Truth of Pinewood 'will never, ever come to light'
By NOELLE NICOLLS
Tribune Staff Reporter
nnicolls@tribunemedia.net
THE truth of Pinewood "will never, ever" come to light, according to an informed member of the Bahamas Bar Association.
The matter is "too complex", she said, and it is impossible to piece the puzzle back together again.
The senior attorney, who wished to speak on condition of anonymity, claimed that the various arguments presented by Arawak Homes Limited (AHL) to bolster its case as "the victim" are, in her opinion, "not as honourable as they might appear."
Based on several Supreme Court rulings, all titles in the Pinewood Subdivision, and some documented as Nassau Village, deriving from John Sands, Thaddeus Johnson and Eleazor Ferguson are suspect. This has left hundreds of home owners without valid title to their land.
One of the pivotal rulings, establishing AHL's certificate of title over some 156 acres, was presided over by Senior Justice John Lyons, whose decision some in the legal profession do not agree with. Justice Lyons is a retiree, living in Australia.
Seeking compensation from the home owners, AHL is encouraging them to come in and regularise their titles. Mr Wilson said the company's policy is to "sell its interest in the land to trespassers below market value to allow them to regularise their title."
This includes land purchased by dozens of property owners from Dennis Dean, president of the Nassau Village Seabreeze Property Owners Association, or through companies such as C.B. Bahamas Ltd or Bahamas Variety.
There are several issues that complicate the matter. One is the issue of the alleged "paper subdivision" known as the "1926 Nassau Village Plan." Many of the properties with "invalid" title are documented as being in the Nassau Village Subdivision, not Pinewood Gardens 2.
The name "Pinewood" was changed to Sir Lynden Pindling Estates when acquired by AHL in 1983.
Arawak Homes claims that two plans for Nassau Village exist: one plan being the actual Nassau Village Subdivision in the Kennedy constituency and the other being a "paper subdivision" that was never approved.
This plan was designed by a Florida based firm called Yoreland Realty and contained sections of land in the Pinewood Gardens Subdivision actually owned by Arawak Homes, according to Franon Wilson, AHL president.
"The (paper subdivision) is not an accurate representation of the true Nassau Village," even though this was the plan used as the basis of the quieting actions for Mr Sands, Mr Johnson and Mr Ferguson, according to AHL.
The property Mr Sands sought to quiet was actually advertised as Nassau Village, and since the company had no interest in that area, executives claimed they did not know initially their property was being sought after.
A senior attorney, who claims to have reviewed the various plans, said the matter of the subdivisions is not so clear cut, because the plans do not "match up" when they are superimposed.
Various property owners, who believed they were in the Nassau Village Subdivision, and believed they possessed proper title, constructed homes in the middle of Sir Lynden Pindling Estates, sometimes inside thick bushy areas, prior to the area being developed by AHL.
Now that the company has reached the area, and discovered the hundreds of "trespassers," it claims: There are "more people encroaching than there is vacant land."
"The whole thing is wrought with confusion," said a senior attorney.
She speculated whether AHL would have got any public sympathy, "if they came up clean and said, 'this is the position, we are like everyone else in a financial bind, we can't afford to give these people the property on slack'."
She said the company probably "knew they would not get any public sympathy anyway", so they decided to aggressively seek compensation from "homeowners," with few financial resources to protect their interests.
"I think it is a case of money against no money. If the economy was different I think this thing would have played out differently," said the attorney.
She suggested the company's push for compensation is probably influenced by the down economy that has created cash flow and other financial challenges for many companies. Otherwise, she said the company may have acknowledged other choices, such as cutting their losses.
In her opinion it was unreasonable for AHL to seek any major compensation from home owners, even if below market value. Many of them, she said, purchased property from the John Sands certificate of title, before the title was challenged and eventually overturned.
"John Sands had a certificate of title. People didn't have to do anything and search, because a certificate of title is the highest form of title. You don't have to go further than that," said the attorney.
"You don't have to go behind the certificate ever. That is the best form of title," she said.
Short of Justice Lyons indicating in his judgment that he interviewed the various property owners, which he did not indicate, it cannot be known for certain.
Of the unfortunate situation, the attorney said it is unfair to lump everyone in the same category and assume all of the property owners had unscrupulous attorneys, because any attorney or buyer provided with proof of a certificate of title would have felt confident.
"Rightly or wrongly the suggestion is they purchased knowing that the certificate was fraudulent. Lyons ought to have made an investigation of that before he made his ruling," she said.
Based on conservative AHL rates, any settlement with the company would likely run property owners at least $50,000 or more, when it is likely the company only paid some $3,000 per lot for the disputed properties, the attorney claimed.
"They sell them for at least 30 times more than what they bought them for," she said. In her opinion "that is a little bit disingenuous."
After the mess that was created in the area over the past several decades, it is unreasonable to "financially prejudice" the property owners and slap them with huge burdens, she said.
Arawak Homes executives say they are sensitive to the fact that many people "have put a lot of money in the land"; however, they are burdened with a mortgage for land they have not been able to use for over 27 years.
Speaking on this claim, the attorney said it is doubtful that AHL is still paying off its original 1983 mortgage, granted to acquire 3,305 lots. According to her, banks do not do 30 year plus mortgages, no matter how many millions are being borrowed.
The attorney said the company's current mortgage obligations were likely based on a reorganisation of debt due for any number of reasons, such as acquisitions, expansion, restructuring or liquidity challenges.
Since the original mortgage would not have matched the value of the land, acre for acre, she said it was likely that the originally acquired property was now being leveraged for a "new debt facility."
