WikiLeaks documents: An “alarming” number of children are being born to Haitian women at Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH)

Cables: ‘Alarming’ Haitian birth rate


By CANDIA DAMES
Guardian News Editor
thenassauguardian
candia@nasguard.com


A U.S. diplomatic cable points to what many Bahamians have known for decades through anecdotal information: An “alarming” number of children are being born to Haitian women at Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH).

But the cable — which is a part of the WikiLeaks documents obtained by The Nassau Guardian weeks ago — does not say just how many babies are born annually to Haitian women at the country’s primary public hospital.

After checking the figures, Minister of Health Dr. Hubert Minnis informed The Nassau Guardian that of the approximately 5,000 babies who are born at PMH every year, about 600 are born to Haitian women.

Government officials rarely make public any information on Haitian birth rates.

In 2005, a report from the Ministry of Health highlighting the issue was made public.

That report showed that 76 or 63 percent of all babies born at the Marsh Harbour Clinic in 2003 were to Haitian mothers, while 45 or 38 percent were to Bahamian mothers.

According to that report, this was the first district in which the number of infants born to Haitians was greater than the number of infants born to Bahamians.

It was also revealed that of the 31 women who delivered at the Coopers Town Clinic in 2003, 51.6 percent were Bahamians and 48.4 percent were Haitians.

In the diplomatic cables, U.S. Embassy officials widely discuss the state of Haitians in The Bahamas.

“Many children of long-time Haitians living as Bahamian residents have become de facto stateless,” said one of the cables.

It points to a Haitian pastor who had lived in Abaco for 25 years, returning to Haiti once a year for visits.

“He told the political officer (of the embassy) that he is confident he will receive Bahamian citizenship ‘soon’, although he applied 14 years ago in 1991, and has heard little from the Department of Immigration since,” the cable said.

According to a 2006 IOM study, there are an estimated 30,000 to 60,000 Haitians in The Bahamas who "are not well integrated into Bahamian society."

The cable noted that the study found distrust of authority by the Haitian community and claims of abuse of Haitians.

There has long been discussion about the strain undocumented Haitian migrants continue to place on social services.

The issue was raised late last week when Director of Immigration Jack Thompson spoke to a group of public school principals.

Thompson called on the principals to report unregularized students who register at their institutions, saying the Department of Immigration intends to “flush out” undocumented foreign nationals enrolled in the public school system.

He said The Bahamas cannot afford to have illegal immigrants in the public school system “absorbing our resources.”

“You should call me and tell me where they are living because I have to deal with them,” Thompson told the principals.

“We have to hit at the root. The root is the parent. I am not in the business of sending the children home and not the parents or sending the parents and not sending the children. We have to send them together.”

It is understood that his comments caused concern and alarm in some quarters, including in the Haitian community.

On Friday, after the story ran, the director of immigration softened his tone on the issue, emphasizing that his department does not intend to enter schools and remove children who do not have legal status to be in the country.

Thompson told The Nassau Guardian he did not have specific numbers on how many children born to Haitian parents are enrolled in the public school system.

He said immigration and education officials were working on getting an accounting.

The numbers are believed to be significant, and many Bahamians continue to be outraged.

As reported recently by The Nassau Guardian, the Americans are of the view that the unaddressed issue of Haitian integration in The Bahamas could eventually lead to ethnic violence in this country.

“The existence of a large, dissatisfied and poorly-integrated ethnic minority is a potential risk to social and political stability in The Bahamas,” said the embassy.

One 2005 U.S. Embassy cable that focused on the Haitian communities of the Mud and Pigeon Pea in Abaco noted that while many Bahamians are upset at the unregulated Haitian settlements in The Bahamas, tensions on the ground do not run as high as the media rhetoric would suggest.

It is estimated that 10,000 residents live in those communities.

Vocal Bahamians in Abaco say that The Bahamas will be "creolized" in 10 years if the government doesn't take action, noted one of the cables.

“While some Bahamians see mass deportations as the answer, others increasingly recognize the need to encourage the assimilation of Haitians into Bahamian society,” a U.S. Embassy official wrote.

“On the other side, Haitian-Bahamians have grown increasingly frustrated at the Government of The Bahamas’ lack of responsiveness to their requests for citizenship.

“Most do not want to return to the completely foreign country of their parents, but they struggle against second class status in The Bahamas. As one young Haitian-Bahamian woman pointed out, ‘The Government of The Bahamas has to figure out how to deal with us. We're here, and we're multiplying’.”

Jul 04, 2011

thenassauguardian

Caribbean Blog International

Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation's (BCCEC) chairman Winston Rolle says: ...any increase in pump gasoline prices could not be coming at a worse time, since it could further depress prospects for a Bahamian economic recovery

Chamber chief: Gas mark-up increase 'very concerning'

By NEIL HARTNELL
Tribune Business Editor
tribune242


The Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation's (BCCEC) newly-elected chairman has described as "very concerning" the impending mark-up increases for petroleum retailers, warning that it would hit consumers and increase "the cost of doing business".

While expressing sympathy for the plight of Bahamas Petroleum Retailers Association (BPRA) members, Winston Rolle indicated to Tribune Business that any increase in pump gasoline prices could not be coming at a worse time, since it could further depress prospects for a Bahamian economic recovery.

Responding to this newspaper's Friday report on the Government agreeing to an increase in the per gallon gasoline and diesel mark-ups for petroleum retailers, Mr Rolle said this would only further increase business and consumer costs at a time - the summer - when global oil prices traditionally peaked, compounding the effects.

"That's very concerning," Mr Rolle said of the Government's decision. "While I understand the plight of the operators and their profit margins, you can appreciate the impact that is going to have on the cost of doing business. With gasoline prices increasing, costs are going to go much higher."

Apart from Bahamian consumers, who will feel the impact in their bank balances and disposable income levels, others likely to be heavily impacted are transportation-dependent businesses such as taxi drivers, jitneys, tour operators and all companies that rely on making daily deliveries - such as wholesalers.

