Compiled, edited and constructed by Russell Dames Updated every Sunday at 2 p.m.
Volume 4 © BahamasUncensored.Com 2006
COMMENT OF THE WEEK
SISTER UGLY ATTITUDES
There
she was with the smile of a nitwit on her face, a supercilious grin, a
grin that smacked of deceit and deception. The leader of the Bahamas
Union of Teachers Ida Poitier Turnquest (pictured) appeared on television
on Friday 5th May telling the Bahamian people that what they were seeing
and experiencing with their own two eyes was simply not so. The Bahamas
Union of Teachers’ members engaged in unlawful industrial action for two
days: Thursday 4th May and Friday 5th May. They took the teachers
out of the classroom on the Thursday, leading them down to the negotiating
room to try to intimidate the negotiators. The next day they held
a sit in where they reported to work and did nothing. Ida Poitier
Turnquest was there with them on the Thursday singing songs and chanting.
Everyone saw her on television, and yet she was sitting claiming on TV
that she and the BUT had nothing to do with it.
Her fellow sister ugly attitude Belinda Wilson was said on Friday to have been away, no doubt creating other mischief and mayhem up in Grand Bahama. These are people not to be trusted. They have obviously decided that they are going to wreck the education system, damage it beyond any measure, and jeopardize the already fragile future of the Bahamian children by the high jinks and nonsense in which they have engaged over the last few weeks. The story is that they plan a massive sick out in the schools on Monday, the day before the final exams of students are to begin.
The Minister of Education Alfred Sears put his foot down on Thursday 4th May at a press conference. He told the BUT and their leaders that they must cease and desist and bring order and rationality back to the discussions, and to stop their unlawful behaviour.
Parents were furious that their children had to come out of school early on the Friday. The Minister told the country that on Thursday 4th May 14 students of Aquinas College lost out on their opportunity to take their exams because of Ida Poitier Turnquest and Belinda Wilson’s Bahamas Union of Teachers.
But it is clear that these two do not care for the people of this country, neither do they care for rationality, neither do they care for the children of the nation. They simply want what they want, and the devil takes the hind most. Interestingly enough Ida Poitier Turnquest is a religious Jew and maybe on her Sabbath on 6th May she may have prayed to Yahweh to forgive her many sins committed over the past week, including putting the nation’s children at risk. As for Belinda Wilson, she is simply a political ideologue, who does not know when to put politics aside and when to put the national good before personal selfish aims. She is a disgrace.
Perhaps her hero Hubert Ingraham might tell her that this is not the way for teachers to behave, and that even though she thinks that she might be doing his bidding, she is not, and that even he does not condone this. As a matter of fact had Hubert Ingraham been the Leader of the Government, the two of them would have been retired from the pubic service in the public interest.
But seriously folks; even given our sometime rhetorical excesses, the situation is very dangerous. This is an irrational set of people. On the one hand, they say they want a settlement. The Government is ready to settle. Each time the Government gets to the table, however, it is clear that Ida and Belinda do not want a settlement. What they want is to row and cuss and fight and disrupt. It must be to show how personally strong they are. We did not know that personal strength or the lack thereof was a factor in these negotiations. Let us advise them, it is not about strength but about the school system and the welfare of our teachers and the future of our children.
There is one positive development as far as we can see. The Minister of Education has now gotten himself personally involved in the matter. He told the country that he proposes to sit in on the negotiations himself when they resume on Tuesday 9th May. This might bring some rationality to the table. It might also be a clear channel for the Cabinet into what is actually going on around the table.
Our headline comes from the story of Cinderella, who you will remember had a wicked stepmother who favoured the two ugly sisters instead of the beautiful Cinderella. The two sister uglies had a begrudgeful attitude, never knowing the face of graciousness. We always try to make a distinction between comment made against the person and those directed toward their personality or their attitude. That is why we have made the distinction here. These two women need to go get a lesson in a basic manners, and stop having a sister ugly attitude.
Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 6th May 2006 at midnight: 101,374.
Number of hits for the month of April up to Sunday 30th April 2006 at midnight: 406,747.
Number of hits for the month of May up to Saturday 6th May 2006 at midnight: 82,302.
Number of hits for the year 2006 up to Saturday 6th May 2006 at midnight:
1,735,667.
PM:
“SO SAID; SO DONE!”
The convention hall at the Crystal Palace Hotel
in Nassau was packed with PLPs on Tuesday night, 2nd May, for a one night
Party convention in celebration of the fourth anniversary of the election
victory of 2002. Recording an avalanche of accomplishments by his
Government over four years in office, Prime Minister Perry Christie marked
the anniversary with a report on the performance of the governing Progressive
Liberal Party. Mr. Christie recited a list of promises fulfilled
by the Government with the refrain “So said; so done!”. Each Minister
of Government was called to the stage at the convention to give a brief
outline of accomplishments within their portfolio. The Prime Minister
presented his Cabinet as “…a team, not a one man band”. Of the FNM
leader Hubert Ingraham, he said “how in the world can you take any pledge
that he makes about anything with any kind of seriousness?” Please
click
here for the Prime Minister’s full address.
Photos by Peter Ramsay
THE
TRIBUNE GETS UNHINGED
When Arthur Hanna, now Governor General was an active politician and the
late Sir Etienne Dupuch was alive and the Editor of The Tribune, they would
have sparring wars. Etienne Dupuch was predictable. He was
quick to come to the defence if there was any suggestion or hint from the
other side about his race. It appears that he had a great sense of
disquiet about the fact that he had African blood. Arthur Hanna,
now the Governor General, used to play on that and raised it in the House
anytime he wanted to irritate Etienne Dupuch. One time the result
was a seven part series responding to the allegation that his mother had
African ethnicity. Eileen Dupuch Carron, the daughter of Etienne
Dupuch, is made in his same mould. She continues to have the sensitivity
on race, and even though she is not phenotypcially black like her father
was, it is known that the Dupuch family is one of mixed ancestry.
No one in her family is as skittish about it as she is. It colours
all of her reactions and is perhaps the reason for the often irrational
responses which she has for anyone who is PLP or from the PLP.
