“Fitzgerald suprised at Baha Mar concerns” – The Tribune

Excerpt from this article: “Education Minister Jerome Fitzgerald said yesterday he is surprised by the ‘level of unhappiness’ some Bahamians have expressed at news that the government has struck a deal with the Export-Import Bank of China (CEXIM) to pay creditors and employees of Baha Mar and restart work on the resort.

In wake of Prime Minister Perry Christie’s announcement of the deal last week, reactions have been mixed.

Some have expressed relief and gratitude while others have knocked the Christie administration for not disclosing key details about the agreement.”

I know that it is part of a politician’s job to spin facts in the favor but when you spin them with nonsensical statements, when they become implausible then this is a totally different case and sadly this is point which the Member of Parliament for Marathon has reached with this statement; it is so far beyond the asinine that even if you were to squint and look at it sideways it still does not look credible, much like the person making the statement in this case.

Minister Fitzgerald claims to be ’surprised by the level of unhappiness’ that some have shown over the deal struck between the Bahamian government and the Chinese over the completion of Baha Mar; I have not seen anyone express ‘unhappiness’ but I have heard a lot of people have expressed great concern and have become very leery over the fact that the minister and his government have attempted to convince the people of the Bahamas that CEXIM is willing to complete the Baha Mar resort and put it up for sale out of the ‘goodness of their hearts’; that is without any expectation of some sort of reciprocation.

I also find it surprising that the minister and his government can spend so much time on this exercise of attempting to convince people of what ‘great works’ that they have done in striking this ‘secret deal’; while only correcting a disaster of their very own making through the mishandling of this situation in light of the recent downgrade of our credit rating right about ‘junk’ status; the third credit rating since this progressive Liberal Party came to power in May of 2012.

So as the minister expresses ‘surprise by the level of unhappiness some Bahamians have expressed over the news of the ‘secret deal’ that he and this government has struck over Baha Mar; which is really grave concern, he may actually be surprised at the level of ‘unhappiness’ being expressed by many Bahamians in the performance of the Progressive Liberal Party as a government.  As former Cabinet minister Loftus Roker has come out and characterized the county’s leaders as a ‘tainted bag of apples’.

The Progressive Liberal Party fails for one reason, it is their nature.

END

 

In a style that only Bradley Roberts, Chairman of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) can manage to pull off because no one really expects any better from him, he sets out to attack Opposition Leader, Dr. Hubert Minnis, based solely on deceptive assumptions and flawed conclusions to feed to the people of the Bahamas, further showing his desperate state of delusion and dare I say delirium?

“FNM wanted Baha Mar to fail – Roberts says Minnis unfit to serve” – The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt from this article; “Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Chairman, Bradley Roberts said yesterday the Free National Movement (FNM) heavily criticized the government following the announcement that it had reached an agreement with the Export-Import Bank of China (CEXIM) to complete Baha Mar because the party was ‘hoping against all odds’ that the Christie administration would not come to a resolution.

‘To me, it [is] a distraction,’ Roberts said at a press conference at PLP headquarters.

‘The FNM was shocked beyond words that [Prime Minister Perry] Christie was able to reach an agreement.”

At this time, it is my understanding, that there is a ‘deal’ in place, the details of which are unknown and sealed.  The only details being released so far are that the Bahamian creditors are being paid some or maybe all of the monies owed to them after the Progressive Liberal Party needlessly forced the $3.5b resort into receivership, putting over 2,000 Bahamians out of work and having their livelihoods hang in the balance for over a year while they [the Progressive Liberal Party government] scrambled around desperately in attempts to correct a disaster purely of their making.

While Mr. Roberts talks about the Prime Minster sitting down all ‘parties concerned’ to reach this agreement, it is strange that the developer, Sarkis Izmirlian is no longer considered a ‘party of concern’ in this matter; the only parties being the Bahamas government, the Export-Import Bank of China (CEXIM), China Construction America (CCA) and an unknown buyer, who Prime Minister Perry Christie says is a decision to be made by the ‘bank’, so why would there be any surprise that an agreement has been reached?  It would appear as if the Christie administration is surprised and relieved that the Chinese has finally given in but at what cost?

