Compiled, edited and constructed by Russell Dames... Updated every Sunday at 2 p.m.
Volume 9 © BahamasUncensored.com 2011
March 4th, 2012
March 11th, 2012
March 18th 2012
March 25th, 2012
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SOUTHERN SHORES LAUNCH FOR KENRED DORSETT 1ST MARCH: it is a new constituency in New Providence. It is the west of the old Carmichael constituency and to the east of the old Golden Isles constituency. According to Hubert Ingraham who created the seat, it was necessary because of the shift in population in the south west of the island. He nominated Kenyatta Gibson who abandoned the PLP for the FNM in 2008 and Mr. Gibson is facing the Kenred Dorsett of the PLP. Mr. Dorsett is a former Deputy Chairman of the PLP and is an attorney at law with parents who have been long time PLP supporters. He cuts a good image and will make a good Member of Parliament. Judging from the crowds that greeted him at his launch on Thursday 1st March, he is well on his way to defeating Kenyatta Gibson. And so our photo of the week is that of the opening of the Southern Isles headquarters on Carmichael Road by the Leader of the Progressive Liberal Party Perry G. Christie on Thursday 1st March.
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COMMENT OF THE WEEK
IS TOMMY TURNQUEST LOSING IT?
We think that the Progressive Liberal Party ought to tackle something and tackle it aggressively. We mean the fashion now of Tommy Turnquest as the Minister of National Security to use information which he obtained from being the police minister to attack private citizens from the public platform and to score cheap political brownie points with information which he could only have gotten as the Minister for the police. It should be called out and Mr. Turnquest if he cannot modify his behavior needs to resign and be a full time politician.
Mr. Turnquest is furious because he has been called out on his inability to do his job as Minister of National Security. He has been an abject failure. The most recent example was the failure to disclose to the public until forced to do so by Keith Bell, the former Police Superintendent, of the dysfunction of the ankle bracelet programme for people out on bail. Mr. Turnquest had to concede that some 30 people were able to evade the use of the ankle bracelet by simply applying a piece of aluminum foil onto the unit. The unit would then give the last reading while the person in the bracelet was elsewhere.
Mr. Turnquest was so agitated during the past week that on the Jones radio station on Thursday 1st March, the Minister called in to challenge Mr. Bell on the radio. He carried on like a raving lunatic. Mr. Bell simply answered with “but honourable Minister”
It did not end there however, later that evening, Mr. Turnquest appeared on a public platform for the opening of the political headquarters of Zhivargo Laing, the Minister of State, who is in a life and death struggle to save his political hide in Ft. Charlotte. Tommy Turnquest sunk to a low we would never have thought. He attacked Mr. Bell in a personal way, not on policy like he did during the day but went at the very heart of his identity or tried to. This is the sign of s sick and desperate individual.
There is a lesson to be taught to Mr. Turnquest in this regard. The first thing is that he has no right to use information which he has obtained as police minister on a political platform. In one instance, he was suggesting that a certain PLP candidate would be jailed as result of information which he had in his possession. Secondly, he has to be very careful how he starts with this personal stuff, particularly since he cannot prove any of it and particularly since it is not relevant to the debate and particularly since he himself is vulnerable to all sorts of charges in that department. The Bahamian public need only be reminded of the scandalous headlines in the down market Punch newspaper. Why then would a Minister of the government, who claims that they are on the road to victory engage in such low life behavior? It is totally sick.
Mr. Bell is one of the country’s most brilliant sons. He does not deserve to be attacked in a personal way but then that is we suppose an occupational hazard in a milieu where as the FNM comes closer to losing the government, they are losing it in an ever more desperate attempt to persuade the public to vote for them.
The fact is Mr. Turnquest has a wife and children. When you attack Mr. Bell in the way that was done, what would prevent Mr. Bell from retaliating or his friends and retaliating not just on the minister but on those he loves. That’s the way life is. The saying is people who live in glass houses should dress in the basement. It is simply more prudent to leave all that stuff alone. Chances are he and Mr. Bell and their respective families will be around in this little Bahamas for a long time to come.
There is an old Bahamian saying, when you did one grave, you dig two. Mr. Turnquest and his colleagues would do well to remember that.
Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 3rd March 2012 up to midnight: 181,430
Number of hits for the month of February up to Wednesday 29th February 2012 up to midnight: 770,090
Number of hits for the year 2012 up to Saturday 29th February 2012 up to midnight: 1,609,163
There is more than one clown in the Free National Movement. Philip Davis MP PLP and deputy leader of the PLP has taken to calling Hubert Ingraham, the Prime Minister “Papa Clown”. Well Charles Maynard, the Minister of Sports must be “Baby Clown”. His antics in the House are well known. He is the class clown for every nasty thing that Hubert Ingraham wants him to say. So we were not surprised when The Tribune in a follow up to a story first printed on this site asked the Minister if it were true that the stadium did not have a certified track and field and a certified field for soccer as required by the IAAF and FIFA. Mr. Maynard came up blasting. He said that it was all lies and PLP propaganda. Then in the next paragraphs, he said that well yes it was true that the field nor the track had been certified. Duh! So how do you open a stadium with no certified track and no certified field, even as you are advertising it as a facility that is supposed to support international meets. This fellow has a screw lose upstairs or they take us for fools. The story appeared in The Tribune of Tuesday 27th February.
BRAVE DAVIS SAYS INGRAHAM IS DESPERATE
Increasingly on the stump the Deputy Leader of the party, the PLP’s Philip Davis is the go to man to respond to the scatological attacks by the FNM. He has been taking Hubert Ingraham head on. It is clear that Mr. Ingraham is stunned by the PLP’s success with the public on the issue of fighting crime. The result is an ever more hysterical campaign against the PLP descending into personal attacks. Mr. Davis has met them every step of the way and at the Southern Shores Opening on Thursday 1st March he blasted Mr. Ingraham for his attack on the PLP telling the public that Hubert Ingraham is becoming ever more desperate.
You may click here for the full statement of Mr. Davis
POLICE STAFF ASSOCIATION BACK IN POLITICS
We have had occasion in this space before to speak to the issue of the police staff association and its continued forays into politics. The head of the Police Staff Association Dwight Smith is a rank FNM supporter who is constantly getting in the business of public policy. As head of the staff association he has a limited role and that role has nothing to do with entering into partisan arguments. Once before he attacked Fred Mitchell because of a statement made about police conduct in relation to Cheryl Bethel. He was very lucky that time that the PLP restrained Mr. Mitchell. However, there should be no restraint this time. The PLP must bell that cat and bell it now. A policeman has no business getting in the public domain talking about political matters. The latest was the Staff Association chairman issuing a statement attacking Keith Bell and supporting Tommy Turnquest the Minister. They claimed that Mr. Bell was disclosing information which he obtained as a police officer to the public and was not acting in accordance with his oath of office. No word though on their Minister Tommy Turnquest who is using information he obtained as police Minister on the political platform. Or the fact that the Minister for National Security Tommy Turnquest is increasingly politicizing the Royal Bahamas Police Force. His latest stab in that direction was the spurious claim that the police officers are laughing at the PLP’s anti crime plan and will be voting against the PLP. The Minister must be losing his balance. How and why does he want to get the police involved in a political debate? The police are there to carry out policy not to be part of some partisan slugging match. It was irresponsible of Tommy Turnquest and certainly the statements of the police staff association are completely out of line. We agree with the sentiments o the statement below:
PRESS RELEASE
March 1, 2012
RBPF STAFF ASSOCIATION ACTIONS ARE POLITICAL & UNLAWFUL
The Press Conference held today by Sgt. Dwight Smith, Chairman and other Executives of the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) Staff Association is a clear violation of the RBPF Staff Association Act, Chapter 206 which governs the Association and is therefore unlawful.
The purpose and object of the Association is set out in section 4 of the Act which provides:
“The objects of the Association shall be to enable members of the Association to consider and bring to the notice of the Commissioner matters affecting their welfare and efficiency, including pay, pensions and conditions of service, other than matters relating to discipline and promotion affecting individual members of the Force”.
Over the past years, certain segments of the Association have consistently sought to interfere with the political processes of The Bahamas in breach of our laws and in clear violation with the object of the Association. It is noted that while every Bahamian is entitled to express their views as provided by law, a Police Officer inclusive of the Executive members of the Staff Association are not entitled to campaign, endorse any political candidate or party, or make statements except as provided in the Act. This is fundamental and is integral to the proper functioning of a disciplined Organization.
During the Press Conference, segments of the RBPF Association sought to align the Association and by extension the line staff of the RBPF with the FNM through what was clearly a political endorsement. This is unacceptable. If any Executive member of the Association wishes to endorse a candidate or political party, they ought to resign.
The action of certain members of the Association is understandable given the culture of political patronage and interference which this FNM administration has sought to inculcate into the RBPF.
It is interesting that after 4 ½ years without promotion or raise by this FNM government, segments of the Association has now (once again) found its voice not to support its members but rather a failed Minister who has not supported them.
During my distinguished 23 years of service in the Police Force, I did not engage in any political activity or campaign. Those officers who wish to join the political arena ought to follow my lead and resign.
As I expressed to the Honourable Tommy Turnquest, Minister of National Security, I am available at his convenience to intelligently engage in a national debate on crime prevention and policies. We need not debate by proxy through the use of political operatives.
Law breakers cannot also be law enforcers.
Finally, there is a constant stream of privately expressed support for PROJECT SAFE BAHAMAS from officers in the RBPF. Many police officers, at all levels, have said they feel the new and innovative provisions in the PLP’s plan to reduce violence are urgently needed. Many members of the RBPF have also expressed their deep frustration with the incumbent government’s failure to prioritize the reduction of crime and violence.
At no time has the PLP urged members of the RBPF to express such opinions publicly, knowing that to do so would be to urge them to violate the law.
AL JARRET ON THE 22,000 JOBS
The FNM is now attacking the PLP by trying to rewrite history suggesting that the PLP did not create 22,000 jobs during its last term of office. Alfred Jarrett, former banker and political commentator, former Chair of the Bank of The Bahamas and the Bahamas Electricity Corporation wrote this comment:
22,000 Jobs Created Under the PLP
Statement
Al Jarrett
Former Chairman of BEC and Bank of The Bahamas
29 February 2012
For IMMEDIATE RELEASE
I would like to clear up the confusion concerning the number of jobs created under the PLP government between 2002 and 2007.
The 2007 Labour Force Survey includes 18,800 of the jobs created under that government.
But that is not the only indicator used to secure this data.
While the survey was being conducted, at least 1,200 people were hired by Atlantis during April to July 2007; a trade fair hosted by Albany was also taking place at this time, which filled another 300 jobs. In addition, the Second Chance program filled another 1,200 positions. There were also record levels of housing completions during this period. These figures can easily be verified by Central Bank figures. I refer to tables 8.8 and 8.10 of the Central Bank Quarterly Digest.
A few thousand jobs were being created in the construction sector on an ongoing basis. It is important to note that jobs figures are a moving target and a labor force study is only a snapshot of the economy at the time of the survey.
That the PLP government had an aggressive and successful plan to create jobs is unquestionable.
The figure of 22,000 jobs quoted by the PLP is a conservative number.
At the end of the PLP’s term, the growth in the Bahamian economy was outpacing US growth, and The Bahamas was a regional leader in employment.
Today, the picture is very different.
The Bahamas is now among the worst-performing economies in the region.
One in three young Bahamians is unemployed.
According to the government, there is nearly 16% formal unemployment, with thousands more under-employed and discouraged. In Grand Bahama, where the middle class has been decimated, the situation is particularly acute.
The global recession is only partially to blame for the current state of affairs. The Bahamian economy has been seriously mismanaged, as evidenced by our economy’s poor performance in comparison to regional neighbours.
GHANDI AND ERIN AND DARREN
Just a photo for the fun of it of some of the young, dynamic people in The Bahamas who are the up and comings: Erin Ferguson, the social commentator and broadcaster, Ghandi Pinder, the radio personality and Daren Turnquest, a journalist at the opening of the Thomas A Robinson Stadium on Saturday 25th February. Nice.
INGRAHAM SHOULD HANG HIS HEAD IN SHAME
The video which is a PLP ad is doing the rounds and it shows the rank hypocrisy of Hubert Ingraham who made the statement in the video shortly after he became the Prime Minster again in 2007. PLP Leader Perry Christie says that the Broadcasting Corporation, the state owned radio and TV station are refusing to play the ad. Hubert Ingraham is condemned by his own words and his own voice in this ad. The record on crime of the FNM government is abysmal. He deserves major punishment for his record on crime.
KING ERIC SINGS OF A FOX HILL GAL
TRIBUTE TO STEPHEN SHERMAN
Stephen Sherman was murdered in cold blood on 17th February. He has left behind two children and a wife. The problem is the wife Renae Knowles Sherman is now charged with conspiracy to murder. She was charged in the courts on Monday 27th February. A 21 year old Coderro Bethel was charged with the murder. The wife and two others were charged with aiding and abetting. We commented last week that Mr. Sherman was a family man. We found this video on Facebook and pay tribute to a man at 47 gone too soon, shot down for nothing else it appears than greed. It is the sign of the moral depravity all around us. He was buried following a funeral service at St. Gregory’s Anglican Church on Saturday 3rd March. We show Tribune photo of the wife being charged last week.
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GARDEN HILLS OPENING
The video of Dr. Kendal Major as he spoke at the opening in Garden Hills of his political headquarters.
ARCHBISHOP TAKES TO POLITICAL PLATFORM
Archbishop Drexel Gomez has taken off the gloves and unsheathed his sword of righteousness by appearing on the public platform in defence of his brother Perry Gomez, the doctor awarded for his work in HIV/AIDS who is now the candidate for North Andros for the PLP. The Bishop decried the tactics of the Prime Minister in attacking his brother. The rally took place in North Andros on Friday 2nd March. The photos appeared on the PLP’s Facebook page.
LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR
Forrester Carroll writes this week from Freeport about the decision of the FNM to buy an hotel in Freeport to expand the existing Rand Hospital. He gives the history behind the Rand Hospital. He brands the FNM candidates Kwasi Thompson MP, Norris Bain and Peter Turnquest as three blind mice for supporting what he argues is a bad decision by Hubert Ingraham.
I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw those three blind mice standing by the sign in front of the “Island Palm Resort” looking like three wet rats wishing for a hole to scuttle away to. I could see, from the photograph, that Kwasi Thompson and Norris Bain were quite at home making jackasses of themselves but K Peter Turnquest (I could see) was quite uncomfortable having to stand there with those two miscreants doing the Ingraham shuffle. Peter, Peter, Peter you were twice president of the Grand Bahama chamber of commerce (for Christ sake man) what the hell were you doing in that photograph (with those two) prostituting yourself and my grandmother’s maiden name? I can tell you right now, Peter that kissing up to Ingraham’s frowsy backside is no place for a real Turnquest to be but I guess Tommy led the way for you guys. My grandmother would be ashamed of both you and Tommy for dragging the surname she was born with in the mud. The look on your face spoke volumes, however, as if you were asking yourself; “What the hell am I doing here; what is this I allowed stupid Hubert Ingraham to get me into?” That is what your facial expression was saying.
I am referring to the photograph of Kwasi Thompson, K. Peter Turnquest and Norris Bain appearing together, in the Freeport News over a story captioned “Gov’t proposed project to create much needed jobs,” where the three were standing in front of the Island Palm Resort, in downtown Freeport, claiming they were there to endorse Hubert ingraham’s decision to purchase the fifty-five year old resort to compliment the expansion (he said) of the Rand Memorial Hospital. Ingraham’s decision to continue to piece meal repairs to the Rand, especially after having just sunk $10 million of taxpayers’ (over-taxed) money into up-grades to the fifty year-old obsolete medical facility, is asinine, stupid, visionless to say the least. K Peter Turnquest, having been G.B.Chamber of Commerce President for six consecutive years, a CPA and an executive of SKYBAHAMAS with a Masters Degree in Business, surely knows that this decision of Ingraham’s certifies him for full membership into the Looney colony at Sandilands. No person with the academics and practical experiences in Business, that Peter Turnquest has attained over the years, could in good conscience endorse any such decision and so I say Peter (along with the other two miscreants in the photograph) was merely kissing up to Hubert Ingraham’s frowsy backside.
The Rand Memorial Clinic was built, for exactly that-a clinic, more than 50 years ago. It was built to accommodate the few people who came to Freeport at the time, from foreign, during the initial construction stages of the new city; it wasn’t built to accommodate the hospital needs of 90,000-100,000 residents; 90,000-100,000 persons residing here couldn’t even have been envisaged at the time by Mr. Rand; it wasn’t built to service this community, more than 50 years later. It has had enough breaking down and fixing back up over the years with this latest $10 million being the most stupid decision ever. The PLP government accepted and adhered to recommendations made in the “Dorsett Report” which advised that a new hospital, located elsewhere in Freeport, on more property, be pursued. What Christie did (the same Christie who they continue to accuse of doing nothing) was to secure 30 acres of prime land just off Sunrise Highway at the rear of the now new Lucayan Medical Center for construction of the new hospital. Not only that but a first option was secured on an additional 50 acres for future expansion of the initial first phase of the new facility. Not only that but plans were drawn for the first phase of the new hospital, as well, and a search of the archives of the Freeport news would reveal the story which was released around April of 2007. Photographs, under the story, would show Dr. Bernard Nottage, the Minister of Health at the time, touring the grounds; declaring the approval of the go ahead for the construction to begin. The PLP lost the elections in the following month (May), however, and it was left to the new FNM government to build the new facility. Ingraham, we are told, made it abundantly clear that Freeport and Grand Bahama didn’t need a hospital; that repairing the rat and roach infested (too-old) Rand Memorial (which would continue, under his Administration) to be sufficient for the second city. Can I tell you the story behind the construction of the Rand facility initially? Well here goes; Mr. Rand, who was a rich Tycoon living in Freeport more than 50 years ago, had a prized dog; the dog got pregnant and was about to give birth to her puppies when major complications developed. Mr. Rand was faced with his dog dying because there were no medical facilities on the island, at the time, and there was not time enough to have a charter plane come to Freeport to fly his precious dog out to the Vets in Florida. I was not told whether the dog eventually died, or not, giving birth but I am told that Mr. Rand, right there and then, decided to build a clinic to ensure that no animal or human had to undergo what he did ever, in Freeport, again. What resulted was the Rand Memorial Clinic and we have been breaking down and patching up that facility, in an attempt to make it work to supply our medical needs, ever since. It is time for it to go and the PLP is committed to constructing a new facility during its next term in office.
