within 30 days of that announcement,
Tropical Shipping saw a dramatic drop in its cargo coming into Exuma and
it has since said that it is closing down its service to the island.
The housing shortage that existed last year in a booming economy
is gone. Rents are down. The construction industry has dried
up. The “graduation” took place at a time when the local people had
finally saved enough money to take advantage of the exemption. Some
got caught with their goods on the dock and were not able to afford the
duty rates. Mr. Ingraham is punishing Exuma.
Add to all this the fact that the Four Seasons hotel is now struggling
in receivership and with revenues and you have the makings of a crisis.
The fact that the government was less than forthright and effective in
controlling the malaria outbreak in the island has added to the woes.
The cries of the PLP go up but the government is indifferent.
Ministers of senior ranks came down to hold a meeting and all they
left was a trail of bitterness amongst the people. There are various
quotes. Some say that the Ministers talked bad about the people of
Exuma accusing them of being everything but a child of God. One quote
they remember reportedly from Neko Grant, the now demoted former Minister
of Tourism who told the people at the public meeting that the FNM had given
them bread but they refused to eat. Translation, Joshua Sears the
FNM candidate was rejected by the people so Exuma will suffer. Not
a politic thing to say.
Then there are some who remember a comment that many people took
as threat from the now Prime Minister campaigning for office who said that
people often said if you crossed Sir Lynden (the late Prime Minister) he
cut you off at the legs. Mr. Ingraham said that he chopped you off
at the thighs. Not good. It is remembered.
So the island where the slave resistance took place is not in step
with the current dispensation in its attempt to dominate the country and
rewrite history and diss the PLP. Punishing Exuma is having the opposite
effect. Even FNMs now are a bit embarrassed that the economy has
gone down the tubes. But that is the Ingraham way; break it up, hurt
you until you are too weak to resist; then give you a gift and claim how
good he is. And if you die, he will come to the funeral and praise
you as a good person. His former Minister Sidney Collie just found
that out.
Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 12th July 2008 up to
midnight: 323,434.
Number of hits for the month of July up to Saturday 12th July 2008
up to midnight: 470,301.
Number of hits for the year 2008 up to Saturday 12th July 2008 at
midnight: 7,344,213.
CONTACT US AT E-MAIL:placid_point@yahoo.com
LYING
ABOUT THE BUDGET
The Progressive Liberal Party’s public relations
arm in Freeport has been working overtime to present to the public the
true picture of the budget as presented by the FNM and Hubert Ingraham.
The best and most charitable way to say it is the direct way, which is
that the FNM simply lied to the Bahamian public about the level of taxation.
This is a point that Frank Smith MP PLP for St. Thomas More made when last
he spoke in the House of Assembly.
Mr. Ingraham simply misled the Bahamian people about
what is in the budget as far as taxation is concerned. If you read
his budget statement, you would get the impression that this budget was
designed to lower prices for the poor. But with Mr. Ingraham, you
must always check the fine print. Whenever you see him sounding as
if he is being frank, you know that there is a trick up his sleeve.
He simply cannot be believed, and he cannot help himself, he practices
to deceive. So what he said when he defended the decision to introduce
a new bill to create an excise tax on goods in The Bahamas, was that basically
all that was being done was to combine the old stamp duty with customs
duty and that new figure would be the tax. The misleading is in the
word ‘basically’.
What has now been discovered by those coming home
from the U.S. shopping since the 1st July is that while 160 or so tariff
lines saw the elimination of customs duties and stamp tax, there were 165,000
tariff lines that saw increases ranging from two to five percent.
What the FNM did under Mr. Ingraham is when combining the taxes; they rounded
the new tax up to the nearest percentage point, thus the increases.
The result is that taxes have gone up on most items in The Bahamas.
There is another reason to be concerned and that
is what Mr. Ingraham purported to do by the new bill was to fool the outside
world into thinking that what is a customs duty is not a customs duty but
an excise tax. James Smith, the former Minister of State for Finance
in a series of interviews during the past week with the Bahama Journal
expressed doubts that this would meet the smell test of the World Trade
Organization (WTO), which is the reason Mr. Ingraham said he was doing
it.
So not only is Mr. Ingraham seeking to fool the
Bahamian public but also the world bodies. He is too smart for his
own good. Forrester Carroll, Patrick Davis and Constance McDonald
in Freeport have been on his case about this latest political dishonesty.
Not surprisingly, the lap dog of Mr. Ingraham was quick to jump to his
defence attacking the PLP by calling it “nitpicking”. But the Zhivargo
Laing ought to know that it is not nitpicking at all when the evidence
stares everyone in the face.
CHANGES
IN THE PRESS
We reported last week that there was trouble brewing again at Love 97 radio,
the Bahama Journal, and JCN TV14 station collectively known as Jones Communications.
Other websites have reported and the mainstream press confirmed that Candia
Dames (pictured), the one time editor of the news operation at Jones Communication
submitted her resignation to the station following what she thought were
inappropriate comments made to a junior reporter Paige Ferguson.
This led to Mr. Jones firing Ms. Ferguson who reportedly answered Mr. Jones
back word for word. Mr. Jones then dismissed her on the spot.
Later, he returned to the newsroom to apologize but the damage was apparently
done.
Other reporters decided over the incident that they
would have a sick out at Jones Communications for two days following the
incident that occurred on Friday 4th July. The press reported a sick
out on Monday 7th and Tuesday 8th July. The operation now seems back
to normal. Mr. Jones is a scrapper and while this may hurt his operation
in the short term, in the long term he will survive.
It reminds you of the time that Lee Iacocca questioned
why Henry Ford was firing him from the Ford Motor Company. Mr. Ford
told him because “my name is on the building”. It is Jones’ operation
and his personality is exactly like it is.
Turn the page now and there is another report on
Bahamaspress.com that Jessica Robertson, the white Bahamian woman, who
joined Jerome Sawyer at ZNS to help the FNM administration put the newsroom
there into shape, has quit following a letter of reprimand by the station.
Ms. Robertson and Mr. Sawyer appeared on Mr. Jones’ radio station for two
hours on his talk show to discuss their role at ZNS and the press generally.
The management of ZNS was said to be outraged and issued them stern letters
of reprimand. Ms. Robertson would not take it and reportedly quit
over it.
Mr. Sawyer remained on the job up to last week.
ZNS has a reputation of being totally in the hold of the party in power,
and the hiring of the two was thought to have been an attempt by the station
to FNMize the station. Now it appears that the FNM has fallen out
with their two stars. Ms. Robertson has been nothing more than the
consummate professional with the PLP, however. Maybe she forgot why
she was hired there in the first place.
Peter Ramsay photo
PLP
CHAIRMAN STRIKES BACK
Glenys Hanna Martin, Chair of the PLP, issued a statement denouncing the
whitewash that Senator Johnley Ferguson, Chair of the FNM was seeking to
pull over the eyes of the Bahamian public with regard to the resignation
of disgraced former Minister Sidney Collie. In their usual style,
Mr. Ferguson tried to portray Mr. Collie's resignation as some grand political
effort on the part of the FNM, when it was a simple case of their hands
being caught doing crookedness. Ms. Hanna set him straight in the
press release on Friday 11th July:
“I note with interest the comments of the Chairman
of the Free National Movement touting the recent resignation of the former
Minister of Local Government and Lands, Mr. Sidney Collie as some high
principled moment in Bahamian politics.
“In his assessment the Chairman seems to have
overlooked the fact that it took the intervention of the Courts at the
instance of Bahamian voters to stop the former Minister and the Government
from proceeding with Local Government Elections in numerous Districts throughout
the country in violation of the law.
“The former Minister’s resignation came only
after a Supreme Court ruling on the basis of facts that were brought not
only to his attention but also to the attention of the Prime Minister and
the Parliamentary Commissioner well in advance of that ruling.
“The Government’s handling of this matter seems
not to be some shining moment in our democratic history as the Chairman
seeks to suggest. In these nationally embarrassing circumstances and in
the absence of the true facts surrounding the former Minister’s resignation
it would be in the interest of the former Minister that the Chairman not
seek to cast the former Minister’s resignation in any particular light.
“In a related matter, I read recently in a Tribune
Editorial an attempt by the author to compare the notice given during the
Christie administration for the holding of General Elections with the recent
procedural failure by the Ingraham administration in local government elections.
Suffice it to say that the writer, whom I believe to be a lawyer, ought
to be able to make a distinction between the lawful acts under the Constitution
as took place during the Christie administration and the court-adjudicated-upon
unlawful actions under this Ingraham administration.
“If the Writer is unable to make that distinction
then as the writer suggests we should all be crying.”
CHANGING
THE PS AND OTHER OFFICIALS
The game of musical chairs by the Communist style
Commissar named Hubert Ingraham continues. Last week, the Cabinet
office announced that the Permanent Secretaries, the ones who actually
run the government on a day-to-day basis and who sabotaged the PLP when
they were in office are to be changed around. It is interesting to
see this because it gives an indication of who is FNM and who is PLP in
the civil service so complete is the level of infiltration of the service
by Hubert Ingraham and the FNM. Perry Christie did not have a chance
and in one respect comes off as naïve for accepting the blandishments
of these people, while they actively worked to chop off his hands.
