Bahama Pundit

The Fires Next Time

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

Some of the broadcast news coverage of the recent fires at New Providence’s main dump has been sensational. One network reporter breathlessly signed off from the dump with the melodramatic assertion that he was reporting from Ground Zero.

The term 'Ground Zero' was coined after the initial testing, followed by the subsequent detonation of atomic bombs in Japan during World War II. It referred to the ground directly under the exploding nuclear weapons.

Between August 6, 1945 and September 11, 2001, the term gained currency, and was often drafted to describe the epicentre of a natural or human-made disaster of extraordinary proportions.

Post-9/11, it became synonymous with the site where a pair of airplanes struck the Twin Towers of The World Trade Center in New York City.

We can forgive the hyperbole of labeling the site of these dump fires, Ground Zero. Less excusable, is the failure of much of the team coverage, to sift through the embers and unearth still smoldering and broader story-lines.

Whither Baha Mar? After Harrah’s Last Hurrah

by Richard Coulson

(The author is principal of R C Capital and a frequent contributor to the Tribune's business section. In this interview with Joe Rackrate, a (fictional) hotel-casino consultant, he explores the recent unravelling of the $2 billion Baha Mar development.)

RC: Wow – our country sure took a hit when Harrah’s pulled out and left Baha Mar holding the bag: GDP down couple of percentage points, maybe 5,000 construction jobs lost, Cable Beach stuck with its same old tired face. What went wrong?

Joe: Oh, lots of things. You could pin it on Perry, who dilly-dallied too long. Or on Hubert, who shot his mouth off. Or the U.S. recession – tight money and fewer tourists everywhere. Or the private buy-out of Harrah’s, when the new owners loaded the company with a mountain of debt. Or the usual fate of a minnow like Baha Mar swimming with a shark like Harrah’s.

RC: Tell me more.

Comparing the Bahamas and Zimbabwe

by Larry Smith

As a teenager back in 1965 I recall a solemn school assembly at which one of our teachers (who was from Rhodesia) tried to explain that African colony's unilateral declaration of independence from Britain.

Rhodesia was a prosperous colony run by a stubborn white settler named Ian Smith, who died last November. The country is now called Zimbabwe, and is run by the octogenarian Robert Mugabe, who was Smith's nemesis during the war against white rule in the 1970s.

In those days it was still big news for a colony to actually break from the British Empire unilaterally - the American War of Independence notwithstanding.That's one of the reasons we were sitting in the sunshine listening to Mr Dock on that cool November day 43 years ago.

Of course, the other big reason was race, which defined the context of the time.

Bahamasair: Round Two

by Craig Butler

Most people have a horror story or two to tell about our national flag carrier - Bahamasair - but they can also cite an incident to explain why they continue to maintain their loyalty.

A close friend and colleague told me that when she was studying in the US northeast and it was time to come home at Christmas the travel agents would invariably tell her there were no flights. Her standard response was always 'just get me to Miami and Bahamasair will get me home'. I can attest to that being true.

Others like the fact that the flag carrier doesn't hassle passengers about overweight bags. But these things also explain why Bahamasair continuously dithers on the brink of going under.

Bahamasair or Bahamas Disgrace

by Craig Butler

I have written about the national airline before, and trust me when I say that it has never been flattering. However, everybody and everything deserves another chance so it was with great trepidation that I decided to give Bahamasair one.

I fly America Airlines nearly all the time and I did intend to do so this over the Easter weekend. But like many Bahamians I waited until the last minute to make my reservations and by that time the price had increased to the point that the travel agent told me that American wanted almost $600 per ticket.

That is more than highway robbery - it is extortion. Reluctantly, I asked about Bahamasair, the price was reasonable and I booked two seats.

Politics and the Economic Impact of the Baha Mar Project

by Craig Butler

Much has been made of the recent decision by Harrah’s Entertainment not to participate in the Baha Mar project on New Providence.

They have cited the long delays in winning government approval for the land transfers as the main reason for their withdrawal. Further justification has been provided by the fact that they are some $21billion in debt and would prefer to concentrate on reducing this figure - which seems to fly in the face of logic when one considers that they are still moving ahead with a massive project in Spain.

This leads us to the question of whether the comments of Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham in Parliament had a role in derailing the project. That will be debated for a long time, but what is clear is that such a statement by the leader of the government was unnecessary, unwarranted and wrong.

The Esfakis Inquest and What it Means for Bahamian Healthcare

by Leandra Esfakis

•The author is the deceased's sister, and an attorney. Their father was the late Dr Andrew Esfakis.

Last month the Coroner’s Court delivered a verdict in the April, 2002 death of Christopher Esfakis, age 42, of “Death by natural causes, with a substantial and significant contribution made by neglect.”

Christopher Esfakis’ death was “natural”, in the ordinary meaning of that word, the same way that every death is natural: his heart stopped beating. The inquest determined, however, that “neglect” contributed significantly to that death.

According to the evidence, Christopher Esfakis walked into Doctors Hospital about 1 am on Saturday April 20, 2002. He was admitted for treatment for mostly first and second degree burns to 25 per cent of his body. He died the following Monday at 7 pm.

Those Pesky Airport Parking Rates

by Craig Butler

I haven’t traveled as much as I normally do since the beginning of the year, so I guess you can say I have been out of the loop. But when I went to Freeport recently I parked in the front lot opposite the domestic terminal as usual.

Now upon entering the facility I did not read the signs and I must admit I was at fault for that, but based on the number of times I travel per year I didn’t see anything that would have alerted me to the fact that major changes had been undertaken.

Imagine my surprise when I returned on Friday and presented my ticket at the kiosk. I had $20 in my hand which I thought was sufficient to cover the charges,. However, when the attendant said $90 I thought she had made a mistake. In fact, I was sure of it because I immediately started searching the car for another ticket thinking that this had been one that I had misplaced sometime ago.