"What most persons had hoped, and I guess the Petroleum Retailers Association had hoped, was that the Government would relax some of their tax take and give them the spread they need," Mr Rolle added, "but not impact the overall cost to the consumer."

Earl Deveaux, minister of the environment, on Thursday last week indicated that the Government had agreed to lobbying by the BPRA and Marina Operators of the Bahamas (MoB) for an increase in the fixed margins they can charge per gallon of gas and diesel sold.

No details were provided, but there were indications the increase would take effect within the next month. The change is also likely to see an increase in the existing margins, which are $0.44 per gallon of gasoline and $0.19 per gallon of diesel, rather than a percentage increase that the BPRA and MoB had pushed for.

Whether the increases are of the amount sought by the BPRA is also unclear. Another unknown is whether the wholesale margin enjoyed by the oil companies, FOCOL, Esso and Texaco, which are currently pegged at $0.33 per gallon will also be increased. Noting that "we haven't really hit the summer months yet", a time when global oil prices traditionally peaked, Mr Rolle added: "It's very concerning because you're going to have an increase through the adjustment made by the Government and, on top of that, in the coming months we'll see another increase based on the cost of oil worldwide.

"We're very sympathetic and do not want to put anyone's business in jeopardy, but the hope would have been that the retailers and government worked out some middle of the road, where no one takes a substantial loss. Right now, all of this is going to fall on the consumer."

Given that almost two-thirds of Bahamian economic activity stems from consumer spending, that is worrying in and of itself.

One business executive, speaking to Tribune Business on condition of anonymity, agreed with Mr Rolle that the move would "increase the cost of living to the consumer", describing it as "just another band aid approach".

Ultimately, the source said, without fixing the existing pricing structure this situation would eventually arise again, with BPRA members clamouring for further margin increases further down the line. Gas margins were last increased under the first FNM government, the source said, yet almost 10 years later the Bahamas was here again, and with the same arguments being made.

Gas prices were already extremely high, and the Government's decision meant they were likely to go higher on the grounds that dealers needed more money.

"You have to go back and look at this system that doesn't make sense at all," the source said. "If you don't solve the problem correctly, in a couple of years you're going to do the same thing."

The solution, the source said, was for the Government to reduce its $1.06 per gallon tax, plus 7 per cent Stamp Duty on the cost of landed fuel, something it is unlikely to do when desperate for every cent of revenue. The other issue, they added, was the rents, royalties and franchise fees levied on the BPRA and its members by the oil companies. The source identified these and the Government taxes as the major problem, together with an over-supply of service stations.

"When you look at the amount of service stations per square mile in Nassau, you've got more than in Florida. Something's got to be fundamentally wrong there," the source said, suggesting there needed to be consolidation.

"For an island 21x7, we should not have so many service stations in close proximity. That's the only way to begin to drive costs down for Bahamian consumers."

Rick Lowe, a leading executive with the Nassau Institute economic think-tank, told Tribune Business the episode showed price controls "certainly belong in the dustbin of history. The market is the market, and you can restrict it, manipulate it and put people out of business, but sooner or later reality has to come".

July 04, 2011

tribune242

Caribbean Blog International

WikiLeaks: U.S. Embassy in Nassau cable on the 2004 Mohammed Harajchi controversy and the issue of money in politics in The Bahamas

Cable examined '04 Harajchi affair

CANDIA DAMES
NG News Editor
thenassauguardian
candia@nasguard.com


The repeated call by some MPs this week for a law to address money in politics appears to be coming too late before the next general election to be taken seriously at this time, but a diplomatic cable that documented the 2004 Mohammed Harajchi controversy also highlights the need for such reform.

The scandal was dug from the grave momentarily in the House of Assembly yesterday evening by Carmichael MP Desmond Bannister, who noted that former Prime Minister Perry Christie never delivered on a promise to provide a full accounting of the contributions Harajchi made to the PLP in the run-up to the 2002 general election.

An American diplomat wrote of the affair in great detail in a cable obtained through WikiLeaks, pointing to the Iranian businessman’s controversial claim to have pumped millions of dollars into the PLP campaign.

As was done in previous cables, the U.S. Embassy official underscored the issue of money in politics in The Bahamas, but did not limit statements to the then ruling PLP.

“Both of The Bahamas' two major political parties live in glass houses when it comes to campaign contributions,” said the cable, which was classified by then U.S. Charge d’ Affaires Robert Witajewski.

“Harajchi claims to have been about putting down explicit quid pro quo markers in return for the contributions. As much as the FNM opposition might like to exploit Harajchi's corruption charges leveled against the Christie government and cast some rocks at the PLP's home, it knows that it too cannot afford close scrutiny of the source — and quid pro quos of — its own party's campaign contributions.”

The cable noted that Harajchi presented documentation of some of his financial contributions to the PLP during a press event held at his multi-million-dollar Paradise Island home on August 11, 2004.

Harajchi denied that his contributions (allegedly $10 million) were designed to gain reinstatement of his bank's operating license, which had been revoked in 2001, the cable pointed out.

It also noted that the PLP issued a statement highlighting Harajchi's confirmation that he received no political favors in exchange for his contributions.

“Prime Minister Christie, who raised Harajchi's pending announcement three times with the charge at an unrelated event, appearing uneasy and preoccupied, and released a press statement on August 12 angrily denying that he or his ministers had accepted improper contributions. The PM specifically denied that he had received $500,000 from Harajchi to renovate his Cable Beach home.

“Christie promised that the PLP would soon give a full and accurate accounting of Harajchi's donations.”

Speaking in the House of Assembly yesterday evening during debate on a bill to amend the Parliamentary Elections Act, Bannister also repeated that Christie promised the accounting on the Harajchi contributions.

“Mr. Speaker, we are still awaiting details on that accounting,” Bannister said. “We are late again, Mr. Speaker.”

The cable added, “Harajchi claimed that he had been approached, either directly or via intermediaries, by ‘90 percent of the (Christie) Cabinet’ for campaign contributions, had helped to refurbish PLP headquarters, and had underwritten several PLP political rallies, among other things.