Joshua Sears who worked in Washington as Ambassador
ran against the PLP in Exuma and is now hired as Director General of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs at $75,000 per year. Anita Bernard, retired
Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Public Works is brought back from
retirement and is back in the saddle at Works. What does that say
for the public servants who expected promotions? William Allen, former
Minister of Finance, is the one calling the shots in the Ministry of Finance
again as a special consultant. Terry Butler for whom a special act
was passed to give her a princely gratuity and pension without having to
serve 30 years is now back as a special consultant in the office of the
Prime Minister. Clearly, Mr. Ingraham’s victory was meant to be jobs
for the boys.
The complete list of changes is below:
-
Creswell Sturrup - from Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Office to Permanent
Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources. (after sitting
out a whole year on administrative leave because he was seen as PLP)
-
Ronald Thompson - from Permanent Secretary, Office of the Prime Minister
to Permanent Secretary, Ministry of the Environment.
-
Colin Higgs - from Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Public Works &
Transport to Actg. Financial Secretary, Ministry of Finance (overlooking
Ehurd Cunningham, the Secretary to the Revenue)
-
Thelma Beneby - from Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Maritime Affairs
and Labour to Permanent Secretary, Office of the Attorney General and Ministry
of Legal Affairs
-
Leila Greene - from Permanent Secretary, Office of the Attorney General
and Ministry of Legal Affairs to Secretary to the Governor-General, Government
House. (This is not a job for a Permanent Secretary of Mrs. Greene’s talents.)
-
Patricia Rodgers - from Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Office to Permanent
Secretary, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Ministry of Foreign
Affairs (after sitting out for one year in the Cabinet office with nothing
to do).
-
Archie Nairn - from Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tourism & Aviation
to Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth Sports and Culture.
-
Barbara Burrows - from Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health and Social
Development to Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Social Development.
-
Camille Johnson - from Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Housing and
National Insurance to Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health.
-
Coleen Nottage - from Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and
Marine Resources to Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Office. (She will have
no duties to perform)
-
Harrison Thompson - from Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government
and Lands on three months leave. (He will have no duties to perform when
he gets back and is being blamed by the FNM for the local government debacle,
which is simply as a result of the FNM not listening to Mr. Thompson’s
advice)
-
David Davis - from Director of Investments, Bahamas Investment Authority,
Office of the Prime Minister to Permanent Secretary, Office of the Prime
Minister. (FNM)
-
Anita Bernard, retired former Permanent Secretary to Permanent Secretary,
Ministry of Works & Transport. (FNM)
-
Hyacinth Pratt - from Secretary to the Governor-General, Government
House to Actg. Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tourism & Aviation.
-
Melvyn Seymour - from Under Secretary, Ministry of Housing and National
Insurance to Actg. Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Housing.
-
Joy Carey-Jibrilu - from Deputy Director, Bahamas Investment Authority,
Office of the Prime Minister to Director of Investments, Bahamas Investment
Authority, Office of the Prime Minister.
JAMES
SMITH - THE FUTURE ON TAXATION
We continue with the second of the interventions by former Minister of
State for Finance James Smith printed on Monday 7th July in the Bahama
Journal about the question of tax policy in The Bahamas. Mr. Smith
indicated in his remarks that The Bahamas will have to migrate to a new
form of taxation; one that does not hit the poor disproportionately to
their income. Here is what he said in his own words:
“The tariff is a very regressive tax because
it falls disproportionately heavily on low-income families. Numerous economic
studies have indicated that wealthier people spend much more money on services
than they do on goods. Poorer families spend almost all their income on
goods, and in this country where there’s a services-based economy, we’re
taxing goods.
“So it seems logical that if we are to have a
more equitable tax policy, then we should take the burden off the poor
families and have wealthier families share more in the taxation for the
same services they consume. That’s only good public policy.
“I would not be one of those in the camp that
says we are not ready. Value added tax has been around for more than 200
years. It’s being employed in 174 different countries, including Barbados,
small like us; Haiti, poor like anybody else in the world; all of the African
states.
“I think the only significant country that doesn’t
have a value added tax is the United States.
“So we have the capability of implementing a
tax system like that – it’s not rocket science. We have a customs system
that works now. It’s almost the same thing, the only difference is the
information technology that you would bring to bear would change somewhat,
but I have no doubt that that sort of thing can be dealt with quite easily.
“Our difficulty in implementation of a tax, a
value added tax, would be with marketing it and getting widespread public
acceptance – getting a buy-in by the groups that would be affected.
“For instance, if you apply a value added tax
on services, some of the stakeholders would be brought into a (taxation)
net that were not there before – professionals like accountants, traders
– and depending on how they view this thing, they might raise a resistance
to paying taxes directly, even though they are paying customs duties.”
STRAW
VENDORS TAKE MATTERS IN HAND
The Straw Vendors have risen up and set out on their own and are beginning
to seize the day and take matters into their own hands. On Tuesday
8th July, the Vendors led by Ms. Telator Strachan held a press conference
at the Straw Market to express their unhappiness at the lack of responsiveness
of the government to the plight of the vendors. The vendors have
been housed in a tent since 2001 that is tattered and torn and they suffer
heat, flood, electrical problems and overcrowding in the market.
The FNM cancelled the plans that the PLP had to
rebuild the market and have said that they plan to put a green space in
the middle of the city where the market was. They want to force the
vendors to move to an inadequate building on the Prince George Dock.
The Vendors have to become more militant if something is going to be done.
The difficulty is that the FNM vendors keep thinking that they can make
a separate deal for themselves with the FNM government. However,
it is clear that the government has no interest in them, whether FNM or
PLP.
Here is what was said by Ms. Strachan in her own
words as reported in the Bahama Journal of Wednesday 9th July:
“Vendors across the political divide are experiencing
the same conditions and we are united in our position. No matter what government
is in power we have to work hard to make a living for our families.
It must be noted, however, that what separates this administration from
the former administration is open lines of communication.
“Certain promises were made that have not been
fulfilled. All we know is what we have seen in the newspapers.
“We also met with the Minister of National Security
Tommy Turnquest who headed a Cabinet committee to look at the straw market
and [was to] provide a report within 90 days.
“It was at that meeting we were told about going
out on the Prince George Dock. At that time we voiced our disapproval
for the relocation to the Prince George Dock based on past experience out
there. That is the extent of our consultations with the relevant
ministers regarding the straw market. We have heard nothing further
about the 90-day report. Everything seems to be at a standstill.
“A request for a meeting with Prime Minister
Ingraham has gone unanswered.
“But we continue to see utterances in the media
by the former minister (Earl Deveaux). Do we not deserve the respect
of a meeting to explain to us what is going on?”
Telator Strachan holds up a copy of the Statue Law of The Bahamas,
The Antiquities, Monuments and Museums Act 1998, which she claims qualifies
the old straw market site to be a historical site in this Bahama Journal
photo by Torrell Glinton
INDEPENDENCE
PHOTO ESSAY
The sights and sounds of Independence Day, its 35th
edition as it unfolded on Clifford Park were captured by Peter Ramsay of
the Bahamas Information Services. The Governor General Arthur Hanna
inspected the guard of honour. It was reminiscent of the time when
he was Deputy Prime Minister in 1971 and with the Prime Minister out of
the country he took the salute at the annual Commonwealth Day observances
on the same Clifford Park.
1971 was the year Sean McWeeney, then head of the
activist group Unicom burned the British flag in protest at the ceremony
and calling for Independence. Now Mr. Hanna was the Governor General
inspecting the guard in an independent Bahamas.
Senator Jerome Fitzgerald and his wife were there
from the PLP; Michael Barnett, the new Attorney General was there with
Minister of Education Carl Bethel. A good time was had by all.
EXUMA
CELEBRATES INDEPENDENCE
Each
year for almost 12 years, Fred Mitchell MP Fox Hill has joined the people
of Exuma on historic Regatta Park to mark the occasion of the anniversary
of the independence of the country. This year was no exception.
The observances were special in that they showed that Exuma is coming of
age as a small city.
The sophistication and organization of this year’s
ceremony is in one sense a testament to the impact that immigration can
have on a society, when as a result of economic growth, new people come
and bring their professional expertise into the island. It is also
a testament to the leadership of Exuma both political and civic to bring
new dimensions to their celebrations.
This year Exuma had a complete march past by the
police and defence forces, a cultural presentation with emphasis on African
dance and telling the story of slavery and its connection to our independence,
and especially telling the story of the slave Pompey who led the slave
revolt from Steventon, Exuma.
Linda Wilson shot the pictures in Georgetown, Exuma
showing the platform guests as they sang during the ecumenical service,
Mr. Mitchell with Administrator Ivan Ferguson and Deputy Administrator
Newton; Anthony Moss MP inspecting the guard of honour and the dance troupe
of young people from Exuma.
THE
BRITISH TURN ON MICHAEL MISICK
Michael Misick the Premier of the 36,000 person
Turks and Caicos Island British dependency just south of The Bahamas could
have sworn until now that he had died and gone to heaven. In 2003,
shortly after coming back from law school, with a friendly British governor,
a British civil servant born in New Zealand in office, he was handed the
government of the Turks and Caicos Islands then at the start of an unprecedented
boom in the economy.
