“Davis Says Over-The Hill Bill Will Only Help Rich” – The Tribune Friday 27 July 2018

Excerpt from this article; “OFFICIAL Opposition Leader Philip Brave Davis yesterday branded the government’s touted Economic Zone Bill 2018 as ‘flawed’, adding the legislation in its current form will only boost the rich at the expense of the poor.

Instead of doing what its title suggests, Mr. Davis said the bill would create special ‘exploitation’ zones.

Speaking in the House of Assembly yesterday, the Progressive Liberal Party leader said the legislation fell ‘dangerously short’ of addressing the structural deficiencies of Over-the-Hill communities and did not do enough to tend to the lack of education, with which many there are challenged.

Before Davis’s critique, Tall Pines MP Donald Saunders blasted the opposition claiming their criticisms of the legislation were because the PLP felt its base being threatened.

He said for an organization that constantly spoke about the love for the poor and disenfranchised, the party had not done enough to help those in this category.

However, when Mr. Davis spoke he questioned several aspects of the Economic Empowerment Zone Bill.  He said it was more likely that wealthy investors would take advantage of its many concessions, which will ultimately adversely affect the very people who need assistance.

‘I recognize, Mr. Speaker, the urgent need to respond to the challenges of these communities,’ Mr. Davis said yesterday during his contribution to the debate.

‘We need a durable long-term solution to this situation.  However the prime minister’s highly touted concept of special economic zones is flawed, this Bill is flawed.’

‘Its chief flaw is that it offers further enrichment to the rich at the expense of the poor.  This initiative is what I call the cart before the horse.  It dangerously falls short of addressing the structural challenges plaguing the Over-the-Hill communities,’ Mr. Davis said.”

So while the Member of Parliament for Englerston is spreading misinformation that the constituency that she represents has been left out of the initial zone suggesting that she has been discriminated against, Mr. Davis is attempting to make a case for why he feels the entire initiative is a bad idea and at the same time admitting that these areas that were once considered Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) strong-holds for decades are failing and that they [the ] Progressive Liberal Party] have failed them even after promising to invest in them.

It is amazing the manner in which Mr. Davis addresses the issue of the Economic Empowerment Bill, while attempting to “stand strong” for the people that actually live in an improvised state because he and his party have basically said there is nothing much that they could do or should do to help these people better their standard of living, this is evident in the statement; “The Over-the-Hill community and economic woes are long-standing and have been exacerbated by education and economic woes”, when exactly did Mr. Davis notice these problems?

I would suggest that he questions the viability of the Urban Renewal and Urban Renewal 2.0 programs to find the answers to the questions to find these answers.

While Mr. Davis looks for the answer to these simple questions, I would like to say of the Over-the-Hill Empowerment Bill, which Mr. Davis sees as the sky falling, here is an  opportunity for the persons in these areas who have moved out and left properties abandoned, to now come back and become owners of the economy by investing in generation properties. 

Now is the time for Bahamian citizens too band together and take full advantage of this opportunity, to improve their lives and the well-being and environments of the Over-the-Hill communities.

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“NO role of DPP on social media war” – The Tribune 07.24.2018

Excerpt from this article; “PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party Chairman Fred Mitchell yesterday expressed shock over the government’s decision to refer a ‘simple social media, political war’ to the director of public prosecutions.

In a statement, Mr. Mitchell questioned the use of the state apparatus to investigate ‘some phantom alleged criminal behavior’, and suggested there was an agenda to intimidate PLP supporters.

He condemned the act as shameful and ‘nakedly political’, adding the party expected to see the specific directions given by the Attorney General Carl Bethel gazetted as required by law.

‘We think the real story here is the prosecution that were unleashed on PLP MPs; this is now victors justice again’, Mr. Mitchell said.

‘This reference to the DPP is designed to intimidate PLP partisan in their social media warfare against FNM trolls who continue to defame the PLP leaders.”

As Mr. Mitchell rambles on with, “we think the real story is the prosecutions that were unleashed on PLP MP; this is victors justice again.”, maybe he would like to explain to the rest of us exactly what he is referring to because I would like to just to note for the record that over 80 percent of the population is completely lost by the tenuous connection that he is attempting to make because as far as many of us are concerned he [Chairman Mitchell] has already showed his ‘cards’ with the comment suggesting that this is an “agenda to intimidate PLP supporters”, surely something else must be going on that most of us are unaware of or maybe this is all in Chairman Mitchell’s mind.

It is interesting that Chairman Mitchell would even get himself involved in such a ‘non-issue’ in the first place, as he labeled what is going on as nothing but “a simple social media war.”