“Harajchi denied that his generosity was designed to win back the operating license of his bank... Harajchi lost several court appeals to have his license reinstated.”

The cable noted that Harajchi insisted to reporters that Christie reached out to him prior to the 2002 campaign to express his belief that Harajchi's bank license case had been handled badly. Harajchi said he told Christie that he was no longer fighting to get his license restored, but rather to get ‘justice’ and clear his name.

“When asked in a press conference if Christie made him any promises regarding his bank license, Harajchi declined to answer, calling the prime minister ‘an honorable man’ and advising reporters to take the matter up with him directly,” the cable said.

At a press conference, the PLP emphasized that it is neither illegal or improper for political parties in The Bahamas to accept donations from individuals, and highlighted attention on Harajchi's confirmation that he had received no favor or promise in exchange for his financial donation.

In the comment section of the cable, the U.S. Embassy official wrote: “Prime Minister Christie spent the hours before Harajchi's press event at the opening of a disaster preparedness conference sponsored by the Bahamian National Emergency Management Agency.

“During the course of the morning, the PM quietly raised Harajchi's pending press conference three times with the charge as the two sat next to each other and talked. Christie uncharacteristically stayed for the entire event and seemed reluctant to go back to his office where, he knew, reporters would be awaiting his response to Harajchi's allegations.”

The cable noted that after previously leaving the public comments to his ministers, Christie personally turned his guns on Harajchi in an effort to decisively disassociate himself and his party from the businessman.

In the weeks and months that followed, the Harajchi controversy died, as did talk of money in campaigns.

It flared up again several times since then.

According to a criminal complaint filed in 2009 in support of money laundering related charges against Bahamian attorney Sidney Cambridge, then Broward County Commissioner Josephus Eggelletion told an undercover FBI agent that he was going to raise funds for sitting Prime Minister Christie’s 2007 re-election bid.

It was a claim Christie strongly denied.

The PLP leader told The Nassau Guardian just days ago that there ought to be a law to address campaign finances, and expressed regret that he was not able to get to the issue while in office.

Several MPs also raised the issue this week during contribution to the debate in the House of Assembly on the bill to amend the Parliamentary Elections Act.

This issue of campaign finances has been discussed on and off on the national scene for years.

In 2006, former Attorney General Paul Adderley said The Bahamas had been "severely influenced" by money in politics for more than 100 years, and it was time somebody did something about it.

"We're trying to do something about the influence that rich men can have or try to have over politicians. Don't let us fool around with this one in terms of what we're trying to do," said Adderley, who at the time headed the Christie-appointed Constitutional Review Commission.

Adderley's Commission lost its life under the FNM administration, but had recommended that Parliament prescribe controls and limits over donations to political parties, candidates and political campaign expenditure to ensure transparency and accountability in local and national elections.

The need to reform campaign finances is something that officials from both major political parties seem to agree on.

In 2006, former FNM leader and current Minister of National Security Tommy Turnquest said, "I believe we ought to begin steps to move toward some sort of campaign finance reform. I think there ought to be some transparency and accountability with respect to how political parties receive funding."

Jun 30, 2011

thenassauguardian

Caribbean Blog International

I would caution the young leader of the Democratic National Alliance (DNA), Branville McCartney - to be very careful as he attempts to tap into the spiritual realm in moving forward. If you make a claim that “God is guiding”, the assumption will be that someone is following

McCartney "playing games with God"?

By Edward Hutcheson



In the “theology of life” it must be understood that God is in control of all outcomes, based on what He allows, what He hinders or what He causes. Many Bahamian politicians and political parties have always been convinced that God is on their side; especially if you check their church attendance leading up to an election. I would caution the young leader of the DNA to be very careful as he attempts to tap into the spiritual realm in moving forward. If you make a claim that “God is guiding”, the assumption will be that someone is following. Reactions in the spiritual realm are normal, but it is the responses that that are important; and those of us within a particular historical framework have always been at the front of the line when it comes to God and politics; and because of this cultural idiosyncrasy we have often seen ourselves as being “special”, but this is changing.

More than a half-century ago the language we are hearing would have been suitable, a political entity coming on the scene for the good a people who have been oppressed and let down, but in July 2011 there is a slight difference; the oppressors and the oppressed have a lot more in common.

When the PLP came on the scene more than a half-century ago, the reality of who God was and what he meant to the Bahamian people was clearly defined and it was a powerful force. The then leader of the PLP took on the persona of a modern day Moses. The slogan “All the Way”, was chosen from the book of Deuteronomy,” Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years”, 8:2. It was later re-phrased to “All the way the Lord shall lead us”. The history of the modern Bahamas reminds us that even a political party with such a strong religious component had serious challenges in allowing the Lord to lead them through the years. And the challenges came early, as the church leaders who had supported the party to its victory in 1967, were unable to dissuade the party or its leadership from going back on the promises they had made ( in church) on the gambling issue.

Even one of our greatest Bahamian sons, who was a member of the party and a Baptist minister, paid the ultimate price for standing on the issue of principle. Perhaps it just one of those co-incidences but exactly 40 years from its grand entry in 1967, the party finds itself in a political wilderness.

I would advise Mr. McCartney to be very careful of his utterances as his political career develops especially when he attempts to presume that God is on the side of Him and his party; God is on the side of those who are prepared to do His will. Politicians have a penchant for beginning with God and then using Him and His people when it is convenient. He should take a page from one his mentors, who is wise enough not to presume upon God’s goodness; he has even had to bear the brunt of some Bahamians not him seeing as Christian, when compared to some of the other political leaders who like to go to church on a regular basis. No matter what people say about his ex-leader, they will never be able to accuse him of “playing games with God”.

Saturday, July 02, 2011

weblogbahamas

Caribbean Blog International

Branville McCartney's speech at The Democratic National Alliance (DNA) party's Grand Bahama launch, Freeport - Grand Bahama, Saturday July 2, 2011 at the Our Lucaya Resort

'Grand Bahama: A Dream Deferred No More' theme of DNA party launch on the island

Ladies and Gentlemen, young women and young men of this great island of Grand Bahama - and to all from around the Bahamas who are joining us here at the Our Lucaya Resort in Grand Bahama tonight, I want to say good night!

