“Ex-ministers to face courts? – Attorney General role in holding top PLP’s to account over ‘waste” – The Tribune

Excerpt from this article; “FORMER ministers in the Christie administration are ‘guilty of ‘malfeasance’ and Attorney General Carl Bethel will have to determine if they should be held liable for the ‘millions’ in taxpayer dollars that were awarded in questionable contracts, in some cases to ‘inexperienced’ contractors, Minister of Works Desmond Bannister told the House of Assembly last night.

The Carmichael MP made the suggestion as he outlined several cases of government waste on public contracts, noting he had to stop work on a $22m public private partnership for a building in Eight Mile Rock, Grand Bahama because it was not in the best interest of the Bahamian people.

He also noted the worrisome $6.5m construction contract for the Lowe Sound Primary School.  He said the job was given to three ‘inexperienced’ men, despite warnings from the officials in the Ministry of Works that the present structure put the project in jeopardy.”

As the debate rages on in the United States of America over whether or not President Donald Trump can be indicted for obstruction of justice, we have our very own debate of whether or not anyone will be charged for the instances of ‘malfeasances’ that have been outlined during the Budget Debate, here by the Minister of Public Works and those outlined by others in the Minnis administration to date.

Will we allow these person’s political ‘reputations’ save them from paying their debt to society for their roles in these cases of ‘political malfeasances’?

It is obvious that ‘side opposite’ will seek to label it a ‘with hunt’; a claim already being made by Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) leader Philip ‘Brave’ Davis but what the leader of the opposition needs to do is explain to the people why in his opinion the Minnis administration has ‘erred’ and turned the revelations of the mismanagement of the public purse by the Christie administration into nothing more than a ‘witch hunt’.

In his attempts to justify the wrong-doings of the previous administration the leader of the Progressive Liberal Party’s (PLP) can only dig deeper the ‘grave’ that he already stands in,  each and every time he or one of his colleagues attempts to justify their political malfeasance; sometimes it is truly better to remain silent and weather the storm.

The situation that we now face is what will be the consequences of such gross negligence, ineptitude and incompetence on behalf of the former government?

We now await the Attorney General’s decision on these matters which brings me to another point that I have advocated for politically and that is the office of an ‘independent’ Attorney General; one elected by the people, just to lessen the view of bias in cases where politicians are being charged for crimes against the people and other political malfeasances.

END

“Tenant ‘owed airport’ $3m – Tourism Minister alleges intervention by pervious government” – The Tribune

Excerpt from this article; “A TENANT who operated five stores at the Lynden Pindling Airport racked up a rental debt of more than $3m under the Christie administration and was allowed to remain delinquent due to ‘direct intervention by political directorate,’ Tourism and Aviation Minister Dionisio D’Augilar revealed in the House of Assembly last night.”

This is just one of the many instances where it has been revealed that the Christie administration was actually ‘pissing away’ public funds; and I have no doubt as the budget debate gets set to end for this week and then moves into week two this coming Monday, there will be more revelations showing where the last government were the worst fiscal managers of the people’s money that this country has ever seen but with these revelations comes consequences; one being that the people now want their ‘pound of flesh’.

The people are furious at what is being revealed and while they appreciate finally being told the truth by the new government they also want to know what is the new government going to do about it?

The people want to know how they will get their money back.

The people want to know who is going to made to pay and/or jailed?

The new government must be very careful as it proceeds down this necessary road to cleaning up our country and making elected officials actually accountable to the people that elected them; as there has to be consequences for such malfeasance and this new government must show that it is serious about ‘letting the chips fall where they may’, because without this then it is all talk.

END

“PM it is very easy to ‘piss away funds´- The Tribune, April 4 2017

Excerpt from this article; “WHILE observers continue to criticize the Christie administration over the way it handles government revenue, Prime Minister Perry Christie admitted yesterday that it could be easy to ‘piss away’ public funds.

Speaking to scores of people gathered at the University of The Bahamas using what he referred to as ‘rich’ language, Mr. Christie used the ‘very graphic expression of annoyance’ as he insisted that his government is not wasting tax dollars.”

