Compiled, edited and constructed by Russell Dames Updated every Sunday at 2 p.m.
Volume 4 © BahamasUncensored.Com 2006
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| PHOTO OF THE WEEK - MITCHELL AT THE UN PODIUM - The annual policy statement on Foreign Affairs was delivered for the fifth time in his career as Foreign Minister by Fred Mitchell at the famous green marble podium of the United Nations. He was there in front of the gathered world audience but more importantly in the presence of Bahamian students from the SUNY Maritime College, St. Andrew’s in Nassau, St. Anne’s and the University of the Northern Caribbean. You may watch the speech on the UN’s web cast archive at www.un.org or click here for the text version of the speech. The speech reinforced the position of The Bahamas that its foreign policy is not ideological even as it speaks up for the dispossessed and those who cannot speak for themselves. Our photo of the week is the fifth appearance of Fred Mitchell, the Minister of Foreign Affairs at the podium at the UN on Tuesday 26th September. The photo is by Jeffrey Alves. We also have a photo essay below. |
COMMENT OF THE WEEK
AN APOLOGY IS REQUIRED
A
convicted drug criminal by the name Samuel ‘Ninety’ Knowles was extradited
from this country on the 28th August 2006 to stand trial in the United
States for allegedly smuggling drugs into the United States. For
one month since that time, the press of The Bahamas, fed by a group of
conflicted lawyers, has been waging a campaign against the Attorney General
Allyson Gibson and then the Minister responsible for extraditions Foreign
Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell. In the case of the Attorney General,
the argument was that she advised the Minister to act. In the case
of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the argument was that he acted precipitously.
Never mind the fact that in the days before the extradition took place, the press was covered in allegations that the Minister of Foreign Affairs was dragging his feet with the innuendo that somehow Mr. Knowles had something on the Government and so Mr. Mitchell would not act. Never mind the fact that Mr. Mitchell had signed a warrant of surrender before for Mr. Knowles. Let’s not let the truth interfere with a good story.
For one month, you had the lawyer for Mr. Knowles Roger Minnis,
a PLP Senator Damien Gomez, who it is now announced is to be a judge
(see story below), Paul Moss, whose brother is wanted in the United States
on similar charges and is awaiting a hearing on extradition, then Wayne
Munroe, the President of the Bar Council, and some dishonest journalism
fed by Eileen Carron and John Marquis of The Tribune, Raymond Kongwa
of the Nassau Guardian, all with conflicts of one kind or another, weighed
in against the Government on the matter of the extradition of Samuel ‘Ninety’
Knowles.
The talk shows had their daily wag about this or that and how the Ministers were going to go to jail because they were in contempt of Court by allowing this drug criminal to be extradited.
The Church, interested as they are in protecting family values, was silent. Not a word of support. Nothing said about the fact that a message needed to be sent that if you are involved in drugs there is a price that you will pay. Nothing! Just shameful unadulterated silence in the face of the barrage of nonsense spun by these people listed heretofore. One hell of a society.
Well Roger Minnis, the lawyer for Mr. Knowles got his day in Court on Thursday 28th September, just one month later, and he asked the Judge to adjourn the hearing so that Mr. Knowles could be brought back to the Court from Miami or else summon the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Attorney General to court to ask them to show cause why they should not be held in contempt of court since Mr. Knowles was in Miami and he had been extradited before all legal proceedings were complete before the Courts.
The judgment was a highly technical one but clear at its very end. The Judge, Justice Lyons, an Australian émigré to The Bahamas, said that what Mr. Minnis proposed was an abuse of the process of the Court. Mr. Minnis intended to argue that Mr. Knowles could not get a fair trial in the United States because the U.S. president had issued a notice that Mr. Knowles be designated a foreign drug kingpin. That has certain consequences in the law of the United States. Justice Lyons said that the Privy Council had already ruled in a similar case that Mr. Minnis’ argument was impossible. The Judge said if he acceded the result would have been the same and would only occasion a delay. He refused Mr. Minnis’ request saying that the end of the line had come, the game was over. You may click here for the full Judgment of Justice Lyons.
Now the question is what will Roger Minnis, Damien Gomez, Paul Moss, Wayne Munroe, Eileen Carron, John Marquis, Raymond Kongwa and all the other naysayers have to say to the Ministers who they attacked over the course of the last month. It shows that the law was followed, that the criticism was wrong and in fact we go further and argue that the lawyers for Mr. Knowles simply dropped the ball. They did not do what they promised they would do for him, and all the noise being made in the market was simply clutter to hide the fact of their dropping the ball. We have no sympathy for any of them. The lot of them for their views are to be condemned. Talking fool is very serious thing! Their language was unwise, biased, over the top and out of order.
If there were any decency in them, they would apologize to the Ministers personally and to the Government. But no, that won’t come. We will hear nothing. There will be silence. In the end, the truth comes out but often the truth comes out so far down the line that reputations become victims even in the face of the truth. That is the problem. In the mean time, the sleaze balls who are simply in the business of selling papers are on to the next headline.
Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 30th September 2006 at midnight: 77,144.
Number of hits for the month of September up to Saturday 30th September at midnight: 339,768.
Number of hits for the year 2006 up to Saturday 30th September 2006 at midnight: 3,579,645.
FNM
GETS IT WRONG ON SHANE
The Free National Movement is so desperate for an issue that they will
grab at anything. Their latest grab at an issue was the processing
of the Permanent Residence application for B movie star Anna Nicole Smith.
Ms. Smith, a U.S. citizen, has had an interesting life and now wants to
live in The Bahamas. She married an octogenarian billionaire who
left her money in his will. The will was set aside by his children.
She has been allowed by the U.S. Supreme Court to continue challenge the
will.
Ms. Smith gave birth to her lawyer’s child as it
now turns out in Doctors Hospital in Nassau and her son Daniel 20 years
old died the next day in an overnight stay in her room at the hospital.
A foreign pathologist has revealed to a U.S. magazine that the young man
died from a fatal combination of drugs in his system. Then came the
news that she and the lawyer Howard K. Stern, father of the child; “married”.
Michael Scott the local lawyer then said that they didn’t get a marriage
licence but exchanged vows before God on a boat in waters off Nassau.
We give all this lurid detail because the FNM could
not resist attacking a Minister who described himself as a friend of a
woman of such shapely proportions and with such an interesting life.
The FNM was using nasty innuendo and subtext to attack Mr. Gibson.
They alleged, wrongly as it turns out, on their website last week, that
Immigration Minister Shane Gibson personally picked up the cheque for the
permanent residence permit.
The mainstream press without checking a word ran
with the story. Mr. Gibson denounced it as vicious lie. Prime
Minister Christie got into the fray defending his Minister and decrying
the desperation of the FNM to grab at an issue. He added that if
they didn’t like it, they could lump it. It’s said desperate men
will take desperate measures.
