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CONTACT US AT E-MAIL: placid_point@yahoo.com

1. Unemployment Benefit (NIB). This benefit was introduced by the FNM Government some 22 months ago and $30 million have been paid out to some 20,000 Bahamians. In Grand Bahama some 4,000 people have benefited.
2. Employment opportunities will be offered by Sandals Exuma (40 jobs) and Bimini Big Game resort and Marina (19 jobs).
3. Training opportunities at BTVI and COB will be offered in a variety of skill sets.
4. In conjunction with the private sector a significant number of apprenticeships will be offered.
5. Social Services assistance programs will be made available to all those who qualify.
6. Financial counseling organized by the GB Chamber of Commerce will be available.
7. Counseling organized by the GB Christian Council and the Pastor's Forum will also be offered.
8. Applicants for the Self Starters Program offered by the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture will also be available.

Mr. Speaker, I also wish to thank the South African Government for inviting me to be a part of the meeting of the Technical Committee of Experts in Pretoria, South Africa, on the 21 st and 22 nd February 2011to prepare recommendations for the first Africa Diaspora Summit of the African Union, CARICOM states and the global African Diaspora in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. We met in Pretoria and came up with a series of recommendations to implement the Protocol of the AU inviting the African Diaspora to participate as an important component in the building of the African Union. Click here to read the full contribution.

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13thth March , 2011 Welcome to bahamasuncensored.com   How do you do today?  It's great to have you as a reader.  We have the most incisive political news about and from The Bahamas! Please tell all your friends about us.
WHAT THE POLICE STAFF ASSOCIATION SAID	THE NEW ISREALI AMBASSADOR
THE PLP RESPONDS TO POLICE STAFF ASSOCIATION	STALWARTS HONOURED IN FREEPORT
THE URCA DECISION ON BTC STINKS TO HIGH HEAVEN	PLP RESPONSE TO WSC CONTRACT GIVEAWAYS
FRED MITCHELL RESPONSE ON URCA DECISION	PROTESTS IN ABACO
THE PLP RALLY PICTURES CHRISTIE SAYS	A LADY WOUNDED BY THE PROTESTS AND NO APOLOGY BY THE POLICE
DEMO IN THE TURKS AND CAICOS MITCHELL SPEAKS	MITCHELL ANSWERS DESMOND BANNISTER FROM FREEPORT
MITCHELL ON CHREYL BETHEL	THE NASTINESS OF FNM FACEBOOK PAGES
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR...	IN PASSING...
Fred Mitchell Launches 3rd Edition of 'Great Moments In PLP History...	Fred Mitchell's 56th Birthday Party In Support of the 'Mission Fund'...
The Official Site of the Progressive Liberal Party...	The Official Site of the Free National Movement...
PhilipBraveDavis.com...	Interesting Places...
JeromeFiztgerald.org	Bahamas Government Website
KendredDorsett.com	Reg & Kit's Bahamas Links
FredMitchellUncensored.Com ARCHIVES...	Bahamians On The Web
How & Why The PLP Lost in 2007 - The Greenberg Report...	BahamasIssues.com
	BradleybRoberts.com

Click on a heading to go to that story; press ctrl + home to return to the top of the page.

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THE RED SPOKESMAN FOR THE POLICE ON THE FORCE: This is the photo used by The Tribune when it ran its story on Friday 11 th March about the Police Staff Association's Chairman Dwight Smith attacking politicians for their involvement in a political march to protest the sale of BTC. See our further comments below. Mr. Smith was completely out of order. He has no business as a policeman making political comments and it is simply none of his business or any policeman what the motives are for people who march. None of their business. They are there to prevent disorder and to arrest if necessary lawbreakers. He was on the scene by his own account and did neither of those things. He is therefore guilty of dereliction of duty if his own statements are to be believed. He claimed that people were terrorizing stores on Bay Street. Presumably that is a crime, did he arrest anyone? His answer, they were not technically breaking the law. Well either you are breaking the law or you are not. There is no in between. We are shocked to say the least that the Commissioner of Police has not acted against such a blatant political statement by the head of the Police Staff Association. But this is Hubert Ingraham's Bahamas. Indeed his former driver was next to the Staff Association Chairman as he spoke. When one looks back at the recent change in government in Trinidad and Tobago and the Prime Minister there discovering that the security services had tapped her phone and other politicians without authority when she was in Opposition and knowing the Ingraham method of doing business what is to stop people from thinking that the situation is not the same in The Bahamas. Now this lone policeman comes along and is blatantly political. For that we photo-shopped his photo and changed the colour of his tie to red which is what it should be, and we make it our photo of the week.

COMMENT OF THE WEEK

THE FNM WORKS THROUGH POLICE ASSOCIATION

Two weeks ago on Thursday 3 rd March in the House of Assembly, Tommy Turnquest, the Minister of National Security revealed information that came to him from the police in the House about the demonstrations on Bay Street on 23 rd February. He claimed that there were people in the crowd who were wanted for various offences including murder and some who were out on bail. This was explosive stuff and should not have gone unchallenged by the PLP while it was sitting in the House of Assembly.

The clear import of the Minister's remarks was to seek to say that somehow the PLP had brought murderers and rapists into Bay Street to protest against the sale of BTC. That is an egregious slur, a contemptible, damnable lie and a libel. Mr. Turnquest is to be condemned for it.

Perry Christie, the Leader of the Opposition, spoke to his party's at a rally at Golden Gates on Tuesday 8 th March and called out the Minister on is statement. He said it was an attempt by the FNM to muddy the campaign and to defame the PLP. The FNM rejected the criticism saying that Tommy Turnquest had done nothing wrong.

Of course, we know the playbook. We know that in 1997, the FNM accused the PLP of killing Chuck Virgil, their then Minister of the government. It later turned out that he was killed by FNM supporters. We also know that the most violent period in the history of elections in this country was done under the FNM in 1972 when an FNM supporter was murdered on orders from FNM higher ups and two FNM supporters later confessed to the murders and were executed as a result of it. That is the history of the FNM in these matters.

But they specialize in lying, and muddying up and nastying up and the PLP has so far proved to be such a tentative organization in defending its own reputation that it was left to the champions of Facebook like Mario Bannister who are PLP supporters to strike back at the FNM nonsense.

It does not end there however. We now have the spectre of a Police Staff Association Chair one Sgt. Dwight Smith who gave a press conference on Thursday 10th March. In that press conference he did two things. He made a statement which supported the statements of Tommy Turnquest. He also called on Fred Mitchell MP for Fox Hill and opposition' spokesman on the Public Service to apologize to the police for remarks made in a press conference about the use of SIB reports. Mr. Mitchell said and we quote: “ In any event, I have a view which I espoused as minister and I still hold and that is that SIB reports are often based on gossip and trivia and are elevated in the minds of the bureaucracy to too high a level.”

Mr. Smith claims that this has affected the morale of SIB officers. The superior at the Security and Intelligence Branch Superintendent Robert Young while denying that the reports are based on gossip said that he did not think that what Mr. Mitchell said had affected the men at SIB at all.

In a statement issued today Mr. Mitchell said that he will not apologize and in fact he repeats and stands by the statement.

We agree with him. He also issued an earlier statement in the immediate aftermath of Mr. Smith's statements as follows:  “What I wish to say is that any and all of the comments made by me at any time are directed at politicians and policies and not at public servants. The comments are about public policy. That should be crystal clear from the content and context of the remarks.  The police as a disciplined force are to be neutral in their responses and reactions to these matters.  That is in the very nature of a disciplined force. I expect that the Security and Intelligence Branch of the Royal Bahamas Police Force will continue to conduct themselves in the same politically neutral and above board fashion as their training dictates. Police officers do not dabble in political matters. As a politician, I have tried scrupulously to avoid a tit for tat with public servants who must serve both PLPs, FNMs and in betweens. That is the nature of their jobs, to serve all without fear or favour.  I do not intend to start now. Public servants are to be politically neutral since they serve all Bahamians. The Staff Association has met with us before and I am happy to speak with them again on any matter of public policy at any time of their choosing if they think it would be useful.” 

And so the points are these about Dwight Smith. In the context and history of all of this, Mr. Smith is clearly an FNM front man. The only thing which he did not do on the day of his press conference was to wear his red tie. We have photo shopped the photograph on this site to give him that red tie like the leaders of the FNM wear. He has damaged the credibility of the Police Staff Association beyond repair. He has no credibility or ability now to speak with the PLP because he has attacked the PLP directly and sought to contradict publicly the words of the Leader of the Opposition. He ought to resign his office since he can no longer be effective.

This is the problem of policemen getting involved in politics. Policemen are supposed to have no views on these matters to be expressed in public. The PLP issued a statement on the matter with which we agree and which we publish below.

Mr. Smith ought to be thoroughly ashamed of his disgraceful behavior. The police commissioner ought to take the necessary disciplinary action in this matter. Mr. Smith ought to resign his office forthwith.

Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 12 th March 2011 up to midnight: 161,910
Number of hits for the month of March up to Saturday 12 th March 2011 up to midnight: 264,727
Number hits for the year 2011 up to Saturday 12 th March 2011 up to midnight: 1,627,395

CONTACT US AT E-MAIL: placid_point@yahoo.com

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WHAT THE POLICE STAFF ASSOCIATION SAID

The following is excerpted from a report by The Tribune of Friday 11 th March on what the Chairman of the Police Staff Association Dwight Smith had to say on the matter of the demonstration against the sale of BTC:

Mr. Smith said the police had a difficulty with participants in the protest who had "nothing to do with BTC," but were there "advancing political groups."

"We saw so many things that were going on. I, for one, wondered if we were dealing with a BTC situation or if we were dealing with a political situation. For the life of me I could not understand what was going on.

"I saw, along with other executive members, as we gone through the downtown area, persons walking around with political photos of individuals."

The demonstration was said to have been organized by the Committee to Save BTC, but Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) members made a strong appearance. Many of their members were dressed in yellow political garb. A group of Brave Davis supporters also carried life-sized "Be Brave" posters. They were dressed in custom-made designer "unity shirts."