The Chairman’s stance is that this issue should not have been forwarded to the director of public prosecutions; stating that “the [PLP] party expected to see the specific directions given by the Attorney General …..” suggesting at this point he is basing his entire opinion of the matter on two things; one, the theory that this is merely something orchestrated to ‘embarrass’ the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) and two, pure speculation; as he does not give any plausible explanation as to why the matter should not have been referred to the DPP’s office.

Stripped back, there are allegations of numerous illegal activities, including murder which would be investigated in any other civilized society, is the Chairman of the Progressive Liberal Party then suggesting that we have not come far along in civility to investigate such matters just because his government decided not to carry out the necessary investigations in the Save The Bays matter?

From what I am understanding, the Attorney General has the right to refer a case to the office of the DPP and after a review the DDP can then refer the matter to the police for proper investigation if he deems it necessary but in this case certain recordings from social media were simply forward to the office of the DPP for him to do with as he pleased; no directive has been given to anyone at this point, so why I is the chairman of the Progressive Liberal Party getting ‘his drawers in a bunch’ over this ‘simple social media war’?  If it is as he says, it will run its course but to suggest that is should not be investigated shows a total lack of civility on the part of Chairman Mitchell and all of whom he speaks for.

Mr. Mitchell’s assertions that this is only attempt to intimidate PLP supporters is asinine, at best because while I may understand that he as chairman feel that he must make a comment on the matter I only ask that at the very least the statement makes a little bit of sense.

There is actually a simple solution to this issue and the chairman needs to think about simply solving the problem within his party while allowing the law to run its course.

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“Miller could seek $70mi. – Lawyer for former MP warns govt. entity” – The Nassau Guardian; July 18^th, 2018

Excerpt from this article; “Former Tall Pines MP Leslie Miller could seek as much as $0 million in damages in his lawsuit against Bank of The Bahamas and the government, his attorney Damian Gomez said yesterday.

Miller is suing Bank of The Bahamas for $9, 642, 500.28 plus damages for alleged breach of contract with regard to seven companies financed by the bank, whose assets were transferred to Bahamas Resolve Limited, and since have been put on the market for sale.

Miller and his companies are also suing the attorney general and the treasurer of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas for $9,846,639.40 plus interest for failure to pay rent money he claims was due under five leases with the government signed December 1, 2016.

When asked about the issue of damages yesterday, Gomez said, ‘There is a claim against the government the Bank of The Bahamas for over $9 million and there is a separate claim against the government for rents that are due, and that’s just under $10 million.  He is also claiming in addition to those sums, damages, and those damages could amount to tens of millions, depending on what Bahamas Resolve does.”

‘It is now threatening to sell the properties.”

To tell the God’s honest truth, I am totally perplexed by this lawsuit and the grounds on which is based.

Here is what I know.

“Miller claims he financed the Summerwinds Complex through a mortgage at Bank of The Bahamas on August 4 1999.

He claims that he further added to that mortgage eight times over the next seven years until 2011 though loans to Summerwinds (Two Thousands) Investment Company Ltd (SICL).

He [Miller], was allowed by resolution of the House of Assembly on January 15, 2013 to lease his property to the government.

The government entered into two leases with SICL on May 7 2013 and July 19, 2013.

These leases required significant upgrades to the properties.

Miller claims the bank agreed to lend him $2.5 million through Summerwinds 2000 Investment Company for the upgrades of which $185,000 was advanced between February and October 2013.

Miller claims that during the first week of October, the bank stopped the payment of funds needed for the reminder of renovations, effectively breaching their contract and leading to the government cancelling the rental contracts because it could not occupy the premises.”

“….Miller claims and in February 2017, the treasurer failed to pay rent money agreed to in his leases, causing him and the company losses of $8,475,837.40 in rent and $1,370,802 in money ‘expended/committed’ for renovations – a total of $9,846,639.40.”

So If I understand what is going on here’ Mr. Leslie Miller, while being the Member of Parliament for Tall Pines for the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) financed the Summerwinds Complex in August of 1999 through the Bank of The Bahamas and proceeded to enter into two lease agreements with the government in 2013, which included a $2.5 million loan to renovate the building to be occupied by the government but the government at the time did not honor the agreement, a Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) of which he was a member of parliament but rather than sue that government for not being one of honor he has decided to sue the present government which has chosen to not be a part of the mess and rather go after the people’s money that was loan to Mr. Miller to renovate buildings to lease to the government – didn’t he and his government raise all eternal ‘hell’ about this with Dr. Minnis and his Stat Care building, something about ‘conflict of interest’ but here Mr. Miller seems all to willing “conflict interest”, borrow from the government, rent to the government in order to pay the government back and make a profit of course.