This week, The Tribune’s editorial staff was in
overdrive and totally unhinged rising to the bait of last week’s comments
about the silly John Marquis. Mr. Marquis who has been condemned
by the Minister of Foreign Affairs as trash writing and irresponsible is
the Managing Editor of the newspaper. Last week in our defence of
Raynard Rigby’s comments about the conduct of the journalism under John
Marquis of The Tribune, we made the comment that part of the reason why
the quality of The Tribune product is deteriorating is because Mrs. Carron
is spending time - laudably so - taking care of her mother, and not paying
attention to The Tribune. That obviously struck a nerve and for the
whole week she first attacked Raynard Rigby, then Fred Mitchell and then
the Prime Minister. The Tribune is trying to make Mr. Rigby’s sensible
comments about the tendentious nature of The Tribune's journalism, the
basic lack of fact checking and the sensationalism which the now Managing
Editor employs into some kind of crusade for press freedom.
Let’s not pretend here about the independence of
The Tribune. Everyone knows of the close relationship that Eileen
Carron has with Hubert Ingraham. He often dictates headlines in The
Tribune or at the very least can predict what the headlines will be the
next day. There is no mistaking where The Tribune is. Why then
should Raynard Rigby or anyone pay homage to an institution so totally
biased and tendentious? That organization should be condemned.
Last week’s Tribune editorials were full on invective
about Fred Mitchell. Obviously he hit a raw nerve when he talked
in the House about the low life journalism of John Marquis. We again
invite the Minister of Immigration to do the right thing and rid us of
this journalistic monstrosity. Let him sit safely in London, the
place where he loves so much that he had to come and work in The Bahamas
and criticize and campaign from there. You would think that after
all these years The Tribune would learn its lesson and not rise to the
bait. But all you have to do is to say something about race and Eileen
Carron and bing bang she’s at it again. We hope that mama was not
being neglected this past week. Click here for last week’s story.
John Marquis in a photo from his
recent book.
THE
FNM FLOATS ITS CANDIDATES’ NAMES
There is no official announcement yet but the names
of the Free National Movement’s ‘A’ list of candidates has been circulated
and the Bahama Journal in an article of Monday 1st May promoted those names.
The story was written by Candia Dames, one of the country’s best and most
experienced writers. The story seemed to be written with authority.
Hubert Ingraham, the new leader of the Free National
Movement has promised that he will have his candidates named and in the
field by this month. He promised the country that he will present
new faces.
The surprise in the list was Michael Barnett, the
former Bar Council President and a prominent attorney at law. Mr.
Barnett has waited quite late in his career to choose active politics.
He has been active for some time from the sidelines. He has also
acted as a lawyer for the Prime Minister in various legal issues during
the term. He is a Roman Catholic. Mr. Ingraham reportedly told
the FNM’s Council that Mr. Barnett’s father (some say mother depending
on whose telling the story) promised Mr. Ingraham that if he came back
to rescue the party, the parents would undertake and promise that Michael
Barnett would run for the House. The thinking is that Alfred Sears
is also a Catholic and a lawyer and that by putting Mr. Barnett, a prominent
Roman Catholic, to run against Mr. Sears in Fort Charlotte, this will split
the Catholic vote. We predict a win for Mr. Sears.
PLPs were incensed by the report that at least two
prominent public servants were on the FNM’s list of published candidates.
Neither person has publicly denied the report. Ambassador to the
United States for The Bahamas Joshua Sears has been reported as the candidate
for the FNM in Exuma. PLP circles say that the Ambassador was seen
at an FNM meeting with Hubert Ingraham on Saturday 29th April where he
was introduced as the former Prime Minister’s candidate. Brensil
Rolle who is an under-secretary at the Ministry of Works and a former Road
Traffic Controller is said to be the alternative candidate for Exuma or
may run against the Minister of Immigration D. Shane Gibson.
OSSIE
BROWN AND PROSTATE CANCER
Oswald Brown was mellow and sanguine in his column over the past week.
He reported in his column in the Nassau Guardian of Thursday 4th May that
he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is an
increasing concern among men in The Bahamas. The most recent prominent
victim of the disease being George Mackey, the former Member of Parliament
and Minister of the Government.
Mr. Brown said that after getting a normal PSA (protein
specific antigen) test last year, this year’s test revealed that the level
was seriously elevated. His doctors ordered a biopsy and the biopsy
confirmed that he has cancer of the prostate. He said a bone scan
revealed that the cancer has not spread beyond the prostate into the pelvic
area and that the cancer was caught in the early stages.
The normally boffo Mr. Brown had no boasts to make
this week. He reported that he was humbled by the diagnosis and could
not function for some time including missing his column and editorial duties
at the Freeport news as he contemplated the issue of death. He has
now gathered himself up and is back writing his column but will have to
move to Nassau where he opted for radiation treatments and hormone therapy.
We do not support Mr. Brown’s views and he has been
on occasion particularly mean to the PLP and to those whom we support in
this column but on this occasion, we wish him well and the best.
Mr. Brown is 64 years old and is married to the former Jean Turnquest,
a psychiatrist, who is also the sister of former Governor General Sir Orville
Turnquest and aunt of the former FNM Leader Senator Tommy Turnquest.
BRIAN
MOREE AS DEAD AS A DODO
Brian Moree was the troublesome lawyer, a partner in the firm McKinney
Bancroft and Hughes, who did not support the Government’s view that it
should sign the revised Treaty of Chaguaramus and enter reservations to
those issues that The Bahamas could not now join which would allow
The Bahamas to benefit from the single market and economy. The debate
ended months ago and the point is a moot point. The Bahamas has in
fact come to an agreement with Caricom for the other countries to proceed
with the single market without the participation of The Bahamas.
This is to the disadvantage of The Bahamas and it is to the eternal shame
of men like Brian Moree that this country made such a decision.
Mr. Moree who before the debate had issued a disturbing
call for the immigration laws to be relaxed back peddled when it came to
the same issue in the CSME, some people thought largely because he thought
black people would be the beneficiaries of such a provision if The
Bahamas became a part of the single market. Never mind that
The Bahamas did not propose to enter into an agreement on that. But
that as we say is in the past. Everyone has moved on except it seems
Brian Moree.
Over the past week, however, came the startling
headline that Mr. Moree was speaking at a Chamber of Commerce seminar on
globalization in April and there he called for, of all things; a referendum
on whether we should sign the revised Treaty of Chaguaramus and implement
all of its provisions. The fact is the deed is done. The fact
is that we are not part of the single market arrangements. Some people
just can't get rid of the urge to fight where there is no fight.
That is what you call jonesing for headlines. Pick another issue
brother!
BRADLEY
ON INFRASTRUCTURE
The mini convention of the Progressive Liberal Party
gave each Minister of the Government the opportunity to highlight the work
of their Ministry. Bradley Roberts, the Minister of Works has a key
Ministry in the Government and he was able to give a full account to the
convention of what he proposes in the area of water, telephones and other
infrastructural development. You may click
here for his address to the convention.