These were words of former prime minister Perry Christie as he expressed annoyance with the public as they continued to question the reasoning for the rise in the national debt and deficit despite the ‘exceeding successes’ of value-added tax (VAT), which had collected over a billion dollars in tax revenue.

Shouldn’t the deficit and debt at least slowed in growth but it seems this was one of the times that you were able to take the former prime minister at his word; ‘it is easy to piss away funds’, because it would seems this is exactly what he and his administration did.

A glimpse into this wastage was revealed by Minister of Health, Dr. Duane Sands during his contribution to the budget debate yesterday.

“A picture of waste – ‘distressing’ discoveries on use of public funds” – The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt from this article; “The Christie administration executed over $90 million worth of medical-related contracts – one of which was for the cleaning of an Abaco clinic that was closed – just two weeks before the 2017 general election, Minister of Heath Dr. Duane Sand revealed yesterday.

Sand said the contracts were executed despite a $16.4 million shortfall that prevented the Public Hospital Authority (PHA) from purchasing much-needed medication, vaccines and completing renovations at the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH).

Additionally, he said the former government left millions of dollars in unpaid debt, including about $2 million in National Health Insurance (HNI) related costs.”

Indeed, the Christie administration’s handling of the country’s finances seem to be the ‘blue-print’ on how to ‘piss away public funds’, as we are continuing to find out each and every day, but the former administration seemed to be able to find funds for what they deemed as being important.

“In addition to funding carnival, incredibly, they made the time and found the money to award…..$90 million in lucrative contracts to people, who some would call party faithful.  The reason given was that the clinics had to be upgraded.

‘So the Cabinet directed that $9,778,304.86 be paid as a down payment for new contracts throughout The Bahamas.

This was conveyed by the Permanent Secretary of the OPM) (Office of the Prime Minister) Creswell Strurrup to the permanent secretary of the Ministry of health on April 27, 2017.” the month before the general election.

While the former Christie administration laid out a blue-print on how to “piss away public funds”, it is now incumbent on the Minnis administration to not only expose the ‘dark dealings’ of the former government but to actually prove to the people that they are better administrators of the peoples finances.

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

END

 “Bell: Terror-like threats make scrapping NIA a grave mistake” – The Tribune

Excerpt from this article; “THE Christie administration created the National Intelligence Agency after considering a number of serious, terrorist-like threats that threatened the Bahamas, former State Minister of National Security Keith Bell claimed  yesterday, warning the Minnis administration that is making a ‘grave mistake’ disbanding the agency.

On Monday, National Security Minister Marvin Dames announced that the NIA has been disbanded, saying the unit was isolated from other law enforcement units and had not functioned like an intelligence agency.

But Mr. Dames, countered Mr. Bell, should have in his procession ‘unequivocal’ and ‘undisputable’ evidence showing that he NIA served a meaningful purpose.

Mr. Bell avoided discussing the threats he said The Bahamas faced or the evidence he said proves he NIA’s importance.”

The long and short it seems to be that the former government forms a private agency that is purported to protect the country from terrorist attacks but cannot seem to be able to sit down with the new government and provide the reasons why the agency was formed and why it should still exist and it does this in “the interest of national security”?

“We’ve had enough threats to cause us to move into action at times,’ he [Keith Bell] said.

‘I cannot disclose the threats in the interest of national security, but I am sure the minister and the prime minister have been briefed properly.  If not, then I am prepared in the interest of national security to brief them.”

These fellows can’t even form a ‘secret agency’ properly.

The former minister of state of national security seems to imply that it was someone’s responsibility to appraise the present minister of national security of the functions of the NIA but it seems as if it never happened but on the bright side he is willing to brief him, hopefully he will brief him on why the NIA seems to operate outside the scope of the law in a democratic and independent country.

Of course, the former minister of state will now get up and grand stand, it is easy being in opposition but if you have something to say then simply say it otherwise please sit down, as you have had five years to pull someone aside and let them know what you were doing on Nassau Street and explain to them why it never was legislated to operate as a part of the Ministry of National Security but yet you wish to now spout nonsense.