There are questions about this ‘secret deal’ that the governing Progressive Liberal Party has been asked to answer by the Opposition and concerned citizens, and for the Chairman of the PLP to then intimate that the mere action of requesting accountability from this government is a sign that you would have wanted this project to fail is disingenuous, utter rubbish; nothing more than lies and deception by the Chairman to distract from their ineptitude and incompetence when handling this matter but it seems that the PLP Chairman’s job is to throw enough feces at the wall in hopes that some sticks and he has shown this just may be his greatest political talent.

It is my opinion that anyone that expresses shock or surprise that the Christie administration and CEXIM FINALLY came to an agreement to complete Baha Mar is not fit to serve but we the people would like to know what has been given up to have CEXIM come to this ‘agreement’ after over a year of the project sitting dormant, because we all know that the Chinese do not do anything ‘on air’, to borrow some street jargon.  So while the Chairman continues to shoot excrement, we the people will wait to see just how much this ‘deal’ is costing us.

The Progressive Liberal Party fails for one reason, it is their nature.

END

In politics perceptions goes a long way and with that in mind one should be very careful of who is sent to deliver certain messages; some may not be perceived as believable when delivering certain messages to the masses.

It would appear that the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) has lost a handle on this concept or have just reached the point where they just do not care anymore.

“More Baha Mar details Monday – Fitzgerald promises specifics of sealed deal.” – The Tribune 08.27.2016

Excerpt from this article; “Marathon MP Jerome Fitzgerald yesterday said as early as Monday additional details regarding the agreement signed by the government and the Export-Import Bank of China (CEXIM) that will see the completion, sale and opening of the stalled $3.5 billon resort Baha Mar project, will be released to the public.

Fitzgerald was one of the government’s lead negotiators involved in Baha Mar remobilization talks.

“Over the next couple of weeks we will outline how it is to proceed,” Fitzgerald said while a guest on Guardian Radio 96.9 FM’s Talk Live with Carlton Smith.”

It has already been my prediction that  as was the case with the Letter of Intent issue; their being two and the “Murder for hire” plot of the Save the Bays members case; their being two affidavits in that situation; there will also be two sets of ‘details’ outlining the specifics on the ‘sealed deal’ at Baha Mar and who better to present these ‘details’ to the public other than the Member of Parliament for Marathon who is now infamous for finding ‘relevant’ information in his political ‘garbage bin’ and hiding other specific details of other matters from his very own constituents even when their health and lives hung in the balance?

What makes Minister Fitzgerald even more suitable for this task, is the fact that he is the Cabinet Member that has been entrusted with presenting the Freedom of Information Act to the House of Assembly so that it could be tabled.  When the Free National Movement demitted office in 2012, a FOIA had been prepared and was ready to be tabled, then Minister Fitzgerald and the PLP government claimed that the bill was lacking and promised to ‘fix’ it and table it; it has now been over four years and we still wait but yet the government would now task this very same man with ‘spoon feeding’ the ‘details’ of the Baha Mar deal to the public, really?

It is news to me that Minister Fitzgerald was deeply involved in this Baha Mar process, by the way, and now I have a better understanding of why the ‘deal’ went ‘sideways’.

Why does this government really think that we will trust this man now?

The Progressive Liberal Party fails for one reason, it is their nature.

END

On Monday evening of this week Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Perry Christie gave the nation the ‘good news’ in a nationally televised press conference; his first in some time.  The Prime Minister’s news was that an agreement had been reached between the Bahamian government and the Export-Import Bank of China for them to complete the stalled $3.5bn resort. 

The Prime Minister said that under the agreement/deal, former employees and unsecured creditors would be paid ‘a significant part and possibly all’ of the outstanding money owed to them but missing from the announcement were certain key details, such as how much will be borrowed to complete the resort and who the new buyer was.

