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Brilliant. That single word describes the plan outlined by Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis to turn Ragged Island in the southern Bahamas into a regional model, sustainable island capable of withstanding threats from increasingly powerful storms and providing for its own power and clean water through renewable sources.
AS IF to make amends for an embarrassing blunder, the much troubled Baha Mar resort prepared dinner Thursday evening for Family Islanders who had been flown to Nassau and housed at the New Providence Community Centre to escape the wrath of Hurricane Irma.
A WEEK ago as massive Hurricane Irma was barreling toward The Bahamas threatening life and limb, this newspaper, other media houses and the general public tore into Bahamas Power and Light for its lack of preparation. Where were the trucks that were supposed to be trimming trees ahead of the storm? Where had they been since the start of the hurricane season? With winds predicted at more than 150mph, fear of a strong storm surge and trees overhanging power lines from one end of the island to the next, we could be facing days, weeks, even months without power if heavy branches snapped and crushed supply lines.
DURING the FNM’s first Budget debate shortly after being elected this year, Cat island MP Philip “Brave” Davis was on his feet in the House of Assembly to defend his defeated government’s decision to award $11m in contracts to build three clinics in his Cat Island constituency. In fact it was significant that the contracts were awarded just before the May 10 election. In addition to clinics for Cat Island, contracts were also awarded for a clinic in Rum Cay and one for San Salvador, bringing the total cost to just under $14m for Mr Davis’ entire constituency.
WITH ALL the mind-boggling technical equipment created by man to track storms there is nothing that can outstrip nature’s early warning signals.
ON MONDAY, as Hurricane Irma swirled in the Atlantic gathering strength on what appears to be a direct path for the southeastern Bahamas, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis and officials from various ministries and departments held a press conference at Police Headquarters.
LAST WEEK, Foreign Affairs Minister Darren Henfield announced China’s new restrictions on overseas investments. In so doing, he said that these restrictions could possibly affect “new investments” in The Bahamas, but not those already approved. Yet this is contrary to the very pronouncements of the President of China and many of China’s largest companies have started selling their controversial real estate holdings. In fact, last week in London, a Chinese “powerhouse” pulled out of a deal that, like the sale of Baha Mar to CTF, had not closed.
“WE RISE”, a new group claiming that it wants “something done” about “injustice, wrongful terminations and violent crime”, has announced that it will call a protest march for the Southern Recreation grounds on Saturday. As far as they are concerned the new government is moving in the wrong direction.
IN many significant ways, the new administration is off to a good start. Its anti-corruption stance, strong warning to those who would commit violent crimes, making good on long-sought after promises for Crown Land, decision not to fund Carnival all verbalize a side of governance that the public is eager to hear. It has been a message of ‘We will get the bad guys, deter future bad guys before they act and reward the good guys.’
PLP CHAIRMAN Bradley Roberts and his sidekick, PLP Senator Fred Mitchell, have gone out of their way to criticise the FNM government for at last telling the unvarnished truth —at least as far as the FNM knew it at the time – about the critical state of the economy. They laid it out in their first budget debate in parliament in June giving notice that the new government would have to borrow $323m to cover the deficit for the 2017-2018 fiscal year and an additional $400m to cover the fiscal overhang for 2016-2017.
WITH the US presidency stumbling from one crisis to another during the last few months, those who want it to fail are now scenting blood in the aftermath of the furore over the drama at Charlottesville and the latest in a string of high profile departures from the White House. But what does this mean for America’s position in the world?
ON Monday, August 21, shaken by the third murder in two days, Minister of National Security Marvin Dames convened a meeting of senior police officers, including the current but reportedly soon to be erstwhile Commissioner of Police Ellison Greenslade. He asked them to reveal their strategy for fighting violent crime and the criminal activity that ends in murder or attempted murder. We have no doubt that the senior police officers in that room gave the National Security Minister the best briefing they had to offer.
FIFTY years ago, the US was torn apart by racial unrest, rioting and social upheaval. Race relations, political assassinations and an unpopular Vietnam War fuelled the tumult.
IN JUNE, we called in these columns for a major reassessment of the government’s tourism policy and promotion in the face of growing competition from our Caribbean rivals, including Cuba.
FRED MITCHELL, appointed to the Senate after being rejected by the Fox Hill people he had represented in the House of Assembly for 15 years, recently made his political position very clear in a bitter statement.
THE shocking events that unfolded in Charlottesville, Virginia over the weekend stunned a modern world that wanted to believe racism was a thing of the past or reserved for over zealous police in troubled cities. Suddenly, racism was alive, re-asserting its demonic vehemence when white supremacists led by the KKK staged the Unite the Right rally protesting the removal of a statue of confederate Gen Robert E Lee and were met by counter protestors.
PHILIP “Brave” Davis, who now heads an Opposition of three members in an FNM parliament, although admitting that his party made mistakes during its five years in office, saw no reason to apologise to anyone for those “mistakes”. Not only was he not going to apologise, but he wanted Bahamians to note that after only three months in office the FNM have shown that they have no plans to eradicate crime.
ABOUT 30 years ago a confused young man asked to see us.
THE issue of slavery, as an abhorrent exploitation of human beings, will always arouse strong emotions. We mark the ending of this iniquitous system in The Bahamas by celebrating Emancipation Day each year with events appropriate to the occasion – and last Monday the usual festivities duly took place, with the best known held in Fox Hill.
THE passing of Sir Geoffrey Johnstone is a time of great sadness for his family, former colleagues in the legal world and his wide circle of friends. His loss is also of considerable significance in the history of The Bahamas because of the important role he played in the public and political life of the nation.
DONALD Trump made another magazine cover this week, but it is not flattering to him. Newsweek depicts the embattled US president slouched in a recliner with a bag of popcorn and cell phone in hand. The headline: Lazy Boy.
THE Marsh Harbour International Airport, renamed the Leonard M. Thompson International Airport in 2014, is a national disgrace. Redeveloped at a cost of over $30m, its completion faced delay after delay. It was plagued by design flaws and cost overruns, though portions of it were ahead of their time. While critics pointed out vast unused spaces that would have to be air-conditioned and maintained, proponents of the design said it was built to satisfy future needs. So what if it were larger than it needed to be now, they said, when other airports were outgrowing their space, Marsh Harbour would just be growing into its.
IN these columns earlier this week, we condemned the refusal of leading figures in the Progressive Liberal Party, in particular the former Member of Parliament for Fox Hill, to accept the reality of a failing economy as a result of mismanagement and alleged malfeasance during the past five years of the Christie government. We also drew attention to the requirement for stern action to restore the nation’s economic fortunes.
NOW that the Republicans are back in power they have suddenly awakened to the fact that their sphere of influence is quietly being infiltrated by Beijing and their control of their own Caribbean Basin is slowly slipping away. The US Embassy has been well represented by its Chargé d’Affaires, but the Bahamas has not had a resident US Ambassador since 2011. In June 2014 President Obama appointed Cassandra Butts, 50, to the post, but the short-sighted Republicans held up the appointment. In the meantime Ms Butts died – and that was the end of the matter.
SOME time yesterday, July 31, 2017, as we went about our daily lives, a community was scrambling for its life, trying to beat a bulldozer scheduled to demolish it.