November 12, 2010
tribune242
A political blog about Bahamian politics in The Bahamas, Bahamian Politicans - and the entire Bahamas political lot. Bahamian Blogger Dennis Dames keeps you updated on the political news and views throughout the islands of The Bahamas without fear or favor. Bahamian Politicians and the Bahamian Political Arena: Updates one Post at a time on Bahamas Politics and Bahamas Politicans; and their local, regional and international policies and perspectives.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Friday, November 12, 2010
The Straw Vendors' Association demands the redesign of the new Straw Market ...
Vendors demand market redesign
By TANEKA THOMPSON
Tribune Staff Reporter
tthompson@tribunemedia.net
THE Straw Vendors' Association wants the design of the new Straw Market to be changed to accommodate more retailers in spaces designated for craft-making demonstrations, according to a well-placed source.
The request was made recently, however there is no indication so far that the Government will adjust its plans for the new market.
The $11.3 million project calls for several demonstration booths to be placed in the middle of the market which would showcase artisans creating crafts by hand. It is a feature those close to the design feel will add a form of entertainment and will keep customers in the centre longer, thus increasing business.
These demonstration booths will be larger than the standard three by six booth the straw vendors will occupy, and the association would like them to be replaced with areas where vendors can sell their goods, said the source.
"The vendors are an association, like a union, they want to be able to say to our vendors that we are accommodating as many people as possible (in the new market). They don't care about the design, they only want to be able to say to their vendors that they have maximised the number of people that can be there and that's been their position from day one," said the source.
In December, Ministry of Works' officials revealed the new market will only have space to house about 500 vendors.
The new market will span approximately 34,000 square feet at the ground level, and includes a 4,500 square foot mezzanine level. The ground floor will be open, however the air-conditioned upper level will be closed with space for after-school children's activities.
Attempts to reach association President Telator Strachan last night were unsuccessful.
During an earlier interview with The Tribune she said she felt affronted that tourism officials and the Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation are promoting artisans to sell their handmade goods on "prime" spots near docked cruise ships and along Bay Street.
"Another injustice (to vendors) is that BAIC and the Ministry of Tourism have placed these people on Bay Street and on the (Prince George Wharf) dock," she said, questioning why those retailers are allowed to convene on the street when Straw Market vendors are confined to one location.
"I have nothing against those (new) designs but BAIC and the ministry are advertising them as if they are the only authentic straw products in the Bahamas. They are pitting those people against straw vendors. They are giving them advertising and putting them in prime spots."
Ms Strachan suggested that these new crop of craft sellers be moved to Festival Place or an unused warehouse near Prince George Wharf - a site where the Government had previously suggested the Straw Market vendors relocate.
November 12, 2010
tribune242
By TANEKA THOMPSON
Tribune Staff Reporter
tthompson@tribunemedia.net
THE Straw Vendors' Association wants the design of the new Straw Market to be changed to accommodate more retailers in spaces designated for craft-making demonstrations, according to a well-placed source.
The request was made recently, however there is no indication so far that the Government will adjust its plans for the new market.
The $11.3 million project calls for several demonstration booths to be placed in the middle of the market which would showcase artisans creating crafts by hand. It is a feature those close to the design feel will add a form of entertainment and will keep customers in the centre longer, thus increasing business.
These demonstration booths will be larger than the standard three by six booth the straw vendors will occupy, and the association would like them to be replaced with areas where vendors can sell their goods, said the source.
"The vendors are an association, like a union, they want to be able to say to our vendors that we are accommodating as many people as possible (in the new market). They don't care about the design, they only want to be able to say to their vendors that they have maximised the number of people that can be there and that's been their position from day one," said the source.
In December, Ministry of Works' officials revealed the new market will only have space to house about 500 vendors.
The new market will span approximately 34,000 square feet at the ground level, and includes a 4,500 square foot mezzanine level. The ground floor will be open, however the air-conditioned upper level will be closed with space for after-school children's activities.
Attempts to reach association President Telator Strachan last night were unsuccessful.
During an earlier interview with The Tribune she said she felt affronted that tourism officials and the Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation are promoting artisans to sell their handmade goods on "prime" spots near docked cruise ships and along Bay Street.
"Another injustice (to vendors) is that BAIC and the Ministry of Tourism have placed these people on Bay Street and on the (Prince George Wharf) dock," she said, questioning why those retailers are allowed to convene on the street when Straw Market vendors are confined to one location.
"I have nothing against those (new) designs but BAIC and the ministry are advertising them as if they are the only authentic straw products in the Bahamas. They are pitting those people against straw vendors. They are giving them advertising and putting them in prime spots."
Ms Strachan suggested that these new crop of craft sellers be moved to Festival Place or an unused warehouse near Prince George Wharf - a site where the Government had previously suggested the Straw Market vendors relocate.
November 12, 2010
tribune242
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Outrage after Garden Hills MP Brensil Rolle asked Exumians what they think about the construction of marinas in the Exuma Land and Sea Park
Online outrage after MP poses marina development question
By PAUL G TURNQUEST
Tribune Staff Reporter
pturnquest@tribunemedia.net
FNM MP for Garden Hills Brensil Rolle got a little more than he bargained for after using his Facebook page to ask Exumians what they think about the construction of marinas in the Exuma Land and Sea Park.
The question was met with an immediate flurry of responses, many from persons outraged that the MP had asked for the opinion of Exumians only after the government granted approval for the development of Bell Island to Prince Karim al-Hussaini, the Aga Khan IV.
The permits will allow for the excavation of 4.32 acres of upland area for a yacht basin, 2.56 acres of sea floor for an outer channel, 4.28 acres of sea floor for a barge landing and 1.9 acres of sea floor for the outer area of the barge landing.
The approval has incensed many Bahamians, and Exumians in particular.
Earnestine McKenzie Bain wrote that if the government is going to allow marinas in the national park, poor local fishermen should be allowed to fish and gather conch from the area as well.
She added that straw vendors should be allowed to harvest the top portion of palm trees growing in the park to use in straw work.