Prime Minister Perry Christie is pictured defending Minister Shane
Gibson during an address at the opening of the Government's new 'Excellence'
housing subdivision. BIS photo - Peter Ramsay
THE
PORT AUTHORITY GROUP STRIKES BACK
Last week we wrote in our comment of the week about the state of Grand
Bahama and the Grand Bahama Port Authority. The island is of paramount
importance to The Bahamas and there is a sense of drift and disquiet in
the city as a result of the death of Edward St. George and the family feuds
that have been revealed. You may click
here for last week’s comment.
Over the past week, the Grand Bahama Port Authority
seemed to have found its voice. Sir Albert Miller was quoted in the
press in the Bahama Journal as saying that all was well and that the public
troubles had not affected the investor confidence in the Port. Then
Hannes Babak, the controversial new Chairman, issued a statement saying
the same thing. You may click
here for that statement.
Odd thing though. In every human endeavour
gossip and talk has the affect of unsettling people both from within and
without. It is clear that the staff are unsettled. So how could
the news not be affecting what is happening at the Port? To say so
would be counter intuitive. Simple tourists reading about a hurricane
affecting St. Lucia for example, one thousand miles away from us, stay
away from The Bahamas because they think a hurricane is in the region.
What more an investor reading about public squabbling in an area that he
plans to put millions of dollars? Again, to say so would be counter
intuitive. But that is what the Port says. There is no affect
on investor confidence. So we print it without further comment.
The Port Authority released this photo of the Group’s executive
team along with their statement. From left are Albert Gray, GBPA
President; Ian Barry, GBPA Chief Financial Officer; Hannes Babak, GBPA
Chairman; Sir Albert Miller, GBPA Chief Executive Officer and Graham Torode,
President and CEO of The Grand Bahama Development Company Limited.
CARIBBEAN
MINISTERS MEET RICE
The Council for Foreign and Community Relations
(COFCOR) headed by Elvin Nimrod, the Foreign Minister of Grenada met with
the United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Monday 25th September
in New York in the margins of the General Assembly of the United Nations.
The meeting took place at the Waldorf Hotel in New York. While no
public statement was issued, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of The Bahamas
Fred Mitchell who was part of the gathering said before he left for New
York that the issues of security co-operation and trade were expected to
be part of the agenda.
Photo: Jeffrey Alves
CARTOONIST’S
VIEW
Last week, our photo of the week was that of the
private lunch between the Minister of Foreign Affairs of The Bahamas Fred
Mitchell and the United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at the
Waldorf. The lunch took place on Saturday 23rd September. You
may click here for last week’s photo.
One would have thought that given the issues of
US/Bahamian relations and all the dire predictions on the front pages of
the newspapers of The Bahamas that the meeting between The Bahamas Minister
of Foreign Affairs and the US Secretary of State would have been front
page news. Instead, one paper did not carry it at all. The
others buried it in the back pages. They were taken instead by the
titillation and innuendoes of an untrue story about Shane Gibson, the Immigration
Minister and a B actress named Anna Nicole Smith.
Stan Burnside the cartoonist though seemed to get
the point of the importance of the meeting in the face of all the criticism
by the PLP’s political opponents. So we show you his cartoon from
The Nassau Guardian of Wednesday 27th September.
FIGHT
IN THE BROTHERHOOD
On the morning that the Parliament resumed from its summer recess, Wednesday
27th September Prime Minister Christie should have been a happy man.
He and his party the PLP had gone through an entire summer of good news
mainly. The country was seeing unprecedented economic growth.
The children were all back safely in school and it looks like we are heading
for further unprecedented growth over the next year. All of this
portends good news as we face an election campaign. Except that there
is always someone or some people who are in the pile to cause a problem.
The newspapers were distracted over Samuel ‘Ninety’
Knowles, not a political problem at all as it turned out. The Judge
tossed Mr. Knowles’ lawyers out of court. Then there was the titillation
over Shane Gibson, the Immigration Minister and the B movie actress Ana
Nicole Smith. Just gossip. Not much to that! (Click
here for story above). Two of his own Members of Parliament though
ended up inflicting damage in the news. So instead of the headline
that the House would reopen on that day, the news is instead of fisticuffs
between two of his own Parliamentary team.
It was reported and the men have confirmed there
was a physical fight in the Cabinet room of The Bahamas where the Parliamentary
Caucus of the PLP was meeting. The fight took place in private and
it is sign of how slack the PLP can sometimes be on itself that a private
matter became instantly a public issue and the next day the newspapers
had details of the fight and why and who when only PLP members of Parliament
were in the room.
The two are amongst the party’s first timers in
public life and amongst the youngest. Kenyatta Gibson (right) who
defeated Senator Bernard Nottage in Kennedy and Keod Smith (left), who
defeated Senator Tommy Turnquest in Mt. Moriah. Mr. Gibson issued
a statement when it was clear that the matter had blown up in their faces.
Mr. Smith did not do so but the two are scheduled to appear on a radio
talk show this evening shortly after the upload. The publicity on
Love 97 which will carry the taped show at 5 p.m. today says that both
men have indicated that they have buried the hatchet and they have apologized
to their mothers. No doubt it will be a combination of contrition and patchwork
public relations in order to dampen the public ire about what happened.
The PLP itself at its base is outraged. Some
of their constituents were quoted in the press as being troubled by the
fact they are trying to teach their children to hold their tempers.
Yet two grown men, MPs at that, can’t hold theirs in a situation where
the homicides in the country are being fed by people who can’t resolve
conflicts peacefully.
Further there is a general concern amongst party
seniors about the attitude of many of the younger male members of Parliament
who have a misplaced sense of entitlement because they were able to win
seats in the House during a time of a sweep, taking advantage of years
of ground work being laid by others. There is not a bone of humility
in some of them. The power appears to have gone to their heads with
some of them demanding cabinet posts when it is simply not in the cards.
The question is what should be done? Will
the apology be enough? In any other system, the two should offer
their resignations to the Prime Minister forthwith as Chair of the Gaming
Board (Gibson) and Ambassador for the Environment (Smith). As proper
as that is, it is, given our lack of adherence to these conventions, unlikely
to happen. Whatever they do, they should make quick work of it, make
a clean breast of it, and hope to God that it does not in fact do permanent
damage on the PLP.
The only other comment we make is that the FNM carpetbaggers
are everywhere on this demanding that the PLP disclose fully what happened
in its parliamentary caucus. They must be kidding. We should
also mention in passing that the other perennial carpetbagger in politics
Cassius Stuart has arisen from the grave this time to call for the Prime
Minister’s resignation. We’ll see the second coming first.
They mussy t’ink we fool.
STATEMENT
BY KENYATTA GIBSON MP
The Nassau Guardian published what it said was an
apology by Kenyatta Gibson MP (PLP Kennedy) for a fight that took place
between himself and Keod Smith MP (PLP Mt. Moriah) in the Cabinet Room
on Monday 25th September. Here is what was reported in his own words:
“I am deeply saddened that human frailty led
to behavior that I deeply regret.
