I ask you; has Tommy “Tucker” Turnquest taken leave of his senses? This is the only explanation for his scathing attack on and outburst against the judiciary recently; or should I say, more particularly, against some judges whom he claimed, if were elected, would be chased out of town?
What the public should not forget is the fact that there are three distinct branches of government, in our system, which is in place for the protection of each and every single individual residing, temporarily or permanently, within this jurisdiction. The Legislative, Executive and Judiciary branches operate (supposedly) independently and for good reason. The judiciary is an independent animal, under our Constitution, and to ensure and protect that independence, judges serve insulated by their “security of tenure;” (meaning that neither the Executive nor the Legislative branches of government can dictate to them) afforded them under the Constitution. Should any elected official, within either of those two other branches of our system, dares to influence a judge by trying to blackmail them into making certain decisions in their favor, that particular judge can tell that elected official (prime minister or otherwise) to “go to hell.” Judges have no fear of being manipulated; losing benefits or being dismissed for any reason; Ingraham nor Tommy can fire them and so they take pot shots at criticizing them publicly. Lest we forget Tommy is not the first to attack the judges; Ingraham did as well very recently.

Tommy “Tucker” Turnquest cannot even lie to us and say that his criticisms were a slip of the tongues because his remarks were made as he addressed the Rotary Club of Nassau. His speech then would have been written well in advance, of the event, and presumably critiqued thoroughly by either Mr. “Tucker” himself and or his secretary. And so we can reasonably be expected to assume that what Tommy “Tucker” Turnquest said was what he really meant to say.

Apart from being criticized by the PLP and them asking for his immediate resignation, it was interesting to read what the chief justice had to say about the whole sordid affair.  I say it was interesting because this particular Chief Justice was in fact an FNM candidate in the last general election who, after losing in his efforts to become a member of our legislative council, was appointed Chief Justice after an accelerated rapid succession of several different appointments.  Candia Dames, of the Nassau Guardian, wrote that Sir Michael Barnett (Chief Justice) fired back at Tommy “Tucker” Turnquest for his volatile and indecent remarks against our judges which remarks, in effect, have brought the judiciary into “public ridicule.” Sir Michael said of Tommy’s criticisms; “what I find fascinating about many persons (meaning persons like Tommy “Tucker”) who criticize the decisions of the courts, or decisions of a particular judge, is that they may not have attended the hearings and know what was presented before the courts, or the circumstances that gave rise to the exercise of the court in the decision it made.” The report furthered that Sir Michael branded Turnquest’s scathing attack on the Judges as “most unfortunate;” “ I am always concerned when people (like Tommy Turnquest) attack the judiciary because persons (like Tommy Turnquest) must be careful in what they say, so as not to undermine the public confidence in those of us who serve in judicial office.” As a side note here (Sir Michael Barnett), “the manner in which your appointment as Chief Justice was achieved, with all due respect to you Sir, I became very concerned about the very matter you are now concerned about and that is, the undermining of the independence of the judiciary. Sir Michael went on, according to the newspaper report; “I cringe when I hear people (like Tommy Turnquest) reacting to matters emotively and do not recognize the gravity of the exercise of the judicial function. They (meaning people like Tommy Turnquest) should sit in the courts and listen to the judges at work;” unquote. If I were Tommy “The Tucker” Turnquest I would be feeling very badly tonight over this tongue-lashing that the Chief Justice has given him. This reminds me of my school days when I would have rather been whipped, across my back, with a tamarind switch than to be tongue-lashed, in a manner such as this by my teacher, before my entire class.

Turnquest claimed that he is unfazed by all the attention and criticisms he received, and continues to receive, for his irresponsible remarks, but I don’t believe him. What he has done, in fact, is backed himself into a corner where he has no wiggle room and has ran out of persons to blame; the judges, unfortunately, were his last scape goats.

Tommy talked about being elected to serve the Bahamian people and that he intends to do just that; well I ask you Sir, when are you going to get started? You are now in the twilight of your five-year term and haven’t done a thing for which the Bahamian people can give you credit so, when can we expect to get the representation for which you claimed to have been elected? You have fumbled along, from pillar to post, for four years and four months now and we have yet to see any positive and credible representation from your government. Your prime minister appointed the largest cabinet ever in our history and all you’ve been doing is falling all over each other. Everything that could go haywire in this country has gone wrong under your uncaring government and all we’ve gotten out of you ministers is excuses and blaming others. The economy is shot; 11000 families without electricity; we are not safe anywhere; we’ve lost all our assets; our country have been turned into a little China; foreigners have been preferred over Bahamians for cushy jobs and or opportunities; our assets have been sold off to foreign concerns at fire sale prices and you, Tommy Turnquest, have the gall to talk about “namby-pamby, wishy washy” politicians? Get a life, boy; both you and your government have disgracefully failed us and we are not listening to anything else, either of you have to say.

What you, (Tommy Turnquest), and your colleagues should begin doing is showing some respect for the role of opposition parliamentarians, especially that of the Hon. Leader of Her Majesty’s loyal Opposition. I am referencing your government’s bad habit of not delivering to members of the opposition, in a timely fashion, new bills to be introduced in the parliament. You never ensure that opposition members receive the bills in a time, to enable them to study the contents so that the parliamentary debate can take on a more significant and intelligent posture. It is as if you intentionally keep the bills away from the opposition, for as long as possible, so as to put them at a disadvantage in the debates. Your government’s tardiness, in this regard, intentionally or otherwise, leaves so much to be desired. There is no wonder criminal activity, in the country and on your watch, is so much out of control; the criminals see what you do and are only emulating you parliamentary CRIMINALS. A classic example of your total and shameful disregard for Her Majesty’s loyal Opposition is with this proposed bill for certain amendments the government wants to enact to the penal code and Bail Act. At the time of this writing, it is barely one week before parliament is scheduled to convene and table the proposed amendments, in question, and the Opposition has yet to receive copies of the bills. This is shameful, in a democracy where it takes both the government and Opposition for our system to work effectively. This is why I repeat my sentiments; the criminals are running rampant because they observe people like you, Tommy Turnquest, Hubert Ingraham and Zhivargo Laing who break the rules at will and act as though you don’t give a damn what people say or think of you doing so. You give no quarter yet expect that when the few of you (if any at all) who will be fortunate enough, after the next general election, to retain your seats to be treated with respect by the PLP government which is bound to succeed yours.

The former president of the Christian council, Bishop Simeon Hall, should have honestly stayed out of this crossfire with the national security minister and not foolishly come to his defense. I know the Bishop well enough, I believe, to conclude with a high degree confidence that he didn’t really mean to defend Tommy “Tucker’s” position. There is no way in hell that Bishop Hall can convince me that he believes what he said in Tommy’s defense. He said “Some of these judges need to use their discretion and be more stern when it comes to granting or not granting bail,” unquote. Come, come, come Bishop; you are not STUPID so don’t pretend to be. The question of bail under the law, especially in the case of a capital offense, is very serious and don’t you feel that a judge sitting there would not weigh the arguments put forth by both the prosecution and the defense carefully before deciding? Give them a little credit, for God’s sake Bishop.

While I applaud the Chief Justice for defending his staff of judges I feel, no doubt, that he regrets having been put in this “only one way out” position by the national security minister and he had no other choice, (like it or not), but to stand with his staff of judges and come out boxing. The judges, I am quite sure, expected no less, from their boss, as protocol dictates that he is the only person, at this time, in the position to publicly defend them against this “out of control” national security minister. 

But Tommy, I must tell you that you are a damn disgrace to the Turnquest family. My grandmother, on my mother’s side of the family as you well know, was a Turnquest from your family’s neck of the woods in Long Island, and if she were still alive she would cry SHAME on you; you arrogant little SO and SO.

Thank You.

Forrester J Carroll J.P
Freeport, Grand Bahama
October 2011.

Dion Hanna, Human Rights Activist denounces the attack on the Judiciary by Tommy Turnquest, the Minister of National Security.

Published On: Thursday, September 29, 2011
EDITOR, The Tribune.

I write in response to the reported remarks of the Hon Minister of National Security, Tommy Turnquest, on the September 27, defending the unfortunate remarks criticising and vilifying the judiciary saying that his actions blaming the judiciary for the state of murders in the country.

What is more unfortunate by this inexplicable and unprecedented subversion of the Bahamian legal system is the fact that His Lordship, the Honourable Chief Justice had been forced to defend against this flagrant attack on the judiciary contained in the earlier remarks by the Honourable Minister in a press conference called for that purpose, of itself a most unusual event.

Not only is the unwarranted attack against the Judiciary baseless, it also reflects a state of national insecurity and a failure to understand the workings of the Constitution of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas which has entrenched a separation of the Executive, Legislature and the Judiciary.

Despite indicating that he did not want to encroach on the independence of the judicial system, his intemperate remarks had just that effect and forced a response from the head of the Judiciary.

In our legal system, judges, by convention, do not normally respond to criticism. They are not beyond criticism, I have perhaps been its most consistent critic, and are always accountable for their actions in the performance of their judicial duties.

However, the Honourable Attorney General, as head of the legal profession, a nonpolitical designation, has an express duty to defend the rule of law and the honour and integrity of our courts as does the Honourable Bar Council. Yet they were mute in the face of the initial attack on the Court by the Honourable Minister for National Security, forcing the Honourable Chief Justice to respond by way of a press conference.

What is equally distressing is that, in the same edition of The Tribune, the Honourable Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, John Delaney, forecast the introduction of Amendments to the Bail Act, the Criminal Procedure Code and the Penal Code at the next sitting of Parliament and which he indicated to be a "comprehensive and multi-pronged approach" to the "fight against crime", while failing to address the untimely remarks of his colleague and to ensure that the court would not be forced to defend its own integrity.
The matter will now form the subject of parliamentary debate, during which the courts will, no doubt, be subjected to further attacks behind the veil of Parliamentary privilege.

This is a most cowardly scenario, in which the weight of the Executive and Legislature is being brought to bear against the integrity of the legal system and in which the judiciary has been reduced to the untenable position of having to defend themselves.

This is a sad reflection on our national state of affairs and is quite inexplicable, given the fact that the Chief Justice is a former Cabinet Minister and political colleague of the Honourable Minister of National Security.