The three blind mice, as I’ve labeled them, only need Ingraham to speak the word and they would agree. Neither of them would dare take issue with anything that Ingraham says. Someone said, recently, that if Hubert orders any, in the leadership of the FNM and or any of the 38 FNM candidates to jump out of an aero plane they would simply do so without question and without a parachute even. If K. Peter Turnquest was still associated with the chamber of commerce, especially as its president, and not an FNM candidate, in this election, he would be telling Ingraham about his frowsy behind over this asinine move i.e. to acquire that 55 year-old Freeport Inn building complex (now Island Palm Resort) for use for expansion plans to compliment (he says) the Rand Clinic. How stupid must one be to pump $23 million into a new government office complex (which is not needed) in preference to taking that $23 million, adding it to the $10 million pumped into the recent repairs to the Rand (which totaled $33 million) and using those funds to begin phase one of a new hospital; how stupid can that ignoramus be? Peter Turnquest knows it’s a bad decision but just do not have the testicular fortitude to stand up and say, “No I cannot, in good conscience endorse that move.” What you should have done, Peter, was to not show up for that Photo-Op; it would have put you in better stead with those, like me, who know you well enough. Tell them anything; get a flat tire; tell them something came up; make any excuse but for God’s sake don’t show up; now you look just as foolish as the other two jackasses.
In their interview with the press each of the three blind mice declared separately their endorsement of Ingraham’s decision; his decision to take $1.9 million of taxpayers money and piss it away on a building which will serve absolutely no useful purpose for which it is being procured; none whatsoever. Kwasi (when asked by the reporter) said that the “WORLD CLASS networking system makes critical care far more affordable for Bahamians and all residents. Patients no longer are forced to endure the travel expenses for second opinions and surgeries,” unquote; are you serious Kwasi Thompson? Are you asking us; seriously asking the people of Grand Bahama; to buy into this bull****that you and your piss head prime minister trying to feed us? When since getting a second opinion not a wise and prudent thing to do especially when it comes to ones health matters? Recently a friend of mine, who is in the employ of Grand Bahama power Company, was diagnosed with a disease which the doctors at the Rand claimed necessitated the amputation of both his legs. The man’s wife, who is a friend of my family’s, was distraught at the bad news, to say the least, and came crying on our shoulders. Our advice to her was to get a second opinion before she allowed the Rand to dismember her husband and very possibly live to regret that decision for the rest of their lives. It was inconceivable that her husband could suddenly take sick and on primary examination be found in such a devastated state that it would warrant the removal of both his legs. She embraced our foolish advice (some might have said) but found much resistance, from the attending physician, when she insisted he release her husband to her care. Finally, after appealing to the higher authorities at the Rand, the Doctor/consultant released the patient. We recommended she fly her husband to Cleveland Clinic in Weston Florida where he would be diagnosed properly and cared for exceptionally. Being in possession of a good comprehensive medical health insurance policy it eliminated all her stress, in that regard, and the air ambulance arrived promptly to take her husband away. At the airport, in Freeport, the local attending doctors from the Rand offered to provide the air ambulance medical personnel with the medical history report (pertaining to the case) of the patient; they refused, telling the local doctors that they didn’t need them as they would be making their own assessment of the patient’s condition. That spoke volumes, to me at least, of their opinion of diagnoses done here at the Rand. The air ambulance, on arrival in Florida, was met by a team of professionals from the Cleveland clinic who immediately took charge of the patient’s care. To cut a long story short, after all the testing and screening, it was found that the patient was suffering, actually, from one or two blood clots which did not necessitate his limbs being removed from his body. He remained under the hospital’s care for a week before being discharged and sent home with both his legs in tact. Is this the kind of “WORLD CLASS NETWORKING SYSTEM THAT MAKES CRITICAL CARE FAR MORE AFFORTABLE FOR BAHAMIANS WHO WILL NO LONGER HAVE TO TRAVEL ABROAD TO GET SECOND OPINIONS you are talking about Kwasi Thompson?” But let me ask the Deputy Speaker of the Hon House of Assembly a more personal question; if you suddenly find yourself faced with a life or limb threatening illness, would you content yourself with the “WORLD CLASS HEALTH CARE” that is the hallmark of the Rand Memorial Hospital, that you are claiming is good enough for our people, or would you do like my friend did and that is to get off this island as quickly as an air ambulance could carry you? The latter, I am quite sure, is your truthful answer. Hubert Ingraham will never ever subject himself to the limited health care services rendered by any of the institutions in the country; the Rand nor the Princess Margaret Hospitals.
Norris Bain then tried to make the case for the stupid decision; he interjected; “The people of Marco City are pleased that they remain a short distance away from expanded and improved health care services. While others exploit these most challenging economic times and make ridiculous promises, the government remains focused on projects like the Rand Hospital that will improve health care services and in so doing create much needed jobs…the FNM delivers,” unquote. What a jackass; what a complete and unequivocal jackass you are Norris Bain; have you carefully analyzed what you just said? All these years parading around this island (and country) pretending to be someone special; pretending to be a decent, respectable and intelligent gentleman when all the while you were/are nothing but a fool; a jackass of the highest order. My nine year old granddaughter possess a higher degree of common sense than you; you foolish man. Let me ask you, Mr. Norris Bain, is it true that as the principal of the Tabernacle Baptist School, teachers at your institute have not been paid their salaries from November 2011 as yet? And what about the alleged $100,000.00 your school allegedly owes the National Insurance Board on behalf of your school’s employees? If true have you paid that amount as yet? Get your act together jackass before you open yourself up to more in depth political scrutiny; we are not stupid you know.
Bain’s expressions of trust in Hubert’s decision was followed up by similar sentiments from the two-term president of the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce; now FNM candidate for East Grand Bahama. Peter Turnquest said that the acquisition of the $1.9 million (55 year-old) island palm resort would be a tremendous advantage for the island. He continued that during the construction stage it would create a SIGNIFICANT number of jobs and once completed, there will be a demand for additional staff to carry out the day to day operations. How many times haven’t we heard these same old stale, regurgitated promises? Peter you are a man of “Letters;” you hold a Masters Degree in Business; you are a CPA; and a successful airline executive; how in the hell did you allow yourself to get caught up, in this crap, with those two miscreants? You should be ashamed Peter Turnquest for prostituting your self in this fashion. You very well know that if you were not a candidate for the FNM and if you were not partial to their philosophy (whatever that is) you will not be endorsing this stupid counter-productive decision. The Turnquest blood, which flows in your veins, dictates that you be the “dogmas of no master.” How can you allow a piss-head like that jackass prime minister cause you to take a path which you know is wrong; cause you to agree a decision which you know is asinine and stupid, to put it bluntly? How can you Peter? My grandmother, who was born a “Turnquest,” would turn over in her grave if she knew how you and Tommy have allowed the likes of that watermelon head jackass to piss all over the “Turnquest” surname. I wish not to be unduly harsh on you Peter, but you leave me no choice man; I know that you do not endorse this decision, really, because your business common sense tells you that building a new hospital, as the PLP government already has plans to do, is the only prudent way to go. It puzzles me that a man of “Letters’ like your self, Peter, would allow a “Night-Schooled Dictator” like Hubert Ingraham to dictate these asinine decisions and have you endorse them?
The government should be planning the anticipated medical needs of Grand Bahama for the next fifty years. The purchase of this resort facility will do nothing to enhance that goal (i.e. if this crew has those goals in mind). The effect of this purchase would be a net gain of two acres of property. The property is bounded on the north, east and west by main highways and on the south by the present Rand facility itself, so where do we expand to? There is little parking facilities for people visiting their loved ones on any day of the week but especially on weekends. If the government’s intention is to purchase the two acres for a parking lot then it will do but for future expansion of the medical facilities? Absolutely not and Peter Turnquest would certainly agree with me on this. Let us not let our partisan political blindness run away with our professional and common sense.
There is no substitute for maintaining a standard of high principals, my friend; for there is life after politics and you will have to live with yourself and what you portray long after Ingraham has used you; pissed on you and passed off the scene. “Dancing on the edge of the cliff” is not for you Peter; leave that for unprincipled novices like Norris Bain and Kwasi Thompson.
Thank you.
Forrester J Carroll J.P
Freeport, Grand Bahama
March 2012.
THE ANGLICAN BISHOP'S PASTORAL LETTER
A letter writer ( writing with the name withheld) is concerned that the Anglican Bishop did not quite do his home work or a proper service to the Bahamian people in his pastoral letter last week which we published on this site. In in his attempt to be even handed, the writer suggests that the Bishop is giving the FNM a pass for their bad behavior.
The Bishop of the Anglican Church has issued a pastoral letter on the General Election
I wish to review the letter.in terms of the implications for our the PLP and I offer this humble
advice.
Firstly the list of issues identified appear to all have been covered in the PLP's draft proposals-- that is except possibly for the specific reference to the boundaries commission and presumably that would be but one of a list of items which would be addressed in our commitment to review of the constitution
The bishop on page three begins a paragraph with the words "at some time and in some areas,successive governments .. Have seen themselves and styled themselves as "undoing" what their predecessors have done rather than collaborating on a sustained ,broader and seamless vision for the well-being and advancement of the country"
I note the qualification at the start -- namely "at some time and in some areas" but still struggle to accept the accuracy of the full statement.
This is not a matter for scripture but pure history and I do not believe that the Bishop holds himself out as an expert in local history
It is clear how the Bishop's characterization has applied to Ingraham.
For example in 1992 Ingraham humiliated the governor general by forcing the Governor General to go on vacation just so that a partisan operative could read the speech from the throne.
Then in 2007 Ingraham's broad policy now known as "stop review and cancel".
I struggle to identify instances of comparable conduct by Pindling in 1967 or Christie in 2007.
With respect to the specific areas of policy identified by the bishop it is interesting that the particular area which can be pointed to as having been "delivered" would be the national drug plan . The FNM has not yet started to tout that as a major accomplishment but presumably at some point they will
On the matter of the economy the Bishop repeats the FNM line that "global economic recession continues to impact our country".This reality helps to drive home the point that fnm policies made a bad situation worse
While this note is essentially in the nature of a commentary, I propose the strategy the PLP may wish to consider in light of this letter by the Bishop for specific action.
For example it is likely that the Catholic Archbishop will be issuing a similar letter
It may not be a waste of time for someone to meet with him soon to ensure he at least knows our position on these matters before he writes.
With respect to the letter from Bishop Boyd , what is done is done but it may not hurt for the leader or the Deputy ,each being Anglican, to informally and privately seeking his clarification on the points. At a minimum it may cause him to be a little slower in repeating the lines
Yours sincerely
Zhivargo As Deputy Leader Of The FNM
The election is coming. The PLP has a Deputy Leader in Philip Davis. The DNA has a Deputy Leader in Chris Mortimer. But the FNM is going into the general election with no deputy Leader. Word is that Hubert Ingraham wants Zhivargo Laing to be the Deputy Leader but he needs to win his seat first.
Barbadian Finance Minister Makes A Mistake
At the start of last week, the Minister of Finance of Barbados Chris Sincklir said that The Bahamas and Barbados were on a watch list by the Financial Stability Forum, an adjunct of the G20 group. This set off alarm bells in the Bahamian capital. Turns out that the Minister misspoke and the press in Barbados misinterpreted what he said. Apologies came from the Barbados Nation the day after the report appeared.
Carl Bethel Concedes
We are told that Carl Bethel FNM MP and Party Chairman has now conceded that he will lose in Sea Breeze to the PLP’s Hope Strachan. He confided that he is not really trying too much, just going through the motions just to be sure that that he does not lose face but does not expect to win. We agree he will not win.
Earl Takes Over And Brent Is Out
The FNM’s campaign is in disarray in Nassau and in Freeport. They have dumped Brent Symonette as the head of the campaign. The excuse is that he bowed out because he has a bad leg. The truth is he has seen the hand writing on the wall and wanted no more of it. So Earl Deveaux, the outgoing environment minister is now the head of the campaign and Kay Smith who resigned her post as Consul General to head the campaign must now answer to Mr. Deveaux. One thing about Brent Symonette, if there is no money in it, he’s out. That’s the only language he speaks: dollars and cents. Hubert Ingraham had a meeting with his candidates last week. They were all looking for clues as to when the money is going to come. No money. Reports are that the Eastern Road has withdrawn their financing from the campaign with the demise of Brent Symonette. Thus the flurry of small contracts being given out: one to party supporters for 2.2 million to put sand on Saunders Beach. Most of that is expected to end up back in FNM coffers to fight the general election.
Jamarl Chea DNA Candidate Mical
Jamarl Chea has been chosen as the candidate for MICAL for the FNM. He is former Young Liberal and now is a member of the Democratic National Alliance.
Public Domain’s Prediction On The Election
The report is that Public Domain, the public opinion and market research firm has concluded for a client that the result of the general election will be a dead heat: 18 for the PLP and 18 for the FNM with two for the DNA. Public Domain is wrong on this one.
Loretta In A Red Bikini On Easter Monday
The song says: “ It was an itsy, teeny weenie, …polka dot bikini so in the water she wanted to stay” . We won’t be singing that song as Loretta Butler, the lady who was the object of the ridicule of Leslie Miller, at the PLP’s public rally and the now Minister of State for Social Services. Ms. Butler has a problem maintaining a proper weight, some would say she is morbidly obese. Leslie Miller from the public stage said that when she gets on the scale, the scale says “ one at a time”. No this is not what we are supposed to be doing making fun of people and their personal attributes and characteristics, things which are natural to them and over which they have no control. Chief amongst them is stuff like your skin colour, your weight, your religious belief, your children and spouses. That is the general rule. But we have seen the Prime Minister, Tommy Turnquest and Loretta Butler stray way over the line. In introducing the FNM’s candidate in Fox Hill, she said that she was a real woman. We didn’t know there was any doubt about that but we get the point. She was really on to something else. But we suppose she would like being called a tub of lard or the fact that when Hubert Ingraham calls them out to the beach for his picnic on East Monday that people will be looking to see all that heavy weight show up in her red bikini. Just like she showed up most inappropriately in a red dress at the opening of the national stadium. When you dig one grave, dig two. It can get worse.
Photo Of Rigby In His Younger Days
We thought you would like this photo of the good old days back in 1998 when Raynard Ribgy, former Chairman of the PLP, was just starting out. Here he is pictured with Sir Lynden O. Pindling, the country’s first Prime Minister at a seminar held in 1998.
Strikes
Customs are on a work to rule over the failure to settle over time issues; Water and Sewerage workers are protesting causing water shortages in the city of Nassau. A sign of the times.
Prince Harry Comes A Calling
The third in line to the Bahamian throne Harry Windsor is coming to Nassau for a few days of fun and relaxation. Official mission to represent his grandmother the Queen in the sixtieth year of her reign. God bless the old girl. But for The Bahamas what an utter irrelevancy. The government is all agog with this stuff. The kids are being gang pressed into the National Stadium for the events of the visit from today until Tuesday of this week. Fred Mitchell MP has declined all invitations to the events as a protest against the retention of the monarchy.
Shane Gibson’s Opening
Shane Gibson, the MP for Golden Gates for the PLP, will officially launch his campaign on Monday 5th March on Carmichael Road just opposite the Golden Gates Assembly Church.
Thank You Brian and Paulette Higgs
A fundraiser was held at the home of Brian and Paulette Higgs for the re-election of Fred Mitchell in Monastery Park. A great time was had by all. Special thanks to coordinator of the event Janet Davis.
Hubert Throws Down The Gauntlet
In a televised address on Saturday 3rd March,the Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham challenged customs to show up to work or face the consequences. The customs officers have taken the position with their new union that since the government does not recognise their industrial agreement that they will work strictly to the rules of the public service. The Prime Minister has told them show up to work including overtime or face the consequences. An emergency meeting of the Bahamas Trade Union Congress has reporetdly been called for this evening at 8 p.m.
Hubert's Scorch The Earth, Slash Burn Strategy
They have watched as their campaign has fallen flat and observed Grand Bahama slipping out of their grasp. Their experts have told them that they have lost Grand Bahama and that New Providence is all but gone but still within reach. They asked the experts what to do. The answer is "Scorch the earth! Sash and burn!" This was a strategy used by the Roman army in the days of yore when they were leaving. The idea was that if you couldn't use it, then no one else would. That is where Hubert Ingraham and the FNM are now. They have decided that their only strategy, a strategy of desperation is full scale all out assault on Perry Christie personally. They are seeking to portray in a negative light, try to mash up his reputation and all the people around him thinking that maybe, just maybe this will succeed. They have started collapsing their openings into three openings in one because the crowds in New Providence have simply not be measuring up. So slash and burn it is. It is of course a staegy that will fail in the face of unemployment and crime. That's what the country wants to hear.
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ALEX LAUNCHES IN LONG ISLAND. He is Alex Storr, the son of Henry Storr of Storr’s Electric fame and who himself is a Stalwart Councilor of the Progressive Liberal Party. The PLP has been absent from the field in Long island for fifteen years. Now they are back. And what a candidate they have. Alex Storr and his wife Nadia took on the daunting task. The response has been excellent. There was a launch of their campaign, with the opening formally of their constituency office in North Long Island at Simms on Wednesday 7th March. You could not believe that this was Long Island which heretofore was the most anti PLP island in the country. The crowds numbered in the hundreds and exceeded by some accounts the numbers that showed up the night before for Hubert Ingraham and the FNM. So our photo of the week is Perry Christie, Leader of the Progressive Liberal Party introducing and embracing his candidate for Long Island to the people there on Wednesday night last. The photo of the week is from the PLP’s Facebook page.
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COMMENT OF THE WEEK
DONOR FATIGUE
Hubert Ingraham said last week that he has always all along had the date of the next general election in his mind. He just has not told the rest of us. It is typical of this selfish sod that he would say such a thing. The entire country is on a knife’s edge, waiting for this man to give us the date for the general election and get it over and be done with.
Mr. Ingraham is drifting. He does not know when to call the election. We do not believe him when he says that he has the date in mind. He has been hoping that the roads will finish. That is not going to happen. He has been hoping for some big economic project. That has not happened. He was hoping that trying to make a lie the truth about the PLP would work. That has not happened.
So he drifts. Hoping and hoping against hope that he will get something that is a rabbit out of the hat that will mesmerize the crowds. It is not going to happen.
His strategy became clear a few months ago when we reported a comment made by him from his seat in the House of Assembly that he wanted the PLP to spend all its money and then he would call the general election.
That much is clear then. He told the great lie to the public that the PLP has a lot of money and that they must take the PLP’s money and vote FNM. This is a Prime Minister now arguing for voter fraud and corruption and supporting it.
The more this goes on though, there will be donor fatigue. There is no golden pot of money available to the PLP to fight this election. The party depends on the wider base of people for small donations and the personal funds of candidates. There are some wealthy people who support the PLP but they are few and far between and they are now approaching donor fatigue. That means then that Mr. Ingraham’s strategy may just be working.
The problem is that his time is running out at the same time. He must call the election by 23rd May or the House stands dissolved. He told the Leader of the Opposition that his lawyers have told him that he can hold off on general elections until September of this year. We want him to try that. He will not win a single seat if he does that.