Mr. Smith said downtown merchants called "left, right and centre" to complain about a group of young protesters who were dropped off in the George Street area. As they walked to the protest, merchants claimed they stopped in store after store "causing a disturbance."

"I walked there personally and saw them. I knew some of them and talked to them. I heard them say, if they did not get paid there is going to be problems. I had to encourage some of them to come out of the stores. They had no reason to go in the stores.

"They were just being disruptive," said Mr. Smith.

"My view is there were only a handful of persons there who were really dealing with BTC. If you were to speak to some of those persons, they did not know why they were out there. They did not know what they were out there for. If we were to really do the due diligence, we'll find a lot of them did not understand what was going on," he said.

When the morale, welfare and integrity of the force is under threat, Mr. Smith said, the association has a responsibility to intervene. Such is the case with debate around the BTC protest, he said, where comments being made in the public are "concerning." Mr. Smith said he was strictly speaking from the perspective of the PSA.

He said the police force stands for its integrity, and "we would wish nobody to interfere with that."

"If we see the type and caliber of persons coming out there. We know them. We have nothing to hide on that. We are the police. We know of those persons. Not saying that they are going to come out there and do something, but we have to make sure officers are there in case, and to actually deal with the issues," said Mr. Smith.

"It was strange the type persons I saw. Certainly being a police officer for over 21 years, we know our caliber of persons that were moving up and down. They had nothing to do with BTC, but they were advancing these political groups. The police had a difficulty with that," he said.

When pressed to explain what he meant by criminally-minded persons, Mr. Smith said: "From the perspective of the association, we know that these are persons who are known to the police. These are persons who are unsavoury characters and they would have been before the police on numerous occasions."

He said the PSA supports the public in their right to protest; however, they feel groups "must not let persons whose view is to cause a disruption interrupt what actually should be happening."

"The police are there for safety and to ensure control. (A demonstration of that nature) is a perfect opportunity for any crime to explode," said Mr. Smith.

"We live in a real world; there are persons who don't like this person; those who might have criminal motives; that is the best time for that kind of activity.

"So the police would have made sure all of its units were there to look out for those persons, who may have been of a criminal nature to make sure, because that was an ample time."

THE PLP RESPONDS TO POLICE STAFF ASSOCIATION

Press Statement
By
Progressive Liberal Party 
March 13th, 2011

POLICE STAFF ASSOCIATION A POLITICAL TOOL OF THE FNM

On March 12th, the Royal Bahamas Police Force Staff Association made claims that ‘criminally-minded' individuals were paid to participate in the BTC mass protest of February 23, 2011. Its President, Dwight Smith claims that some demonstrators were advancing political groups and that the Police had difficulty with participants who had “nothing to do with BTC”. In the Tribune, statements attributed to the Association are that ‘criminally-minded people were overheard to say that they were paid to participate in the BTC mass protest'.

The Progressive Liberal Party is shocked that the Police Staff Association could issue such statements and condemns the action of the President and his Executives. It is evident that the Royal Bahamas Police Force Staff Association remains a tool of the Free National Movement Party and Government. It was certain executive members of this same Association who blatantly wore FNM t-shirts during mass rallies and motorcades prior to the previous election and now, they are making claims that are ridiculous and have no merit.

The actions of the Police Association leading up to and after the last General Election and beyond contributed to the state of affairs that the Country is facing. The general Bahamian public has lost confidence in the Association as they are supposed to be neutral but yet, they demonstrate and blatantly shows partiality. The Association has completely ignored its objectives and by their actions, continues to put a clear divide between the Police and the wider community.

Section 4 of the Royal Bahamas Police Force Staff Association Act, Chapter 206 provides:

“The objects of the Association shall be to enable members of the Association to consider and bring to the notice of the Commissioner matters affecting their welfare and efficiency, including pay, pensions and conditions of service, other than matters relating to discipline and promotion affecting individual members of the Force.”

Nowhere in the Association Act does it make provision for the Association to make such statements to the media or the general public as it was never the intention of Parliament that they should become a political tool. As a matter of fact, under section 11(2) of the Act, it states:

“The Executive Committee may make written representation to the Minister, Commissioner and any other appropriate authority and in matters of importance make oral representations to either the Commissioner, minister or any other appropriate authority”.

Other appropriate authority does not include the making biased statements in the media and to the general public. This is clearly outside the scope and ambit of the Objects of the Association. The PLP is amazed that a Police Officer in the person of the President of the Association could make such reckless statements having regard that he has been a Police officer for some twenty-one (21) years -  What does he mean by “criminally-minded” persons? How could the Association conclude that persons had nothing to do with BTC?

Are these not Bahamians? Is not BTC a national asset? Every Bahamian – God-fearing or otherwise should be afraid of what is taking place in this Country under the FNM Government.

The PLP calls upon the Minister of National Security and the Commissioner of Police to immediately scrutinize the actions of the Police Staff Association. Every member of the Royal Bahamas Police Force Association must be cognizant of the fact that when the President and/or Executives of the Association make such callous statements, whether the President and/or Executives are genuine and are honestly operating within the objects of the Association.

THE URCA DECISION ON BTC STINKS TO HIGH HEAVEN
The following statement was issued by Fred Mitchell MP Fox Hill and one of the objectors to the sale of BTC, the phone company, to the British company Cable and Wireless: “I  was informed today 10 th March by The Tribune that  URCA  has made a decision to agree to the sale of BTC to Cable and Wireless.  I record for the written record what I told The Tribune.  I am a formal objector to the transfer of control of BTC to Cable and Wireless. I responded as follows:

I am not surprised at anything  URCA  does.   URCA  has a credibility problem.  Its decision is not worth the paper it is written on.   URCA  is not an independent body.  It can be directed by the government.  Evidence of this is the fact that at a recent press conference, the Prime Minister admitted that  URCA  broke the rules when it hired a foreign national to be its human resources officer.  The Prime Minister went on to say that he would cause a direction to be given to them to act in accordance with the government's policies.  He had earlier said that URCA  was an autonomous body.  Clearly from that example alone, it is not independent.  If the government can direct  URCA  on the hiring of its Human Resources officer what else can it direct  URCA  on?  In this instance of the decision of BTC, we all know exactly what happened.  The matter will now be studied and reviewed by the Courts.  

This is the link to the decision by URCA.

FRED MITCHELL RESPONSE ON URCA DECISION
STATEMENT BY FRED MITCHELL MP
ON THE DECISION OF URCA TO ALLOW
THE CHANGE OF CONTROL IN BTC
13 th March 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

I am one of the objectors that wrote to URCA to object to the change in control of BTC for reasons which were released publicly. URCA has rejected all of the reasons. I am not surprised. I issued a preliminary statement last week upon reading of the decision. I said then that the decision was not worth the paper that it was written on. I repeat that sentiment and make the additional points which follow.

THE SMELL TEST
The decision of URCA reads like a legal treatise. It is no doubt designed in that way to show that all matters have been fully and judicially considered by them in order to satisfy the legal requirements for fairness. The difficulty is that the decision is a sheep in wolves' clothing. It is all dressed up in legal clothes but is redolent of unfairness. It does not pass the smell test. In other words, no amount of legalisms or neologisms can deny the fact that the decision makers in this matter are too proximate to Cable and Wireless and cannot to the reasonable man dispassionately, fairly or judicially make a decision on any matter with regard to Cable and Wireless. The atmosphere at URCA is redolent of Cable and Wireless. Indeed, the whole legislative structure and communications policy and the fact of how Cable and Wireless was invited into this process smells to high heaven. In that regard the decision is fatally flawed. It reminds us of the logic and legal framework put up to support the apartheid regime in South Africa. The authorities there used to arrest Africans for violating those laws. But the laws were immoral. You cannot build a moral structure on an immoral premise so breaking those laws was acceptable. It is the same here with URCA. The history of the Communications Act, the URCA Act is such that those who designed it and now run it are former employees or consultants of Cable and Wireless. Who would in those circumstances believe that the decision made by URCA which involves Cable and Wireless in this regard to a fair and rational one?

THE QUESTION OF CONSTITUTIONALITY
URCA rejected the assertion that it was bound not to be party to an unconstitutional result. It took note of a case from Dominica at the Privy Council saying that the Privy Council did not finally pronounce upon the matter. Unfortunately, they did not bother to ask for additional details. If they had, they would have seen how they missed the mark. The matter of this decision was made with such indecent haste that they did not bother to be informed properly about the law. No public body should be party to an unconstitutional result. In fact the public ought to review carefully whether or not URCA in making this decision was in fact motivated y conforming to the government's announced timetable for this deal as opposed to their legislative responsibility. I raised in my earlier statement a statement by the Prime Minister who indicated that he would cause the government to write URCA to tell them that they must conform with the policy on hiring foreigners. I said then if the Prime Minister can give a direction to URCA on that, on what else can he give a direction?

It is therefore very much a matter for URCA to have referred this matter to all the parties to address the issues before making a decision. They ought to have ordered an in depth investigation at the very least pursuant to the Communications Act, Section 78.

One needs only point out to URCA that in citing the case from Dominica and dismissing it out of hand, they ought to ask have themselves the question which follows on a counter factual basis. If they had found that the Privy Council pronounced definitively on the matter, and knowing that it was unconstitutional would they then still have come to the same result. The answer must be clearly no. It follows then that decision that URCA is not competent to determine this point is wrong in law.

THE AFFECT ON COMPETITION
It is here that the logic of URCA is also fatally flawed. They start off with a false premise in their decision. That false premise, one of many in the decision is that “the Acquirer (Cable and Wireless) is not active in any markets in The Bahamas… the transaction does not have, nor is likely to have, the effect of substantially lessening competition in the market.” This false premise makes a mockery of the entire Communications Act and the policy behind the existence of URCA. It means that once someone has never been in this market before there is no chance of lessening competition in the face of an exclusivity provision which may be ultra vires the constitution. So having started on that false premise, it is easy then to come to URCA's lazy conclusion that there is no lessening of competition. URCA set the premise, limited their enquiry and then pronounced themselves satisfied, arguing in what lawyers call a “circulus inextricabilis”.