“I realize that these events declined to an unacceptable
level. I therefore sincerely and unreservedly apologize for my conduct
and I hope the Bahamian people, my constituents, and my colleagues can
forgive me.
“I wish Mr. Keod Smith the very best and I pray
that we can work together for the benefit of all Bahamians.
“Much public attention has been given to the
events. Many of the reports have been sensationalized and overstated
and it has become the fodder for political exploitation. My remorse
and regret is however unconditional. The last few days have been
spent in deep reflection. Indeed I am sorry. I sincerely hope
that I can put this unfortunate incident behind me and request your support
in this regard. To err is human, perfection is divine.”
LAND
GRAB IN FOX HILL
Residents of the Fox Hill constituency in Gleniston
Gardens North are incensed and have called for investigation into a fence
that has appeared on what was believed to be space allocated for a public
park. The young men in the area complain that they have used the
tree on the park for years to play dominoes and suddenly a fence appeared.
It is not known who put the fence up but the land is also adjacent to the
land of the FNM’s putative candidate for Fox Hill, ‘Doctor Doctor’ aka
the Faker of Fox Hill who is married into a family that is known for grabbing
land. The residents have called on the Government to investigate
the matter.
GOMEZ
TO BECOME A JUDGE
Two weeks ago the then Senator Damien Gomez was engaged in a vicious rant
against the two Ministers of the Government involved in the Samuel ‘Ninety’
Knowles extradition case. He accused the Ministers of violating the
law and of putting the courts in a position where they would have to choose
between returning Mr. Knowles to The Bahamas or putting two Ministers in
jail. It was harsh and surprising given his political affiliation.
Then there was the statement issued by Mr. Gomez
on behalf of Caroline St. George in which he promised that he would fight
to take the Port Authority back from Sir Jack and Caroline’s step mother
and that when he did, his client would reverse everything that had been
done since Mr. St. George died.
Now it has been revealed that now former Senator
Damien Gomez (his resignation became effective Saturday 30th September)
is to become a Judge of the Supreme Court. He told the Bahama Journal
on Tuesday 26th September that he was resigning to take up the bench and
so he felt that he needed to insulate the bench from politics, sanitize
is the word he used, by resigning now and taking up the offer of the Bench
next year. Interesting reasoning given the pronouncements he has
made on the law relating to extradition.
In his letter of resignation, Mr. Gomez was quoted
by the Bahama Journal as saying to the Prime Minister: “We may well cross
swords in our respective future responsibilities. Notwithstanding
institutional conflict, you may rest assured that I remain your friend
through thick and thin.”
LADY
PINDLING DEPUTY TO GG
Marguerite, Lady Pindling was sworn in this past week
as Deputy to the Governor General. Lady Pindling is pictured during
the ceremony with Chief Justice Sir Burton Hall. Congratulations!
Bahamas Information Service photo by Peter Ramsay
PUBLIC
SERVICE WEEK BEGINS
Lady Pindling was joined by Prime Minister Perry Christie
and Public Service Minister today, Sunday, at the Abundant Life Church
for a service marking the beginning of Public Service Week. Minister
Mitchell addressed the congregation and introduced greetings by the Prime
Minister. Please click here for the Minister's
full address.
Bahamas Information Service photo by Peter Ramsay
SOME
FOOTNOTES OF INTEREST
Andrew Edwards Called to The Bar
Eugene Andrew Edwards was called to the Bar of The Bahamas on Friday
29th September. Mr. Edwards is the son of Andrew and Pauline Edwards
and Grandson of the late Eugene Edwards. His grandmother is a well
known stylist in Grand Bahama Eloise Edwards. Mr. Edwards is a former
Chairman of the Young Liberals. Congratulations.
Carifesta Participants Safe after Earthquake
An earthquake registering 5.5 on the Richter scale shook Trinidad on
Friday 29th September. There is a contingent of 120 Bahamians in
Trinidad for the Carifesta programme, showcasing the art of The Bahamas.
The writer Obediah Smith reported that all are well despite the shaking
and rattling.
Foreign Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Resigns
Knowlson Gift, the Foreign Minister of Trinidad and Tobago resigned
on Monday 25th September without giving a reason. The Prime Minister
Patrick Manning who returned to his country on Thursday 28th September
announced a new choice, a former Minister of Works Andrew Piggott as the
successor. He said that there was no acrimony in the resignation
but that as in any family there is sometimes a divergence of views.
Gerald Bartlett Jr. Buried
Gerry Bartlett as he was known died suddenly in his sleep and was buried
on Friday 30th September following a service at the Christ Church Anglican
Cathedral. He was 43 years old. Mr. Bartlett was a son of the
former Commissioner of Police of the same name. He was an employee
of Family Guardian insurance company at the time of his death. He
leaves behind his wife Karen and a son Gerald III. His widow Karen
is the daughter of Edward and Esther (nee Mortimer) Williams.
KUDOS
TO T. JOSEPH FORDE
This month is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in
The Bahamas. It is a time when all men are being asked to be aware
of the dangers of the disease and the fact that with early detection, it
can almost certainly be cured. All men over 50 and some say black
men over 40 should have a yearly prostate exam both digital and a blood
test for Protein Specific Antigen (PSA) done by their doctor. The
treatments are available in Nassau both the removal of the prostate and
the use of radiation therapy but certainly all the treatments are also
available in Nassau. But kudos to T. Joseph Forde whose photo appeared
in the paper during the week. Mr. Forde, is the former PLP Member
of Parliament for Inagua and Mayaguana, and was diagnosed with prostate
cancer in 1991. He is a survivor of the disease from that day to
this.
WANTED:
A MANAGING EDITOR
Perhaps we were wrong… You know when we said that
it was possible to find a Bahamian to fill the job of Managing Editor for
The Tribune. We insisted that we could; but then again, can any Bahamian
really fill these criteria?
They must be anti Bahamian in their views,
anti Black in their views, hate the PLP and all it stands for with a passion;
and worship the ground that Eileen Carron walks on, agreeing to mouth any
colonial and racist sentiments she might wish to promote.
Tough job to fill for any Bahamian.
No wonder Immigration had to grant the work permit to John Marquis.
He fits the bill exactly.
LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR
Mr. Nat Beneby & Royal Bank Should be Commended
I wish to publicly congratulate Mr. Nathaniel
Beneby, Jr. on his recent appointment as Vice President & Country Head
for The Bahamas of the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC). In a nation where
Bahamianization should be one of our highest priorities, he is without
doubt a shining example of the levels of attainment to which Bahamians
can aspire.
I also wish to commend Mr. Ross McDonald, Senior
Vice President, Bahamas & Caribbean for RBC, for having the acuity
to appreciate Mr. Beneby’s expertise and capability and the faith in this
exceptional Bahamian to elevate him to this position.