“When asked why the former administration failed to bring legislation governing the NIA if the agency was so important, Mr. Bell said the Christie-led administration wanted to get the legislation right and spent time benchmarking it against other ones in the region.

He also suggested that because of the criticism the former administration faced over the NIA, the previous government wanted to make sure it got the timing of the legislation right.

He insisted that the methods the NIA used to collect intelligence were legal, even as he refused to discuss the nature of those methods.”

This is funny because later in the very same interview Mr. Bell states; “….the NIA did not require legislation to function”; well sir which is it, you were awaiting the right time to table the legislation or your government simply felt that the agency did not need legislation to function and what was the nature of the information being collected and the method by which this information was collected, since you suddenly seem to be in a talkative mood?

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

END

“DPM defend decision to fund BAMSI, Urban Renewal” – The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt from this article; “Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Peter Turnquest said before the government considers cutting allocations for certain programs it criticized the Christie administration on, it must consider the human capital and fully review each program.

Turnquest was referring to Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) initiatives such as Urban Renewal and the Bahamas Agricultural and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI), both of which are controversial.

The government has maintained the budget allocated for both programs.”

During one of his last campaign appearances as Prime Minister and as leader of the Progressive Liberal Party Perry Christie made the claim, that a change in government could put [the] national at risk, he went on to say, “I don’t want this country to enter a period of instability.’

I don’t want to see the country lose the progress we’ve worked so hard for.

‘……good things, big things are underway and the danger of the FNM is all that and more is at risk.  We know the FNM’s record of stop and cancel.”

As usual former Prime Minister Perry Christie was attempting to pander to the fears of the persons that supported the PLP party and he counted on this fear to seal his victory at the polls but the former Prime Minister did not count on persons remembering what he and his party had done over the five years that they claimed that they brought about “big things” as he still promised same said “big things” on the campaign trail, just how long were the people to wait for him to turn things around and deliver these ‘big things’?

It was most unfortunate, for the country, the manner in which the former administration was able to take initiatives such as Urban Renewal and BAMSI, whose objectives were noble and turn them into entities surrounded by questions and controversy, but it would seem to be the very same fashion in which they took the core principles of the Progressive Liberal Party itself and only used them at their convenience but never consistently to advance the lives of the people that they claimed to have cared about.

Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon. Peter Turnquest says, “…it [the Free National Movement government] must consider the human capital” when reviewing these programs and he is correct; peoples livelihoods must be considered which did not seem to be a consideration of the Progressive Liberal Party when it took office in 2012 and released over 80 workers from the Urban Renewal programs in New Providence and in Grand Bahama; telling these people that they had to renew their contracts while they [the PLP] government purportedly replaced who they considered to be Free National Movement [FNM] supporters with ‘loyal supporters’ of the Progressive Liberal Party [PLP].

The Free National Movement which former Prime Minister Perry Christie described has yet to materialize and send the country into to ‘instability’ and I doubt that it will be seen under Prime Minister Hubert Minnis, and yes the people of the country would know the difference because the country has been unstable since May of 2012. 

Now a new Free National Movement has emerged and has promised to consider everyone, whether you voted for them or not.

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

END

Sometimes you should stop and face up to reality; this often takes a re-evaluation of the way is which you have been doing things and should bring you to a point where you can then go ahead and formulate a new plan and thereby chart a new course; it is painfully obvious that some in the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) party are totally unable or just unwilling to do this.

“Hanna-Martian defends PLP’s record” – The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt from this article; “Defending the Christie administration against claims of mismanagement, Engerston MP Glenys Hanna-Martian insisted yesterday that the former government was good for the country.

‘We worked hard, but we were saddled with an opposition that sought to undermine our efforts every step along the way,’ said Hanna-Martian as she contributed to the budget debate in the House of Assembly.”