Ms Bain noted that if you only take this part of the tree, it eventually grows back, whereas building a marina at Bell Island will kill precious reefs which will never grow back.
She wrote: "I really don't know why (you) ask the Exumians this question, when you guys are doing what you have planned anyway. To me it makes no sense."
Victor Grant wrote that while the construction of a marina may provide employment for a few Bahamians, the government ought to be formulating a plan to stimulate the economy on a wider scale, particularly to the benefit of former employees of the Four Seasons Resort in Great Exuma.
Terry Lamond Bain wrote: "Why ask people something your government has decided already?"
He asked if the government intends to put a marina on every island in the park.
"While you are at it, give out licenses to run jet-skis in the Flamingo sanctuary in Inagua and develop all other national parks too."
Mr Bain added: "By the way, Mr Rolle, the question ought to be directed to Bahamians - not just Exumians. The Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park is for all Bahamians! If the billionaire Brother Prince Aga Khan is a true environmentalist, he would hand over Bell Island to the Bahamas National Trust and buy all the other islands in the park and hand them over to the BNT..."
Nicolle Ferguson concurred that the MP's question should have been asked before the marina was approved - not after.
"As a young Exumian, I am not at all happy with what is going on around me and what is being allowed to happen by non-Bahamians.
Responding to the flood of negative comments, Mr Rolle wrote: "I just ask the question, nothing personel (personal)".
However, former MP for Exuma, George Smith, said the issue is a very personal one for Exumians, and Mr Rolle should know better.
Mr Smith said: "No one should suggest that the views of these Bahamians are anti to the Aga Khan. There is not one person in Exuma who would not welcome the Aga Khan as an investor.
"But is it right of the government of the Bahamas to say that he can come here and do what any Bahamian can't?
"He (the Aga Khan) is not the culprit. It's the government's fault here. Fair is fair.
"Exumians who have strong views about this should be praised for speaking out and speaking up," he said.
The Bahamas National Trust, which oversees the park, has noted that private islands existed in the area long before the park was created. In a statement issued last week, the BNT said it holds the view that "there is a distinct and fundamental difference between the unrestricted exploitation of public resources within a national park and the acceptance of reasonable access for non-commercial use of private property."
November 10, 2010
tribune242
By PAUL G TURNQUEST
Tribune Staff Reporter
pturnquest@tribunemedia.net
FNM MP for Garden Hills Brensil Rolle got a little more than he bargained for after using his Facebook page to ask Exumians what they think about the construction of marinas in the Exuma Land and Sea Park.
The question was met with an immediate flurry of responses, many from persons outraged that the MP had asked for the opinion of Exumians only after the government granted approval for the development of Bell Island to Prince Karim al-Hussaini, the Aga Khan IV.
The permits will allow for the excavation of 4.32 acres of upland area for a yacht basin, 2.56 acres of sea floor for an outer channel, 4.28 acres of sea floor for a barge landing and 1.9 acres of sea floor for the outer area of the barge landing.
The approval has incensed many Bahamians, and Exumians in particular.
Earnestine McKenzie Bain wrote that if the government is going to allow marinas in the national park, poor local fishermen should be allowed to fish and gather conch from the area as well.
She added that straw vendors should be allowed to harvest the top portion of palm trees growing in the park to use in straw work.
Ms Bain noted that if you only take this part of the tree, it eventually grows back, whereas building a marina at Bell Island will kill precious reefs which will never grow back.
She wrote: "I really don't know why (you) ask the Exumians this question, when you guys are doing what you have planned anyway. To me it makes no sense."
Victor Grant wrote that while the construction of a marina may provide employment for a few Bahamians, the government ought to be formulating a plan to stimulate the economy on a wider scale, particularly to the benefit of former employees of the Four Seasons Resort in Great Exuma.
Terry Lamond Bain wrote: "Why ask people something your government has decided already?"
He asked if the government intends to put a marina on every island in the park.
"While you are at it, give out licenses to run jet-skis in the Flamingo sanctuary in Inagua and develop all other national parks too."
Mr Bain added: "By the way, Mr Rolle, the question ought to be directed to Bahamians - not just Exumians. The Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park is for all Bahamians! If the billionaire Brother Prince Aga Khan is a true environmentalist, he would hand over Bell Island to the Bahamas National Trust and buy all the other islands in the park and hand them over to the BNT..."
Nicolle Ferguson concurred that the MP's question should have been asked before the marina was approved - not after.
"As a young Exumian, I am not at all happy with what is going on around me and what is being allowed to happen by non-Bahamians.
Responding to the flood of negative comments, Mr Rolle wrote: "I just ask the question, nothing personel (personal)".
However, former MP for Exuma, George Smith, said the issue is a very personal one for Exumians, and Mr Rolle should know better.
Mr Smith said: "No one should suggest that the views of these Bahamians are anti to the Aga Khan. There is not one person in Exuma who would not welcome the Aga Khan as an investor.
"But is it right of the government of the Bahamas to say that he can come here and do what any Bahamian can't?
"He (the Aga Khan) is not the culprit. It's the government's fault here. Fair is fair.
"Exumians who have strong views about this should be praised for speaking out and speaking up," he said.
The Bahamas National Trust, which oversees the park, has noted that private islands existed in the area long before the park was created. In a statement issued last week, the BNT said it holds the view that "there is a distinct and fundamental difference between the unrestricted exploitation of public resources within a national park and the acceptance of reasonable access for non-commercial use of private property."
November 10, 2010
tribune242
Bahamas Contractors' Association 'eagerly' awaiting word from the prime minister on his high-level meetings with the Chinese financiers of the $2.6 billion Baha Mar project
Contractors 'eagerly' awaiting word from PM on Baha Mar
By TANEKA THOMPSON
Tribune Staff Reporter
tthompson@tribunemedia.net
THE Bahamas Contractors' Association is "eagerly" awaiting word from the prime minister on his high-level meetings with the Chinese financiers of the $2.6 billion Baha Mar project.