I accordingly write this letter, in the absence of an appropriate response from either, the Honourable Attorney-General, the Bar Council or the wider legal profession, to point out to the Government that they have crossed the bounds of acceptable behaviour and should desist from undermining the integrity of the Court, as such foolish action places us in a Constitutional crisis and potentially discredits our judicial and political process irreparably.
I thank you for the opportunity to make this intervention and hope that in doing so I would not have been casting pearl before swine.

ARTHUR DION HANNA Jr.

Chairman
Caribbean Human
Rights Project
Nassau,
September 28, 2011.




IN PASSING

Ron Pinder Called To The Bar

Ron Pinder, the former MP for Marathon, has been called to the Bar. The bar call came on Friday 30th September.   Mr. Pinder also married after losing his seat in the House.  Also called on Friday: the daughters of Sir Michel Barnett, attorney Maurice Glinton and Attorney H. Campbell Cleare.  The photo shows former PLP Chairman Raynard Rigby with Mr. Pinder.  The photo is by Peter Ramsay.

Cuba And The Bahamas To Sign

As Ambassador Jose Luis Ponce ends his assignment in The Bahamas, The Bahamas and Cuba will sign tomorrow the first delimitation treaty under the Law of the Sea treaty between The Bahamas and a state contiguous to it.   There are negotiations with the British over the Turks and Caicos Islands as well.  No progress so far on the most contentious which will be with the Americans.  The new treaty will mark the maritime boundaries of the two countries and also the exclusive economic zone.

Wilchcome Is Recovering

Leader of Opposition Business Obie Wilchcombe MP in the House of Assembly is recovering from an operation on his nasal passages.  He was unable to attend the jobs summit because of the operation.  We wish him well.

Whatever Happened To The Signs


Remember those gigantic signs with the picture of the Minister of Works Neko Grant everywhere on the road apologizing for the bad road conditions as the New Providence Road Improvement project was going ahead.  They were taken down it appears because the hurricane was a coming.  We found a couple of them on the back roads of Fox Hill just up alongside a wall.  Abandoned!

No More Than 4000 Chinese At A Time

Paul Turnquest, the Trib reporter, spoke to the new Chinese Ambassador to The Bahamas Hu Shan.  He has been here for four months. Mr. Hu says that he appreciated the concern that Bahamians have for the large number of Chinese that were predicted to come here to build Bahamar so he was in touch with the China Construction Company doing the work to build the multibillion dollar Bahamar project at Cable Beach and got them to agree to cut the original 8000 work permit holders expected in half.  The Ambassador says that now there will not be at any one time more than 4000 Chinese work permit holders in the country.

Randy Rolle In Bimini

The question many are asking is whether under Hubert Ingraham’s post 2012 dispensation there will be a new seat called Bimini and the Berry Islands as there was in 1982 to 1987.  No sure word but potential candidates are in the field.  Leading the pack is Randy Rolle Jr. the nephew of Pastor Gilbert Rolle, a leading religious voice in the Bimini community.  The younger Mr. Rolle is now Vice Chair of the PLP for Family Island affairs.

UBS Are Downsizing

Bradley Roberts, the PLP Chairman, posted by e mail a report that while the PLP was touting the creation of jobs at its summit last week, UBS; the Swiss banking company was in the process of laying-off 14 Bahamians.

Bermuda Tries Primaries

The PLP in Bermuda is trying primaries to choose candidates.  Each constituency requires a primary.  Under the new system incumbents can be challenged by PLPs who wish to run for office.  Several incumbent PLPs have lost their nominations as a result of the new process.

No Teachers In E.P. Roberts

Glenys Hanna Martin, the PLP MP for Englerston, took to her Facebook page last week to denounce the fact that the government is unable to provide teachers for the E.P. Roberts Primary School which serves her area.  During the week, teachers walked off the job because of the conditions at the school.  This on the heels of the boasts of the Minister of Education Desmond Bannister that school openings went without problems last month.   Mr. Bannister is too busy trying to win an election in his new seat North Andros to concentrate on running the Ministry of Education.

FNM Pastors Go On The Attack

In this country, everyone is put into a box by reason of their politics.  So whenever a comment is made publicly by some public figure, it is seen through the lens of whether that person is FNM or PLP.   Last week when the Minister of National Security Tommy Turnquest attacked the Judiciary, people watched to see who would say what.  The PLP gave a response which most people expected denouncing it.   The question is what of others.  Bishop Simeon Hall was first out of the box.  He is an FNM propagandist in the religious sector.  He said he did not see anything wrong with what Mr. Turnquest said; after all he was simply reflecting public opinion.  That is the same line the useless cow Eileen Carron in her Tribune editorial took.   Rev Rainford Patterson is the new President of the Bahamas Christian Council.  Most people think of him as FNM.   He usually keeps it under wraps.  But the game is now up.  Last week, he said that that you can't blame any politicians for crime. That is of course consistent with the line that all FNMs are taking now that crime is their problem.  These were the same people who were blaming Cynthia Pratt, Mr. Turnquest’s predecessor in office under the PLP for crime and saying if you got rid of the PLP you would get rid of crime. 

Public Service Union Elections

Congratulations to John Pinder and his team at the Bahamas Public Services Union.  Despite a push against him by his former Vice President Katrina Marche, who it is said was backed up by the Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham, when elections were held on Friday 30th September, Mr. Pinder emerged victorious with his whole team. This is what we keep saying to those who think that the election is in the bag for the PLP.  The victory is not won until the votes are counted.  Let us keep working while it is day.  Night comes when no man can work.

Bahamas National Youth Council Event

Kudos to Tye McKenzie for his Bahamas National Youth Council Event last week.  Young people from across the region gathered in Nassau and debated amongst other things whether The Bahamas should sign on to the Caricom Single Market and Economy ( CSME).  Our answer, a resounding yes.

Golding Steps Down

Prime Minister Bruce Golding of Jamaica announced to a shocked nation late last Sunday that he would not stand again for the office of political leader of the ruling Jamaica Labour Party when its convention is held in November this year.  Mr. Golding pleaded personal pressures.  He has had a lot of them.  Last year following a disastrous decision at first not to agree to the proceedings to extradite the drug lord Dudus to the United States, the government changed its mind.  This led to the deaths of 73 people as the soldiers tried to capture Dudus and war broke out in the barrios of Kingston.  Mr. Golding’s credibility suffered immensely.  There was a Commission of Inquiry which called his reputation further into question.   Many people thought he ought t to have stepped down but he held on.  Now it appears the pressures are too great.  Some say that the Americans have an indictment in the wings waiting for him.  The contestants have started to emerge with Audley Shaw, the Finance Minister, leading the way and in the next generation the Education Minister Andrew Holeness.  Meanwhile the PNP’s Portia Simpson Miller is leading in the polls but  they say that if the JLP chooses a younger generation leader the PNP will have problems winning again.


Dion Hanna Shocked by Turnquest’s Remarks

Son of the former Governor General Arthur Dion Hanna Jr. and an activist in his own right denounced the words of National Security Minister Tommy Turnquest who attacked the Judiciary last week.  We reported the story in this column last week.  (See full letter to the Editor above) Mr. Hanna said: “…in the absence of an appropriate response from either, the Honourable Attorney-General, the Bar Council or the wider legal profession, to point out to the Government that they have crossed the bounds of acceptable behaviour and should desist from undermining the integrity of the Court, as such foolish action places us in a Constitutional crisis and potentially discredits our judicial and political process irreparably.”

Flowers Guilty In Lottery Charge

Craig Glowers of FML, the gaming company in The Bahamas, was convicted last week of gaming offences.  This in a country where everyone plays what we call “the numbers” every day.  Mr. Flowers and some of his employees were arrested two years ago.  They were represented by Alfred Sears MP and Charles McKay.  The decision has been appealed.  Mr. Flowers was fined $10,000 and the over eight hundred thousand dollars they found on the premises were confiscated.  This is the height of hypocrisy of course.

Ingraham Says Straight Up Or Down Vote

Hubert Ingraham, the Leader of the governing FNM and the Prime Minister, has told his men and women that he does not intend to follow the PLP’s pattern of a slow roll out of candidates.  He intends once the boundaries are drawn to choose all candidates at one time and go to his council to seek an up or down vote.  No amendments will be sought or tolerated.  It will be his way or the highway.

Khaalis Rolle Rolls Out His Maiden Speech

It was the best kept PLP secret although the political community was aware of it for a long time.  The outgoing President of the Chamber of Commerce Khaalis Rolle is to be the PLP’s nominee for the Pinewood constituency in the next general election.  Mr. Rolle is part of the next generation of PLP leaders and will take on incumbent Minister Byron Woodside of the FNM.  He gave his maiden address to the PLP’s summit on jobs on Friday 30th September.

The Mitchell Birthdays

Last week we forgot to wish Marva and Mathew Mitchell, the younger siblings of Fred Mitchell MP happy birthday. They were both born in 1960 during hurricane Donna at Boynton Beach, Florida in 1960 on 26th September. Marva is a dentist in New York. Matthew is an accountant in Nassau.  He was named because he was born proximate to the feast of St. Matthew.   Also MP Fred Mitchell celebrates his birthday this year in Cameroon on 5th October.  He heads the Commonwealth’s Observer Mission to Cameroon in West Africa for their presidential elections on 9th October.  He will later join the leaders of the PLP Perry Christie and Philip Davis for a meeting with Bahamian students in the United Kingdom on Sunday 16th October.

Marriage of Sidney Poitier's daughter

The marriage of the youngest child of Bahamian American actor Sidney Poitier took place in Malibu, California on Saturday 1st October.  The photo shows Mr. Poitier taking his daughter up the aisle.   Fred Mitchell MP for Fox Hill attended the wedding from The Bahamas.

Will Ingraham and Laing clean up the mess they’ve created with the CLICO affair before they leave office this time, for good, come the next general election? Or will they leave this debacle, as well, for Perry Christie, James Smith and Al Jarrett to make right?
There are thousands of CLICO policy holders who are continuing to pay their premiums, at the behest of box fish head Hubert Ingraham, without receiving any damn benefits whatsoever. It has been three years, or so now, since poor sick Bahamians have been paying their monthly premiums, to the government (at the insistence of their prime minister to do so), and are not able to receive the benefits, for which they are paying, when obliged to visit Doctors and or medical institutions in the country.
The disappointment with this arrangement, for policy holders, is that while they make their premium payments promptly, doctors and medical institutions will not honor their CLICO policy Med-Cards, and for good reason. The fear that these service providers have is that they would not be reimbursed, by the liquidators, for services rendered; or if they do it would take them months and much hassle before getting paid. If you are ever in the USA and try to access benefits from BUPA (the underwriters, supposedly for CLICO, to whom the liquidators are supposed to be sending your premiums) you will be told, more than likely, that the Liquidators (Gomez and his team) have not paid them your monthly premiums and therefore you would be denied benefits.