CONCLUSION
There are several ways to deal with this. One is the Court of Law by judicial review. The other is by an appeal to the UAT, a special tribunal set up under the Communications Act to deal with appeals. The other is an appeal to the Court of Public opinion. Fourthly a combination of all of the above. The matter is being studied by myself and the lawyers and party members who joined me in my objection with a view to taking the matter further.

End

THE PLP RALLY PICTURES CHRISTIE SAYS
The PLP held it last political rally before lent on Tuesday 8 th March in the South West area of New Providence. This will be an area critical to the PLP recapturing the government. It lost every seat in that area with the exception of Shane Gibson's Golden Gates seat. Now it is attempting to get them all back: Clifton, Kilarney, Golden Isles, Carmichael, Blue Hills, Pinewood, South Beach and Sea Breeze. The candidates Danny Johnson for Carmichael, Jerome Gomez for Kilarney, Shane Gibson for Golden Gates, Cleola Hamilton for South Beach, Leslie Miller for Blue Hills, and Michael Halkitas for Golden Isles all took to the podium. They were joined by Deputy Leader Philip Davis and Party leader Perry Christie. Mr. Christie laid down the parameters by which the PLP will operate its campaign. He warned the FNM about the nastiness campaign. You may click here to the full address of Mr. Christie. The photos are by Athama Bowe and Andrew Burrows. The video is by Andrew Burrows.

 

DEMO IN THE TURKS AND CAICOS MITCHELL SPEAKS
Fred Mitchell, the Opposition's spokesman on Foreign Affairs, commented on the demonstrations taking place in the Turks and Caicos Islands our neighbours to the south calling for the British to restore democracy in that country. The British suspended the democracy in the Turks and have resorted to direct rule through a British governor an appointed council. They promised that the suspension would last for two years. They have since reneged on that promise and are unable to say when they will restore democracy to the country. The political sides in TCI are not united on the question but it appears that finally the political leaders are organizing people to at least say they do not like what the British are doing. Here is a transcript of what Mr. Mitchell had to say as reported by The Tribune on Thursday 10 th March:

By PAUL G TURNQUEST

Tribune Staff Reporter

pturnquest@tribunemedia.net

WITH civil unrest brewing in the Turks and Caicos Islands, PLP MP Fred Mitchell called on the British government to restore parliamentary democracy and bring an end its two year stint in direct control of that nation.

For the past few days, protesters in the Turks and Caicos have taken to the streets demanding an end to the administration headed by the British governor, which has been in place since August 2009.

The islands are a British Overseas Territory, and the UK government disbanded the locally elected administration and suspended its legislature after a Commission of Inquiry found widespread corruption under the administration of the islands' former Premier Michael Misick.

Noting that the PLP has for some time been issuing statements on this matter, Mr. Mitchell reiterated his party's position that the British were wrong in taking away democracy in the Turks and Caicos.

"It is not an issue which we thought would go away given the disquiet on both sides about what the British has done. And the longer it goes on the more there is going to be internal pressure, particularly given the suspension of some of the rules of justice as it relates to the offences they are investigating and more importantly the fact that the British cannot say when they will restore democracy.

"Those who have talked to us from the Turks and Caicos Islands, we have said to them that it is important for them to get together and to publicly demonstrate their concern about the fact that direct rule still exists and there is no timetable for a return to democracy. And so we are not surprised. All that we say that it should be peaceful, they should continue to work to try to get democracy restored and we urge the British to restore democracy," he said.

Mr. Mitchell added that it is of paramount importance that the people of the Turks and Caicos remain united in this struggle, as a "one-sided" protest will not get the job done.

"The people of the Turks and Caicos Islands have to demonstrate together that they are concerned about this issue. There is the CARICOM meeting which just took place, or is coming up, and I haven't seen the results of the meeting; the inter-sessional that took place. I think our deputy prime minister went, and I was hoping that at that time the parties from the Turks and Caicos Islands would have both gone to the meeting and made some attempt to have CARICOM issue even stronger statements with regard to this.

"And we have undertaken with the parties in the Turks and Caicos Islands to do whatever we can to assist in trying to get them in contact with other governments in the Caribbean, and also the government here in the Bahamas to try and put some additional pressure on the British to resolve this issue," he said.

MITCHELL ON CHREYL BETHEL

Cheryl Bethel, former Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, was wronged by the Government in the manner in which she was treated when applying for the job of Director of Public Prosecutions.

Consider this. When Hubert Ingraham came to power, he caused Cleopatra Christie, the then Solicitor General (forerunner of the now Director of Public Prosecutions) to be removed from job and made to sit in the library doing nothing. He brought in a Jamaican prosecutor Vylma Hilton. Mrs. Christie is the sister in law of Leader of the Opposition Perry Christie.

Now Mr. Ingraham is back again and this time he has removed Cheryl Grant Bethel from the job of Director of Public Prosecutions, the widow of a former PLP Minister, and brought in another Jamaican Prosecutor. In the law of evidence, we would call that similar fact. This is a pattern of behavior by Hubert Ingraham. In her affidavit to the Court which was struck out on the ground of irrelevance, Mr. Grant-Bethell claimed that the Prime Minister threatened to bloody her face.

The Prime Minister denied this in a defamatory statement made at a press conference last week. Her lawyers are studying that issue. Fred Mitchell MP and Opposition spokesman on the Public Service, held a press conference at the House of Assembly on Tuesday 8 th March. He defended Mrs. Grant Bethell against the Prime Minister's attacks.

You may click here for the full statement.

THE NEW ISREALI AMBASSADOR

There is a new Ambassador for Israel to The Bahamas. Her name is Dr. Rodica Radian-Gordan. She is non- resident and lives in Mexico City, Mexico. She presented her credentials to the Governor General Sir Arthur Foulkes at Government House on Thursday 10 th March. In her remarks, she reaffirmed the ties between the two countries, said that her country was watching closely the developments toward popular democracy in the nearby Arab states and urged The Bahamas not to recognize a Palestinian state before genuine negotiations for co-existence between Israel and Palestine had been settled. She is shown with the Governor General Sir Arthur and with Opposition spokesman on Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell MP. The photos are by Peter Ramsay.

STALWARTS HONOURED IN FREEPORT
Senator Michael Darville, the PLP's Candidate for Pineridge, was the host on Saturday 12th March in Freeport at the Ruby Swiss Restaurant where he honoured stalwart councilors of the PLP for the constituency.  The photos of the first time event for the dynamic candidate for the PLP are by Allyson Smith. Congratulations to all the honorees.

PLP RESPONSE TO WSC CONTRACT GIVEAWAYS

PRESS STATEMENT 
By 
Progressive Liberal Party

 March 13, 2011
PLP RESPONSE TO STATEMENT READ BY MIN. EARL DEVEAUX WHICH REVEALED $332 MIO WSC CONTRACT GIVEAWAYS

The PLP is absolutely amazed that the Minister of The Environment's response to the serious allegation of corruption and improprieties surrounding the award of a $240 million (approx.) contract by the Water and Sewerage Corporation came in the form of his tabling a statement in Parliament that was issued by the Chairman of the Water and Sewerage Corporation (WSC). ( Click here to View the attachement of the Opening of Bid Winton RO Records Apr-27-07 )

The government's response has opened a ‘can of worms' that definitely shows that under the FNM's watch, insiders at WSC have been giving and continue to give away the Corporation's assets and profits, with the implicit agreement of the two responsible Ministers .  

The press statement revealed that two contracts totaling $332 million (approx.) were clearly improperly awarded .  We knew about the improper $240 million contract award to Consolidated Water but now know of a $92 million (approx.) contract giveaway to New Providence Development Company (NPDC).  

The PLP notes with interest the FNM Government's attempt to hide behind the gown-tails of the Corporation's Board and Executives.  It is inexplicable and unacceptable that WSC answers to the questions regarding their own inaction and lack of propriety were presented as an acceptable response.  

The self-serving statement asserted that: 

“The corporation's executive management and the board of directors “are satisfied that there was no impropriety in the bidding process, and the decisions taken were transparent and in the best interest of the Bahamian People””.

The PLP is in absolute disbelief of the FNM's wicked attempt to convince the Bahamian Public that there was actually a bid process and are insulted by the insinuation that the Corporation's Executives and Board arbitrarily awarded $332 million dollars of contracts, without Cabinet approval. 

The Financial Regulations Act requires all awards of contracts for amounts in excess of Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand to be made by Cabinet.

Under local and international procurement guidelines, the government was obliged to go out to public tender for these contracts, or utilize a shortlist of internationally recognized desalination experts.

The response further revealed that bids were solicited from three firms, Consolidated Water, NPDC and Reiss Engineering, in an attempt to ‘stage' a process.  It is most interesting, however, that two of the firms are not even in the water production business.

The PLP has been advised that none of the firms, including Consolidated Water, have recently won any internationally-bid contracts in the Caribbean; and that Consolidated Water, who has actually competed in recent legitimate bid processes, lost out every time – on price.  So the question has to be asked, what was the real reason for avoiding a proper bid process?

The government is rationalizing the improprieties, by stating that “competitive bidding normally takes 18 to 24 months, “but this time frame would have increased the risk to the Bahamian public of sustained water shortages during the transition period”” . 

Even more ridiculous than this rationale that a proper bid process takes too long, is the red-herring statement “that despite its efficiency, the original water supply strategy for New Providence called for the eventual replacement of barging as it is more costly.”

The PLP wishes to remind the FNM of the plans left in place to discontinue water barging by 2007 and proactively address the water demands of residents of New Providence, Baha Mar and other pending projects.  The FNM's stop review and cancel treatment of the Eastern RO Plant bid process (see attached) and most recent cancellation of its own Arawak Cay/ Perpall's Tract bid process, ranks of duplicity and hypocrisy and speaks to the real reason for their ‘self-created' dilemma.  

The PLP also wishes to remind Minister Deveaux that the FNM Government actually set the agenda and timetable for the relocation of the port.  Given the importance of potable water, if Minister Deveaux and his Jr. Minister Neymour were competent and diligent leaders, the bidding and production schedules would have been synchronized.