Head of the association Stephen Wrinkle was hopeful that the matter would be discussed at length in the House of Assembly today. However a clerk in Parliament told The Tribune that the House of Assembly will not meet again until November 17.
"I guess everyone is eagerly awaiting his report. Once Cabinet is advised I would assume they would make their findings known in House of Assembly (today)," said BCA president Wrinkle yesterday.
The prime minister met with members of the BCA a day before he left for his official visit to China and took stock of their group's concerns, especially their push for increased Bahamian labour incorporated into Baha Mar, transfer of knowledge from skilled Chinese workers to Bahamian labourers and greater funding allocated to train locals working on the project.
"He took those along with him and hopefully he brings back good news," said Mr Wrinkle.
Mr Ingraham returned from his trip to China - after stopping in Barbados to attend the funeral of Prime Minister David Thompson - last Friday.
He has been quiet on what transpired during that trip.
However, Mr Wrinkle expects to hear positive news.
"We always expect to hear good news, we're hopeful, I know the prime minister and his delegation did his best to (negotiate) the best deal possible and whatever he's done, we'll take it and run with it," he said.
The Tribune understands that compromises "may have been reached" between Mr Ingraham and the Chinese over the concerns he has voiced about the level of Chinese labour participation in the Baha Mar project and the single phase of construction involved.
According to information reaching The Tribune last week, there were three "points of compromise" arrived at between Mr Ingraham during meetings with the China State Construction Company - the general contractor for the $2.6 billion Baha Mar resort development - and officials from the China Import Export Bank in Beijing.
One of these compromises is said to be that a larger quantity of construction work and related dollars will go to Bahamian contractors.
Two other negotiated points were that more funding - in the hundreds of millions of dollars - would be allocated towards the training of Bahamian workers and the transferring of skills/knowledge during the project and the proposal that while it would be built in one phase, the resort's six hotels would "open in phases."
November 10, 2010
tribune242
By TANEKA THOMPSON
Tribune Staff Reporter
tthompson@tribunemedia.net
THE Bahamas Contractors' Association is "eagerly" awaiting word from the prime minister on his high-level meetings with the Chinese financiers of the $2.6 billion Baha Mar project.
Head of the association Stephen Wrinkle was hopeful that the matter would be discussed at length in the House of Assembly today. However a clerk in Parliament told The Tribune that the House of Assembly will not meet again until November 17.
"I guess everyone is eagerly awaiting his report. Once Cabinet is advised I would assume they would make their findings known in House of Assembly (today)," said BCA president Wrinkle yesterday.
The prime minister met with members of the BCA a day before he left for his official visit to China and took stock of their group's concerns, especially their push for increased Bahamian labour incorporated into Baha Mar, transfer of knowledge from skilled Chinese workers to Bahamian labourers and greater funding allocated to train locals working on the project.
"He took those along with him and hopefully he brings back good news," said Mr Wrinkle.
Mr Ingraham returned from his trip to China - after stopping in Barbados to attend the funeral of Prime Minister David Thompson - last Friday.
He has been quiet on what transpired during that trip.
However, Mr Wrinkle expects to hear positive news.
"We always expect to hear good news, we're hopeful, I know the prime minister and his delegation did his best to (negotiate) the best deal possible and whatever he's done, we'll take it and run with it," he said.
The Tribune understands that compromises "may have been reached" between Mr Ingraham and the Chinese over the concerns he has voiced about the level of Chinese labour participation in the Baha Mar project and the single phase of construction involved.
According to information reaching The Tribune last week, there were three "points of compromise" arrived at between Mr Ingraham during meetings with the China State Construction Company - the general contractor for the $2.6 billion Baha Mar resort development - and officials from the China Import Export Bank in Beijing.
One of these compromises is said to be that a larger quantity of construction work and related dollars will go to Bahamian contractors.
Two other negotiated points were that more funding - in the hundreds of millions of dollars - would be allocated towards the training of Bahamian workers and the transferring of skills/knowledge during the project and the proposal that while it would be built in one phase, the resort's six hotels would "open in phases."
November 10, 2010
tribune242
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Bahamians who wish to gamble away some of their money in The Bahamas should be allowed to do so by law
Number-Houses Should Pay More
The Bahama Journal Editorial
By way of this commentary, today we insist that those who make it their business to sell numbers or any other games of chance should have their businesses taxed.
Revenues earned by the government could then be made available for socially useful projects. We believe that such a move would go a long way towards helping our society move forward.
While there are Bahamians who think otherwise, we say to them that there is no reason – morally or otherwise based – that would support the conclusion that the views of one fragment of this society could ever become the commonsense and law for the majority.
And so today we reiterate a point previously made when we suggested that, “…Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Hubert Alexander Ingraham is surely to be applauded for saying… that his administration might be minded to bring legislation forward that would legalize gambling…”
As we suggested then, “…Such a move would bring an end to an “illicit” industry that makes tens of millions of dollars a year and which employs hundreds; but which contributes little to the general good of the Bahamian people…”
When asked about the effectiveness of laws on the books concerning lotteries and gambling, Mr. Ingraham indicated that, “…The reality is that it is not an enforceable law… There’s a web shop here and a web shop there, all over the island. Abaco is now like a city. [There] are web shops in Abaco, web shops in Bimini, web shops in Exuma. It’s nationwide."
The prime minister also noted that in 1998, the Commission on Crime considered it to be a national scandal that while some of these laws remain on the book they are notoriously flouted.
The prime minister said there are many casinos in The Bahamas – and he wasn’t referring to the one on Paradise Island, the one in Cable Beach, or any of the other legally operating casinos in The Bahamas.