“…….Engerston MP Glenys Hanna-Martian insisted yesterday that the former government was good for the country”, she makes this claim after the former government increased the national debt and deficit which resulted in four economic downgrades in five years, in my humble opinion she should be ashamed to utter such words but clearly she is not.

There is an amusing contradiction in minister Hanna-Martian’s claim against the Free National Movement (FNM) while in opposition, “….but we were saddled with an opposition that sought to undermine our efforts every step along the way.”, I would like to question the minister if this is the very same opposition that she and her party constantly ridiculed and that her party Chairman labeled a ‘scrap gang’?

So, how do you allow a ‘scrap-gang’ derail your government’s plans?

Were they more powerful that you gave them credit for or was your government just that weak, incompetent, inept and lazy?

Ms. Hanna-Martian backs up her claims of the great works which the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) government achievements that go back to the establishment of the National Insurance Board (NIB) to the ‘difficult task of tax reform through the imposition of value-added tax (VAT), it is indeed funny that she would bring up the subject of VAT and imply that it was one of the things that was good for the country while many are still attempting to figure out why if VAT was such a success and exceeded all expectations, why did he country experience the four downgrades and the government seemed unable to slow the growth of the deficit?

“Hanna-Martian added that the budget communication delivered by Finance Minister Peter Turnquest was ‘drenched in politically biased rhetoric in a way I do not ever recall.’

“I say that very seriously and in a way that has been calculated to skew the truth,’ she said’

‘She further described the communication as ‘venomous and vitriolic.”

In other words, containing too much truth, as it began to expose the gross mismanagement of the people’s money by the former Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) government.

Minister Glenys Hanna-Martin should be ashamed of herself but I am sure that she is not.

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

END

I am seeing certain propaganda sites pop up making outrageous and illogical claims. One such claim is that the Minnis administration ‘swing der people’ and lied to them on the campaign trail; of course these sites are pro-Progressive Liberal Party )PLP) sites and seem to have forgotten the 2012 campaign and ‘A Charter for Governance’; […]

via My Morning Paper – June 04, 2017 – Illogical Propaganda — My Morning Paper

I am seeing certain propaganda sites pop up making outrageous and illogical claims.

One such claim is that the Minnis administration ‘swing der people’ and lied to them on the campaign trail; of course these sites are pro-Progressive Liberal Party )PLP) sites and seem to have forgotten the 2012 campaign and ‘A Charter for Governance’; a book of ‘promises that the PLP abandoned before the ink ha dried on it.

They seem to be seeking to convince the people that they have been ‘swung’ by the budget line item of a 45% reduction on the duty on washers on dryers.  This they claim does not help the average man and is a ‘gift’ to D’ Aguilar, Minister of Tourism and owner of the Super Wash chain of laundry mats but I ask the question does this not also help the average person that wishes to import a washer and dryer or some washers and dryers to begin their own business?

My advice to the public moving forward, is that they should question everything which they do not understand and do not follow any party blindly.  This is your constitutional right, one that was discouraged under any Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) government.

I really find it amusing that now since becoming the opposition, they [the PLP} would now wish to convince the people that they have been ‘tricked’, while for five years they did little to nothing to better the lives of same said people.

My final point is how can the word of any Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) politician or representative be trusted, while in opposition, if it has been proven to be untrustworthy as the government of the people?

I would call names but these people like to sue

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

END

It was well known and documented that in 2013 the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) government a part of one of their many crime initiatives had ordered the members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) to work overtime, in an attempt to curtail the escalating crime rate. 

It was documented that same said PLP administration, for whatever reason, then refused to pay the members of the RBPF for their overtime.  It is well known and documented that the Police Staff Association (PSA) then took the government to court and won the case awarding them their overtime pay and even as the country prepared itself for a general election, it was known and documented that Keith Bell, former junior Minister of National Security had the case under appeal, thereby preventing the police from receiving the monies owned to them by the government and now we have this.

“Davis: Payout to police proves FNM was wrong” – The Nassau Guardian

Except from this article; “Police overtime payments made yesterday prove the statement by the Free National Movement (FNM) on the campaign trail pertaining t the Public Treasury were ‘irresponsible and reckless’ Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Interim Leader Philip Brave Davis said yesterday.