On Thursday, May 12th, at the initial launch of this immense movement that is now the Democratic National Alliance, we promised you, the people of Grand Bahama, that we would bring our message of hope and our vision for the future to you and ask you to join us on our mission to become the next government of the Bahamas. Well Grand Bahama, tonight the DNA is here!

As your government in waiting, we are officially here, asking you to join us - as agents of change - in rewriting Bahamian political history and the story of the way politics is done in the Bahamas.

But more importantly, for your enduring patience, good will and sacrifice over the past few years, we are also here tonight to pay tribute to you for the resilience that you have shown and continue to show, in the face of hardship and oppression. For almost a decade now, you have been bending, pulled down by daunting pressures and the heavy load of economic deprivation; but you have shown the whole Bahamas and the powers that be what true strength is all about; you have shown us all that you may bend, but you will not break!

Tonight, Grand Bahama, the DNA has come to your island to say to the people of Grand Bahama, from West End to Pine Ridge, from Lucaya to High Rock, from Eight Mile Rock to Marco City, that with your help and the help of God, we will not allow you to be broken either.

We want you to know that the DNA will prop you up, push you up, and help you to stand tall once again, so that you CAN become the beacon of light in the Northern Bahamas - the gateway to the Bahamas - that you were intended to be.

Grand Bahama, I am truly humbled beyond measure by your presence here this evening. When I came to your island a few weeks back to visit with the residents and a few of our prospective candidates, I had an opportunity to spend some time in the various constituencies and settlements, I was amazed, and saddened at the same time, at the repressive and depressive conditions that so many people are being forced to live under; notwithstanding the success that appears on the surface when you drive through the well paved streets and bright lights that illuminate government and private establishments in the downtown area. I found that it was not only the hard working, good people of West End, Pineridge, Marco City or Eight Mile Rock who were living in a state of oppression, but that it was also the good, hardworking people of Lucaya and High Rock who were suffering as well; I was overwhelmed by everyone just crying for help.

During my time here and even after I left, the only thing I could think of was "What happened to Grand Bahama?" What happened to the dream that was supposed to be Freeport and Grand Bahama? Did it just dry up like a raisin in the sun like Ralph Ellison asked in his "Dream Deferred," or did the dream simply just explode? I am convinced that the answer is no, and that is why I, along with the first nine candidates that were introduced last month; the nine that you will meet tonight, and the many others from all across our nation - both young and old - have taken up the cause of the DNA. No longer can we just sit back and allow the dreams of so many Bahamians to be deferred, to dry up, to explode; the time for change is now, and we MUST BE THAT CHANGE!

I believe that you are here tonight Grand Bahama because you, like many in our country, still believe in the Bahamian dream but you realize that things are going drastically wrong in our Bahama-land and that we, as a nation, are rapidly heading in the wrong direction. You and I are here tonight because we are sick and tired of being ostracized and marginalized from the governance of our country; we are here tonight because, as citizens, first class citizens who have been and are being treated like second class citizens, we are tired of being tolerated but not recognized. And when we are recognized, we are not tolerated.

The DNA and you, Grand Bahama, are here tonight because, collectively, we all realize that this Grand island, as its name implies - like almost every island in the Bahamas, for that matter - 38 years after Independence and over half a century since the signing of the Hawksbill Creek Agreement, this Grand island is still not the island of greatness that was envisioned at its inception.


Tonight we are gathered here simply because we know that for us to move closer to being the economically prosperous Bahamas that has been dangling before us for decades, the inevitable must happen; and, again, CHANGE MUST COME.

That change, however Grand Bahama, will only come when a new generation of people, and leaders with vision, united against and challenge - head on - the political status quo, who, for decades, has denied us, as a people, the right to have the semblance of power that independence promised; for decades, they tried to stifle us in our tracks at every turn.

Now, they may want you to believe that the present state of our economy and the condition of our people are to be blamed on some global recession, but do not allow yourselves to be fooled people; what we see taking place in the Bahamas today, including here in Grand Bahama, is not just a result of any global economic recession; it is the result of a visionary recession taking place in the leadership of our country; visionless leadership that still has yet to find ways to diversify our economy in such a way as to create a broad enough spectrum of opportunities to challenge all of the rich, creative talents, gifts, abilities, and intellectual ingenuity of our people.

For far too long, we have entrusted them with our lives, believing that they were men of vision. But Proverbs 29 and 18 says, where there is no vision, the people perish. And people of Grand Bahama, you know better than most, we in the Bahamas are beginning to perish at a tremendously fast rate.

We are perishing, Grand Bahamians, because successive governments have failed us miserably. After 44 years of back and forth volleying and vain talks, neither has yet to put in place any broad-based programs to grow our economy; nor have they created or presented any concrete, long term financial development plan that will help reduce the 4.2 billion dollar debt that they got us into, only to have it hang over our heads, our children's heads, and the heads of our children's children. Again, I say they have no sustainable vision for moving this country forward into any century, 21st or otherwise. They never had and they never will.

I think it is safe to say that the state of despair and degradation that many of us are suffering under today is a direct result of the failure of successive governments. They have failed to live up to their primary responsibility and obligation to ensure that the Bahamian people, all 350,000 of us - as the most precious "natural" resource above all natural and material resources, are nurtured to be economically and intellectually prosperous - allowing us, above all others who come or are brought to our shores, to contribute in significant and meaningful ways to the growth and development of our own country.

The Chairman of the governing Party made this perfectly clear when he told officials from the Communist Party of China few weeks ago, and I quote "I am particularly impressed with the success of your planning through your five year plans. I do believe a greater attention to national planning would be a great benefit to the Bahamas - not just every year a budget, but to have a vision over a longer term." The Chairman has acknowledged the absence of a long-term plan and that his party is devoid of vision, and . . . where there is no vision, the people perish.