Later on during the week, then pressed for certain details, the public then found out that the particulars of the ‘deal’ had been sealed by the court for ‘commercial reasons’, whatever that means in this case.  Members of the public and the Official Opposition, Free National Movement (FNM), questioned the sealing of the ‘deal’ made by the government on behalf and best interest of the Bahamian people; questioning the secrecy  and lack of transparency of the government.  The Prime Minister quickly retorted, lashing out at critics of his government and this ‘secret’ deal, intimating that anyone that would expect openness and transparency from his government is not fit to serve the people as an elected official.  The Prime Minister then went on to explain that if the people could understand the huge amounts of monies being transferred between the parties involved in the deal then they would appreciate the need for the sealing of the particulars of the ‘deal’ and why the people whom he represents will be kept in the ‘the dark’ until him and his government sees fit to let them know what the ‘deal’ entailed; I would just like to interject here that we, the people, still await the particulars of the BTC deal to get the ‘2 percent’ back.

One thing that the Prime Minister does not seem to appreciate is the fact it is because of the amounts of money that the people realize that must be involved is why the people are demanding that the details be outline and why they want to know exactly who are these ‘parties’ who are a part of this ‘deal’.

Yes, they want to know the details of the ‘deal’ and who these ‘parties’ are that the Prime Minister refers to.

The greatest insult to the Bahamian people, in my opinion, then becomes in the wake of a total lack of details of this ‘deal’, the Prime Minister and the Progressive Liberal Party now wishes for the Bahamian people to commend them for a job well done, after they have ‘corrected’ a problem totally of their own making. 

I am simply shocked, amazed and appalled by the fact that the government and its supporters actually except the Bahamian people to give them ‘kudos’ fro finally correcting a monumental wrong created and brought about through their sheer incompetence, ineptitude, laziness and greed.  This failure to be proper stewards of the peoples affairs has cost the Bahamian people millions of dollars to correct, lost in investments, lost revenue, and money spent in negotiating this ‘deal’ to correct this wrong, which has also come with a credit ratings downgrade.

In no way shape or form should this government be congratulated or expect to be praised for bringing about this situation and then ‘fixing’ it; they [the Progressive Liberal Party government] should instead be made to apologize to the Bahamian people for the hardships brought on them [the Bahamian people] though their incompetence in bringing this situation about; unless as theorized, this entire situation was all brought about to force the Developer, Sarkis Izmirlian, out and hand the project over to the Chinese; in which case they should be made to pay in the greatest way possible for endangering the lives and livelihoods of the Bahamian people for their own selfish greed.

The Progressive Liberal Party fails for one reason, it is their nature.

END

The Prime Minister, yesterday, chastised public officials/figures that have criticized him and his government’s decision to keep ‘secret’ parts of ‘the deal’ struck between the Bahamas government on behalf of the Bahamian people and the Export-Import Bank of China (CEXIM) concerning the completion of the $3.5bn Baha Mar resort.

The Prime Minister suggested that anyone expecting openness and transparency, especially from his government, is not fit to serve the people of the Bahamas as an elected official.

“PM: No secrecy over Baha Mar – Christie questions fitness of opponents to serve after criticism” – The Tribune

Excerpt from this article; “Prime Minister Perry Christie said yesterday there is ‘nothing secret’ about Baha Mar and that lawyers have instructed him not to divulge relevant details because of the sensitivity of the matter and the amount of money being transferred among parties.

He criticized public figures yesterday, questioning whether they are fit for public service in view of the governments limited revelation of details surrounding a recently struck deal with the Export-Import Bank of China (CEXIM) to get Baha Mar remobilized.”

Indeed, Mr. Prime Minister, there are those among us that are very much interested in the amount of money being transferred among parties to get Baha Mar remobilized and completed and who these parties may be and we are sorry about bothering you and your government as we enquire about the people’s business.

Mr. Prime Minister, you have a great propensity to mislead the people when defending yourself against what the people see as being utter nonsense.  You would get up and say “…..that I would get up announce something that wasn’t true; the naivety of people in public life amazes me to the point where I question their fitness to serve”, well as you seek to speak down to your critics you are misleading the public because no one has said that you have lied; yet, but rather question the terms and concessions of a deal that has now been cloaked in ‘secrecy, maybe never to see the light of day, Mr. Prime Minister we know you well, and maybe just a little more than we would like to.

