It really must be something in the water or maybe it is the heat of it all but it would seem that some people have ‘lost it all’.

“PLP calls for public demonstrations over blackouts” – The Nassau Guardia

Excerpt from this article;”Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Chairman Fred Mitchell yesterday said he is ‘embarrassed’ by repeated power outages across New Providence and called for public demonstrations to hold the government accountable on the matter.

‘The government must as early as tomorrow in the Senate make a public statement about why they can’t keep the power on,’ he said.

He added, ‘The FNM has failed us.  It is time for demonstrations to bring this government into account.  They must answer for their falsehoods and say what is happening,’

‘It is embarrassing today in a church service with the minister responsible for electricity present and the church was plunged into darkness,”

As the Chairman and Senator of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) seems so quick to put pen to paper, it would appear that he did so without any forethought or maybe he just hopes that the Bahamian public are not just forgetful but also dumb and ignorant.

First, Mr. Mitchell would make it appear as if the vexing problem of power outages due to load shedding by BPL, formerly BEC, has only just began under this Free National Movement (FNM) administration.  This seems to be his devious way of promoting what is tantamount to a lie.  The problem of blackouts due to load shedding has been a very vexing problem spanning decades and successive governments; even the last two Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) administrations of which Mr. Mitchell was a Cabinet Minister.  Doing both terms little to nothing was done to alleviate the problem, due to this fact he should be ashamed to even address this situation but it a desperate need to remain relevant by remaining in the news it would appear that Senator Mitchell does not care about  the role that he played in actually assisting this situation deteriorate to this present point.

My other point, which Mr. Mitchell fails to address as he gets up on his soap-box and advocates for “public demonstrations”, is that even as he thinks to put out this rubbish, the situation has been addressed and action has been taken to bring about the necessary relief to the problem – #notalkbutaction.

I am not pleased with the present situation and the blackouts, as I have said it is very vexing; but I am pleased that a plausible solution is being carried out; unlike the scandal ridden efforts of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP).

“Davis: PLP would welcome McAlpine” – The Nassau Guardian
Excerpt from this article; “Following Pineridge MP Fredrick McAlpine’s scathing criticism of the government last week, Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) leader Philip Brave Davis yesterday hinted that his party would welcome him should he choose to leave the Free National Movement (FNM).
‘I don’t want to at this time comment on any views as to whether he should leave his party and join me or otherwise,’ Davis told The Guardian.
‘What I do know..politics is about numbers and every time we can add one, it means the other doesn’t get that one.’
During his contribution to the budget on Thursday, McAlpine said that the government claimed ‘it’s the people’s time’ but ‘only for a select few, a resurrected oligarchy, special interest and elitist with foreign interests.”

What I really feel is important for the Pine Ridge member of parliament at this time to decide is what is it that he really wants and exactly how he seeks to achieve it. He suggests that his motives are purely altruistic in nature and are driven by a genuine need/desire to help the people of The Bahamas at large but he does not really say how this should be achieved. It would seem that his only action to date has been to criticize the present government over its actions as they do what they feel what is best and/or necessary to achieve the goal of trying to help the people of The Bahamas; it’s first action being to strengthen the economy of the country – the foundation to growth.
Yes, he was voted in with a Free national Movement (FNM) party that was elected to do ‘something’ but now seems to stand with those that sing the chorus of “oh, not that/this!!!”
Another question which Mr. McAlpine should ask himself is, will the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) as an organization and as a government, look out for the best interest of the country at large especially given their track record.
He should also bear in mind that as he wishes to hold the Free National Movement’s (FNM’s) government accountable for its campaign promises, he will also be expected to do so for the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) if they were ever to become the government and as he is courted by their leader; the Hon. Philip ‘Brave’ Davis.
In the end, he must essentially figure out if he is ‘this’ or ‘that’ – ‘that’ being resistant to change and which is not ‘this’.
END

This is the second true Free National Movement (FNM) budget presented by the Minnis administration.  The very first budget being the result of the consequence of continuation of government, in that case a budget based on figures and projections put forth by the previous administration.  With this being said, it is amazing that the only major criticism to both FNM budgets has been the same; a complaint of being “uninspiring”

“Cooper: I don’t believe the numbers” – The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt from this article; “Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Deputy Leader Chester Cooper lambasted the government’s ‘uninspiring, unimaginative’ budget communication, asserting that he doesn’t ‘believe the numbers ‘put forth by the minister of finance.