Photo of Minister Bradley Roberts addressing PLP 1 night convention
2nd May, 2006: Peter Ramsay
THE PM
ON LNG
It appears that the American Deputy Chief of Mission
Brent Hardt can at least claim partial success if the comments of the Prime
Minister as reported by the Bahama Journal are to be believed. In
their edition of Tuesday 2nd May, the Prime Minister confirmed that the
Government has made a policy decision that it is not opposed to LNG in
The Bahamas. He was quoted as saying: “I think we are making good
progress. We know that the former government had given a commitment
to it, but did not allow for some of the developments that have taken place.
I think that we have now had an exhaustive review of it and the government
has made a policy decision that it is not opposed to LNG in the country
and now it is moving forward to the final review of most certainly at least
one application.”
You know that this column is resolutely opposed
to LNG in The Bahamas but what we did like about the Prime Minister's comments
was the response to the comments made by Brent Hardt, the Deputy Chief
of Mission of the United States government in The Bahamas at a globalization
seminar. You may click here
for last week’s story on the remarks.
The Bahama Journal reported that the Prime Minister
said of Dr. Hardt’s remarks: “I am surprised at the comments.
That’s like me saying the same thing about the United States of America.
I assume he is well intentioned in saying it, but I think sometimes Dr.
Hardt doesn’t realize what a minister or a cabinet has to do in balancing
development applications.”
KEN
RUSSELL - GODZILLA?
Every time the Member of Parliament for High Rock stands up to speak; there
is an air of ‘oh boy what the hell is he coming up with now?’ It
is like watching those old movies made in Japan where Godzilla comes to
town and is a one man wrecking crew. Finally, Godzilla is tamed by
the entire Japanese army and air force. Mr. Russell was the principal
spokesman on the new Police Service Bill discussed in Parliament on Wednesday
3rd May. This bill when passed will replace and repeal the existing
Police Act and put the Force on the path to becoming a more people friendly
force.
The Police Force is to become the Royal Bahamas
Police Service. Government members supported the Bill, and Free National
Movement members, well we don’t quite know if they support it or not.
The fact is that the Bill was drafted on their watch, and only refined
on the PLP’s watch. It has the support of the senior brass in the
police force. The problem is that the Government appears to have
faltered in not consulting sufficiently with the junior ranks at least
as represented by the Police Staff Association. The senior brass
headed by the Commissioner Paul Farqhuarson were in the House as the Minister
of National Security Cynthia Pratt began her contribution to the debate.
So were the junior members of the Force headed by Association President
Bradley Sands.
During a heated exchange between the Minister and
the Member of Parliament for Montagu Brent Symonette, the Deputy Prime
Minister admitted that she had not spoken to the President of the Police
Staff Association. The Minister for the Public Service made the point
that he had spoken to the Police Staff Association and the Minister was
well aware of the complaints of the Police Staff Association.
But back to Godzilla. The MP for High Rock
was intent on creating mischief as he did by suggesting that those persons
in the Urban Renewal programme that are working as district constables
are not up to scratch and are just cronies of the government. The
Prime Minister said that he did not influence one choice in his area.
The Minister for the Public Service Fred Mitchell said neither did he in
his area. The PM said that he was concerned about the lack of intelligence
of the MP for High Rock who just seemed hell bent on destroying everything
and attacking everything in the name of politics. As we said to quiet
Godzilla in the movies you had to bring out the entire army and the air
force. Stay tuned for Godzilla in Parliament part II. Just
like in the movies.
THE
HAITIAN AMBASSADOR’S APPEAL
Haitian Ambassador Louis Harold Joseph (pictured) told the press on Wednesday
3rd May that his Embassy plans to file a formal complaint to Bahamian authorities
as soon as possible after a detainee at the Carmichael Road Detention centre
was physically abused. The Ambassador met with Foreign Affairs Minister
Fred Mitchell and Minister for Immigration Shane Gibson on the matter on
Wednesday 3rd May.
The Ambassador’s statement also expressed concern
about the continuing round ups in The Bahamas and the fact that persons
who have lived legally in The Bahamas for 10 to 20 years are being detained
at the Detention Centre. The Ambassador said: “The embassy recognizes
the right of The Bahamas as a sovereign nation to take appropriate measures
to fight illegal immigration. However, in the process, it is important
that the rights of Haitian nationals be respected and they be treated with
dignity.”
Bahama Journal photo
LESLIE’S
ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE WHALES
The Minister for Marine resources Leslie Miller
has happened on to a good idea. He announced on Wednesday 3rd May
that he wants to form a group to investigate AUTEC to gain further information
about its operations in Andros. He made the statement in the House
of Assembly. He said the group would comprise two representatives
from the Department of Marine Resources, two from the BEST Commission,
two from the Public Hospitals Authority, two from non-governmental organizations
(NGOs), one from the Department of Environmental Health Services and one
from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The group would draw from both local and international
expertise. Let us hope that this approach gets the sanction of the
Cabinet because it will put some rationality to the public policy process
and further it will engage the NGO sector that feels snubbed by the way
the matter has been handled so far by the Government. In addition,
there is a need for the local Andros community to be represented on any
such group.
WORKS
AT MARSH HARBOUR AIRPORT IN JUNE
Minister of Transport and Aviation Glenys Hanna Martin has announced that
$3.5 million public works are scheduled to begin at the Marsh Harbour International
Airport during the first week in June. The airport runway will be
lengthened and resurfaced and a new parallel taxiway constructed.
The Minister said the works represent phase one
of a project to revitalize Marsh Harbour International Airport “into
a modern, full functional facility which will meet all international civil
aviation standards.
“Although the contract for these works was signed
13th March, 2006, the timing of the construction has been arranged in conjunction
with the Ministry of Tourism and other stakeholders so as to minimize the
disruption to the traveling public and the Abaco economy.
“Pre-construction works including the collection
of survey data and the finalization of design works for the runway and
new taxiway are now being completed.”
Phase 1 of the project is tentatively expected to be completed by the
end of November, 2006.
Phase 2 of the project is scheduled to begin in August 2006, with work
on the construction of a new $4.5 million terminal.
FOREIGN
AFFAIRS REPORT TO THE HOUSE
We reported last week that the Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell visited the
Caribbean extensively over the week before. He represented The Bahamas
in Grenada at the Foreign Minister's meeting of Caricom, the UK/Caricom
Forum in Barbados and on an official visit to Antigua and Barbuda.