Those Awful Newspaper Headlines, Nassau's Vehicle Problem, Smaller Cruise Ships & a Referendum on Privatisation

by Larry Smith

A mini-controversy erupted recently over the prime minister's remarks about responsibility of the press.

Hubert Ingraham called the Tribune to task for its lurid crime headlines. And that criticism drew the ire of publisher Eileen Carron, news editor Paco Nunez and former news editor Athena Damianos (who now works for a realty firm).

They all said roughly the same thing - that the press only reflects what Bahamians are most concerned about - and the best way to change the headlines is to fix the problems of our rapidly deteriorating society. This is true as far as it goes.

But one of Tough Call's correspondents (who asked to remain anonymous) said the press should not be ultra sensitive to criticism from politicians, since to criticize does not necessarily imply that press freedom is being threatened. And he added that while the press has a duty to hold up a mirror to society, warts and all; it should not be all warts.

Overturning the Housing Tax Exemption in the Bahamas and Playing the Race Card in the US

by Craig Butler

The government has refused to extend the tax exemption for first time home buyers in the Bahamas. Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham released the number of housing starts for previous years to show that since the exemption went into effect in 2003 there been no appreciable impact.

With all due respect to the prime minister, he and his government have entirely missed the boat here. Granted there wasn’t the dramatic jump in housing starts that he was suggesting should have occurred to declare the programme a success, but there was a leveling of the numbers - meaning that the variances that can be noted from the figures quoted over the other years had basically evaporated. This could have meant that the impact was just about to take effect.

When coupled with the removal of the exemption given to taxi and bus operators that allowed them to acquire new cars duty free, it must be said these policy reversals are mistakes that should immediately be overturned.

A Personal Annus horribilis"

by Craig Butler

When I lived in England in the early 1990s, the queen gave a speech describing one of those years as an "annus horribilis"" - Latin for horrible year.

Whilst I am thankful for the fact that I am alive, in relatively good health and surrounded by family and friends, 2007 has been a particularly trying year for me.

It has tested my faith in God, but thankfully I am stronger for it. On April 14 after waiting for so long to have a child we were blessed with a beautiful baby girl whom we named Jade. But in His infinite wisdom, God allowed her to spend only two days, eight hours and ten minutes on this earth before he took her back home.

Who Owns Junkanoo? On Charging Admission for the Press

by Larry Smith

The absurd controversy over the recent attempt to charge the press a fee to cover Junkanoo makes one wonder whether our officials have taken leave of their senses.

Although the argument about protection of intellectual property rights of Junkanooers was not advanced until after the proposal had been withdrawn, we should remember that these groups are subsidised at huge cost by the private sector (both monetarily and in terms of lost productivity). And massive public resources are deployed to organise and facilitate the display their art. One has to question whether art exists if no-one sees it?

According to Cultural Director Nicolette Bethel, ""What the media are actually covering, and what the government is a steward of, is something that is a public parade, but (also) an artistic endeavour and people own the rights to the creations that they put on, and we have not yet worked out the formula for those artists to get paid."

Trying Times in the Bahamas

by Craig Butler

Again this week we are faced with escalating crime statistics, especially murder. There have been more senseless deaths attributed to shootings and the police are inundated trying to solve them.

There is a fight between good and evil going on in the Bahamas today that I have compared to Milton's Paradise Lost. I received flack for that simplistic analysis, although I did point out that it was meant as a metaphor only. In any event, we as a nation need to figure out what the nature of our problem is before we can adequately address it.

It is my view that education, or the lack of it amongst marginalized young men, is the key. I will continue to say that a man who has no training, and thus an inability to think and make reasoned decisions, is susceptible to anything. In our case, it’s a life of easy money derived from crime.

The Retirement of the Police Commissioner

by Craig Butler

It was officially announced last week that Commissioner Paul Farquharson would soon be leaving the Royal Bahamas Police Force after many years of outstanding service.

Rumors abound surrounding his sudden and unexpected departure. They ran the gauntlet from illness to political interference. Whatever the reason, which is not significant in any event, I would like to wish him well in his future endeavors.

I have had the opportunity to work with Mr. Farquharson on a few occasions and whilst I did not always agree with his decisions and was not always happy about the amount of time it took him to deliberate, I can honestly say that he was true to himself and always arrived at a reasonable decision.

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.

What's at Stake in Freeport, Grand Bahama

by Larry Smith

The City of Freeport is one of the world's last company towns. And a group of Bahamian "licensees" are fighting to bring accountability and transparency to the Grand Bahama Port Authority - a private franchise with enormous value for the country as a whole.

Freeport's origins go back to 1955, when the government leased 80 square miles of wilderness for next to nothing to an American named Wallace Groves who had been running a lumber operation on the island.

In return, Groves undertook to convert uninhabited Hawksbill Creek into a deep-water port and carve a new township out of the pine barren. That land grant was later increased to about 200 square miles, and the comprehensive tax exemptions extended until 2054.

The Hawksbill Creek Agreement between the government and Groves gave the new Grand Bahama Port Authority the right to plan, develop and administer the city of Freeport, as well as to license persons and businesses to operate there. The agreement also had a safety clause that would return the land to the government if the development failed.

But since 1978 when Groves was forced to sell out, Freeport's land, and most of the important companies, have been essentially owned by two families - the Hayward's and the St George's. They hold all of the assets in a clutch of offshore companies, which are subject to no public oversight.

Political Gamesmanship in the Bahamas

by Craig Butler

I don’t know about you but I’ve had enough of the back and forth between the two major political parties. To both of them I say: get over it and resume the governance of the country.

Every day there is another allegation put forward by the government and the PLP feel duty bound to respond. I am really getting tired of it, but in politics the only thing the parties have to rely on is their record and accordingly they will do whatever it is to protect that and avoid having it tarnished.