The bottom line is: call the general election. Do the decent thing for once in your life.
Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 10th March 2012 up to midnight: 36,497
Number of hits for the month of March up to Saturday 10th March 2012 up to midnight: 94,433
Number of hits for the year 2012 up to Saturday 10th March 2012 up to midnight:1,645,660
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We congratulate Leslie Miller. We used to give out a booby prize to someone who we thought made the greatest fool of himself during the past week. If we gave out such a prize last week it would be to Tommy Turnquest, the Minister of National Security, as the jackass of the week for putting his wife’s name in something about which no one really knew what the heck Leslie Miller was talking. Leslie Miller, the PLP’s Tall Pines candidate, speaking at the rally of Shane Gibson in Golden Gates attacked a nameless public figure who he said had attacked Keith Bell, the former police superintendent, and he (that figure) himself was a poodle. Mr. Miller said that real men don’t beat their wives and real
Bahamian men don’t have their wives spending the night in hospital from such a beating.
That was too much apparently for Mr. Turnquest. The fact is the political community was aware of stories circulating in the down market press about such an event but no one could put a public name to it. But here is Mr. Turnquest’s response as quoted from the Nassau Guardian on Friday 9th March:
“ What Leslie Miller did on Monday night was despicable. I’m seeking legal advice at the moment and until he apologizes to my wife, there will be no truce. My wife is very hurt that someone would [speak of her] that way and [of] her husband that way.”
This is a very interesting crew. They certainly are a bunch of cry babies. They cannot take what they give. This is the same crew who a few days before was accusing Leslie Miller of stealing toilets and they did so from a public platform. Now Mr. Turnquest is crying foul.
We hope by now his lawyers have told him that what he proposes cannot fly. He is wasting his time. His biggest error was opening his mouth and admitting a connection between Leslie Miller’s remarks and himself. So now he has put the story in the public domain from which there is no coming back.
What is also perplexing is how confident these people are that they have the Bahamian people on their side. In the House of Assembly on Thursday 8th March, Mr. Turnquest led the way jeering and taunting the PLP. What is this guy on? He is a lost soul. His conduct is unbecoming a Minister of National Security. Soon he will be gone.
It is really a wonder how big we become with our police bodyguard and all, strutting around like the master of all he surveys. In a few weeks that will all be gone and we will see what a big man you are then.
KEITH BELL TO SUE TOMMY TURNQUEST
The Tribune quoted these words as the words spoken by the Minister of National Security Tommy Turnquest at a public rally of the Free National Movement in connection with former Superintendent of Police Keith Bell. Mr. Bell is a man with a wife and three children:
"Some of my police friends say I should drop something on Keith Bell. I know Keith Bell would like that, but I don't go that way.”
This is the same Tommy Turnquest who now complains about being attacked from the public platform. Mr. Bell certainly has grounds to sue.
KWASI IS NO BETTER THAN THE REST OF THEM
The man who is the Deputy Speaker Kwasi Thompson had a somewhat decent reputation before now. You could generally count on him to protect against the madness and excesses of a purely partisan Speaker of the House of Assembly. No more. That reputation is shot with his conduct in being complicit in violating the rules of the House of Assembly last Thursday 8th March. On that day, he read into the record a report which purports to be a minority report of the Public Accounts Committee without first bringing it before the Committee. It violates the rules of the House, violates the rules of natural justice. The PLP drowned out his ability to read the report which accused the majority side on the committee of political bias in making its report of the corruption of the processes of the building of the New Providence roads by the government. There will be 94 million dollars of over spending on the roads.
You can click here for the full report of the Public Accounts Committee headed by Bernard Nottage, MP for Bain and Grants Town.
You can click here for the conclusions of the Committee.
The FNM responded by its Leader Hubert Ingraham calling the interruption of Mr. Thompson by the PLP a new low in the Parliament and accused the PLP’s Frank Smith of assaulting Mr. Thompson. That is absolute foolishness. The PLP should have done more and brought the proceedings to a stop altogether. Further, Mr. Ingraham has brought the Parliament to a new low by his flagrant violations of the rules. But as they say it aint long now. The photo of the event is by Peter Ramsay of the Bahamas Information Services.
MITCHELL ANSWERS HUBERT INGRAHAM IN GOLDEN GATES
Hubert Ingraham, the Prime Minister, went to Golden Gates in a vain attempt to try and best the PLP in that part of the vineyard. His rally took place on Thursday 8th March. It was different place same old story about the PLP is responsible for everything under the sun. Fred Mitchell MP answered Mr. Ingraham the next morning with the following statement:
STATEMENT BY FRED MITCHELL MP
FOX HILL (THE PROGRESSIVE LIBERAL PARTY)
RESPONDING TO THE PRIME MINISTER'S GOLDEN GATES RALLY 8TH MARCH 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Hubert Ingraham continues to trash talk at rallies instead of dealing with the issue of his failure to keep the people of this country employed and in a crime free environment. His performance in Golden Gates tonight has earned him a new prizing in clowning. He must answer the question to the Bahamian people why he is not as he promised hanging his head in shame because of his inability to bring criminals to trial on a speedy basis. He must answer for the scandal of tens of millions of over spending on roads, the scandal of Mona Vie at Customs, the scandal of paying for sand to be put on Saunders Beach. His term includes one story after the next of the abuse of government power, government money for raw political purposes: chief amongst these giving a monopoly to his cronies at the Port in Nassau and selling BTC at a fire sale price while putting Bahamians workers on the bread line. He should be ashamed of himself.
The Prime Minister talked at length about corruption in the PLP and said that his government is scandal free and clean, seemingly oblivious to the road works fiasco that is around $93 million over budget and rank with conflicts of interest and gross mismanagement.
The Prime Minister continued to blame the road works fiasco on the PLP to deflect from his government’s failure to properly manage this important project. The FNM accepts no responsibility for this failure.
He misled the Bahamian people on the performance bond in connection of Associated Asphalt.
The Prime Minister continued to blame the PLP for the industrial action of customs and immigration even though his government was clearly at fault. He is not accountable or responsible for the actions of his government.
The Prime Minister bragged about 4,000 BEC customers whose lights have been turned off. The Prime Minister and his government through their mismanagement of the economy caused thousands of households to live without electricity for years. This is clearly an election ploy as many of those BEC customers are still unemployed.
The National Security Minister continues to mislead the Bahamian people on Urban Renewal. The fact is that serious crimes between 2002 and 2007 were reduced by 30%, but have increased by 19% between 2007 and 2011. The fact is the empirical data shows that Urban Renewal was a qualified success and the PLP is committed to introducing Urban Renewal 2.0 upon our return to government in short order.
Minister Tommy Turnquest must accept that murders have doubled under his watch and the FNM government has fundamentally failed to keep Bahamians safe.
PHOTOS OF GOLDEN GATES OPENING
Shane Gibson the much vilified Member of Parliament for Golden Gates launched his campaign on Monday 5th March in Golden Gates. The crowd was massive. The delegation was led by Perry Christie, Leader of the Party. It was there that Leslie Miller, the PLP’s Tall Pines candidate launched a full-fledged attack on Tommy Turnquest, the Minister of National Security or so the Minister thought. See comment above. The photos are from the PLP’s Facebook page.
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PHOTOS OF SOUTH BEACH OPENING
It was the launch of the campaign of Cleola Hamilton, who sent the FNM’s Phenton Neymour packing as the candidate for South Beach. Mr. Neymour went running to Exuma in the hopes that he will win the seat. The launch in South Beach was a swimming success led by the PLP’s Leader Perry Christie. The photos are from the PLP’s Facebook page.
PHOTOS OF SOUTHERN SHORES OPENING
Last week, we omitted the photo spread in error of the launch of the Southern Shores campaign which took place on Thursday 1st March. The PLP’s candidate for that area is Kenred Dosett. The photos are from the PLP’s Facebook page.
PHOTOS OF STEP ST HQ OF GREG BURROWS
Greg Burrows is the PLP’s standard bearer for the St. Anne’s constituency. Part of St. Anne’s encompasses two polling divisions from the area which is actually part of the Fox Hill Village and should be in the Fox Hill constituency. However, Hubert Ingraham in 1997 in a successful effort to defeat Fred Mitchell in that election took the two polling divisions and put them in Montagu where they remained until this election. Again, he refused to put the polling divisions back in Fox Hill. So Greg Burrows will be the PLPs standard bearer to give those people representation if he wins for the first time in 15 years. The opening of his headquarters took place on Saturday 10th March in Step Street. The photos are from the PLP’s Facebook page.
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PHOTOS OF LONG ISLAND OPENING
The opening of the campaign office of Alex Storr, the PLP’s candidate for Long Island took place in Simms, Long Island on Wednesday 7th March. The PLP’s delegation was led by Perry Christie, the Leader of the PLP and a delegation of other MPs including Picewell Forbes, South Andros, Fred Mitchell, Fox Hill, Alfred Gray, MICAL, Shane Gibson, Golden Gates, Philip Davis, Deputy Leader and MP for Cat island Rum Cay and San Salvador, Melanie Griffin, Yamacraw. A fine time was had by all. Joining Mr. and Mrs. Alex Storr for the occasion was dame Marguerite Pindling, widow of the founding Prime Minister of our country Sir Lynden O. Pindling. It was a proud day for the stalwarts of our party Mario Simms and Alphonso Moree. The photos are from the PLP’s Facebook page.
PRINCE HARRY CAMETH AND WENTETH
Nassau with its bloody sentimentality for royalty welcomed with open arms the representative of the House of Windsor that our constitution says are our Lords and Masters. Harry Windsor, representing his grandmother the Queen of The Bahamas Elizabeth Mountbatten visited The Bahamas to mark her Diamond Jubilee. That means she has been our Queen for sixty years. He went to church. Folks said he looked restless. Then he went to open an exhibition in Rawson Square. That was last Sunday. The next day, he went to a youth rally at the new National Stadium. He sat with the kids and not with the officials. The young seemed to be dazzled by the star quality. He left and went to Jamaica. Some say he had a better time there (see Teej Gant’s comment below). Well the PLP was represented at these official dos by its leader Perry Christie and by MP Melanie Griffin. Mr. Christie was at the Government House for the audience there and then at Rawson Square with Mrs. Griffin and then the next day at the public rally. The photos are by Peter Ramsay of the Bahamas Information Services.
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PHOTO SALUTES WOMEN OF THE BAHAMAS
Wednesday 7th March was marked as International Women’s Day. This year also marks the 50th anniversary of women getting the vote in The Bahamas. So a tribute was paid to the women pioneers to lead the fight for women to vote in The Bahamas. The photo montage we publish with Dame Doris Johnson, Eugenia Lockhart, Mable Walker, Mary Ingraham and Georgiana Symonette appeared on Facebook pages throughout the week.
DEAN ADDERLEY AT THE FNM OPENING
There was a row last week in The Bahamas about preachers on the platforms of political parties. The Prime Minister attacked the retired Archbishop and the brother of the PLP’s candidate for North Andros Perry Gomez from going on a political platform. The Archbishop warned the Prime Minister not to get into a row with him. He said that he carefully calibrated his remarks to the single issue of defending his brother. He made no political comment. But there is a history of this in the FNM. Rev. Philip McPhee was a candidate for the FNM in one general election. Fr. Addison Turnquest was a candidate for the FNM in another election. Bishop Simeon Hall spoke in 1992 at the FNMs rallies in Nassau. Oswald Brown, the former Freeport News Editor posted on his Facebook page Dean Patrick Adderley of the Anglican Cathedral at the FNMs opening in South Beach on the public platform. The photos appeared on Oswald Brown’s Facebook page.
TEEJ GRANT’S LATEST COMMENTS
The former Nassau Guardian photographer and now publisher of Extract Magazine and a social commentator Teej Grant had this comment which appeared on his Facebook page about the visit of Prince Harry to The Bahamas representing his grandmother for her diamond jubilee.
CAST YOUR NET ON THE OTHER SIDE
Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham on the occasion of the opening of the Exuma FNM headquarters told the residents there that they should cast their nets on the other side of the boat because they have fished with the PLP for ten years. He further stated that the PLP MP was a back bencher and could do very little for the people of Exuma. He said that he is a fisherman and he knows the drop and where the fish are.
Last night, the people of Marco City and East Grand Bahama used the Prime Minister’s Exuma logic to demonstrate their support. In this instance, Grand Bahama boasted of a Minister of Works; a former Minister of Housing; a Junior Minister of Finance; a Deputy Speaker of the House; and, three Senators. Today with all that influence around the policy-making table, Grand Bahama’s economy has been brought to its knees. The neglect of this city has been unparalleled since the founding of the city of Freeport.
So, it was no surprise when the unemployed, government workers, and young people in large numbers all showed up to support the PLP’s candidate for East Grand Bahama, Ms. TyneishaTynes and Mr. Gregory Moss, candidate for Marco City. To the television audience, it was made clear why Jr. Minister for Finance and M.P. for Marco City retreated to Nassau. There were whole scale defections from the FNM. People who all of their lives have supported and voted for the FNM are now being forced to reject the party of Cecil. They believe that the organization has been hijacked.
Although the turnout was huge by Grand Bahama standards, the crowds would have been larger had the venue been in a more desirable location where people would have felt safe. This week viewers would see the full measure of support for the PLP when they will host the Central Grand Bahama and Pineridge constituencies gathering in an open space in the downtown area of Freeport. After this gathering, it will become clear that the FNM in Grand Bahama has lost the popular support of the people.
Grand Bahama residents seeing the handwriting on the wall has begun to voice their concerns with the PM’s spending spree. He is acting as if the public treasury is a bottomless pit, but in the end, could very well bankrupt our country. This dog in the manger approach must be challenged.
LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR
Forrester Carroll writes from Freeport this week about Hubert Ingraham’s propensity to blame everything on Perry Christie and the PLP. He says that Mr. Ingraham takes no responsibility for anything that has happened during his five years in office. Mr. Carroll gives a list of those things that Mr. Ingraham blames on Perry Christie and the PLP. He ends with a story of deceit told by the campaign team of Norris Bain, the FNM candidate for Marco City. Enjoy:
I label this writing today as, “the Ingraham’s misery loves company syndrome.” Shane Gibson has always advised not to listen to what this sucker says but watch what the piss head does. If you examine closely Ingraham’s deportment you will notice a much defined pattern of the “misery loves company” syndrome developing where, whenever he is criticized about anything, he finds a way somehow to implicate Christie, and or the PLP, to share in the blame. He would never take the flack (for anything he does wrong) without trying to share the fallout with Perry and or the PLP. Remember the matter of the 8500 Chinese workers attached to the approval of the Bah Mar project? The piss-head, when he realized he couldn’t refuse China’s conditions for approval of the loan, declared that unless every single MP (including PLP MPs) in the parliament voted “Yes,” to the proposed Chinese labor component of 80% on the project during the construction stages, that his majority-member FNM government would not approve Bah Mar’s project. Being a PLP project, which Ingraham stopped when he initially came to office, he knew that Perry and the other members of the opposition would have done whatever they could to make sure the project was approved and got off the ground. Ingraham didn’t need Christie and or other PLP MPs to vote for or against those work permits but because he knew that the political fall-out would have been tremendous for the FNM he wanted the PLP and Christie to share in the political backlash which he knew was sure to come. Wrapping up the final hours of this his (May 2007-May 2012) last and final five-year term in office (concluding a full five year term on the job doing nothing) the piss-head still blames Christie (and the PLP) for problems he himself creates. Following I feel compelled to cite a number of examples of this kind of behavior with the hope that the message gets through to all you FNM hardliners especially.
It was Ingraham who signed the deal (with the broke and busted Budimyer group) to take control of the old Princess Hotel and Casino here in Freeport, right? Well I vividly remember the PLP warning him that the group (headed by Budimyer himself) was not a suitable operator for the property and that his FNM government should not agree the take-over deal but, as is usual with Ingraham, he never ever listens nor does he take advice from anyone; he does what he damn well pleases and to hell with the consequences. I remember, as well, how desperate Hubert was to be able to say that his government made sure that the hotel was re-opened (no matter who the crooks were that he approved) before the general elections of 2002. So against all prudent and good advice, given, the Budimyer group was handed control of the property, by the FNM, and from that day they made their real intentions crystal clear-get the property up and running and the offload it on someone else at a huge profit. For them though the three hurricanes of 2004 and 2005, which devastated the whole of Grand Bahama, couldn’t come at a better and more convenient time; the damage to the buildings and property gave them the perfect way out. The Budimyers skipped town, (only months before the general elections of May 2007), in 2006 with what we understood to have been $70 million, derived from the insurance claims submitted, never to be seen or heard from again. Christie, of course, pursued them even as far as New York in an attempt to have them pay all the money they owed the government and their employees but in the end to no avail. All this in the midst of the PLP government’s massive recovery efforts to get Grand Bahama back on target. We all remember the challenges of housing and feeding hundreds of those persons whose houses were destroyed (or have we forgotten conveniently?) throughout Grand Bahama. In the meantime Christie had to find the taxpayers’ money to compensate the 1500 employees who were left holding the bag when Ingraham’s Budimyer group skipped town with the insurance money. The Budimyer’s left town owing those 1500 employees millions of dollars; they were bad news from day one and Ingraham was warned about them so he is to be blamed, not Christie, for all the trouble and expense to the taxpayers they caused. The Negro never listens to advice from anyone; that’s his trouble.
By April of 2007 (days before the May 2nd 2007 general elections which Christie lost) the PLP was able to sign the deal with the Harcourt group to purchase and operate the Royal Oasis property. However since Christie’s loss of the elections (on May 2nd 2007) it was left to Ingraham to work with the Harcourt group to get the hotels operating. His government (FNM) did nothing, in the five years, and Freeport is still languishing from Ingraham’s bad decision and the FNM government’s neglect of our city. Like I said, in all these five years, the FNM has done nothing and the property still sits there an eye soar and a clear testimony to Ingraham’s neglect of Grand Bahama. Who does Ingraham continue to blame for the hotel not being opened as yet? Christie and the PLP of course; not him and his FNM government who really are the negligent ones. The sucker takes blame and responsibility for nothing; it is always someone else who is/was the problem. He knows that the few supporters he has left will believe any foolishness he tells them, no matter how ridiculous and foolish it sounds. It is certainly ridiculous to blame the PLP for the hotel not being opened, after the FNM has been in power for five years, when during the campaign, for the 2007 general election, the piss head promised Grand Bahama that his government would have the Royal Oasis opened within his first 100 days in office and that they would create 10,000 jobs on this island; lest we forget these are now broken promises and we have lost 10,000 jobs instead.
