Prime Minister Perry Christie says that he was surprised by the results of the January 28, 2013 gambling referendum

Christie Surprised By Gambling Referendum Results

By Sasha Lightbourne
The Bahama Journal







Prime Minister Perry Christie admitted he was surprised by the results of the gambling referendum last week.

Mr. Christie was speaking to reporters before he headed into his weekly Cabinet meeting yesterday.
“Yes I probably was surprised by the outcome in the sense that I thought it would be a much closer election,” he said.

“I was prepared for any outcome and I tried to evidence that. The matter is before the courts now so I won’t speak to that issue but we are prepared for whatever decision is made by the courts.”

Bahamians were asked to vote on two questions – “Do you support the regulation and taxation of web shop gaming” and “Do you support the establishment of a national lottery?”

Prime Minister Christie also refuted the fact that many felt he made a mistake by having the referendum when he did.

“You never make mistakes when you are deepening democracy,” he told reporters.

“I promised before the elections that I would have a referendum. I indicated I had no horse in the race. This thing swirled with controversy and it was what it was. The people voted and I acted upon the vote. It is now a matter for the minister of national security and the attorney general.”

The majority of constituencies across the country voted ‘no’ in both questions.

Up to press time last night 43,393 voted ‘no’ and 28,787 voted ‘yes’.

Bains Town and Grants Town and Centreville were the only constituencies that voted ‘yes’.

According to Acting Parliamentary Commissioner Sherlyn Hall, ballots from some of the constituencies took up to three hours to recount and added that as the figures rolled in it grew increasingly clear that based on the votes the Bahamians are giving two thumbs down to regulating any form of gambling in the country.

“For question number one the total number of votes, unofficial figures, were 30,767 who voted yes and for the same question those who voted no were 48,012,” he said last week.

“For question number two the yes total is 32,170 and the no votes were 46,961.”
The acting parliamentary commissioner added that the recount is a mandatory requirement set out in the Parliamentary Act.

It did not take very long for the results from last week’s Monday’s gambling vote to be known, coming out just 40 minutes after the polls closed.

February 06, 2013

Jones Bahamas

Caribbean Blog International 

Autopsy Report on the January 28, 2013 Gambling Referendum

By Dennis Dames

The so called gambling referendum is history, and a resounding no - is the order of the day.  Punch drunk and shell shocked is the yes crew - as they ridicule the opponents of web shop gaming, and a national lottery.

Who called the game in the first instance, and why were they so persuaded that yes to their questions of legitimizing web shop gaming, and instituting a national lottery would have prevailed at the end of the day?

The intelligence of the Bahamian electorate has been underestimated once more.  It is a known reality that gambling is not a productive enterprise for the masses; especially the poor and financially struggling brothers and sisters.

The number bosses and their millions were no match for a people who are demanding a productive economy where vision, industriousness, hard work,  dedication and the work ethic are the status quo.

The proponents of the gambling referendum questions are now blaming the church and opposition politicians for their scandalous defeat at the polls on January 28, 2013.  They are simply sore losers who believe that democracy is a one way street.

The number kingpins made a dreadful error by proving a partying electorate with food, liquor and good music from start to finish.  They had also tried to use their dirty cash to buy yes votes – to no avail.

The lesson of the gambling referendum is found in the following Aesop quote: Beware that you do not lose the substance by grasping at the shadow.

Caribbean Blog International

Kenred Dorsett, the minister of the environment and housing - said that he could not confirm a date for the oil drilling referendum ...as Prime Minister Perry Christie has yet to make a formal decision on the matter

Dorsett: No timetable for oil referendum

Minister committed, however, to building political consensus prior to vote



BY JEFFREY TODD
Guardian Business Editor
jeffrey@nasguard.com




The government has no specific timeline for an oil drilling referendum, according to the Ministry of the Environment.

With the country still buzzing from this week's gambling referendum, many Bahamians are wondering when oil exploration will once again be placed on the radar.

Kenred Dorsett, the minister of the environment and housing, said he could not confirm a date for the referendum, as Prime Minister Perry Christie has yet to make a formal decision on the matter.  However, he did note that the government is seeking to develop a more formal consensus on oil exploration before a vote goes to the people.