Many of the soldiers out there are still locked in election mode, and eagerly awaiting the next poll. I hear on a daily basis from both PLPs and FNMs that there will be an early election. I don’t know if this is wishful thinking, plain stupidity, or something that is being fostered by the respective parties, but I know that it is dangerous and I wish it would stop.

School Policing and the Extradition of 90 Knowles

by Craig Butler

Anyone with a conscience must be dismayed at the current state of affairs with the children of our nation. No one would be stupid enough to think that there isn’t a problem with the educational system, so this begs the question of why as parents we refuse to accept that there are behavioural problems with our children.

No-one wants to admit that their child is a nuisance or malfeasant, but they sometimes are. I have seen on many occasions parents come before the courts and speak of their good children, and how the charges against them can’t be correct because their good children wouldn’t do such a thing.

There is nothing wrong in having full faith and confidence in your children, in fact that is a good thing. But when that faith and confidence is based solely on the fact that this is your child and you, the parent, refuse to see what is patently obvious to everyone else, that is where the problems start. You, as the parent, are endorsing the actions of the child.

Is the Bahamas the Best Little Country?

by Craig Butler

Politicians have this idea that we are the best little country in the world. Clearly both sides think this way and I don’t have a problem with that. In fact I would like to think the same way, but then the reality sets in and I have to check myself.

Unfortunately I feel as though we are going nowhere fast. Crime is out of control everyone agrees that is the case. Do you realize that we have had more murders in the Bahamas than has been recorded in all of Ontario Canada so far this year? To top it off, crimes by police officers or those imbued with the public trust seem to be on the rise.

Our education system is in a shambles. Ever since social promotion was adopted sometime in the 1970s we have been fighting a losing battle here. With a national average of D and, according to the experts, no real chance of improving it, we are running full steam ahead towards disaster. I could go on about all that is bad, but I wanted to highlight something that is good.

Freeport Fight Fails Country

by Larry Smith

Oh what a tangled web we weave,
When first we practise to deceive!
-- Sir Walter Scott

A previous article on the struggle for control of the Grand Bahama Port Authority generated some interesting comments:

"Fred Smith's suit asking the GBPA to hire a town manager and town planners is creative, but misses the larger point - where would they find a competent town manager willing to work in company town, not a real town?

"Why a modern corporation would want to own and operate a company town is beyond my comprehension. Governing a town is a thankless task, and can never turn a profit. That's why (in the US) it's almost always done by an elected local government.

"The notion that the Bahamas is not ready for elected local governments with their own tax and budget authority is also beyond my comprehension. I've worked with plenty of local governments in the US as a consultant. I think their elected officials and staff are, on average, no better and no worse that what you'd get from Bahamian local government.

"Seems to me the new FNM government and the GBPA would both have a strong incentive to make Freeport a showcase for an independent, locally elected and financed municipal government." -- Bob Knaus

*****

Background to the Grand Bahama Port Authority Dispute

by Larry Smith

Grand Bahama was a wilderness to early visitors. An English circuit magistrate wrote in 1887 that the island's population of 700 "can barely exist."

In 1934, another visitor described the island as "a lost child of the colony...Travelling up Hawksbill Creek among the mangroves is a picturesque adventure, but getting ashore thereabouts has its difficulties."

That picture did not change much until August 1955, when the government leased 80 square miles on Grand Bahama to an American named Wallace Groves who had been running a lumber operation there. In return, Groves undertook to make Hawksbill Creek a deep-water port and carve a new township out of the pine barren.

That land grant was later increased to about 200 square miles and the tax concessions extended until 2054. Freeport was, you might say, the ultimate anchor project. And although the original idea was to establish an industrial centre, by the early 1960s the emphasis had switched to the familiar resort-residential model of development.

Lawyer Threatens Grand Bahama Port Authority For Negligence

by Larry Smith

Freeport lawyer Fred Smith is threatening to sue the Grand Bahama Port Authority, on behalf of licensees and landowners, for failing "to act as a responsible municipal, administrative, regulatory and development authority, and to develop, maintain and improve the physical infrastructure and amenities."

Smith represents the widow of the late Edward St George (who was co-chairman of the Port Authority for over 22 years until his death in December 2004) in a legal dispute with Sir Jack Hayward (the other co-chairman) over ownership of the Port companies. A Supreme Court ruling on that dispute is expected on August 30.

On August 24 Smith delivered a letter to the Port Authority, the Grand Bahama Development Company, the Lucaya Service Company and the court-appointed receivers who are supervising Port business pending a resolution of the ownership dispute.

The letter points out a number of issues affecting the future of Freeport that need to be addressed. Extensive excerpts are quoted here:

Election Madness Continues in the Bahamas

by Craig Butler

The general election has been over for almost four months and we are still suffering from election fever.

The PLP have every right to seek to advance their constitutional rights in the courts and clearly they intend to do so. We know that the dates for the three cases have been set, and based on the number of witnesses that are going to have to be called in each matter it is estimated that we will probably be embroiled in this saga for the next year at least.

To complicate things, the issue of Malcolm Adderley retaining his chairmanship of the Gaming Board has tongues a-wagging that the FNM is courting him to cross the aisle. If that turned out to be the case then despite the outcome of the cases the FNM would retain the government in any event.

There has been much talk from many circles that the prime minister does not have the moral authority to call a snap election. Presumably this refers to the fact that the election court has yet to rule on matters which could cause a change of government.

Police Gifts, the Nassau Port, and Internet Regulation - It's the Silly Season

by Larry Smith

We know it's the silly season, but that doesn't mean that big grown men in very senior and super responsible positions should suddenly take leave of their senses.

I mean, what was Assistant Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade's brain on when he publicly accepted gifts worth tens of thousands of dollars just for being transferred from Freeport to Nassau. A few more transfers like that and Greenslade could retire comfortably without even touching his pension.

And what were his fellow police officers (who allegedly provided the gifts) thinking when they pulled out their wallets to buy a luxury car, his and her Rolex watches, and an expensive pair of cell phones for their ex-boss. Or did they 'solicit' the gifts from grateful businessmen?