We now have the pictures of the visit from Antigua and Barbuda including
a picture of the Minister with the Barbuda Council on the steps of their
meeting hall (above, left) and with the security detail that protected
him during the visit (below, left), taken just before they left the airport
at Barbuda and on a tour of a wildlife bird sanctuary in Barbuda (below,
right) with the Hon. Trevor Walker, the Minister for Barbuda Affairs and
principal host of the Minister. Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer took the
Minister around (top) to see the brand new 55 million dollar stadium being
built for Antigua and Barbuda for World Cricket Cup 2007.
The Minister also reported to the House of Assembly
on Wednesday 3rd March on his visit. In his report Minister Mitchell
told the House about the complaints of Bahamians about secondary searches
by U.S. Customs at airports in the United States. He said that he witnessed
one such search in Miami and the Bahamians complained about the manner
of the searches. He said that the Customs in the U.S. have a complaints
procedure but where that does not work; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
stands ready to assist. You may click
here for the full statement.
LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR
Interesting perspective concerning editorial
of 30th April
One minor suggestion that may improve readability
in this paragraph:
“Both papers ought to have a public defender on
their staff and that public defender would have the right to correct inaccurate
and unfamiliar reporting in both papers. There ought to be a press
council which will also deal with public complaints about the press.”
How about using the word ombudsman? Both papers
ought to have an ombudsman.
Bahamian living in Germany
Larry Strachan
PM
ADDRESSES GRADUATES AT MTSU
Prime Minister Perry Christie travelled to the US
state of Tennessee Saturday 6th May to address graduates of Middle State
Tennessee University in their commencement exercises. Mr. Christie
exhorted the graduating students to "hold on to the belief that people
are not isolated from one another, that humankind is interconnected.
"Do not forget" said the Prime Minister, "that although
most of you are citizens of the USA, you are also citizens of a wider world,
a world where people will no longer be awed by your citizenship in the
developed world... Instead, it is the primacy of their needs that will
direct their relationship with you and your country." The President
of MTSU is Bahamian Sidney McPhee. You may click
here for the Prime Minister's full address.
BIS photo: Peter Ramsay
THIS
WEEK WITH THE PM
One Night Convention
The Progressive Liberal Party held a one night convention
Tuesday 2nd May, 2006 at the Crystal Palace Hotel to celebrate its fourth
anniversary in Government. Among the thousands in the crowd were
(photo at above left) Mrs. Bernadette Christie, wife of the Prime Minister
and the Christie's daughter Alexandra. The Prime Minister reported
to the Bahamian people on the accomplishments of his government (see
story above) and introduced Ministers of the Cabinet to report on their
respective portfolios.
Rigby's Brainchild - Mitchell Exposes 'Triple Dipper'
The PLP's one day convention was the brainchild
of Party Chairman Raynard Rigby, above left, and was warmly received by
the delegates and the general public, with many people reporting that they
were glued to their television sets during the evening. One amusing
moment came as Prime Minister Christie introduced Minister of Foreign Affairs
& The Public Service Fred Mitchell (photo above right) who exposed
FNM leader Hubert Ingraham as a 'triple dipper' for drawing three different
incomes from government.
PLP at Calvary Deliverance Church
Among the events of the week was a church service
of thanksgiving where PLP's attended Calvary Deliverance Church on East
Street South. Party Chair Rigby is shown with Mrs. Rigby and Prime
Minister Christie and Mrs. Christie during a light-hearted moment at the
service.
Weeknight PLPs
The convention hall was packed despite the
fact that the event was held on a Tuesday evening, the exact day four years
after the Party's 2002 victory at the polls. Party supporters wore
gold.
COMMENT OF THE WEEK
THE US CUBA DEBATE
This week the press was exercised led by the irrepressible Mindell
Small about how The Bahamas voted at the United Nations on the question
of the new Human Rights Council. The vote took place on Tuesday 9th
May and the phones of the politicians of the Government were said to be
ringing off the hook about what The Bahamas Government did or was going
to do. One reason for all this concern was the high profile appeal
by the U.S. authorities resident in The Bahamas and in Washington not to
support Cuba’s candidacy to the Council. The other reason was a high
profile intervention by the Cuban Ambassador seeking the support of The
Bahamas. No one knows what the position of the Free National Movement
is or will be on the matter but you can bet it will not be to support The
Bahamas Government’s position if indeed it was to support Cuba.
The vote was a secret ballot on Tuesday in New York. So far
the Government has issued no statement to say how it voted. We find
this interesting. It is a sign of the times, that of being elections
and all, why the Government cannot simply say who it voted for and
why. No doubt there are sound reasons for the policy of silence
because the most perverse arguments will follow if indeed the Government
voted for Cuba. The fact that the Government is unable or unwilling
to say how they voted has caused a raft of speculation in the press that
the country did in fact vote for Cuba but are afraid to say so. One
newspaper went so far as to say that in the absence of the Minister
of Foreign Affairs who was out of the country, a poll had been taken at
the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday 8th May and that the majority supported
voting for Cuba.
The question is though; what turns on it? Why not vote for Cuba? The anxiety exists in The Bahamas because the U.S. dominates the political landscape here. Their diplomats are aware of the fact that they can largely get whatever they want from any Bahamas Government as soon as they (the U.S. diplomats) raise the spectre of a problem of some kind with the U.S. in the Bahamian public domain. Bahamians are aware of all of the work that is done with the Cubans in technical cooperation. They are aware of the excellent health care and some of it free that Cuba provides for Bahamians. Bahamians go there in droves for health care, for tourism, for education. Yet you will nary hear a voice in defence of Cuba if the U.S, decides that there is something they want. There is nothing which the U.S. feels that The Bahamas can say no to if they ask, no matter how small, insulting or inconsequential. They want it they get it.
Add to this the press of The Bahamas. No logic to them either save and except that with the exception of the Bahama Journal, they are simply interested in selling papers so anything sensational will do, or as in the case of The Tribune, madly using any anti PLP agenda that they think will cause the PLP to lose. They think that portraying the PLP as anti U.S. will help. To them it is not possible to be friends with Cuba and friends with the U.S. at the same time, particularly since it is an absolute necessity to be friends of both. But once you have the makings of an anti U.S. story, the press will go into the woodwork and produce the usual suspects, the mad cast of characters of, also rans, wanna-bes and some intellectuals who ought to know better. You know the names: Cassius Stuart, Dr Dexter Johnson, who is on a one man campaign against Cuba and against the West Indies where he got his education; Hubert Ingraham, Brian Moree, Eileen Carron, John Marquis…
Bahamian foreign policy has been skillfully handled by the present government and especially so by the present Minister of Foreign Affairs. Everyone knows what his views about Cuba’s system are from his days as a human rights activist but what he is dealing with today is a country’s business not his own. The Government must be keenly aware that all that the U.S. diplomats have to do in this country is to somehow intimate that the visas to go shopping in Miami are at risk and the Bahamian population goes scrambling for the tall grass. The fact is though that if it is simply a matter of principle, comity and good relations there is no reason why the Government should not have voted for Cuba.