During the campaign for the 2007 general elections Ingraham faulted Christie for not bringing the beneficial owners of the Grand Bahama Port Authority (the St. Georges and the Haywards) together to mediate the feud (which was ongoing between them for sometime) with the view to bridging the impasse and having their differences ironed out for the good of Freeport’s continued economic growth. Ingraham claimed he would have done so (and solved the problem) had he been prime minister. Well it seems Ingraham met the problem, when he came to office, and will leave matters worse when he is driven out of office. As a matter of fact the feuding parties have long since solved their differences, without Ingraham’s interference I might add, but its Ingraham and his government who have now made the situation in Freeport worse; his government has had no dialogue with the Port Authority now for about three years. He has so aggravated the situation, with his abrasive utterances, that Sir Jack now wants no contact with the sucker; they don’t even talk with to each other; so much for the great mediator. The piss head, though, continues to put the blame on Christie and that is what I term as the “Misery likes company” syndrome.
Then there was the Bah mar debacle; Ingraham screwed that up as well, when he came to office in 2007, with his “stop, review and cancel” policy. The $2.6 billion venture was to be funded principally by the world famous “Harrahs” casinos and built with a labor component of 70% Bahamian and 30% foreign, but the jackass insulted the man and drove him away from the deal. When financing for the project (here in the West) had virtually evaporated the developers were left with no choice but to go east to find the money needed, behold they landed right smack in the devil’s lap; they found communist China a more than willing lender/participant. After playing footsies with Sandy Sands and the boys down on Cable Beach, and realizing that the years of his administration were weaning fast with nothing to show for the five years he’s been in power, the ass (under extreme pressure) acceded to Bah Mar’s request and the very liberal arrangements with China were approved. Beijing’s terms and conditions, which were written in stone for the loan of the money, included an 80% part Chinese labor component compared to 20% Bahamian. This in effect left the FNM government with the dilemma of approving work permits for 8500 Chinese nationals during the construction stages. The outcry, from the PLP, was loud and distinct as well the Bahamian people (especially construction workers) were relentless in their objections, but to no avail. China would not budge and Ingraham had no choice but to agree the influx of the communist easterners, otherwise the project would have died an unnatural death. Faced with this hot potato labor issue Ingraham sought diligently to find a way to include Christie and the PLP and thus escape the blame being put on him alone (he thought). His way out was to make the approval of the project conditioned on every single MP (including PLP MPs) voting, in the parliament, for the 80% Chinese labor component; each MP had to vote YES or NO. He said it was the PLP’s baby and the PLP would have to born their own baby; this bird brain is such an arrogant jackass. The ASS insisted that unless the PLP voted in favor of the Chinese labor coming here to do most of the work that his FNM government would refuse the project. Clearly he was afraid of the potential political backlash his government was bound to face because of their agreement to the 8500 work permits for the Chinese. There was no real glory in this one for the piss head so he insisted that its approval was conditioned on the PLP indicating their approval. The damn idiot really only wanted to be put in a position (politically) that when Bahamian voters start cussing his backside, for allowing all those Chinese in the country to take jobs from them, that he would be able to tell them that Christie and the PLP agreed as well. This is the pattern we see developing with this watermelon head jackass.
Then came the collapse of the Atlantis/Brookfield deal; it happened four years and six months into the FNM’s Administration yet the piss-head blames Christie. He said that Christie should not have approved what he (Ingraham) labeled as a bad deal. The piss head blames Christie for approving Sir Sol Kerzer’s request to use Atlantis as collateral for other investments, inferring that he (Ingraham) would never have done so. We know this to be a big fat lie; we know (and all the country does as well) that Ingraham could never refuse Sir Sol anything he ask of him so who does he thinks he is fooling? Besides if Ingraham thought it was such a bad deal why hadn’t he “stopped, reviewed and cancelled” that deal, as well, as he did all those others of Christie’s projects, when he came to office in 2007? The piss head simply cannot and will not accept responsibility for anything that goes sour on his watch; he always has to find a scapegoat and Christie and the PLP are two good targets.
The most recent classic case of Ingraham’s blame game was when the fall-out came from the sudden, unannounced, visit of the President of Haiti. Ingraham arranged for him to come here (and pretended that he didn’t) to plunge himself into our internal political affairs. Ingraham coached the president to say what he did when he (the president) impressed upon those of his country’s former citizens, who are now Bahamian citizens, how to vote. He advised them to form themselves into a block of voters and support the political party which has their best interest at heart. Now we don’t know exactly what that means (their best interest I mean) because any government should have, as its focus, the best interest of all Bahamians (not foreigners) at heart; certainly that is the focus of the PLP. When the backlash came, though, the piss head went into his “blame game” mode and tried his best to implicate Christie. Christie had nothing to do with the damn culprit coming here in the first place, of course, so why would the damn dictator even call Christie’s name? Misery likes company, that’s why, and the piss-head just cannot face up to his troubles all by himself; he has to always find a cozy place to hide behind some lady’s gown tail, the damn COWARD. And didn’t you hear him wanting to call Branville McCartney a liar but couldn’t even do that without using Christie as a scapegoat? Even when the union which represents Customs and Immigration officers ordered their members to “work to rule” recently, and did not report for overtime shifts, Ingraham blamed Christie and the PLP for orchestrating the work stoppage. Christie did what was expected of him, with respect to accommodating the Haitian President’s request for making the courtesy call on him, in his capacity as leader of Her Majesty’s loyal opposition. The president indicated that he wanted to make a courtesy call on the opposition leader (which by the way is proper protocol) and Christie was obliged to extend the courtesies otherwise the newspaper headlines, around the world, would have read (the following morning); “Bahamian opposition leader snubs the Haitian president.” This is Hubert Ingraham’s style; not Christie’s. Christie has too much respect for Queen and country to do the kinds of nasty things Ingraham does; he would never denigrate the country’s instruments of governance-our protocols, if you will, nor his office of leader of Her Majesty’s loyal opposition. It is obvious that Ingraham’s campaign will be centered on the assassination of the characters of PLP Candidates; he realizes that he has no other message that would resonate with the electorate so he must resort to what he does best and that is to throw mud. He has opted to tell lies, on us, and hope that his efforts pay off politically for him. Ingraham cannot defend his five-year term (of do-nothingness) in office and so he knows that if he is to have any chance of winning any seats in our parliament, in this election, he will have to throw mud and lies at Christie and the PLP. A clear example of the deliberate lies they are telling (on the campaign trail) came to my attention yesterday when a PLP supporter, in the Marco City Constituency, related a story to me of a visit he and his wife had from Norris Bain’s campaign office. A three-member team (a young man and two young ladies) showed up at his door claiming that they were sent by Mr. Bain to solicit his and his wife’s support for his candidacy in the coming general election. My friend told me that he invited them in and offered them a choice of drinks; coffee, tea or juice. Getting down to the mission at hand the young man (obviously the leader of the team) asked my friend if he had any particular concerns that they can take back to Mr. Bain, my friend told them that he did. He related one and then another; in both instances Norris’ team had the facts wrong and so was debunked by my friend. Obviously frustrated, by this time, the young man made the mistake and asked my friend if he had anymore concerns. My friend answered in the affirmative; he told them that he was concerned that the FNM promised, during the 2007 general elections, to have the Royal Oasis hotel opened within the first 100 days of them coming to office and that they could have done so, very easily, because Christie and the PLP (before them) were able to secure and approve an operator before losing the election in 2007. The young man, feeling he had the facts on an issue that my friend could not possibly debunk, went on to relate all the talking point lies Norris Bain and the FNM fed him. He led the discussion on how the PLP couldn’t get the hotel opened and how, when the operators skipped town, the employees who were not paid their severance and other due amounts were left stranded; that Christie and the PLP did nothing to assist them. He told my friend that it wasn’t until the FNM came to power that the 1500 employees, who were left stranded when Budimyer skipped town, were paid their monies. “Not so fast young man” my friend stopped him in his tracks. At that point my friend asked his wife if she would be so kind as to retrieve the papers she had, in her possession, which could prove to this FNM campaign team the truth of what role each government played in the matter. She arrived with the stack of account files; my friend introduced his wife and told them that she was, in fact, the financial controller at the time the operators of the Royal Oasis left town and that she was also owed a mess-house of money. My friend was able to prove, to the FNM team; from the documents in his possession that Christie and the PLP government had in fact approved some $8 million to pay off the 1500 employees what was owed to them. He showed them where the PLP government had paid the stranded employees $4 million (half of what was due them) and promised to provide for the remaining $4 million in the 2007-2008 budget. The PLP lost the government, of course, and when the FNM came to power, thank God, they didn’t “stop, review and cancel” that agreement Christie left in place; they paid the employees the remaining $4 million. At that point the young man was obviously very pissed-off and said to my friend, in a somewhat disgusted tone of voice; “Mister they lied to me; they deceived me” after which he bid them “good night” and abruptly left the house, leaving behind the two young ladies who accompanied him on the campaign trail. I have inside information from someone very close to Zhivargo Laing that it is the intention of the FNM to do all they can to make Christie and the PLP look bad. I am told that they intend to lie, cheat and steal if they must so long as they win the government. They intend to go down fighting for power because being the government is too sweet to lose it. They say that if they have to apologize for some of their nastiness, they will do so after they win but the devil is a liar.
Voters have now tuned Ingraham out and are not listening to anymore of his lies. Selective PLP candidates are being targeted for mudslinging but it will not work you bastard. The Bahamian people know who the liars are, by now, especially the “Liar-in-Chief” as Christie labeled the piss-head. When you think seriously about it (and I want FNM supporters to hear me on this), your piss head leader has been prime minister of this country for 15 years of the last 20 years and he accepts no blame for anything that is wrong in the country? How is that possible? He has governed for 15 years; Christie has governed for 5 years and the records, of both these two, will on examination show that Christie’s five years have been far more productive in all aspects than Ingraham’s 15 years at the wheel. I challenge anyone to show me evidence to counter my submission. The man is a desperado; he blames others for his failures; indeed he is a desperate, dangerous jackass.
Thank you
Forrester J Carroll J.P
Freeport, Grand Bahama
March 2012
Abuse of the Security And Intelligence Branch
The latest report is that under Hubert Ingraham abuse of the Security and Intelligence branch is unprecedented. One report is that a group of people well known private citizens were gathered at their favourite watering hole when a policeman came in taking pictures with his phone camera. The next morning, the Prime Minister called one of those who were there and was able to say whoa attended the meeting and where.
FNM Seeking To Bribe Voters On The Roads
Can you believe this man Hubert Ingraham, the Prime Minister? He says that he is now going to have a survey done in order to determine what monies businesses have lost as a result of the roadworks and seek to compensate them for their losses. This man is a clown in deed. Mr. Ingraham’s government was sued by the business people of the Blue Hill Road corridor. They won in the Supreme Court. Mr. Ingraham sent his Attorney General to go to court to appeal the decision of the Supreme Court and won. The business people are appealing at the Privy Council level. Now he with the election coming near, he has decided to use taxpayer money to try to give compensation in a shameless attempt by the FNM to bribe voters in order to win the general election.
SUPERVALUE Boss Rupert Roberts Meeting On Road Compensation
Amongst those businesses that suffered because of the roadworks was SUPERVALU, the largest retail food store in the country owned by Rupert Roberts. Mr. Roberts was up to this general election a big supporter of the Free National Movement. He says that he will be meeting on the issue of compensation from the government. We wonder if Mr. Roberts will be voting to support the FNM this time around.
Kay Smith Car Taken Away But Gets Lyford Cay Office
She is the gift that keeps on coming. Having resigned her place as the Consul General in Atlanta to come home and run the campaign; then being demoted to Deputy Coordinator to work under Brent Symonette then Earl Deveaux, and stripped of her car, she is back. This time the report is that Kay Forbes Smith is ensconced in a luxury office at Lyford Cay as Deputy Coordinator of the FNM’s campaign. FNMs cannot understand why Hubert Ingraham keeps supporting her. One commentator said it’s because she is a good organizer. However, she does not have the best people to people skills, he added.
Loretta Says She’s Comfortable Being Fat
Last week we reported how Leslie Miller, the PLP’s candidate for Tall Pines, speaking at a party rally made fun of Loretta Butler, the MP for Montagu and the FNM’s candidate for Long Island. This attack by Mr. Miller came after Loretta Butler attacked him the week before. Mrs. Butler spoke to the press last week about the experience. The remarks appeared in a story by the Nassau Guardian in which Mr. Miller was quoted as asking for a truce in the war of words between candidates. Mrs. Butler said that she was happy he was asking for a truce and believed that he was forced to do so. She said that many women had called her and said that they would not vote for Mr. Miller because he had made fun of a woman and her weight. Mrs. Butler who many believe is morbidly obese said that she is a big woman, accepts that fact and is comfortable in her own skin about her weight.
Ingraham Says He’s Chosen The Date
Hubert Ingraham, the Prime Minister, told the press during the past week that he has already chosen the date for the general election but he is not telling anyone what the date is. He said that he has always known when the date would be but just isn’t saying. We believe that this is stupid. He is playing games. The county is at a standstill as he drifts from meeting to meeting with nothing new on the agenda the country is tired of him and he needs to call the general election. His problem is that he is hoping for something to happen which will turn around his fortunes. He must call the election and stop delaying and shilly shallying.
Old People Should Not Vote For Bannister In North Andros
In responding to the appearance of Dame Marguerite Pindling, former Governor General Arthur Hanna and Archbishop Drexel Gomez at the PLP’s Rally in North Andros in support of Dr. Perry Gomez, the FNM’s candidate for North Andros called them geriatrics. This is a reference to their ages, all post 70 years of age. This comes from the Minister of Education. So since he can now cast aspersions on people who are considered senior citizens presumably none of them have to vote for him. No geriatrics need apply. We hope that all seniors in North Andros remember the jibe.
Stanley Moir, Former Assistant Commissioner Dies
Stanley Moir, a British citizen, who adopted The Bahamas as his home and served as Assistant Commissioner of Police on the Royal Bahamas Police Force died on Friday 9th March
The Police Promotions
The FNM two months before the general election have promoted police officers after no promotions for five years. You can click here for the full list of the promotions.
Barry Griffin Bahamian Law Student Meets The Queen
Queen Elizabeth of The Bahamas met Bahamian student Barry Griffin
at his college as a debate participant. Quite an honour. Congratulations. He is one of our stellar up and comings.
Belize Held Elections on 7th March
In a narrow race, the ruling United Democratic Party ("UDP") won seventeen out of the thirty-one available seats to win re-election while the opposition People's United Party won fourteen seats. In the local elections, the UDP won six municipalities, while the PUP won three municipalities. Dean Barrow is once again Prime Minister.
The total number of eligible voters was 178,054, out of a population of just over 300,000. There were 74 total candidates and 320 polling stations. For the simultaneous local elections, 97,979 of the voters had the choice to choose from 170 candidates at 168 of the polling stations.
Tanisha Tynes and Greg Moss Open Their HQs In Grand Bahama
This was the scene at the opening of the Headquarters of Tanisha Tynes, the PLP's candidate for East Grand Bahama and Greg Moss, the PLP's candidate for Marco City, on Saturday evening 10th March in Freeport. Look at all the people!
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FRED MITCHELL WOWS THEM IN FOX HILL: The crowd was huge in the Village. There was great excitement. Fred Mitchell brought the PLP’s leadership to Fox Hill. He is the incumbent MP. The PLP made the case for why the PLP ought to be government. Mr. Mitchell promised to work for the creation of 10,000 jobs within two years which are targeted at young people. The current unemployment rate is 34 per cent which means that one in three under the age of 25 is unemployed. Mr. Mitchell also pledged to work to increase the minimum wage now pegged at $150 per week up to $210 per week which is the minimum wage in the Bahamas government service. He also said that legislation ought to be passed to stop people’s homes from being sold out from under them. The photo of the week is the rally in Fox Hill on Monday March and is by Peter Ramsay.
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COMMENT OF THE WEEK
A STORY FOR EARL DEVEAUX
Earl Deveaux, the Minister of The Environment, has the reputation along with his colleague Desmond Bannister, the Minister of Education, of being amongst the most sanctimonious and holier than thou in the House. Behind that velvet glove is an insidious iron fist strategy. He was in full flight on Monday 19th March when he spoke in the House of Assembly on the Freedom of Information Act.
In the House he claimed that this site was amongst a number of others that attacked the character of public figures including himself unfairly. He claimed that while he could understand this as a public figure, his wife and family were off limits. Unfortunately not so Mr. Deveaux.
When Fred Mitchell MP Fox Hill responded that he and the other FNMs ought to stop whining about attacks on them and simply accept that this is part of public life ( see story below), Mr. Deveaux and Carl Bethel responded that his wife was off limits and that Mr. Mitchell could not understand what he was saying since he (Mr. Mitchell) did not have a wife.
Of course that demonstrated precisely the nastiness to which Mr. Deveaux goes while arguing and appearing to be all reasonableness and light just a few minutes before. When Mr. Mitchell told them that point of how they had just demonstrated the nastiness to which he was referring, they all responded that they were speaking the truth, Mr. Mitchell did not have a wife. Ha! Ha! Ha!
Well here’s the proposition. Just because the FNM attacks someone what makes them think that there are rules that say one’s family is off limits. The other person who is attacked has right to get you back any way they can.
In the case of Mr. Deveaux though, his wife B J. Deveaux is a public figure (See Sullivan vs. New York Times). She is married to a politician so that puts her in the public domain. She is has also on occasions spoken on his behalf at one public forum or the next defending his public record sometimes in all red dress. In the case of his children, legitimate questions have been raised about government scholarship issues granted to them. None of that was out of bounds and nothing from this site was personal in nature. All had to do with public issues.
The FNM wants to have their cake and eat it too on this issue last week as we predicted from this site Tommy Turnquest, the Minister of National Security, filed a law suit against Leslie Miller, the former Minister and the PLP's candidate for Tall Pines. What an asinine thing to do. He now brings his entire reputation into play and will soon suffer from the Oscar Wilde problem. Mr. Wilde got himself into worse trouble by responding to a provocative note about his sexuality by suing his accuser. He ended up going to jail for sodomy which was then a crime in 19th century England. So Mr. Turnquest who says that Mr. Miller has accused him of beating his wife should be very careful with this issue.
We say that anyone who is attacked has a right to attack back, and they should attack back in the best way they can. Dion Foulkes will learn this lesson after his attack on Fred Mitchell.
Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 24th March 2012 up to midnight:
Number of hits for the month of March up to Saturday 24th March 2012 up to midnight:
Number of hits for the year 2012 up to Saturday 24th March 2012 up to midnight:
On Friday 23rd March the hearing into challenges to voters on the register in North Andros continued before the revising officer Huntley Christie. The PLP’s Philip Davis led the legal team and submitted that having regard to the fact that Hubert Ingraham broke the directive of the revising officer not to publish the names of any of those being challenged, the hearing had been prejudiced and should not continue. Mr. Christie turned aside the submission but the numbers of those being challenged are down from 30 to 17. The whole thing is spurious nonsense by an ever desperate Desmond Bannister who went scurrying from his Carmichael seat in Nassau to try to win North Andros. He is under great pressure there and has been lashing out in all directions. (See story below In Passing on the biggest box in the world we ever saw.) The PLP attacked Hubert Ingraham in a statement about the issue. The statement follows. Mr. Ingraham claims that he has two homes one in North Abaco and one in Nassau and he claims he lives in Nassau. He says that he and the voter who he outed are in similar circumstances and that the voter should vote where he lives. The trouble is that voter voted for the FNM in the same circumstances on three different occasions in North Andros. Now that he is a PLP supporter suddenly something is wrong with it. Further, Mr. Ingraham’s own Minister of State Zhivargo Laing in a court action argued that he lives in Freeport even though he is a full time Minister of the government and therefore must be living in Nassau. But Mr. Ingraham is not one for truth or consistency. He is a serial prevaricator.
Statement
Progressive Liberal Party
March 21, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ESCALATING EFFORTS TO INTIMIDATE VOTERS,
INGRAHAM VIOLATES RULING ON PRIVACY
Speaking from the stage at an FNM political rally, Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham called the name of a voter he said was registered in the wrong place.
The case involves a voter who maintains two different residences in two different constituencies. Section 9 of the Parliamentary Elections (Amendment) Act 2011 allows voters in such a position to choose the constituency in which they would register. The matter concerning this particular voter is under adjudication, and the Returning Officer in North Andros presiding over the matter has ordered that his name be kept secret.
In shouting the name of this voter from the platform during a political rally, the Prime Minister violated the ruling of the Returning Officer, hitting a new low.
The Prime Minister is well-known for bullying his own candidates and MPs, and well known for attempting to bull-doze those who disagree with him.
Ingraham now attempts to act as judge and jury on an issue -- in a blatant attempt to influence the decision-maker and the Parliamentary Commissioner, letting them know very publicly the outcome he is demanding, even though such an outcome appears to have no support from the law.
In North Andros, the Prime Minister and the FNM Ministers doing his bidding have turned things into a circus, harming the small community; the Returning Officer has referred to the process as “divisive”.
The possible use of the police force to investigate political opponents, the hyped-up charges of violence and voter fraud, and now the singling out of a voter by name -- the FNM is running an intimidation operation– and they’ve invited the international observers, who will arrive late in the day and with a tiny team, for cover.
Note that the voter called by name by the Prime Minister has always had the same circumstances of residence – and while he was an FNM supporter, Hubert Ingraham was happy to have him vote in North Andros. But now that he intends to vote for the PLP, the Prime Minister is going after him personally, in a rally broadcast to the nation.
The Prime Minister behaves like a dictator and a bully.
The PLP again calls for free and fair elections, and a process free from interference by the Prime Minister himself. The Parliamentary Commissioner should be allowed to do his job and produce a clean voters’ register.
HOW BAHAMASUNCENSORED GOT STARTED
This column was the subject of a nonsensical attack by FNM Minister Earl Deveaux on 19th March in the House of Assembly. We have repeatedly said to FNM partisans, if they do not like what is on this site, there is nothing which compels them to read it. Simply don’t press the button and you don’t have to know what is on it. There is nothing libelous on this site. Never has been and never will be. What we do is print sharp commentary and an insightful analysis of the politics of The Bahamas. Who doesn’t like it can lump it? We find the whining of FNM politicians on this issue of websites to be sanctimonious and hypocritical, when they engage in the most nasty and vicious campaigning in the history of the country. They expect the PLP to simply sit back and say nothing about it. Not on their lives. The column was started in 1998 as fredmitchellucensored.com. Niki Kelly, the journalist, raised some hell about this and the change was made to bahasmucnensored.com. Her objection was silly but there you have it. The PLP folded on the issue instead of standing its ground. But the column was started because the press would not publish the commentary of Fred Mitchell. This is a mechanism then to protect Mr. Mitchell’s interest and that of the PLP. It is purely defensive. If the FNM will fold then we will fold for these purposes. It has a good readership, loyal readership. We must be doing something right. So Mr. Deveaux as your leader likes to say: too bad too sad for you. And no one is off limits when it comes to public policy.
LESLIE MILLER RESPONDS TO TOMMY TURNQUEST
Leslie Miller, the PLP’s candidate for Tall Pines, was sued by Tommy Turnquest, the Minister of National Security last week saying in the writ that at a political rally Mr. Miller made allegations about Mr. Turnquest beating his wife. Mr. Miller spoke to the press about it on 21st March and here is what he had to say in his own words. The interview appeared in The Tribune on 21st March. The story was written by Dana Smith:
"I never called his wife's name nor did I call Tommy Turnquest's name in relation to any beating of wives, so if he chooses to cry foul when he was the one that initiated the fight - I find it so incredible and so petty.
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"I got served yesterday... it's a joke, really, because what happens now when Mr. Keith Bell and the other persons in our party, including myself now, join each other and bring a suit against him. He can't believe that he's just going to come with his suit and we're not going to counter-sue him.
"I got so much more things to do in my life right now than fool around with Tommy Turnquest and his little frivolous lawsuits.
"This guy who initiated this whole foolishness is running to the courts to talk foolishness around people there? Please. He got nothing else to do? When the crime is at an all time high? When neighbours are being murdered every day? When we are being threatened? Now by the United States government that they put out a warning to their citizens to be careful. He's concerned about a lawsuit instead of looking at the governance of our country?
"It is his right as a citizen to do whatever he wants to do, it is our right too, to do what is necessary to counteract what he would have done. He brought a lawsuit, we will bring a lawsuit. But is that really what is in the minds of average Bahamians today?"
End
TURNQUEST’S SILLY RESPONSE ON TV PROGRAMME
The reports continue to circulate in political circles that the DNA is facing a crisis of some sort. It must have gotten to the DNA itself because the party issued a statement last week in which it said that the party was still intact and functioning. The fact is some commentators have noticed since the fight for the deputy leadership of the party was won by Chris Mortimer, Branville McCartney, the Leader, has been less vocal. Mr. McCartney thought reportedly that attorney Wayne Munroe would win and is reportedly not kosher with the actual result. Mr. Mortimer is believed to be the principal financier of the party and some argue that there may have been some over expenditure during the Deputy Leadership campaign which has led to a cash crunch in the party. Politics is an expensive business and money is the mother's milk of politics. Well the pundits are watching closely.
ALLYSON MAYNARD GIBSON RESPONDS TO HUBERT
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It was really quite extraordinary but Hubert Ingraham, the Prime Minister, in the death throes of his Prime Ministership is busy lashing out at everyone. One victim was Allyson Maynard Gibson whom he said told him he is the greatest thing since slice bread and she was happy that he was Prime Minister. Mrs. Maynard Gibson, who is the head of the PLP’s senate team issued a statement in response to it which showed Mr. Ingraham to be a perfect piece of dung. He violates confidences at will all in the name of his ego
( see story IN PASSING). She denied that any such words were spoken by her. The question folk asked all week is what was it that earned Mrs. Gibson the ire of the Prime Minister assuming it was not that he was mentally ill. The answer appears to be that she is head of the PLP’s War Room responsible for the PR, marketing and research and the logistics of the PLP’s war machinery. That earned the brickbats. Oh well, she has broad shoulders. Here is the statement issued by Mrs. Gibson:
I have been informed that tonight at the FNM political rally in St. Anne’s the Prime Minister referred to a visit that he made to my late Father, Sir Clement Maynard, at his residence during his illness. Falsely, the Prime Minister claimed that I told him that I was glad that he is in charge of the country during these tough times.
The Prime Minister did visit my late Father during his illness. The truth of the Prime Minister’s statement ends there. At no time then or since did I express to the Prime Minister, or anyone else, that I am happy that he is in charge during these tough times.
I am appalled, but not surprised, that the Prime Minister would cause our family to relive the painful memory of our late Father’s illness on a campaign platform in his attempt to be reelected. This is certainly a new low in Bahamian politics.
Out of respect for my Mother and my family, I would expect that such an episode would never reoccur.
GOING GOLD IN SAN SALVADOR
The PLP launched its campaign in San Salvador for the re-election of its Deputy Leader Philip Davis. Perry Christie, leader of the party, led the delegation. He was joined by MPs Fred Mitchell and Frank Smith and Dame Marguerite Pindling. The photos are by Sidney Isaacs and appeared on the PLP’s Facebook page. The event took place in Cockburn Town, San Salvador on Thursday 15th March.
GOING GOLD IN CAT ISLAND
On Friday 16th March Philip Davis, the Deputy Leader of the PLP, launched his campaign for re-election in Cat Island. The photos appeared on his Facebook page.
UNTHINKABLE UNBELIEVABLE HUBERT
The ad has caught fire in The Bahamas. Put on by the PLP on television the Bahamian pubic has identified with it. Hubert Ingraham was denouncing Perry Christie’s government at the time he (Mr. Ingraham) was first re-elected saying that if he could not bring 100 people to trial within two years for murder he would be a failure and deserved major punishment. He ended by saying it was unbelievable and unthinkable. Now with nearly 400 such murders still to be tried at the end of his term, his words are being used by the PLP to cut his behind.
Paul Simon wrote these words: “In the clearing stands a boxer and a fighter by his trade and he carries the reminder of every blow that laid him down or cut him ‘til he cried out in his anger and his shame: “I am leaving, I am leaving. But the fighter still remains.” Enjoy!
BTC ABUSING THE BAHAMIAN PUBLIC
Here we go again. The Bahamas government sold BTC so that its Minister of State for the Environment Phenton Neymour can watch Law and Order on the beach in Exuma. Not only can’t he do that but the service of BTC has steadily deteriorated and yet has become more expensive. The latest salvo in the hike in prices is that of charging for directory assistance calls. This is rapacious.
LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR
Forrester Carroll writes this week from Freeport about the FNM’s campaign tactics. He argues that they are deceivers. They were unable during their time in office to create no new projects or implement no new ideas. They took PLP ideas and developed or completed them and then blamed the PLP for not finishing them. He talks extensively about the PLPs contributions and about how wrong Hubert Ingraham’s “stop, review and cancel” programme was.
You can count on Ingraham (the clown) and his FNM spin doctors to begin delivering a litany of lies; half-truths and well crafted deceptive messages (about Christie and the PLP) now that general elections are upon us.
They have already begun making the silly argument that Christie’s PLP government could have done this, that and the other, all in the one five-year term in office (2002-2007); things which (you should know) the FNM government, themselves, couldn’t accomplish in the ten years prior to when they were in office 1992-2002. The miscreants, for one, have been claiming (lately) that the PLP could have implemented a National Health Insurance scheme while they were in office but they didn’t; not true (you lying bastards) not true; the PLP did, in fact, complete a comprehensive plan, for the implementation of national health insurance, with a deadline set for January 1st 2008 (after the regulations and all the other necessary pre-requisites would have been completed); however the PLP lost the election in May of 2007 and it was left then to the FNM (who, by the way, voted in favor of the plan, albeit reluctantly) to implement the scheme but they didn’t. The FNM government is who left it on the shelf, all these five years, to gather dust; so it is not true that the PLP did nothing about national health insurance for all Bahamians; after all it was a PLP idea, for Lord’s sake. It is the truth, though, that the FNM government failed the Bahamian people in this regard. Bearing in mind that Government and governance are continuous, ending a five-year term shouldn’t impact governance to the extent that all good programs cease to be when a new Administration comes to office. Yes some policies (of how things are done) may change but programs which are important to the health and welfare of the majority of citizens shouldn’t change or be abandoned. When an administration changes, good prudent and sensible governance shouldn’t change; that happens only when watermelon head bastards like Hubert Ingraham takes control. Changes in the administrative powers shouldn’t mean that break-up everything you meet in place and this is what the FNM did. When one five-year term is completed (and if the government changes) then the incoming government is supposed to complete whatever its predecessor leaves unfinished. I can assure the FNM, though, that the incoming PLP government will (on assuming office after the next general election) immediately implement “our plan” for the nation’s universal good health care, which is badly and urgently needed.
We are all well aware of Ingraham’s modus operandi; he will begin attacking Christie by telling you that Christie is weak; Christie is indecisive; Christie is lazy; Christie consults too much (see what Proverbs 15:22 says about having many counselors as opposed to too few) and Christie did nothing in the five years he was prime minister 2002-2007. But all fair-minded Bahamians know these accusations to be lies; we know that were it not for Christie’s five years in office, and the things which were accomplished during the period, our country would have been ten times worse than it is right now. I entreat you, brothers and sisters, ask the knuckle-head if Christie didn’t succeed in rescuing the country’s finances, which were left in shambles by Ingraham’s FNM government. Ask the piss-head who was the prime minister-2002-2007- when 22,000 jobs were created; ask the watermelon-head bastard who was at the helm of the ship-of-state (2002-2007) when the country’s economy grew (in 2005) by 3.4 % and was projected to grow by at least 4% from 2006 and beyond; ask the bird-brain on whose watch (2002-2007) did $17 billion, of foreign direct investments, come to the country ($3 billion of which was already in the ground at various stages, of development, when the PLP demitted office in 2007); ask him, ask the jungle bunny who made sure that at least $400 million worth of contracts were awarded to Bahamians as a direct result of that $3 billion.
Government revenues grew (during the period 2002-2007) from $875 million, annually, to a whopping $1.3 billion; ask the piss-head on whose watch was this growth realized. Ask the piss-head, as well, which government created 22,000 jobs during the period 2002-2007; Unemployment fell from 15.8%, when Christie took over from the jackass in 2002, to 7.6% in 2007 when Christie left office; ask the lying bastard (deceiver) who was responsible for that huge decline? Five years later, under the piss-head, unemployment is back up to 16% nationally (I am convinced that it is more like 25%) with Grand Bahama topping the islands at about 38% (they say its 22%). Among the youth, nationally, they say it’s at 34%. Those are the conditions, in the country, under this inept Ingraham Administration and they are asking you for five more years? They’ve gat to be kidding.
When the watermelon (shaped) forehead, brain-dead, delusional, box-fish head, angry madman FNM leader comes with his LIES (on the campaign trail) about Christie’s term in office, please remind him (and his MINIONS) that it was during Christie’s five years (2002-2007) that the following new investment projects were initiated and launched in the country; Bah Mar’s $1.2 billion Cable Beach re-development project; Atlantis’ $1 billion phase three expansion; Abaco’s Great Guana Cay’s Passerine $half-billion ($500 million)project; the $76 million film studio at Gold Rock Creek, in Grand Bahama; the $35 million development in Pittstown Crooked Island; $243 million resort development on Crab Cay and little Crab Cay Exuma; the multi-million dollar resort development project in Rum Cay; $140 million Winding Bay Club (in the piss-head’s own backyard) at Cherokee Sound Abaco; $300 million re-development of the Cotton Bay Club (which the FNM killed during their 1992-2002 term) on South Eleuthera; the $75 million investment at Windermere Island, in central Eleuthera; Baker’s Bay $ billion project; Ginn Sur Mer’s $4.9 billion venture and many more smaller projects too numerous to mention here.
The PLP introduced (as well) the Venture Capital Fund and maintained constant financing, of the same, at $1 million for its entire five-year term. This was designed to support young Bahamian Entrepreneurs who needed start-up capital (for their business ideas) but didn’t, in fact, have the minimum injection of funds or the collateral to secure what was needed to capitalize those ideas. The PLP not only provided the total initial funding (for the young Entrepreneurs) but also provided mentorship from start-up to the business becoming a successful, fully paid-up, entity. When the loan was paid in full, the business was then turned over to the young entrepreneur who took over full management of the same. On coming to office, in 2007, the FNM government saw no need for the program (they said) and it fell to the axe of their “stop, review and cancel” policy. Now that elections are upon us, suddenly, the program is now re-introduced but under the guise of another name; they are now calling it a “self-starter program” but without the mentorship and oversight aspects which the PLP had, which would go a long way in guaranteeing a high degree of success. They are pretending that this is an FNM original idea when, in fact, the nation knows that they couldn’t conceive a worthwhile idea (program) if it were to save their miserable lives. Additionally the Christie Administration increased the funding, at the Bahamas Development Bank, by $25 million each budget year as long as the funds were required. Christie’s Administration also enacted a Stamp Tax Exemption policy, for “first home buyers,” up to a value of $250,000.00 and promised (in that election year) that, if elected on May 2nd 2007, the new PLP government would have increased that exemption amount to $500,000.00 which would have included first time Condominium purchases as well; Ingraham and his FNM government, “stopped, reviewed and cancelled” that benefit to first time home buyers as well.
Instead of committing (in their 2012 manifesto) to creating full time jobs and opportunities for the tens of thousands of Bahamians who are out of work (presently) and for the thousands of those still unemployed youngsters who left school during 2007-2011 and those who will be leaving school, for the job market, during 2012-2017, the FNM is promising, instead, 13 extra lousy weeks of unemployment benefits. Is this all that our people can expect (and to look forward to) from a new FNM government if, God forbid, they win the elections? 13 extra weeks of unemployment benefit cheques and more long lines, at social services offices throughout the country, for the $40 a month food stamps? Has anyone told Hubert Ingraham (and or his FNM government) about the recently released unemployment statistics by the department of statistics? Are they aware of (or do they even care about) the 40-50,000 Bahamians who are unemployed and looking for jobs right now while I am writing this article? The statistics released tell us that unemployment, nationally, is just about 16% (that is what they say but I say more). In Grand Bahama, however, they say its 22% (I say it’s more like 37%- 38%) and among the young people they say its 34% (I dispute those percentages as well and submit that it’s more in the neighborhood of 50%)? In addition, the bird-brain says that if you re-elect him he will give you a catastrophic health insurance plan ( in recent campaign speeches he is now promising National Health Insurance, I am told); the problem with this promise of a catastrophic health insurance scheme is that this is not the first time he is making this promise; this is a renewed pledge of an old, stale, broken promise which he committed to, in his manifesto for the 2002 general election campaign, so don’t hold your breath on that one. Besides, haven’t we had enough of the FNM government's lip service attitude to our health care matters? For the record, Forrester Carroll disputes every single one of those so-called, official stats released on what they say is the unemployment rate, on Grand Bahama and indeed nationally. The rate, I submit, is realistically in the range of 37%-38%. This translates to around one and one half persons in every four (eligible workers) walking the streets of Grand Bahama out of work and looking for jobs. Of the youth, on this island, I would venture to say that 75% of those (under 30 years), eligible job seekers, are unemployed, out of work and cannot find a damn thing to do to earn a living. With respect to the so-called 52 weeks jobs program, the government sought to employ as many FNM supporters, as they could, in an attempt to win seats come Election Day. The program has no structure to it and, in my view, wasn’t meant to have structure; it was meant merely to enhance FNM support. This is not a new trick they are employing; they did the same thing in 2002 and ended up turning over, to the PLP government, a country that was broke and busted. Christie had to put his hand to the wheel and he did wonders with the broken pieces. This is how irresponsible and reckless this stupid FNM prime minister has been in his management of the country’s affairs. Ingraham doesn’t give a damn if we sink or swim and that has been his attitude from day one. What irks me terribly is that the FNM has had five long years and hasn’t done a damn thing (to better our lives) yet they are coming now again begging us for our votes for another five years? Like Christie said, the suckers should be apologizing to us not asking us for our votes.