Mr. Misick just last year was re-elected to office,
wiping the mat with the Opposition. People voted for the great economy
from which they were benefiting. But there were dark forces working
against him, some of them within himself. He developed a reputation
for a lavish and extravagant lifestyle, spending more time away from the
Turks than at home and for courting Hollywood movies types and living the
international jet set high life instead of governing. This reached
its apogee when he married Lisa Raye an American actress who most notably
appears in B rated comedy shows on US TV. Former UN Ambassador and
Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young officiated at the wedding ceremony. It
was said to have cost half a million dollars.
The married life did not change the Premier’s habits.
Earlier this year that reached its apogee when an American tourist accused
him for raping her in the pool at his home. The wife is standing
by him for now but has let it be known around town that she is planning
a divorce as soon as the investigation is over. The US authorities
are said to be investigating. Mr. Missick was not contrite and said
that the allegations were completely false.
In his public life there are also dark clouds forming.
The Foreign Affairs Committee of the British Parliament came to the Turks
and issued a report which described a climate of fear and allegations of
corruption involving the sale of crown land and asked the Foreign and Commonwealth
Office to call for a Commission of Inquiry. The friendly governor
who handed him the government in 2003 is now not so friendly with his own
reputation at home in tatters. He announced last week the appointment
of a Commission of Inquiry which will report in the fall. The governor
leaves the island on 16th July.
Mr. Misick is again defiant. He has accused
those who support the Opposition in this matter as traitors. This
is serious and heady stuff. Mr. Misick needs help and his Bahamian
friends ought to tell him that it is clear that the British have turned
on him if he can’t see it already. That means time is almost up.
The colonial masters are now in charge. You just have to remember
that Stafford Missick, another Chief Minister of the Turks ended up in
a US jail trapped by the British in a drug conspiracy in co-operation with
the US police.
VINCENT
THE FNM
If you did not know before what he was, you know
now what he has always been. Here is what Hubert Ingraham had to
say on Monday 7th July at the swearing in of his new Minister of Tourism
Vincent Vanderpool Wallace, who up until this appointment was thought to
be a neutral civil servant: “We in the Free National Movement have been
fortunate to number among our party’s supporters competent and accomplished
professionals from many walks of life. We are especially pleased
to number Vincent among them.”
Vincent Vanderpool Wallace being sworn in by Acting Governor General
Sir Arthur Foulkes - BIS photo by Patrick Hanna
IN PASSING
TDMA Phones Being Phased Out
The first generation cell phone system of The Bahamas Telecommunications
Company (BTC) called TDMA is to be shut down and all numbers from that
system are to migrate to the new GSM system. The schedule for the
shutdown is as follows: 15th August in Exuma, Andros and the Berry Islands;
31st August in Ragged Island, Long Island, Rum Cay, San Salvador and Eleuthera.
31st October in New Providence, Grand Bahama, Abaco, Acklins, Crooked Island,
Bimini, and Inagua. The source of the information a report in the
Bahama Journal of Wednesday 9th July quoting Vice President of Marketing
Marlon Johnson.
Chan Pratt Dies
Chan Pratt (shown here in this self portrait) of the style and tutelage
of painter Eddie Minnis who went on to become a giant in the art world
in is own right was found dead in the Colony Club in St. Alban’s Drive
in New Providence. He had a plant and nursery business in that same
street. Foul play is not suspected. It is thought that he died
of a stroke or heart attack. He was 44 years old at the time of his
death on Wednesday 9th July.
The Government Falls In Grenada
Since December 2006 when the government of St. Lucia fell, there have
been seven changes of Government in the Caricom region. The latest
domino was Keith Mitchell’s government in Grenada where elections were
held on 8th July. The result was a landslide victory for Tillman
Thomas and his National Democratic Congress (NDC). Dr. Mitchell’s
party has been reduced to 4 seats in a 15 seat assembly. The other
countries to change governments are The Bahamas, Jamaica, British Virgin
Islands, Belize, Barbados, and St. Lucia. The countries that resisted
the trend are Bermuda, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands.
Greenslade in Canada
Tommy Turnquest, the Minister of National Security, is trying to spin
the news that the secondment of Senior Assistant Commissioner Ellison Greenslade
and Assistant Commissioner Marvin Dames is somehow useful to The Bahamas.
Two senior men who were not in need of any further training in policing
were packed off to Canada, where policing issues are nothing like The Bahamas
so that the Prime Minister could appoint one of his chosen men to be Commissioner
of Police. In the Bahama Journal of Friday 11th July, Mr. Turnquest
tells the press that the two men are finding the secondment useful and
that good reports are coming back from Canada. Mr. Turnquest and
Mr. Ingraham should apologize to these men for wasting their time and for
wasting the taxpayer’s money.
Guyana Is Wrong On EPA
The President of Guyana Baratt Jagdeo has said that Guyana will not
sign the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the Europeans until
he has completed consultations with his population at home. This
is shocking that his government should take such a stand since only The
Bahamas and Haiti had indicated problems with the agreement and were givens
six month for their consultations. All of a sudden now the agreement
is suddenly suspect as interfering with the sovereignty of Guyana.
That is not true and it is the same propaganda that is being spun in this
country, which is simply false. The government of Guyana has also
accused the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (CRNM) that negotiated
the agreement of hiding salient facts from the Heads of Government.
That is ludicrous since all the texts are available in full view of the
public on the website of the CRNM. It is simply incredible that a
whole government can suddenly claim that they did not know. Mr. Jagdeo
says that he will only sign if the Europeans impose tariffs on Guyanese
goods entering Europe. That will follow as night follows day, so
one supposes this is all sound and fury signifying nothing. The Jamaica
Observer was not as kind as we were. Let us simply say they denounced
the President for being shockingly out of touch.
Elma Is Gone
Politics is a strange thing. You could have sworn with Elma Campbell
being as she is kicked out of the Cabinet as Minister for Immigration and
sent off to China, Hubert’s version of Elba, what with complaints from
the distaff side to him and from Cabinet colleagues who want to see the
back of her… you could have sworn she was on a victory lap if you listened
to her on the radio on Saturday morning 12th July as she accepted her instruments
of appointment as Ambassador to China. All the bit about how thankful
she was and how proud she was to serve and will continue to serve and what
she will do in China. Intentions are one thing but attitude is another
and we hope she does not take that dog in the manger attitude that she
exhibited as a Minister to China as Ambassador.
What’s Up With The Guardian?
The Nassau Guardian on line version does not give you the full paper
any more. Instead, it gives you these headline teasers and a first
paragraph and then tells you to buy the full paper. What a bunch
of #^@#! Whose silly decision was that? No doubt, it is a misguided
attempt to force people to buy the newspaper. But with most of the
viewers on the web coming from overseas how pray tell will they buy the
Guardian from where they are. Silliness must be endemic in this country.
John Templeton Dies
John Templeton, an American living in The Bahamas at exclusive Lyford
Cay and worth billions arising from his canny investments in the stock
market, who was awarded an honorary knighthood from the British Queen,
for his work in religious philanthropy, died in Nassau on Tuesday 8th July
at Doctor’s Hospital.
Happy 90th Birthday JB Carroll
Mr. JB Carroll of Deadman’s Cay, Long Island is today celebrating his
90th birthday. Congratulations to Mr. Carroll. Among the more
well known of Mr. Carroll’s children are Forrester and Norris Carroll.
Click on a heading to go to that story; press ctrl + home to return
to the top of the page.
|
| ST. AGNES MARKS 167 YEARS:
St.
Agnes Anglican Church was established by the Anglican Diocese of Nassau
and The Bahamas in 1841 to serve the African community that had settled
over the hill in Grants Town in New Providence. The church was dedicated
on 12th July 1845 some four years later. The church has served
that population from then to now in Grants Town, and today is considered
the church of the black elites who once lived in Grants Town but who have
migrated to many of the rich suburbs far afield in New Providence.
This year then marks the 167th anniversary of the dedication of the St.
Agnes Chapel. The people of the parish, now led by Archdeacon Ranfurly
Brown held a procession of witness to mark the occasion on the 12th July
2008. The young and the old were out in force giving evidence of
a vibrant congregation with an assured future. Our photo of the week
shows the little women in their white veils as they accompany the banner
of an icon through the streets of Grants Town. Photo: Peter Ramsay
(See photo essay below) |
COMMENT OF THE WEEK
THE HOSPITALS OF THE BAHAMAS
The Government does not like questions about the hospital in the
House of Assembly. The government gets offended when you expose them
in the House of Assembly relating to issues of health care. It is
easy to see why. Their health care policy is a total failure.
They do not have anything more than a maintenance scheme. In the
mean time, the health care of the country suffers.
Fred Mitchell MP Fox Hill and Obie Wilchcombe MP West End visited
the Princess Margaret Hospital in Nassau. This is a teaching hospital
for the University of the West Indies. Mr. Mitchell reported that
the hospital was simply filthy. He was appalled at the smell, the
lack of cleanliness and the sight of people in the accident and emergency
ward of the hospital being accommodated on cots because there were not
enough beds in the hospital for patients.
There are similar stories about the Rand Hospital in Freeport.
The nurses in that facility are said to be quite near to taking industrial
action because of the chronic shortages that exist in the hospital and
the lack of equipment, facilities and space.