Just before the election, we were hearing that police officers were underpaid and overworked. But apparently those in Freeport either have plenty of extra cash to buy luxury goods, or plenty of free time to solicit them. Too bad Greenslade wasn't also a reverend - he could probably have received a vacation villa to boot.

And then, after accepting the gifts, Greenslade and others have the astounding lack of judgement to actually offer a public defense. How can a senior police officer justify accepting such valuable gifts for simply doing a job? The whole episode is weirdly reminiscent of the time when Sir Lynden Pindling was presented with a Rolls Royce from "PLP supporters", as well as $16,000 in $100 bills from his poor South Andros constituents, just for being prime minister.

The Roots of Crime in the Bahamas

by Larry Smith

Conversations with taxi drivers these days are no longer about the weather or business - they're all about the latest killings.

Another young man stabbed or shot to death for who knows what. Another young woman dispatched in a domestic quarrel. Another gunfight at the fish fry. Experts say homicide is a reliable barometer of all violent crime, and we have had 46 murders so far this year - one of the highest per capita rates in the world.

Death by violence is commonplace on New Providence, along with armed robbery and rape, and our youth seem to be armed to the teeth. When 18-year-old Mardio Hall was killed at the QE sports centre days ago, newspaper reports said other young people in the crowd were moved to fire their weapons in the air.

Police say 70 per cent of local murders are committed by young men between the ages of 18 and 35 - and their victims are usually other young men. The causes range from gang warfare to lovers' quarrels to drug disputes to plain old arguments.

And public response to this unprecedented tide of killings has been predictable. The Christian Council demands "immediate hangings." Others call for prayer meetings. And some have suggested an amnesty for thugs to turn in their weapons to local pastors.

Freedom of Information in The Bahamas

by Larry Smith

Without the press, the modern emperor – whether dictator or elected president – is insulated, encapsulated in a cocoon of many who are either sycophants or who are truly awed by those in power. -- David Steinberg

It is in the public interest that everything should come out. -- Tony Benn

Every bureaucracy seeks to increase the superiority of the professionally informed by keeping their knowledge and intentions secret. -- Max Weber

Frankly, I find it difficult to write about this subject - it's such a no-brainer, and so crucial to the good governance of the country that it upsets me.

Here is the bare-faced truth: Public authorities act in the public interest. There is no legitimate value in keeping public information private. And without access to information we cannot hold public authorities to account.

In fact, colonial authorities purposely used secrecy to maintain their power and prestige. And although we gained our "freedom" from British rule over 30 years ago, we have yet to persuade our homeboy rulers to tolerate freedom of information. On the contrary, they continue to equate secrecy (of even the most trivial information) with power.

Celebrating the 34th Anniversary of Bahamian Independence

by Sir Arthur Foulkes

We have observed another anniversary as an independent state in the world community of nations and we have much to celebrate. Independence itself was only a milestone -- an important one to be sure -- but still only a milestone.

The milestone we have just passed says 34 but we have, in fact, a great history of centuries of struggle and progress. And those two elements – struggle and progress – as the American civil rights crusader Frederick Douglass so eloquently reminded us, always go together:

“If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favour freedom, and deprecate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground. They want rain without thunder and lightning.”

Many of those who agitated and plowed up the ground were not even around when the great day came. Some, like the slave Pompey, were long in their graves, and others just missed it by a few years, even months.

So it is fitting that this year we acknowledge the nation-builders who went before us, who did the agitating and plowing, who sowed the early seeds for the growth of a nation. And we became a nation long before we became an independent state.

The Opening of the Bahamian Parliament

by Craig Butler

I attended the opening of parliament for the first time since childhood, and I can tell you it was nothing like I remembered. In fact I really did not remember much, but what I observed at this one will cause me never to attend one of these things again if proper procedures are not put in place.

The organization, or rather the lack thereof, was a complete embarrassment. Trying to adhere to the rules we arrived well before the stated time to be seated. It was clear from the onset that this was going to turn out to be a fiasco. First of all we were supposed to present our admission tickets to a protocol officer who would then guide us as to where we were to sit.

It took about three minutes to locate one and then she really was of no help - she did take us to the area where we were supposed to be seated but there was no collection of the tickets to ensure that everyone was indeed supposed to be there. That, however, was only the tip of the iceberg.

Think Tanks and Political Change

by Larry Smith

Larry Reed, the 53-year-old president of a Michigan-based free market think tank called the Mackinac Centre, gave a speech on public policy in Nassau last week to about 60 business and professional people.

In a throw-away line he mentioned an association with a Mongolian leader who had helped end communism in that central Asian country and went on to privatise the country's yak herds in the 1990s.

Well, that seemed a little more interesting than our struggles with inefficient state enterprises like BTC, ZNS and Bahamasair, so I took the time to learn more.

Yaks are hairy cattle prized by the nomadic Mongols since the time of Genghis Khan. In 1924 Mongolia became the second communist nation in the world - after the Soviet Union - and that was when the yak herds were nationalised.

Elbegdorj Tsakhia (the son of a herdsman, whom we will refer to as EB) has been prime minister of Mongolia twice since the end of communist rule. Today he runs a libertarian think tank and has become a poster boy for the free market movement, having attended the Mackinac Centre's leadership training programme.

Foulkes Appointed Acting Governor-General

Sir Arthur Foulkes has suspended his column while he acts as governor-general in the absence of Arthur Hanna. He will resume his posts on Bahama Pundit next week.

The Bluewater Deal to Buy the Bahamas Telecommunications Company

by Larry Smith

"There is no circumstance under which BTC could be sold on credit, and what you are going to do after you get it must be clearly stated - you must have the money, the means and the technology to do it, otherwise no deal. And I say that for the benefit of all those who believe they got a deal." -- Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham

Just before the election, the Christie government made a secret $260 million deal to sell 49 per cent of BTC to a little-known entity called Bluewater Ventures - 'secret' in the sense that the public wasn't aware that a deal had been struck and didn't know the terms, although talks had been ongoing for two years.