The Progressive Liberal Party also wishes to draw the public's attention to what is clearly an equally subtle attempt to give New Providence Development Company its own monopoly over water and wastewater services in the western part of New Providence.  However, it is most interesting that they only choose to mention their ongoing discussions regarding water and not wastewater. NPDC's performance in this area has been abysmal – as the residents of Charlotteville and neighbouring areas can attest. 

The release also stated that: 

“NPDC was chosen because the corporation has been in discussions over the years regarding the corporation supplying NPDC and formalizing its present operations in the west”

This particularly revelation is cause for even greater concern because it is incomprehensible that the government would allow WSC to make an about-face and buy 2 million imperial gallons of water per day (migd) from New Providence Development Company, an entity that is not even in the business of building and operating reverse osmosis plants!

Furthermore, as Water and Sewerage Corporation records attest, NPDC was willing to ‘purchase' water at a price of $7.75 to $10 per thousand gallons from the corporation.

The fact that the NPDC giveaway coincides with the equally subtle and blatant giveaway to Consolidated Water confirms the PLP's contention that something is seriously wrong at WSC .  Clearly these actions reek of corruption and incompetence, and if measured against the FNM's own ‘Seven Principles of Public Life”, would fail miserably on all accounts. 

The PLP demands that in the Public's interest both award giveaways are rescinded.  Failing this the PLP is prepared to seek a judicial review of the same.

The stench of corruption gets progressively worse when we compare the NPDC water purchase cost of $92 million over 20 years (“$6.30 per thousand imperial gallons”) to the profits that WSC would make if it sells water to NPDC, at prices they discussed “over the years”.    The profits from such a deal would equate to $1,055,600 - $2,693,600 annually or $21,112,000 - $53,872.000 over twenty years.

This deal with NPDC will result in a heavily subsidized corporation losing $145 million in cash flow over 20 years and confirms our worst fears that something is horribly amiss at WSC.

Finally, the PLP also registers its contempt for the stated rationale of paying to construct a new five-million gallon storage tank at Consolidated's Blue Hills compound and now alerts the public to yet another attempt to fast track or approve a ‘smudgy' questionable deal. 

The PLP wishes to remind the government that the current cost of RO water from Consolidated Water's Blue Hill operations includes the cost of water production and storage. The cost of a smaller (4 migd) without water storage should be significantly less than the stated $6.20. 

The PLP views water as a national security issue and calls on the Government to invoke its now infamous ‘stop, review and cancel' process, to put an immediate halt to the proceedings relating to the questionable contract awards to Consolidated Water and NPDC.  Such a review will force the Government to address the serious personnel and credibility issues at this corporation. 

In the interim the Government is once again reminded to investigate the following: 

1. The connection between Jr. Minister Neymour and two of WSC senior personnel;
2. Allegations that at least one major international player has cited WSC's history of a lack of transparency in international tender processes as the reason for their refusal to engage in any procurement exercise in The Bahamas;
3. The real cost of water delivery at the Blue Hills Reverse Osmosis Plant, including current diesel delivery cost;
4. The impact of Consolidated Water Company's Non-Revenue Water (NRW) program, including an independent review of NRW losses in New Providence and why, after an alleged improvement of 1 million imperial gallons per day, losses have increased from 53% to 56% of daily production; 

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Forrester Carroll writes this week on Jeffery Butler, the man who wants to get the nod for the West End seat for the FNM and to run against Obie Wilchcombe PLP MP in the next general election. He predicts that Mr. Butler will lose if he gets the nomination but attacks Mr. Butler for revising the speech of Sir Lynden when he said in 1969 that the social order in Freeport must bend or be broken:

Dear Editor,

I am not a Psychiatrist but, for the purpose of this article, I wish now to pretend that I am. To this end I am submitting my diagnosis of one Jeffrey Butler, CEO of Butler's Specialty Foods here in Freeport, and say that it must be that he is suffering from an acute case of the “loose screw in the head” syndrome. To assume that he is free of that mental disorder-after his presentation at the recent Grand Bahama Business Outlook Forum coupled with a letter he wrote which was published in the Freeport News today (Tuesday 1 st March), would be giving him more credit than he deserves.

This guy (apparently more than anything else in his life right now) wants Ingraham to give him the nomination to run as the FNM candidate for the West End Constituency. To this end, it seems, he'll do anything, make any asinine statement and trash any ancient story which he feels will impress Ingraham enough into giving him the nod. One such asinine statement was when he made an “out of context” reference to Sir Lynden Pindling's July 29 th 1969 speech, which he (Pindling) delivered at the official opening ceremony of the BORCO Oil Refinery here in Freeport. The speech was branded and still today commonly referred to as Pindling's ‘Bend or Break” speech. Butler made the “out of context” reference to the speech, as I said before, when he derogatorily (but somewhat subtly) told his audience quote; “For those of you who were here in the late 60s early 70s, before the bend or break speech, would remember that Freeport was the fastest growing city in the western hemisphere…” unquote. The use of the phase, “before the bend or break speech,” was an absolute unnecessary reference, in my view. What this idiot was attempting to convey (by conjuring this myth from the distant past) was that Pindling”s speech delivered to this city (for good reason) which had no Bahamian Soul, 42 years ago, is still having an adverse economic affect on Freeport today and is still responsible for whatever ails this city-42 years later. This miserable human being seems to be residing so far up Ingraham's backside that he cannot see that, in fact, it is Ingraham's and his FNM government's policies which are directly responsible for Freeport's current woes as opined recently by Sir Jack Hayward.

The planning committee, for this year's forum, must have been desperate to have chosen Jeff Butler as one of their presenters. I am told, allegedly, that this guy gets along with nobody; not even his very own siblings. If this is so-and I am convinced it is-then I can't imagine that he would have had many friends, on the planning committee, who would have gotten him slotted in. We all know by now that he is on a quest to get as much publicity and exposure as possible. He thinks that if Ingraham sees him often enough in the new papers criticizing Mr. Obie Wilchcombe and giving the PLP hell, he (Ingraham) would recognize him as being worth his salt and would give him the nod, but don't hold your breath, Jeffrey Butler. Ingraham may very well do so as, I don't suppose, there are many other fools in the FNM who would want to squander their resources in that particular constituency where, it is an almost certainty, they wouldn't have a ghost of a chance of being successful. I have been living in Freeport since 1963 and I don't recall ever meeting anyone, in Freeport or anywhere else in the country for that matter, who would readily admit that Jeff Butler is their friend? There have been, in recent times, many rumors circulating around this small nosy little town to the effect that this character, who wants to represent the good people of the West End Constituency, has the greatest difficulty getting along with even his own siblings and vice versa. How then, pray tell me, would he represent a whole community with any degree of success?

Butler wants to be the FNM candidate for West End so badly, as I said earlier, that he was prepared to resuscitate the essence of a 1969 speech, whose author has long since been deceased, in an effort to castigate his political opposition and win Ingraham's favor. I really don't know why he is so eager to run for the West Grand Bahama seat anyway as the only thing that would be awaiting him, in that constituency, is a good cut behind. For being so stupid I might even be prepared to wager a bet that those folks, out in the west, will take all Butler's money; kick him in his posterior and send him packing back to Butler's Specialty, in Freeport, with patches in his behind. As a matter of fact Hubert will only give him the nod, I submit, if he (Hubert) can't find any other jackass who would come forward. Ingraham knows that the FNM cannot win West End; it never could do so even when the FNM had somewhat of a winnable posture. Ingraham really wouldn't care if Butler or any other FNM fool wants to wastes their precious resources on what he knows will be an exercise in futility.

If Jeff Butler indeed was old enough, 42 years ago, to remember the crisis circumstances which culminated in the need for Sir Lynden's speech, at the time as I did, he would certainly recall the fact that all Bahamians (both white and black) were literally despised by the Englishmen and women who dominated Freeport. They had no respect for “ignorant Bahamians” as they referred to us, and they discriminated against us, both in business; housing; socially and otherwise, on the grounds of nationality and ethnicity. If you were not European, for instance, you were not able to rent a store in the International Bazaar. This condition was plainly stipulated in the written lease agreements. If you were a black skinned Bahamian or a colored Bahamian as they referred to those of us who were of mixed race, you couldn't rent an apartment from them. Thank God I came here as a Customs Officer and as such the Port Authority was obliged, under the terms of the Hawksbill Creek Agreement, to provide all civil servants posted here with housing. Sir Lynden told the suckers that they should either “bend or break. He said further in his speech that, “I have always been concerned about this lack of soul in Freeport; the absence of honest concern for the human and social needs of people. I was so concerned in the days when I stood almost alone. I had hoped that an early change would have been evident by now but I have been severely disappointed. It is a fundamental part of my basic political philosophy that people are more important than things; that men are more important than machines. In this city where, regrettably, almost anything goes, where promisingly, some economic opportunities have come to Bahamians.

BAHAMIANS ARE NEVERTHELESS STILL THE VICTIMS OF AN UNBENDING SOCIAL ORDER WHICH, IF IT NOW REFUSES TO BEND, MUST NOW BE BROKEN.” Unquote. These were powerful words, spoken in defense of a powerful cause; rendered at the right time and they remind me today of Martin Luther King's, “I have a dream.” What is there in this statement, Mr. Jeff Butler (son of Bernie Butler) that is so offensive to you that you quote it, 42 years later, seemingly with utter contempt and disdain? Don't you believe that, as Bahamians, we should stand up (no matter the cost) on matters of principal sometimes; or are you one of those who would sell your Bahamian soul and would piss on our national pride just to get your hands on a few lousy dollars? Maybe I should first ask you this question; are you proud or are you ashamed to be Bahamian? Had it not been for that speech and Sir Lynden's determination to correct those social injustices which were the norm 42 years ago you Jeff Butler, nor your father, would have been able to get into business in this town so please stop playing this back door racism game with us?