"The reality is, Mr. Speaker, either change the law or you enforce it."
We agree.
We go further by suggesting that, gambling – whether legally or illegally conducted – is big business in The Bahamas.
It is also a fact of life in The Bahamas that there are people who do not and will not gamble whether every legal impediment is moved now, later or never.
This is so because they consider the matter wrong and not in their best interest. Interestingly, this logic applies to other types of morally wrongful behaviour.
Here we might use as an example that steamy sin that comes with the label adultery. The truth is that while this activity is sinful, it has not been criminalized; and we say, rightfully so.
By the same logic, those people who wish to gamble should be able to do so without fearing that they might – on some given day- be locked up.
In addition, there is no gainsaying the fact that, gambling – as it currently exists – does not provide the government as much money as it might.
It is also a fact of life in this country and in a slew of others around the world, that gambling is a national past-time. For some Bahamians, playing numbers has become a most welcome past-time.
We are told that there are clergy, police officers, lawyers, teachers, secretaries and a host of other so-called ordinary Bahamians who just love to gamble.
Clearly, most of these people wager for the fun of it all.
And so, the fact remains that, once given even half a chance, there are very many people who are prepared to spend some of their hard-earned money on gambling and games.
Some of these people play these games for the sheer fun of it; while there are some others who play to win; but no matter why they do so, there are people who pay –as they say- to play.
Popular lore is rife with anecdotes concerning how this or that person struck it rich after playing their favorite number or who might have won a little fortune by playing the Power-ball.
But even as we take note of these facts of life; there are other stories that turn on some of gambling’s supposedly deleterious side-effects; with these supposedly inclusive of any number of challenges facing families as they try to balance their family budgets.
In addition, we know it for a fact that, there are some religiously inclined Bahamians who decry this national past-time; this because they believe that it is a bane and an outright evil.
While these people do have a right to their views; they should also reason and thereafter understand that, they too are called to recognize that, Caesar is to be paid in his own coin.
And for sure, Bahamians who wish to gamble away some of their money should be allowed to do so.
November 11th, 2010
The Bahama Journal Editorial
The Bahama Journal Editorial
By way of this commentary, today we insist that those who make it their business to sell numbers or any other games of chance should have their businesses taxed.
Revenues earned by the government could then be made available for socially useful projects. We believe that such a move would go a long way towards helping our society move forward.
While there are Bahamians who think otherwise, we say to them that there is no reason – morally or otherwise based – that would support the conclusion that the views of one fragment of this society could ever become the commonsense and law for the majority.
And so today we reiterate a point previously made when we suggested that, “…Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Hubert Alexander Ingraham is surely to be applauded for saying… that his administration might be minded to bring legislation forward that would legalize gambling…”
As we suggested then, “…Such a move would bring an end to an “illicit” industry that makes tens of millions of dollars a year and which employs hundreds; but which contributes little to the general good of the Bahamian people…”
When asked about the effectiveness of laws on the books concerning lotteries and gambling, Mr. Ingraham indicated that, “…The reality is that it is not an enforceable law… There’s a web shop here and a web shop there, all over the island. Abaco is now like a city. [There] are web shops in Abaco, web shops in Bimini, web shops in Exuma. It’s nationwide."
The prime minister also noted that in 1998, the Commission on Crime considered it to be a national scandal that while some of these laws remain on the book they are notoriously flouted.
The prime minister said there are many casinos in The Bahamas – and he wasn’t referring to the one on Paradise Island, the one in Cable Beach, or any of the other legally operating casinos in The Bahamas.
"The reality is, Mr. Speaker, either change the law or you enforce it."
We agree.
We go further by suggesting that, gambling – whether legally or illegally conducted – is big business in The Bahamas.
It is also a fact of life in The Bahamas that there are people who do not and will not gamble whether every legal impediment is moved now, later or never.
This is so because they consider the matter wrong and not in their best interest. Interestingly, this logic applies to other types of morally wrongful behaviour.
Here we might use as an example that steamy sin that comes with the label adultery. The truth is that while this activity is sinful, it has not been criminalized; and we say, rightfully so.
By the same logic, those people who wish to gamble should be able to do so without fearing that they might – on some given day- be locked up.
In addition, there is no gainsaying the fact that, gambling – as it currently exists – does not provide the government as much money as it might.
It is also a fact of life in this country and in a slew of others around the world, that gambling is a national past-time. For some Bahamians, playing numbers has become a most welcome past-time.
We are told that there are clergy, police officers, lawyers, teachers, secretaries and a host of other so-called ordinary Bahamians who just love to gamble.
Clearly, most of these people wager for the fun of it all.
And so, the fact remains that, once given even half a chance, there are very many people who are prepared to spend some of their hard-earned money on gambling and games.
Some of these people play these games for the sheer fun of it; while there are some others who play to win; but no matter why they do so, there are people who pay –as they say- to play.
Popular lore is rife with anecdotes concerning how this or that person struck it rich after playing their favorite number or who might have won a little fortune by playing the Power-ball.
But even as we take note of these facts of life; there are other stories that turn on some of gambling’s supposedly deleterious side-effects; with these supposedly inclusive of any number of challenges facing families as they try to balance their family budgets.
In addition, we know it for a fact that, there are some religiously inclined Bahamians who decry this national past-time; this because they believe that it is a bane and an outright evil.
While these people do have a right to their views; they should also reason and thereafter understand that, they too are called to recognize that, Caesar is to be paid in his own coin.
And for sure, Bahamians who wish to gamble away some of their money should be allowed to do so.
November 11th, 2010
The Bahama Journal Editorial
The Baha Mar project hangs in the balance
Chinese consider Baha Mar changes
By CANDIA DAMES Guardian News Editor
candia@nasguard.com
Gov’t presses for $500 million in work for subcontractors
The much-touted $2.6 billion Baha Mar project planned for Cable Beach is hanging in the balance as the government awaits word from the company’s Chinese partners on whether they will make fundamental changes to the deal.
