Politicos are Addicted to Politics

by Craig Butler

Politics, for those who get involved, is more than just a passion - it’s a way of life. That is why the participants find it so hard to step back or leave the game altogether, which results in politicians doing just about anything to remain relevant.

Our local scene offers many examples, but the one freshest in my memory - and probably all of our memories - has to be that of our present prime minister. Hubert Ingraham had left the limelight and voluntarily relegated himself to the sidelines, but within five years came back at the urging of his party. Now if he were really comfortable in private life nothing could have persuaded him to give that up, but politics is something that gets in the blood and once infected there unfortunately is no cure.

Thus the resurgence of one man at the expense and defeat of another. It must be so hard on former prime minister Perry who, after finally achieving his life long dream had it snatched from him when seemingly everything was going so well. Despite calls from the media and certain quarters of his own party, Mr. Christie is attempting to carry on.

There has of late been some despicable behavior in the House on the part of the gentlemen on both sides of the aisle. About three weeks ago an incident occurred during the debate on the amendment to the juries act whereby the present prime minister made some remarks about the former prime minister’s tenure.

As a child I always heard that sticks and stones can break your bones but words can never hurt you. Well, that may be the case but what Prime Minister Ingraham said can only be described as fighting words. Such an utterance demanded an immediate response. Some go so far as to say that Mr. Christie should have crossed the aisle and confronted the prime minister face to face.

I have to agree, but what is perplexing is that there was no response at the time from either Mr. Christie or any of his party. Now I am not advocating violence as House members are supposed to provide positive examples for our youth, but such character assassination needed to be addressed.

Both Prime Minister Ingraham and Mr. Christie are wily veterans, having gained membership in parliament in 1977, and both are well aware of the rules and procedures. Despite this it appears that Mr. Christie - true to his character - thought the better of an immediate outburst but decided to give a considered response at a later date.

I feel that this was wrong, as the circumstances demanded reciprocity. Mr. Christie is widely acknowledged as a nice fellow, but sometimes in politics you have to leave the niceties behind.

One of the things that constantly plagued the Christie administration was the perception that they did nothing, or when they did it was only after a long and exhaustive consultative period.

The general election in May - although close - taught us that the Bahamian people don’t appreciate or understand this form of governance. And although the style of Prime Minister Ingraham has been described as dictatorial, it clearly resonates with the people.

Accordingly Mr. Christie is struggling to be relevant and to maintain his position. With that in mind I would have thought that he would have re-evaluated his approach and style. The remarks by Mr. Ingraham provided him with the perfect opportunity to demonstrate his ability to adapt and, I am sad to say, one of which he did not avail himself.

Mr. Christie then went on a radio talk show and made some mild comments that have left some in his party wondering. The PLP have postponed their convention until February of 2008 for a variety of reasons. Some say that Mr. Christie’s leadership hinges on the election court cases, and for a man who is attempting to remain as leader I don’t see any evidence that he is making any progress.

I am reminded of one of my personal heroes, Muhammad Ali - arguably the greatest. Ali is fondly remembered by many but is also pitied by some. He clearly does not regret anything or any decision that he made in respect of his boxing career, but to see him lets one know that here is a man who should have quit earlier and just maybe his fate would have been different.

In the Commonwealth Caribbean there is a desire by our leaders to hang on to power at all costs which clearly demonstrates we have not learnt the lesson of bowing out at the top from our colonial masters and allowing the younger generation to come along.

Hurricane Noel.

Another hurricane season has passed, but as fate would have it we were struck by a late season tropical storm. Whilst the loss of life was minimal and there was only one death by drowning in Exuma attributable to this storm, there was nonetheless extensive destruction to property and the farming industry on Long Island and Exuma.

I am waiting to see what the response of the government is and when we are going to receive the reports as to the losses sustained. In the meantime we can all help by personally making a donation to the organizations that are attempting to help our less fortunate brothers and sisters put their lives back together.

Nassau's Airport.

The other week I wrote about the state of the Lynden Pindling International Airport and my disgust at the parking situation. Well, by way of update I have to note that they have addressed my concerns.

The other day the Minister of State for Tourism & Aviation said that designs for the new terminal were to be put before cabinet in short order. I had reason to visit Jamaica recently and I was duly surprised at the massive improvements in their airport. It’s light, airy and comfortable. It still is not finished but you can see that on completion it will be a first class facility. The same management company has control of our airport, which gives me cause for optimism.

As the first impression that visitors to our country get, we need an airport that provides quick and efficient service, has clean bathrooms and waiting areas, and is manned by pleasant people.

In respect of departing passengers, it is so disheartening to be standing in line for hours to clear US Customs when it is apparent that if a full complement of custom officer were working the process would be so much quicker. In most instances, however, at the busiest times the fewest officers are on duty. This one step alone would lend to a better experience. I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention the exorbitant prices charged for basic food items along with the lousy and unfriendly service.