Instead of; “The cost, ease of investing, and doing business on Grand Bahama must be addressed,” being the topic of Jeffrey Butler's presentation, at the Business Outlook forum, he should have chosen instead; “Roadblocks, put in place by the FNM government which are causing havoc in the Freeport/Grand Bahama business community and which are major obstacles to doing business here, should be removed forthwith.” That would have been a far more appropriate and practical topic approach, by the businessman, in addressing the many problems being experienced by business persons right now in Freeport. Those Freeport businesses, whose doors are still open and which are desperately trying to weather the economic storms, are all in the doldrums and are being crushed, directly, as a result of foolish and unwise decisions taken against them by the “Hubert/ Laing” duo. I opine, in addition, that if Pindling's speech did in fact have an adverse affect (and I don't submit nor do I agree that it did), 42 years ago in 1969 Freeport, the damage could never have compared to what Ingraham's dastardly behavior has done to Freeport with his refusing to renew Hannes Babak's work permit (among other things) and his pissing Sir Jack off in the process.

Bear with me while I relate a story from that era, which happened to me in Freeport, sometime before 1967, and which depicts the kinds of things that Bahamians were forced to endure, on a daily basis, back then in 1969. The kinds of things which would have pissed off Sir Lynden prompting him to respond with his “bend or break” challenge. I was a Customs Officer, as I said earlier, and wanted to rent an apartment. A Real Estate company (Drummond realty, I believe was the name) had advertised a unit for rent and so I telephoned the company to find out if it was still available; “Oh yes Sir; it's available and the conditions are first, last and deposit,” the receptionist responded. “I'll be there with the money in five minutes” I assured her. In literally five minutes time, I was at the office which was located upstairs in the Savoy building. I greeted the receptionist, “Good afternoon madam; I am the one who telephoned a couple minutes ago about the apartment you said was still available; can you arrange for me to see it?” “Oh am so sorry Sir, the owners just now telephoned me from the U.K; just after I hung up from you, to say that they would be in Freeport in a couple weeks and that I should not rent the unit but keep it empty for their use when they arrive.” I knew she was lying; Jeffrey Butler but there was nothing that I could do about it because the government in power prior to 1967, when this incident happened to me, didn't give a damn about those kinds of social injustices. I assumed, at the time, that she must have mistaken my accent and thought that I was of European extraction and so the unit was only available until she saw me in person. Butler's inferences to the “BEND OR BREAK” speech suggests his condemnation of Pindling's decision to scold the movers and shakers, at the time, and his fighting for the rights of all Bahamians which, I submit, resulted in Butler himself being able to do business in this city today. Jeff Butler, I submit, by drumming up the past is suggesting, as well, that Sir Lynden Pindling, prime minister of the Bahamas, should not have interfered in the affairs of Freeport but simply sit back and allow them to continue their racist's practices. Whose side are you on Jeff Butler, I ask you? I wish to say to you Jeff, and to all the others who think like you to always judge decisions that people make in the context of the times and situations. Sir Lynden's decision, back there in 1969, to challenge Freeport to “bend or break,” paved the way for all Bahamians (white and black), who were told, at the time, that they needed not apply (including Jeff Butler's father and by extension Jeff himself), to enter Freeport and conduct business. Instead of pissing all over Sir Lynden's work, Jeff Butler, you should be honoring the man; our hero and “Father of the Nation,” for what he did for us, including you, boy.

Subtle racism is how I would describe Butler's statement and he ought to be ashamed of himself. As a nation of people, who have been plagued with this bogyman (racism) for much of our history, we should all be working, hand in hand, feverishly to put this divisive omen behind us; we should continue to work toward achieving harmony among the ethnic groupings and not settle for this continued division that Jeff Butler seems to want to perpetrate. We are trying to move forward with respect for each other yet this guy attempts to resurrect the bogyman, I say, for his own selfish political purposes. The man is obviously unprepared to move away from where he's at-stuck in a rot back in the 60s. I'll tell you one thing, my boy; you cannot represent the good people of the West End constituency, in the Hon. House of parliament, with that mindset and stinking attitude.

I wish to put a few questions to Jeff Butler and see what his answers would be; if you are claiming to know so much about Sir Lynden's “Bend or Break” speech, delivered back in 1969, does that mean that you've been around and living in Freeport all that time? If your answer to that question is “yes” then I ask you, how is it that you are just now realizing that Grand Bahama needs help? You grew up in West End, did you not? Then how is it that it was not until last year that you decided that West Grand Bahama was in dire straits for years and now desperately needs help? Is this because you suddenly decided that you now wish to walk the isles of the parliament as an elected member of that chamber and you've calculated that your chances of getting to parliament would be best if you offered for the west end constituency? Do you think that the only voters in the country who would foolish enough to support you would be those in the west end constituency? You had better think again boy because west end will shock you back to reality. They are not as stupid as you suppose. Where was your concern, I ask, for their welfare before last year when you decided that you would suck up to Ingraham for the nomination? Don't be stupid, boy, those people will take all your money, kick you in your behind and send you packing. The Hon. Obie Wilchcombe could never lose the West End seat (especially to an unfriendly fellow like you Jeff Butler) even if he wanted too. I am told by a West End lady, who said that she was a child when the Butler children were growing up in west end and that your father, Jeff Butler, never allowed you to mix with the west end children neither were you allowed to attend school with the other children; is that the truth?

Thank you.
Forrester J Carroll J.P
Freeport, Grand Bahama
13 th March 2011.

IN PASSING
Police Shooting In Bimini
While executing a search for the arrest of Ricardo Rolle wanted for attempted rape and armed robbery in Poggy Bay, Bimini the police shot and killed Mr. Rolle on Saturday 12 th March. Mr. Rolle reportedly pulled a gun on police during the search. Police shot him in the head and he died. There was some rowdiness but after community leaders intervened, the matter remained calm and there was no repeat of the riot that happened last year when a similar police shooting occurred.

Layoffs At Our Lucaya And Then FNM Finds Jobs
Former Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition Perry Christie flew to Grand Bahama on Monday 7 th March to hold a press conference at PLP House in Grand Bahama and to be briefed by the owners of the Our Lucaya Resort on why 200 people were laid off from the resort. The resort's owners Hutchison Whampoa said that they had no choice if they were to have a chance of saving the resort and indeed their container port project. Mr. Christie criticized the government for having five FNM representatives and them not doing anything to help the people of Grand Bahama as the city lurched from crisis to crisis. He reaffirmed the PLP's support for the people of Grand Bahama. He was joined by MPs Fred Mitchell, Obie Wilchcombe, Shane Gibson, and Deputy Leader Philip Davis, along with Senator Michael Darville, PLP candidate for Marco City Greg Moss and Party Chairman Bradley Roberts. You may click here for the full statement.

Protests In Abaco

The people of Abaco are up in arms, protesting again this week in Marsh Harbour because of the cuts to the power in that island. The Government has built a brand new power station but someone forgot to order the right size transmission wires to carry the power from the new plant. The result is there are still power cuts.

Fred Mitchell's Personal Safety
Some writers to this column have questioned whether given the comments of the police staff association chairman, it is now safe for Fred Mitchell MP to walk around unaccompanied by bodyguards. The feeling is that since the criticism was directed at the Security and Intelligence Branch that there is now special risk to life and limb given the crazy response of the Police Staff Association chairman. The correspondents have asked Mr. Mitchell to begin to take special precautions for his personal safety against guess who: the police.

The Fox Hill PLP Branch Meeting

Keenan Johnson, the Chairman of the Progressive Young Liberals was the speaker at the monthly branch meeting of the Fox Hill Branch of the PLP held on Monday 28 th February. He was joined by his colleagues from PYL at the meeting Jayden Miller and Randy Curtis II. Mr. Johnson is pictured being presented with a plaque and a copy of the Fred Mitchell book Great Moments In PLP History and Mr. Miller presenting the monthly raffle prize. Branch Chair Charlene Marshal appears at the right of both pictures. Fred Mitchell MP for Fox Hill is shown with Mr. Johnson and Ms. Marshall.

Condolences To Japan
On Friday 11 th March PLP Spokesman on Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell offered condolences to Robert “Sandy” Sands the Honorary Consul in The Bahamas for Japan on the deaths and injuries in Japan following the earthquake there on Thursday 11 th March and the subsequent tsunami.

A Lady Wounded By The Protests And No Apology From The Police

While, the police staff association was busy impugning the integrity of the protestors on the BTC march, not a word of comfort or explanation about the damage and injury caused to one of the protestors a female Marsha Antonia Curry whose collar bone was broken by the police when excessive force was used by them during the protest on 23 rd February on Bay Street. The photo of Ms. Curry is shown from Rodney Moncur's Facebook page.

Roadworks Cause Problems In Fox Hill
In a compelling presentation, the leaders of the Ministry of Public Works' project on the New Providence Road Project met with the residents and business people of the Fox Hill and Elizabeth Constituencies to talk about the changes to the road Prince Charles Drive and the Fox Hill Road. It appeared that the road would have be totally closed for eight weeks, as new mains are to be put for water as well. This caused a near riot on the first day of work on the project on Wednesday 9 th March. The Ministry delayed the work and met with the people and it appears that some compromise that is being worked on. But the interesting fact, they say that right now the average New Providence journey takes 45 minutes; they say that if the roads are left unaddressed, the average journey in 2017 will take 3 hours. Sobering.

Mitchell Answers Desmond Bannister In Freeport

Minister of Education Desmond Bannister launched a blistering attack on Fred Mitchell M.P. for Fox Hill and the Opposition's spokesman on the Public Service and Alfred Sears, the Opposition spokesman on Education in the House of Assembly on Thursday 3 rd March. You can link here to last week's comment. This week Fred Mitchell flew to Grand Bahama and there he answered Mr. Bannister. He told Mr. Bannister that he ought to admit that he had lost the battle on the question of who would be principal of the Walter Parke Primary School. He urged Mr. Bannister to stop victimizing Sandra Edgecombe, the Superintendent of Primary Schools in Grand Bahama because he thinks that she supports the PLP. You may click here for the full statement of Mr. Mitchell delivered at the Grand Bahama's International Airport's Domestic Terminal.