We Bahamians must learn to read between the political lines; Hubert Ingraham wants so badly to be re-elected, to office, that he will do anything, say any nonsense and will promise you the world if he thinks, for one minute that you would fall for his well crafted lies. He is a master at the craft of lying and deceit; there is no wonder his former law partner recently branded him “Liar-in-Chief.” I will challenge Grand Bahamians not to forget the promises Ingraham made to us in 2007; he promised that his FNM government would create 10,000 jobs; we lost 10,000 jobs; we lost, as well, 500 companies which have closed their doors permanently, in Freeport alone, since the FNM came back in power; we’ve had hundreds of houses foreclosed on; thousands of Bahamians forced to exist below the poverty line; 5000 households without basic utilities in Grand Bahama; dozens of loved ones having to move into their vehicles (lock, stock and barrel) and live like dogs on the streets and spend their nights on or near the beaches; loved ones dying for lack of good medical care and a misery index that has gone through the roof, breaking all previous records. Beware of this scum bag and the promises he comes with this time; he will tell you any amount of lies if he thinks they will do the trick in bringing Christie’s character into public ridicule and getting you to vote for him again. Christie’s good record, in office, is fair game for this bastard but don’t let the snake charm you into believing his lies. A former FNM supporter expressed her sentiments recently when she said to a friend of mine; “Why should any voter in Grand Bahama support these FNM bastard candidates this time? These are my sentiments exactly. I really don’t know how they can get up the nerve to come knocking on your doors asking for your support for this embarrassment of an FNM party to become the government again; surely they are joking. They are a particular brave lot; I would be asking for Grand Bahama’s forgiveness, not their votes. I saw where Neko Grant’s team left me an envelope, at my door, which I promptly threw in the garbage can; why didn’t the sucker show up at my house and confront me, the shameless bastard? I saw one of the FNM’s TV political commercials recently and here is part of what it said; “They named the airport but we constructed it.” This was a clear reference, to the “Sir Lynden Pindling’s Airport” redevelopment project, which was meant to send the message (to those who would be fooled) that it was the FNM (and not the PLP) which made what happened at Nassau’s Airport happen. Ingraham is determined to lie his way through this entire election campaign, by claiming PLP projects as the FNM’s. They brought no investments, to the country, within the last five years and we, in the PLP, will not relent in reminding the Bahamian people of that fact. As a matter of fact no investor wants to come here as long as Ingraham is prime minister because they know that they cannot trust what he says. Ingraham is now left with no choice but to lie about, cheat on and steal Christie’s projects; the Bahamian people know though who did and or who didn’t do what. If we didn’t know better (by their propaganda) we would surely believe that it was on the FNM government’s watch that the deal, for the redevelopment of Nassau’s airport, was struck but not so; this was a Christie project and the PLP is proud and determined not to let the country forget it.
We (the PLP) are aware that in the past our PR was lack luster; we didn’t brag enough, and loud enough, about all the positive things we’ve done but that has changed; we will begin blowing our horn more loudly.
The FNM is on a mission (these last few weeks in office) revving up the rhetoric (which they do very well) in an effort to swing the heads of as many weak voters as they can (before Election Day) while Bahamian families are having the worse times of their lives. Official statistics, reported recently in the print media, tell us that within the last four years (of this FNM Administration) the numbers of Bahamian families which have fallen through the cracks and been reduced to surviving on less than $5000 per year have increased by 83%. Almost 10,000 families (in the country) are said to be struggling to survive on incomes of less than $5000.00 per year which amounts to less than $100.00 per week. You need only do the math to see the depth of the “misery crisis situation” in the country. All this going on while the piss-head grins (all the time especially when he sees a TV camera) like a damn Cheshire cat. Now we know the real reason why he was so anxious to have the cameras brought into the House of Assembly in the first place.
The second big reason why Ingraham says that we should give his FNM government another five years (to piss all over us) is because if we do he promises to build two more wings onto the Princess Margaret Hospital. Imagine that folks, after all the suffering we’ve been through these last five years, this animal has the nerve and the audacity to come to us with his bag of tricks asking us to give him another five years? I say again the devil is a liar. Promising to add more wings onto the princess Margaret hospital and the Rand doesn’t impress us; we want to hear him tell us exactly how we can recover from all his government has subjected us to these past five years; how can we get our lives back; how can we recover all the assets we’ve lost as a result of his bad governance which has thrown our lives into a backward tailspin. Besides we need new hospitals, in both Nassau and Freeport, not additions to those old, rat and rodent infested hospitals. You can beg on your hands and knees (morning and night-day in and day out) until Election Day but it won’t do you any good jackass; we’ve moved past you and your kind, now, and looking forward to relief, under the new incoming PLP government, not continued bondage under you; you bastard. No amount of shocking and jiving will change the minds of angry Bahamians, at this point; we are unprepared to take any more of your CRAP, Hubert Ingraham.
You will begin (very soon) to see Ingraham’s picture, on campaign posters all over the country, in every constituency; my suggestion to my friends who are DART enthusiasts is to use these pictures, on these posters as targets, for practice. Make sure and regard his huge, big sloppy mouth as the bull’s eye and ensure that your darts hit the center of the target with every throw.
Thank you.
Forrester J Carroll J.P
Freeport, Grand Bahama
March 2012
Leslie Miller Sued By Tommy
We have been reliably informed that Tommy Turnquest, the hapless and hopeless Minister of National Security has filed a writ against Leslie Miller claiming that in speaking at a PLP rally in Carmichael Mr. Miller defamed him. We reported the remarks last week in this column. This is quite silly of Mr. Turnquest and his action has no hope of succeeding. This is largely filed one imagines to stop the matter from being discussed in the newspapers. Mr. Turnquest foolishly put his wife’s reputation and his own in play by suggesting that remarks about “real men” not beating their wives were directed at himself and his wife.
Ingraham Apologizes For Claiming He Is Greater Than God
At this rally on Wednesday 14th March in St Anne’s, Hubert Ingraham was serenaded by the religious anthem: Nobody Greater. The song of course refers to the Almighty God. The public was incensed and Mr. Ingraham was roasted alive by the Bahamian public the next day on the radio. Mr. Ingraham apologized to the public at his rally in South Abaco on Thursday 15th March saying that he did not engineer the song being played and that he did not think of himself as greater than God. We don’t believe him. We believe he engineered playing the song and he does think that he is greater than God.
Papa Clown Takes Off As Buzz Word
Philip Brave Davis the PLP’s Deputy Leader has for the past month or so been calling Hubert Ingraham “Papa Clown”. The expression is a mockery of Mr. Ingraham who just before the last general election declared he was a changed man because he was a Papa or a grandfather. The public started calling him Papa. Now it is using Mr. Davis’ Papa clown after Mr. Davis said that Mr. Ingraham has been clowning around on the public stage with the fate of the Bahamian people.
Suggested PLP Solgan
"The PLP KNOW WHAT THE YOUNG GALS WANT!"
No FNM Paraphernalia
We have been given another reason why Hubert Ingraham cannot fix a date for the general election. We have reported before on this site that FNM candidates have been raising hell about the fact that they are short of money and Mr. Ingraham has not been forthcoming with funding. Now we hear that the FNM is simply not ready with all their election paraphernalia. No T shirts, no billboards, no printed material. So Mr. Ingraham is being deliberately vague about when the election will be called. He told the press that it would be sometime between now and the 23rd May 2012 the date the mandate runs out. He says that he will not take advantage of the constitutional provision which allows him to take up to 90 days to call the general election. The PLP has it paraphernalia in place amongst them some 750,000 golf shirts in storage for the general election.
East Park Residents Protest Road Openings
The residents of East Park Estates fought and fought to stop their subdivision from being used as a public thoroughfare almost a decade ago. They were successful in stopping the use of the roads in the private subdivision developed by the late Percy Munnings and now owned by his daughter Judy Deveaux. Now the Ministry of Works has announced that they are opening the road that was closed to vehicular traffic which will allow a diversion as a result of the full road closure of the Fox Hill Road south. Traffic headed north on Fox Hill Road from Sandilands Village Road will be diverted through the pristine and quiet neighbourhood of East Park to the chagrin and ire of the residents. The Ministry of Works say it’s for four weeks; but the residents have no faith in the promise of the time or that the fence will be restored to close the road again. The diversion is to start tomorrow Monday 19th March.
Tony Moss Gathers Supporters To Watch TV
When the PLP held its rally last Saturday 10th March in Freeport, a shout out was sent to the people of Exuma by host Dwight Armbrister. He knew why. At the time Anthony Moss, the MP for Exuma, was surrounded by 400 supporters before a big screen TV to watch the rally in Freeport. That crowd was twice the size of the crowd that came out to see Hubert Ingraham when the FNM calling the week before. Exuma is still PLP.
Christie At Church Of God On Wednesday Last
Perry Christie, Leader of the PLP, headed a delegation of PLPs at the Church of God of Prophecy last week on Wednesday 14th March for its annual convention at the big jumper church on East Street.
BTC Abusing The Bahamian Public
Here we go again. The Bahamas government sold BTC so that its Minister of State for the Environment Phenton Neymour can watch Law and Order on the beach in Exuma. Not only can’t he do that but the service of BTC has steadily deteriorated and yet has become more expensive. The latest salvo in the hike in prices is that of charging for directory assistance calls. This is rapacious.
Eileen Carron’s Birthday
She is for The Tribune, the gift that keeps on coming. She is now eighty something and still has her petite and trim figure and an acid pen. She is Hubert Ingraham’s mouthpiece in the media and to the world. She is the publisher and owner of The Tribune which has been going since 1903. One of her staff Paul Turnquest posted a birthday party picture of Eileen Carron with her son Robert at The Tribune. He posted it on his Facebook page Paul Turnquest on 13th March.
Ingraham: A History Of Violating Confidences
There is a Bahamian saying when someone talks too much and cannot keep confidences that they are not a deep freeze. Or some would say his mouth is like “parch benny”. Benny are the sesame seeds that make up benny cakes in The Bahamas and when you are fixing the cakes they have to be heated and they pop and pop rapidly to indicate they are ready to go into the candy. So someone who talks a lot: well you get the picture. That is what people are saying about Hubert Ingraham. In attacking Allyson Gibson (see story above) and revealing what he says were private conversations with him, he revealed something about his character. Again: when you dig one grave, you dig two is a Bahamian saying. It reveals that this is a man who cannot be trusted to keep confidences. Mr. Ingraham has routinely revealed the private conversations between himself and Perry Christie as Leader of the Opposition to Prime Minister. He revealed private conversations between himself and Bahamian businessman Rupert Roberts. Last week Mr. Roberts responded in kind by revealing on Love 97 radio that Hubert Ingraham whose party is supported by white Bahamians in large numbers told Mr. Roberts: “A white man like you shouldn’t be selling groceries over the hill.” So it is really not a matter of trust with Hubert Ingraham. You cannot trust him to keep a confidence. People come to you as Prime Minister and say many things but they do not expect that their confidences will be betrayed by a man in such a senior office.
Chester Robards Hurt And Recovers
The Tribune reported that one of its senior reporters Chester Robards, the nephew of Justice Stephen Isaacs, was battered in an armed robbery at a traffic stop in Nassau last weekend at four in the morning. A bloodied Mr. Robards was shown on the front page with the alarming headline. Thankfully he was not more seriously hurt. Later in the week, the photo we show from his Facebook page demonstrated the ability to bounce back. The event revealed a more sensitive side to the robust Mr. Robards (who by the way is also a poet) who thanked all the well wishers for their thoughts for his recovery which we add here as well.
Glenys Hanna Martin On Charlie Maynard
Hiring Consultants And Giving Out Money
The sources inside the government are saying that the Hubert Ingraham administration is spending money like there is no tomorrow. Consultants are being hired in the public service at a record pace with contracts that the PLP will find difficult to break. The Bahamas Mortgage Corporation is now paying back mortgagors large cheques they say because the people have overpaid or were overcharged by the Corporation. FNM partisans are up and down Prince Charles Drive in New Providence asking business people if they have lost money during the road closures and how much they lost so they can be compensated before the general election.
The British government tabled legislation last year to provide for a fixed date for the next general election there. Perhaps now this country will do so, now that the mother country has found a way to do it. Our issue is that unlike Britain, we have a written constitution and so in order to do so we may have to amend the constitution to do so.
You may click here to view the act and click here to view the briefing paper of the British.
Jerome Sawyer To Leave ZNS
We are reliably informed that Jerome Sawyer, the television presenter and chat show host is to resign from the Broadcasting Corporation to take up a job in the private sector.
Michael Pintard At Brave Davis Cat Island Rally
There used to be an axiom in politics. Never show up at the other man;s meeting to help make up his crowd. That ws not one of the rules for Michael Pintard, the FNM Senator and lamb to the slaughter in the Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador seat where the PLP's Deputy Leader Philip Davis is the incumbent. Mr. Pintard actually showed up at Mr. Davis' launch in Cat Island on Friday 16th March. Things that make you go : hmmmm!
They Have A Bad View Of The Bahamas
The piece shown from Australian TV shows the Bahamas as a particularly violent
country. It is that. We agree. But Bahamians were despairing and wringing their hands at this video. Oh lord what are we going to do? There is despair at the obvious. It is not like this is new information. We have been a double society for at least two generations. We advertise and sell this place as a playground, a giant Disney World, but there is another star reality of poverty and degradation which we do our best to hide from the tourists. The fact is that dichotomy has always been there. Will we do something about it? Not if we re-elect Hubert Ingraham to office. But we present the video for you to view.
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FRED MITCHELL WOWS THEM IN FOX HILL: The crowd was huge in the Village. There was great excitement. Fred Mitchell brought the PLP’s leadership to Fox Hill. He is the incumbent MP. The PLP made the case for why the PLP ought to be government. Mr. Mitchell promised to work for the creation of 10,000 jobs within two years which are targeted at young people. The current unemployment rate is 34 per cent which means that one in three under the age of 25 is unemployed. Mr. Mitchell also pledged to work to increase the minimum wage now pegged at $150 per week up to $210 per week which is the minimum wage in the Bahamas government service. He also said that legislation ought to be passed to stop people’s homes from being sold out from under them. The photo of the week is the rally in Fox Hill on Monday March and is by Peter Ramsay.
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COMMENT OF THE WEEK
A STORY FOR EARL DEVEAUX
Earl Deveaux, the Minister of The Environment, has the reputation along with his colleague Desmond Bannister, the Minister of Education, of being amongst the most sanctimonious and holier than thou in the House. Behind that velvet glove is an insidious iron fist strategy. He was in full flight on Monday 19th March when he spoke in the House of Assembly on the Freedom of Information Act.
In the House he claimed that this site was amongst a number of others that attacked the character of public figures including himself unfairly. He claimed that while he could understand this as a public figure, his wife and family were off limits. Unfortunately not so Mr. Deveaux.
When Fred Mitchell MP Fox Hill responded that he and the other FNMs ought to stop whining about attacks on them and simply accept that this is part of public life ( see story below), Mr. Deveaux and Carl Bethel responded that his wife was off limits and that Mr. Mitchell could not understand what he was saying since he (Mr. Mitchell) did not have a wife.
Of course that demonstrated precisely the nastiness to which Mr. Deveaux goes while arguing and appearing to be all reasonableness and light just a few minutes before. When Mr. Mitchell told them that point of how they had just demonstrated the nastiness to which he was referring, they all responded that they were speaking the truth, Mr. Mitchell did not have a wife. Ha! Ha! Ha!
Well here’s the proposition. Just because the FNM attacks someone what makes them think that there are rules that say one’s family is off limits. The other person who is attacked has right to get you back any way they can.
In the case of Mr. Deveaux though, his wife B J. Deveaux is a public figure (See Sullivan vs. New York Times). She is married to a politician so that puts her in the public domain. She is has also on occasions spoken on his behalf at one public forum or the next defending his public record sometimes in all red dress. In the case of his children, legitimate questions have been raised about government scholarship issues granted to them. None of that was out of bounds and nothing from this site was personal in nature. All had to do with public issues.
The FNM wants to have their cake and eat it too on this issue last week as we predicted from this site Tommy Turnquest, the Minister of National Security, filed a law suit against Leslie Miller, the former Minister and the PLP's candidate for Tall Pines. What an asinine thing to do. He now brings his entire reputation into play and will soon suffer from the Oscar Wilde problem. Mr. Wilde got himself into worse trouble by responding to a provocative note about his sexuality by suing his accuser. He ended up going to jail for sodomy which was then a crime in 19th century England. So Mr. Turnquest who says that Mr. Miller has accused him of beating his wife should be very careful with this issue.
We say that anyone who is attacked has a right to attack back, and they should attack back in the best way they can. Dion Foulkes will learn this lesson after his attack on Fred Mitchell.
Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 24th March 2012 up to midnight:154,063
Number of hits for the month of March up to Saturday 24th March 2012 up to midnight:612,426
Number of hits for the year 2012 up to Saturday 24th March 2012 up to midnight:2,163,653
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On Friday 23rd March the hearing into challenges to voters on the register in North Andros continued before the revising officer Huntley Christie. The PLP’s Philip Davis led the legal team and submitted that having regard to the fact that Hubert Ingraham broke the directive of the revising officer not to publish the names of any of those being challenged, the hearing had been prejudiced and should not continue. Mr. Christie turned aside the submission but the numbers of those being challenged are down from 30 to 17. The whole thing is spurious nonsense by an ever desperate Desmond Bannister who went scurrying from his Carmichael seat in Nassau to try to win North Andros. He is under great pressure there and has been lashing out in all directions. (See story below In Passing on the biggest box in the world we ever saw.) The PLP attacked Hubert Ingraham in a statement about the issue. The statement follows. Mr. Ingraham claims that he has two homes one in North Abaco and one in Nassau and he claims he lives in Nassau. He says that he and the voter who he outed are in similar circumstances and that the voter should vote where he lives. The trouble is that voter voted for the FNM in the same circumstances on three different occasions in North Andros. Now that he is a PLP supporter suddenly something is wrong with it. Further, Mr. Ingraham’s own Minister of State Zhivargo Laing in a court action argued that he lives in Freeport even though he is a full time Minister of the government and therefore must be living in Nassau. But Mr. Ingraham is not one for truth or consistency. He is a serial prevaricator.