The Nassau Guardian can confirm that the government is waiting on the Chinese to say whether they would agree to Bahamian subcontractors getting up to $500 million of the work, as opposed to the $200 million in work currently envisioned in the deal.
It would mean a stronger involvement of Bahamians on the project, something Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham has been insisting on.
It is understood that Ingraham has also asked the Chinese to agree to a phased development as opposed to a one phase project.
The Guardian has learnt that the government expects an answer from the Chinese on these issues by the end of November. Baha Mar officials had hoped to break ground on their development by then, but that appears unlikely.
Until such time, the Baha Mar resolution — which the government had intended to debate many weeks back — will remain on the shelf in Parliament.
Ingraham told The Nassau Guardian in Beijing late last month that the government expects to have an answer for Baha Mar by the end of 2010.
The prime minister, who returned to Nassau late last week from his travels, has been quiet on his discussions with officials of the China State Construction Engineering Corporation and the China Export-Import Bank.
It remains unclear whether Baha Mar’s request for more than 8,000 work permits will be adjusted.
Not long before he travelled to China, Ingraham stressed that there were certain points the government was not prepared to budge on as it related to the project.
“There are two things that stick in our craw and we want to be able to digest the project and it is difficult to digest it with these things sticking across here,” he said, pointing to his throat.
Apart from the labor issue, Ingraham referred to Baha Mar’s plan to build the massive project at Cable Beach in one phase with a planned 2014 completion.
He said those are “major issues, like a big bone”. The prime minister added, “It has to be fixed.”
“To do the project in a one, single-phased development is not in our interest, and it’s in our interest to have the development but not as a single-phased development. Regrettably, that is the position,” he said.
But Baha Mar CEO Sarkis Izmirlian told The Nassau Gaurdian recently that the one-phased approach was a condition of the financing.
Ingraham said prior to the China trip, “There is more than enough land between the Nassau Beach (Hotel) and the land owned by Baha Mar east of the Nassau Beach for them to construct their 1,000 room hotel, their casino and whatever else they want to construct and open it.
“And nothing prevents them from building the others at the same time. There’s no need whatsoever for all to be built and opened at the same time. That is not in our interest. That may well be in the interest of the financiers, the construction company and the owners of the project, but what about our interest? It is not in our interest.”
Ingraham said while in Beijing, just prior to his meetings, that he expected the Chinese would be receptive to the government’s position.
The prime minister is expected to announce adjustments to Baha Mar’s plans in Parliament after the government hears from the Chinese partners.
11/10/2010
thenassauguardian
By CANDIA DAMES Guardian News Editor
candia@nasguard.com
Gov’t presses for $500 million in work for subcontractors
The much-touted $2.6 billion Baha Mar project planned for Cable Beach is hanging in the balance as the government awaits word from the company’s Chinese partners on whether they will make fundamental changes to the deal.
The Nassau Guardian can confirm that the government is waiting on the Chinese to say whether they would agree to Bahamian subcontractors getting up to $500 million of the work, as opposed to the $200 million in work currently envisioned in the deal.
It would mean a stronger involvement of Bahamians on the project, something Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham has been insisting on.
It is understood that Ingraham has also asked the Chinese to agree to a phased development as opposed to a one phase project.
The Guardian has learnt that the government expects an answer from the Chinese on these issues by the end of November. Baha Mar officials had hoped to break ground on their development by then, but that appears unlikely.
Until such time, the Baha Mar resolution — which the government had intended to debate many weeks back — will remain on the shelf in Parliament.
Ingraham told The Nassau Guardian in Beijing late last month that the government expects to have an answer for Baha Mar by the end of 2010.
The prime minister, who returned to Nassau late last week from his travels, has been quiet on his discussions with officials of the China State Construction Engineering Corporation and the China Export-Import Bank.
It remains unclear whether Baha Mar’s request for more than 8,000 work permits will be adjusted.
Not long before he travelled to China, Ingraham stressed that there were certain points the government was not prepared to budge on as it related to the project.
“There are two things that stick in our craw and we want to be able to digest the project and it is difficult to digest it with these things sticking across here,” he said, pointing to his throat.
Apart from the labor issue, Ingraham referred to Baha Mar’s plan to build the massive project at Cable Beach in one phase with a planned 2014 completion.
He said those are “major issues, like a big bone”. The prime minister added, “It has to be fixed.”
“To do the project in a one, single-phased development is not in our interest, and it’s in our interest to have the development but not as a single-phased development. Regrettably, that is the position,” he said.
But Baha Mar CEO Sarkis Izmirlian told The Nassau Gaurdian recently that the one-phased approach was a condition of the financing.
Ingraham said prior to the China trip, “There is more than enough land between the Nassau Beach (Hotel) and the land owned by Baha Mar east of the Nassau Beach for them to construct their 1,000 room hotel, their casino and whatever else they want to construct and open it.
“And nothing prevents them from building the others at the same time. There’s no need whatsoever for all to be built and opened at the same time. That is not in our interest. That may well be in the interest of the financiers, the construction company and the owners of the project, but what about our interest? It is not in our interest.”
Ingraham said while in Beijing, just prior to his meetings, that he expected the Chinese would be receptive to the government’s position.
The prime minister is expected to announce adjustments to Baha Mar’s plans in Parliament after the government hears from the Chinese partners.
11/10/2010
thenassauguardian
There is an extraordinary pool of Bahamian talent overseas waiting to be tapped
Bring Home Bahamian Talent
by Simon
The Bahamas has various agencies dedicated to attracting overseas investments, including the Bahamas Maritime Authority which recently opened its third overseas office. Today, the country enjoys one of the more successful international ship registries. That success is measured by both gross tonnage and attention to high international standards.