Personally, I had to deal with the unfortunate circumstances of making a request for benefits from BUPA (CLICO’S Underwriter) for payment of cost for an operation performed at Cleveland Clinic, in Weston Florida, last summer. Having paid my premiums promptly on time, like Mr. MULE-HEAD asked all of us CLICO policy holders to do, I fully expected BUPA to honor my doctor’s and hospital bills but I have no evidence, to date, that they did any such thing. Initially they informed me that my premium payments, according to their records at the time, were showing “unpaid” for months and so, they advised, that unless I was able to produce copies of my receipts, evidencing payments to the Liquidators here in the Bahamas, they could not honor or even entertain my request. Of course I was able to produce, readily, the official receipts for the entire twelve-month period, up to that time, but as far as I am aware they have still not paid a dime toward (I have another carrier, as well thank God, which was listed as my primary care giver while BUPA was listed as my secondary) my hospital, Lab and or doctor’s services.

I am aware that there are literally hundreds of policy holders, (if not thousands), who are in such dire straits, (medically), suffering from what insurance companies call pre-existing diseases, that they simply cannot afford to suspend payments on their policies for fear of being dropped, completely, and not being able to secure health insurance with any other company. This is a real fear that thousands of CLICO policy holders are contending with daily. Pre-existing ailments (some chronic) causes them to hang on to their CLICO policy, for dear life, even though, for the past three years, they have had no benefits. This is really one more good reason to make the case for the implementation of the PLP’s proposed National Health Insurance scheme, as there would be no such prescribed pre-condition exceptions, limiting full coverage.

Unlike the Trinidadian and Guyanese governments, whose Administrations went the extra mile to ensure the protection of their citizens during the CLICO ordeal, this Ingraham-led Bahamian government, supported by the “boy” junior minister Zhivargo Laing, has squandered the “matter of trust” placed in it by FNM voters in 2007. These two lame brains are guilty of the crime of permitting this Insurance giant to operate freely in the Bahamas; collecting policy payments, for supposed guaranteed benefits, from a wide range of policy holders monthly for years without any umbrella of guaranteed protection. It should be that no such operation ought to be allowed to carry on their business dealings unless, and of course, they post “cash convertible guarantees.” These cash guarantees would be immediately available (should something go wrong) to the government agency concerned (in this case the Registrar of Insurance) for compensation to clients in the event of a catastrophic failure, as in this case. As well, it should be a part of the “Registrar of Insurance’s” duties to require such firms to submit, for their inspection, an audited yearly statement produced by a reputable accounting and auditing firm. This for easy verification of the firm’s viability and to ensure that the cash guarantees posted are sufficient to cover their liabilities to clients. The CLICO debacle should have taught us much and should make us forever suspicious and skeptical of these new “fly by night; get rich quick” enterprises coming into our country to rip us off. It should have taught us, as well; that we simply cannot sit back on our backsides and place reliance on any government, especially one like the FNM which we know doesn’t give a damn about Bahamians period. We simply cannot assume that they are protecting us. No such service entity ought to be allowed to operate without certain required adequate guarantees in place, mandated by the government. Mr. Carl Hiralal, the inspector of Financial Institutions, is said to have opined that, “CLICO has a documented history of not respecting the obligations imposed on insurance companies by the insurance Act.” He continued; “The company has, over the years, committed several breaches of the insurance Act, many of which continue as at the date of this report,” unquote. The FNM government was indeed asleep at the wheel and now we, the poor people, continue to suffer and pay the price for their failure.
I fully understand that there would be a shortage on the premiums paid for Health Insurance, because most of what we pay goes to the Underwriters, but what of the thousands of dollars clients have paid into CLICO’s ANNUITY scheme? There are thousands of Bahamian individuals and firms who have handed over hundreds of thousands of dollars to CLICO’s local agents with the understanding that, unlike their health insurance payments, the Annuity payments were safely tucked away for them for whenever they needed the funds. I put these questions to you Hubert Ingraham and Zhivargo Laing; what of those funds? Where is our money? Why haven’t your appointed Liquidators refunded our Annuity deposits as yet? The deadline for refunds as announced by you, bird brain (Hubert), was December 2010; what of it? This money should have been held in a separate interest bearing account where the funds are loaned out for the most part, on a short term basis, but at all times available to clients within a reasonable time; I ask, you jackasses, where is our money? I recall Bishop Simeon Hall (the town crier; religious spokesperson; keeper of the FNM gate and the Party’s chief apologist) admitting to being one of those many annuity holders and bemoaning the fact that all his life savings were put into such a fund, in anticipation of his retirement someday. Despite the long campaign the good Bishop waged throughout the country (to his credit), his FNM government has failed to get him his money. They have not kept their word and have done nothing, to date, to get those funds back to the Bishop and to all the others who are in similar positions. I might add, despite their (the FNM government) authorizing a $30 million government guarantee facility (we thought) to ensure those refunds to each client, up to a maximum amount of $100,000.00, by December 31st 2010. I ask you both again; “box fish head” Hubert Ingraham and “piss tail brat” junior boy minister, Zhivargo Laing, what of our refunds? I accuse these two, “Bird Brains” of falling asleep at the wheel, at our expense; they did not provide the oversight, necessary, to ensure that what happened to CLICO did not happen.

We are a nation of passive jackasses to have allowed the FNM government to get away with screwing up our lives like this. They claimed to have governed with “a matter of trust” agenda while there was blatant “insider trading” going on at CLICO. Ingraham’s “Registrar of Insurance” sat on his behind while the movers and shakers at CLICO cart off the assets and abscond with our premium payments. But this is par for the course with the FNM Government and this “MULLET HEAD” prime minister. Any of you remember the “Gulf Union Bank” fiasco, how that Julian Francis (most recently the Chairman of BTC’s Board of Directors which had oversight of the company during the process of its give-away-fire sale) sat on his flat behind, as Governor of the Central Bank of the Bahamas, while allowing the principals of the bank to cart away the peoples’ deposits out of the country? Ingraham had to come up with some “cock and bull” insurance scheme (after the fact) to refund depositors up to a maximum of $50,000.00 per each depositor. He is now at it again with another “cock and bull” scheme, in the amount of $30 million, to supposedly bail out CLICO and refund policy holders to the tone of a maximum of (as I mentioned earlier) $100,000.00. When does it end with these FNM destructors? I am convinced that Hubert Ingraham is in a state of senility and has been so for sometime. He reminds me of a captain, commanding a ship on the open high seas; he goes crazy but is allowed to remain in control and is not relieved of his command (by his second-in-command) for fear of being charged with MUTINY. The ship eventually runs aground resulting in the loss of life of all the souls on board. The man is, plainly and simply, an out-of-control “Nut Case.”

This government has had us running around the bend like FOOLS, while they play musical cheers with our health and welfare. I say to you, Bishop Hall, that it is probably that time again for you to take another crack at your government; maybe this time, since general elections are right around the corner, they will accede to the pressure you put on them, clear up this CLICO mess and finally come to our rescue, with our cheques in their hands.

Thank you.
Forrester J Carroll J.P
Freeport, Grand Bahama
October 2011.

Philip Smith, the former Ambassador for The Bahamas to Canada has written a letter to the press explaining the nature of the conflict of interest which resides in the Prime Minister and his relationship with the contractor Flecther McIntosh his boyhood friend who seems to get all the contracts to build government buildings in the north. The latest the 27 million dollar Abaco airport which most observers say is vastly overpriced and was awarded to Mr.McIntosh despite the fact that he was not the lowest bidder.

6th October 2011

The Editor,
NASSAU
Dear Editor:

FES Construction Company Limited awarded contract to construct Marsh Harbour Airport Terminal
The question is legitimately asked: What is it about FES Construction Company which will have caused the FNM Government to award so many multi-million dollar contracts to the company during the past four years even while cancelling a legally awarded contract to build a school in Freeport and instead awarding a contract for millions of dollars to FES Construction to build the ‘Sister Mary Patricia’ extension to the St. George’s High School in Freeport?

It should be noted that, as with the New Providence Straw Market building contract which the FNM Government also cancelled and was successfully sued for multi-million dollars, the government is being sued for the cancellation of the ‘Heritage School’ contract. This cancellation will probably cost the taxpayer some hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars in payment for the FNM government’s rash action as the reckless action in the Straw Market cancellation is to cost the taxpayer a few million dollars.
A few weeks ago, on 2nd September 2011, the FNM Government signed a $27.3million contract with FES Construction to build a terminal at Marsh Harbour, Abaco.

FES Construction is presently still building the Government Administration Building on the Mall in Freeport which was originally a $19million contract awarded them by the FNM government and which is apparently going to end up costing around $23million dollars when it is finished. FES Construction was awarded the more than $1million contract to repair the Hugh Campbell Primary School. FES Construction was awarded the $6.67million contract by the FNM government for the Sir Jack Hayward High School. (Information on these contracts comes from the FES Construction website).

FES Construction is likely to be awarded another multimillion dollar contract to add to the St. George’s School again. There were many millions of dollars in contracts between the Government and Mr. McIntosh’s construction company during the period 1992 and 2002. There is no suggestion that Mr. McIntosh is not entitled to bid for and to receive legitimate construction contracts from the government.
What is questionable about this is that the principal of FES Construction is a personal friend of Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham and has been so for many decades. Rumours abounded during the 1970’s and 1980’s, that Mr. Ingraham was an investor in businesses with Mr. McIntosh. There is no attempt to offer proof that there is anything legally untoward between these many multimillion dollar contacts- totalling much more than $50million over the past four years alone- from the FNM government to FES Construction and the relationship between the President of FES Construction, Mr. Fletcher McIntosh, and the extant Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Hubert Ingraham.

But, maybe the FNM and Mr. Ingraham will explain away the apparent foul odour emanating from this relationship since they have been so kind as to point out personal friendships between a former Prime Minister and a contractor for a government contract for under $6million dollars and to suggest that it was improper.