"I'm not sure if it will be a summer referendum.  I don't know when it will take place," he told Guardian Business yesterday.  "But I do hope there will be a consensus on the issue.  There are members on the other side that who tell me we should be drilling now.  I think, as a minister responsible, I am mandated to ensue there is a current balance, particularly as we look at those efforts."

He added that the government is "getting to the point" where some of the proposed regulations on how to remodel the industry may come to fruition.  After that, he told Guardian Business there would be a "broad discussion" on the issue of drilling in The Bahamas.

The minister's comments come shortly after business leaders expressed hope that the government would approach the oil drilling referendum "differently" than gambling.

While the "Vote No" campaign was victorious last Monday, observers noted that low turnout and general apathy impacted the democratic process.  The government was frequently criticized for being unclear in the referendum questions and failing to introduce specific legislation to back up the possible legalization of gaming.  The vote also became highly politicized, promoting rival parties to endorse opposing views.

"Oil drilling is not a moral or religious issue, it will be a matter of whether you can explain the economic advantages and technical reasons why the environment can be protected," said Richard Coulson, a well-known financial consultant.  "If those points can be explained, there should be no problem."

Peter Turnquest, the minister for East Grand Bahama, urged the government to bring forth legislation in the event of a yes or no vote for oil drilling to build a consensus in the House of Assembly.

After that, the government can embark a "period of education" for the general public.

In regards to public confusion and politicizing of oil drilling, Dorsett told Guardian Business: "I don't want that to happen."

But he stopped short in saying the government would bring forth specific legislation in the House of Assembly.

Guardian Business understands that the issue must be revisited by the prime minister before any decisions can be made on the future of oil drilling in The Bahamas.

February 01, 2013

thenassauguardian

Caribbean Blog International

The Free National Movement (FNM) had planned to implement a Value Added Tax (VAT) within “two to three years” ...if it had been re-elected in May 2012 ...says Zhivargo Laing

Fnm Wanted Vat In 'Two-Three Years'

January 25, 2013



By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

The Free National Movement (FNM) had planned to implement a Value Added Tax (VAT) within “two to three years” if it had been re-elected in May 2012, a former Cabinet Minister yesterday saying it would “not have been fooling around with a gaming referendum”.

 

Acknowledging that the Government’s finances were- and continue to be - on an unsustainable path due to heavy deficit spending during the recession, Zhivargo Laing, former minister of state for finance, told Tribune Business that an Ingraham administration would have targeted VAT implementation as “an urgent priority”.

 

He disclosed that another part of the FNM’s ‘fiscal rebalancing’ strategy would have been to “wean” the likes of Bahamasair and the Water & Sewerage Corporation off taxpayer subsidies, potentially through full or partial privatisation.

 

While former prime minister, Hubert Ingraham, ruled out any attempt at tax reform during his 2007-2012 administration, Mr Laing said its focus would have turned to this had it been re-elected to office.

 

And he also took a thinly-veiled swipe at the Christie administration’s seeming preoccupation with Monday’s gaming poll, suggesting the Government was being distracted from more worthy issues that merited its full attention.

 

“We knew that passing a VAT was going to be an urgent matter, so we would not have been fooling around with a gaming referendum,” Mr Laing told Tribune Business. “A VAT would have been an urgent priority by the Ingraham administration.”

 

He added that, if re-elected, an Ingraham administration would have moved speedily to release a ‘White Paper on Tax Reform’, seeking to “get that [VAT] done in two-three years”.

 

Reminded that the former FNM administration itself had examined the potential legalisation of web shop gaming, and what needed to be done to effect this, Mr Laing said that even if a referendum/poll was required, it would not have distracted any government he was part of.

 

“If there was [a referendum], it wouldn’t have taken precedence over that,” Mr Laing said in relation to VAT and tax reform.

 

He added that an Ingraham administration would have sought to continue what it started with the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC), namely privatising state-owned entities - especially the loss-making ones - and getting them off the Government’s balance sheet.

 

“Whether it would have been privatisations representing some kind of private-public partnership or hybrid privatisations, the idea would have been to reduce the dependency of these entities on government subsidies,” Mr Laing told Tribune Business.

 

“It’s a huge part of the drain on the Government’s finances.”