How much longer Grand Bahama will you allow yourself to perish? How much longer will we, as a nation, allow ourselves to perish Bahamas? Led aimlessly through the wilderness by visionless leaders who continue to do the same thing over, and over, and over again, hoping for different results. This doing things over, and over, and over again and hoping to get different results, according to Albert Einstein, is nothing more than insanity.

Grand Bahama, tonight, we have come to your island to tell you and show you that our country is brimming with a whole generation of young people and young leaders who are waiting to put a stop to this madness, and we are calling on you to join us, JOIN US, and others across the Bahamas in telling this present leadership, thank you for your service, but your time is up. GAME OVER! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

As the CEO's of this great island nation, you have every right to say to them "you have failed to live up to your obligations to the citizens of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, and it's time for you to go! No make-ups, no do-overs; YOU'RE FIRED!"


I think you will agree with me when I say that it is time for us to get back to government and governance that truly put people first; government and governance of the people, for the people, and by the people; government and governance that believe in Bahamian people and a Bahamas for Bahamians, where paradise is no longer just a place for the tourist to enjoy the beauty and bounty of this land, but a place where Bahamians can enjoy it too.

Now let me say that it is not my intention to lecture, chastise, or insult the intelligence of anyone listening to me tonight; And I hope that, in saying what I am about to say, my words - in no way - are taken as an affront or offensively, as I, admittedly, do not know all that there is to know about Freeport and Grand Bahama. But after coming to this island repeatedly, seeing firsthand the depressed and repressive conditions under which so many are being forced to exist, there is no way that I can speak about future hopes to you without first honestly addressing and taking head on the very force or forces that stands in the way of hope's progress. So whereas I may stand to be corrected, I will not make any apologies for what I am about to say.

The Grand Bahama Port Authority came about as a result of a trust agreement - a formal agreement by which a trustor, in this case the Government of the Bahamas, vests the ownership rights, or title, to one or more assets - in this case, areas of the land in the Port Area of Freeport - to one or more trustees for conservation and protection on behalf of those entitled to the beneficial interest of the trust. This trust relies on the integrity, strength, ability, and surety of individuals; those persons who place their trust in the hands of trustees have confidence, hope, and a certain belief that their interests will genuinely be looked after in the long term.


 

Now, it is my understanding that part of the trust agreement between the Government of the Bahamas and the developers of Freeport was that Freeport would have been developed into an industrial base for the benefit of the Bahamas. It is also my understanding that to make the Port economically viable and attractive to foreign investors, the government agreed to, and put in place, 99 years of tax-free concessions. And I am also led to believe that, as a result, the Port Authority had an obligation - for those 99 years - to ensure that it promoted and encouraged the establishment of factories and industries to benefit the Bahamian economy and provide employment for the people of Grand Bahama. Free from all "duties and emergency taxes" on equipment and supplies that would be necessary for the maintenance, repair, and operation, among other things, of all roads, parks, places of beautification and recreation, and "all other buildings and accommodation of every kind in Freeport," in short, the promise of this island was that it was to be a progressive little city that would incorporate and be economically beneficial to Grand Bahamians from settlements across the island and the Bahamas, in general.

Now, I do not want to sound disingenuous by giving the impression that, over the years, good has not come to some in Freeport and Grand Bahama, and that many have not benefited from the Freeport of the good old days; But I think it was Sir Lynden Pindling, in 1969, who said, "There are many people in the Bahamas who participate and are interested in the economic development of the Bahamas. Not all of them, however, are cognizant of or interested in the economic and social welfare of the Bahamian people . . . and far too many have adopted the attitude that they have certain guaranteed rights to make money and that is all that matters."


In 1969, the former Prime Minister too recognized that some economic opportunities had come to Grand Bahama as a result of the Port Agreement, but he also recognized an ugly reality that still exists today, people are still being victimized - in a sense - because money is all that matters to most who come, still under the guise of creating and participating in economic development for the benefit of the Bahamas.

"I had very much hoped that the events of the last few years," said Mr. Pindling, "would have been sufficient to impress on developers, apartment owners, and real estate agents that I could not stand idly by and watch a haven of economic success spring up in Freeport and ghettoes develop around it. I had very much hoped that


serious steps would have been taken to solve the long-standing problem of housing Bahamians here, but these hopes have been dashed to the ground."

Again that was in 1969, but to the grandmothers and grandfathers of the mothers and fathers of the young boys and young girls growing up in the difficult areas of Pineridge, and Marco City, where there is not only a problem of housing, but sometimes no housing at all, the dilemma of dashed hopes in Pindling's 1969 statement is the same dilemma of dashed hopes that they must face in their everyday lives growing up in the shadows of a dwindling success.

Again, I stand to be corrected, but in 1955, the people of Grand Bahama were placed - by the Government of the Bahamas - in the care and trust of another, with the confidence, the belief, and the hope that they, along with both trustor and trustee, would have been beneficiaries of this trust.

I believe that in 1955 a deal was made, but as it stands today, every indication is that the deal made in '55, is now broken in 2011, and the people of Grand Bahama, caught in the middle are now suffering.

When I listen to Ms. Andrews, a hardworking young mother of two, who, despite being employed, is evicted from her home and forced to send her children out of Grand Bahama to live with other family members because she cannot feasibly stay afloat financially in this repressed economy - no matter how hard she tries - I cannot help but conclude that there has seemingly been a breach of contract; and something is not right here in Freeport.

When I speak with Phaybian, a young man hanging out in Pineridge, and he tells me that he is not looking for a hand out from the government; that all he is looking for is steady work, more opportunities, and a chance to be self-reliant, so that he can feel better about helping himself, I cannot help but wonder why it is that he falls outside an Agreement that, more than anything else guaranteed him, as a low-to-middle-class income earner living in Freeport, that he would have adequate employment opportunities to be self-sufficient and self-reliant. When I hear this, I say someone; somewhere is in breach of trust.