I would be remiss if, while I am congratulating
Mr. Beneby on his advancement, I did not also mention that, although he
is not the first Bahamian to be promoted to such a high level in this industry
by an international banking institution that is the second pillar of our
economy, I would like to encourage him to be the first Bahamian to create
a legacy of identifying, developing and encouraging other Bahamians in
his company to follow in his footsteps. I would very much like for
it to be said that Mr. Beneby, unlike the other Bahamian who attained this
kind of status in another international banking house of more than fifteen
years in the role of Country Manager, but did not have the vision to train
a Bahamian to succeed him in that position, was the first in a long line
of Bahamians in that position at the RBC, as well as other multinational
banks and companies.
Mr. Beneby’s promotion is indicative of a very
exciting future for our young men and women. His promotion is significant
because it symbolizes the potential for the development of a culture of
Bahamian managers who can not only lead businesses in this country but
who are in demand to fill those same positions all over the region and
the world.
Just as I hold the policy of Bahamianization
in the highest regard and believe that it is one of the most important
building blocks for our nation, I also want to see the encouragement of
excellence in our financial services sector and other disciplines.
I want to see an active effort made not only to Bahamianize the management
levels of every business, but also to develop the incredible talent that
exists in our workforce today with an eye toward ensuring that they are
prepared and made ready to assume leadership roles in business and industry,
both here and abroad.
I envision that we must create a Bahamian nationalism
that includes the highest degree of distinction and transcends our borders,
so that non-Bahamians like Mr. McDonald will easily recognize and promote
our Bahamian men and women to even greater positions of authority and leadership.
I applaud Mr. Beneby for putting the lie to those
declarations that we hear all too often today, statements made by supposedly
responsible people who claim that there are no outstanding, capable Bahamians
to put in high places. I look forward to the day when Bahamians are
as readily able to discern the valuable and talented people we have in
our nation, as did Mr. McDonald, and place them in the proper positions
to guide our Bahamas to higher levels than we even dare to dream of today.
Senator Philip C. Galanis
September 24, 2006
THIS
WEEK WITH THE PM
New Stalwart Councillors in Bimini
Prime Minister Perry Christie began the week Sunday
24th September with Deputy Prime Minister Cynthia 'Mother' Pratt in Bimini
for the installation of a large group of Stalwart Councillors to the Progressive
Liberal Party. The two were hosted by West End & Bimini MP Obie
Wilchcombe for the gala affair..
Miss Commonwealth
The guest book at the Office of the Prime Minister
this past week contained the signature of Bahamian beauty Miss Commonwealth
Bahamas Francesca Plakaris. Ms. Plakaris is THE Miss Commonwealth,
having won top prize in the international competition.
Excellence Gardens
The Prime Minister becomes expressive as he talks
with new home owners in the Government built Excellence Gardens subdivision.
Mr. Christie officially opened the housing community early in the week.
COMMENT OF THE WEEK
TALKING ABOUT DEBT
For the past week in the Nassau Guardian there has been a series
running on the debt that Bahamians have run up in consumer credit.
There has been an explosion in lending since the Central Bank loosened
the controls shortly after the PLP came to office, largely because the
state of the reserves allow there to be an expansion in credit. At
the time the PLP came to power, the 2001 emergency financial controls were
in place to prevent the leakage of foreign currency at a time when there
was a concern about the tourist sector.
The PLP completed the financing process for the US 125 million dollar facility that the Government of the Free National Movement had negotiated prior to its leaving office. The money was borrowed in US currency; the net result was an immediate impact on the reserves. With the tourism product rebounding and the borrowed funds, the country was flush. It was time to loosen the controls. Businesses were suffering, particularly in the sale of cars.
When imports stop, the Public Treasury suffers.
The policies of the Free National Movement had also led to a contraction of the mortgage market, with a requirement for high equity by potential homeowners in order to buy a home. The PLP decided to loosen many of the controls and the market opened up, making it possible for Arawak Homes and many other housing companies to get off the ground and make a good living. The result was that you could see all around the country the construction of new homes and buildings. It showed that the people of the country had confidence once again in their future.
Now the Nassau Guardian’s commentators say that they are worried that Bahamians are too much in debt and that they worry that the debt is unsustainable. They list the fact that Bahamians borrow to get their homes, their vacations, their health care, and to buy consumer items like TVs, computers, and other electronic equipment. It’s a bad idea argued the pundits all week, because at some point the bubble is going to burst and the loans that many people have taken on will be unsustainable. That may be so but may we put a counter argument.
We believe that the national savings rate is too low. That much is clear. The only domestic savings of any employed person in The Bahamas is usually his or her national insurance. But we must not be too severe on the average Bahamian. We would guess that many people have to borrow to get by because of the low wages they are paid and the high prices in the country. While there is a lot of attention to wages, there is very little attention paid to lowering prices.
The price for education, for example, is outrageous and if the public school system could improve its quality that cost would be eliminated for many families on the margins who now spend a significant proportion of their income on education because they believe that it is the only way for their children to be able to get a decent education and succeed.
Transportation is another issue. If there were a proper bus system or system of public conveyance, that would eliminate the necessity to buy a car. This would be another chunk out of the income that could go to savings.
Then the banks should make it easier to save by offering better financial investments and a wider range of products. They could do this by encouraging the Government to loosen capital controls further to allow people to invest overseas.
But all of those are far reaching public policy issues. Perhaps we ought to return to the more mundane issues. We think that poor people have no choice but to borrow. What have they got to lose if they fail? All the banks, one thinks of Commonwealth Bank especially, charge interest rates that fairly, even more than fairly compensate them for the risks that they take. We have no problem if the poor want to borrow to essentially see themselves advance. The banks can help here too by stopping their push to lend, lend, lend at any price and then complain when people cannot pay. The dilemma is that you have children and they need an education. You would do anything except steal. Your taking a chance with loans in fact helps to secure your future. Nine times out of ten, you make it even though you end up refinancing, borrowing again and again. It is worth the struggle because at the end of the day you have a home, children who are educated and you have a sense of satisfaction even if you are broke.
The problem is when you reach the age of 60, things begin to get difficult and go wrong. In this present dispensation, you can hardly afford to buy a house until you are in your forties. By the time you pay for it, you are in your sixties and if you have had to educate children you are stuck with bills and the income potential is running out. There is no insurance coverage for health care and well you know the rest.
So to us it makes no sense to complain about how Bahamians like to borrow and not save. The system encourages just that and the financial houses profit mightily from it. There clearly needs to be from the time children are in school help given in making choices: choices about when to start a family and how large. Choices like what gives you satisfaction and how you need to stay within your income rage. Choices like how to save money and where to invest. For most people their homes will be their largest investment.
We have to educate people about choices and make sure that those choices make sense. Until then we continue to say the best bet for the poor is; borrow as much as you can get because in the end, you will in this dispensation end up ahead even if you fail.
The tut tutting about borrowing seems a little sanctimonious to us.
Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 7th October, 2006 at midnight: 105,482.
Number of hits for the month of September up to Saturday 7th October, 2006 at midnight: 339,768.