Statement
Progressive Liberal Party
March 21, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ESCALATING EFFORTS TO INTIMIDATE VOTERS,
INGRAHAM VIOLATES RULING ON PRIVACY
Speaking from the stage at an FNM political rally, Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham called the name of a voter he said was registered in the wrong place.
The case involves a voter who maintains two different residences in two different constituencies. Section 9 of the Parliamentary Elections (Amendment) Act 2011 allows voters in such a position to choose the constituency in which they would register. The matter concerning this particular voter is under adjudication, and the Returning Officer in North Andros presiding over the matter has ordered that his name be kept secret.
In shouting the name of this voter from the platform during a political rally, the Prime Minister violated the ruling of the Returning Officer, hitting a new low.
The Prime Minister is well-known for bullying his own candidates and MPs, and well known for attempting to bull-doze those who disagree with him.
Ingraham now attempts to act as judge and jury on an issue -- in a blatant attempt to influence the decision-maker and the Parliamentary Commissioner, letting them know very publicly the outcome he is demanding, even though such an outcome appears to have no support from the law.
In North Andros, the Prime Minister and the FNM Ministers doing his bidding have turned things into a circus, harming the small community; the Returning Officer has referred to the process as “divisive”.
The possible use of the police force to investigate political opponents, the hyped-up charges of violence and voter fraud, and now the singling out of a voter by name -- the FNM is running an intimidation operation– and they’ve invited the international observers, who will arrive late in the day and with a tiny team, for cover.
Note that the voter called by name by the Prime Minister has always had the same circumstances of residence – and while he was an FNM supporter, Hubert Ingraham was happy to have him vote in North Andros. But now that he intends to vote for the PLP, the Prime Minister is going after him personally, in a rally broadcast to the nation.
The Prime Minister behaves like a dictator and a bully.
The PLP again calls for free and fair elections, and a process free from interference by the Prime Minister himself. The Parliamentary Commissioner should be allowed to do his job and produce a clean voters’ register.
HOW BAHAMASUNCENSORED GOT STARTED
This column was the subject of a nonsensical attack by FNM Minister Earl Deveaux on 19th March in the House of Assembly. We have repeatedly said to FNM partisans, if they do not like what is on this site, there is nothing which compels them to read it. Simply don’t press the button and you don’t have to know what is on it. There is nothing libelous on this site. Never has been and never will be. What we do is print sharp commentary and an insightful analysis of the politics of The Bahamas. Who doesn’t like it can lump it? We find the whining of FNM politicians on this issue of websites to be sanctimonious and hypocritical, when they engage in the most nasty and vicious campaigning in the history of the country. They expect the PLP to simply sit back and say nothing about it. Not on their lives. The column was started in 1998 as fredmitchellucensored.com. Niki Kelly, the journalist, raised some hell about this and the change was made to bahamasucnensored.com. Her objection was silly but there you have it. The PLP folded on the issue instead of standing its ground. But the column was started because the press would not publish the commentary of Fred Mitchell. This is a mechanism then to protect Mr. Mitchell’s interest and that of the PLP. It is purely defensive. If the FNM will fold then we will fold for these purposes. It has a good readership, loyal readership. We must be doing something right. So Mr. Deveaux as your leader likes to say: too bad too sad for you. And no one is off limits when it comes to public policy.
LESLIE MILLER RESPONDS TO TOMMY TURNQUEST
Leslie Miller, the PLP’s candidate for Tall Pines, was sued by Tommy Turnquest, the Minister of National Security last week saying in the writ that at a political rally Mr. Miller made allegations about Mr. Turnquest beating his wife. Mr. Miller spoke to the press about it on 21st March and here is what he had to say in his own words. The interview appeared in The Tribune on 21st March. The story was written by Dana Smith:
"I never called his wife's name nor did I call Tommy Turnquest's name in relation to any beating of wives, so if he chooses to cry foul when he was the one that initiated the fight - I find it so incredible and so petty.
.
"I got served yesterday... it's a joke, really, because what happens now when Mr. Keith Bell and the other persons in our party, including myself now, join each other and bring a suit against him. He can't believe that he's just going to come with his suit and we're not going to counter-sue him.
"I got so much more things to do in my life right now than fool around with Tommy Turnquest and his little frivolous lawsuits.
"This guy who initiated this whole foolishness is running to the courts to talk foolishness around people there? Please. He got nothing else to do? When the crime is at an all time high? When neighbours are being murdered every day? When we are being threatened? Now by the United States government that they put out a warning to their citizens to be careful. He's concerned about a lawsuit instead of looking at the governance of our country?
"It is his right as a citizen to do whatever he wants to do, it is our right too, to do what is necessary to counteract what he would have done. He brought a lawsuit, we will bring a lawsuit. But is that really what is in the minds of average Bahamians today?"
TURNQUEST’S SILLY RESPONSE ON TV PROGRAMME
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Last week we showed the Australian TV programme which portrayed The Bahamas and crime. It first appeared in Australia on 13th March. The reporter condemned us with our own words with one Bahamian after the next saying what a terrible experience it was being in The Bahamas because of crime. We commented last week that we could have written the same thing about Miami or New York. Some elements in The Bahamas were full of indignation about it.
Unusually enough the Minister of National Security Tommy Turnquest who was busy showing off in the TV piece saying how there was a war going on and supporting generally the thrust of the piece, was among the indignant. Remarkably last week on 19th March, Mr. Turnquest called for an apology from the TV journalist who wrote the piece saying that the programme misrepresented The Bahamas. What a twit! The question is:
what were you Tommy Turnquest doing being interviewed in the first place? The one who needs to apologize is Tommy Turnquest and then he needs to resign. But then as the people are saying about the FNM: it aint long now. The piece was done by Australian journalist Nick Lazaredes.
MITCHELL IN HIS OWN WORDS ON FREEDOM OF INFO
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We carry here the report of the address of Fred Mitchell in the House of Assembly on Monday 19th March on the Freedom of Information Act. The report shows the response of Fred Mitchell to what he called the whining by Earl Deveaux, the Minister of the Environment about personal attacks on himself and his family (see the Comment Of The Week). The photos of Mr. Mitchell in the House were taken by Peter Ramsay of the Bahamas Information Services. The story appeared in The Tribune 20th March and is written by Celeste Nixon:
PERSONAL attacks are part of public life and MPs should not be too sensitive, Fox Hill MP Fred Mitchell said.
Responding to Marathon MP Earl Deveaux's contribution to the debate on the Freedom of Information Act yesterday, Mr. Mitchell said that having been in public life for 20 years, he has been subjected to all manner of "vile, vicious, political attacks", and takes the criticism as part of the job - choosing not to "whine" about it.
He said: "I have always taken it to be that you are in the public domain, and I don't whine about being attacked publicly. I have a voice and in a democracy I simply use all the voices I have to defend myself.
"It is in my view an occupational hazard of being a public figure in the Bahamas or any other western country."
While supporting the Bill as an effort to deepen the country's democracy, Mr. Deveaux lamented the use of the media to spread propaganda and publicly attack government officials and in some cases their relatives.
He said: "The outright attempts at character and political assassination, which have come to be commonplace in our political discourse, are a danger to our way of life."
But Mr. Mitchell pointed out that the media is not the only place where personal attacks are launched.
He said it is hard to remain civil in Parliament while the Free National Movement is engaged in the "nastiest campaign in our political history".
He said: "They make allegations of fraud, vote buying and violence, all of which I am satisfied they know to be nonsense, but doing so for purely political reasons and then expect us to come here and be civil in the House of Assembly."
Mr. Mitchell said he supports a Freedom of Information Act but urged the government to follow through and enforce the legislation.
"I hear what you say about the philosophy of the freedom of information, but if you talk the talk, you need to walk the walk," he said.
A LESSON FOR CARL BETHEL ON VISAS
Carl Bethel, the Chair of the FNM, was trying again to raise the matter of Chinese visas that he claimed were issued at the instance of former Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell. He was speaking in the House of Assembly when Mr. Mitchell interrupted him to remind him that the matter was sub judice because an action had been taken in the courts. Mr. Bethel objected to Mr. Mitchell suing a public servant and not suing him (Mr. Bethel) when the matters were first brought to light by Mr. Bethel. He said he could not understand how an allegation about Chinese visas was converted into an allegation against the accuser by saying that she issued Haitian visas. We thought that Mr. Bethel knew better and he does but politics will cause you to say and do stupid things. It has to do with credit and believability.
The public servant simply made up the allegations because she was in fact alleged to be involved in a scam. Mr. Bethel of course has the same credibility problem since he in fact wrote his colleague Minister of Foreign Affairs Janet Bostwick to ask for visas for one of the same people alleged to be involved ins selling and buying Haitian visas. He has no credibility on the issue either. The exchange took place on Monday 19th March.
AUDREY ROBERTS ON THE USE OF PAPA
Audrey Roberts is a consultant in Human Resources and comments on the web on matters of public interest, we wanted to share this comment she wrote about the use of the term “Papa” by Hubert Ingraham, the Prime Minister to describe himself. The term originated in the 2007 campaign to help fool Bahamians that Mr. Ingraham had lost his nasty and spiteful ways. Mr. Ingraham said he was a grandfather so this meant he was a changed man. He said that his grandchildren called him “Papa”.
Its amazing to me that in the 2nd decade of the 21st century in the Bahamas the leader of the governing party would term himself as "Papa" and civil society just lets it be. Are we serious?
The connotations of "Papa" are offensive: think 1950's Haiti and Papa Doc, think paternalistic, think patronizing, think dependency and control, think reductionist. Is it that as members of civil society we do think these thoughts, but we'd rather leave the leader of the governing party to believe that he is wearing new clothes, when in fact we see that he is naked?
And just how do members of that party seeking a return to office reconcile the concept of Papa with modern leadership in which they themselves are managing portfolios that seek to advance issues such as gender equality and social justice? More importantly, how do we as members of civil society feel about these huge contradictions or are we just as schizoid as those political candidates who would uphold as obnoxious a concept of leader as Papa on the one hand and claim to be proponents of good governance and empowerment of people on the other?
Frankly, I believe we are on a very slippery slope here. Bad enough that we demand so little of political leaders of any of the contending parties in that we accept that they each spew only variations on the same theme... but to be able to make room in our political discourse for as offensive a notion as Papa is, in my view, dangerous.
I urge those of you reading this who share my views to seek means of bringing this into public discussion.
Life More Abundant!
Audrey Ingram Roberts
PHOTO SPREAD SOUTH ANDROS OPENING
Led by the PLPs Perry Christie, the PLP’s road show travelled to South Andros and the Bluff settlement to hold a public rally in support of Picewell Forbes, the PLP’s candidate for South Andros on Thursday 22nd March. Mr. Forbes faces three opponents including two former MPs for the area. The crowd was full and enthusiastic. The photos are from the PLP’s Facebook page.
Dion Smith, the PLP’s candidate for Nassau Village, launched his campaign formally on Saturday 24th March. The launch was led by PLP’s Leader Perry G Christie. The photo is from the PLP’s facebook page.
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THE FOX HILL RALLY IN PHOTOS
This photo spread of the Fox Hill Gold Rush Rally was shot by Peter Ramsay on Monday 19th March at the Fox Hill parade. Leader of the PLP Perry Christie led a delegation of PLPs to speak at the event.
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HUBERT’S NEW AD
The FNM has been seeking to find a way to respond to the PLP’s policy positions on crime and the economy. This is their response:
This poem was circulated by James Catalyn, the Bahamian author. The author of the poem is not known but we thought it was interesting enough to share it with you. It’s a good message for the Free National Movement and Hubert Ingraham, the Prime Minister.
When a bird is alive...it eats ants.
When the bird is dead...ants eat the bird!
Time and circumstances can change at any time...
Don't devalue or hurt anyone in life.
You may be powerful today...but remember,
Time is more powerful than you!!
One tree makes a million match sticks...
But when the time comes...
Only one match stick is needed to burn a million trees.
So be good and do good.
Remember, when powerful, be merciful!
For that Power can be taken away
at a blink of an eye!
PLP SURGES BY STALWART B FROM FREEPORT
PLP SURGES WHILE FNM FLOUNDERS
The PLP support on Grand Bahama has surged and was this more visible at a rally held on the old Portion Control grounds in downtown Freeport, March 17th, 2012. Thousands of enthusiastic supporters turned out fully regaled in yellow. The rally as in support of Dr. Michael Darville, the PLP candidate for Pineridge and Julian Russell, the PLP candidate for Central Grand Bahama. Even the PLP’s party leader was visibly surprised by the large numbers and the enthusiastic support shown to him. This was in sharp contrast to the FNM candidate for Central Grand Bahama, Neko Grant and Pakeisha Edgecombe, the FNM candidate for West Grand Bahama.
Before the name change, Central Grand Bahama was headed by Neko Grant. He called his team, Team Lucaya. Over the past five years Neko has been a slothful shepherd of his flock. Many of his team members has left the fold while others has become disenchanted, disillusioned with his representation of his Lucaya constituency. So it was no surprise on Monday morning when we saw buried on page three (3) of the Freeport News the Minister taking a photo-op of his Headquarters opening. This was because the many constituents of that area did not want to see him; therefore, he had a soft opening.
Other constituents, we are told, are waiting to verbally abuse him for his lack of attention to Grand Bahama.
The once fortified stronghold of the FNM, The High Rock branch, now known as East Grand Bahama was left in disarray after the firing of Ken Russell.
Prime Minister Huber Ingraham told the High Rock FNMs to give him two names as replacement candidate for Mr. Russell. The branch then caucused and the names of Michael Pintard and Freddie McAlpine were put forth from the branch. Prime Minister Ingraham promptly rejected both names and put forth the name of Peter Turnquest as the replacement for Ken Russell. One person alone stood and said this was not right. We are informed that it was a Mr. Pinnock, but he was not supported by the branch as they were afraid to register their approval.
Last night, the fallout from this decision became clear. In what was supposed to have been an East Grand Bahama watch party in the parking lot at the Seahorse Plaza. The stalls were all fully stocked, the stage with the big television screen was mounted; all that was required were enthusiastic supporters. At 9:30 p.m., it became clear that the people were not going to support the event.
The business community formed a strong voting block in the High Rock Constituency. They have become disenchanted because of the constant fight with the Customs department. They also see the reckless handling by Prime Minister Ingraham of the HannesBabak Port Authority has caused potential investors to lose confidence in his administration.
Stalwart B
LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR
Forrester Carroll writes from Freeport about the FNM candidate Norris Bain. In a scorching commentary, Mr. Carroll suggests that Mr. Brian was duplicitous in pursing the PLP’s nomination for parliament and then went to the FNM to seek better terms. He accuses him of being unprincipled and much more.
Forgive me folks, but I had planned on not being bothered, again, with that pitiful excuse of a man (the hack) called Norris Bain; however recent revelations, regarding Bain’s, seemingly, passionate pursuit of the PLP’s nomination, for the East Grand Bahama constituency, have come to my attention which leaves me no choice but to revisit the matter and expose the snake for what he really is; a damn dangerous rattle snake, just like his “Papa “Doc” Clown” prime minister. So I am obliged to reveal what I’ve been told so that Marco City’s voters will know, before they vote, exactly what kind of a conniving, sneaky, no-damn-good bastard of a person this would-be MP happens to be.
Two persons who claim to have been eye witnesses, to all the dialogue and events (from start to finish) culminating in Norris’ approval by the PLP’s candidates committee and then his eventual ratification by the PLP’s NGC which I am about to reveal, told me that they have in their possession a six to eight-month reservoir of information, on both Norris Bain and Peter Turnquest. The information allegedly includes tape recorded conversations and other printed material. I shall not deal with the information they claim to have on Peter (in this writing) but Norris Bain, who has the audacity to go around Freeport boldly and consistently denying that he ever pursued a PLP nomination, will get it from me today and will eventually pay for his lies when the good people of Marco City (who have been abused by Zhivargo Laing and the FNM for five long years) discover exactly what kind of a fowl snake bastard this sucker is and reject him at the polls.
The two witnesses told me that Bain (with their assistance) arranged a meeting, with the PLP’s leader, indicating that the purpose, for which he wanted to meet with the PLP‘s leader, was to discuss the possibility of him (Bain) getting the PLP’s East Grand Bahama Constituency (High Rock Constituency at the time) nomination. Christie acceded to the snake’s request and promised that he would accommodate the schemer at his home on the Cable Beach strip.
Accompanied by the two alleged eye witnesses, the three travelled to Nassau, allegedly, to meet with Mr. Perry Gladstone Christie. On arrival, at the airport, they were met by the Opposition Leader’s private security and immediately whisked away to their scheduled luncheon meeting. The PLP leader, they told me, was so immensely gracious a host that Bain actually broke down and cried (like a baby) admitting that he was guilty, in the past, of believing Ingraham’s propaganda about Mr. Christie but felt now (after experiencing Christie’s graciousness) that it was just that; unjustified political propaganda. He could not believe that the Christie, he was presently in meeting with, was the same person Ingraham and other FNM Operatives continue to bad mouth with all those horrible things. The eye witnesses reported that Bain claimed he was brought to tears when he found out that the PLP’s leader was not the indecisive, weak and none responsive individual Ingraham portrayed him to be (all these years) and that he found the Christie to be very strong in his opinions, decisive and a very gracious host; his crocodile tears, he said, flowed naturally as a result.
On Norris’ second trip to the capitol he met with the PLP’s national chairman, along with an individual he claimed was his spiritual advisor. He was so elated with the positive outcome, of the meeting, that goose bumps, he said, sprung up all over his body and the feeling gave him the assurance that it could only have been God the Father confirming to him that he was on the right track. At the conclusion of this meeting the Leader had his own driver escort Norris and his party (including the two eye witnesses) back to their respective hotels. They were to prepare themselves for a scheduled appearance, at one of the recent PLP regional conclaves, where Bain had planned on appearing on stage with the PLP leadership. This was to signal (finally after eight months of meeting and talking back and forth) his alignment with the PLP and allay all other speculation to the contrary. On their way to the hotel, however, the assistant pastor suddenly claimed that his left leg had given way on him and that he felt a degree of paralysis; he wanted to be taken to the hospital. The leader (PLP) was notified and immediately gave instructions that he be taken to PMH. When they arrived they found a line as long as a mile, at the emergency section; Christie was informed and amended instructions were given to divert, immediately, to Doctor’s hospital instead and that all medical bills were to be charged to his (Christie’s) personal account. The PLP leader, not wanting to take any chances, requested that the best care possible be rendered and as a back-up measure he personally telephoned Dr. Perry Gomez and asked him to attend and render assistance as well. Norris Bain (it is alleged) was well cared for and I am told that the total bill amounted to nearly $5000, paid for by Perry Gladstone Christie (and Christie did not give me this information-the alleged eye witnesses did). I was not one of those who witnessed all these events but was told them by the two persons who claimed they were on the spot and who continue to claim, as well, to have in their possession (allegedly) tape-recorded conversations and other minute notes to substantiate their claim. If all this is true, I could only conclude that Norris Bain, (the FNM candidate for Marco City) is one sorry fellow. I won’t deal with the Peter Turnquest’s alleged episodes and interviews with the Leader (and others) of the PLP regarding his pursuit of a nomination for the Progressive Liberal Party; my reason being one which I care not to divulge at this time. I can say, though, that the report I’ve been given is that in conversations, with the PLP hierarchy during those talks, Peter was not very kind to Hubert Alexander Ingraham and most unkind to the eight (five MPs and three Senators) FNM Parliamentarians for Grand Bahama; that though is story for another time; I have all the facts however (and Peter knows that I have them) so don’t dare challenge me Cuz.
