“BPL’s Elite List ‘Just A Privilege” – The Tribune 18 September 2017

Excerpt from this article; “FORMER Bahamas Electricity Corporation Executive Chairman Leslie Miller said yesterday there is a nothing ‘unusual’ about parliamentarians, top civil servants and churches being placed on a special ‘do not disconnect’ list at Bahamas Power and Light.

In fact, Mr. Miller claimed the list has been around since the 1970’s and remained in place through both the Free National Movement and Progressive Liberal Party governments.

The Tribune understands at least one serving FNM Cabinet minister and two former PLP Cabinet ministers currently owe BPL more than $10,000.”

While Leslie Miller is making it known that the existence of a ‘BPL Elite List’ is nothing new, the leader of the Opposition Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Philip ‘Brave’’ Davis is in another room making another statement, which seems to be rather odd.

“Davis denies knowledge of BPL list” – The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt from this article; “Leader of the Opposition and former Minister of Works Philip Davis yesterday denied any knowledge of a special list at Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) for politicians who were not to be disconnected for non-payment.

Yesterday The Tribune revealed names and the amounts allegedly owed by several former and current parliamentarians who were on the list.

‘I was not aware of that and that it would not have been policy that I would have adopted.” Davis said.” But it was policy that he did adopt, although he is now intimating that he did so with even knowing.

Again as the leader of the Opposition Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) attempts to distance himself from this ‘practice’, the former attorney general  of the former Progressive Liberal Party government makes it seem that either the leader of the opposition is totally unaware of what is going on around him or just lying.

“Maynard-Gibson: BPL list ‘not unusual’ – The Nassau Guardian 23 Sept 2017

Excerpt from this article; “Former Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson said yesterday while she was unaware of the list at Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) that exempted individuals from having their electricity supply disconnected despite non payment, it is ‘not unusual’.

Here we have the former attorney general denying the knowledge of such a list but willing to chime in that if such a list existed then there was nothing ‘unusual’ about it.  Let us say for a moment that she was unaware of said list, as she was unaware of the study into Rubis gas leak which her government commissioned and probably thought her office, how can she go on to condone such a practice?

She then goes on to defend persons privacy on said list; “She suggested that the list contained private information that should not have been publicized as she questioned the purpose of its release.”

Many question the purpose of much that was released under the former government; especially right before election but this is a story for another day.  Today, there is a point to be made and this is that ‘‘policy’ has changed or is being corrected and not longer will those that are able to pay their bills have their bills paid for by those struggling to keep food on the table, let alone the lights on.

The former administration has begun to spin the whole issue of ‘the list; and their spin is…”What’s the big deal?” As the former attorney general says it is ‘not unusual’.  Well the big deal is that no longer will the average citizen be made to suffer while those of means are given a free ride; this does not even make sense.

Indeed, the time has come to name names of persons who have taken advantage of their positions in the system, no matter what party they may have been attached to and letting the chips fall where they may.

END

This morning it was my intent to comment on Progressive Liberal Party’s (PLP) member of parliament’s Chester Copper’s demands for an answer on disaster insurance, wherein he claims that the Minnis administration wasted money when it renewed the Caribbean Catastrophic Risk Insurance (CCRIF) which was cancelled under the Christie administration due to its high premiums and low payouts; to me typical of insurance.  I was wondering that due to the cancellation of the policy under the Christie administration, which saw the country having to borrow large amounts of money for restoration efforts; was Mr. Cooper going to demand answers as to the whereabouts of funds that had gone basically unaccounted for but I have deiced to give him the time to think about he is trying to say, as another subject surfaced over the past weekend which I found much more troubling.

Fred Mitchell’s rant shortly after the general election, which he likened them [the general elections] to nothing more than a game of sorts resurfaced in another form as I conversed with a Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) stalwart who refused to see the failure of the of both referenda (Gaming and Gender) as an indictment on the Progressive Liberal Party but as he would rather believe it was more of a sign that the Bahamian people at large just being afraid of change. 