Number of hits for the year 2006 up to Saturday 7th October, 2006 at midnight: 3,685,127.
WHAT
IS TO BECOME OF OUR BROTHERS?
Having been disciplined a little, they will receive a great good,
because God has tested them and found them worthy of himself. --
The Book of the Wisdom of Solomon Chapter 3, verse 5
The question is: have they or have they not? We are speaking about
the two PLP brothers about whom we wrote last week. The week was
a punishing one for them. We decry the foolish article written in
The Tribune last Monday October 2nd that tried to get what was written
in this column up in their propaganda work. (Click
here for last week’s story)
The Tribune continues to tell the bold faced lie
that what is on this site is the opinion of the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
We suspect that one day when a law suit hits them, they will know.
It is interesting how John Marquis, the Tribune slave master, has cracked
the whip and the propaganda gets spewed out. The public servant Adrian
Gibson who is in clear violation of his contract by working without permission
for The Tribune and expressing political opinions in violation of general
orders is busy doing Mr. Marquis’ work as well in his weekly column.
Slavery is hard to shrug off.
But moving right along to the subject at hand: the
speculation was all week that Kenyatta Gibson MP PLP for Kennedy and Keod
Smith MP PLP for Mt. Moriah had resigned their seats. Mr. Gibson
went so far as to deny it in print. Mr. Smith has stayed silent and
out of print. The appearance of Messrs. Gibson and Smith on Love
97’s Jones and Company talk show last Sunday did not quell the discontent
about the fight that never was. The show seemed only to worsen the
problem.
The matter descended into the realm of the comic.
Stan Burnside devoted fully three cartoons to the matter during the week,
one showing Minister of Social Services Melanie Griffin, refereeing the
alleged fight. She was reportedly in the room when the alleged fight
took place. Then there was the one about the question of how an apology
made no sense if nothing happened as the show seemed to suggest.
Then there was the line of them burying the hatchet. The lesson here
is probably when it doubt say nothing. No word either from the Prime
Minister.
The question no doubt that haunts the two MPs is
coming this close to an election what does it actually mean for their future
political careers if they resign? Would the party continue to support
them? That is why we thought the verse from the Book of Wisdom is
so apt. It all depends on what their reactions are to what happens,
assuming that they do the honourable thing in the circumstances.
There is no harm in offering ritualistically the Prime Minister an opportunity
to reorient the Government.
Stan Burnside's 'Sideburns' from The Nassau Guardian of 2nd, 3rd,
& 4th October, 2006
THE
SLY NASSAU INSTITUTE
We promised never to let the words of the sly Nassau
Institute, the let’s pretend we are an independent voice think tank that
spews out racist claptrap and FNM propaganda as economic advice; go unanswered.
This time the “Institute” which we suspect is really the car salesman in
disguise took time out of its busy schedule to pick through the national
address of the country at the United Nations on 26th September in New York.
You may click
here for the video and here
for the text version. If you have a problem viewing these links,
please visit www.un.org and go to webcast.
In the country UN address, The Bahamas asked for
all parties to sign the Kyoto Protocol who have not done so. This
was constituted as spitting in the wind and an attack on the United States.
How interesting that all but a handful of countries have not signed the
protocol, and not signing is spitting in the face of all the science.
The fact is even state governments in the United States are seeking to
comply with it, as the only means of saving small countries like The Bahamas
from drowning in water and suffocating in the winds of change coming as
a result of global warming.
Again, anything to attack the PLP. Never let
the truth get in the way of a good story. The “Institute’s” letter
appeared in The Tribune on Friday 6th October.
THE
US AND THEIR VARIOUS MOVES
Last week on Tuesday 3rd October, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred
Mitchell and Ambassador John Rood of the United States spoke at a joint
press conference to announce that the pre clearance facility at Freeport
was off the chopping block. The Minister and the ambassador had earlier
announced that due to the low volumes of traffic through the Freeport facility
that allows US bound passengers to clear in Freeport and walk off the flight
in the states as a domestic one, and because of security breaches, the
Pre Clearance U.S. Customs and Immigration facility would close in Freeport.
Following a meeting with the US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in
New York, it appears now to have been resolved.
At the same time, the men announced that they had
been to view the Container Port in Freeport to view the Container Security
Initiative that pre clears cargo inbound for US ports for security purposes
and the Mega Ports Initiative that clears cargo of the suspicion of nuclear
contamination. These are all good marketing tools for the Port where
40 percent of its traffic goes to the United States.
Some have argued that what the US gave with the
one hand it took with the next in the sense that the Western Hemisphere
Initiative comes into force as it affects US air travellers to the Caribbean
on 7th January 2007. A last minute intervention on behalf of land
passengers and cruise passengers gave the deadline for them to June 2009.
The Caribbean Tourism Organization went ballistic. They claimed that
this would create such a disadvantage in the region that it would have
the affect of a category six hurricane; a disaster, they said. We
think that this is a bit over the top.
A category six hurricane that has never occurred
in the region would mean total devastation. Just on the math of the
industry in Nassau where one out of four now come without a passport, it
suggests that there may be some impact but not as major as it is being
said.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs worked with others
in the region to get the date slipped back once. Perhaps it is time
for the industry to begin adjusting to the new environment and move on.
The fact is it is better for our security to have all persons coming here
to have passports than any Tom Dick or Harry walking in with a piece of
paper that says they were born in the U.S. or Canada and be able to get
into The Bahamas.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and The Public Service Fred Mitchell
(left) is pictured with US Ambassador John Rood announcing the continued
operation of the US Pre Clearance facilities in Grand Bahama. Bahamas
Information Services photo: Vandyke Hepburn
NASSAU
GUARDIAN COVERAGE ON NINETY
Old habits die hard. That is all you can say really to the continued
unethical habits of the Nassau Guardian with regard to their last report
on the case of Samuel ‘Ninety’ Knowles. It is as if the writer there
has nothing else to write about than this case. It is one supposes
difficult when sleaze writing is all that someone’s basic training is in,
when the down market habits of English papers are reinforced in an impressionable
mind, it is difficult to escape it.
This week in reporting the story, there seemed to
be an over emphasis on a report that the US claims that they do not know
what charges to bring against Samuel ‘Ninety’ Knowles because they are
awaiting clarification from The Bahamas Government. That is foolishness
in law. Anyone who checks the law will know that the warrant of surrender
issued from the Government must say what the person is being extradited
on. So the claim of the US is an impossibility in law. That
does not stop the sleaze writing at the Guardian where the delight seems
to be ‘we called this one; we called that one. He said this.
They didn’t say that.’
The Nassau Guardian is supposed to be a paper of
record not the tableau for any sleaziness to sell papers. Let’s leave
that to The Punch. The story appeared on Friday 6th October 2006.