The Prime Minister and his FNM minions cannot suggest that this relationship between Fletcher McIntosh, FES Construction, Hubert Ingraham and the FNM government is all above aboard while others involving people who are not FNM supporters or friends of Prime Minister Ingraham were not.
For what it is worth.

Yours sincerely,
Philip P. Smith
philippssmith@gmail.com

IN PASSING

Perry Christie In The Straw Market

PLP leader Perry Christie with his colleagues toured the overpriced under whelming straw market in Nassau.  The FNM was busy boasting about how they built this little building for 28 million dollars.  That’s the latest price tag. They lied to the country about how much it would cost. They said they could build it for 12 million.  Liars!  The PLP’s would have cost 23 million for more space and better deigned.  Mr. Christie made all the points in his visit on Friday 7th October.  (See full story on the straw market above)

Golding Explains

Last week Bruce Golding the outgoing Prime Minister of Jamaica addressed his countrymen to explain why he up and quit his job.  He said that he had to do it because of the pressures which he had mentioned before about the Dudus extradition affair and the pressures of the four years in office.  However, the abruptness came because there was a nomination deadline for the next convention for those who wished to stand for office in his party the Jamaica Labour Party.  He said he wanted to announce his decision before the deadline so that an election could be held when the time came.  You may click here for the full address of Mr. Golding.

Holness to Be Next Jamaican P.M.

It appears that all opposition to 43 year old Andrew Holness, the now Minister of Education of Jamaica to replace Bruce Golding as the next leader of the Jamaica Labour Party and the next Prime Minister of Jamaica.  Mr. Golding all but assured the choice by saying that he was stepping down to allow the passing of the baton to the next generation of leaders.  He said in his resignation statement that other countries had done this and Jamaica should not be out of step with those countries.  This angered his Deputy Prime Minster Dr. Kenneth Baugh who said that Mr. Golding was trying to influence the outcome.  Dr Baugh who has his own ambitions is 70 years old.  By week’s end the opposition had collapsed and Mr. Holness is to be crowned king.  He has of course pledged that there will be continuity.  The polls suggest if there is the JLP will still go down in flames.

Pauline Davis Loses Her Medal

They broke into her home week before last and stole her possessions.  Amongst the most treasured was the gold medal that she won in the Olympics for the 2000 race, when she was dubbed one of the golden girls.  Pauline Davis Thompson was heartbroken.   During the week, someone posted on Facebook to say to the thief to return the medal since the medal was actually not gold and so not worth its weight in gold. It is the sentimental value.

Simeon Hall’s Ignorance On Homosexuality

Simeon Hall, who is described by columnist Forrester Carroll as the FNM’s gatekeeper, posted an intervention on Facebook in which he said that the parliament would not agree to a sex offender’s register because too many people in the Assembly were sympathetic to homosexuals. Now come now Bishop Hall.  That is appalling ignorance.  He ended his statement by saying that he is against molestation by both homosexuals and heterosexuals.  Let’s not get carried away.  Being homosexual is not synonymous with being a child molester.  If that were the case one of his own clerical brethren who was  sent to jail within the past month for molesting a little girl would not now be in jail.   When you see this kind of appalling ignorance coming from national leaders you get concerned for this country.  

The Verdict Not In For Randy Fraser

The expected verdict in the sexual assault case of Bishop Randy Fraser did not come on 4th October.  Instead, the Magistrate Carolita Bethel postponed her decision until 21st October.  It appears that there will be further arguments on that date by Bishop Fraser’s lawyer, then a reply from the crown.  Then a decision?

The House of Assembly Re-opens


The House of Assembly opened to a demonstration on 5th October after being closed since July of this year.  During that time, the external face of the House of Assembly a vintage 1800’s building was spruced up.  When Members returned they found demonstrators waiting for them in the street as the photo shows

Simeon Hall Says Ingraham Should Have Acted Earlier

We keep saying that which was invented by Forrester Carroll, the columnist on this page.  Bishop Simeon Hall is the gatekeeper for the FNM, and he always has a word to say in their defence.  He does just enough though on this side of criticism of them to try to maintain a semblance of credibility.  Thus it was that he made the statement last week reported on 5th October that if the Prime Minister had acted sooner with regard to his crime package, many lives could have been saved.  Where were you all this time Bishop Hall?

Montague Securities Demise

Sadly, we read of the demise of Montague Securities, the company founded and run by Owen Bethel.  The reports say that under the present legislation and given whatever happened (and it is by no means clear what happened) the company had no choice but to wind up its affairs.  Pity.

Compare And Contrast The PLP’s Straw Market With The FNMs

Is anyone listening or rereading Does anyone care or will Hubert Ingraham get another free pass for wasting public funds for his stop review and cancel programme? We have here the facts and the figures on the straw market. The FNM’s plan is going to cost the Bahamian people 28 million dollars versus 23 million dollars under the PLP. The FNM under Hubert Ingraham stopped the building of the Straw Market in 2007 because they said that it was too expensive. Jeez! Now what. You may click here for the full explanation.

Leshanda On Valentine’s Day

We thought that this was an excellent idea by an enterprising and engaging young Bahamian woman.  On Valentine’s Day as she gave out packages to the Bahaman homeless on the streets of New Providence as sign of love .  Her name Lashonda McPhee. Great job!

Murder Crisis In The Caribbean

An interesting article on the kind of future we have in this region if we do not get on top of the criminal violence in our societies. You may click here for this report of what the UN had to say.

Congratulations To Ari and Jessica Mitchell

The wedding of Ari Mitchell son of Andre Mitchell and Everista Mitchell took place at the Christ Church Anglican Cathedral in Nassau on Saturday 8 Octoberto the former Jessica Thornley daughter of Mr and Mrs Graham Thornley. Best wishes to them both and their families. The photo shows the happy couple.

Kudos To Terence Bethel

Terence Bethel told NB 12 news last week that when he heard of the story of 11 year old Marco Archer he cried for two hours straight. He decided he had to do something. He has launched an on ine petition to persuade the government to start a sex offender’s register. It appears that the fellow who is charged for young Archer’s murder has done it before and was just recently let out of jail. Kudos to Terence who has his own accounting business. Mr. Bethel is the son of former ZNS manager Carl Bethel.

Condolences To The Culmer Family


On Facebook, the news was posted by the number of farewells to Lowell Culmer of the Valley. He was a professional dealer and manager for much of his adult life but his fame was on the web for his Biblical quotes which were an inspiration to all who read them. He will be missed. He was quite simply a good guy. He is the brother of RH, Sanford, Stuart and Ingrid. Funeral services were held in Freeport at Church Of Ascension on Saturday 8th October. Our condolences go out to them particularly after losing their sister so recently. The Valley is losing its next generation.


Congratulations To Our Stalwart Councilors

The Fox Hill Stalwart Councilors are being formally installed as this gets up loaded. They are Essie Ferguson, Al Dillette, John Rolle, Reginald Poitier, Barbara Smith, John Neely, Kendal Demeritte, Brendamae Ferguson, Cecil Cartwright, Barbara Morley and Shelia Rolle.

Would The Police Staff Association Endorse Christie’s Speech?

The Police Staff Association, the group that represents policemen and their issues, held a press conference during the past week to say that they support what the Prime Minister had to say on crime. See the PM’s speech in the video embed below. Two months ago the Leader of the Opposition gave a comprehensive address on crime. Where was the press conference by the Police Staff Association on that? One supposes then by deductive reasoning that the Police Staff Association does not support what the Leader of the Opposition had to say on crime. You understand the issue then. Once again, we make the point that policemen are involving themselves in policy political matters that are none of their business. Once again it appears that the Police Staff Association is headed by a supporter and member of the Free National Movement. So now when the PLP wins the government, what are they to do with this leader of the staff association?

Angela Benson Launches Campbell’s Ship

She is a 30 year employee of the company and had the honourof launching in China amongst the newest of the company’s ships the CS Candy. The launch took place on Thursday 6th October.


Mitchell’s Birthday


Fred Mitchell MP was on assignment for the Commonwealth on Wednesday 5th October when he celebrated his 58th birthday. The observer team gave him a surprise birthday cake with two candles. It took all his breath to blow them out. So way over there in the motherland: happy birthday Fred Mitchell in happy Africa.




Tye Mckenzie Leads The Bahamian Youth

U.S. Ambassador to The Bahamas, Her Excellency Nicole Avant, met with members of the Bahamas National Youth Council (BNYC) and CARICOM youth leaders on Friday who are visiting Nassau to participate in Caribbean Youth Day celebrations. CARICOM designated October 1 as the official day to recognize the contributions made by young people in the region with the goal of promoting regional integration and fostering increased civic participation among youth. The U.S. Embassy was a co-sponsors of BYNC’s Caribbean Youth Day through a $5,000 grant, as part of ongoing efforts to support initiatives that empower youth to participate actively in civic life. BYNC is umbrella body of youth organizations throughout The Bahamas, which acts as a representative body on behalf of youth organizations and the youth population at-large in government and non-government forums.

  A few weeks ago (around the 1st or 2nd October) Zhivargo Laing was heard telling a Grand Bahama audience that things were getting better, economically, on the island. Days later (Sunday 9th October), the oldest motel, in Freeport, still remaining open since the 1960s, closed its doors permanently; releasing all fifteen (15) of its Bahamian employees. Following that closure, on Wednesday 12th October, “Fenestration Glass services Manufacturing Company;” opened only a couple years ago; closed its doors, as well, due to Grand Bahama’s high power bills. This closing leaves at least another sixty Bahamians out of work and on the unemployment line. Since the FNM came to power we’ve had more than hurricanes, on Grand Bahama island, to worry about; we’ve had the worry of business closures, among other disasters, which have now numbered between 400-500, within the last four years, since May 2nd 2007. Closures due to high cost of power bills, however, is a new digressive phenomenon/problem with which we, on this island, seem destined to have to contend for some time to come.

The Grand Bahama power generation and supply company’s owners were given a monopolistic obligation, under the Hawksbill Creek Agreement (consummated in 1955), to generate and supply electricity to all of Freeport. Electricity consumers are prohibited, under the terms of this same Agreement, from utilizing private power generating units (if they wish for their own purposes) and therefore have no other option available to them for the possible acquisition of less expensive, energy generating, sources. Since the hurricanes of 2004-2005 limited permission has been granted to some consumers, making formal application to the Grand Bahama Port Authority, to install private generators as a stand-by supply of electricity only. The one stipulated condition being that they are to be used only in the event that the city supply is interrupted for any reason. Please note that the operative word here is STAND-BY; It would be illegal to use your stand-by option otherwise, even in cases where your city supply has been disconnected for non-payment of bills.