The government called complaints about these matters in the House
“nitpicking”. It is the same way that the Minister of State for Finance
Zhivargo Laing described the criticisms of PLP party officers in Freeport
about the taxes that the FNM raised on the people of The Bahamas without
notice. That must be a favourite word of theirs to dismiss any public
criticism. One Minister said that the House of Assembly is for policy
not for nitpicking matters like whether or not medicine is in the hospital.
But how about this: is it the policy of the government to keep a
nasty dirty hospital, without equipment, medicine or supplies? That
is the policy question. That is the complaint of citizens in the
country.
Leandra Esfakis, an attorney, went public with another major issue
last week and that is the actual safety of the hospitals generally.
Her case is against the privately owned and operated Doctor’s Hospital
in Nassau. She has set up a website called bahamaspatientadvocacy.org.
The purpose of the website is to try to force the Health Care Facilities
Board to do its job and investigate the death from natural causes with
“a substantive contribution of neglect” of her brother Christopher.
Mr. Esfakis presented himself to Doctor’s Hospital on 20th April 2002 with
burns about 25 per cent of his body due to an accident at home. He
was diagnosed with a 90 per cent chance of survival. Three days later
he died. A coroner’s inquest was held and thus the finding of negligence.
Under the act governing the licensing of private hospitals, the Board is
supposed to investigate deaths in private hospitals. Ms. Esfakis
said that nothing has happened.
Kirkland Culmer who is the Head of the Board was given an opportunity
by the Nassau Guardian on Friday 18th July to make some statement about
the case. The paper reported on 19th July that he had no comment
to make. The Esfakis family also has a civil suit going against Doctor’s
Hospital.
We are not surprised that there would not be any comment, just as
we are not surprised that there is no investigation ongoing of which the
public has been informed. There is no right to know law in The Bahamas.
Further, there is no culture of accountability in any of the aspects of
our national public life. The government routinely practices obfuscation.
The private sector follows suit and argues often like newspapers that even
if they are providing a public good, they do not have to explain what they
do because after all they are private operations.
Both the hospital facilities in New Providence and the facility in
Grand Bahama leave a lot to be desired. Ms. Esfakis should be commended
for her foray into public advocacy on this point. Her case could
be considerably strengthened if others join to force the Board to do its
job and to force the Ministry of Health to account to the Bahamian people
for its superintendence of Bahamian health care.
The hospitals are noisy and dirty. There are general questions
about the standards of care. There are issues like patient privacy
about the nature of informed consent. All of these policies or the
lack thereof need to be exposed if we are to have a health care system
that is truly responsive to the needs of the Bahamian people.
Of course, no discussion on health care will be complete without
a discussion on the cost of health care. Mr. Mitchell in Parliament
on Wednesday 16th July raised the case of a constituent and his inability
to get syringes to administer his insulin or to get test strips to test
for his blood sugar. The man is a pensioner on a fixed income.
There are stories that can be told of many others who cannot afford to
pay for their medications or for their routine testing equipment.
The government has no solution in sight to the problem.
There is also the need for a new hospital. How is that going
to be built and where are we to get the money?
What we know is the PLP had a plan to deal with all of this before
it was voted out of office. We also know that the FNM has no plan.
Their plan is to criticize what the PLP wanted to do, do nothing and then
use smoke and mirrors to fool the public that indeed they are doing something
when the reality is they are doing nothing.
Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 19th July 2008 at midnight:
250,690.
Number of hits for the month of July up to Saturday 19th July 2008
at midnight: 732,476.
Number of hits for the year 2008 up to Saturday 19th July 2008 at
midnight: 7,594,903.
CONTACT US AT E-MAIL:placid_point@yahoo.com
STUBBS
IS CHAIR OF GBPA
A few weeks ago on this site, we predicted that IBM man Felix Stubbs (pictured)
would end up being the Chairman of the Grand Bahama Port Authority in Freeport.
That prediction was confirmed by an announcement from the Port. It
seems that the warring factions of St. Georges on the one side and Jack
Hayward on the other were able to come together long enough to make those
decisions. They also announced that Erik Christianson would become
the Chair of the Grand Bahama Port Authority Group of Companies.
We apologize for earlier reporting his first name as Arne.
Mr. Stubbs will serve on that Board as well but
only as a director. For the moment, Sir Albert Miller continues as
President of the company. No one quite knows what this all means.
Certainly, Mr. Stubbs is competent on his own to run the Port but in the
face of the uncertainty over ownership and control and the Government’s
threat to nationalize the company, why would he want to get into that mess?
Then there is the larger public interest of The
Bahamas. Is that larger interest served by yet another interim measure
for Grand Bahama? Its economy is ailing. People are migrating
to other parts of The Bahamas because there is no work there and neither
the Port nor the Government seem to have a solution in sight for how to
resolve what is a crisis of confidence in the city. Sadly, the PLP
has been unable to capitalize on the malaise in Freeport to any political
advantage, although the one bright spot in the PLP’s firmament up there,
the PLAN group still appears to be keeping the pressure on.
WHERE
ARE WE ON THE EPA?
The discordant voices of Opposition are beating
the drums to defeat the effort to sign the Economic Partnership Agreement
(EPA) between the Caricom and Dominican Republic on 30th August.
Opposition in The Bahamas continues even though it seems clear that the
opposition to the pact is being led by many who in fact have never read
the agreement. During the past week, the main group in The Bahamas
who oppose the signing of the pact said that they were supporting a petition
drive throughout the region that is calling for the entire pact to be renegotiated.
The regional opposition to the EPA is being driven
by the fact that the new government of Grenada headed by Thomas Tillman
is saying that they have to review the agreement. There is also the
vociferous opposition by the President of Guyana Barratt Jagdeo who asked
for and got an additional month to be able to consult with this people
over the agreement. Now Sir Ronald Sanders, the right hand man of
the former Prime Minister of Antigua Lester Bird has weighed in saying
in an article published by Caribbean Net News that the case for renegotiation
is compelling. This would indicate that Mr. Bird who is expected
to make a push at trying to get the government of Antigua back is also
against the agreement. The PLP in The Bahamas has been silent on
the point confining their remarks to an appeal to the government to fully
explain the agreement to the Bahamian people.
What seems to be happening now is that the opposition
drumbeat is taking on a life of its own. There is a wind of resistance
throughout the region that is suggesting a pull back even from the limited
cooperation that exists within the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME).
For example, the new Prime Minister of Barbados David Thompson has said
that his country is not fully ready to accept the free movement of skilled
nationals as required under the treaty. Another minister in the government
there has said that the government will no longer be granting work permits
to non-nationals where there is not a training programme in place to ensure
that Barbadians can replace the non-national.
So the Caricom region is once again in danger of
disintegrating into the protectionist enclaves that existed prior to the
Caricom treaty establishing the CSME even though it is clear that the region
cannot survive economically and succeed to the level that it wishes without
some form of integration. The EPA is now being portrayed as colonialism
making a comeback. On the official level, only two countries have
indicated that they have problems with the EPA but given the lack of intellectual
push back, those with the loud drums are getting too much say. The
agreement should be signed in our view without delay because it will be
good for the region.
167
YEARS OF ST. AGNES
The dedication of St. Agnes Church, the 167th version
of it, was held last Sunday in Grants Town. Visiting to give the
homily was the Rev. Richard Marques Barry, whose ancestors hail from Spanish
Wells and Harbour Island and who was born in Miami. He is now the
Rector of St. Agnes Church in Miami that he calls the daughter church because
it was established by St. Agnes’ Parishioners who had moved from Nassau
to Miami in 1898. There was a procession of witness for the dedication
throughout Grants Town.
Peter Ramsay captured some of the sights and sounds.
Top: Fr. Bernard Been, Assistant Curate, with servers; above, Henry Dean,
the People’s Warden, Archdeacon Ranfurly Brown, Rector and Priest’s Warden
Ralph Wood; the procession of an icon accompanied by little girls veiled
in white; and below Fox Hill MP Fred Mitchell with; Dame Marguerite Pindling,
widow of the late Sir Lynden O. Pindling; with the popular businessman
William J. Francis, universally known by his nickname ‘Willie Mays’; and
with Canon Marquis Barry of St. Agnes, Miami.
LONG
ISLAND OLD FOLKS HOME
Fox Hill MP Fred Mitchell makes an annual visit
to Long Island just after his annual visit to Georgetown, Exuma for Independence
Day. This year an unusual confluence of events conspired on Saturday
12th July to have him in Long Island at the same time that the Long Island
Women’s Friendship Club was holding its ceremony for the official opening
of its senior citizens recreation centre. The club has some 38 members
and is headed by Olivia Turnquest of Gray’s, Long Island. Her husband
Lockhart was instrumental in overseeing the design and construction of
the project. When complete, it will also have rooms where the elderly
can live.
Attending the opening and doing the honours was
former Governor General and Long Islander Dame Ivy Dumont; the Minister
of State for Social Services Loretta Butler Turner; the Member of Parliament
for Long Island Larry Cartwright. And, if you can believe this, Mr.
Mitchell’s opponent in the last general election Senator Jacinta Higgs
was also in Long Island with her family, having recently purchased a home
in Long Island. The photos of the event were taken by Tanya Mona
Lisa of Island Times News. Thank you to Tanya.