Bluewater describes itself as "a private equity firm specializing in turnarounds and investments in the media and telecommunications sectors". It was founded in 2003 by John Gregg, an American who has helped run several European cable companies.

Online reports say Gregg has executed over $25 billion of acquisitions during his career. For nine years he was a top executive at the British cable operator, NTL, where he helped found a pioneering internet service, called Virgin.Net, with Sir Richard Branson in 1996.

After Gregg set up Bluewater, NTL went on to merge with Branson's popular Virgin Mobile cell phone service to become one of the first "quadruple-play" media companies in the world - offering television, Internet, cell and fixed-line voice services to over 10 million customers.

In telecoms, the triple play refers to a service provider's ability to provide voice, data, and video services to customers as a single package. Quad play refers to the delivery of voice, video, data, AND mobility. It is all about convergence - experts say - merging different media into one operating platform.

And that is apparently what Bluewater has in mind for BTC. It is also something that Cable Bahamas has been longing to do for years.

On Why Race Matters

by Nicolette Bethel

It doesn't. Really.

And if you believe that, I have a couple of bridges to sell you.

I've written about race before, from two different perspectives. The first time I wanted to write about why race didn't matter -- about how all people are fundamentally human alike, and how the concept of "race" is an idea that is used to achieve various goals. The second time, I wanted to talk about racism, which occurs when humans act on what they imagine to be racial differences.

Today, I want to bring it home. I want to discuss why race matters, here and now, in the twenty-first-century Bahamas.

Now some of you may feel the urge to put the paper down, thinking "not this again". Before you do, consider this. We Bahamians love to avoid discussion of the very things that are most crucial to us. We have unacceptably high incidences of pregnancy, HIV and other STD transmissions, and sexual abuse among our young people, and yet we steadfastly refuse to talk about issues of sex and sexuality in any constructive and positive way. We have unprecedented numbers of stateless people living among us, and yet we refuse to discuss any sensible policy relating to immigration and citizenship. And, forty years after majority rule, we remain a deeply divided society that continues to remember and celebrate distinctions based on colour.

Moving Nassau's Cargo Port to Save the City

by Larry Smith

For almost 20 years private sector leaders have been seeking to persuade successive governments to sanction, if not actually lead, the revitalisation of downtown Nassau.

And for almost 20 years the city has steadily decomposed into a filthy, traffic-choked slum, overrun with hucksters and dope peddlers, offering little of interest even to those notoriously cheap cruise visitors.

In fact, cruise tourism to Nassau was down almost 12 per cent last year, compared to a 2 per cent drop in air arrivals - an indication that the seaport is even more of a disincentive than the airport.

And it certainly begs the question of how the Ministry of Tourism can talk incessantly about "improving our product" to attract more business while the capital city (and main destination) remains a big, suppurating mess with no attractions.

As those of us over 40 can recall, it wasn't always so. Back then Bay Street was a big tourist draw, as this account by architect Pat Rahming recalls:

Prostitution of Government Information Infrastructure in the Bahamas

by Larry Smith

Here's the thing. We all got to make a living. And since Steve Mckinney is a political flack and ZNS hack, he gets to make a living off the rest of us.

In fact, having been in the business myself for a long time - I'd have to say that Mckinney is the most successful PR flack in the country. At $142,000 per annum (plus other business) Mckinney is raking in more bucks than the governor-general, the prime minister, the chief justice, permanent secretaries and media magnates like Charles carter or Wendall Jones.

In fact, Jones admitted as much (in amazement) on his media talk show last week when he, Fred Sturrup and Godfrey Eneas grilled Mckinney for some 30 minutes.

And the most amazing point of all is that Mckinney's government contracts included perks like paid vacations, sick leave, casual leave, gratuities, etc - all at taxpayer expense.

Mckinney has a contract to provide public relations and speech-writing services for the Ministry of Tourism, but top officials know nothing about it - and Tourism has its own in-house PR and broadcasting unit, as well as an expensive out-house PR firm. And, the prime minister says, Mckinney also has a similar public relations contract with the Ministry of Education.

Bahamas Election Results: Government Ousted in Sixth Free Elections Since Independence

by Larry Smith

The lack of official information in the aftermath of the general election caused great frustration and much anxiety amongst Bahamians of all political persuasions. This post summarises the facts as they unfolded in the first week following the election. Further significant developments will be provided in new posts.

Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham and his new cabinet are finalising their first-year legislative agenda for presentation in the Speech from the Throne at the official opening of parliament on May 23.

"And we are reviewing the many deals and contracts that the former government rushed to conclusion in their final days and weeks in office." Ingraham said at a FNM victory rally in Freeport May 9.

"We will ensure that in each case the interests of The Bahamas are protected -- whether it be in the sale of BTC; the sale of the Royal Oasis here in Grand Bahama; the deal to keep the Isle of Capri Casino at Lucaya operational; or the sale of Crown Land in Mayaguana or elsewhere."

Former prime minister Perry Christie was sworn in as leader of the opposition on May 8 and promised a vigorous PLP parliamentary campaign to force an early general election. Bahamian governments are elected for a five-year term, but the prime minister can call an election at any time.

"Ingraham must now live with the reality that he is the first ever prime minister of a government elected with a minority of the popular vote," Christie said in his first public statement since Thursday night. The FNM received just under 50 per cent of the vote while the PLP together with several Independent candidates won just over 50 per cent.

Christie called charges of electoral abuse by the PLP merely a diversionary tactic by the FNM. But according to the new prime minister, "some things happened during the course of the election that may result in consequences. If offenses were committed then I would expect the law enforcement authorities to do their job."