Just as recently as February 2006, when The Bahamas needed to resolve the dilemma of two Cuban dentists Cuba apparently provided a way out for The Bahamas. This should be contrasted to the attitude of the U.S., whose public officials both local and foreign used every opportunity to defame, blast, criticize and inveigle The Bahamas. It appeared that they would bring the country to its knees over two persons who did not qualify for political refugee status and rightly should have been sent back to Cuba. How would The Bahamas look Cuba in the face and say it cannot be supported? Again, it is probably wisest for the Government to say nothing.
The Cubans did not need our vote in any event to win. They won handsomely by 135 votes, 96 was the minimum needed. The Americans were not running themselves. They could not win. They cannot with a straight face pretend that they are not without their human rights problems. The record over the last five years of human rights abuses, flagrant ones, in their own country would have sunk their chances.
The vote is now history, and it is one of the rare times that foreign affairs makes it into the domestic debate. There are sure to be other times, whenever this question of Cuba and the United States comes up. Our view is that it should be done on a principled basis, and if it is right to vote for Cuba; do so, and who does not like that…well, you know the rest.
Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 13th May 2006 at midnight: 126,697.
Number of hits for the month of May up to Saturday 13th May 2006 at midnight: 208,999.
Number of hits for the year 2006 up to Saturday 13th May at midnight:
1,862,364.
HAPPY
MOTHER’S DAY
Today is Mother’s Day in the new world. The
old world celebrates the day in March, the old Mothering Sunday in the
church’s calendar. The celebration has become so commercial these
days that many people have forgotten what the real celebration is about.
It is about trying to give praise to the women of the country who voluntarily
take on the joys, burdens and griefs of motherhood and successfully raise
their children into adulthood.
It is clear that women play a more dynamic role
in the running of country than they did a generation ago. Nowhere
is this more greatly reflected than in the Parliament. We have more
women than ever in the Bahamian Parliament and they prove by their success
that it is possible for women to combine two careers those of raising their
children and success in their professions themselves.
On this special occasion we wish all the mothers
in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas a good day and we wish them many good
days in the future.
TRANSFORMATION
BEGINS AT RUM CAY
Virtually the entire community of Rum Cay turned out Friday
for the groundbreaking of the PLP’s transformative anchor project for the
island. Prime Minister Christie in his keynote address said that
beyond the four hundred jobs expected to be provided by phase one of the
project, innumerable entrepreneurial opportunities would be provided for
Bahamians in Rum Cay, Cat Island, San Salvador and beyond. Over the
life of the project with developer Montana Holdings, some seven hundred
million dollars is expected to be pumped into the Rum Cay economy.
Please click here for the Prime Minister’s
full remarks.
TOP - Financial Services & Investment Minister Vincent Peet
and Montana Holdings principle John Mittens share a shovel as do Prime
Minister Christie and Rum Cay MP Philip 'Brave Davis in breaking ground
for the $700 million Rum Cay Resort & Marina. Minister of Works
& Utilities Bradley Roberts joins Rum Cay residents and descendents
as witnesses: BIS photo - Peter Ramsay RIGHT - Vincent Peet
introduces the Prime Minister (left) at the groundbreaking as John Gittens
(second left) and Philip Davis (right) look on: BIS photo - Tim Aylen
THE FNM
COMPLAINER
You can’t please some people. That is the only way to say it.
Can you believe that Robert Sweeting, the Member of Parliament for South
Abaco, who has been carping and complaining for months now about how the
airport at Marsh Harbour needs to be expanded and improved, is now complaining
that the work was started at the airport in the summer months when the
airport is going to be at the busiest? This is quite incredible.
Mr. Sweeting was speaking in the House of Assembly on Wednesday 10th May.
The PLP has gone out of its way perhaps to the detriment
of its own survival to show that it will help all Bahamians regardless
of their political stripe. The Marsh Harbour Airport is the second
airport in an FNM constituency where work has begun to substantially upgrade
and improve the facility. It is the right thing to do. The
other airport is the Stella Maris airport which is almost complete.
The Minister of Transport Glenys Hanna Martin should be congratulated for
the work she has done in getting these facilities up to scratch.
Our question to Robert Sweeting is whether he would
like the work to stop at the airport and perhaps go somewhere else since
he does not think this is the right to time to start the work? Fortunately
for the people of South Abaco this is his last time and the PLP knows that
the work must continue.
FURTHER
DEBATE ON THE POLICE BILL
The new Police Service Bill has been sent to Committee
by the House following a full and vigourous debate. The Bill seeks
to revamp and modernize the Royal Bahamas Police Force. When the
Bill becomes law, it will rename the Force the Royal Bahamas Police Service.
The idea is to bring the Force more in line with modern practices.
The Opposition Free National Movement can’t quite figure out where they
are on this one. The fact is the Bill came out of a report which
was commissioned by them. The report prepared by the group CDR International
out of the United Kingdom thought that the police force should become more
accountable, and subject to civilian review and transparently accountable
to the Government.
The Police Staff Association called a press conference
to say that they were not consulted on the bill. The Deputy Prime
Minister Cynthia Pratt who is the Minister of National Security denied
this but the additional thoughts of the Police Staff Association will be
taken into account. Allyson Gibson, the Attorney General, spoke to
the Bill and the Government’s reform efforts and the fight against crime.
The FNM spent its time in the House of Assembly
nit picking about one thing or the next but mainly trying to suggest that
crime is the problem of the PLP. Missing in action in the House was
Hubert Ingraham, their leader and it is quite interesting that without
him the group is unable to mount an effective argument. You may click
here for the full intervention of the Attorney General to the House of
Assembly on Wednesday 10th May.