Stan Burnside's 'Sideburns' from The Nassau Guardian of 5th October,
2006
MITCHELL
TURNS 53rd WITH FOX HILL
Fred Mitchell, the Minister of Foreign Affairs,
celebrated his 53rd birthday with the people of Fox Hill at a special benefit
concert to raise funds for the Fox Hill Community Centre. There were
a number of choirs and singers who came in for the occasion. They
included well-known Fox Hill vocalist Leon Taylor, 12 year old Osama Neely,
a capella group Friends for Life, Robert Pinder, the Highgrove Singers,
the St. Marks Choir and the St. Paul’s Children’s Choir.
The event raised some $8,000 in cash and pledges.
It was an exciting evening. Minister Mitchell thanked his constituents
for the personal gifts and the support for the Community Centre on the
occasion of his birthday.
Fox Hill Pastor Rev. Dr. J. Carl Rahming (centre) looks on and applauds
as 12 year old Osama Neely is congratulated by Fox Hill MP Fred Mitchell
during a special birthday service held in honour of Mr. Mitchell to raise
funds for the Fox Hill Community Centre. Nassau Guardian photo.
DR.
WALKINE LAUNCHES OUT
An accountant sitting at the dedication of the two new aircraft for The
Travel Club and the Air Ambulance Service on Thursday 6th October was full
of praise for the founder and owner of the two services. He said
that Dr. Franklin Walkine simply had a knack for business. He said:
“Some doctors, lawyers and accountants, just don’t know what they are doing
and squander their money but this guy just has a knack for it. He
knows a good deal and he is really good at investing his money. He
can see it right away.” That is a sentiment that we endorse.
Dr. Walkine whose father died when he was a teenager
was left to be raised by his mother who was a lunch vendor. The family
hailed from Crooked Island, an island known for its frugality. One
of the leading lights of the Crooked Island/Acklins area, Sir Clifford
Darling, attended the ceremony. The Prime Minister named him as a
contemporary of Dr. Walkine’s father. Dr. Walkine’s father was a
taxi driver.
Dr. Walkine came home after medical school with
a keen eye to succeed. That he did is not a surprise and that he
did is also a surprise, given all the odds against a young black man succeeding
in The Bahamas. But he has done well.
The intelligentsia, the upwardly mobile class in
The Bahamas, the political elites, and the banking community were all there
to pay tribute to this extraordinary success. Fr. James Moultrie
said this prayer for the planes:
“Oh God , who has made all things for Yourself,
and has appointed every element of the world or the service of the people;
bless ,we beseech You, these airplanes; that every evil and danger being
eliminated, they may serve to make the praise and glory of Your Holy Name
more widely known and the temporal affairs of people to be more speedily
carried on; and grant that the minds and hands of those pilots who fly
therein may take their patients and themselves safely to their destination.
Grant travelling mercies to the doctors, nurses, who will accompany the
pilots and other support staff that all may travel in peace and safety,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
Jason Sweeting, the Chief Pilot of Air Ambulance
was more voluble than all of Dr. Walkine’s customers have ever seen him.
Clearly excited about the new direction of the company, he thanked Dr.
Walkine for the seven years of service under his direction and promoted
the company’s attributes. Mr. Sweeting is the public face of The
Travel Club and Air Ambulance.
You may click
here for the full remarks of Dr. Walkine who reinforced his company’s
support of quality health care in The Bahamas.
Dr. Franklyn Walkine (left) chats with Prime Minister Perry Christie
during the dedication of Air Ambulance Services two new Beechcraft King
Air craft. BIS photo: Kris Ingraham
THE
FNM IS DELUSIONAL (Commentary on Fox Hill)
As the campaign for re election gets closer and
closer, the Free National Movement gets more and more delusional.
The Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell, who is the Member
of Parliament for Fox Hill was leaving the precincts of the House last
week on Wednesday 4th October when Brent Symonette, the Deputy Leader of
the Free National Movement shouted out that the Minister takes vacation
leave to campaign. Mr. Mitchell was overheard to answer that he never
runs away from that. To that the FNM members started shouting that
their candidate has the Minister on the run.
This is a very interesting bit of delusion.
The FNM should keep it up. The moniker the Faker of Fox Hill has
stuck to their candidate. The problem is that she is not running
a truthful campaign. It may not be her; it may be the people around
her but it is clear that the campaign is not based on the truth.
That lack of truth has clearly infected her own party. They are the
ones who should take the scales from their eyes.
The question is whether or not the FNM candidate,
the same candidate who has been PLP all her life, can be trusted to go
the distance. They ought also to think very carefully about the need
for stability, the need for truthfulness, the need for someone who is loyal
and faithful. Does ‘doctor doctor’ have those qualities? We
aren’t saying.
SOME
FOOTNOTES OF HISTORY
Congratulations to Eric Wilmott
Fox Hillian Eric Wilmott has been an organist for the Roman Catholic
Church mainly at St. Anselm’s Catholic Church in Fox Hill for 54 years.
Mr. Wilmott was honoured by the church at a special banquet on Friday 6th
October. Attending the award banquet was the Deputy to the Governor
General Lady Marguerite Pindling and the Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Perry
Christie. Congratulations to Mr. Wilmott.
The Future of Chef Chris Chea
We noted carefully the remarks of Obie Wilchcombe, the Minister of
Tourism of The Bahamas in the House of Assembly on Wednesday 6th October.
He spoke abut the tourism industry and how the Bahamians in the industry
were being shunted aside by the hiring of foreign workers. The Bahamar
Project has been getting a bad name for some of this. No more obvious
case is the case of Chris Chea who many Bahamians feel is the country’s
best Bahamian chef and who it appears has been deliberately shunted aside
in his work at the new Bahamar. The Minister for Immigration and
the Minister of Tourism both have to investigate this matter.
Fr. Magnus Wenniger OSB
We reported last month the death of Fr. Bartholomew Sayles, former
music teacher at St. Augustine’s College. Now we celebrate the life
of Fr. Magnus Wenniger, the Math teacher for a whole generation of SAC
students. Colina Imperial Insurance held a salute to Fr. Magnus with
SAC Alumni on Friday 6th October. Fr. Magnus taught math at SAC from
1946 to 1971. He served comptroller of SAC from 1971 to 1981.
He is currently in residence at St. John’s Abbey in Minnesota. A
math seminar is to be held during the week featuring Fr Magnus. Welcome
back!
THE
TRIBUNE ATTACKS SHANE GIBSON
John Marquis, the Tribune writer of down market,
slimy scum journalism, was at it again on Monday 2nd October. He
wrote a series of articles which prove nothing save that he is full of
himself and certainly takes himself too seriously. Any time you have
a man quoting himself in drop lines as if he is some major commentator
on life, you know you are dealing with a sickness of conceit.
Our main point here though is the attack on the
Minister of Immigration Shane Gibson who just gave Mr. Marquis a work permit
to remain in this country for another year. For us this year can’t
be up quickly enough. He should not get another work permit.
As the line goes in the Lion in Winter: “Say goodbye to my horse’s ass,
you can count your reign in weeks.”