Is he [Mr. Miller] really suing for monies that he is says is owed to him due to the rent that he could have collected if his own ‘boys’ had not ‘screwed him over’?

But to move beyond the arrogance and politics of it, we find this culture prevalent wherein a person can actually take advantage of the system in this manner because of who they may be, while the average citizen must provide a “lung/kidney” donation and even a first born to be considered for a loan at half the amount and much less the risk, this is inherently wrong and this must be corrected for The Bahamas to advance.

We should all have a sense of true privilege in the country that we call home, not only the select few.

END

 

Pushed back on page eleven (11) of the Tribune, the chairman of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), Senator Fred Mitchell makes a strange admission while attempting to ‘dress down’ the chairman of the Free National Movement (FNM) Carl Culmer.

“Mitchell: Culmer is an Uncle Tom” – The Tribune

Excerpt form this article; “PLP Chairman Fred Mitchell labeled his counterpart in the Free National Movement an ‘Uncle Tom’, condemning Mr. Culmer for accusing the PLP of oppressing generations of black Bahamians through its political ploys and practices.

In a statement, Mr. Mitchell asserted that Mr. Culmer continues to say ‘dumb and dumber things’.

Last week, Mr. Culmer said the PLP made the United Bahamian Party ‘look like monsters’.

‘This is a classic example of what is known as Uncle Tomism’, Mr. Mitchell said.

‘That means you blame the slave for being in their condition and you get one of their own to say so.”

What the chairman of the Progressive Liberal Party fails to understand or appreciate is that words matter and there are some listening to the language and words being used within this discourse, that is meant to embarrass the chairman of the Free National Movement and seeing a the quiet/subtle admission/concession that The Bahamas is not a free nation/society.  In this discourse is also the concession/admission by the chairman of the Progressive Liberal Party, the first black Bahamian government and who ushered in majority rule, that they have failed the people of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, even after twenty-five (25) of consecutive of governance.

Word Matter; “This means you blame the slaves for being in their condition and you get one of their own to say so”, this in context, in July 2018, exactly, after celebrating forty-five (45) years of Independence, exactly who are the ‘slaves’?  And if there are ‘slaves’ there must be ‘slave masters’; who are these people?

Mr. Mitchell is simply showing his ignorance in this ‘row’ as “He continued: How can a modern Bahamian, presumably educated in our country as a result of the policies of the PLP, whose island elected representatives of the PLP to take the country into independence, who benefitted from a senior job in  a public corporation as a result if PLP policies, who lives in a free nation because of what the PLP did, whose very own FNM leaders were once PLP, speak such total and complete nonsense?”

Well, Senator Mitchell I ask how could just an “educated” man such as yourself that benefitted from all that you claim that Culmer benefitted from, say that that The Bahamas is a “free nation” but still imply that there are ‘slaves’ and by extension ‘slave masters’?

“That means that you blame the slave for being in their condition and you get one of their own to say so”

Words Matter.

Indeed, the chairman’s statements here are nonsensical, as usual I guess, as he cannot seem to expose the ‘ignorance’ of others without exposing his own.  Maybe he time would be better spent bring democracy to the party that he chairs, as there are suggestions that the Progressive Liberal Party’s constitution needs to be amended to bring democracy to that party.

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“Deputy GG slams heroes selection – Smith says it is a ‘narrow view’ to forget country’s racist past” – The Nassau Guardian 4^th July 2018

Excerpt from this article; “Deputy to the Governor General C. A. Smith yesterday criticized the selection process of the four named national heroes and said based on his criteria of the honor, only former Prime Minister the late Sir Lynden Pindling and former Governor General the late Sir Milo Butler met the standard.

Along with Sir Lynden and Sir Milo Butler, former leader of the United Bahamian Party and Premier of The Bahamas the late Sir Roland Symonette, and former Free National Movement Leader, the late Sir Cecil Wallace Whitfield were awarded the honor of national hero.

Yesterday, referring to Sir Roland, Smith explained that it is difficult for a majority black country to accept the head of a ‘racist; repressive, government’ being named a national hero.  He recalled the times of segregation and prejudicial treatment where black people could not work in banks or attend the theater on bay Street.

‘Of the four who were named as national heroes, I think two meet the standard, that’s Sir Lynden and Sir Milo Butler.  The other two, I think, do not meet the standard that I believe national heroes ought to be.

‘It does not negate the fact the other two did some good things.’

‘The slave master sometimes treated the slave well, but he was still a slave.”