In my view the obligatory monopoly given the Grand Bahama Port Authority Ltd, under the Hawksbill Creek Agreement signed in 1955, to supply essential services to the city of Freeport (under the circumstances) was the right thing to do. It was right for the simple reason that, under the agreement, they were obligated to building and maintaining a “CITY” and as such were mandated with certain basic fiduciary responsibilities. These fiduciary responsibilities (all essential services), to the city dwellers, were to endure from 1955 to the year 2054. Those obligations were mandated to them whether a profit could be derived from their efforts or not. A good, adequate and long term supply of essential services, including electricity, telephones, water, garbage collection, the installation and maintenance of roadways and bridges, would be necessary for a city to thrive and grow hence the exclusion, under the Agreement, of other private companies owning and or operating such services in competition with the Port. The Agreement does, in fact, provide for possible major changes in it to be made, however only after a tripartite agreement is consummated between the central government of the Bahamas, the Grand Bahama Port Authority Ltd and a representation of eighty per cent (80%) or more of the Port Authority’s licensees. Otherwise no major changes can or should legally take effect.

The long-term, inefficient and unreasonably high-priced power supply problems have now come about because of one simple reason and that is because the FNM government, during their 1997-2002 term in office, allowed the Grand Bahama Port Authority Ltd to breach the Hawksbill Creek Agreement by disposing, illegally, of their obligatory fiduciary responsibility, to the city of Freeport, for the supply of electricity. Illegally, I contend, because the Port Authority’s licensees were never a part of those discussions and therefore never agreed to this MAJOR change to the Agreement. And so now we are faced with these “power associated” problems. A very strong possibility exist that the private entity, which now operates the monopoly, can take the decision (if it wishes) to shut down overnight and leave the city (and indeed the whole island) in total darkness. These new private owners are in the profit-making business (and rightfully so) and when there’s no profit to be made, what do you think would be the only intelligent and prudent thing for a businessman or businesswoman to do? Turn off the lights and leave town of course; right?

I should like to tell you that our high power bills have little or no association to the up and down cost of fuel. I suspect that one of the main reasons, for the high billings we’ve been receiving in recent years, is that the Grand Bahama Power Company operates too inefficiently. You need only drive by the plant on peel street, here in Freeport, and look just opposite the police compound and you will see about 40-50 individual containers housing 40-50 small generators. These generators have been, reportedly, leased from a company in Japan and this is how they are generating electricity for the entire island of Grand Bahama. Common sense tells me that to operate fifty generators, as opposed to one or two units would exceed the cost by at least three or four times. This simply cannot be the most efficient way to produce electricity on this island. This, I am convinced, accounts for the high cost of Grand Bahama’s electrical bills. We are actually paying for this company’s inefficiency and high overhead operating costs. It is being disguised as a FUEL SURCHARGE but we all know that fuel prices are at an all time low and have been dropping for months. I’ve seen where the President of the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce, as well, shares this view and I believe the evidence of the 50 generators as opposed to one or two units substantiates this claim. As a matter of fact I will dare to go further and suggest that it’s a deliberate scam when they claim that what they are billing us is a fuel surcharge. As the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce’s President opined; we are being billed partial cost of the company’s capital expenses; we are paying toward the cost of that $80 million plant. 

What rips me apart is the fact that Hubert Ingraham was warned, by the licensees association, against the approval of the sale of the Grand Bahama power plant. He was warned of the possibility of this very same thing happening to us but, as is usual with him, he ignored us and allowed the Port to opt out of its bounden duty. This private company (Emera) and the Florida-based one, which preceded it, have/had no fiduciary obligations to Freeport’s licensees, under the Agreement.

Fenestration glass Manufacturing Company, like a number of other manufacturing plants in the city, threatened to shut down many months ago but nobody listened. As a matter of fact Fenestration Glass scaled back much of its operations at the time; packed up much of its equipment, as well, and sent it off to its Florida-based facility in a move which should have indicated, to all and sundry, that theirs was no vain threat; that they intended to leave this jurisdiction if things did not improve. The government did not see fit to mediate the situation and cause the Grand Bahama Power Company and Fenestration Glass to agree a compromise and so Fenestration’s owners have now walked away from their $20 million investment, never to return. The good thing about this and other plants like it is that its success does not hinge on the patronage from the locals and or the local economy, and so we’ve lost a good one. While walking away from his investment, Mr. Stephen Howes predicted (and I am convinced) that no other potential investor will sign on the dotted line (to locate in Freeport) when they find out what the cost of electricity is in this town. They will further be dissuaded when they realize that they don’t have an option; that their only option is Grand Bahama Power Company; that legally they would not be permitted to install solar panels, even for the purpose of generating some of their electrical needs.

I am told that things will get worse (and not better) when the much touted Emera’s $80 million power plant is completed and goes on line. The plant will not be retailing electricity (as does Grand Bahama Power Company presently) but will generate power and wholesale, what it produces, to the Grand Bahama Power Company. If you smell a rat; I do as well. It seems to me that Emera, by planning to maintain two separate and distinct “Limited” Companies (Emera Freeport Ltd & Grand Bahama Co. Ltd) wishes to kill two birds with one stone. They will minimize their risks in that the requirements, for operating the new modern digital plant, will mean fewer employees. In effect they will probably need no more 10-15 professionals to work the three shifts at the generating facility. Their sole responsibility being to generate electricity, as I said, for distribution and sale (wholesale) to the Grand Bahama Power Company. The Grand Bahama Power Company will, in turn, retail the same to its many subscribers and it is that company (Grand Bahama Power Co.) which will have responsibility for the installation and maintenance of power transmission and retail distribution equipment and supplies. Emera will engage a maximum of 15 employees while Grand Bahama Power Company will employ the remaining number necessary for its needs i.e. the installation and servicing of the distribution equipment. I submit that the staff numbers will be far less than the complement it employs presently.  This plan (I am very sure) is designed to reduce staff and weaken the Union in the process. In addition, it is also geared toward making redundant many of those senior staff members who have worked for the Grand Bahama power Company since coming out of school, 30-40 years ago. The new company (Emera) will employ fresh new faces, and if any staff member is selected from among the current group of employees at the Grand Bahama power Company, it would be conditioned on that staff member agreeing to forego their 30-40 years seniority and the benefits they’ve accumulated along the way. This would be a pre-requisite to being engaged by Emera. Further, I am convinced that Emera’s Principals have been advised, by their lawyers (either locally or foreign), that the original sale of the old plant to the Florida-based power company, from whom they purchased, by the Grand Bahama Port Authority Ltd several years ago, was in fact illegal and in breach of the Hawksbill Agreement. They, quite rightly, expect that someday in the future, some “legal smart ass” like a “Fred Smith” will take the matter to court; they will lose the case and the new $80 million plant will be in jeopardy of reverting to the ownership of the Grand Bahama Port Authority Ltd. There is no winning with these shrewd foreigners, especially when they are advised by some of these foreignized (col. Bah.) Bahamian lawyers whose only interest is the almighty dollar.

What this will mean in terms of electricity cost to Grand Bahama Power’s consumers? Well the jury is still out on that score; at least until the plant goes into full operation. Our parliamentarians (all of them) are as quiet as little mice; not a sound can be heard from them except to ask the Grand Bahama voters to once again; “give us another five years to govern and we will put Grand Bahama at the top of our list for relief;” so begged Hubert Ingraham’s messenger (Cassius Stuart), when he made his inaugural visit to Freeport after joining up with the suckers.

Freeport (and by extension Grand Bahama) is dying a slow but steady and painful death. The cost of the city’s power supply has emerged as one of several foremost reasons for this sad “state-of-affairs.” Many of the few businesses which are left operating are doing so, I submit, for purely sentimental reasons. Closing the doors of their businesses is not an option for them; it’s like parting with heirlooms which have been in families for generations; they just can’t bring themselves to shutting down their businesses; never mind the fact that they are losing money hand over foot. Like in the case of their bank loans many are on payment plans, with the power company, with no hope of ever becoming current. The FNM’s answer to all of our woes is to keep telling us that things are getting better, or that things are not as bad as we think they are, and maybe; just maybe we will eventually come around to being convinced that the lie they are telling us, is the truth.

Thank you
Forrester J Carroll J.P
Freeport, Grand Bahama
October 2011
Questions or comments: e-mail
forrestercarroll@yahoo.com

Oswald Brown, the retired Editor of The Freeport News wrote on Facebook and On Bahamaspress.com bits about FNM history of interest to our readers first on Dame Marguerite Pindling and then on the founding of the FNM which Carl Bethel MP said was done 40 years ago in Fox Hill:

George Capron, one of the forgotten heroes of the progressive struggle in the 1960s, told a story today on Steve McKinney's HARD COPY radio talk show that literally brought me to tears. It was about the how Friday Butler, one of the stalwart members of the National Committee for Positive Action (NCPA), struggled during the latter years of his life to live in comfort and with decency. To fully understand the profundity of what Mr. Capron said, you have got to understand what the NCPA was and its role in changing the course of this country's political history. The NCPA was considered to be the "radical" arm of the PLP and its members advocated the introduction of some policies that the leadership of the PLP at the time (Henry Milton Taylor, chairman, and Cyril Stevenson, secretary general) did not agree with. Consequently, the NCPA threw their support behind Lynden Pindling to become leader of the PLP, which he did at a PLP convention held upstairs St. Agnes hall, off Farm Road, either in 1962 or 1963 (I can't recall from the top of my head exactly which year, but I remember covering that convention for The Tribune). In addition to Friday Butler, some of the principal members of the NCPA at the time included the current Governor General Sir Arthur Foulkes, Warren Levarity, Jeffrey Thompson, Eugene Newery, Clement Maynard, Roosevelt Godet, Bazel Nichols and others whose names escape me at the time. The story Mr. Capron related to Mr. McKinney on his talk show was that Friday Butler, who at one time served as chairman of the NCPA, had fallen on "hard times" and none of the former members of the NCPA came to his assistance. However, according to Mr. Capron, one day he received a call from Marguerite Pindling, widow of the late Sir Lynden Pindling, after she found out about Mr. Butler's situation. Mr. Capron said that Mrs. Pindling offered to help and asked him to find out what Mr. Butler needed to make the twilight of his life more comfortable. He said he told her some of the things that he needed, and she instructed him to go to a particular furniture store (whose name I can't recall) and order the items he mentioned and she would pay for them. This he did, and Mr. Butler apparently was able to die with dignity and in comfortable surroundings. Mr. Capron stressed that when Mr. Butler died none of his surviving colleagues the NCPA were present at his funeral. Dame Marguerite’s response to Mr. Butler's predicament, 
of course, does not surprise me. I got to know her and Sir Lynden very well during the progressive struggle of the 1960s and aside from being very politically astute, she was always a very kind-hearted individual. As a matter of fact, several years prior to the 1967 general elections, when I worked for The Bahamian Times (the PLP's newspaper) I predicted that the PLP would win and told her that she would be the country's First Lady. These vignettes of yesteryear may never be recorded in our history books, but Mr. Capron's reflections on HARD COPY regurgitated these memories freshly in my mind. For what it's worth.