It is my opinion that this myopic view by the ‘old guard’ of the PLP will continue to be the downfall of that party, preventing its progression, even as Chester Copper attempts to change the narrative of the party’s focus in the eyes if the Bahamian electorate’s view, there will always be persons like Senator Fred Mitchell who will refuse to allow the party to move forward….progress.

My opinion, is that the old guard and those with the same said mentality fail to realize that the main reason that the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) lost the last election so resoundingly was not that person were afraid of change; as they did change governments, voting out persons in areas that persons never thought would change, two areas being the Fox Hill and Centerville and Farm Roads, areas where persons were confident that would never change but yet they did.

It is clear that the Bahamian electorate lost all confidence in the Progressive Liberal Party’s ability at the time to successfully run the country but yet Senator Fred Mitchell still wishes to continue to return the country to a Progressive Liberal Party that just does not seem to know why they lost the general election and thereby wish to carry on with business as usual.

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

END

The past week has been a trying one for most but today it is a day to be thankful.

If you believe in God or not; it is still a time to be thankful as for the most part, The Bahamas has been spared the destruction of Hurricane Irma ; a powerful category 4 and at times 5 hurricane that tore through parts of The Caribbean, leaving some islands simply decimated.

As I said, the country of The Bahamas was spared for the most part; as there was a quick move to evacuate the Southern Islands which would be most affected by the storm and we now stand ready and prepared to assist those that lost almost everything, like those in Ragged Island but it would seem that some did not see the fortunate side of how we faired, as they seek to make the effects of the hurricane; especially the possible economic impact political.

Many looked toward the Fergusons as source of international embarrassment for the country; as this family did some odd things as Irma approached but in the grand scheme of things these actions are totally explainable but nothing is more shameful than persons who go out of their way to ‘create’ a situation to criticize another person for.

The following excerpt is taken from the social media page of ‘Bahamian Jedi’, sponsored by whomever but for some reason heavily promoted by Obie Roberts, son of the chairman of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), Bradley Roberts.

“LYING HUBERT MINNIS AND THE FNM GOVERNMENT, AIN’T KARMA A BITCH”

“The hotels were evacuated from Wednesday/Thursday and ALL port were closed for the last 4 days…supplies or tourist in…no supplies or tourist export.

So virtually no economic activity beyond the super markets, lumber yards and gas stations.  The govt. clearly lost in an excess of $100 million.  The govt. will have to offer tax concessions for affected islands This will only exacerbate the $722 million already as more money will be borrowed to defray government operations.

Much of what the govt. has planned for this fiscal year will have to be scrapped.  The money will simply not be there.  But let us watch Minnis and Turnquest explain this one away.

They pretend this scenario did not happen under the PLP govt. with Joaquin and Matthew.  They called it mismanagement and teifin.

Karma is indeed a bitch.

GET RID OF THE FNM CREW IN 2022”

One thing that I would agree with in this is, “….let us watch Minnis and Turnquest….” As is clear that this government deals with situation in a totally different manner than the government before it, but as for the “explain this one away”, what is this young man on and it is clear that he is still in the ‘dark’ as to why the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) was voted out.

What is there “to explain away”?

What I find worrisome here is that Mr. Roberts seems to be suggesting that it was silly to shut down the country in the first place but trying to give him some intellectual credit, I think he is trying to make a prima facie case as to why the PLP tanked the economy in wake of hurricanes Joaquin and Matthew but what he and others within that political organization seem to fail to realize is that a total lack of accountability by the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) government as it led to the monies borrowed for hurricane relief and other purposes was the main reason why that party was voted out as government. 

This lack of accountability brought great suspicion on the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) government and these suspicions linger to this day as Mr. Roberts attempts to make a case for why the economy was downgraded four times under the PLP and what he must realize is that many are happy that they are not the government of the day.

Mr. Roberts seems to want to make a preemptive strike against the Minnis led administration, when he should at the very least allow to let the first  ‘shoe’ drop first, a very foolish move; I wonder who is advising this young man?

The Progressive Liberal Party continues to fail for one reason, it is their nature.

END