Last week, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Peter Turnquest said despite raising the rate of value-added tax (VAT) by 60 percent last year, the government will fall short this fiscal nearly $240 million short of its projected revenue target for this fiscal year.

However, Cooper shot that down during a PLP town hall meeting on Monday night.

‘I don’t believe the numbers and I don’t believe the spin,’ Cooper said.

‘Spin, spin, spin.  That’s all what they master.  They said that the VAT increase would have yielded hundreds of millions more than it actually did.  Then they want to tell you that it’s not important if they don’t collect that money, that only the deficit matters.

Copper said the government was;’too competent’ to collect taxes during the 2018/2019 fiscal year.

He also called the 2019/2020 budget a ‘tragedy not comedy’.

‘Listen, this budget is not for the Bahamian people’, Cooper said.”

“Then they want to tell you that it’s not important if they don’t collect that money, that only the deficit matters.”, to my recollection this was never stated as fact or even suggestion in any way but then what are facts as the Progressive Liberal Party looks to score political points.

It would seem that Chester Cooper is asking the Bahamian people to accept Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) propaganda over fact and logic.  It is very disconcerting that he would label the current budget as “unimaginative and uninspiring”, as budgets are about informing the country about the country’s economy performance and future plans; imagination and the selling of dreams should play little to no role in this process, and is probably why the previous administration had so much trouble keeping the country’s finances in order – caught up in imaginations and day dreams.

Even more disconcerting is the statement that “…this budget is not for the Bahamian people”, because it is my understanding that an improved economy benefits the entire country and not just a few as Mr. Cooper would have you believe.

So, what this really comes down to is a case of Progressive Liberal Party propaganda over brains, you either take the facts as provided by the minister of finance, who has admitted to the short falls of the last budget, and come to a reasonable conclusion,  or you can have him lie to you  and put forth unmitigated propaganda,  as the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) suggests that should be do, by being more “imaginative and inspiring”; while hiding the truth.

What is truly uninspiring is a lackluster opposition who only oppose to oppose, while presenting no factual evidence or reason to have persons to follow, beside blind partisanship

 

END

 

It would appear that the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) has been caught revealing their true nature.

Every reasonable thinking person would have thought that they would have taken at the very least twenty-four (24) hours to deliver a concise and well-thought out objection to the budget communication as presented by the governing Free National Movement (FNM) yesterday, but in their haste to be heard, to be seen as doing their job as the official opposition, they stumbled out of the gate with a weak, nonsensical and basically irrational response.

“PLP: Budget a tale of epic failure” – The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt from this article; “The budget communication was a ‘tale of epic failure’, Progressive Liberal Party deputy Leader and Shadow Minister of Finance Chester Copper said yesterday.

Minister of Finance Peter Turnquest presented the 2019/2020 budget yesterday in the House of Assembly.  ‘What we can categorically say about the latest budget is that the FNM (Free National Movement’s) strategy of taxing and borrowing and focusing on putting numbers over people has inflicted untold pain and suffering on the Bahamian people,’ said Copper at a press conference.

He said that despite the government’s focus on fiscal responsibility and deficit reduction, overall debt has increased as well as the debt-to GDP ratio.

‘This government, despite all its talk of old bills, borrowed like a drunken sailor, increased incurrent expenditure by $246 million, increased the debt-to-GDP ratio from 54.4 percent in 2016/2017 to 58.2 percent in 2018/2019 and the national debt increased to $8.2 billion,’ he said.”