Like · · Share · 42 minutes ago near Freeport, The Bahamas · 
Editorial Commentary

If Bahamas Press is correct that Senator Dr. Jacinta Higgs has been ditched as the FNM’s standard bearer in the Fox Hill Constituency, then it is quite clear that Hubert “THE DICTATOR” Ingraham is scrambling around trying to put together a candidate’s team for the next election that may stand a chance to possibly winning, although there is enough evidence to support the widely held belief that the PLP will win a minimum of 26 seats.

However, I’m convinced that the MAJOR PROBLEM Ingraham currently is faced with is trying to replace some “original” FNMs as candidates, including people like Carl Bethel and Dion Foulkes.

It certainly would be interesting to see what Ingraham has to say in his speech at the service marking the 40th anniversary of the FNM. Obviously, he can’t comment intelligently on the FNM’s struggle for survival as a political party over its first 18 years, other than what he has read, since he only deceptively engineered his way into the party’s leadership sometime around 2000; so I’m really looking forward to hearing what he has to say.

IN PASSING

Tammi Ferguson Culmer Hosts Her Family


It has become a tradition every year since her father Samuel died to host the family, her sisters and brothers to an all day treat at her home. This year was no different for Tammi Ferguson Culmeer who is an employee of the Colina Insurance Company. She is hard working and ambitious and family oriented. The picture shows Tammi with her aunts and family friends at the do at her home on Saturday 22nd October. Fred Mitchell MP for Fox Hill where she lives attended the event.



Kay Forbes Smith Photo

The Consul General Kay Forbes Smith in Atlanta was in the Freeport press promoting the cause of breast cancer.  Laudable.  But that caused people to start reading the tea leaves: is she coming home; is she going to run in High Rock and is Hubert Ingraham going to replace incumbent High Rock MP Kenneth Russell?  Mr. Russell’s friends in Grand Bahama have said Mr. Ingraham must smell himself.  They say Mr. Ingraham is older than Mr. Russell and wants to run again so Mr. Russell sees no reason why he should not have another term. 

The University of Wulff Road

Edison Key provided a piece of history to the House of Assembly when he told Branville McCartney MP that he had been around for a long time.He said to the great laughter of the House that he had been to the University of Wulff Road.  Fred Mitchell MP speaking in the House after the Key statement said that he received a text message from a young person who was not born at the time of the University of Wulff Road. He was laughing at home but laughing because he thought that Mr. Key confused the College of The Bahamas with the University of Wulff Road.  Mr. Mitchell explained that he sent the young person a text message back saying that the University of Wulff Road was an actual event, a promotion led by the PLP in its campaign in 1982 on Windsor Park. 

Ingraham Not Going To Heads Of Government

As the 54 members of the Commonwealth gather in Perth, Australia as Heads of Government and the Queen, one Prime Minister at least will be missing and that is Hubert Ingraham. He has chosen not to go and will instead send his Deputy Prime Minister. Brent Symonette, the Deputy Prime Minster, left for Perth on Friday 21st October and will return to the country after the conference is finished on 28th October.  Some are predicting that this will be the last heads of government meeting at which the 86 year old Queen Elizabeth and 90 year old Prince Philip her husband will be able to attend.

New Jamaican Prime Minister

Andrew Holness is not going to await the verdict of the delegates of the Jamaica Labour Party, the governing party of Jamaica and their convention in November.  Bruce Golding,  the now Prime Minister is stepping down early and  Mr. Holness at 39 will take the oath of office as Jamaica’s eighth Prime Minister since independence today at 4 p.m. at King’s House the home of the Governor General Sir Patrick Allen.

Mitchell returns to Nassau

Fred Mitchell MP for Fox Hill and the Opposition’s spokesman on Foreign Affairs returned to The Bahamas on Tuesday 18th October after being out of the country for three weeks.  Mr. Mitchell chaired the Commonwealth Expert Team observing the presidential elections in Cameroon. 

Report Higgs Out As FNM Candidate Fox Hill

Bahamaspress.com is reporting that Jacinta Higgs, the FNM’s candidate in Fox Hill in the last election, has been in their words dumped as the FNM’s candidate.  This adds to the rumours going around Fox Hill that she has told her family that he no longer wishes to run for office because she does not think that she was treated fairly by the FNM.  There is also the rumour that Mr. Ingraham plans to abolish the Fox Hill seat when the Constituencies Commission adjusts the boundaries for the next election at the end of the year. Candidates to replace her by the FNM: athlete Shonnel Ferguson, trade union leader John Pinder, son of former PLP candidate Otis Brown, Antonio Brown, Senator Michael Pintard.


40th Anniversary Of FNM Creation Myth Making

On Thursday 20th October, the Chairman of the FNM Carl Bethel used the  House of Assembly to promote what he says was the date of the founding of the FNM in the Springhill Farms residence of James Shepherd in Fox Hill, forty years ago.  With misty eyes, and soppy sentimental statements, the FNM is now beginning to write a narrative for their existence as heroes of The Bahamas. This is to seek to compete with the narrative of the PLP as the first party in the country and the party that brought majority rule and independence.   Mr. Bethel claimed without saying so that Branville McCartney’s effort at forming a new party could not stand up to the institutional integrity and history of the two great parties in the country the PLP and the FNM.  Well we suppose he had to say something.  What was that saying in these desperate times for the FNM, they have to come up with something.  What better way than to make up a story.

Killing Of Khadafy

Muammar Khadafy was a terrible fellow.  The world is full of them.  He was the Libyan strong man, pillaged his country's wealth and terrorized his people.  Many leaders do.  What gave the Europeans and the Americans the right to go interfere in the affairs of that country on the side of others is a mystery. One never knows.  But now there is victor’s justice.  They have been waiting to get him for arranging the bombing of flight 103 of Pan American over Lockerbie, Scotland.  They now have him. Nato planes and bombs, with American manpower and expertise and weapons bombed him out of office on behalf of the rebels opposing him.  Last week those rebels caught him in his home city and summarily executed him after capturing him alive.  The end.

The War In Iraq Ends

Kudos to Barak Obama, the President of the United States for announcing all U.S. troops out of Iraq. This comes after 800 billion dollars were spent in a war authorized by the Republican administrations before him, to fight a war that was unnecessary and which cost thousands of their own citizens' lives, untold damage and death to Iraq itself with no visible results except that there is now a regime that appears to be friendly to the American nemesis Iran. You go figure how the Republicans can fix their faces to oppose a job creation bill after wasting money on this war. Anyway, the U.S. President says all troops out by the end of the year. Good man.


Gus Puts His Foot Down In The Valley Boys

Chris Cooper is out as the head of the brass band at the Valley Boys.  Sources say that Gus Cooper, the leader of the Valley Boys Junkanoo group had enough of being threatened about the leadership of the Valley Boys.   So Chris Cooper is out.  Gus told him he had to go.  W recall what Lee Iacocca reported about when he was fired by Henry Ford from the being head of the Ford Motor company. Mr. Iacocca said when he asked Henry Ford why, Mr. Ford replied: “Look up on that building, you see my name is on the building. That’s why!”  So Gus has told Chris whose name is on the Valley Boys' Building.   

Murdered Man In Someone Else’s Bed

What you do in the night comes out in the daylight many times. The murder was sordid enough. An innocent man shot down by armed robbers who actually shot the wrong man. The Prime Minister reported this to the country using The Tribune’s headline of Thursday 20th October. Turns out that the woman who was also shot and was in bed next to him and who is now in hospital fighting for her life, even as the man was killed was not the man's wife. His wife went to the morgue though to identify his body. Oh well, what do we say? We never heard a corpse complain about how it got so cold.

Brent Dean Associate Editor Of The Guardian


Fred Mitchell MP offered congratulations to Brent Dean as the new Associate Editor of the Nassau Guardian.  Here is what Mr. Mitchell said in the House of Assembly on Thursday 20th October: 

I wish to congratulate Brent Dean, the now Associate Editor of the Nassau Guardian, upon his appointment.  He is a descendant of Fox Hill.  His grandfather on his mother’s side is Frank Edgecombe who was honoured by the Fox Hill community along with other elders of the community on what we call National Heroes Day. He was a Member of Parliament and Senator.  His father was Basil Dean, who was a policeman’s policeman who died last year.  He has his father’s personality; a steady guy with a stern countenance but an even temperament.  I expect that this will translate into a better product at the Nassau guardian.  I hope so because the media is integral to what we have to accomplish in this country through our parliament. They are our partners.  What we require is a balanced instrument, not one that is activated on motivated by prejudice and bias. I have been searching for a newspaper that simply records the facts, the paper of record that accords each point of view a hearing.  We expect him to do good things.

In doing so I do also want to say thanks to the other political reporters and their bosses at The Tribune and The Bahamas Journal.

 Constituencies Commission Meets

The Constituencies Commission which has the responsibility to draw the boundaries for the next general election met briefly on Friday 21st October. It appears that no substantive business was done because Deputy Prime Minister Brent Symonette who is one of the two FNM MPs on the Commission had to go and represent the Prime Minister at the Heads of Government meeting in Perth, Australia.

It simply takes too long to conclude formalities for new business ventures here in the Bahamas; so reported the World Bank. Notwithstanding the many years we’ve been touting the “one stop shop” regime; nothing has happened and we are still faltering under a system that is ancient, inefficient and antiquated.