When I go into West End or Eight Mile Rock or High Rock, and I see people with no safe place of abode that they can call home; or people sick or turned away because they have no proper medical facility and bed space to address their growing health concerns; or I hear stories of people brought to the level of having to beg or steal for a meal at the end of the day; or young people full of apathy, brought on by the force of complacency that is taking over this nation as a result of the lack of meaningful opportunities, I say SOMEONE, SOMEWHERE on this island, or SOMEONE, SOMEWHERE in the halls of Government in New Providence is in breach of a trust that was placed in them by the people of the Bahamas to protect their interest and allow them to live adequately, provide for themselves and their families, and grow old and retire with dignity and respect.

I say something is terribly wrong; and we can blame hurricane Francis, and Jeane, and Wilma; or we can blame the global recession; or we can blame the Grand Bahama Port Authority, if we like; But I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news, Grand


Bahama, the government of the Bahamas - the ones who you have repeatedly trusted to look out for you in your most genuine time of need; the Government of the Bahamas - the ones who come to you every five years begging, pleading, and - who promise you - election year after election year - that they will get it right the next time; those same governments are in breach of your trust; they have failed you when you needed them most and are still failing you, because they have not and are not living up to the rightful obligations of governments, as keepers of the people and of the nation.

The life of the Grand Bahamian, and many throughout the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, has become the life of the invisible man. And many of you, as a result of long years of oppression and struggling to be recognized and tolerated, are so drained of self-respect that you have adjusted to being invisible.

But I will paraphrase the iconic African American novelist, Ralph Ellison, and say, you are no invisible man; you are no figment of someone's imagination; you are men and women of substance, of flesh and blood, fiber and liquid - and you possess a mind. The only reason you are invisible to them is because they REFUSE TO SEE YOU!

The stark reality is that in the eyes of your present day leaders, you do not exist. But I can guarantee when you hear the DNA say that we will put people first - and mind you, you will now hear everyone trying to play catch up by saying the same thing and they do not even sound genuine when they say it - but when you hear the DNA say "WE WILL PUT PEOPLE FIRST," you can rest assured that we will see every inch of flesh, every drop of blood, and every fiber that makes you the men and women you are.

We will not ignore you and pretend that, when your electricity is off, everything is alright; that when you are hungry and have no food to feed your family, that you are alright; when your children are on extended holiday because you can't pay fees; insurance has lapsed and you are at the end of your rope, we will not pretend that you do not exist. Under a DNA government, not only would we know who you are, but we will also be there for you, as responsible governments should.

Together we will help you climb out of this hole that has been dug for you so that your dreams of being proud Grand Bahamians will no longer have to be deferred.

Now, I think it is apparent that the Grand Bahama Port Authority is under duress. It is evident that it is only a shell of its original self; and for all intents and purposes, its present leadership can most likely and may appreciate the help, assistance, and understanding of a concerned government. No longer can the Government, the Port Authority, or the Bahamian people allow the dream of Grand Bahama to be deferred, and we must come together to put Grand Bahama back on track.

What I am about to propose is not a comprehensive listing of the DNA'S goals and vision for Freeport and Grand Bahama, but only a few suggestive initiatives that we would like to pursue in getting you and your island back on your feet again.

In the upcoming weeks and months, we would like to engage you the residents, licensees, and Port Officials, and other stakeholders in the success of Grand Bahama in a series of Town Hall meetings to get your input and recommendations on the transformation of your island.

Tonight, however, The DNA would like to propose that within the first 180 days after taking office:

• The Party, along with the Principles and stakeholders in the Port Agreement, begin the process of transformation by engaging in meaningful dialogue to ensure that the Port Agreement of 1955 and its subsequent amendments are relevant to the realities, the needs, and current challenges of a modern day Grand Bahama and its citizenry.
• Within the first 180 days, the Party will engage in meaningful dialogue with locally owned Private Authorities to lower port taxes with the eye to attracting greater numbers of air and cruise visitors so as to once again stimulate the local economy.
• The Party will agitate for the creation of a government owned dock and cruise port in the Hepburn Town Area of Eight Mile Rock to enable local business persons to have easier access to trade and commerce.
• To further jump-start the economy of Grand Bahama, the DNA will move to bring incentive legislation that would allow business entities throughout Grand Bahama, for a period of time, to enjoy the same concessions that are presently granted to licensees of the Port. That would mean that the bone fishing lodge owner in Pelican Point would more easily be able to afford the tools and equipment necessary to guarantee a world-class experience for his client, both foreign and domestic. This would also mean that commercial tour operators would no longer be solely restricted to the port area, but now will be able to bring large numbers of visitors straight into West End - the cultural heart of Grand Bahama - in their bonded vehicles.
• Within the first 180 days, the DNA will move to diversify the economy of Grand Bahama by leasing tracks of land for the specific development of film and creative arts studios in the eastern end of Grand Bahama, helping to create and foster the growth of a whole new industry yet to be fully tapped anywhere else in the region other than in Orlando.
• Through private/public partnerships, we will invest in the development of a flagship School of Film and Creative Arts to be located in the eastern end of Grand Bahama on the campus of the College of Bahamas, attracting, training, and educating the highly skilled workforce that will be needed to meet the needs of and sustain the growing creative industry.
• We will work in concert with the Grand Bahama Port Authority to actively recruit leading manufacturing and technology companies to establish centers in the Port area of Grand Bahama.
• We will invest in the development of a flagship school of Science and Technology, either in conjunction with the College of the Bahamas or an upgraded Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute; to provide the highly skilled workforce necessary
• for the growth and sustenance of the proposed manufacturing and technological industries.
• Now, Nathan Walters suggests that the condition of one's environment says a great deal about his or her place and value to society; he further implies that the individual's willingness to believe in his or her ability to be successful in life, or the ability to believe that he or she can pursue and achieve greatness is, in part, dependent upon the environment in which the individual finds him or herself.
• Therefore, in those most hard pressed areas of Freeport and the outlying settlements, in addition to providing a wide range of employment opportunities, within the first 180 days, the DNA, in collaboration with the Grand Bahama Port Authority, private businesses, and residents of those affected areas, propose to spearhead a series of improvement and beautification projects aimed at transforming the environment and living spaces of the area's residents.
• And as a part of our national educational initiative, we will ensure that the schools in Grand Bahama, as with all schools in the Bahamas, are centers of excellence; that they are well managed, well staffed, and that the curriculum is redesigned so that it is both inspiring and engaging, meeting and challenging the various gifts, talents, and abilities of our young people; and producing critically minded, socially conscious citizens, who, aware of their social and environmental conditions, will be able to use their knowledge and skills to change their lives, the lives of others in their society, the region, and indeed the world. We will ensure that there is NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND!
• And finally, this one is simple; The DNA, within its first 180 days in office, will move to begin the construction of hurricane shelters on the island, for the protection of the people, particularly since hurricane after hurricane has devastated the lives of so many here on the island.