As Mr. Cooper goes on to attempt to chastise the government’s efforts to bring the country’s fiscal situation under control by then questioning how will it meet its current fiscal projections, I ask of him to honestly stand before the people of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas and as a person seeking to be deputy prime minister and say that large amounts of monies were not borrowed over the past two years to settle outstanding government debt left in place by the former Progressive Liberal Party and also how many government have actually met their fiscal projections?  A lot of people may accuse me of pointing fingers and playing the ‘blame game’ on this issue but it is a reality that we live; a reality which I. Chester Copper and the rest of the PLP seems to wilfully ignore of just be unaware of.

While I. Chester Cooper and the rest of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) now accuse the Free National Movement (FNM) government of “taxing and borrowing” and “focusing on putting numbers over people”, I remind him that this is the very same model that pervious governments including the PLP have followed, only this time by the end of its first term as the government it will yield positive results for the citizens of The Bahamas and not four economic downgrades.  Then there is the accusation of “numbers over people”, this is how Mr. Cooper would out it and I ask him how long can we ignore the numbers?  Should we wait until the numbers have run out of our favour, the cupboards are bare and there is nothing left for the people?  Is this responsible governance?

The Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) response to this budget would be laughable it were not so desperately shameful. The Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) at this point has lost ALL moral authority to chastise anyone, even the peanut man on the street, on fiscal responsibilities and prudence.

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

END

 

Philip ‘Brave’ Davis, leader of the opposition Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), finds himself in a situation of sorts to make his party and himself seem credible and appealing for the 2022 general elections, all in a desperate attempt to become the next government of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas.

Like the final scene from the movie “The Lawnmower Man”, Mr. Davis frantically leaps from situation to situation making statements which totally contradict his past action, commonsense and reason only to find each and every time that access to the realm of commonsense and logic has been denied; leaving his ‘sincere’ motives to be called into question.

“It’s time for the police to stop investigating the police – Davis” – The Tribune.

Excerpt from this article; “OPPOSITION Leader Philip “Brave Davis has said the killing of three people by police on Friday and the two competing narratives about what led to it are troubling.’

He said the time has come for police to stop investigating police-involved killings, saying the coroner ought to be engaged with their own staff to do the job.

The killing of three men in a house on Newgate Road last week has sparked intense discussion.  While police said the men were shot because they were armed and opened fire on officers, residents of the home painted a different picture of what happened.  They have alleged the deceased men did not engager officers in gunfire.

Mr. Davis told The Tribune: ‘I encountered one of the persons who was present when I appeared before a justice the other day.  They were outside the judge’s chamber awaiting some application that was scheduled to be heard and they stopped me and told me some of the things that occurred.  I don’t want to repeat it but it’s really troubling especially since young children were involved.’

‘I am distressed and concerned about killing period, and we ought to be concerned about such occurrences, particularly when it’s at the hands  of trained officers who are supposed to apprehend and take people into custody using reasonable force short of taking lives.  That’s not to say that if their lives they wouldn’t be justified in taking lives.  But it’s always troubling when you have different versions of what occurred and its left to which side one will believe.  Do you believe the police or do you believe the other version?  It really doesn’t auger well for what I call the weakening confidence that certain communities are having and reposing in police officers and the whole sort of enforcement policies that are presently being engaged by police in supposedly detecting crime and finding the culprits of crime.”

While Mr. Davis seeks to condemn the police for actions taken, he also says that he agrees with these actions taken, as he attempts to straddle a fence that he should have mended when he was deputy prime minister;  if it were of such great concern to him and that is the issue of police policing police. 

It is quite apparent that the leader of the opposition is open to propaganda and speculation, as he calls the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) actions into question by not only suggesting that they may have done something illegal but yet also speculating that they would seek to ‘cover’ for one another and I only ask on what grounds does he make such intimations; on hearsay?