Our diplomatic missions also promote The Bahamas as an attractive destination for international business and foreign capital. However, the country’s lead investment arm is The Bahamas Investment Authority. Its website notes:
“The proactive economic growth and development policies of the government of the Bahamas are guided by The Bahamas Investment Authority (BIA), established to "cut red tape and lay out the red carpet" for investors. Operating from the Office of the Prime Minister, the BIA has been designated as a "one-stop shop" designed to simplify investing in The Bahamas.”
The attraction of such capital is essential to economic growth. So too is the cultivation of another source of capital. Just as foreign direct investment is critical to national development, so is tapping into a wealth of Bahamian talent overseas and the economic resources of this talent currently resident abroad.
A country’s success in the global commons and marketplace is dependent on attracting a dynamic mix of financial and human capital from around the world. There is the story, perhaps apocryphal, about an employee in one of the Rockefeller brother’s firms who stared through a window year after year, seemingly accomplishing very little.
Exasperated and envious at the high salary the apparent daydreamer drew, with nothing to show for it, some employees complained bitterly and often to Rockefeller. Fed up with the relentless carping, the business titan unleashed a furious response: “That man gave me an idea once that made me millions of dollars. I’m waiting for his second idea!”
ARDUOUS
The search for good international talent is arduous and highly competitive. Even more developed countries with large pools to draw on vigorously compete for world class human capital. So must a much smaller Bahamas.
The College of The Bahamas engaged an international educational search agency to coordinate its search for a new president. As is usual in such searches, the process has taken some time and is relatively expensive. This is typical in the global hunt for prime talent.
A friend of a friend runs an international search agency that helps high-tech firms to find senior executives. With only three successful placements a year she earns nearly a million dollars. But her work is considerably harder than one might think. Still, her fees are a proverbial drop in the bucket as the incoming talent may earn their new firms many times the expenses incurred in the scouting process.
Quality education remains one of our primary developmental challenges. This includes general retraining for current Bahamian workers. It also includes educating and getting high level professionals and entrepreneurs to remain at or return home. This is no easy challenge for various reasons. But it is getting easier.
Asked about the reasons for the success of the Union Army in the U.S. Civil War, Abraham Lincoln had a quick reply: leadership. He was referring to the strategic and tactical brilliance of Ulysses S. Grant, who Lincoln found after firing general after failed general.
Lincoln intuitively appreciated that all other things being relatively equal, superior human capital is indispensable for great success. This is certainly the case in terms of what The Bahamas will need if we wish to be a regional and global centre of excellence in various areas.
Even as we address our problems, we should celebrate our success, championing Bahamians of excellence who combine native wisdom and world class abilities to meet and surpass international standards.
CHAMPIONS
Many of these Bahamian champions have been contributing to national development for some time, while others have more recently returned home. And, there are yet others who need to be identified and actively recruited in our search for top-notch talent.
Ian Hepburn and his Providence Technologies offer first class information technology solutions. Providence became the first Bahamian-owned company to manage the Ministry of Tourism’s web presence and is also the first Microsoft Gold Certified Partner in the country.
Dwight Higgs and his 20-year-old company, Superior Maintenance, has provided general contracting and hotel maintenance for numerous projects at Atlantis. His firm managed the construction of St. Anselm’s Church in Fox Hill, which is one of the finest built churches in the country, combining world-class artistry in its design and construction. It is a thing of beauty.
In recognition of his superior work and extraordinary generosity, Roman Catholic Archbishop Patrick Pinder recently dedicated “Higgs Way” at the new Aquinas College in honour of Mr. Higgs. Aquinas is but one of the many projects he has brought to life with great passion and dedication.
Today, our wealth of Bahamian world-class talent like Ian Hepburn and Dwight Higgs is being boosted by Bahamian talent overseas now returning home to make a good living as well as a contribution to national development.
An educator, fluent in French, and with a law degree and considerable international experience, Mrs. Joy Jibrilu returned to The Bahamas to help the country attract foreign investment. By her example she may also help to attract similarly talented Bahamians with global exposure.
Like Mrs. Jibrilu, there is an extraordinary pool of Bahamian talent overseas waiting to be tapped. Therese Turner Jones, a senior official at the World Bank and Dr. Darien Davis of Middlebury College, a Latin American scholar fluent in Portuguese, are both internationally recognized in their respective fields.
NECESSITY
An increasing number of Bahamian professionals are returning home for a variety of reasons. Necessity also being the mother of reinvention, some have returned to The Bahamas to take advantage of opportunities not as easily found abroad following the global economic meltdown.
Opportunities abound for Bahamians with the skill sets, including language skills, necessary to fill prime vacancies in areas ranging from international banking to environmental management services to graphic design.
Still, while some Bahamians may return home permanently, others may choose to capitalize on various opportunities as consultants, though remaining abroad. Yet others are hungry for investment possibilities.
So, just as the country vigorously pursues foreign investment, it should also pursue Bahamian capital overseas, both financial and human. But this cannot be done on an ad hoc basis.
It must be a deliberate, consistent policy, including the creation of an international data bank of Bahamians overseas interested in investing their time, talent and resources in a Bahamian economy exploding with extraordinary potential, despite the current economic difficulties.
Such an idea, of course, is not new. Indeed, a number of efforts are being made in this direction by public officials and private groups. What may be required is heightened cooperation and a more vigorous marketing and recruitment programme geared towards this offshore Bahamian capital.
In a future column we will explore ways that we can repatriate some of this overseas Bahamian talent and treasure to a growing and globalized Bahamian economy with much of its dynamism and potential yet untapped.