No one has called you stupid, Mr. Prime Minister, although this is the second time that I can remember that you have accused persons of just a transgression; it has led me to believe that it is a mental thing with you, but I tend to digress as the issue here is the details surrounding this ‘deal’ and the lack of transparency involved as the government now seeks to use some sort of legal privilege to put off the  disclosure the details, well have them revealed at this time, the question of if the Prime Minister is stupid; this is another debate for another day.

Let us say that we concede the point that the details are too sensitive to disclose at this time; when will we know the details, when we are being forced into camps and being taught Mandarin?  I believe that the Chairman of Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation. Gowon Bowe says it best when he suggests that if the government was not prepared to fully disclose all of the details regarding the new deal to open Baha Mar, they should not have publicized movement on the negotiations until they were fully prepared to act transparently but then this is the Progressive Liberal Party that we speak of, and the people still await the details of the deal that got back two percent of BTC; which really turned out not to be two percent

The Progressive Liberal Party fails for one reason, it is their nature.

END

On the back page of one this morning dailies is a full page ad promoting the Progressive Liberal Party’s initiative “Stronger Bahamas”, the ad asks “How are we building a modern Bahamas?”  This is a very valid question and quite ironic in light if the recent developments at Baha Mar.

“FNM: Why hide Baha Mar deal? – Opposition hits out at sealing of court documents.” – The Tribune

Excerpt from this article;”Free national Movement Shadow Minister of Labor Loretta Butler-Turner castigated the Christie administration yesterday over the decision to seal the court documents relating to the new deal to open the shuttered $3.5bn Baha mar resort, branding this as ‘deceptive’ and ‘irreprehensible’ on all levels.

This, she said, only serves the selfish interests of Prime Minister Perry Christie and his government.

Also weighing in on the matter yesterday, FNM Leader Dr. Hubert Minnis said the Opposition is ‘shocked and dismayed’ the government sanctioned the decision to seal the documents, adding only dictatorial  and corrupt governments carry out the work of the country in the dark of night.”

My question is how do we build a stronger and more modern Bahamas when the government still seeks to act in a way that shuns openness and transparency?

We have been asked to trust the Prime Minister and his judgment but was it not the Prime Minister and his judgment that caused the work at Baha mar to come to a complete stop  for the past year and forced it into receivership, while many lost their jobs and many lost their investments in the property?

Now we see have to wait to see what are the ‘details’ included in a deal struck in the best interest of the people of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. 

I make this bold prediction; just as we saw two LOI’s surface between the government and Stellar Waste and there were two affidavits in the ‘Toogie and Bobo’ matter; there will be two versions of this deal by the time that it is ‘released’, if it is ever released.

Where is a Freedom of Information Act when I need one?

The Progressive Liberal Party fails for one reason, it is their nature.

END

While everyone is ‘overjoyed’ by Prime Minister Perry Christies’ announcement that the persons owed monies when this government mishandled the Baha Mar situation and forced it into receivership causing the work at the $3.5 bn  Baha Mar resort to come to a complete stop over a year, will be paid and that work will commence in short order and the facility will be opened by the winter season; some of us are caught up in the news of another Moody’s credit ratings down grade and the ‘nothing to worry about’ attitude that persons in the government responsible for finance have taken.

“Govt. not worried – Halkitis: Govt. knows that to do to prevent Moody’s downgrade” – The Nassau Guardian, July 5^th 2016

Excerpt from this article; “Minister of State for Finance, Michael Halkitis, said yesterday that the government is not worried by an announcement by ratings agency Moody’s that it is looking to downgrade the Bahamas’ credit rating within 60 days.

Halkitis said the Christie administration knows what to do to address concerns raised by Moody’s and it is committed to doing it.

‘This is one of things he said.’

‘We think we are at a point where we have stabilized things.  Our forecasts show that the debt –to-GDP ratio will begin to decline going into next year.”