Hubert Ingraham The Master Triple Dipper of The Bahamas |
MITCHELL
IN EUROPE
The Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell represented
the Prime Minister Perry Christie at the Heads of Government meeting with
the Prime Minister of Spain and then with the Heads of Government of the
European Union in Vienna, Austria. The meetings took place from 10th
May to 13th May. Mr. Mitchell used the opportunity while in
Spain to raise several bilateral matters. One of them was an appeal
on the question of the Schengen visas. Bahamians complain that there
is a problem with accessing Europe from The Bahamas. Many countries
that did not require Bahamians to have visas to come there like Sweden
after having joined the Schengen visa group require visas but have no local
office to issue them. The Bahamas has been working with Spain to
see if this matter can be resolved. Every year thousands of Bahamian
businessmen and tourists are inconvenienced by the lack of timely access
to Schengen visas. The Minister also took the opportunity to thank
the Government of Spain for the US$50,000 gift for Hurricane relief.
The Spanish Minister of State in their Foreign Ministry landed in Nassau
on the eve of the hurricane Wilma last year. He promised assistance
and that assistance was forthcoming within days.
The photo shows Minister Mitchell (centre
right, second row) with CARICOM Heads of Government and Foreign Ministers
and Secretary-General Edwin Carrington with Prime Minister of Spain, Jose
Luis Zapatero, on the steps of the La Mancloa Palace, before the start
of the Third CARICOM-Spain Summit. Caricom photo
THE
BUT’S NITWIT PHILOSOPHY
Last week, we wrote extensively last week in an
editorial comment about the nitwit philosophy that dominates the Bahamas
Union of Teachers (BUT). The two person wrecking crew that is at
its head is in our opinion intent on destroying all that has been built
up in education. The negotiations seemed to be going nowhere.
Well it appears that the nitwit philosophy has finally found its cooler.
That cooler is the Minister of Education Alfred Sears who on Tuesday 8th
May actually sat in on the negotiations and began the task of settling
the thorny issues.
The Union much to the shock and surprise of the
country was able to sign off on something that they had been ducking for
weeks and something which the Government had already decided to concede.
Let us hope that this keeps on track in this way. We have said before
we have never seen a more difficult, ornery set of people than this crew
at the head of the Bahamas Union of Teachers. But let’s hope that
the nitwit philosophy does not prevail, that good sense will instead prevail.
THE
TRIBUNE NIT PICKS AGAIN
It did not create much fanfare at the time of the
announcement. Perhaps the news was too good. Who knows how
and why the press decides what is important and what is not? But
the fact is that the Minister responsible for the Public Service Fred Mitchell
did announce that the Government was thinking about lifting the moratorium
on public hiring that has been in place since 2001. The Minister
made the announcement at the PLP’s mini convention on 2nd May 2006.
The Minister did announce that the Government thought
that it was time to look at more hiring in the public sector subject to
the available resources, and he also added that he hoped that some of these
jobs would be private/public sector partnership jobs. The idea would
be that people who did not have the requisite minimum qualifications for
the public service of 5 subjects in the Bahamas Junior Certificate exams
would be able to join the service, paid a stipend but be subject to an
agreement to upgrade their qualifications within a specified time.
The programme was not given a price tag but in our
way of thinking a carrying cost annually of an additional ten to fifteen
million dollars would not be an unreasonable cost for the country to bear
in order to deal with the vexing problem of youth unemployment.
Now to The Tribune. Well as you would expect
they are not very happy with this. They are not concerned about sopping
up youth unemployment even though dynamic private sector growth is not
dealing with the issue. They simply dismiss it as an election ploy.
In their editorial of the past week, they claim that there is no surprise
to them that this is coming just before an election. The truth is
the economy is just now in the position where it can afford this.
Elections have little to do with it, except that they are coming when they
come.
The fact is there is a serious problem of youth
unemployment that must be fixed; otherwise we are looking at a huge time
bomb down the road. It is particularly vexing for young women.
Even when there is a construction boom as there is now in The Bahamas,
the women don't seem to get their fair share of that kind of work.
Thousands of young women are simply sitting at home twiddling their thumbs.
The social discrimination in the work place is still much in evidence.
Further, we know that if male unemployment is not addressed there is going
to be social upheaval and unrest. So we say congratulations to the
Minister on this proposal. We hope that it works and that the jobs
programme will be up and running before the summer is over.
It appears that the Minister has some exalted company
that is thinking the same way. The Secretary General of the United
Nations Kofi Annan speaking at the opening of the European Union, Latin
American and the Caribbean summit spoke to the issue of youth unemployment
and the need to address it on an urgent basis. The SG said: “Overall
employment growth is a necessary, but not a sufficient way, to alleviate
the plight of the young unemployed. Separate and specific measures
are needed to tackle the relative disadvantage of young people entering
job markets. That is why, as a second step, national youth policies
must specifically target both increased employment opportunities for the
young and their improved employability. In effect, governments must
seek to create and to increase both the demand for youth labour and to
supply people with the skills that are needed.”
NO
DISTRACTIONS FOR SHANE
By Bahamas Information Services
FREEPORT
– Minister for Labour and Immigration, the Honourable Shane Gibson made
it clear Monday that he will not be distracted from doing his job, which
includes ridding this country of the illegal immigrant population. Mr.
Gibson also made it clear that all those persons who reside in The Bahamas
legally “Have no reason to be concerned.”
Mr. Gibson was in Freeport for the swearing in ceremony
of several new Bahamian citizens, as well as to deal with work permit issues
and some labour matters.
Speaking during a press briefing Mr. Gibson also made it clear
that the Department of Immigration has a mandate and that they are “Not
picking on any particular group of nationals, but simply doing their job.”
Additionally, he said that while there have been
some concerns expressed with regards to the Immigration roundup, “The vast
majority of Bahamians approve the initiative of the Government in tackling
the illegal immigrant population”.
Telling journalists that they have a job to do,
Mr. Gibson pointed out, “we do not pursue illegal immigrants in the hospitals,
we do not pursue them in the schools, and we don’t pursue them in churches.
“If you don’t want us to go early in the morning,
you don’t want us to go on the job, you don’t want us to have them in bus
loads during the middle of the day, when do you want us to do it,” he asked?
The Minister said he agrees that it is a touchy
subject to those who object, “but for the most part I think Bahamians,
and also the Haitian immigrants, understand that we are only enforcing
the law; we are not introducing any new laws; we are not being bias to
Haitians; we are looking for illegal immigrants.
“I think the message has to get out there that,
if you have information where illegal immigrants are being housed, then
you should bring that information to us. The more information we get from
the public, the less we have to go out and actually conduct these types
of exercises,” he said.