The photos show, top: Dame Ivy Cutting the ribbon with
Mr. Mitchell, Police Superintendent Adderley, Club President Olivia Turnquest
and Senator Higgs looking on; above - former MP Sylvia Scriven who now
lives in Long Island presenting a gift to Dame Ivy; Carmelita Treco, a
club member presenting a gift to Minister Butler Turner; Carnetha
Knowles, club member giving a gift to Lockhart Turnquest; Long Island MP
Larry Cartwright unveiling the plaque; Jennifer Cartwright of the club
presents a gift to the President Olivia Turnquest; Lolitha Darville, club
member presents a gift to MC Elma Garraway, who is also the Permanent Secretary
of the Ministry of Education and the sister of club President Olivia Turnquest.
MICHAEL
MISICK’S RESPONSE TO THE COMMISSION
Before the British-appointed Commission of Inquiry could get to work, two
Members of Parliament on the government side in the Turks and Caicos filed
an action in the court in the Turks calling for judicial review of the
decision of the British governor of the Turks Richard Tauwhare to establish
the Commission to look into allegations of corruption in the Turks and
Caicos Islands. The Commission came as a result of a report from
the House of Commons in London Foreign Affairs Committee that called for
investigations in the Turks, in Bermuda and in Anguilla. All of those
governments have denied that there is any corruption to investigate.
Michael Misick, the Premier of the Turks and Caicos
(pictured), has said that he opposes the Commission of Inquiry because
it is intended to smear the politicians of the Turks and Caicos on both
sides. The legal argument is that the remit of the inquiry is so
wide and indeterminate that the inquiry is really a fishing expedition.
The MPs are therefore challenging it. It would appear that they have
the support of the Premier. The case is to be heard on 21st July.
Interestingly enough, even though the Turks government did not establish
this Commission of Inquiry, it will have to be paid for by them according
to Sir Robin Auld, the commissioner of inquiry, who had a wide ranging
press conference on how he intends to go about his work. The Commission
was appointed on 10th July. The Opposition party in the Turks supports
the Commission of Inquiry.
LEVI
GIBSON DIES
Funeral services for business and civic leader Levi Gibson MBE who died
at Doctor’s Hospital in Nassau on Friday 18th July will be held at St.
Matthew’s Church, Shirley Street on Friday 26th July at 1 p.m. He
was 94 years old at the time of his death. The family and friends
of Mr. Gibson released this statement:
“The family and friends of Levi Gibson, President
of Levi Gibson Real Estate Ltd., announce with regret the death of Levi
Gibson today Friday 18th July 2009 at Doctor’s Hospital in Nassau at 1
p.m. following a brief illness. Mr. Gibson was 94 at the time of
his death.
“Mr. Gibson’s wife Virginia predeceased him,
as did a son who died shortly after childbirth. He and his wife adopted
a son Philip. He was surrounded by his faithful friend Avis Outten
and her family with beloved cousin Charles Gibson along with other family
members and friends at the time of his death.
“Mr. Gibson was a giant of his times.
He was born in Simms, Long Island on 5th April 1914. He was the son
of Osborne Theophilus Gibson and Elizabeth Janer Gibson (nee Taylor) both
of Simms, Long Island. Mr. Gibson, who left school in Simms at age
14, distinguished himself as a realtor, following a 43-year stint as the
major-domo for the late Sir Harold Christie.
“From the position with Sir Harold, Mr. Gibson
was an observer to many of the major events of the day including the cataclysmic
events surrounding the unsolved homicide of the late Sir Harry Oakes.
He was a friend of the Duke of Windsor who was governor of The Bahamas
from 1940 to 1945 and to many Royal Governors following the Duke.
He counted the late Sir Roland Symonette, the country’s first Premier,
as amongst his friends as well as the late Prime Minister Sir Lynden O.
Pindling. He was a life long friend of the late A. F. Adderley and
his two sons Paul and Francis. Bruce Braynen former Member of Parliament
was also a lifelong friend.
“After leaving Mr. Christie’s employ, Mr.
Gibson moved on to his own trucking business. He left the trucking
business in 1967, went into real estate, and never looked back.
“Mr. Gibson credited the support of the Royal
Bank of Canada for assisting his commercial success and formed lasting
relationships with its managers including Harold Longley, the first Bahamian
to serve as the Manager of the Main Branch Bay Street.
“Mr. Gibson’s success in business propelled
an involvement in the civic life of The Bahamas. In April 2006, his
former colleagues of the Kiwanis Clubs of Nassau honoured him for his drive
and leadership of the early Kiwanis in The Bahamas. He drove the
organization along with pioneers such as Dave Smalley and the late Dr.
Cleveland Eneas. He helped to found the Kiwanis’ Key Clubs in schools
throughout the country.
“He was President of the BAAA in 1964 when
Sir Durward Knowles and Cecil Cooke won the first Olympic gold medal for
The Bahamas. He was a founding member of The Bahamas Cycle Club,
which today still owns a building on Bay Street.
“In the 1930s, Mr. Gibson played the bass
violin as a founding member of the popular local band, the ‘Chocolate Dandies’
under leader Leonard White and including Gladstone Christie, Charles Carey,
George Moxey, Lawrence ‘Sticky’ Francis, Willis ‘Pick’ Mather, Isaac Strachan
and the famous George Symonette.
“Mr. Gibson served on the Anglican Diocesan
Council, was a delegate to the Anglican Synod and was a former Treasurer
and Vestryman of St. Matthew’s Church. He was a former director on
the Board of the Bank of New Providence, during which time he formed a
lasting friendship with banker Wes Bastian. He also served as a director
of ENI Bank for eighteen years.
“In his long life, he constantly told friends
that God had been good to him to raise him up from a poor boy from Long
Island to be able to walk with the highest in the land. He said in
an interview in 1993, “I am a firm believer that no good is ever wasted,
particularly if you do it from the heart.”
“There are scores of young men and women who
can attest to his generosity. He was godfather to many including
Fox Hill Member of Parliament Fred Mitchell. Mr. Mitchell in a statement
issued today said, “Since my parents died, this has been the most painful
thing I have had to do, to say good-bye to Levi.”
“Levi Gibson gave of his time, talents and
money with boundless generosity almost to a fault. He paid anonymously
for many student scholarships. He was a firm believer in education.
“Mr. Gibson was honoured by Her Majesty the
Queen in the New Year’s Day honours of 2007 with an MBE for his contribution
to the civic and business life of The Bahamas.”
Photo: Peter Ramsay. The last public appearance by Mr. Gibson
was when he was presented with the insignia for a Member of the British
Empire (MBE) by Governor General Arthur D. Hanna on 26th July 2007.
The photo at Government House was taken by Derek Smith of the Bahamas Information
Services.
COLINA
- SOMEONE PLEASE EXPLAIN
Bahamaspress.com (see header) broke the news that
there is yet another upheaval at the Colina Insurance Company. Colina,
the largest insurance company in The Bahamas as a result of a consolidation
that took place over the last five years, has seen its share of troubles.
First James Campbell one of the designers of the deal had a falling out
with this partners Emmanuel Alexiou and Anthony Ferguson. That led
to a multi million dollar court case all the way up to the Privy Council.
There have been management changes as well but none like what is now being
reported.
The website said that Montgomery Braithwaite who
headed the company has been fired. It reported that Dashwell Flowers,
Vice President for Sales and Rachanda King, Vice President for Human Resources
had also been fired. The report said some 21 others are to go.
Our own sources tell us that the first quarter results for the company
will show a drastic decline in revenues and profitability. Clients
report also that the service they have been getting from the company and
its agents has not been good. Mr. Alexiou himself may take over the
President’s role in the short term. Policy holders must now be alarmed
at what is happening there. The company needs to publicly explain
what is going on.
INGRAHAM
LAMENTS PACE OF BTC SALE
Sometimes you wonder if Hubert Ingraham is in his
right mind. Last week this time, he had the entire Caribbean telecommunications
policy making and business community here in The Bahamas for the CANTO
conference. Not a word said about Leon Williams, the General Manager
of the local phone company who was unceremoniously fired just weeks before
the conference came here. It was like he did not exist. So,
the ungrateful wretch that he is, Mr. Ingraham gets up and not only does
he not mention Mr. Williams but starts shedding crocodile tears about how
the BTC privatization has taken too long. Well, we can’t believe
it. Mr. Ingraham who is the cause of the delay now shedding tears
over his own perfidy. The PLP decided to sell BTC last year just
before it left office. The question is what is taking so long to
get the deal done? The usual of course. Mr. Ingraham wants
to remake the deal so he can try to claim it as his own. By the time
he gets done, BTC will not be worth diddly squat.
FLAG
DAY IN FOX HILL
The Fox Hill Community led by its Member of Parliament
Fred Mitchell held its third annual flag day to commemorate the 35th anniversary
of the nation’s independence on Saturday 19th July. Mr. Mitchell
reminded the crowd that the straw vendors of Fox Hill played an integral
part in the development of the country in the fight for majority rule,
and as such Fox Hill had a hand in creating our independent nation.
Pastor David Johnson of the Macedonia Baptist Church gave the homily and
Rev. Sabrina Pinder of St. Mark’s was the Mistress of Ceremonies.
The flag raising was supervised by the Royal Bahamas Police Force and done
by the children of Fox Hill. A birthday cake was cut to commemorate
the country’s anniversary.
LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR
The FNM did mislead Parliament
I concur with many Bahamians including Frank
Smith MP and Forrester Carroll that the Prime Minister and his cabinet
clearly and deliberately misled parliament and the Bahamian people in their
budget communications. They talked about the tax concessions benefiting
Bahamians to the tune of $131 million; the PM stressed the benefits to
poor Bahamians. He talked about eliminating the 2% stamp tax on some 162
food items. The FNM ran a PR campaign to deceive the Bahamian people
into believing that the current budget provides widespread economic relief.
He and his entire cabinet did not say that the excise taxes and the current
duty and stamp tax regimes will increase government revenue by 10% over
2007 figures or some $146 million. How is this possible when the
economic growth for this fiscal year was downgraded from 4% to 2% and the
government only collects 20 cents out of every dollar generated in the
Bahamian economy? This will be possible only through precipitous
tax increases.
The facts now reveal that the government increased
taxes on some 160,000 items. None of these items was gazetted as
required by law nor were these changes mentioned in parliament. Whenever
these issues are raised, particularly by Frank Smith, MP for St Thomas
More, the government side of the Honorable House would interrupt him in
an attempt to silence him. The government's action and behavior are
eerily similar to the manner in which they prepared for the recently held
local government elections.
The PM had a responsibility to identify and articulate
these tax increases just as he did with increases in bank fees to the tune
of $6.8 million. These tax increases were hidden from parliament
and the general public. This is a governance issue and a serious
breech of public trust. I urge the PLP parliamentary caucus to pursue
this newest development vigorously. Hansard would clearly prove that
the PM and the entire FNM cabinet were willful in their deception.
He calls himself the friend of the poor when his policies are designed
to create expansive abject poverty in this country and mass disenfranchisement.
The credibility of the opposition will be validated
by the current experiences of the common man and woman on the ground who
are catching hell daily.
Elcott Coleby
IN PASSING
Manning On Caricom Elections
Prime
Minister Patrick Manning of Trinidad and Tobago (pictured) is the last
man standing, or so it seems. Since the round of elections began
in the region in 2006, one after the other, governments have fallen.
Mr. Manning has survived. He spoke to his convention in Trinidad
of the ruling People’s National Movement (PNM) on Sunday 13th July and
here is what he told them on the subject as reported in the Trinidad Express:
“Prime Minister Patrick Manning said yesterday
that his controversial actions in the selection of candidates in the last
general election were vindicated by the results of the elections across
the Caribbean.
“Addressing the PNM's 42nd Annual Convention,
Manning noted that many people questioned the strategy he employed in the
selection of candidates, which saw many senior MPs and Cabinet members
rejected.
“Let me ask you this question, where is the
last Government of Belize?" Manning enquired. ‘Gone!’ the crowd replied.
‘The last Government of the Bahamas?’ he asked. ‘Gone!’ was the refrain.
‘The last Government of Jamaica?’ he enquired. ‘Gone!’ shouted the
crowd. ‘The last Government of Barbados?’ he asked. The response
was the same. ‘The last Government of St Lucia?’ ‘Gone!’ they
shouted. ‘Where is the last Government of Grenada, my dear friends?’
‘Gone!’ the crowd chorused. ‘Where is the last Government of Trinidad
and Tobago?’ Thunderous applause drowned out the words, ‘Here, here.’”
Policeman Drowns In Training Exercise
Corporal 2543 Desmond Burrows drowned in a police training exercise
on Wednesday 16th July at Goodman’s Bay, a popular beach for swimming by
the public at large. The Ministry of National Security says that
an investigation has been launched into the matter. The initial reports
indicate that on Wednesday 16th July at 3 p.m. officers were walking in
waist deep water in the sea, when it appears they stepped into a sink hole.
Five officers went under and had to be resuscitated on the shore.
Corporal Burrows could not be resuscitated. That type of training
has now been suspended pending the investigations.
Darold Miller Case Ends
The last witnesses are in for the case against Darold Miller (shown
in this file photo) accused of sexually harassing a woman who worked as
a subordinate with him at the GEMS radio station in Nassau. Mr. Miller’s
final character witness was Rodney Moncur, the political activist.
Most observers wonder whether that actually helped his case. Mr.
Moncur’s role seems to have been to bolster the Defence case that because
Mr. Miller opposed what he called “sissyism” that he was fired. That
was his second line of defence, the first being that he was fired because
he was against the PLP. The prosecutor called the Defence allegation
nonsense and said that the Crown had proven their case and that Mr. Miller’s
Defence did not provide a reasonable doubt. The case is adjourned
to 23rd July for further legal arguments before Magistrate Renée
McKay.
Archbishop Gomez Off To Lambeth Conference
The Anglican Archbishop Drexel Gomez (file photo) is off to his final
Lambeth Conference in London. This is a gathering of all Anglican
Bishops around the world which takes place once every ten years.
The great issue of the day is homosexuality and whether or not Anglicans
can be Bishops and openly homosexual. The only openly homosexual
Bishop who started the whole fuss from the American edition of the church
was not invited to the party. Archbishop Gomez would not have missed
this one for the world. Many expected that given the Archbishop’s stand
on homosexuality in the church (he’s against it) that he would join the
boycott of clerics who held an alternative conference in Jerusalem.
Not so our Archbishop. He is present and accounted for. The
Archbishop steps down at the end of the year as head of the Anglican Church
in The Bahamas and the Archbishop of the Province of the West Indies.
The Importance Of Good Grammar
It seems that good grammar in public speaking has gone out of the window.
Listening at the House of Assembly or even to public officials, permanent
secretaries and the like, even in the Ministry of Education, we can’t seem
to get the number or the subject to agree with the verb or get our past
tenses in place. Nicollette Bethel, the Director of Culture and a
social anthropologist by training blames it on our African heritage.
She says that our African mother languages did not have “s” as a form of
plural and that our inability to retain it comes from our internal African
cultural memory. Hmmm!
ZNS Missing In Long Island
The Government must explain and quickly resolve the problem why ZNS
in 2008 cannot be heard in Long Island and reportedly in the islands south
of that island during the day or the night time. One Fox Hill resident
who recently visited Mayaguana says that the Administrator in the island
has taken to buying newspapers daily and allowing citizens to read the
paper as a way of trying to keep them up with events. However, this
is nothing short of disgraceful that the national radio station cannot
be heard in the islands of the south. This is hurricane season and
all the more reason for the station to be up and running. Parliamentary
Secretary Kay Forbes who runs ZNS told the Senate last month that a new
transmitter is needed and that one would be installed mid July. That
is now.
Frank Smith On Mona Vie
The drink that just won’t go away. Opposition MP Frank Smith
(shown holding Mona Vie bottle in House of Assembly) tabled documents (left)
in the House of Assembly that confirm that the duty applied on the import
of the Mona Vie drink was in fact ten percent and not the 45 percent that
it should have been. The government members went ballistic and sought
not to have the documents tabled, the Speaker helping them to run interference.
In the end they could not defeat the press of Mr. Smith. No word
though on whether as at today they are still enforcing administratively
the instruction given in December to collect only 10 percent even thought
the classification is 45 percent. During the week, a well thought
out letter to the press by A. Loftus Roker, former Minister of National
Security under the PLP said that Mr. Ingraham ought to fire Zhivargo Laing.
He said that Mr. Laing was in a clear conflict of interest situation having
decided to sue the Comptroller of Customs to whom the Comptroller used
to report as a Minister. We agree.
Ronnie Butler Honoured
70-year old Bahamian music standout Ronnie Butler was honoured at a
Cable Beach concert over the weekend. Among those who turned up to
speak in honour of Butler's more than fifty year long musical career was
former Prime Minister Perry Christie, shown here at the microphone with
friends. Butler is reportedly working on a new recording.
Photo: Peter Ramsay
Click on a heading to go to that story; press ctrl + home to return
to the top of the page.
|
| LEVI GIBSON BURIED:
With
the line from William Butler Yeats’ epitaph “Cast a cold eye, on life,
on death. Horseman, pass by!” spoken by godson Fred Mitchell MP in
his tribute, Levi Hyman Gibson MBE was laid to rest in the eastern cemetery
with his wife and infant son already interred there. He was buried
following a funeral service at St. Matthew’s Church where he served as
a vestryman. The service took place on Friday 25th July one week
after his death. The photo of the week is that of Governor General
Arthur Hanna at the funeral service of Mr. Gibson who died at 94 on 18th
July 2007 after a full lifetime as a businessman and civic leader.
The photo is by Peter Ramsay of the Bahamas Information Services. |
COMMENT OF THE WEEK
MAKING IT UP AS HE GOES
Manic depression is touching my soul
I know what I want but I just don’t know
How to, go about gettin it…
Manic depression is catchin my soul
--- Jimi Hendrix
You would forgive us for calling in a psychologist yet again to try
to analyze the behaviour of our great maximum leader Hubert Ingraham, the
Prime Minister of The Bahamas. The House of Assembly was supposed
to end its session for the summer on Wednesday 23rd June. This was
the third postponement of the summer recess because Mr. Ingraham in a fit
of pique did not like what Alfred Sears MP for Ft. Charlotte said after
the government delayed debate on the amendment to the Anti Terrorism Legislation.