Although the PLP said it would contest the results of some close races in the election court, Ingraham dashed speculation that the FNM would do the same: "Election is over...we have no intention of going to election court to determine the validity of any of our seats or anybody else's seat."

Ingraham named 14 cabinet ministers, including three ministers of state. Thirteen ministries were created (including the Office of the Prime Minister), four less than in the outgoing PLP government. Ministers already appointed are:

Brent Symonette - deputy prime minister & minister of foreign affairs
Tommy Turnquest - minister of national security & immigration
Claire Hepburn - attorney-general
Carl Bethel - minister of education, youth, sports & culture
Ken Russel - minister of housing and national insurance
Earl Deveaux - minister of works & transport
Larry Cartwright - minister of agriculture & marine resources
Sidney Collie - minister of lands & local government
Dr Hubert Minnis - minister of health & social development
Dion Foulkes - minister of maritime affairs & labour
Neko Grant - minister of tourism & aviation
Zhivago Laing - minister of state for finance
Desmond Bannister - minister of state for legal affairs
Elma Campbell - minister of state for immigration

Ingraham holds the finance portfolio. Campbell, Hepburn and Foulkes were made senators in order to join the cabinet. Symonette, 54, is the son of the Bahamas' first premier, Sir Roland Symonette. Turnquest is the son of retired cabinet minister and governor-general Sir Orville Turnquest. Hepburn is a former college lecturer, acting judge and chairman of the Bahamas Broadcasting Corporation.

Referring to the PLPs criticism of Symonette as a wealthy white Bahamian, Ingraham said the country must "transcend historic prejudices" and listed a series of obligations that cabinet ministers should fulfill - selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, honesty and leadership by example. He also said the condition of the justice system was "unacceptable" and vowed to "improve responsive and accountable government across the board."

On May 5 he told a huge victory rally that there had been more political interference in last week's general election than at any time in recent history, and hinted at legal consequences for members of the former government accused of vote buying and intimidation.

"Let history record that (former prime minister) Perry Christie is no democrat," Ingraham declared. "The FNM won the election - period. And we will defend our victory against any and all. If the need arises we will come back to you for a bigger majority.

"Too many members of the former government have no respect for the law, they disrespect our democratic institutions, they believe they have a divine right to govern this country and they are consumed by an insatiable greed for power and self-aggrandisement."

Minister's Stunning Response to Vote-Buying Charges in Bahamas Election

by Sir Arthur Foulkes

There have been persistent reports of vote-buying in Grand Bahama by PLP candidates or their agents and of voters being asked to swear on the Bible that they will vote for the PLP.

According to one report, money was being given out at a PLP campaign office and there were so many people lined up that the police had to be called to keep order.

The PLP candidate for the West End and Bimini constituency, Tourism Minister Obie Wilchcombe, was questioned about this by a reporter from Cool 96 Radio and made some extraordinarily revealingly comments in response.

Bahamas Government Incompetence on Taxes & Transport

by Larry Smith

For years there have been calls to restrict vehicle imports in order to reduce Nassau's traffic congestion and tackle rising fuel costs and environmental concerns.

Energy & Environment Minister Dr Marcus Bethel has drafted the country's first-ever energy policy, which is expected to address the transportation sector in terms of fuel conservation, alternative energy and pollution control. But it has yet to be publicly discussed.

Meanwhile James Smith, his colleague over at Finance, says little can be done about the rising number of vehicles on our roads that burn ever more expensive fuel because the public treasury relies on import taxes.

Critics say this conflict of interest underscores the government's astounding incompetence in failing to devise both a sensible long-term tax policy and an effective traffic strategy.

The Bahamas, CARICOM and the 50th Birthday of the European Union

by Larry Smith

"Leave this Europe, where they are never done talking of Man, yet murder men everywhere they find them, at the corner of every one of their own streets, and in all the corners of the globe." Franz Fanon, the Wretched of the Earth, 1963

An amusing Associated Press photograph caught my eye recently. It showed the French president, Jaques Chirac, rubbing noses with the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, at a celebration marking the 50th birthday of the European Union.

The fact that this ceremonial summit and public show of affection took place in a new Berlin - the capital of a reunited Germany at the centre of an integrated Europe - is the most powerful reminder yet that the horrors of the first half of the 20th century are behind us.

The European Union had its start in the aftermath of the most destructive war in human history; a war that killed 60 million people - including the murder of some 20 million Jews, gypsies, homosexuals and other unfortunates in the Holocaust.

The Great Bahamian Land Rush: Part 2

by Sir Arthur Foulkes

A few weeks ago a real estate company in North Carolina, Infinity Partners, posted on its website a “Grand Bahama Island Update” purporting to be a status report on a proposal presented to The Bahamas Government for the development of east Grand Bahama.

The report, dated 7 February 2007, was quickly circulated over the internet and mentioned in several news stories in the local press; but there were no screaming headlines about it in the newspapers.

Perhaps reporters and editors did not give it much credence or maybe they thought it was a hoax since it quickly disappeared from the Infinity Partners website. Prime Minister Perry Christie had been hinting at something big about to happen in Grand Bahama but this was bigger than big.

Renewable Energy & Offshore Finance

by Larry Smith

On a trip to Florida this past weekend, I picked up several magazines. By chance, three featured stories that were relevant to the Bahamas.

Power from the Ocean
The first was an article in The Futurist about a project by Florida Atlantic University - located just down the road from my hotel - on the Gulf Stream's potential to produce electricity.

The university has a $5 million grant to research technology to generate electricity from the Gulf Stream current that flows from the Caribbean to Greenland - between Florida and the Bahamas - at a top speed of about four knots.

Florida's electricity use is expected to rise by 30 per cent over the next decade, and the state is heavily dependent on imported sources of energy. That's one reason why there has been so much interest in basing liquified natural gas plants at Bimini and Freeport (to pipe imported gas across the Gulf Stream to Florida power stations).