Now once again, I remind you that this is only a few of the many suggestive goals and initiatives that we are prepared to set in motion once we take office. However, in coming up with the living document that will serve as our Government's version of Grand Bahama's development plan, the DNA will fully engage the stakeholders of Grand Bahama. And we look forward to your participation.

I would like to say that for us to be successful as a nation and as a people, it is time for us to come up with ideas and strategies where we can use the industries that we presently have in place as revenue generators, while at the same time, find new and creative ways to diversify our economy to meet the growing and varied needs of our Bahamian people; no longer are we in the 20th century, and no longer can we use 20th century thinking to solve our country's 21st century global problems.

We must begin laying the framework for an economy that is less based on physical capital in favor of one that is dependent on human intellectual capital, as this is more important to the society's welfare than physical capital can ever be; Ask the Government and people of Singapore.

We must move away from an economy that thrives primarily on imported goods and servitude, and create an economy that thrives more on production, driven primarily by exported goods and services created - in many forms - by technology, manufacturing, innovation, and invention.

We must have a more concise plan for the mobilization of our landmass, where each island is developed and advanced so as to play an integral part in our country's developmental well-being.

We must see to it that education is harnessed and used by Bahamians as a tool that can be used to meet more of their own consumer needs, and at the same time, meet and fulfill the needs of many of our global neighbors, particularly those in other Caribbean nations.

We must ensure that the workers of this nation are not being asked to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps, unless we first give them boots - WITH STRAPS - so that they can live up to our requirements of them. For far too long they have struggled to prove themselves as upwardly mobile without getting or having the necessary support systems in place. The workers of this nation will be respected for the value that they bring to the advancement and development of this nation.

No longer can we, as a government and as a people, take a hands-off approach to our country's progress. Together, Together, we must take control and clearly define our national needs and goals. The future of our country must be one by which we have a clear direction of where we want our country to go, and - God forbid - in the absence of qualified and skilled Bahamians, we invite others from the outside to assist US with the building of our national dreams - instead of us using our labor to continually build the dreams of others.

Only when we begin to move in these directions, Putting Bahamian People First, and valuing them as the most precious resource, will we become "a nation where the individual and corporate productivity are equal with self-worth and where the love of work is esteemed as a national obligation."

It is unfortunate that we have come to a point in our country's history, once again, where the people must rise up in revolt against their treatment at the hands of their own government. However, the yearning for freedom from the chains of oppression that have weighed us down in recent years is growing stronger each day; and in the words of Martin Luther King, "oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever."

The uprising taking place in our country today and the growing number of people who are expressing their frustration and anger at the present and past government, says that, we as a people, have come full circle in our quest for true independence and that we have lost faith in our chosen leaders to deliver on the promises made to us decades, even years ago. How many more broken political promises can an already broken people take before saying STOP! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

Now more than ever - is the time to redefine history; Now more than ever is the time for change; And for those of you who doubt me, I say, if not now, then when? I say, If not you and me; then who?

This election, my friends, is too important to sit back and wait. You have waited long enough; you have allowed your dreams to be deferred for too long. Remember, this one is for our children, and their children, and their children also. We must decide whether we want change or more of the same. Let me repeat that, do we want change or more of the same!!!


Ladies and gentlemen let our country no longer be a place where the forces of complacency, oppression, insensitivity, bitterness, and hate weigh us down and cripple us.

Remember, my brothers and sisters, you are not alone in this movement, together, TOGETHER, we can - and will - BE THE CHANGE THAT WE WANT TO SEE.

As always, I would like to thank my wife, Lisa, and my children, Kasia, Tai, and Khail who are all here tonight. I would like to thank all those who continue to work so diligently behind the scene to ensure that the DNA Party succeeds in its aim to become the next government of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. Further, I wish to thank the people of Grand Bahama and the Bahamas for allowing me this great opportunity to serve and help you realize and fulfill the power of the dream - and REDEFINE THE POSSIBLE. Remember the words of John Fitzgerald Kennedy: "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." In the shaping of our country, let us become self-disciplined and self-reliant and there will be no other destiny in store for us than to be recognized as the nation of excellence that is The Commonwealth of The Bahamas.

And now, before I leave you tonight, it is my distinct pleasure to introduce to you the latest of the Democratic National Alliance's 41 candidates for change; men and women not cut from the cloth of political sameness, but who are Of the people, For the people, and coming to work side by side With the people. Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to introduce to you, 9 future Members of Parliament in the next DNA government of the Bahamas.

Thank You; God Bless You; and God Bless and Protect the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.

From mydnaparty.org

Caribbean Blog International

The Bahamas cannot and should not follow the UN suggestion to not repatriate undocumented Haitians for now due to the current state of Haiti... If The Bahamas stopped repatriating Haitians, those in Haiti who want to leave that island would consider this country their prime destination...

UN Haitian request should be ignored

thenassauguardian editorial



The United Nations is asking countries in the region not to repatriate undocumented Haitians for now due to the current state of their country. Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, is still struggling to recover from the January 2010 earthquake that destroyed much of Port-au-Prince.