November 09, 2010
bahamapundit
by Simon
The Bahamas has various agencies dedicated to attracting overseas investments, including the Bahamas Maritime Authority which recently opened its third overseas office. Today, the country enjoys one of the more successful international ship registries. That success is measured by both gross tonnage and attention to high international standards.
Our diplomatic missions also promote The Bahamas as an attractive destination for international business and foreign capital. However, the country’s lead investment arm is The Bahamas Investment Authority. Its website notes:
“The proactive economic growth and development policies of the government of the Bahamas are guided by The Bahamas Investment Authority (BIA), established to "cut red tape and lay out the red carpet" for investors. Operating from the Office of the Prime Minister, the BIA has been designated as a "one-stop shop" designed to simplify investing in The Bahamas.”
The attraction of such capital is essential to economic growth. So too is the cultivation of another source of capital. Just as foreign direct investment is critical to national development, so is tapping into a wealth of Bahamian talent overseas and the economic resources of this talent currently resident abroad.
A country’s success in the global commons and marketplace is dependent on attracting a dynamic mix of financial and human capital from around the world. There is the story, perhaps apocryphal, about an employee in one of the Rockefeller brother’s firms who stared through a window year after year, seemingly accomplishing very little.
Exasperated and envious at the high salary the apparent daydreamer drew, with nothing to show for it, some employees complained bitterly and often to Rockefeller. Fed up with the relentless carping, the business titan unleashed a furious response: “That man gave me an idea once that made me millions of dollars. I’m waiting for his second idea!”
ARDUOUS
The search for good international talent is arduous and highly competitive. Even more developed countries with large pools to draw on vigorously compete for world class human capital. So must a much smaller Bahamas.
The College of The Bahamas engaged an international educational search agency to coordinate its search for a new president. As is usual in such searches, the process has taken some time and is relatively expensive. This is typical in the global hunt for prime talent.
A friend of a friend runs an international search agency that helps high-tech firms to find senior executives. With only three successful placements a year she earns nearly a million dollars. But her work is considerably harder than one might think. Still, her fees are a proverbial drop in the bucket as the incoming talent may earn their new firms many times the expenses incurred in the scouting process.
Quality education remains one of our primary developmental challenges. This includes general retraining for current Bahamian workers. It also includes educating and getting high level professionals and entrepreneurs to remain at or return home. This is no easy challenge for various reasons. But it is getting easier.
Asked about the reasons for the success of the Union Army in the U.S. Civil War, Abraham Lincoln had a quick reply: leadership. He was referring to the strategic and tactical brilliance of Ulysses S. Grant, who Lincoln found after firing general after failed general.
Lincoln intuitively appreciated that all other things being relatively equal, superior human capital is indispensable for great success. This is certainly the case in terms of what The Bahamas will need if we wish to be a regional and global centre of excellence in various areas.
Even as we address our problems, we should celebrate our success, championing Bahamians of excellence who combine native wisdom and world class abilities to meet and surpass international standards.
CHAMPIONS
Many of these Bahamian champions have been contributing to national development for some time, while others have more recently returned home. And, there are yet others who need to be identified and actively recruited in our search for top-notch talent.
Ian Hepburn and his Providence Technologies offer first class information technology solutions. Providence became the first Bahamian-owned company to manage the Ministry of Tourism’s web presence and is also the first Microsoft Gold Certified Partner in the country.
Dwight Higgs and his 20-year-old company, Superior Maintenance, has provided general contracting and hotel maintenance for numerous projects at Atlantis. His firm managed the construction of St. Anselm’s Church in Fox Hill, which is one of the finest built churches in the country, combining world-class artistry in its design and construction. It is a thing of beauty.
In recognition of his superior work and extraordinary generosity, Roman Catholic Archbishop Patrick Pinder recently dedicated “Higgs Way” at the new Aquinas College in honour of Mr. Higgs. Aquinas is but one of the many projects he has brought to life with great passion and dedication.
Today, our wealth of Bahamian world-class talent like Ian Hepburn and Dwight Higgs is being boosted by Bahamian talent overseas now returning home to make a good living as well as a contribution to national development.
An educator, fluent in French, and with a law degree and considerable international experience, Mrs. Joy Jibrilu returned to The Bahamas to help the country attract foreign investment. By her example she may also help to attract similarly talented Bahamians with global exposure.
Like Mrs. Jibrilu, there is an extraordinary pool of Bahamian talent overseas waiting to be tapped. Therese Turner Jones, a senior official at the World Bank and Dr. Darien Davis of Middlebury College, a Latin American scholar fluent in Portuguese, are both internationally recognized in their respective fields.
NECESSITY
An increasing number of Bahamian professionals are returning home for a variety of reasons. Necessity also being the mother of reinvention, some have returned to The Bahamas to take advantage of opportunities not as easily found abroad following the global economic meltdown.
Opportunities abound for Bahamians with the skill sets, including language skills, necessary to fill prime vacancies in areas ranging from international banking to environmental management services to graphic design.
Still, while some Bahamians may return home permanently, others may choose to capitalize on various opportunities as consultants, though remaining abroad. Yet others are hungry for investment possibilities.
So, just as the country vigorously pursues foreign investment, it should also pursue Bahamian capital overseas, both financial and human. But this cannot be done on an ad hoc basis.
It must be a deliberate, consistent policy, including the creation of an international data bank of Bahamians overseas interested in investing their time, talent and resources in a Bahamian economy exploding with extraordinary potential, despite the current economic difficulties.
Such an idea, of course, is not new. Indeed, a number of efforts are being made in this direction by public officials and private groups. What may be required is heightened cooperation and a more vigorous marketing and recruitment programme geared towards this offshore Bahamian capital.
In a future column we will explore ways that we can repatriate some of this overseas Bahamian talent and treasure to a growing and globalized Bahamian economy with much of its dynamism and potential yet untapped.
November 09, 2010
bahamapundit
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