But this new project will use tidal current turbines to generate power in much the same way that land-based windmills do - in the form of an offshore underwater 'wind' farm. Since water is denser than air, even slow-moving currents can exert great force on a turbine, meaning that smaller rotors can be used to keep costs down. The blades turn slowly in the water and do not pose a threat to marine life.

The Queen - and the Future of the Bahamian Monarchy

by Larry Smith

We saw The Queen this past weekend.

That award-winning film portrays the British political elite sparring with the royal family over what to do about the death of Princess Diana in 1997. It has been described as "the most reverent, irreverent comedy imaginable."

As we all know, the death of Diana was the media-political event to end all media-political events - until the death of Anna Nicole Smith, that is. But enough about that.

The movie pits an upstart commoner named Tony Blair (who was swept into power by a Labour landslide just before Diana's death in a car crash) against the aloof monarch who has remained on the throne for more than half a century.

Although it seems rather mundane in retrospect, this was a confrontation that brought the whole issue of the British monarchy into question.

Anna Nicole & Shane Gibson, Alfred Sears & Bahamian Teachers, BTC & Customers

by Larry Smith

BABYSITTERS FOR THE RICH AND FAMOUS

The boffins over at ThinkProgress - who produce "hard-hitting research and analysis you can’t find anywhere else" - described the death of Anna Nicole Smith last week as "a feeding frenzy" for the American media that drowned coverage of the war in Iraq.

"NBC’s Nightly News devoted 14 seconds to Iraq compared to 3 minutes and 13 seconds to Anna Nicole. CNN referenced Anna Nicole 522% more frequently than it did Iraq." ThinkProgress reported.

And this hardcore research was confirmed by CNN talk royalty, Larry King, who declared Smith's death "the number one story around the world”.

Here in Nassau, radio talk show callers focused on Immigration Minister Shane Gibson's "close" relationship with the expired stripper. Many Bahamians in the know praised Gibson for "reaching out to help a distressed lady in a Christian act of compassion."

Bahamian Relationship with Foreigners needs Attention

by Sir Arthur Foulkes

The incident at the exclusive Lyford Cay Club involving a distinguished Bahamian gentleman and an expatriate manager merits comment in light of the growing tension over the presence and role of foreigners in this country.

The Bahama Journal reported that Baswell Donaldson, the first Governor of the Central Bank of The Bahamas and currently Chairman of the very successful Bahamian-owned Commonwealth Bank, took some friends to the club on a Saturday for a poolside lunch.

The party was refused service by Managing Director Didier Picquot because one of Mr. Donaldson’s guests was not in compliance with the dress code. There had been a change in the code but Mr. Donaldson, a member of the club for 12 years, had not been informed.

The Bahamian staff went ahead and served the party in defiance of their manager who never apologized for his behaviour. Another official of the club did offer apologies but the damage had been done.

Apparently Mr. Donaldson and the Bahamian staff concluded that there was an element of racism in the whole thing. “He thought because he was white and foreign he could intimidate me,” Mr. Donaldson told The Journal.

The Future of US Foreign Policy

by Larry Smith

"The United States invariably does the right thing, after having exhausted every other alternative." -- Winston Churchill.

A collection of elder statesmen in the US have concluded that the "grave and deteriorating" situation in Iraq requires a radical new approach. And that could lead to a big rethink of how America behaves in the world, especially following the Republican defeat in the recent mid-term elections.

There is little doubt that the aggressive unilateralism of President George W Bush has alienated allies and damaged American interests around the world. Some have described Dubya as "arguably the worst president since the US became a world power" - an opinion borne out by his plummeting popularity. Question is, what happens now in terms of America's relations with the rest of the world?

Any attempt to answer that must take a long view. This administration's Iraq policy is the most muscular expression of American strategic power since the end of the Vietnam War. And that tragic conflict marked the limits of American power at the height of the East-West conflict.

Ulterior Motives in the Bahamas Debate on National Health

by Sir Arthur Foulkes

Attributing ulterior motives to others is a risky business but nevertheless a favourite pastime with many people, especially in the political arena. The first element of risk is that when you attribute bad motives to others they can easily do the same to you, with interest. The second is that you can be wrong about another person’s motives even though circumstances may indicate otherwise.

In the current debate about National Health Insurance, the attribution of motives has added a dimension of resentment and even anger that confounds rational dialogue. The PLP has accused those who criticize and question the Government’s proposals of having the worst possible motives.

The Opposition, the trade union leaders, the business people and the doctors do not care about the poor, they say, or are simply greedy and selfish. This malicious form of attack is calculated to cut the ground from under the critics and expose them to public contempt and ridicule. But all it does is stir up resentment and rage.

An outstanding Bahamian cardiologist who is a great credit to his profession and to his country, and who counts both the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition among his patients, gave voice to that rage last week. Said Dr. Conville Brown:

Bahamas Moves to Implement National Health Plan

by Larry Smith

You should be careful what you wish for.

For the first time in memory the Christie government has acted decisively by proceeding to ram its national health programme through parliament over the objections of almost every interest group in the country. And the prime minister says this will be his key election plank.

The NHI Bill seeks to establish a healthcare "financing and purchasing mechanism" that will be administered by a 10-member commission under the authority of a cabinet minister. A special fund will collect a mandatory payroll tax to pay for medical services and administrative costs, and it will all be handled by the famously inefficient National Insurance Board.

This new bureaucracy will be the ultimate expression of public sector hubris - something that Bahamians have been gradually edging away from over the past few decades.

Anna Nicole Smith & Bahamian Politics Make Classic Comedy

by Larry Smith

Cabinet minister to permanent secretary: "Do you see it as part of your job to help ministers make fools of themselves?"

Permanent secretary to cabinet minister: "Well, I never met one that needed any help."
—from the British television series, Yes Minister.

Permanent secretary Leila Greene to Housing Minister Neville Wisdom: "How you gonna call somebody and tell them you come to investigate them?"