Well, we left the Minister of Finance, the Minister of State for Finance and the entire Progressive Liberal Party to do what they said they know that they had to do and after a meeting with Moody’s by the Minister of Finance and his ‘team’ we got;

 “PM: We did the best we could do in Moody’s meeting” – August 24^th 2016

Excerpt from this article; “Moody’s Investor Services has meet with the Christie administration and heard the administration’s presentations on the likelihood that the country’s economic growth prospects will improve, debt metrics will stabilize and the government policy will effectively address its macroeconomic and fiscal challenges.  Prime Minister Perry Christie’s verdict on those meetings’ we did the best we could do in the circumstances.”

Well the Minister for Finance/Prime Minister said that ‘we did the best hat we could do in the circumstances’; do not know what ‘circumstances’ that he is referring to but yet we have been downgraded; keep in mind that the Minister of State for Finance said “…the Christie administration knows what to do to address the concerns…….and it is committed to do it.”  Now either the commitment was not quite enough or the Minister of State for Finance and his government did not/ do not know what is needed to be done but never the less be thee of good cheer as there is nothing to be concerned or worried about , so let us look at this from a positive perspective.

“Halkitis: Silver lining in Moody’s downgrade” – The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt from this article; “Minister of State for Finance Michael Halkitis said yesterday despite the downgrade of the country’s credit rating by Moody’s Investor Services on Monday, he is relieved, as there is a ‘silver lining’.

“As you recall, when Moody’s issued a review, they put us on review and they indicated that it could be one or two notches,” Halkitis said.

‘In all the circumstances, we are relieved that you know, we only went down one notch”, really Mr. State Minister for Finance?

What happened to being committed to doing what had to be done to prevent the downgrade in the first place?

The Progressive Liberal Party fails for one reason, it is their nature.

END

A great silence has fallen over the country as the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Perry G. Christie has ‘pulled the rabbit out of the hat’ but many of the silent voices are beginning to ask the same question; is the ‘rabbit’ still alive?

“Baha Mar agreement, but PM gives few details” – The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt from this article; “Prime Minister Perry Christie announced last night that the government and the Export-Import Bank of China have signed an agreement that was approved by the Supreme Court yesterday afternoon that will see the derailed Baha Mar project sold and opened before the end of the 2016/2017 winter season.

Christie said under the new deal, former employees and unsecured creditors will be paid a ‘significant part, and possibly all’ of the outstanding money owed to them.

However, Christie’s announcement, which he hailed as a ‘signal achievement for the Bahamas’, requiring a ‘herculean’ effort’, was void of a named buyer, the cost to complete Baha Mar, what concessions the government had to conceded to facilitate the deal, and how many employees will be engaged.”

Indeed, the news that Baha Mar will soon be open, again, is great news; barring the fact that a buyer has yet to be identified, there are speculations by the Progressive Liberal Party government that there is a ‘list’ of interested parties.

So yes, we fall to the feet of the Prime Minister, then raise and give him the highest honors for finally correcting a serious problem that only he and his government had needlessly  created through their sheer ineptitude and incompetence.

Then there are those of us that wonder just how long has the Prime Minister had this ‘rabbit’ in his hat and has allowed the Bahamian people that were depending on Baha Mar; remember over 2000 were sent home when the property was closed as it went into receivership, to suffer from the lack of employment until the ‘right time’…..#ELECTION2017

The Progressive Liberal Party fails for one reason, it is within their nature.

END

It all began back in late 2012 with strange rumblings at the public landfill.  It was said at the time that two top Progressive Liberal Party Member of Parliament were locked in a ‘silent war’ over contracts to control the landfill and then there was the introduction of Stellar Waste and the Waste-To-Energy proposal and a letter of intent (LOI) , now we are here.

“Something stinks – There were two LOI’s – DMP’s name was on the first contract” – The National Review; The Nassau Guardian.

Excerpt from this article; “Something stinks and it is not the New Providence Landfill that has been at the center of plans by Stellar Water To Energy (Bahamas) for a $600 million waste-energy plant.