Mr. Ingraham claimed that because Mr. Sears said that the government
was delaying the bill’s consideration because they wanted to go on vacation,
he was cancelling the recess and would make the PLP stay in the House.
So said so done! Now each week after that stupid decision, he has
been promising the recess to begin. The reason the date was changed
from last Wednesday was because he had to go to dinner at 8 p.m. and no
one else from his side or so it appears could be left to manage a simple
resolution that would guarantee the borrowing of 11 million dollars by
the Airport Authority to pay for the cost overruns at the Lynden Pindling
International Airport. So the House was suspended until 28th July
when it is promised again that there will be a summer break until 17th
September.
This is not the only to example of schedule by caprice. You
will remember that when Fred Mitchell MP for Fox Hill reminded him during
the debate on the supplementary appropriations bills two months ago that
each member was entitled to speak for an hour that Mr. Ingraham got up
to say that he did not do “foolishness” and withdrew the bill. Nothing
changed a week later when he had to move the bill once more and this time
stick with the rules. One hour was what the rules say and that is
what appeared on the clock the next week. Time wasted because of
a fit of pique.
But suppose all of these examples and the other examples of the fierce
personal attacks are not just fits of pique but a sign of something more
fundamentally wrong and off base. Perhaps that question ought to
be examined. The behaviour gives rise to a suspicion that we ought
to be looking in another direction.
One idea is that it is the pressure of his work. Mr. Ingraham
allowed his ego to work on him overtime and answered the messianic call
to come back and save the FNM. In doing so, he took upon himself
the role of being Minister of Everything. You will recall our note
here one week when he complained in the House that he has a million things
to do. In other, words it may be that he has so many irons in the
fire, so many things on this plate, so many fish to fry, that he can’t
see his way clear to get anything done without shouting and screaming and
changing course.
Another idea is the one we floated here before that this is really
quite an insecure man. He came up in a situation where according
to him he did not know his father and he used the word “bastard” and applied
it to himself. It appears to some that this is what he holds against
Perry Christie who was raised in a two parent home. The fact that
the outcome of one’s life depends largely on one’s own abilities and not
necessarily on the circumstances of your birth, seems to have escaped the
man who has landed at the top of the Bahamian heap.
Then there are those who advance the other theory; the fact that
after lunch he is more irritable than before lunch. That at one point
before lunch, he is the picture of calm and reason and then the next thing
after lunch, he explodes into a tirade of irrationality, lashing out in
all directions and taking his ministers by surprise. What happens
at lunch time?
You can imagine the shock on the faces of Ministers when he withdrew
the bills, or when he decided without consulting with any of them to delay
the summer recess. This is not Cabinet government. This is
government by the one man show.
It makes it difficult to plan the future for the country. It
has made doing business with the government of The Bahamas more difficult.
His lashing out at Bahamar caused the investment to go under, and led to
scores of Bahamians losing their jobs. No apology. He acts
like it is a joke. But it is no joke now that the investors in the
country can no longer trust the country because they know they have a Prime
Minister in charge that does not go strictly by the letter of an agreement
and will cancel agreements negotiated by other governments.
Is it any wonder then that the lenders to the Airport Authority wanted
to have the government eliminated from the process of setting fees for
the airport, to guarantee that they won’t have some wacky headed individual
like the Prime Minister who gets up one day and on one of his whims and
changes the agreement unilaterally? The House passed the bill to
accommodate their wishes on Wednesday 23rd July.
There was an interview with Mr. Ingraham in The Tribune published
on Thursday 24th July. This interview dominated the paper’s front
pages, even engaged some of its editors. Mr. Ingraham trashed The
Tribune for suggesting in its Insight comment on Monday 21st July that
he misled the country on the tax burden they will have to bear. It
turns out that he is guilty as charged on that matter. Then he introduced
a host of new construction projects. He is going to build seven schools
in New Providence. He is going to build a new hospital. He
is going to sell BEC. The list of projects is endless. You
have the clear impression of a man with a mission who knows what he wants
but he just doesn’t know so he spouts off anything that comes to his mouth.
He makes it up as he goes, without consultation with his Cabinet, without
a plan; anything that comes to his head. This is the same man who
says he is a convert to fiscal responsibility and tight spending habits.
That is why we used the piece from Jimi Hendrix at the top of this
comment. The line says: “I know what I want, but I just don’t know”.
The song is called “Manic Depression”. There is a lot of that in
the country to go around it seems.
Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 26th July 2008 up to
midnight: 293,912.
Number of hits for the month of July up to Saturday 26th July 2008
at midnight: 1,038,804.
Number of hits for the year 2008 up to Saturday 26th July 2008 up
to midnight: 7,888,815.
CONTACT US AT E-MAIL:placid_point@yahoo.com
LEVI
GIBSON MBE IS BURIED
Today, we present a photo essay of the funeral and
burial of Levi Gibson MBE, the late President of Levi Gibson Real Estate,
an extraordinary and successful businessman and civic leader. Mr.
Gibson was the godfather of scores of Bahamians including Fox Hill MP Fred
Mitchell. He died at 94 on 18th July at Doctor’s Hospital in Nassau.
The funeral took place on 25th July at St. Matthew’s Church where he had
served on the vestry.
You may click
here for the full obituary as presented in the funeral booklet at the
church. Mr. Mitchell gave an address in tribute to his godfather.
His law office and constituency offices were closed for the day of the
funeral. You may click here for the
full address.
More Photos
NCTU
SUPPORTS THE EPA
The National Congress of Trade Unions (NCTU) headed
by Bahamas Public Services Union head John Pinder has come out with qualified
support for the government signing on to the Economic Partnership Agreement
(EPA) with the European Union. This is the first group of any sort
in The Bahamas to say they actually support the agreement. The government
must be relieved that it has at last someone who is publicly in support
of it.
While we think it is the right decision we can’t
help but ask them what was the difference between this and the Caricom
Single Market and Economy proposals that the NCTU opposed. Those
proposals were less far reaching than the ones that Europeans have asked
us to sign. Europe’s economy has a greater impact on ours than does
the Caricom region. We suspect that the answer is, in part, politics.
The FNM has decided that they are supporting this and with John Pinder
being their man on the labour scene, he has delivered the goods, something
he did not want to do when the PLP was in power. (Pat Bain was then
the head and even though he was personally in favour of it, he could not
bring the other unions along.)
The EPA will force some hard choices on The Bahamas
about taxation issues. The Bahamas depends on customs duties for
most of its revenue and the EPA, to be World Trade Organization (WTO) compliant,
requires a zero customs duty regime. Already the tentative moves
made by the government in this direction are causing problems. The
lone canning plant in The Bahamas said that it may have to close down because
the lowering of duties on imported pigeon peas and other products they
use does not make it possible for them to compete with the imported products.
COURTNEY
STRACHAN SR. DIES
Retired Assistant Commissioner of Police Courtney
Strachan was buried following a church service at St. Francis Roman Catholic
Cathedral in Nassau. The service was attended by former Prime Minister
Perry Christie. The service took place on Tuesday 22nd July.
Peter Ramsay's photos show the family entering the cathedral, preparing
the coffin, as Mr. Christie and former Senator Traver Whylly look on.
A
TRIBUTE TO RONNIE BUTLER IN PICTURES
The story sung is that age “ain’t nothing but a
number”. It is a duet sung by Ronnie Butler (shown at left), the
nation’s premier troubadour and Count Bernardino another famous troubadour,
now into his eighties. Ronnie Butler turned 70 and last weekend on
Saturday 19th July, a group of friends feted him to a farewell party.
He gave what is said to have been his final public performance. We
wonder why, with Count still singing and the Mighty Sparrow still at it
Trinidad. But the party was a lot of fun. Peter Ramsay was
there and took the photos of former Prime Minister Perry Christie with
Pat Mortimer, the party organizer, broadcaster Charles Carter and Senator
Philip Galanis. Please click
here for a full Peter Ramsay photo spread.
NEW
HEAD OF THE OLYMPIC ASSOCIATION
To say that Sir Arlington Butler, the now Immediate Past President of the
Bahamas Olympic Association was able to wipe the mat with his opponents
at the elections held to appoint his successor on Thursday 24th July is
perhaps the understatement of the year.
For almost two years now, the once staid and secretive
Bahamas Olympic Association has been engaged in a fratricidal and internecine
fight about who was to lead the organization. Some who were originally
the long serving President Sir Arlington Butler’s allies became his enemies.
Amongst them Sir Durward Knowles, the gold medal winner of sailing in 1964
and the Rev. Enoch Backford who in a disputed election had become the President
of the Association.
Sir Arlington never wavered, and through court actions
and his contacts with the Olympic Association overseas, an election was
held to settle the question once and for all. The processes were
overseen by a representative of the International Olympic Association.
The result, Wellington Miller (shown above left), part of the Boxing Federation
is the new President of the Olympic Association. The Minister of
Sports Desmond Bannister welcomed his election. Most people hope
that this puts this sordid chapter in the life of the BOA behind it so
that it can get on with the real job they have and that is promoting sports
in The Bahamas.
The new officers are: vice presidents Roy Colebrooke,
cycling; Algernon Cargill, swimming; Mike Sands, track and field; Anton
Sealy, soccer; David Morley, former basketball head; and Don Cornish, volleyball.