Be mindful of the fact that I make no excuse for the abuse of power or authority by anyone in law enforcement, especially if it leads to someone losing their life unnecessarily but where was Mr. Davis’ concern when young men were dying ‘mysteriously’ in police holding cells?  For reasons such as this and his sensationlization of the killing of the RBDF marine at government house; his concerns are very concerning in my opinion because they do not ring true and instead of sounding sincere, Mr. Davis seems to be quite willing to ride the pain of others to advance his political agenda.

END

One day while a member of Rights Bahamas stood before an international body making the case as to why The Bahamas has become the worst place for persons of Haitian descent to reside and work, the next day a member of the very same organization would stand before same said body and make a case as to why they [Haitian migrants] should be allowed to live and work here, even if their status were ‘illegal migrant’.

“Let them work – Rights group calls on govt. to not detain undocumented migrants” – The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt from this article; “Local human rights activist Fred Smith, QC, said the government should not detain undocumented migrants but instead allow them to work.

‘Denetion ought not to apply to immigrants,’ Smith said during a hearing on the treatment of migrants in The Bahamas which took place on Friday at the 172^nd session of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in Kingston, Jamaica.

‘So the reality is, just as the government for hundred of Cubans years ago bailed them out and allowed they to go into the community on condition that other members of the community would return them, many Haitians migrants or those waiting documentation can live and be constructive and productive members of the society instead of it costing the government hundreds of millions of dollars, as you say, to keep them in an illegal detention center.

‘Let them out and let them work in the community.”

The short answer is, NO!

It is interesting the manner in which Fred Smith QC and others chose to paint The Bahamas at this Commission on Human Rights; “……many Haitians migrants or those waiting for documentation….”; this implies to this commission and others listening that The Bahamas has routinely, systematically and without just cause detained and denied persons who have applications before the immigration department the right to live and work here, even as their ‘papers’ were bring processed; this within itself is a blatant untruth.

What it appears that Fred Smith, QC is requesting is for The Bahamas, as a nation, set aside its immigration laws and abandon its constitution to accommodate those who wish to spit in the face of our sovereignty by violating our immigration laws and constitution.

He then  goes on to reference a time when the ‘”….the government for hundreds of Cubans years ago bailed them out and allowed them to go into the community on condition that other members of the community would return them”, but he never states a specific date of circumstance surrounding this situation making the entire reference extremely disingenuous.  First of all I would like for him to tell us exactly what was years ago and remind him that TODAY; we send all illegal migrants to their country of birth or mothers birth be they Jamaican, American, Nigerian, Cuban, Dominican and yes even Haitians, there is no discrimination as is being suggested here.

Fred Smith QC and his cohorts seem to be attempting to force The Bahamas into giving them what they want but we cannot throw away our laws and constitution to accommodate a few who have not seen fit to adhere to our laws and constitution in the first place. 

So, the short answer is no, we cannot accommodate and condone new citizens who seem to want to achieve the rights to Bahamian citizenship through illegal means and tell the international community that I said that.

END

 

“Women leaders don’t row, they speak for the people, which I will continue to do – morning, noon and night until my last breath.”

Glenys Hanna-Martin- Progressive Liberal Party member of parliament for Englerston.

But this is what Ms. Hanna-Martin has turned this into a political row and as for speaking for the people, I will address that later.

“Hanna-Martin: Minnis is the lousiest PM in history” – The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt from this article; “Englerston MP Glenys Hanna-Martin yesterday lambasted  Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis As the ‘lousiest prime minister in Bahamian history’, claiming that he is ‘exposing his rank misogyny’ in recent comments made against her.

Hanna-Martian’s comments came days after Minnis said the Englerston MP is ‘plenty talk and no action’ and spends ‘all her time in the House [of Assembly] rowing morning, noon and night.”

Now as for “Minnis being the lousiest PM in history”, this is a subject to be debated for a day in the future for several reasons.