Police officers who worked overtime in 2013 had to take the matter to court as the previous government had refused to pay them.

In a statement yesterday, Davis said, ‘The progressive Liberal Party welcomes the payment of overtime due to police officers which was made today.

‘The PLP left the instruction in place to pay it and the FNM has now carried it out today.’

‘This payment is made today notwithstanding previous statements made by the FNM during the election campaign that the treasury was broke and that there was no money to pay the police.’

‘The PLP said then that the FNM’s statements were false, irresponsible and reckless.”

Actually, Mr. Davis, what was really “irresponsible and reckless” was the fact that your government refused to pay members of the police force, a vital part of our national security service, and eventually ended up appealing the court’s decision to pay them, to prevent them from being paid. In any sector of government or the private sector, to work a person and refuse to pay them is not only “irresponsible and reckless” but also against our country’s constitution and against our labour laws but yet the Interim Leader wishes to fight to prove the FNM lied about there being no money to pay these officers.

My question is if there was money available to pay these officers for services rendered then why did your government refuse to pay them?

It is a shameless act on behalf of the Interim Leader to attempt to prove someone a liar, which he has not yet, by exposing the dirty underside of the previous administration, sometime it is best just to remain silent.

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

END

“Go placidly amid the noise and haste and remember what peace there may be in silence.”

Excerpt from “Desiderata (You are a child of the Universe)

These words of wisdom I would like to pass o to the former attorney general, Allyson Maynard-Gibson, even as I recognize her constitutional right to free speech and expression I would also remind here that nothing is ‘free’, as everything has a ‘price’ and the price being paid right now is the further diminishment of her credibility.

“Former AG: Referenda enhance democracy” – The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt from this article; “Former Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson said she believes referenda are important and enhance democracy, as she discussed her thoughts on a referendum promised by the Minnis administration.

During Wednesday’s Speech from the Throne, the government said through referenda it would constitute an independent Electoral Commission and Boundaries Commission, introduce term limits for prime ministers and introduce a system of recall for non-performing members of Parliament.

When asked her opinion about the referendum on Thursday, Maynard-Gibson told The Guardian, ‘I support referenda.’

‘I believe that democracy is enhanced when persons have the opportunity to express their will…when the population has the opportunity to express their will in between the five-year general election period.’

‘This is an excellent way to keep our population involved’

‘The responsibility comes with it though, it to make sure that the people are properly informed.”

Sometimes you can only sit back and wonder as to what is going on in these people’s minds when they make such statements, based on their past behavior and also what types of turmoil are their souls in, assuming that they indeed do have souls.  I would first begin by asking the former attorney general where was her voice under the Christie administration, a party wherein it seems that democracy was only relevant when it favored that governments agenda, when they undemocratically went against the results of the Gaming Referendum and the voice of the people?

As the former attorney general now makes such statements such as “I believe democracy is enhanced when persons have the opportunity to express their will….”,I ask what good is expressing your will when the government goes against it and everyone in that government including the attorney general, stands mute?

There are several contradictions that the former attorney general makes in her last statement to the press and maybe I am wrong in berating her for them, as it would seem as the press sought her out but then at the end of the day she must be reminded that “no comment” is still an acceptable response; also as you had nothing to say for five years when the country excepted you to have something to say.

One thing that I have a problem with in this statement, is that the former attorney general says that referenda is a good way to keep the population involved, but do you seek to advice only to ignore it?  This reeks of arrogance.

And another thing is the matter of keeping the people properly informed; the former Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) party government held two referenda; one Gaming and the other on Gender Equality and the both were mired in confusion, so for the former attorney general to now say that there is a responsibility to make sure that the people are properly informed is a true statement but something that her and her government failed at.

So for the former attorney general to now advise the current administration on the running of referenda, most of the population is of the opinion that your time has come and gone when it came to giving advice or taking it for that matter and they really do not want to hear from you as you have lost their confidence in you a long time ago.

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

END