Anyone who knows C. A Smith and had followed him during the last election cycle world have been totally baffled by these comments attributed to him, some of us just waited for the next shoe to fall and this came in the order of a retraction and apology by The Guardian’s Managing Editor Candia Dames, wherein she stated that the comments being attributed to C. A Smith were actually made by George Smith, former Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) member of parliament but how could such an egregious error be made by such a ‘seasoned ‘professional’?

The article is written by Royston Jones Jr, but each article before they go to press should approved by the editor especially front page stores of this magnitude; so what went wrong?  There is a saying, “Before you embark on a jouney of revenge, first dig two graves” claimed to have been said by Confucious, but literay scholars cannot seem to agree on this.

It would seems that in Ms. Dames’ fight to reveal the truth she has at times over stepped her bounds especially as it pertains to this prime minister and this administration; could she have been so blinded by ‘rage’ to have missed such a glearing ‘error’ or did she actually approve it in an attempt to create news.  Mind you there was no need to rush to print on this story because there was nothing to be ‘scooped’, as all the salacious details had already been released on social media over the naming of Sir. Roland Symonette as a national hero, there was time to correct the story so why did she decide to press on?

Some now question, was it really an ‘error’?

 We will see if she will attempt to push the blame off to the writer of the article because at the end of the day we all know that the responsibility lies with her and if she is seems to have allowed emotion to control the way she conducts herself as a journalist, then maybe it is time that she either resigns or is fire.

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This past week has seen the Progressive Liberal Party’s (PLP) propaganda ‘machine’ go from the absolutely obscure, illogical and desperate to the outright cruel and morbid.
This all began with; Cabinet reshuffled – Minnis moves for ministers “– The Nassau Guardian, July 3rd 2018
Excerpt from this article; “Four Cabinet ministers of the Minnis administration will have their portfolios reassigned this week in a Cabinet reshuffle just a year after the Free National Movement was returned to power.
The Cabinet Office confirmed in a statement yesterday that, ‘The prime minister advised Her Excellency, the Governor General, to reallocate the portfolios of ministers Renward Ricardo Wells, Frankie Alfred Campbell, Michael Clifton Pintard and Lanisha Tamar Rolle.” This would have been and should have a simple exercise, one which has been seen before but what made it amusing was the instant response to it by the Leader of the Opposition; Philip ‘Brave’ Davis and others within this party; responses that amounted to nothing more than speculation and supposition; “In response to the Cabinet changes, Mr. Davis said: ‘The changes in portfolio allocations announced by the prime minster amount to nothing more than political musical chairs. It accomplishes nothing of substance and is merely shuffling the deck of bad cards.
‘One year into the government, the prime minister’s move condemns his own government for incompetence and ineffectiveness…. The PLP is not impressed by any of it.”

There are several reasons, in my opinion, as to why a prime minister may shuffle his cabinet; to give ministers a better overview of government, to move more effective Cabinet ministers or just to keep Cabinet ministers “on their toes”; whatever the reason it was in this case I will say that if the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) had done it once or twice during their last administration then maybe they would have been a more effective government and not been perceived of as being the epitome of corruption entering the 2017 general elections and is Mr. Davis suggesting that Perry Christie never shuffled his Cabinet due to their competence? Such a suggestion within itself it laughable but also gives one leave for serious concern.
In this statement, the Leader of the Opposition seems to have taken leave of all common sense and rationality by suggesting that the governing Free National Movement (FNM) is actually attempting to impress him and the few that actually believe that he [the Hon. Philip ‘Brave’ Davis] can actually lead that party to an election victory.
Then we enter in the realms of the morbid, cruel and usual, wherein it was suggested in a rumor that Phenton Neymour, former Free National Movement Member of Parliament for South Beach, had died. This rumor was nothing more than a shameless and cowardly attach by ‘certain persons’ which should be condemned to the fullest; as to even begin such a rumor indicates that one has no moral compass and has borderline sociopathic propensities.
Now we end the week with the announcement by ‘sources’ that the Junkanoo groups have been given a choice of whether to have a Boxing Day Parade and a News Day Parade because, according to ‘sources’ the government has informed the Junkanoo groups that the government does not have money for both. I feel while this lie has been thrown out in an attempt to not only discredit the Minnis administration but in a shameless attack on a particular minster; again a shameless and cowardly attack, unknown sources and without the requisite evidence to support it but then speculation and supposition does not require proof, right?
So, there we have it, the PLP’s propaganda machine in all of it glory and hard at work spewing out the ‘necessary; lies no matter the consequence, and as they sit back and watch their handy work I wonder if they realize that “NO LIE LASTS FOREVER”.
END