The UN is demonstrating humanitarian concern by making the call. And we think those countries that have the resources to allow undocumented Haitians to remain within their territories indefinitely should consider doing so. Such a gesture would change the lives of many Haitians seeking opportunity.

However, The Bahamas cannot and should not follow the UN suggestion. The Bahamas is a developing country struggling to escape recession after the 2008 financial crisis. In 2009, the unemployment rates in New Providence and Grand Bahama exceeded 14 percent and 17 percent, respectively. It is likely that high rates of unemployment persist.

It would be unwise for a developing country such as The Bahamas to allow a large number of uneducated and unskilled people to remain in the country at this time.

The number of Haitians residing in The Bahamas is already significant. Estimates range from 30,000 to 80,000. If The Bahamas stopped repatriating Haitians, those in Haiti who want to leave that island would consider this country their prime destination.

With a population of nearly 10 million in Haiti, there would likely be an unprecedented mass exodus from that country to The Bahamas if we announce that apprehensions and repatriations have been indefinitely suspended.

The Haitian situation is tragic. It is estimated that between 200,000 and 300,000 people died as a result of the earthquake. A Cholera outbreak since has killed hundreds. The international community through direct country assistance, the UN and NGOs has done much to help Haiti since.

These efforts should continue and Haitians inside and outside of Haiti should do all they can to help rebuild their homeland. The UN, however, should not expect or pressure fragile developing countries to accept thousands of Haitians during these uncertain economic times.

This policy could actually be disastrous for these countries. The retention of thousands of uneducated and unskilled Haitian migrants would increase unemployment rates in countries throughout this region and it would lead to social tension between indigenous populations looking for work and the new migrant class.

Native populations would resent the increased Haitian presence assuming it to be competition for scare jobs.

The Government of The Bahamas has had the right response thus far to the UN request: it has ignored it. The two richest countries in this hemisphere are the United States and Canada. If those countries want to accept thousands of Haitian refugees, they can. They can afford it. It would be wise for other countries in this region too to ignore the UN.

Jul 01, 2011

thenassauguardian editorial

Caribbean Blog International

We do not know whether Bahamians who complain about Americans informing Washington about our "dirty linen" really understand the functions of an embassy in a foreign country

US diplomacy in the Bahamas not understood

tribune242 editorial


WE RECALL seeing during the Second World War a most effective poster of Uncle Sam, top hat and all, with a cautionary finger to his silent lips and the warning: "Lose lips costs lives."

The leaked diplomatic briefing cables flowing to Washington from the US Embassy on Queen's Street have not cost lives, not even reputations, but have just reaffirmed what Bahamians openly talked during that period about their politicians and the state of their country.

However, many Bahamians seem not to like the fact that their open talk got to the ears of Embassy officials through official channels.

We do not know whether Bahamians who complain about Americans informing Washington about our "dirty linen" really understand the functions of an embassy in a foreign country. Embassies and high commissions are not established just to take care of their own citizens who might find themselves in difficult situations far away from home, or to issue passports and visas. They are also here to promote friendly relations between our two countries, find out what the problems are in the host county as it relates to the embassy's home country so that a potential problem caught early can be settled by discussion and a friendly handshake. For this it is important to get to know the country's leaders, how they view various situations of mutual interest and how far they can be persuaded to be on "your side" when it comes time for that all important vote on various world issues at the UN.

It is a world of friendly persuasion -- for this it is important to know your neighbour, how they think, their ambitions and how far those ambitions can be meshed with your own. And so all these small and big talks -- confidential as both sides thought they were -- are all a part of a day's work in an embassy. In their reporting the US Embassy staff were doing their job -- it is not their fault that their security was breached.

And for Opposition leader Perry Christie to complain that Embassy officials "seem to have taken on the FNM propaganda" about him is not realistic. US diplomats did not have to be told what to think about Mr Christie. Like others they had frequent dealings with him as prime minister, and like all those others, it is no coincidence that most arrive at the same conclusion. In one Embassy report it was said that Mr Christie "has always been weak and indecisive and lacks vision, but is a good man." This happened to be an Ingraham quote, but the same could have been said in all honesty, and without malice, by almost anyone who has ever had to depend upon Mr Christie for a decision. The Americans would have arrived at the same conclusion in their own dealings with him.

During the drug years the performance of the Bahamas government and its citizens was important to the US because it was through the participation of so many Bahamians in the drug trade that American lives were being adversely affected. And so it was important to infiltrate the network, and keep the information flowing during the drug wars. The Americans during that era certainly knew who they could trust and not trust and that is why -- as they did in Afghanistan -- several surprise raids were conducted without their Bahamian counterparts being included in the planning. Probably that is why in the end -- like Tribune staff -- they trusted few in official circles.

It was during that period that Paul Adderley, then Attorney General, made a trip to Washington and came back home breathing fire and brimstone against The Tribune. He accused us of sending Tribune clippings to Washington to keep them informed on our narco-economy. Therefore, we were traitors.

Here at The Tribune at the time, not only were we fighting the drug trade, but we were fighting a government that was trying to close this newspaper down for the position we had taken. We had no time to be a newspaper clipping service for Washington. This was an example of the work of US Embassy staff in their business of keeping Washington informed.

It was during that period that at least two of our anti-drug editorials were read into the records of the US Senate. What Mr Adderley did not realise until the 1984 Commission of Inquiry report into the transshipment of drugs shook him into reality was that in his own government he was daily rubbing elbows with some of this country's real traitors.

Today we think that the Bahamas and the position of its government would be of great interest to the US-- especially with China in a strong position at her backdoor in the Panama Canal, at her front door in the Bahamas, and infiltrated throughout the Caribbean basin. The world's two giant powers are now paddling in what was once America's exclusive zone of influence. For the sake of our country and its people when it comes to a crucial vote in the UN, let's hope that China and the US are on the same side. The day that the Bahamas has to make a choice as to which one it will support, will be the day that it will certainly have to do a mean "Long Island shuffle" to disappear into the shadows.

June 30, 2011

tribune242 editorial

Caribbean Blog International