According to Mr. Gibson, when one looks at the numbers
that they have been able to put together so far for the years, everyone
will agree that the Bahamas has a significant amount of illegal immigrants
out there.
“Our position is not that we want to inconvenience
anybody, but at the same time the laws of The Bahamas must be upheld, and
we will continue to be extremely vigilant in what we have to do.
“I will not be distracted and I will not lose focus
on what it is we have to do. We have a job to do! We have a Bahamas
to protect for all Bahamians, and for everybody who comes here legally.
The Bahamas is not only for Bahamians; the Bahamas is for all Bahamians
and those who come here under the right condition,” Mr. Gibson said.
He also used the occasion to discredit rumours regarding
the Immigration Department placing a moratorium of new applicants for work
permits.
According to Minister Gibson what they are doing is not entertaining
any applications where the person is in The Bahamas.
“You have to be outside of The Bahamas.
So if you have somebody that you want to hire who is in The Bahamas, get
them out before we get to them. And if you send them out and they go out
voluntarily, we will then entertain the work permit application and process
it as quickly as possible.
“If we get them through one of our exercises, or
if some someone calls us and tells us, and we pick them up, then we will
not entertain the application for work permit,” he said.
Minister Gibson further pointed out that they are
pursuing even more vigorously, those persons who employ illegal immigrants.
He noted that if illegal immigrants have no where to work, then more than
likely they will not want to be here, since they come here seeking a better
way of life.
“Where we were being sort of lenient in the past
with employers, turning a blind eye and just repatriating and deporting
those illegal immigrants, we will now be dealing more forcefully with those
persons who hire illegal immigrants,” he said.
He advised that utilizing the existing policies,
it is their intent to bring the level of illegal immigrants down to a bare
minimum, and, he advised, it is not the intention of the Government to
introduce any new policies as it relates to illegal immigrants since the
policies that are currently on the books are workable. However he
did not rule out putting in place new policies if it becomes necessary.
NOTTAGE
TOUTS NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE
By Bahamas Information Services' Dudley Byfield
The
pace of preparations for the introduction of a National Health Insurance
plan -- as a companion of the present National Insurance Scheme, which
deals with retirement benefits, old age pensions, and allied assistance
– was accelerated in a presentation to the recent Zion United Baptist Convention
West Grand Bahama District at Bethel Baptist Church, at Pinedale in Eight
Mile Rock by Minister of Health and National Insurance Senator, the Hon.
Dr. Bernard J. Nottage, assisted by a high ranking National Insurance team.
Dr. Nottage expressed his pleasure for the invitation
to speak here and to know that, “the convention has included social issues
affecting our country among your discussions; and to find that National
Health Insurance is of concern to you.”
Dr. Nottage further told the convention that the
Ministry of Health is also very concerned about the fact that there are
so many people who fall victims of illness who cannot get adequate treatment
for their illness -- sometimes because the Ministry did not have the resources,
sometimes because they did not have the money.
He said that he knew certainly that on an annual
basis there are people who do not seek medical care because they cannot
afford to go to a doctor; there are people who go to a hospital and have
to wait hours and hours for care, because they cannot afford to pay a private
physician.
Dr. Nottage continued, “There are people, I know
because I get letters from them, whose children or parents have illnesses
that will cost thousands of dollars, sometimes hundreds of thousands of
dollars to correct and they can’t afford it, can’t get any help … and we
decided that we had to do something about that.
“We cannot continue to say we are representing people
and continue to come to you to get your support to be the Government and
not find a way to do something about things like that,” said the Minister.
He asked the convention to think about National
Health Insurance, as an investment in the health of the Bahamian people.
Dr. Nottage said that if they can get the National Health Insurance
right, those who join and contribute to the scheme would not have to struggle
with the formidable costs of high-tech medicine.
But he cautioned: “This is not as simple as I am
making it: but we can do it if we want it, if we understand it, and if
we care about ourselves and our health. This is really about how we relate
to each other. Are we our brother’s keeper? If all of us pay a little bit
each month, we will be able to provide protection for all of us when we
need it.
“And, if in addition to that we can adopt a healthier
lifestyle. And I have to say this also: I am not the Minister of Sickness.
I am the Minister of Health. So my job isn’t to make you get sick and make
you better. My job is to try to keep you healthy. It is far better to stay
healthy than to get sick and get treatment. Even the Bible said prevention
is better than cure!”
Dr. Nottage concluded, we have come to tell you
about a very important initiative. We want you to understand it; we want
you to understand the benefit it could have for you; and we want you to
be in this battle with us to promote it.
Dr. Bernard Nottage, Minister of Health and National Insurance,
as he addressed the Zion United Baptist Convention on the merits of the
proposed National Health Insurance Plan, preparations for and details of
which, it was stated, are to be presented in Parliament later this year.
(BIS photo by Dudley Byfield)
LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR
More On CSME & WTO
You conclude in your response to Brian Moree's
recent press statements on CSME by saying the deed is done and suggest
that the issue is closed. I beg to differ
Yes we have opted to maintain the status quo
but the issue is not a dead one (maybe sleeping), but I think the continuation
of the discussion, particularly at non political forums and at the intellectual
level that was demonstrated at the conference is a great thing. What is
dangerous however is that Brian Moree and others are often misleading the
public and I dare say, intentionally misleading the public and no one is
pointing out the scare tactics that they are using – It is in this forum
(website) that I have come to expect reprimand to these characters and
the nonsense they often print - To dismiss him or the issues raised is
the wrong approach –
You should note that The Bahamas is still a member
of the African Caribbean Pacific Group (Caribbean Forum of the ACP) and
is engaged in negotiations towards an Economic Partnership Agreement -
Yes another trade agreement and a reciprocal one at that - the point is
the ACP/Cariforum group is essentially Caricom, and when these negotiations
are completed (scheduled for end 2007) The Bahamas will once again be asked
to declare itself and its positions on engagement in the political economy.
The negotiations are happening right now, and
many persons in The Bahamas has never heard the acronym EPA – Government
is not doing enough to engage the private sector and the private sector
in many instances are not privy to much of what is now currently being
negotiated – so encourage the debate, relevant or timely doesn’t matter,
as I hope that at some stage the facts will become necessary and persons
will be better equipped to discuss these matters and assist Government
in advancing the best trade policies for The Bahamas.