Rodney and Rhonda

Rhonda Chipman Johnson is the new Consul General for The Bahamas in New York. She is to take up her post this week. There was a service of thanksgiving and bon voyage at her St. Joseph Catholic Parish in Nassau and this picture with the political scallywag Rodney Moncur appeared in his website as being taken right after that service on Sunday 5 th March.

The Nastiness of FNM Facebook Pages
If there is any doubt that the campaign is on one has only to review the FNM's web pages. Leading the way with the nastiness is a site called Voices Bahamian, another individual who specializes in that kind of libel is Peter Carey (photo shown).

The Voices Bahamian site is connected to someone who was fired from the government for stealing under the PLP but seeks always to take a high moral tone. Then since the FNM who heads the police staff association issued his statement last week attacking the PLP, they have been excerpting passages from the statement to promote their cause. Perhaps it would good if people would simply delete their pages from the friends list if you are PLP.

 

Changes For FNM In Montagu
They say that Loretta Butler Turner MP for Montagu may be finding herself running for a new seat come the next general election. She has been asked to run in Long Island where her father ran unsuccessfully for the PLP and from which her grandmother Lady Caroline Butler comes. She reportedly met recently with Larry Cartwright now MP in the quaint settlement of Roses where he grandmother was born. The talk is that Mr. Ingraham wants to match the young white candidates that the PLP now has with one of D'Albenas sons (as in Donald who used to be Long island rep) to match what the PLP has in Ryan Pinder MP and Clay Sweeting the 25 year old from Spanish Wells who is to run for the PLP in North Eleuthera.

Commissioner Of Police Losing The Force
This latest salvo by the Police Staff Association into politics, see Photo Of The Week and Comment of The Week, has left one half of the force deeply concerned that the Commissioner of Police is losing his grip on the leadership of the Force. They still prefer his leadership but their faith in him is being sorely tested.

Government To Buy S G Hambros Building
Reports are circulating that the Government is to buy the S G Hambros Building on Cable Beach for 18 million dollars. Explanation please.

Call All BTC Supporters
We are all invited to a meeting on Wednesday 16th March by a Committee headed by former Parliamentarian Dr. Elwood Donaldson to save BTC.  The meeting is to be held at the Hilton British Colonial beginning at 7:30 p.m. Make sure that you are there.

Daylight Saving Time
This morning Eastern Standard Time ceased at 2 a.m. and clocks in this country  moved one hour head.  It will remain so until until the first Sunday in November.  Lousy decision. Why don't they stop fooling with the time?

27thth March , 2011 Welcome to bahamasuncensored.com   How do you do today?  It's great to have you as a reader.  We have the most incisive political news about and from The Bahamas! Please tell all your friends about us.
HUBERT IS A TRAITOR AND A LIAR	ALLYSON GIBSON RESPONDS TO INGRAHAM’S LIES
THE UNDOING OF CANDIA DAMES	BRAN MCCARTNEY LEAVES THE FNM
THE REPORT FROM THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS	MITCHELL LOOK YOU HERE MARRED WITH TRAITORS
THE MARCH TO SAVE BTC IN PHOTOS	THE SCOUTS MARCH
THREE WOMEN MURDERED IN THREE DAYS
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR...	IN PASSING...
Fred Mitchell Launches 3rd Edition of 'Great Moments In PLP History...	Fred Mitchell's 56th Birthday Party In Support of the 'Mission Fund'...
The Official Site of the Progressive Liberal Party...	The Official Site of the Free National Movement...
PhilipBraveDavis.com...	Interesting Places...
JeromeFiztgerald.org	Bahamas Government Website
KendredDorsett.com	Reg & Kit's Bahamas Links
FredMitchellUncensored.Com ARCHIVES...	Bahamians On The Web
How & Why The PLP Lost in 2007 - The Greenberg Report...	BahamasIssues.com
	BradleybRoberts.com

Click on a heading to go to that story; press ctrl + home to return to the top of the page.

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THE PLP VOTES NO: The vote to sell BTC took place on Thursday 24th March in the House of Assembly.  The PLP’s Leader Perry Christie gave a stellar performance and defence of the party’s position that BTC should be saved for Bahamian ownership.  You may click here for his full address.  The photo of the week then is that of all PLP MPs plus independent Branville McCartney voting no in the House of Assembly on Thursday 24th March.  The photo is by Peter Ramsay.

COMMENT OF THE WEEK

HUBERT IS A TRAITOR AND A LIAR


They say the Lord works in mysterious ways.  That was only wry comment to make when at the end of a contentious debate in the House of Assembly last week over the sale of BTC, Hubert Ingraham as the yeas and the noes were being recorded voted no and after the hilarious laughter of the whole House, he recorded his proper vote as yes.   The righteous said it was the Lord telling his inner conscience that what he proposed to do with BTC was wrong. The vote took place on Thursday 24th March at about 5 p.m.

Nevertheless, the legal steps to sell BTC are almost all over so unless there is some further action in the courts or unless the Utilities Appeal Tribunal intervenes, it appears that Cable and Wireless will take over for a song that bit of the national patrimony of The Bahamas named as BTC.  So generations resisted the takeover from the southern Caribbean of the local telephone company by the worst telephone company that is known in the region and yet The Bahamas government simply gives it way.

We believe that the Hubert Ingraham administration is populated by liars and traitors.  They will pay for all of this at the polls.

Mr. Ingraham’s no vote can be seen in the video clip in this piece.

He was all mixed up because Perry Christie (see photo by Peter Ramsay) had given a stellar performance accusing Mr. Ingraham of giving away the national patrimony and accusing him of denigrating the people who had a genuine interest in seeing BTC remain in Bahamian hands.  He said that the difference between the PLP and the FNM was that we believe in people not things.   He repeated that when the PLP comes back to power it will regain the majority control of BTC for the Bahamian people.  The precedent is set in Belize where the company was taken back from the private sector by the government.

We want to congratulate the Trade Unions for their valiant fight to resist the privatization of BTC on behalf of a grateful nation.  Thank you Bernard Evans and William Carroll.

Last week Thursday 24th March was a sad day for our country, when you have traitors at the head of your governments and they simply do not give a heck about the future of The Bahamas.

Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 26 th March 2011 up to midnight:168,256
Number of hits for the month of March up to Saturday 26 th March 2011 up to midnight: 673,688
Number of hits for the year 2011 up to Saturday 19 th March 2011 up to midnight: 2,036,356

CONTACT US AT E-MAIL: placid_point@yahoo.com

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ALLYSON GIBSON RESPONDS TO INGRAHAM’S LIES


The Bahamas does not have full time legislators and so each Senator or Member of Parliament who is not in the Cabinet has the right to practice their own profession.  Hubert Ingraham, the Prime Minister, is a nasty man and in the platform at his party’s rent a rally on Saturday 21st March he attacked Allyson Maynard Gibson for the fees which she earned as a lawyer from the China Export Import Bank suggesting that there was some conflict on her part because the party of which she is a part did not support the   work by Chinese labourers to build roads in The Bahamas.

  The response of Mrs. Maynard Gibson:

THE UNDOING OF CANDIA DAMES
On Sunday last 20th March, the Progressive Liberal Party’s leader Perry Christie held a press conference to respond to what the leader of the Free National Movement had to say about the sale of BTC.  The response was simple and straight forward.  You may click here for that response.

All the press attended.  You would have thought that the news then would be Mr. Christie’s response.  All did go with that as the news except Candia Dames of The Nassau Guardian.  She has been nicknamed the personal amanuensis of Hubert Ingraham for the way she simply appears to be a scribe for his words, uncritically and without any discrimination.  When it comes to the Opposition PLP it appears she has no time for the PLP.  This of course is not a complaint about her political biases in her personal life which after all are her business and she is entitled to that as a citizen of this country. But since she is the editor of a newspaper of record she has a responsibility over and beyond that for balance and fairness.  We now say that she seems to have no sense of what those things are.  Having been to school up to the master's level one wonders what on earth did she actually learn when you see what is produced?  But then you cannot teach ethics.  You cannot teach morals. You have be an ethical person and you have to bring morals to the table when you come to the journalism profession.    The story for Ms. Dames became an e mail exchange and comment by Philip Davis, the Deputy Leader of the PLP in which he made certain comments about the PLPs strategy in the campaign.  Photos of the Davis’ comment were seen all over Facebook on the pro FNM sites by the slime balls at Voices Bahamian and other sites. PLPs then began to get agitated about who leaked out things from the PLP.  The next morning Ms. Dames led with the comment of Mr. Davis as opposed to what Mr. Christie had to say.  It was deliberate and it was done with forethought to embarrass the party and its leaders.  We are satisfied of that.   Further, our investigations reveal that   having been warned not to do it, she went ahead any way.  Also we know that Sharon Turner, the Deputy Director of the   Bahamas Information Services tried to get other news organizations to run the story having convinced Candia Dames to do so.   Ms. Turner is FNM through and through, despite the denials that there is an FNM group at work in the Balsams Information Services.  She came from Hubert Ingraham's campaign into BIS.   The comment from Mr. Davis came at the end of an e mail which contained the remarks of the PLP leader.  It was sent to the press, one of whose members asked for a favour to be done to send the text over so that the news with tight deadlines could get a jump on writing the story.   The bottom of the e mail was not cleaned up and the comments were inadvertently sent out.   We would have thought that any reporters, knowing the favours that are done by politicians all the time for reporters to get stories would not actually breach a confidence to make small brownie points.  Ms. Dames was the only one to breach that confidence.  She ought to be ashamed of herself and hang her head in shame.  So when she defends herself as not being the personal amanuensis of Hubert Ingraham no wonder people look at her askance.  The denials ring hollow.  And people see with their own eyes how Mr. Ingraham coddled up to her in the House of assembly last week. What is worse is that we also know what the e mail was forwarded by someone to Carl Bethel and Zhivargo Laing one the FNM Chair and the other an FNM Minister.  Even if the use in the press was not wrong, how does it get the business of a newspaper reporter to send confidential information from a source presumably to the leaders of the other political party unless you want deliberately to create mischief?  The question we have to ask her employers is how is the PLP to trust someone like that again?