The letter of intent (LOI) for Stellar that was reportedly the one referenced by Minister of State for Finance Michael Halkitis when he wrote the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) on May 26, 2014 about the planned project, contains a line for the signature of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Works Philip Brave Davis.

But six weeks later, Renward Wells, then parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Works, signed another similar drafted LOI, which has a space for his signature, not Davis’ signature.

This  discovery made by National Review in its ongoing investigation into the years long controversy raised the most critical question yet in this debacle : Why was the new LOI made up and why did it suddenly provide for Wells’ signature and not the deputy prime ministers’?”

If we all remember well, Renward Wells refused to say if he had signed the LOI at someone’s behest, even after being fired from the position as parliamentary secretary and even after leaving the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) and joining the Free National Movement (FNM), strange but even more strange is the Deputy Prime Minister’s name being taken out of the entire situation even after the ‘cold war’ being waged over the city dump had become common knowledge but then this is not the first time that the deputy prime minister’s name has miraculously disappeared from documents that could possibly cast him in a negative light.

It was the height of the “Toggie and Bobo” affair, when there was the introduction of certain affidavits; one set with the name of the deputy prime minister and another set without.

“Rollins: Affidavit shows DPM Davis coached ‘criminals” – The Nassau Guardian (March 18^th 2016)

Excerpt from this article; “In a move that that fuelled contentious debate that spanned two meetings of the House of Assembly, Fort Charlotte MP Dr. Andre Rollins attempted to table affidavits, one which he claimed names Deputy Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis as someone who ‘coached’ two individuals who the government calls ‘criminals’.

The affidavits were in relation to the alleged murder plot outlined by billionaire Lyford Cay resident Louis Bacon and several members of Save the Bays against wealth fashion designer Peter Nygard and lawyer Keod Smith.

Rollins claimed he was tabling a ‘doctored’ affidavit, as well as the unredacted version of the affidavit, which repeatedly mentions Davis.”

It is indeed very interesting, yes that is the word, interesting the way in which duplicate documents continue to be ‘unearth’ in ‘deals’ that the Progressive Liberal Party has had dealing with the name of the Deputy Prime Minister, maybe he would like to explain this to the rest of us.

The Progressive Liberal Party fails for one reason, it is within their nature.

END

I am at a cross-road of emotion because I do not know whether to laugh, cry, feel deeply insulted or just greatly disappointed in the Minister of Labor’s, Shane Gibson, recent response to the situation at Sandals.

“Gibson: Job fair very suspicious – Minister questions Sandals’ motive” – The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt from this article; “Minister of Labor Shane Gibson said yesterday it is ‘very suspicious’ of Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort to host a job fair beginning Monday, a week after make more than 600 workers redundant, as the hotel closed for renovations.

‘Sandals said to the public and to us that u had no choice and said their lawyers advised them the only way to deal with employees was to terminate them, giving the impression that if they did not have to terminate them, they wouldn’t,” Gibson told The Guardian.

‘Well if they didn’t have a choice and they terminated them, why would they turn around to those good employees and say reapply for your job?

‘Why not bring back the employees?”

Minister this is the very same question that I asked of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) in 2012, when they ‘terminated’ many government employees and asked them to reapply for their jobs; so for Minister Gibson to now say, “I was trying to be as open and objective as I could be about this, is disingenuous at best because he is quite familiar with the ’purging process’; the question is what is his government prepared to do about it?

If this government can and has already done this very same thing its very own citizens, what will Minister Gibson now do since he has already come out and said “…….there are labor laws in place and the government cannot start a precedent of dictating to private business owners how to conduct their affairs’, not even if it is in the best interest of Bahamians?

Is this what was learned from the ‘teachable moment’ of Baha Mar?

But since this government has already shown that it is fully prepared to do this to their own, how can they reasonably expect or demand better from others?

As just as a matter of information, I am at this cross roads becasue I find it utterly, insulting, humorous, laughable and disappointing that the minister would make such a statement and act as if he is lost as to what is happenng here, thereby questioning the intelligence of the Bahamian people.

The Progressive Liberal Party fails for one reason, it is within their nature.

END