First, Prime Minister Minnis is only two years into his first five year term as prime minister and because of the awful stench left in the wake of the administration of Prime Minister Perry Christie, after two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, a benchmark has been set in this regard which I think will take A LOT to surpass.  It would appear that Ms. Hanna-Martian was asleep during this entire ordeal.

Hanna-Martian’s statement must be seen for exactly what it is, a personal clap back to distract from her lack of performance as the elected Member of Parliament for the Englerston constituency; a disastrous representation which she feels comfortable in defending as her political legacy – a legacy of under representation of this constituency for over twenty (20) years.

As Ms. Hanna-Martian speaks to the misogyny of Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis, she should address the misogyny of her own party leaders which make it seem even inconceivable for her to even launch a bid for the leadership position.

This all brings me to this salient point; how does she feel comfortable calling someone a ‘woman hater’ just because they are male and have criticized her shortcoming as an elected official?  Is the fact that she is a woman man that she should not be criticized, because if this is the point of her rant, she must see that this very notion is utter nonsense because it would suggest that she, herself as a woman, does not believe that there has been significant strides made in the fight for equal rights for woman in The Bahamas.

 

 

END

Looking pass the ‘colorful’ language used, one must question why is it the Auditor General, who just seems to be going about doing what he is being paid to do, would be in issue to anyone to have them reach this point.

“Johnson: Auditors did a poor job” – The Nassau Guardian 8^th April 2019

Excerpt from this article; “Former Minister of Youth, Sport and Culture Dr. Danny Johnson accused auditors of performing their jobs poorly following a report on the National Sports Authority (NSA) from Auditor General Terrance Bastian, which found, among other things, that contracts issued by the NSA ‘lacked formalized process and transparency’.

The report, which was tabled in the House of Assembly last week, covered the period from July 2011 to December 2017.

‘If Mr. Bastian feels that there are things that are untoward, then I think that’s fine, and we can answer those questions, but I could defend whatever the hell that is,’ Johnson said on Friday on ‘The Hit back” with Naheja on Star 106 Hits..

He added, ‘Every penny can be accounted for.’

He continued, ‘…..Don’t put no nonsense out to the public.  You think Danny Johnson might have thief some money? Man kiss my ass.’

‘I can make my own money’

Johnson insisted all the necessary paper work was available to account for the authority’s spending.

‘They are not good auditors,’ he said.”

Now, I am not at all offended by the former cabinet ministers ‘strong language’, as I have been known to use such language from time to time to get my point across  but from what I can see an audit was done, which indicated some irregularities – so I think at this point  the response of “If Mr. Bastian feels that there are things untoward, then I think that’s fine, and we can answer those questions..” was sufficient…..then go ahead and answer the questions as to why there seems to have been no value delivered for the monies paid out on these contracts, because this is all that that the report suggests. But to attack the very same auditor general that you once used as a member of the government, since he has been on the job since 2000 and find no fault with, makes one look over a situation two or three times, which would have otherwise been basically passed over by the public at large.

It would seem that this is a case of Mr. Johnson, whom many have come to his defense labeling him as one of the best at that Cabinet position, protesting too much. Now having some believe that where there is smoke there is fire because at this point the former minister has not been accused of any wrong-doing.

END

 

 

“Were just trying to make it clearer – Bethel defends proposed changes to Immigration law” – The Tribune

Excerpt from this article; “ATTORNEY General Carl Bethel said yesterday the government’s proposed Nationality, Immigration and Asylum bill is seeking to establish greater certainty and fairness in its handling of nationality cases.

Addressing the legislation outside of Cabinet, Mr. Bethel said the government would provide a legal framework to improve upon its ability to deal with offenders, while still being able to appropriately deal with asylum seekers and anyone that otherwise qualifies to reside or work in The Bahamas.

The bill, which is currently out for public consultation, will among other things, subject persons born in The Bahamas post-independence who have not applied to be or have not been registered as a Bahamian citizen by their 19^th birthday to deportation within six months of its implementation if some other legal status is not secured.