BRAN MCCARTNEY LEAVES THE FNM

The Member of Parliament Branville McCartney up to Monday 21st March was a member of the Free National Movement.  He resigned on that day just before the debate began on the sale of the Bahamas Telecommunications Company Ltd. in the House of Assembly.  He is to sit in the House as an independent.  This was headline news. Mr. Ingraham had lost an MP.  So not only did he lose  the bye-election last year when Ryan Pinder  got the seat from him having orchestrated the departure of the PLP MP Malcolm Adderley but  the  traction that he thought he got by  orchestrating the departure of Kenyatta Gibson from the PLP to the FNM was  now effectively checkmated.

Interestingly Mr. Ingraham at a press conference reported on Saturday 26th March said that Mr. McCartney’s seat is an FNM seat and that Mr. McCartney should apologise to the people of Bamboo Town for having in his word quit them.  Of course, he cried no such crocodile tears and had no such political ethics when it came to welcoming Mr. Gibson to his ranks.  Mr. McCartney said that in all good conscience he could not support the sale of BTC and would vote against it.  When the vote took place, he sided with the PLP.  The FNM was so sore that they tried to stop him from speaking in the House.

You may click here for Mr. McCartney’s full remarks and the video.  What we ask is what happens now?  Mr. McCartney should do well to look at the history of independents in the House and know that if he is to have apolitical future then that future belongs with one of the major parties.  He had John Bostwick, the son of the former Senate President in the gallery supporting him along with Lincoln Bain who is of Controversy TV fame.   They are third party advocates most people believe that there is speculation that this is where Mr. McCartney intends to go.  We say please do not go down that road. In our view you ought to make he psychological jump and join the PLP.

 

 

 

THE REPORT FROM THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS
There was a strike in the Turks and Caicos Island on Friday 25th March which crippled the island's ability to handle air traffic.  Flights to the island were cancelled.  This is a good development as the people of the Turks And Caicos Islands take up their political battle against the unrepresentative British Administration.  We provide you with a full report on the present political situation in The Turks.  You may click here for that full report.

MITCHELL LOOK YOU HERE MARRED WITH TRAITORS












Fred Mitchell, the Fox Hill MP, spoke out in the House of Assembly against the sale of the Bahamas Telecommunications Company Ltd. He borrowed extensively from passages from the speech by Mark Anthony after the death of Julius Caser.  Mr. Mitchell said “Look you here, marred as you see by traitors”.  He said that the government of The Bahamas is giving away the national patrimony of The Bahamas to foreigners.

  You may click here for his full statement.

 

 

 

 

 

THE MARCH TO SAVE BTC IN PHOTOS
To navigate through the gallery please click on the right arrow on the side of the image

 

We present a photo essay of the last march to save BTC which began at Ft. Charlotte in Nassau and ended up in Bay Street. Bay Street was like an armed camp with policemen everywhere and barricades chained down so they could not be moved. This time they kept the dogs out of sight. The Progressive Liberal Party supported the demonstration. Lies were told by the FNM about a fight taking place at PLP HQ when a demand was made for money by the protestors. The pictures that appeared on Facebook were taken from a building owned and operated by Aaron Kiki Knowles Jr. right next door to the PLP HQ and those pictures turned up on all the FNM websites on Facebook including in the House of Assembly on the Blackberry of the Minister of Education Desmond Banister Then Zhivargo Laing the Minister of State came running into the House saying that there had been a fight at PLP HQ over a demand for money from protestors. The newspaper ran with utter nonsense as well. Later in the week, a source told the press that an operative from the FNM had set up the whole thing. Anyway, the pictures of the rally are from Rodney Moncur’s website. Photos is by Joette Penn

THE SCOUTS MARCH

To navigate through the gallery please click on the right arrow on the side of the image

The troops of Boy Scouts in New Providence held their annual march on Sunday 20th March.  The march was up Bernard Road into the Fox Hill parade.   The Fox Hill troop which is headquartered at St. Anselm's in Fox Hill was part of the parade. We present photos of the parade.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
This week Forrester Carroll writes
Foreigners; foreigners; foreigners; foreigners all over the damn place since the FNM came to power. They say “Bahamians need not apply;” They say, “If you put Bahamians in charge, within two years they’ll destroy it;” They say, “To get fair decisions from URCA the majority members would have to be foreign;” They say, “Bahamians want to buy every damn thing;” They said “No” to awarding the cable TV franchise to Bahamians;” They say, “Bahamians can’t build nothing; can’t manage nothing; can’t do anything successfully;” They say, “foreigners are preferred.”

Foreigners in charge of Public Works; foreigners in charge of URCA; foreigners in charge of Public Prosecutions; foreigners in charge of all road building projects; foreigners to be appointed in charge of the Registry of Insurance; foreigners to be in charge of the collection of garbage; foreigners to be in charge of BTC; foreigners to take over BEC; foreigners to build the cable beach strip; foreigners to build the docks in Exuma and the docks in Abaco and the bridge in Eleuthera; foreigners; foreigners; foreigners; foreigners all over the damn place since the FNM came to power. Ingraham has a habit of preferring foreigners over Bahamians. The Hon. Shane Gibson keeps reminding us; don’t listen to what the FNM says but watch what they do. If my memory serves me correctly, when Ingraham first came to power he fired Mrs. Cleopatra Christie, a Bahamian, who was Solicitor General (now the DPP) in the Attorney General’s office at the time, and replaced her with a Jamaican woman by the name of Yvlma Hilton. He now attacks the same department and fires Mrs. Cheryl Grant-Bethel, another Bahamian, and gave her job to another Jamaican woman. What’s up with him and these Jamaican women; soft spot for them, hey?

Sandals Hotels are full of foreigners. No substantive positions held by Bahamians; they are all filled with Jamaicans, we are told; Bahamians need not apply, we are told. Bahamas Customs Department being managed by two British Consultants, from behind the scenes. The Comptroller of Customs is not the one calling the shots-the two English Consultants are. Under this FNM government Bahamians are advised to take off their Jackets and neckties; get out their brooms; mops; buckets; shovels; pick axes; cutlasses and get to work because that is all that the FNM government thinks we are capable of doing.

Magistrates are now being brought in from the West Indies. It is being talked around in FNM circles that it might be a good idea to begin importing West Indian police officers again. This government has no shame; it thinks that foreign is definitely better and don’t give a damn what we think about what they are doing.

No sane person, especially one holding the position of prime minister, would talk to a dog the way that mullet head, Ingraham; spoke to the press in reference to our “well qualified for the J.O.B” Cheryl Grant-Bethel. He besmirched her good name and pissed all over her glowing career, in the public service, all in one breadth. The PLP must move quickly to restore her good name and put this “well qualified for the post” beautiful Bahamian Lady back on her job. There are many things we must reverse when we take office on or before May 2nd 2012. We must bring back many, if not all, of the police, immigration and customs officers who were forced out of the service, prematurely, by this FNM Dictator, and allow them to complete the years of their careers in dignity.

The biggest issue in this general election campaign looks like it will be that of Bahamianization and empowerment. There are so many FNM wrongs that the PLP must, of necessity, undo. They have no shame the suckers. Foreigners can easily be approved to dig up Bell Island, off Andros and destroy the beautiful Exuma national park but Bahamians are arrested if they are caught fishing anywhere near the park and or cutting the tops from the top trees in or around the immediate area. Where are we Bahamians, in the FNM scheme of things, forty-four years after majority rule and thirty-eight years after gaining our Independence? Have we digressed to the bad old days of pre-1967? This is a vital question we must answer for ourselves as we line up on polling day to cast our ballots in the next general elections. We fought to regain our country’s assets during the years following majority rule and Independence but in 2011, under this Foreign National movement government, we find ourselves fighting tooth and nail to retain them.

China seems to be relocating to the Bahamas, without let up, big time. There are Chinese everywhere we turn in Nassau and now we see them beginning to flood the family Islands. Exuma, Eleuthera and Abaco will soon see an influx that will never leave this country. We know that Chinese people are ethnically racists but did you know that they are also color prejudice? I didn’t realize that they were, either, until a black Bahamian lady told me recently about an incident when she mistakenly brushed up against a Chinese woman who promptly told her to get her black hand off her and she (the Chinese woman) walked away hurriedly; if they need you, though, to help them achieve their take over goals they would suck up to you as if they are family, the bastards. We have a very poor record of monitoring foreigners, who come here to visit or work, and it seems the only reason many of them leave the Bahamas, when their time expire, is when they do it voluntarily and not because of any action on the part of the immigration department. The immigration department has not been able, as of yet, to find the Haitians who were let go, by Hubert Ingraham, just after the quake in Haiti, remember?

There is another matter that disturbs me greatly; isn’t it the policy of the government to advertise “public sector position openings” to ensure maximum Bahamian participation before foreigners are sought after? Is it not a requirement, by the department of immigration, for all jobs and or positions to be advertised locally to ensure no Bahamians are out in the workplace  qualified and available to fill positions before applications, for work permits, for foreigners are entertained? Well then how is it that URCA could employ Marsha Lewis, a foreigner, as HR consultant without first the position being advertised to ensure no Bahamian was qualified and available? When confronted and questioned, by reporters, the only thing Ingraham could tell us was to say that, “It’s a standard policy of the government of the Bahamas that positions are advertised locally and it’s very annoying but it has to be done.” He need not have told us that because we know that much; potential employers in the private sector must do the same before the immigration department would entertain an application for a foreigner. In addition Ingraham said, “We certainly do not support that kind of thing;” now that I do not believe; I believe that Ingraham prefers foreigners over Bahamians; remember what the Hon. Shane Gibson say we should? Watch what the Negro does, not listen to what he says. The reporter should have followed up with two questions; (1) what is so annoying about advertising to make sure that these positions are filled by Bahamians? And (2) if you did not support the way it was done, Mr. Prime Minister, then why did you not correct the matter and undo it? Here is what I read into Ingraham’s responses: It’s annoying for his FNM government to have to advertise for Bahamians and his government was not prepared to dismiss the Marsha Lewis lady and employ a Bahamian. He certainly can do it to Bahamians though.

