Bahama Pundit

The Port at Arawak Cay—All Things Considered

by Larry Smith

In this space recently I reviewed plans to move the container port to Arawak Cay in the context of revitalising the city of Nassau. But there has been an unfortunate failure to communicate on this project, and some of the parameters discussed earlier have changed.

So I met with the board of directors of the Arawak Cay Port Development Company (APD) last week for an authoritative update.

The latest draft of the agreement between the government and the developers (which could be the final version) is now at the Office of the Prime Minister. Expectations are that it will be signed within days, after which contractors would be mobilised to begin work.

If this happens, the deal will have taken one year to conclude, at a cost to APD's shareholders of about a million dollars so far. Those shareholders include the entire Bahamian shipping industry - 19 partners in all. They range from domestic and international shippers to stevedoring firms, dry bulk importers, and ferry operators.

What the Economic Crisis Holds in Store

by Larry Smith

"The most we can say is that there has been a general lack of judgement...We have learned that we are not so big as we thought we were." -- Former US president Calvin Coolidge on the Great Depression

Ironically, the gloomiest economic doomsayers of today are often the staunchest advocates of free market capitalism. And one of them was in town last week to speak at a public meeting organised by the Nassau Institute.

Dr Robert Murphy is an economist who works for a plethora of libertarian think tanks in the US. At the Nassau Institute meeting, he offered a devastating critique of current American policy, touching briefly on the likely fall-out for the Bahamas from the current economic crisis.

In his view we are all in this recession for the long haul (read 10 years or more), and we are very likely to suffer the kind of stagflation last experienced in the 1970s - only squared. According to Murphy, US government policies are destroying the dollar and setting us all on a course towards hyperinflation.

A Rush to Judgment

by Simon

•Simon is a young Bahamian with things on his mind who wishes to remain anonymous. His column 'Front Porch' is published every Tuesday in the Nassau Guardian. He can be reached at frontporchguardian@gmail.com.

Last week, horrendous reports that a five-month old baby girl died after being sexually abused ricocheted around the country producing shock and horror -- and fear that living amongst us are some who might commit such a heinous crime.

Thankfully, our fears were unjustified, though various officials are still investigating the circumstances surrounding this tragic death.  Moreover, while the handling of this matter by health and police officials is under review, both appear to have acted out of an abundance of caution.

Another New Dawn for the Revitalisation of the City of Nassau

by Larry Smith

On the banks of the St Lawrence River, at the very spot where the city of Montreal was founded over three centuries ago, stands a remarkable structure built in 1992 atop the remains of a Victorian office building.

The Museum of Archaeology and History entombs the city's origins on the site of an earlier Iroquois settlement known as Hochelaga. This archeological crypt preserves the remains of Montreal's history from every settlement period - in situ. And more than 350,000 people visit this amazing time capsule every year.

Pointe a Calliere is the heart of the architectural and cultural heritage that is Old Montreal, a district energized by fine restaurants, outdoor cafes and people-filled plazas. And this restored historic zone lies at the centre of a booming, cosmopolitan city that ranks as one of the world's best places to live or visit.

Noted American architect Hugh Newell Johnson once said that “When you look at a city, it's like reading the hopes, aspirations and pride of everyone who built it.” Put another way by Bahamian architect Pat Rahming, every city requires a dream recorded in a vision.

Brother Brave vs. Mother Pratt—The Deputy Leadership of the PLP

by Simon

•Simon is a young Bahamian with things on his mind who wishes to remain anonymous. His column 'Front Porch' is published every Tuesday in the Nassau Guardian. He can be reached at frontporchguardian@gmail.com.

Though Philip “Brave” Davis is demonstrating the ruthlessness and laser-like ambition needed to become Leader of the PLP and Prime Minister, this is no guarantee of success or of his ability and readiness to lead.

While he possesses the intellectual and financial resources needed to pursue these dual prizes, he must surmount significant obstacles, testing his ruthlessness and ambition as well as his financial prowess and brainpower – and his savvy.

Asking parliamentarians to take a 20 percent pay cut, a cut which a man with his earning capacity would barely feel, he may have won public praise while provoking ill-will among his party’s parliamentary caucus. Has he forgotten that his main audience now is convention delegates, not the general public?

Though dutifully respecting his Leader, calculatingly defending him on occasion to boost his standing among his former law partner’s supporters, Mr.  Davis wants Perry Christie to step aside, post-haste, making room for his vision of a new PLP.

If Mr. Christie is pushed out, which is highly unlikely, or jumps, which is likelier than many imagine, Brave Davis will be waiting – not in the wings like some, but on centre stage.

On Political Stunts and Moving the Port of Nassau to Arawak Cay

by Larry Smith

On Political Stunts
If you recall,  "Joe the Plumber" was a star attraction during the US presidential debates last fall.

Joe is actually Joe Wurzelbacher, an 'everyman' who appeared out of a crowd at an Obama campaign rally and asked the candidate about his economic plan.

Joe then became the poster boy for the McCain-Palin campaign's attempt to portray Obama as a red-fanged radical plotting to establish a dictatorship of the proletariat and destroy hard-working Americans by "sharing the wealth".

Turned out that Joe was a Republican plant who wasn't registered to vote, wasn't a licensed plumber, owed back taxes, and would actually benefit from the tax cuts proposed by Obama. It also turned out that a majority of Americans were in favour of a more equitable distribution of income.

In short, Joe the Plumber was part of an elaborate political stunt that failed to achieve its goal.

We witnessed a similar exercise here last week, although the issue that the stunt focused on was rather more serious than the redistribution of income. It revolved around the apparent suicide of a 15-year-old juvenile who was jailed on suspicion of housebreaking.

Budget Policy, Process and Presentation

by Simon

•Simon is a young Bahamian with things on his mind who wishes to remain anonymous. His column 'Front Porch' is published every Tuesday in the Nassau Guardian. He can be reached at frontporchguardian@gmail.com.

The annual budget proceedings are a mix of policy discussions, political debate and public theatre, including rituals such as the Minister of Finance, surrounded by cabinet colleagues, crossing Rawson Square to the House of Assembly to lay out the Government’s financial plans and priorities for yet another year.

Recently, recalling a traditional Chinese proverb -- “May you live in interesting times.” -- the Prime Minister and Minister of Finance outlined his policy choices and estimates in the opening presentation on the 2009/10 budget.

On Compulsory Licensing and Judicial Independence in the Bahamas

by Larry Smith

Maurice Glinton and the Accountability of Judges
Freeport lawyer Maurice Glinton told members of the Nassau Institute last week that freedom in the Bahamas was threatened by judges that are politically compliant, unaccountable to the public, and acquiescent in their own abuse.

Glinton has degrees in law, economics and international relations, and has written extensively on constitutional issues. He is best known for suing the government In 2003 (with fellow lawyer Leandra Esfakis) over measures that parliament enacted eight years ago affecting the confidentiality of lawyer-client relations. That action was subsequently taken over by the Bar Council and remains in limbo.

According to Glinton, the judiciary is as important to good governance as are the legislative and executive branches, and "If our judicial system cannot carry out its role that is reason for concern that the government is not performing with the public interest in mind, which puts liberty and commerce at risk."