The NIAB 2018, as proposed by the Law Reform Commission, further seeks to address areas of the constitution relating to what happens to persons born post-independence to two non-Bahamian parents before their 18 birthday and after their 19^th birthday; and those persons born outside of The Bahamas to a Bahamian mother before their 18^th birthday and after their 21^st birthday.”

It has been this areas where in The Bahamas has been experiencing mot of its trouble or a lot of it, because currently, Article 7 of the Bahamas constitution states that a person born in The Bahamas after independence, neither of whose parents is a citizen of The Bahamas shall be entitled upon making application on his attaining the age of eighteen (18) years or within 12 months thereafter, be registered as a citizen of The Bahamas.

The constitution does not, however, give any direction as to what is to happen to those individuals before  their 18^th birthday, or after their 19^th birthday and it would seem now with this proposed change to the Immigration Laws,  this issue is finally being addressed.

While this is being done we have “others” that have sat back and questioned; “……what was the true agenda…driving the initiative?” and to these persons I ask, really?

First let me say that I feel that there is really nothing to defend here, the country seeks to correct a ‘loop-hole’ in our immigration laws/polices which has been exploited by the very same persons that now seek to question the “true agenda…driving the initiative”.

The simple answer to this question; Your unrelenting attack on the immigration laws is partially what is driving this new initiative, feel proud of your accomplishments and do not seek to hide them or from them.

This proposed change is attempts to set right a problem that has threatened the sovereignty of The Bahamas for far too long, so to now question the “true agenda” driving them is disingenuous as best and only now proves that you as an activist were never about the rights of persons but rather simply undergoing an exercise of self-promotion by exploiting the very same persons that you claimed to fight for.

Indeed, there is nothing to be defend here and those that now complain about the proposed immigration changes are now realizing that they have losing a fight that they picked, especially when Senator Freed Mitchell’s only criticism is that the bill should have been three separate bills.

END

“PM ‘purging’ police of PLPs” – The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt from this article; “Progressive Liberal Party PLP) Leader Philip Brave Davis charged yesterday that Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis is purging the police force of PLP’s”

He was referring to the recent shakeup in the force.  Eight senior officers are expected to retire at the end of their leave.

Davis described the forced vacation leaves for officers as ‘shocking’.

‘There’s no obvious need for vacation to be taken at the time without understanding the exigencies of the service of the police and how taking vacation for such a long period of time for so many senior officers will impact the effectiveness of the organization,’ Davis said.

‘I think all of these things ought to be addressed,’

Davis added: ‘It just shows the ineptness.’

The opposition leader claimed that Minnis is ‘purging the force of PLPs”       

I would like to first point out that the entire statement; “There is no obvious need for a vacation to be taken at the time without the understanding the exigencies of the service of the police and how taking vacation for such a long period of time for so many senior officers will impact the effectiveness of the organization, Davis added”, exactly what “exigencies” does Mr. Davis speak to and exactly what effects will be felt by these officers taking such long vacation leave? 

They are being given their just due and asked to retire, hopefully to make room for the upward movement of younger officers – is this really a bad thing or just to the Progressive Liberal Party?

So while Mr. Davis makes these wild and reckless accusations without a scintilla of proof to back them, something which he seems to have become very common for, he must realize that he is asking reasonable thinking Bahamians to take his word for it and they will not.  He must also answer two questions in case even consider these claims; first, how does he know that these senior officers being asked to retire are Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) supporters and two, is he conceding the fact that he the former administration promoted many officers to their senior position based solely on their political allegiance to the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP)?

When the chairman of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), Senator Fred Mitchell was elected to said position, his first communication directed at the chairman of the Free National Movement (FNM), Carl Culmer, was an appeal to not engage in ‘gutter politics’; but with these latest statements this is exactly what the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) is engaging in – it seems that they know no better way.

What is sad is that many PLP supporters will stand resolute in thinking that Mr. Davis will prove his accusations in time, but given the leader of the opposition’s track record, I would not bet the donkey on it

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

END