The new secretary general is Romell Knowles, softball; assisting secretary
general, Kathy Dillette, swimming; while Larry Wilson, basketball and S.
Dianne Miller, softball, are now treasurer and assistant treasurer respectively.
The new BOA team is pictured at a meeting with the Minister of Sports.
From left are: Anton Sealey, president of the soccer federation, BOA Vice
President; Algernon Cargill, president of the swimming federation, BOA
Vice President; Romell Knowles, president of the softball federation, BOA
Secretary General; S. Dianne Miller of softball, Assistant Treasurer; Minister
of Sports Desmond Bannister; Mike Sands, president of the Bahamas Athletics
Associations, BOA Vice President; Wellington Miller of the boxing federation,
BOA President; Minister of State Charles Maynard and Permanent Secretary
in the Ministry of Sports Archie Nairn. Not pictured are Sir Arlington
Butler, BOA immediate past president, Vice Presidents Roy Colebrooke, Don
Cornish and David Morley; Larry Wilson, Treasurer and Kathryn Dillette,
Assistant Secretary General.
SIR
DURWARD KNOWLES BOOK
Fred Mitchell MP for Fox Hill attended the book
signing at the Logos Bookstore in Nassau of Sir Durward Knowles, the Bahamian
1964 Olympic Star Class Sailing Champion. Sir Durward was promoting
his book DRIVEN BY THE STARS. Sir Durward’s book tells of his history
as a captain in The Bahamas and how he accomplished his Olympic victory.
It is an interesting work of Bahamian history about a Bahamian icon.
The photo is courtesy of nativestew.com by Derek Catalano and was taken
on Thursday 24th July at Logos Bookstore.
THE
SUICIDE WATCH
Homicides have become so commonplace in The Bahamas these days that unless
there is some particular interest or some issue of public policy this site
does not report on them. One that has caught the interest of the
public this past week was the suicide watch that wasn’t. Asa Bethel,
who was on remand for the brutal killing of his wife, committed suicide
as he went to take a shower in prison on Wednesday 23rd July. His
lawyer Devard Williams said that he had warned the prison that there was
a danger of this.
When Mr. Bethel went to jail two weeks ago, it was
a fairly high profile arrest. It titillated the Bahamian public that
a well known member of the Bahamas Faith Mission (BFM) had been arrested
for the murder of his wife. It is claimed that the crime was so vicious
that his wife's arm was almost severed. As the news of the death
spread, there were statements issued separately by Ted and Sandra Sealy
of BFM who are marriage counsellors. They contradicted assertions
in the press when the murder first took place that the Bethel couple were
marriage counsellors. BFM’s leaders Myles Munroe and Richard Pinder
also issued a statement appealing to people not to cover up marital problems
but to seek help when there is trouble.
The incident must be quite troubling for the charismatics
generally who tend to give their worshipers the impression that Jesus will
solve all problems without the person working to solve them and also pushing
to a hard line of a gospel of material prosperity. Perhaps some people
will now take the unfortunate deaths of these two people as wake up call
to this kind of religious anaesthesiology.
Bahama Journal photo: Torrell Glinton
LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR
INGRAHAM LAMENTS PACE OF BTC SALE
A great piece on the latest of Mr. Ingraham's
verbal missteps. However, in noting that there was no mention of
Leon Williams at the recent CANTO conference, you failed to mention that
up until the time of his firing Mr. Williams was the Chairman of CANTO
for two consecutive years (unopposed) and was responisble for bringing
the conference and the many telecommunications providers and their business/tourism
dollars to our shores.
In addition, the only reason he was forced to
step down from his CANTO chairmanship/membership just before the conference
was because of what our foolish government chose to do in its rash attempts
at political victimization. It is even more embarassing because not
only did we in the Bahamas get to see how stupid our current leaders are,
but all heads of national telecommunications providers and their government
ministers in the Caribbean got to see as well! They all know and
respect Mr. Williams, how do you think that made us look in the eyes of
our regional peers?
JUSTICE
IN PASSING
Sir Clement Building
The Bahamas Public Services Union (BPSU) has announced that it will
name the building on East Street South that serves as a meeting hall after
its first President Sir Clement Maynard. Sir Clement is recovering
from a stroke. He became President in 1959 and served until he joined
the Cabinet in 1967. The naming ceremony will take place on Thursday
31st July at 11 a.m. at the building.
Christie Spanks Maynard In The House
We have advised Charles Maynard, the Junior Minster for Culture to
be more sober in his presentations in the House of Assembly. He not
to our surprise ignores the advice. Here is a young man who is not
company for Perry Christie, has not made the accomplishments of Perry Christie
but who sees it as his main job to be the class clown by jumping to Hubert
Ingraham's defence by trying to make fun of what Mr. Christie has done.
He usually ends up making himself the butt of jokes. His latest foray
into this realm, the misuse of a quote about words and conduct and how
the two must match. We thought that Mr. Christie got the better of
this exchange on Wednesday 23rd July when he told the House that he hoped
Mr. Maynard would use the energy that he used to mock Mr. Christie with
physical motions in the House in the gym and perhaps this would lead to
his improvement. Mr. Maynard has a sizeable girth. Mr. Christie’s
response was like the slice of a stiletto.
Wong Against Arawak Cay Port Move
William Wong who heads the real estate association in The Bahamas has
come out against moving the container port in the port of Nassau to Arawak
Cay. Mr. Wong told the press that this would ruin the existing cultural
village, the Fish Fry if the government did so. He said it was a
sign of bad planning. His comment came on Friday 25th July.
Ten Dollar Stamp Tax
Importers and customs brokers have complained to the press about a
ten dollar stamp tax that has been imposed on all entries coming into The
Bahamas as cargo. The brokers told the Nassau Guardian that the changes
imposed by Hubert Ingraham in the last round of taxation that began 1st
July have created problems for them understanding what has to be done and
has caused additional paperwork. Mr. Ingraham took issue with the
press and the Opposition PLP because they asserted that the government
fooled people about the level of taxation that would come as of 1st July.
The broker speaking to the Guardian said that the government gave the impression
that all taxes have been removed from certain food items but the truth
is there is still a ten dollar stamp tax which is payable on these items
when they are imported into the country.
The Archangel And The Helper Of The Poor
Senator Jacinta Higgs (FNM), a staunch Roman Catholic who ran against
Fred Mitchell MP for Fox Hill in the last election and lost, stunned even
her colleagues when she came into the Senate on Monday 21st July to congratulate
the two new Senators for her party: Michael Barnett and Vincent Vanderpool
Wallace. Of Mr. Barnett, she said that he was born to be in the Senate,
being named after an Archangel and therefore ordained by God to be there.
Of Mr. Vanderpool Wallace, she said that he was named after St. Vincent
de Paul who helped the poor and that this would be Mr. Vanderpool’s role.
Of course, no one could see the eyes of the FNM leadership in the senate
as they heard this but surely, some of them must have rolling their eyes.
The photos of Mr. Barnett being sworn in and Mr. Vanderpool’s maiden speech
are by Peter Ramsay of the Bahamas Information Services.
Diesel Goes Out Of Sight
There is a crisis in the cost of diesel in The Bahamas. The prices
are going up each day, in excess now of six dollars per gallon. The
Tribune reported on Saturday 26th July that another dealer has made a decision
to end supplying diesel because the mark up on gasoline does not allow
him to make a profit. The mark up is just 3 cents per gallon.
The government is refusing to deal with the request for an increase.
The Bahamas Petroleum Retailers Association (BPRA) has said that this is
a real problem for them and many other may be following suit. Other
increases expected on the way are in the bus fares for the island’s bus
public bus service. The Bus Owners Association head Reuben Rahming
has announced that the Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham has agreed to raise
the fee to use the bus to $2 per ride, up one hundred per cent from the
present fee. Taxi drivers have also requested a rise in their fee.
Official Launch of kendreddorsett.com
At this Samana Hill Offices Kendred Dorsett, the Vice Chair of the
PLP, officially launched his website called kendreddorsett.com. The launch
took place at a cocktail meet and greet session in the office compound
at Village Road on Friday 26th July.
The Use Of Viagra And Other Such Drugs
There is a lot of backchat going around about young men dying in The
Bahamas because of the misuse of Viagra and other such drugs that help
men with erectile dysfunction problems. Recently a well know man
died who was in his forties said to be on nitrates and took the medication
that led to his premature death. The question is why are men in their
20s, 30s and 40s using these drugs. Perhaps the medical community ought
to get involved, investigate and if it proves true sound a warning.
Local Government Elections
Minister of State for Local Government Byran Woodside has announced
that the local government elections in those districts where the court
stopped the elections will now be held on 19th August. The court
action led by Glenys Hanna Martin, PLP Chair, led to the resignation of
FNM Minister Sidney Collie. Nomination day is set for Wednesday 30th
July for West Grand Bahama, Bimini, Hope Town, Mangrove Cay, Central Andros,
Exuma, Acklins, Crooked Island and Mayaguana. A court challenge is
being considered to void the entire election.
Darold Miller Finale
The Magistrate in the sexual harassment case against Darold Miller
has heard all the evidence and the submissions in the case. She has
announced that she will render her verdict on 2nd September. Mr.
Miller is accused of using his position to extract sexual favours from
an employee at the radio station where he worked. He was her manager
at the time.