Housing Minister Neville Wisdom to permanent secretary Leila Greene: "That's something, eh?...I won't tolerate that...I shouldn't be talking to him."
—from the Tribune's voicemail.

After being caught on the Tribune's voicemail dismissing the right to know, Housing Minister Neville Wisdom went before Parliament to say that the press and the people do have a right to know about matters regarding public expenditure.

"I am obligated to provide information, but not files" said Mr Wisdom, who has withheld said information for the past several months despite frequent press inquiries.

He went on to table said information in Parliament, although there was lots of missing information described only as "blank".

Bahamas Cabinet Responsible for Anna Nicole Smith Affair

by Sir Arthur Foulkes

It seems we simply cannot escape Anna Nicole Smith now that she has sashayed onto our national stage with her bizarre behaviour and the swirl of controversy which seems to follow her wherever she goes.

There are a lot of issues facing us at the moment and ordinarily Ms. Smith would have been exempt from serious commentary. But she has thrust herself onto our agenda, enthusiastically facilitated by a Minister and a Government who seem to think that she is a positive addition to the Bahamian scene.

It looks as if her outlandish antics will continue to grab newspaper headlines and that her dealings will be the subject of litigation in our courts.

But however these should develop, the immediate concern of Bahamians is the conduct of their Government and the Government has made three fundamental errors in this affair.

North Korea and the History of the Bomb

by Larry Smith

By some accounts, Japan tested a small atomic bomb in North Korea during the final days of World War Two. And now, 61 years later, North Korea has tested its own bomb - making it the eighth country with confirmed nuclear weapons, and creating a big new problem for the world.

The background to North Korea's test can be traced to the discovery of nuclear fission in Europe in the 1930s, when two competing alliances began vying to build a super bomb. At the time, Britain and the United States were locked in a life and death struggle with Germany and Japan.

Japanese research began in 1940 under the direction of physicist Yoshio Nishina. And to escape Allied attacks the project was moved to a remote Japanese naval base in Korea, where some intelligence sources say prototype bombs were assembled, and one may actually have been tested.

German efforts were led by physicist Werner Heisenberg and produced a nuclear reactor that never worked. Although a number of other revolutionary weapons were produced - including the world's first jet fighter, stealth bomber and ballistic missile - analysts doubt that the Nazis ever came close to making a bomb.

But the British and Americans were convinced they had to have these decisive weapons to survive. So the Manhattan Project was launched in December, 1941. Fearing a Nazi victory, many leading scientists encouraged this research. They famously included Albert Einstein, who wrote to US President Franklin Roosevelt in 1939:

Politicians—the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

By Sir Arthur Foulkes

It may appear to some that this is a not a very good time to be speaking out in defence of the art and science of politics and to be saying anything good about politicians. Last week’s quote from The Economist about somebody putting something odd in the water in Central Europe could apply just as well in the West, including The Bahamas.

It is to be expected that in the United States, where mid-term congressional elections are to be held in a matter of weeks, the pot would be boiling, but there are any number of pots boiling, and furiously.

The American people are beginning to face up to the realization that there is something wrong with the war in Iraq and so, three years late, the US mass media are beginning to examine the possibility that the nation’s political leaders may have misled them into that misadventure.

A corrupt lobbying operation has been exposed with a number of politicians and others being badly tainted and some going to jail. This has caused many Americans once again to examine whether corporate influence has corrupted their government.

On top of all this, an American politician has served up to the media what they like best -- a sex scandal involving powerful or well-known people. They had a field day when US conservatives went after President Bill Clinton over a sexual encounter in the White House.

In Families and Governments Things Sometimes Fall Apart

by Sir Arthur Foulkes

Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world.

When the poet W. B. Yeats wrote his poem, The Second Coming, the world he surveyed looked quite gloomy and he was wondering if the end was near and some apocalyptic beast would soon appear.

Europe had just been ravaged by the Great War and was still in a state of turmoil, facing the threats of Communism in the East and Fascism in the West. The slouching beast with “a gaze blank and pitiless as the sun” never came, but the same year Yeats died, Europe was plunged into the even more destructive World War II.

Nearly 40 years after the death of the Irish poet, an African writer, Chinua Achebe, looked to this poem for the title of what was to be a spectacularly successful African novel, Things Fall Apart. It has sold millions of copies and has been translated into 50 languages.

Not everything falls apart, of course, although the human condition seems to have a built-in programme for that outcome. Sometimes things can be prevented from falling apart; history and everyday life are full of examples where wisdom and will can prevail.

The Challenges of Nation Building

by Sir Arthur Foulkes

The Bahamas has reached a very important and challenging point in its history and Bahamians at every level of the society are wondering where it is we want to take the country from here.

Most of the time, we use the words “country” and “nation” interchangeably. Without always making the distinction, many Bahamians are in fact talking about the development of the country and the impact that development is having not only on the environment but on the nation, meaning the people.

The stark possibility confronting us is that we can continue to develop the country and leave the nation behind. In this context the nation is, of course, the people who are culturally Bahamian and constitutionally citizens of this archipelagic Commonwealth.

We are all the descendants of immigrants – mostly settlers and slaves -- going back hundreds of years, but we have become a distinct nation. Even so, the vast majority of Bahamian families have been touched in the last three or four generations by later immigrants.

The Bahamas and the Non-Aligned Movement Summit in Havana

by Larry Smith

Most Bahamians don't have a clue what the Non-aligned Movement is and could care less, but our government has been taking part in NAM meetings for the past two decades without bothering to tell us about it.

In all likelihood that's because the government itself could care less and was just going through the motions. But for the first time we have an ideologically driven foreign minister who appears to have some latitude to set policy, whether by default or otherwise.

And that sometimes means playing international games that can get us needlessly into hot water. So we should watch what comes out of this week's summit of the Non-aligned Movement in Havana, where Fred Mitchell is said to be representing the prime minister.

This event will likely