Hank Ferguson
Thank you for your reply. Those among the brightest and the best and should use your talents to promote what is best for The Bahamas. Clearly the decision to join CSME and WTO are good for The Bahamas but the voices for the case in the public domain are largely silent. This has allowed misguided philosophy like that of Mr. Moree to go virtually unchallenged. We hope that you and other progressive thinkers rejoin the effort. It would be a shame for the Brian Morees of this world to succeed to the detriment of the country, taking it backwards a whole generation. - Editor
Food for thought - The Immigration Problem in The Bahamas
I have been reading the various comments and
points of view on this topic for a while now and have decided to express
some views of my own. It would therefore be appreciated if you would
allow me to express these views via the medium of your newspaper.
My primary intention is to stimulate some thought processes, which will
eventually (and hopefully very quickly) allow us to make some decisions
and come up with some reasonable answers to this age-old problem.
We need to begin to take some form of positive action and cease being afflicted
with “the paralysis of too much analysis”.
I request that you treat the following comments
as “food for thought”. [PLEASE
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL LETTER]
We all know that it is impossible for us to completely
seal-off our borders, but certainly more can be done to police it.
Sam Haven
Miami, Florida
A thoughtful contribution and well worth the read. Thank you - Editor
THIS
WEEK WITH THE PM
Protect Your Heritage
Progressive Liberal Party Leader Perry Christie
flew on a three island tour at week's end to Rum Cay, Cat Island and San
Salvador. Accompanied by Minister of Works & Utilities (not pictured),
Minister of Financial Services & Investment Vincent Peet (right) and
area Member of Parliament Philip 'Brave' Davis (left), Mr. Christie officiated
at several Party banquets in the installation of Stalwart Councillors.
The Order of the Stalwart Council is the highest rank awarded by the Progressive
Liberal Party. The Prime Minister and Party Leader challenged the
new Stalwart Councillors to protect their heritage and all that they had
fought so hard to win for progress in The Bahamas over the years.
"These are some of the faces that we never see and that Nassau does not
know", said the Party Leader, but these are the faces who fought for freedom,
justice and new opportunities for the next generation. "The PLP"
said Mr. Christie "is known for generating the largest movement to the
middle class in the history of The Bahamas". He called on the Stalwart
Councillors to stand with the Party in protect their heritage. The
new Stalwart Councillors in Rum Cay are pictured.
Instruments for New Bight High School Band
The Prime Minister visited the New Bight High School
while in Cat Island and was asked to present new instruments to the band.
Mr. Christie challenged the school and the band's supporters to identify
other students who have the talent and drive to be a part of the band and
pledged to find the instruments necessary so that each one would be able
to practice at will. The instruments were purchased with money raised
by Cat Islanders for the national award winning group. Among those
pictured are band Director Police Constable Philip Sturrup, District Education
Officers Thacker, School Principal King, Philip Davis MP, Mr. Christie
and Band Founder, former police officer Kemuel Hepburn. The Prime
Minister personally pledged a susaphone, the large, tuba-like instrument
popular in marching bands and widely adopted by Junkanoo groups.
To the delight of the band members, Mr. Christie performed a short slice
of his trademark 'Christie Shuffle' before treating the student musicians
to lunch.
|
Mrs. Edwards died Sunday 21st May, 2006 afternoon after a long battle with cancer. The cultural icon of The Bahamas who was one of the first recipients of asistance from the Bahamas Heart Association of Sir Victor Sassoon when she had a hole in her heart repaired. She gave her lifetime to the country of music, song and cultural enrichment. |
COMMENT OF THE WEEK
INTEGRITY IN JOURNALISM
Journalism is one of the freest professions that one can enter,
and with one of the freest existences. There is no cumbersome Bar
Association or Medical Council whose standards one has to answer to.
Essentially, the profession is unregulated save for the law on libel and
if you are a publisher, you have also to carry a masthead which indicates
who the publisher is and what the address of the publisher is. Apart
from that, you do what you like.
The press is supposed to be a combination of information, education and entertainment. In fact, the charter of the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas makes that the main objects for the existence of the Corporation. But apart from those lofty objectives, the press is really a commercial product. It finds content that readers want to read, that is information of interest, and around that they wrap advertising content which pays for the paper. So much for the loftiness. That means that you can have a newspaper or a radio and television station that simply exists to sell advertising and makes money and any content, no matter how untrue, how salacious, how lacking in integrity can make it to its pages or on the air, so long as it is able to get people to listen to the station or buy the paper. That is life in our free society.
In marketing terms some papers in The Bahamas have a long history of being papers of record. Those are The Tribune and the Nassau Guardian. The Tribune was established in 1903 and the Nassau Guardian has been published continuously since 1844. The Tribune was started by a mulatto family as an anti establishment paper at the turn of the last century. It has now become the centre of right wing opinion in the country but until recently apart from its vitriolic anti PLP bias has kept itself on the straight and narrow as a paper of record. The Nassau Guardian which was started shortly after slavery ended in The Bahamas and was originally the repository of liberal opinion in the then colony, became by the Second World War, the centre of establishment opinion. After the Mosley family gave up its ownership, the paper was owned by the Bay Street Boys that ran the country in the fifties and sixties and so reflected their opinions. The paper was later sold to John Perry an American newspaper publisher until Bahamians bought it from his family company just after the 2002 election. Interestingly enough Mr. Perry died this past week at the age of 89.
Today, one is not sure quite what the Nassau Guardian is, except that it does not appear to be well edited. It does not appear at press conferences about the news. It often gets the news wrong or late, and it does not apologize for glaring mistakes which it makes all too often.
The late comer into this show as a paper of record is the Bahama Journal. The paper was started by Wendall Jones in the 1980s. Feeling a sense of discrimination by the establishment, including the PLP he scrapped his way into getting a radio licence from the FNM government so that he now owns both a paper and a radio station. He has announced that he will also get a television licence. The Bahama Journal does not always get it right but more often than not it has a sober sense of reporting which tries to reflect balance in its stories, not propaganda. Imagine then our surprise at the way the newspaper and its radio station dealt this week with the story of the vote at the United Nations by The Bahamas on Cuba’s position on the United Nations Human Rights Council. We report on that vote below.
One other side to this story must be told and that is all of the newspapers and radio stations in the country have been suffering from the pressure of a trashy, low life newspaper called The Punch. That paper has no regard for the truth; lies all the time, makes up anything that will sell newspapers and is run by someone who has a low sense of self esteem particularly as it relates to his race. All of the papers have felt the pressure and all of them cave in at one time or another in an effort to compete with The Punch. Still, we think of some journalists as persons of integrity, not newspaper hacks who people often accuse of being on the take from one FNM politician or other.
This week, we saw all of the press save the Nassau Guar