 

Indeed, the Christie administration, through Michael Halkitis, the successor to Mr Laing in the Ministry of Finance, has articulated similar ambitions when it comes to eliminating the multi-million dollar taxpayer subsidies - running at $50-$60 million annually - to loss-makers such as ZNS, Bahamasair, the Water & Sewerage Corporation and Hotel Corporation.

 

The Government has also picked up where its predecessor left off when it comes to tax reform and VAT, and two other areas of focus identified by Mr Laing - better collection and enforcement of real property taxes, and a Debt Committee that is examining what can be done to reduce current and future debt servicing (borrowing) costs.

 

The almost-identical strategies, apart from privatisation and the timelines involved, lend credence to those who suggest that, in many cases, there are few policy differences between the FNM and the PLP - the main distinction being implementation and execution.

 

Mr Laing, meanwhile, acknowledged that the former Ingraham administration knew the fiscal deficits it was running - and corresponding increases in the national debt - were “unsustainable”.

 

“We did the kind of spending we did at the height of the recession as counter-cyclical financing,” he said. “We demonstrated what we would have done; revenue measures, spending cuts. To clear the fiscal deficit we were looking at a number of things.

 

“It was unsustainable, the level of deficits we were sustaining during the recession. We knew we cannot stay on that same path.

 

“We knew it would have an impact on our fiscal circumstances, and once the recession passed we started to take revenue measures, increasing taxes in some areas, cutting expenditure in some, and happened to be criticised by those people who refuse to do the same thing.”

 

Mr Laing also hit at the Progressive Liberal Party’s (PLP) criticism of holding a Mid-Year Budget between 2007 and 2012, suggesting its recent emphasis on next month’s announcement showed it had performed a policy ‘u-turn’.

 

“For five years they called it useless, unnecessary,” he added of the Mid-Year Budget. “I would have thought that after five years they would have abandoned that, and found a more creative and innovative way to do the public finances.

 

“This is supposed to be the smartest generation of people, with the smartest ideas, to turn this around.

 

“But this same set of people, who criticised us for spending, followed it up with even more spending at a $550 million deficit.”

 

Tribune 242

 

Caribbean Blog International

 

What's the Talk after The Victorious NO Vote ...in the January 28, 2013 Gambling Referendum

What The Web Shop Employees And Patrons Say After The Vote

By PAUL G TURNQUEST

Chief Reporter

pturnquest@tribunemedia.net

WEB SHOPS throughout the country remained open yesterday despite the resounding “no” vote in Monday’s gambling referendum.

The Tribune visited a number of these establishments and spoke with employees and patrons. Many persons expressed their disappointment in the Bahamian electorate, whom they feel did not consider the “human impact” their vote would have.

Heidi Cadet, the store manager at FML’s Bridge Plaza location, said her job is important to her. The single mother of two said she currently is renting an apartment, but had dreams of one day owning her own piece of land in New Providence.

She said these dreams, at least for the time being, are now in limbo.

“This job has been good to me. I have never had a bad day here.

“I was here since 2005. I watched as this company grew from punching numbers to where we are today. I am highly disappointed in yesterday’s vote because I don’t know what is next.”

After Monday’s vote, Ms Cadet said employees at their location, and at web shops in general, are concerned that any minute now, police could break in the doors and raid them.

“I hope the Prime Minister will make the right choice. I’m prepared to live with whatever decision he makes, but the big question is, is he willing to help us if they shut us down? We can’t go to the church,” she said.

As for the referendum, Ms Cadet and other web shop employees said they felt the process was “rushed” and not properly managed.

“People didn’t know what they were voting on. To most employees this is their only means of employment. If I were to lose my job, I do not have any other options,” she said.

Echoing these sentiments was Felix Bethel, a security guard at Bahama Dreams’ head office on East Bay Street.

With a wife and 14 children, Mr Bethel said his job with Bahama Dreams is the only thing “saving him” right now.

“Without this, I don’t know where I would be. There are zero opportunities out there,” he said.

Mr Bethel said he is currently in court for child support, having been in arrears some $4,000. His job he said, is the only thing keeping him out of jail.

“I can’t go to the church and say lend me $4,000. This is not a game,” he said.