The disgraceful conflictive situation goes like this: Marsha Lewis was a former colleague of Usman Saadat who introduced her to URCA in 2009. Marsha is the wife of Mr. Philip Lewis who is Vice-President for business development for Cable & Wireless. Both Marsha Lewis and Usman Saadat worked as colleagues, at one time, for this C & W. Mrs. Lewis left C & W (Barbados) just months before being recommended for the consultancy position at URCA by her former colleague Mr. Saadat, now CEO of URCA. Ironically when Mr. Saadat applied for the position of CEO of URCA his resume and application had to be sent to Marsha Lewis for approval. It is abundantly clear (certainly to me) that this was a set up from the very beginning by the four parties (the government, C&W, Marsha Lewis and Usman Saadat) involved.  URCA was being legislated and I levy the charge that the FNM government arranged with C & W to have their employee, Marsha Lewis, quit her job with the company in Barbados to go off and set up, on paper only, a consultancy company. This in preparation to receive Usman Saadat’s resume and application, when the time came, and have it speedily approved without question for him to become URCA’s CEO. By having this done C & W’s man (Saadat) would be in place to receive and approve C & W’s application to steal BTC, with the FNM government’s consent, from the Bahamian people; a very nasty and dirty piece of work indeed. Is it any surprise to anyone, therefore, that the application was “rubber stamped approved” and in a matter of a couple days? I don’t believe anyone in the country expected any different outcome. This is really too much to tolerate from this wautless FNM-Ingraham lead-government. Wayne Aranha had no satisfactory answers to the questions posed by Jeff Lloyd either when he appeared on Lloyd’s show recently. I am told, reliably, that certain serving hierarchy members of the FNM cabinet along with a former FNM governor general, two former FNM cabinet ministers, and a former governor of the central bank are all in collusion with C&W to incorporate, in the Isle of Mann, a phony overseas paper company to hold, in ownership, certain of BTC’s assets. Those assets, such as the $68 million undersea cable that the PLP government installed all the way up to Inagua, would be leased from this phony company, by C &W, for huge yearly sums of money and herein lies the scam for the kickbacks to be paid to these FNM government shysters. What these FNM Operatives are doing (facilitated by Ingraham’s, squeaky clean, FNM government big wigs) is in fact “stealing by means of employment” BTC’s assets and claiming them as their own.  Someone should be going to jail for this unforgivable scam which is being perpetrated on the Bahamian people. We have been held up and robbed, in broad daylight, by this greedy and reckless Ingraham-lead FNM government, facilitated by these foreigners.

Thank you.

Forrester J Carroll J.P
Freeport, Grand Bahama
27th March 2011

 

 

 

Bahamian living abroad was moved by the events re the sale of BTC and wrote this from abroad:

Dear Editor,

Even in the end, the FNM Government was ungracious in victory. One of the point men in the ministerial team, the Hon. Zhavigo Laing was recorded in the media as saying that BTC was no national treasure. In short he was saying that there was nothing special about BTC that would make the State want to retain it as an iconic symbol of successful state enterprise. It was a sentiment that disregarded the human element in the entire saga – that the Government was playing around with people’s livelihood and their future and their children’s future.

 No one was ever suggesting that BTC was a national treasure. The objection to the sale was the manner in which it was carried out, the divesting of majority interest in a “no count” company and the fact is that as sure as the sun will rise there will be retrenchment and uncertainty throughout the ranks of BTC staff.  Regarding uncertainty, can you imagine a BTC employee of ten years standing who has saved long and hard to put his house up to belt course, now going to any financial institution and asking for a 15 year mortgage to complete his house? It is doubtful that his application will be entertained base entirely on the fact that his employment tenure is unsecured.  This is among the practical downside of the sale of the company. The FNM Government must be accused of pushing down and pushing back middle class aspirations.  And Minister Laing has the heart to make these and other callous statements.

The FNM Government plays loose and fast with human suffering. It is paradoxical that a Government with a Trust Agenda would show so little regard for the basic purpose of Government which is to protect and safeguard the welfare (in its classic sense) its citizens from all sorts of human sufferings. Especially when individually they cannot do so for themselves. The intent seems to be to put a stranglehold on the Bahamian people and subdue their aspirations.

But there is really no cause for triumphalism and the grins and smiles of the Government and their supporters will be short-lived.  As Shakespeare wrote of Julius Caesar on his return to Rome: “wherefore rejoice? What conquest brings he home?” (Julius Caesar –Act 1 Scene 1)

It is at best a pyrrhic victory.  For those not familiar with classical mythology the reference is to King Pyrrhus who defeated the Romans in a battle in the third century BC. But even in victory he realised that he had lost the war. Plutarch, the ancient historian wrote that “Pyrrhus replied to one that gave him joy of his victory that one more such victory would utterly undo him. For he had lost a great part of the forces he brought with him, and almost all his particular friends and principal commanders; there were no others there to make recruits … On the other hand, as from a fountain continually flowing out of the city, the Roman camp was quickly and plentifully filled up with fresh men, not at all abating in courage for the loss they sustained, but even from their very anger gaining new force and resolution to go on with the war.” – Plutarch

The PLP when it becomes the next Government of The Bahamas must remain resolute that among its first actions will be to roll back this stain on the fabric of the Bahamian political tapestry and put Bahamians back in control of its destiny.

Please sign me as
A Bahamian Abroad

Thank you.

IN PASSING
Arguments Over The Numbers At The Rent A Rally
The FNM has a rally on Saturday 19th March n Clifford Park. Given all the money they spent they barely got two thousand people out there. The FNM said they had four thousand. Whatever, Hubert Ingraham did not get the crowd he expected. The old black magic aint working.

Why Kendal Wright Seconded The Motion
FNM sources are saying that Kendal Wright MP was one of the MPs that the Prime Minister believed was shaky on voting for the sale of BTC. So to make sure that he did not waver, he was asked to second the motion to sell the company and he did. No one could understand what he was talking about but it was a classic Tommy Tucker performance: singing for his supper. Later e mails circulated on the web saying that some friends in his barber shop were amazed at his performance given all the complaints he had about the sale before his speech.

Andre Rollins PLP On Facebook
The "god complex" was on display at the FNM rally a few nights ago when Mr. Ingraham said: "Only one man (Ingraham) knoweth the hour" of the next general elections. We need a fixed date for General Elections in The Bahamas.

Is Turnquest Carrying A Gun?
MPs questioned Tommy Turnquest, the Minister of National Security about whether he carries a gun on his person in the House of Assembly. He never answered the question formally but when pressed by PLP MPs from their seat about it, he raised up his cell phone presumably to show that that was the bulge showing under his coat.

Three Women Murdered In Three Days
The Bahamas hit another record for murder two weeks ago when in three days three women were murdered in three days.

Gunshots Around Mother Pratt
There was an exchange between the police and gunmen in the neighbourhood of Cynthia “Mother” Pratt, the PLP MP and former Deputy Prime Minister where she lives in the Grove. Bullet holes were found in her house. Her grandchildren were at home at the time but no one was hurt. PLP MPs rushed to the home to visit with her and make sure that she was alright. She was unharmed and not home at the time of the exchange. The incident happened on Sunday 20th March.

Report That Robin Hood’s Computer Returned
We reported last week how Sandy Schaefer, the owner of the Robin Hood mega store felt the jack boots of the Hubert Ingraham administration because he dared to criticize what was being done on the road outside his store on Prince Charles Drive.  Within hours of his criticism of the government’s road programme, the Customs raided his shop and took his commuters his lawyers sued.  The press reported last week that the computers were returned to him.  No word on what the Customs intends to do next.

Mitchell Responds To The FNM
Hubert Ingraham, the Prime Minister, announced at an unrelated press conference on Friday 25th March that the current register of voters will end in June. At that time only those who registered to vote on the new registration exercise will be eligible to vote. This is a routine event which happens every five years. The new register will determine the boundaries for the constituencies in the next general election which must be held by May 2012. It caused a twitter of excitement with all sorts of rumours going around of early elections and stopping PLPs from registering. No doubt this will give a fillip to the registration exercise which has been dragging. This happened every time people wait until the last minute to register.

Party Leaders Visit Abaco

The Deputy Leader of the PLP Philip Davis, the Party Chair Bradley Roberts visited North Abaco on Friday 25th March on a fact finding mission.

Andy Young Visits With The Wilsons


Former UN Ambassador to The United Nations for the United States Andrew Young is in The Bahamas this weekend on a private visit.  He is part of a team of business leaders connected with Trumpet Awards founder Xernona Clayton who are at the Atlantis Resort for a few days of relaxation.  The group was treated to dinner at the home of Franklyn and Sharon Wilson on Friday 25th March.  PLP leader Perry Christie and Mrs. Christie attended the dinner together with publisher Wendell Jones, Dame Marguerite Pindling, MPs Frank Smith and Fred Mitchell.  We show a picture of Mayor Young with  PLP media’s Andrew Burrows.

The Speaker And The Bohengy
Does the Speaker of The House Alvin Smith pay for the tickets on the Bohengy when he travels back to his home in North Eleuthera?  Does the government pay or does he pay?  Hmmmm!

Louis Farrakhan On Obama And Kaddafi
http://bossip.com/358689/farrakhan-warns-advises-president-obama-about-libyan-war-that-just-started-video69691/
This is the alternative view put by the leader of the Nation of Islam in
The United States Louis Farrakhan.

Prince Edward’s Trip To Grand Bahama

he seventh in line to throne of The Bahamas Prince Edward was in The Bahamas last week to present the Governor General’s Youth Awards to the gold pin recipients. (The video speaks for itself)

Two More Murdered Early Saturday 26th March
Two men were shot dead when at a club in Lewes Street in the wee hours of Saturday morning someone fire gunshots into the crowd there gathered. Two are left in critical condition and are in hospital. This makes 35 murders for the year 2011.

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