Recently the IFC (International Finance Corporation), an independent Institution of the World Bank Group, in its most recent “Doing Business 2012”world report, down-graded the Bahamas from 59th position to the 85th spot. The bottom line, to the report, is that doing business in the Bahamas is not easy and as a matter of fact it is downright frustrating. What was interesting to note, in the report, was that three of the most important overall categories (certainly), for investors wanting to do business here, fell to their lowest positions, ever, under this FNM government; those are; (a) enforcing contractual agreements (123rd); (b) protecting investors (111th) and (c) accessing an efficient reasonably priced electricity source (105th). “Enforcing contractual agreements” and “protecting investors” sounds a lot like their (FNM) “stop, review and cancel” policy had much to do with the downgrades in those two areas.

In a recent interview with Zhivargo Laing (in connection with the down grade) he sought to defend his government (as always) by actually turning the tables on the IFC. When responding to the Tribune’s reporter’s question the “young tender foot minister” gave the impression that the International rating institution acted recklessly, when he claimed they concluded their report without first ascertaining all the current data; data which he said (in effect) is readily available if they really wanted it. Laing told the reporter that the IFC did not factor in recent improvements made by his government, in the simplification of the process, before finalizing the damaging and disappointing report. “The drop in the rankings does not reflect the realities of what has happened in the Bahamas in terms of the ease of doing business, nor does it necessarily reflect the ease of doing business in the Bahamas today,” said Laing. This young, arrogant, snotty nose, tender foot youngster can never, ever, resist the gravitational pull of his profound idiocy. He is right, always, and all else are ignorant and wrong.

But no matter what the tender-foot little boy minister says; trying to do business in this country is like pulling a wisdom tooth. The months and months of waiting for responses, from inefficient government agencies, seem endless and are pathetic. Even the courtesy of a response to a simple letter of inquiry is not extended, usually, and the very rare incidence when they do respond to a letter it’s done months down the line; very often by that time many potential investors have given up already. The item which gained the lowest ranking, for the Bahamas though, was “The process and time it takes for registering property. The report indicates that we dropped yet another two places which put us to the 177th position globally. This contradicts the “business friendly” image we often tout; all talk (in other words) but no action. I should note here, with interest, that had the FNM government not shut down Christie’s government’s “Financial services and Investments” agency-(an agency of the government dedicated exclusively to the promotion of Investments and new business ventures)-we would not be getting these kinds of bad ratings. Coupled now with the mess with which we are faced in Grand Bahama (and more particularly in the city of Freeport), where factories and other businesses are shutting down and leaving town because of the high cost and inefficient supply of electricity, the report is more likely to convince potential investors to seek out other jurisdictions within which to locate their scarce investment dollars.
Within the past four years the FNM’s increased tax structure, as well, has had a mind bugging affect on the country’s attractiveness, for doing business. In most other countries, their governments would work to ease the tax burden on citizens and business, during tough times, but not in the Bahamas under the FNM; instead the FNM raised taxes and did so astronomically. Think about the many jobs and opportunities, lost to Bahamians, due to the austere measures taken with the FNM’s stopping of PLP projects (when they came to office); increased taxes on Customs duties; on national insurance payments; on vehicular licensing; on business procurement fees and the high and inadequate, inefficient utilities costs. To drop twenty six positions with respect to the World Bank’s ratings; only two months after being downgraded in August from “stable to negative by Moody’s; should confirm what the PLP has been telling the country all along, and that is that we are headed in the wrong direction, with the wrong crew on board manning the Ship-of-State.
Actions speak louder than words. When the FNM government came to office on May 2nd 2007, they set about to clean house of all contracts and Head of Agreements, entered into by the PLP government; those they didn’t cancel, they stopped for review. This action put in motion a bad precedent which, in effect, destroyed any confidence that investors (especially foreign investors) may have had in the FNM government; so much so that after almost five years, thus far at governance, they cannot point to one single investment project that has come here during this time. S & P, you would remember, had reason to downgrade us from vibrant to stable shortly after the “stop, review and cancel” policy, of the FNM, took effect. They cited the $90 million worth of projects, which were cancelled, as being a major contributing factor in causing the downgrade. Both Laing and Ingraham took exception to that agency’s report, as well at the time, and actually accused them of being politically motivated and tilted toward the PLP. I think it was one of these same two lame brains who may have used the phase, “politically mischievous,” when responding, to S & P’s negative rating. The IMF has been warning this government for several years now about the mounting national debt it has been gradually building up, but to no avail. Just recently, in an interview with the IMF’s Gene Leon, the government was again warned of entering “The twilight Zone” of debt disaster with the projections of a debt-to-GDP ratio of 70% by the year 2016. They called it the “Bad territory” range and that, for the simple reason that any percentage over 43% is considered dangerous. The FNM’s view is that the IMF, as well, don’t know what the hell they are talking about. The tender foot “Bachelor of Arts degreed Economist” (Laing) ignores all the “tell tale trouble signs” and continues right along the wrong road of borrowing money which he knows, full well, we will not be able to repay. These two voodoo economic experts (Laing & Ingraham) are the same two who tried to convince us that the current 53% debt-to-GDP ratio situation is no big deal. They ignored all the warnings, from the International rating agencies (S&P and Moody’s), of impending economic disaster if our expanding debt is not contained and capped to where our debt to GDP would not go beyond 43%. While the revenue continues stagnant, they continue borrowing money to pay recurring expenditure and at the same time the voodoo economists continue to increase the country’s recurring debt by adding more unneeded permanent employees to the public’s payroll. When they discover that the money isn’t enough to share around, they proceed to increase taxes on businesses (which are already struggling to keep their doors open) and families who are struggling to keep food on their tables. They raise taxes; not by 10%, mind you, but in some cases by 300%, as in the case of the licensing of vehicles. These are the two same “voodoo economic experts” who tried to convince us that owning 49% of BTC’s shares is the same as owning 51%. There is no wonder that we are in the mess we are in today-VOODOO ECONOMISTS practicing VOODOO ECONOMICS. One normally tells the truth when one is forced too, but Ingraham and Laing wouldn’t tell the truth even under those circumstances. Claiming to be honest, when you know you are not, is the last refuge of a scoundrel.

The IPC singled out (as an example) the portion of the set-up process which involves the registering of a business for a license; how that it takes at least three weeks to complete even that minute detail of the process. The “tender-foot” boy minister accused the IPC of using stale data in completing their report but, coming from Zhivargo Laing, we should be very cautious and not accept what he says as truthful. This youngster wouldn’t recognize TRUTH if it jumps up and kicks him in his behind; besides these International Agencies cannot afford to make such errors. Grading countries is their business and I don’t accept that they would do something so utter foolish and misleading and put their reputation on the line. Who would you rather believe, anyway; Zhivargo Laing and Hubert Ingraham or the independent rating agencies with no axe to grind?

These FNM Government operatives have never admitted to anything being wrong on their watch, ever. When they are caught red handed, in situations which they cannot possibly defend, it is then when they revert to their usual modus operandi of putting the blame on the PLP. They blame the PLP notwithstanding the fact that of the last 20 years, they are the ones who have governed for 75% of the time. They ignore, as well, the PLP’s clear record of total all-around success and the glowing reports, during that time, from these same International Rating Agencies. Each category rated, which shows the country slipping backwards in terms of “ease of doing business,” “business friendliness” and “economic stagnation” as per the IFC report (we can readily see), has a very obvious and direct correlation to the FNM’s “stop, review and cancel” policy. Gene Leon (IMF head who monitors the Bahamas) warned the government further that it had no time to wait; that the FNM government needed to take immediate action to rebuild the pre-recession “buffer” it foolishly used up within the last three years.

Laing doesn’t accept any of this for he told the reporter that “with the launch of the e-government platform, the job training and readiness initiative, and other ongoing efforts (and we don’t know what they are) it is becoming easier to conduct business in the Bahamas; but really Zhivargo?

Forrester J Carroll J.P
Freeport, Grand Bahama
November 2011

This week Senator Jerome Fitzgerald answers a letter by FNM ideologue and front man Abner Pinder of Spanish Wells questioning his credentials to comment on Bell Island and Saunders Beach and the environmental impacts of the FNM’s policies on those areas.

Dear Editor,

When I read the published letter from Mr. Abner Pinder dated 13th October 2011, I was reminded of the old saying that, “If you don’t know a man, call him Sir”.

The premise of Mr. Pinder’s letter was that I knew nothing of the sea and environment, particularly the Exuma cays or the Land and Sea Park and as such I am not qualified to speak on either.
By way of background, I am a licensed boat captain having obtained my “A” and “B” Boat License some 18 years ago.  Over those 18 years, I have captained my boats and others to every major Family Island of The Bahamas save the most southern. I have also captained many boats from south Florida to Nassau.
For the past five years my family has spent our entire summer vacation boating in the Exuma Cays.  Every Easter we travel to a different Family Island and this has been a family tradition now for some time.  There is no place in the world my three children, my wife and I would rather spend our leisure time and vacation than the Family Islands.  Everyone who knows me and my family knows this. My two sons, who are now 13 and 14 years old, have been spear fishing with Exumians of Staniel Cay and Black Point since the age of 8 years and can both now free dive over 40 feet deep.

As a proud Bahamian and one who loves this country with all my heart and soul and one who is concerned about the environmental carnage I continue to see under the hand of this FNM administration and the Bahamas National Trust, I am pleased to shatter the image Mr. Pinder and others have of me and my family.
Mr. Pinder mentioned Arawak Cay and Bell Island.  Here is what I know are the facts about Arawak Cay:-

1.             In 2009 the 1500 foot extension of Arawak Cay began and destroyed over 20 acres of seabed and in the process displaced sting rays, turtles and fish and destroying numerous coral and coral reefs.

2.             There was an Environmental Impact Report conducted by Coastal Systems International which documents the negative impact the original construction of Arawak Cay in the 1960s had on Saunders Beach from Perpall Tract up to the Shell Gas Station on West Bay Street and as far as Montague Beach in the east.

3.             During last winter, Saunders Beach experienced erosion to an extent never seen before, and 100 percent of the beach is yet to return.
Science and logic tells me that as a result of the 1500 foot extension of Arawak Cay, Saunders Beach will continue to deteriorate.