The Marquis article was critical of the decision
to grant Anna Nicole Smith, economic permanent residence. This is
a creature that is different from the permanent residence that allows people
to work here in The Bahamas and therefore there are different considerations.
Mr. Marquis claims that Bahamian businesses are
being crippled by the Immigration department. This is strange in
an economy that is doing so well. We do not think that anything John
Marquis says is worth the paper it is written on. His work is racist,
anti black and anti Bahamian, and the quicker this ungrateful wretch is
expelled from The Bahamas the better.
One of the pieces written by Mr. Marquis was so
inaccurate and misleading that the Attorney General issued a scathing release
in response to it.
The AG’s office was quoted by the Nassau Guardian
as saying: “The Office of the Attorney General and the Ministry of Legal
Affairs rejects the scurrilous allegations made today against the Bahamian
judicial system by John Marquis of The Tribune and wishes to emphasize
that The Bahamas is a nation ruled by law rather than rumour and speculation.
The legal and investigative process into the death of Daniel Smith has
followed protocols established under Bahamian law. As is true in
any case, whether it involves a Bahamian citizen or foreign national, established
protocols are followed.”
TRIBUNE
GETS IT WRONG ON UN VOTE
On Friday 6th October, The Tribune in its predictable
but erroneous editorial claimed that The Bahamas must vote on 16th October,
2006 at the UN for Guatemala to become a member of the Security Council
as opposed to Venezuela. They say that this is because the United
States wants us to vote for Guatemala. They claim that The Bahamas
vote is critical. They claim that The Bahamas acted in secret on
the matter of the Cuban vote. Wrong on all counts. There was
no secret on the vote for Cuba on the Human Rights Council. There
is no secret here and there is nothing critical about it except in the
minds of the people at The Tribune.
LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR
Fight in the brotherhood!
Just a quick note: - I agree that in any other
society the disgrace which the government has suffered at the hands of
these two men would have been quelled by the offer and indeed acceptance
of their resignations. It must follow however, that given our general
lack of adherence to such high standards, our dear Prime Minister must
not allow the dignity of our great Parliament to live or die by the virtues
or lack thereof of such men.
I dare say that in the absence of the honorable
resignations, dismissals must follow! Failing that, I fear that we
may give credence to the view that “Politicians are a lot like diapers.
They should be changed frequently, and for the same reason!”
P.S. - Keep up the good work!
Randol M. A. Dorsett
Thank you. – Editor
Carolyn Macaulay answers
back
"MOM ASKS FOR ROADS TO BE FIXED
One of the last conversations that this columnist had with his
mother was about the roads in Collins Avenue. She wanted to see Perry
Christie, the Member of Parliament for Centreville where she lived. The
state of that road is typical of the situation throughout New Providence.
All the roads are chewed up from one public corporation or another working
on the road. They are in the worst state in years. The point
is that there is a double standard being employed in the repair of the
roads after the corporations have chewed them up. On the Eastern
Road, the Government hired a private company to fix the roads. Over-the-hill,
they simply let people suffer until the Ministry of Public Works can get
around to fixing the roads. There is something definitely wrong with
that. The Water and Sewerage Corporation have just chewed up Collins Avenue.
It has been a week since they finished. The dust is intolerable,
and it's hell on your shocks. Let's see how long this one is going
to take to fix." - FredMitchellUncensored.Com 1999
I am one of those Bahamians whose passion it is
to read. Generally I will read anything, but I prefer to read any material
about the Bahamas and its people, especially the local newspapers.
This daily ritual started from an early age spent at the feet of my grandparents,
Henry and Muriel Lynes of Okra hill [the mother of the late, former Minister
of Works Simeon Bowe.] To have to read The Nassau Guardian after
them, then explain to them what I had read so that they would know if there
was comprehension. My grandparents were fiercely PLP so they NEVER
bought The Tribune. They claimed the Tribune owners were UBP who
made it law that children leave school at 13.
When I was old enough to buy my own newspapers,
I brought both papers, but THEY refused to read The Tribune past the headlines.
I’ve seen a lot of newspapers come and go but I still get my daily Guardian
and Tribune and Bahama Journal online, the bi-weekly Punch and the monthly
Blackbelt. On Sundays after work I read Bahamas Uncensored which
I have been reading from its inception. As a matter of fact I have archives
of Fred Mitchell Uncensored as a favorite on my PC.
I also watch most parliamentary sessions
and I listen to most of the talk shows, as I work nights. I have
a folder of over 10 letters that were published in the press, that I have
written from the first time I voted in 1982 and 15 that never made it to
publication.
I said all that to say, I am not your ordinary,
run of the mill constituent who is not well informed or is looking for
handouts.
I started this email with an excerpt from
the Fred Mitchell Uncensored May 1999 column to defend myself from an unwarranted
attack. When I read Bahamasuncensored
September 17th 2006 issue I was en route to Amsterdam to spend time
with in-laws and have a good time. I decided I would respond after
my vacation.
If you want to defend Ron Pinder, whom
you know, that’s perfectly alright, but you do not know me or the residents
of Benson Street or of our frustrations. You accused me of the being
the kind of constituent who was “quite clearly talking fool” and an FNM
who was making things up to be able to serve my “FNM masters”. You
claimed I had the sin of ingratitude. Where the hell does that come
from?
When Ron Pinder came to our house on Sunday
Oct. 1st to tell us of the progress with regards to our street, he agreed
wholeheartedly that we the residents of Benson Street are entitled to decent
roads as are all other road users. Also, as in the case with Mr.
Mitchell's late mother, the DUST is intolerable.
I wrote on behalf of my neighbors and myself
and not the FNM MASTERS or The Tribune, thank you very much.
If you couldn’t sympathise with your fellow
Bahamians who are badly in need of a paved road as promised, you should
have SHUT THE HELL UP!!
Thank God Ron Pinder does not get his training
from you guys, he could teach you a thing or two.
CAROLYN MACAULAY
Your comments are fine as far as they go. They are certainly
more measured and rational than the comments written in The Tribune that
were certainly uncalled for given the work that you know that Mr. Pinder
does on behalf of his constituents. The fact that you wish to have
the road fixed does not call for an irrational response that gives the
impression that a good Member of Parliament is not doing his work.
The fact is by your own admission Mr. Pinder visits his area and communicates
what is going on. All the more reason why the letter to The Tribune
was irrational and unwarranted. A measured response is necessary.
It is quite incredible that some people believe that they can say anything
that comes to their minds because they are angry or frustrated and in lashing
out hurt the very people that are seeking to help them. For every
action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. That lesson from
physics translates into real life. The reaction then causes people
to link you with the FNM that has the job, and rationale to attack for
the sake of attacking. – Editor
RENAMING OF CORAL ROAD NORTH - FREEPORT, GRAND BAHAMA
I have been an advocate for sports and those
persons who have made invaluable contributions to the growth of sport and
would like to see Coral Road North (North of the Circle at Coral Road &
Settlers Way) be renamed after a gentleman who has been producing distinguished
athletes from the days of Hawksbill High School.