When one considers all that Perry Christie did (in going the extra five miles) in an effort to accommodate Norris Bain’s pre-requisite conditions, for his nomination on the party’s (PLP) ticket, it would make one want to throw up (vomit) when considering how Bain handled the whole affair. The assistant pastor, of Tabernacle Baptist Church on east settler’s way Grand Bahama, is truly a scum of a low-life animal. He is not fit to be put in positions, where he influences people, especially around the youth of the nation. He is the headmaster of one of the nation’s most prestigious schools for lord’s sake; he is supposed to be teaching our children attributes like, “honesty is the best policy” and “do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” not teaching them (by his example) to be dishonest and untrustworthy. It seems that after getting the PLP to commit to a certain alleged package of financial pre-conditions, he was then able to go to the FNM and say to them, “See if you want me, you had better come up with a better deal than the PLP offered me;” Ingraham then (being the dog-in-the-manger that he is) would have fallen for his blackmailing tactics (hook line and sinker) and would have given in to Bain’s demands. The piss-head (I mean Ingraham this time) relishes when he is able (he thinks) to get one up on Christie but am afraid, this time, he got out smarted for he bought himself a dirty, nasty, rotten “pig-in-the-bag” with all the mud trimmings.
What pisses me off, royally though is when this lousy, no-good, unprincipled dog goes around Freeport denying that he ever pursued Christie for the PLP nomination (which, by the way, was given to him); the thought surely makes me sick to my stomach. This is the same assistant pastor (mind you) who gets up, Sunday after Sunday (and I guess on some week nights as well) telling congregations how they should live their lives above reproach and to avoid the sins of lying, backbiting and greed. The guy is nothing more than a money hungry, lying, and political prostitute. I am told that he spoke candidly to the owner of a Liquor store, located in the Seahorse Plaza area, one afternoon about his political aspirations and did not hesitate to tell the liquor merchant that (for his troubles) he expects to be given the ministry of youth sports and community affairs, should the FNM win government next election. If I were you, sucker, I wouldn’t hold my breath. It is alleged that Bain received enough “blood money” (in his traitor’s package) from Hubert Ingraham that would enable him to pay off all his outstanding debts and with enough left over for rainy days which may come his way.
Before I leave this Negro alone (for real) this time, I really would like to put a few questions to the bastard and see if he has the guts to answer them truthfully; following are my questions;
1) Did you (Norris Bain) not opine to a City of Freeport Council member that one of the many reasons you wanted a PLP nomination was because you were pissed off at the bad treatment Grand Bahama received, during five terrible lean years under lousy FNM representation; and didn’t you accuse Neko Grant, Zhivargo Laing, Kwasi Thompson and Kenneth Russell of being the laziest, scariest, most unsuccessful MPs and worst five stooges for dictator Ingraham you ever met?
2) Did you not tell the same City of Freeport Councilor (Norris Bain) that if Zhivargo Laing, and the others, had any guts they would have threatened Ingraham, a long time ago, with crossing the floor in parliament and thus causing the FNM government to collapse? Didn’t you tell them that if the FNM MPs had any backbone whatsoever they would have dictated their terms for Grand Bahama but instead they remained mute while Ingraham destroyed this Island?
3) Did you not tell the Councilor, in the presence of your cousin, that you heard from God, on this matter, and that God told you that you should run for office on the PLP ticket and that God the Father stipulated, specifically that you should pursue the East Grand Bahama constituency? And further did you not tell them that God assured you that the PLP will win in the next election? Did you not tell him that Norris Bain or are the two witnesses lying?
4) Did you not tell your cousin that there were some house-cleaning matters, around the school, that you had to take care of before accepting the PLP nomination (if it happened) because (as you said) Hubert Ingraham is a spiteful man and that you wouldn’t want him to victimize your father-in-law’s school? When asked what were those concerns did you not tell your cousin, in the presence of the City of Freeport Councilor, that your school was in debt to the National Insurance Board for an amount in excess of $100,000.00 for which they had already sent you a “Demand Letter?”
5) Did you not tell them that, in addition to securing you another job (because you didn’t want to continue working at the school if you were a candidate for any of the political parties), your wife insisted that both you and she be fully insured for both life and health insurance; and did the two not assure you of the same?
6) Did you not tell them, as well, that Desmond Bannister had promised you a scholarship for your daughter but as soon as the word got out that you were in talks with the PLP for a nomination that he stopped taking your calls and never returned any of the messages you left for him?
7) Did you not tell them that one of your wife’s pre-requisite conditions for supporting your candidacy, for any of the political parties, was that the party would have to deposit at least six (6) months of advance mortgage payments in yours and her bank account?
8) When your cousin told you, in the presence of the City of Freeport Councilor, that your demands constituted a very tall order, did you not tell them that you had consulted your good friend Lindy Russell who told you that your demands were achievable because prior to his first run for the FNM (in 1997) that Ingraham gave him all the money he requested and told him; “now go and win the seat?”
9) Did you not tell them, as well, that you spoke with Zhivargo Laing who advised you not to get involved in the game because it’s dirty and that there are some things that you will be asked to do at times which are not so clean, especially if you keep company with the piss-head Hubert Ingraham? Did you not tell my informers that Zhivargo Laing told you those things?
Now Mr. Norris Bain, I am the lawyer on this case and lawyers don’t usually ask questions to which they do not, already, have the answers. So, like a good lawyer, I ask the above nine questions merely to see if you are going to answer me truthfully. Right now the FNM must know (and are no doubt regretting the fact) that they have made a horrible mistake nominating the likes of you. The PLP, on the other hand-well we are comforted in the fact that “what the Devil meant for evil, God has turned it around for our (PLP) good,” this is a quote from the inspired Word of God, preacher.
And you, (Peter Turnquest), I told you already that we have the facts on your PLP nomination pursuits as well (you know we do)-alleged recorded conversations and all. I am quite sure that, being the man of “letters” that you are, you would give us some credit for being at smart enough to hedge our bets (against the day when you may have gotten cold feet, as you have, on us) and so certain pre-cautions were taken, by those you engaged, to that effect. Like I said earlier, due to certain family constraints, I choose not to be the one to advance the information we have in hand; information which would prove conclusively (allegedly) that you (like Norris Bain) diligently sought after the PLP nomination for the East Grand Bahama constituency and (like Norris Bain) you were very critical of Hubert Ingraham and his government’s last five years in office, as well. We have others who are anxious to expose you (Peter) but will wait for the right time Cuz; you are playing in the big leagues now my brother; this is not Chamber of Commerce business and my advice to you would be to get wise and consider (very early in the game and well before nomination day) abandoning your political pursuits to avoid being exposed. I can assure you that the two persons (and you know who they are) who can do the most damage to your stellar public persona are patiently waiting for the word (to come down to them) to release the alleged recordings and other information. All those nasty things you allegedly said about that no-good, boxfish head prime minister of yours will be exposed in due course and am quite sure that the piss-head is very curious to know what you were saying about him behind his back; it’s nothing personal Cuz; just politics, remember? You might consider dropping out of the race (like your colleague candidate for South Eleuthera is about to do) and save yourself the embarrassment of having to account for your wild vitriolic sentiments about your so-called Papa “Doc” Clown leader.
Thank you.
Forrester J Carroll J.P
Freeport, Grand Bahama
March 2012.
Former MP Pierre Dupuch writes about the quirks of democracy and the role that the state, the family and the citizen must play in building democracy and a better country:
By Pierre V.L. Dupuch
March 19, 2012
Wake up Bahamians - Take Back Your Country!
Sometime before Christmas a map showing the proposed new boundaries was published which showed drastic changes in the Constituency boundaries. I called it gerrymandering at its worst, a blow to the democratic system.
I maintained, among other things, that gerrymandering made it impossible for people to get to know the candidates, or candidates to know the people. Furthermore, it lent itself to enabling votes to be "packed" into areas in order to sway an election.
Mr. Rick Lowe, in a response to my comments, suggested that had I, and others, supported the proposed Constitutional Amendment that proposed an "independent" boundaries commission to draw election boundaries, we would not have the problem of "gerrymandering."
The proposed change that Mr. Lowe referred to was included in the FNM's controversial referendum that was rejected by the Bahamian people.
I said that I had not supported the change because, among other things, it was an up or down vote ... in other words, all or nothing.
He said I was wrong; it was an item-by-item vote. I told him I would check with the House of Assembly, which I did. He was right. It was an item-by-item vote. I was wrong. I apologize.
Whether or not it was an up-or-down vote, or, an item-by-item vote, is really irrelevant.
But let's assume the Constitutional changes proposed in the Referendum had been accepted by the people of The Bahamas, and that there was an "independent" boundaries commission.
This, on the surface, sounds great. But may I be so pertinent as to ask who would appoint it? The Prime Minister? Would this not be reverting to whistling by the graveside?
Laws, especially changes in the Constitution, are made to last for a long time, and to apply to many people. If we had made such a change, could we predict that years from now a Prime Minister, he or she, would not appoint all of his/her friends or supporters to this so-called "independent" boundaries commission and claim it to be "independent?"
Sometimes laws are not sufficient to solve a problem. It reverts to the people. Politicians get into power by getting votes. If they believe doing something would lose them votes, they wouldn't do it. Yes, the people can do something about it. If they insist on having time to know who is running in their district, they will be given time and, if they're not given the time then the people should vote them out ... whoever they are. Don't worry; the message will quickly get through their thick skulls.
And what is democracy? It’s all to do with making choices. And how does that happen? It's the environment, the society in which we live. It involves the whole being. And this involves the family, the church, the schools, and the media.
The family is supposed to teach the child the "principles" of life; the church is supposed to teach the child the ethics of life, the rights and wrongs of life; the schools are supposed to teach their students how to think and the logic of making choices. All of these combined creates the "whole" person.
The rest of the job rests with the media. Having created the "whole person" the media takes over. Its job now is to present the facts ... untwisted, un-spun facts ... to the person who then has the job of looking at the facts and making choices. And that is the essence of democracy!!
And finally, the Government should see that nothing is put in the way of all this happening.
Have all or any of those institutions failed our people here in the Bahamas??
But, of course, in the absence of democracy we could have "mobocracy." And that's when you keep the people stupid, tell them what you want them to hear, throw a pom pom in their hands, throw in a goat skin drum for good measure, get them real emotional, then put a political tag around a dead dog's neck and throw that their way and then tell them to be "democratic" and vote!!!
Folks, you make the choice. What category do you want us to fit into?
It's sad, isn’t it? We could have such a great little country.
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Tommy Takes Objection
Tommy Turnquest, the Minister of National Security got up in the House to challenge Fred Mitchell MP on Monday 19th March when Mr. Mitchell said that Dion Foulkes had put enmity between his house and that of Mr. Foulkes. Mr. Turnquest in seeking to defend Mr. Foulkes said that Mr. Mitchell needed to clarify the language because Mr. Foulkes took it as a threat. He demanded an explanation of Mr. Mitchell through the Speaker of the House. Mr. Mitchell brushed it aside telling Mr. Turnquest not to bother him with foolishness; that they were ordinary English words and the meaning was quite clear.
Checking On FNMs In Freeport
The word is that Hubert Ingraham has sent his emissaries out into the land to determine who is still with him and who isn't. Recently a lunch was held supported by a high profile female FNM lieutenant of Mr. Ingraham to ask one FNM supporter why he has not been coming around. The friend reminded the emissaries how the medical bills are piling up and how another FNM supporter died in penury of prostate cancer and got no help from the man Hubert Ingraham for whom he had done so much for. Nuff said.
The Wig Is Gone For Lawyers
In a little publicized practice direction by the Chief Justice Sir Michael Barnett, the wigs that Bahamian lawyers have been wearing in court, has seen the beginning of the end. Sir Michael said that as of the 13th March, the wig is only necessary in court for ceremonial occasions. He said that on other occasions in open court the gown, the barrister’s tabs and the formal shirt will be required but no more wig. We don’t understand why the whole thing was not done away with, but it’s a good start. You will need a dark suit however as well.
Bran McCartney Trips Himself Up
Branville McCartney, the man who would be our Prime Minister, tripped himself up with the women last week when during a talk show interview he said that he would not support the marital rape law which was tabled then shelved by the FNM last year in the face of popular disapproval. It is however a hot button priority for women of a certain education and class level. The response was immediate with Loretta Butler Turner, the Minister who was sponsoring the bill said that he would pay a price at the poll for not supporting the bill. Mr. McCartney issued statement the next day saying that while he personally does not approve of the bill, the matter would be put to a referendum. Now that’s what you called backpedalling. Backstroke!
Dion Foulkes Calling Government Workers To Campaign
Sources tell us that Dion Foulkes, the FNM’s candidate for Yamacraw and the Minister of Labour is busy calling up people on the government’s special work programme and asking them to campaign for him in the constituency. Desperation! That’s what it is.
Neko Secretly Opens His HQ
They say that it was done like a thief in the night, the opening of the headquarters of the Minister of Works and twenty year incumbent Neko Grant, the FNM’s candidate for Central Grand Bahama. The FNM is running a carefully choreographed campaign in Freeport because the numbers are so dispiriting. There was no big opening just a small blessing and then sneaking away into the night
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Shonel At The Meeting
At a meeting in Fox Hill of one of the constituency neighbourhood watches, the FNM’s candidate Shonel Ferguson was questioned by the neighbours about herself. They asked whether she was married. Her reply was that she was single “just like Fred”. Things that make you go “Hmmm!”
FNM Launch In Fox Hill
The FNM is set to launch formally the campaign of their candidate in Fox Hill former athlete Shonel Ferguson on Friday 30th March.
FNM Will Lose All Seats In GBI
The word on the streets is that in the latest poll, the FNM is ten points behind the PLP in Freeport. At this rate, the FNM is set to lose every seat in Grand Bahama at the next general election.
Kay Smith Now Queen Of The Campaign
They say that the humiliation of Carl Bethel as the Chairman of the FNM is now complete. Mr. Bethel who was demoted from being Minister of Education to be the Chairman of the FNM following the debacle of the sexual molester scandal at the Grand Bahama schools, has now learned that as Chairman during the campaign he must report to Kay Forbes Smith the former Consul General. He is livid. His friends say that secretly he hopes that the FNM loses; he is unenthusiastic about the campaign and they hope that Hubert Ingraham and the FNM loses as revenge for the humiliation of Mr. Bethel. By the way, this reporting to Kay Forbes Smith is also said to apply to Earl Deveaux who is nominally in charge of the campaign but with Mrs. Forbes Smith having the ear of the king it turns out that he is head of the campaign in name only.
What Did Fred Mitchell Really Say?
What a country? All the matters of substance spoken at the Fox Hill Rally on Monday last 19th March, the thing that most captured the imagination was a salacious joke by Fred Mitchell MP in response to comments made by Loretta Butler Turner when introducing his opponent Shonel Ferguson for the FNM. She described Ms. Ferguson as the “real woman” running in Fox Hill. Mr. Mitchell in a throwaway line in his address said that he did not realize that the gender of Shonel Ferguson was an issue in the campaign. He said that he was satisfied that this was a back handed attempt to question his own gender. He added, he checked himself every morning and he wanted to announce that he has the tool for the job and he didn’t mean a wrench either. The crowd roared with approval. During the week, the talk shows, The Punch and the gossip on the streets were preoccupied not with ten thousand jobs that he said he would work to create but with what did he mean about “tool for the job”. Whatever could he mean?
FNM Seeking To Bribe Business People Over The Roads
The election bribery attempt by the Free National Movement is going full speed ahead. The Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham announced in the House of Assembly that teams from the Ministry of Finance will be going out to do surveys to determine what was lost by various businesses during the closure of the roads. This is a last minute conversion of the Prime Minister who forced business people on Blue Hill Road to go to court , opposed them at the Court of Appeal stage and forced them to go to the Privy Council to get compensation, now as elections have come near he is announcing this scheme to pay compensation. The forms are said to be complicated and demand facts and figures from as far back as 2009. In a culture where there is no income tax hardly any small business will be able to provide the information we think.
The Minister And The Biggest Box In The World He Ever Saw
K.B. ( Kirk Bodie) sings about the biggest box in the world he ever saw. It is a song about people lining up at Bahamasair’s counter in Miami seeking to get big boxes on the plane. Well a minister of the government has some “splaining” to do. It is said that he was a passenger on an American Airlines flight to Nassau. But he decided that he wanted to have his two TVs carried by Bahamasair as unaccompanied baggage because he could not get AA to carry them. When he was told by the counter agents that he could not do that, he was livid. He eventually found someone on the line who would take the boxes for him. The next argument was that he wanted to pay 100 dollars for the carrying of the overweight packages The charge was actually $200. He put up a fuss but had to pay. Problem is as soon as he went back to Nassau he filed a formal complaint with the Minister responsible Neko Grant who ordered an investigation into the matter and then subsequently dropped the issue when the real facts were revealed. Things are tough in Andros but we didn’t know it was that tough.
Mitchell With Bahamian Students In Florida
Fred Mitchell MP for Fox Hill and the Opposition’s spokesman on Foreign Affairs visited the Florida Atlantic University campus in Boca Raton, Florida to visit with Bahamian students attending the Florida Caribbean Students Convocation there over the weekend. He was accompanied by Keenan Johnson, the Chairman of the Progressive Young Liberals and PLP Vice Chair Randy Rolle.
Stanley Moir Buried
The ashes of retired Assistant Commissioner of Police Stanley Moir were spread at sea following a funeral service on Friday 23rd March. He is survived by this wife and two sons. Mr. Moir joined the Royal Bahamas Police Force as a recruit into the colonial police service in the United Kingdom in the 1950s and spent his entire career in The Bahamas. He was eulogized at the Christ Church Cathedral in Nassau by amongst others the Hon. A. D. Hanna, former Governor General and Commissioner of Police Ellison Greenslade. Fred Mitchell MP and Senator Allyson Maynard Gibson attended for the PLP. The photos are by Peter Ramsay
Extract Magazine
The second edition of Teej Grant’s Extract Magazine is soon on the newsstands. The photo shows what the cover will look like.