Here are the facts that I know about Bell Island:-
600,000 square feet of dredging at Bell Island; Conch habitats destroyed; Coral beds destroyed; fish habitats destroyed; lobster habitats destroyed; turtle habitats destroyed; the protected Bahama Duck displaced from the pond, where countless other wildlife thrived, destroyed; hills excavated and thousands and thousands of tons of fill removed; turbidity curtains that stop the silt from flowing out from the dredging broken, destroyed and absent; No take zone breached; thousands of tonnes of excavated hills removed.

None of the destruction at Bell Island can be replaced. It has been destroyed forever. So, yes, I may be one of those persons to whom Mr. Pinder refers as having highfalutin degrees, but I can assure him that I have intimate knowledge of the waters in and around the Exuma Cays having captained boats there for the past 17 years.

As Mr. Pinder inferred, I am a politician, but like him, I am not trying to impress anyone, and I have stated the facts as I see them.  Politics has not changed by views but merely given me a national platform to express them and I have always made it a point to support my views with facts. It is interesting to note however, that in Mr. Pinder's letter, he disputed not one fact that I stated on the Steve McKinney show which I included in this letter. One is then to conclude that the only purpose of Mr. Pinder’s letter was a personal attack on me from his erroneous perception of me. I look forward to the day when as mature Bahamians we can have debate on the message instead of the messenger.
So I will conclude as I began… “If you don’t know a man, call him Sir”.

Senator Jerome K. Fitzgerald
October 20th 2011.

 

IN PASSING

U.S. Ambassador Is Leaving

Nicole Avant , the US. Ambassador , who has been in The Bahamas barely two years is packing it in and leaving to go back to resume private life, one year short of the normal tour of duty.  Mrs. Avant who is married to businessman and producer Ted Sarandos listed a number of accomplishments while she was Ambassador.  We wish her well in future.  She says that she will always think of The Bahamas her second home.

John Delaney Owes An Apology

John Delaney, the hapless Attorney General, who now says he can’t bring cases to court because he doesn’t have enough prosecutors, needs to apologize to his friend (name withheld) for not bringing the case to court of the house invasion of (name withheld) home now years in the past.   The alleged perpetrators are out on bail.  Mr. Delaney promised that the matter would be dealt with by voluntary bill of indictment and  the family of (name withheld) still remembering the terror of this wife being gun butted and children being threatened with guns in their home in southwestern New Providence, near the home of the former Deputy Commissioner Marvin Dames are still waiting for justice.  Over to you Mr. Delaney.  Shame on you!

Ryan On The Hit List

There’s plenty liquor talk in the House of Assembly when it meets.  People laughed when Neko Grant, the Minister of Works, whose nickname among the PLP is "three of five” after the combination of cheap prices for three bottles of beer ( three beers for five dollars) when he read the law that said people would get locked up drunk driving.  Then Hubert Ingraham for whom the PLP likes to play Geno D’s song "Drunk Again" was in the smoking room saying that Ryan Pinder will not survive the House of Assembly next time, that Ryan Pinder is the number one on his election hit list.  He was talking about redistricting Mr. Pinder, the PLP MP for Elizabeth  of the House of Assembly since he cannot defeat Mr. Pinder at the polls honestly.  This Mr. Ingraham is a really spiteful guy!  Can't forget the licking Ryan Pinder put on him in the bye-election last year when he defeated the mighty Ingraham machinery.  The events described here happened on 26th October.

Khaalis Rolle On The Cowboy Town

Speaking to the Rotary Club, in his first outing as an official candidate for the PLP, Khaalis Rolle described New Providence as  a cowboy town.  He aint lying.  Just two days before there was a shootout on the main street of the city: two men hospitalized and  traffic backed up for miles.

No Ingraham The PLP Is Not A Cry Baby But You’re A  Sulker

Hubert Ingraham claims that if he lost the general election he would not cry like the PLP but he would walk away.  Why does he tell these lies all the time? When he lost in 2002, he sulked for three years, refusing to sit in the chamber and walking out when others started to talk.  This is what you call a convenient memory. We now tell him an inconvenient truth.  He made the stupid remarks on Wednesday 26th October in the House of Assembly.

Michael Pintard Needs To Get A Life

Senator Michael Pintard has an inferiority complex, if it’s not that then there something other than that about which he has a bee stuck in his bonnet. Maybe it’s because he can’t find a place to call home and run for office that would get him into the House.  He is set now to run in Fox Hill after being booted out of Cat Island. His hatred for Fred Mitchell, the incumbent in Fox Hill is legendary.  Hatred is a funny thing since it kills the person who does the hating.  He was in vintage hating thrall last week as he tried to lecture the PLP in the Senate on Wednesday 26th October because some PLPs are lawyers, claiming like many FNMs do that these lawyers represent criminals.  The PLP senators had to point out to an unrepentant Senator Pintard that there is a presumption of innocence in this country and in a place which does not have full time MPs, these people have to make a living.  But there are none so ambitious as those who will not see.  They will say anything for politics.  We hope Mr. Ingraham listens his time for his sake. Sounds like if he doesn’t get to run he will reach the tipping point.

Traffic Jams After Gun Battles In Nassau On Wednesday

On Wednesday 26th October, traffic was backed for miles on the front street in New Providence at lunch time.  No one could quite figure out why.  Turns out there was a shooting and two men were injured and in the hospital.  The shooting took place on East Bay Street in broad daylight. The area was cordoned off by police and thus the traffic jams. 

Lynnwood Brown Freed

All things being equal Dr Lynwood Brown should have been the candidate for the PLP in Montagu, but the charges against him were so serious that he chose not to proceed. The charges have now been dismissed.  A private prosecution was brought against him for indecent assault of a female.  The magistrate did not accept the arguments at first instance, that the issue was statute barred.  The same arguments succeeded in the Court of Appeal.  He should sue the attorney who brought these charges for malicious prosecution. The decision was announced on 26th October.

Birthdays This Week

Davin Beneby on 24th October, PYL Officer,  Cashmere Farrington 24th October ,Facebook Philosopher, Glenys Hanna Martin MP PLP Englerston 25th October, Vincent Peet MP North Andros and the Berry Islands (PLP) 23rd October; Monsignor Preston Moss 30th October.  Happy Birthday.


Cyp and Debbie Part In Gems

Sometimes things don’t work out.  They start off with the best of intentions.  The story of GEMS radio is such a story.  Cyprianna McWeeney and Debbie Bartlette who started in the radio station as partners have now parted company.  Mrs. McWeeney has sold out her interest in the station and is no longer associated with GEMS radio.

Kendal Major At New Bethlehem


Kendal Major is one of the bright new stars of the PLP.  He is running for the PLP in the Garden Hills constituency against FNM incumbent Brensil Rolle.  He stopped in for a visit at New Bethlehem Baptist Church which is in the constituency.  The photo shows the visit on 9th October.  It is from his Facebook page

The Nassau School Board Results
The School Board Elections took place throughout The Bahamas without any fanfare.  The reason, there were no elections at all because everyone went in by acclamation.  That means there was exactly the number nominated for the positions open.  The results have all been declared.  Here are the results for the schools which serve the Fox Hill, Elizabeth, Montagu and Yamacraw and St. Anne’s Constituencies:

Doris Johnson Senior High:
Elaine Butler, Stella Humes, Nina Noguez, Edney Pickstock, Deidre Rolle, Dennis Stirrup, Carolyn Sweeting. Kenneth Tracey


Sandilands  Primary School

James Johnson, Leotha Kemp, Vera Moultrie, Sabrina Pinder, Stephan Rahming, Gensel Watkins and Valentino Woodside

L.W. Young Junior High School

Darnell Adderley, Juanita Bodie Hepburn, Alkeno Dames, Wendell Demeritte, Rose Miller, Ingrid Poitier, Glenwood Rahming, Ramilda Rolle, Michael Thompson
Congratulations to them all!
 

Jacinta Higgs On Her Candidacy For Fox Hill

We reported last week that Jacinta Higgs, who wowed the crowds at the last state opening of parliament, with her funny hat, and the candidate for Fox Hill in 2007 against the PLP's Fred Mitchell, is telling people that she won’t be running again.  Bahamaspress.com reported that she has been dumped by the FNM because they found that she is a little weird.  Her friends say that she believes that she was not treated fairly by the FNM.  In any event, The Tribune put the question to her directly last week.  She played coy. She said that the party had not decided what it would do yet as far as candidates for the next election.  She said that she awaits word from her leader.  Was that a yes or a no?


DNA Announces New Candidates On Thursday Night

The Democratic National Alliance (DNA) announced four more candidates for office on Thursday 27th October at a town meeting that the party held at the Hilton British Colonial in Nassau on the economy. The show was broadcast live on ZNS. The candidates are: Theo Cochinamagoulous, accountant for Carmichael, Rodney Moncur for St. Cecelia , a taxi driver; Nicholas Jacques, a taxi driver for Bain and Grant Town ; Allsworth Pickstock, a teacher and said to be founder of the Hugh Campbell Basketball Tournament; and Wellington Woods, architect for Pinewood.  


Philip Mortimer Dressed For All Hallows Eve


We know it as Halloween but its proper name is All Hallow’s Eve that is the eve of All Saints Day which is on 1st November.  The church celebrates the saint, and the evil one gets his due the night before.  Philip Mortimer, the Campaign Coordinator for the PLP in Fox Hill attended such a party put on as fundraiser for the Christ Church Cathedral on Friday 28th October.




Fash/Art Kedar Clarke

Coming next Saturday at Doongalik Studios eight fashion designers from the Bahamas will team up with Keadr Clarke, a staple of Facebook and photographer Sharad Lightbourne to put on a show they promise that will be like no other.



It’ Not Easy Being Green

Lincoln Bain photo with Yolanda Powell

Hey, just for the fun of it, Lincoln Bain, formerly of Controversy TV and now a radio talk show host, is back on the air in more ways than one.  We wanted to show you this picture of Mr. Bain flying high with a special lady Yolanda Powell. He posted it on his Facebook page with the caption: Love Is In The Air.  Looks so! He deserves it after a year of trouble.

Fred Mitchell MP for Fox Hill poses with Geneva Cash before she marches up the aisle in the Annex Baptist Church on Saturday 29th October to marry her long time friend and companion Joseph Rolle. PLP leader Perry Christie was a guest of honour at the wedding.

The officers of the Fox Hill Branch of the PLP led by Charlene Marhsal, Branch Chair visited the Roman Catholic Church of St. Anselm's today.  Fox Hill MP Fred Mitchell joined them for the visit.  The photo was taken today juts outside the service.