I speak of Mr. Errol Bodie.
The Errol Bodie Way - Errol Bodie Esplanade
- Errol Bodie Pavilion - Errol Bodie Road - Errol Bodie Boulevard would
do.
I feel it is high time that we, as Grand
Bahamians start to honor those in our community who have contributed immensely
to Sports here on the island and The Bahamas in general.
I feel that the renaming of that portion of Coral
Road (North) should be done simultaneously with the renaming of the Grand
Bahama Sporting Complex, hopefully to the Basil Neymour Sporting Complex.
Jasmind Smith
Good idea. Errol Bodie is a good man. – Editor
THIS
WEEK WITH THE PM
Forward in Caribbean Agriculture
Among the Prime Minister's public engagements this
past week was an address to a Caribbean Conference on Agriculture and Marine
Resources. Mr. Christie encouraged the participants to seek greater
linkages between agriculture, fisheries and tourism.
 |
| PHOTO OF THE WEEK - Howard Brent ‘Butch’ Kerzner; a friend of The Bahamas and a dynamic young businessman. Gone too soon. 1964-2006 Our photo of the week, by Peter Ramsay. See more pictures below. |
COMMENT OF THE WEEK
SIMPLY A SAD LOSS
Can you tell me where he’s gone?
I thought I saw him walking over the hill
--- From Abraham, Martin and John by Dion
The news spread around Nassau and The Bahamas like wild fire, Butch Kerzner, son of the legendary Sol Kerzner, both of them geniuses in the hotel business was killed in a helicopter crash in the Dominican Republic while on a mission to look over a prospective new property on Wednesday 11th October. This is a sad loss for the Kerzner family, his father Sol in particular, but no doubt his business family as well, where in The Bahamas this talented and personable young man was well liked and embraced by those who worked with him and for him.
At times like these it is hard to know what to say but we have to say that our heartfelt condolences go out to his family.
There was a recent piece in the International Herald Tribune’s Op Ed Page. In it, a columnist talked about death and the illogic of it all. He said how one of his parents had been taken from him when he was very young. He said how his son died leaving him as a parent to bury him. On each occasion, there were those who offered to give advice. Advice came from a psychologist who told him that he was not grieving in the right way that he was at the stage of anger when denial should be the first stage of grief. Then when his son died, the writer said that he could not make sense of why a good God would allow a young man to be taken away from him, and from a wife who now had to raise two young children who did not understand why they could not go out and play with their father anymore. His rabbi came by and took him for a walk to tell him that God does not intervene in the affairs of man in that way; that we have free will and free choices. The writer said in each case he simply wanted to tell those giving the advice to butt out. He wanted to grieve as he wanted to grieve and simply to leave him alone.
The Biblical story teller in the Book of Job seeks to supply the only answer that there really is: the Lord gives, the Lord takes it away. Blessed be the name of the Lord!
Translate that into more agnostic or neutral terms, it simply means death is what is and we must accept it because we can do nothing else but move on. This is a sad, sad thing and we must feel sad but life moves on.
The Bahamas Prime Minister Perry Christie immediately issued a statement upon hearing of the death of Mr. Kerzner. You may click here for that statement below. What the statement shows is the importance of Mr. Kerzner to The Bahamas and its economy.
The last time Mr. Kerzner appeared at work in public came when he was accompanied the President of the Dominican Republic around the property at Paradise Island. He told the President that he planned to come to the DR to look at a development site that his advisors had told him was simply beautiful. He had agreed to come and the President wanted to show him around. No one there could have known then that the end was coming. But the end has come. That was just last month.
This is a sad sad thing.
In December 2004, the Grand Bahama Port Authority lost its visionary leader Edward St. George, one who had led the company for a generation, and it now appears that there was no succession plan. The whole Port Authority and Grand Bahama are now at sea. One side of the family owned company has disintegrated into internecine fighting, while the other side has hired leaders that the community does not accept. The Government seems paralysed as to what to do, and the community is suffering from drift.
The Kerzner property was taken private earlier this year. So there are no difficult public shareholders to deal with. But there is that vision thing. In the middle of Phase III, with Phase IV in the minds of many, and with Mr. Kerzner the younger being very much the driving force and executor of his father’s vision, the country must wonder what now? In the short term Paul O’Neil who had retired from Kerzner has been brought back to be the Acting CEO while the dust settles.
Just as everything was going great comes this. It is a great loss, a sensitive, well adjusted young man with a great future ahead of him and in a community that he embraced and which embraced him. Oh well!
It is a very human thing to wonder why. It is a very human thing to be stunned and to seek to process new information that comes as disorder in the face of order. The old order passes away, and what do we do, we wonder. The only thing we can do is to move on.
We believe that even in the face of the tragic loss of this young man the vision of the older Mr. Kerzner will go on. At least that is our very present hope, that the projects will continue and that there will be the management talent, the vision to continue with the work that has been started, that the human chemistry that existed does not so dissipate that the company immediately starts to drift and loses it viability as the engine of the Bahamian private sector,
This has, make no mistake about it, sent our country reeling in many senses. But we know that we have had setbacks before and we have always overcome.
“The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men
Gang aft a-gley
An lea’s us nought but grief and pain
For promised joy”
--To a mouse
by Robert Burns (1759 to 1796)
This is a sad sad thing.
Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 14th October, 2006 at midnight: 140,642.
Number of hits for the month of September up to Saturday 14th October, 2006 at midnight: 246,124.
Number of hits for the year 2006 up to Saturday 14th October, 2006 at midnight: 3,825,769.
FNM
MPS TURN AGAINST INGRAHAM
It is always comforting to know that the views of this column are supported
by the mainstream press. They are so anti PLP that it is difficult
to get a straight story out of them. But on Monday 9th October, the
Bahama Journal ran a story under the headline FNMS FOR CHRISTIE.
The story said that a number of former prominent FNM MPs would not be supporting
the FNM this time because of the leadership of Hubert Ingraham.
The Journal listed the 'FNMS FOR CHRISTIE' as: Tennyson
Wells (pictured), Lester Turnquest (pictured), Algernon Allen (pictured),
Floyd Watkins, Anthony Miller, Pierre Dupuch (pictured), Elliot Lockhart,
Ronald Bosfield and Sir Arlington Butler (pictured). All are former
MPs who served under Mr. Ingraham during his time in the Government from
1992 to 2002.
Others who are reportedly a part of the effort are
former party officers Derek Simms and Roston Miller.
Most recently Dr. Lee Percentie, a dentist from Grand Bahama, an activist
in the human rights movement, wrote to The Tribune on Thursday 12th October
to say that he was no longer supporting Hubert Ingraham and the FNM but
was supporting Perry Christie of the PLP. This is a stunning development.
We have been saying for months that the FNM's campaign
has fallen flat. You will remember that it was almost one year ago
that Hubert Ingraham had his great come back. Tommy Turnques