Another employee at Island Luck’s office on Bay and Armstrong Streets said she has been employed at the company for two and a half years now. However, after Monday, she said she is unsure how much longer that will be the case.

Wishing not to be identified, the employee said Monday’s vote “hurt a lot of us.”

“We don’t know if they will keep us open or closed. We are only hoping for the best.”

Damas Sainvil, a security guard at the same location, said he’s been employed now with Island Luck for three years.

Having voted “Yes” in the referendum, Mr Sainvil said he was “surprised” at the outcome.

“If you don’t have a job, you can’t live here. You have to eat. You cannot live like a dog,” he said.

With two children and a wife, Mr Sainvil said he is the sole provider in his home. He said he cannot imagine what he will do if he were to lose his job.

Temra Russell, a cashier at Bahama Dreams, told The Tribune that she felt “betrayed” by the Bahamian people.

“I feel some Bahamians don’t have your best interest at heart, taking bread out of people’s mouth,” she said.

Ms Russell’s co-worker, Kenneva Goddard, said she was scared watching the votes being counted on Monday night.

“That was my job they were dealing with. I don’t think people understood the questions. And people didn’t understand or care about what would happen to us, the employees. If I didn’t have this job I would be at home. I would have to start all over again,” she said.

January 30, 2013

Tribune 242 

Caribbean Blog International

Gambling is a vice not a virtue... ...Vote NO!! ... in the January 28, 2013 Gaming Referendum

By Margery Moncrieffe

I want to share some revelation given to me by God my Father on the gambling issue. I am coming from a spiritual perspective. Anyone who is engaged in spiritual warfare or has studied it knows that demonic entities and spirits travel in groups. A personal sin is different from a national sin. When gambling is legalized nationally one can expect to see the kindred spirits to accompany it , manifesting themselves in larger numbers. These demons are murder, suicide, witchcraft, violence, lasciviousness and sexual immorality to name a few.

... I want to comment on witchcraft. Do we forget that regular gamblers use dream books, numerology, psychic dreams to give them numbers? I have a personal friend who told me she paid a Haitian to go to Haiti and ask a witchcraft worker for a number. Believe it or not? He gave her a number, she played it and won. She was able to pay off her mortgage she said. Yes that all seems good, at first, but does God tell us to consult demons for numbers or does he ask us to trust him that he can provide?? Mark 4:19, 1Timothy:9-10.

I want to challenge any gambler, especially the high rollers, that if they were to sow as much money they invest in gambling with no return, into the Kingdom of God, they would see financial blessings. I am a living witness of many seeds sowed and I watched God multiply my seed. I sowed a $100 dollar seed into a church once and the Prophet told me I would see my daughter get that particular seed returned for me a $15,000 profit, this was five years of high school I did not have to pay for, if we want to play the numbers game. The problem is most people cannot wait for the slow and steady increase from God where he builds your character to handle it. We want the get rich quick scheme, which leads to destruction. Hence the bible calls it "the deceitfulness of riches." Why? It does not last.

Has anyone done any research on the life of gamblers? How many of them have been able to keep their riches?? How do their lives end up? I know a few and all of them that I know end up broke, dead broke. Is this what we want for our nation at this time? Are we going to sell our birthright for a mess of pottage? Do we want to lose the prosperity and favour that has been upon the Bahamas for a mess of pottage? Choose wisely.

All I can say is that we will see an increase in crime, sexual immorality. poverty, and other ills if we as a nation choose this path. I am not a prophet of doom, I am just making everyone aware of the causes. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. I reiterate, choose wisely.

Margery Moncrieffe on Facebook

Caribbean Blog International

Since the General Election in May 2012, the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) and Prime Minister Perry Christie have undermined the democratic process in The Bahamas... ...We suggest the Bahamian public ignore the PLP’s pro-gambling propaganda ...and vote NO in Monday January 28, 2013 Referendum

Vote no

The Nassau Guardian Editorial

We congratulate the government on its resounding success to undermine a democratic process.  The gaming referendum has descended into a political spectacle besieged by lies and pathetic explanations.  How can we place confidence in a government that belittles the intellect of Bahamians?

The Nassau Guardian will not surrender its integrity to the Progressive Liberal Party’s campaign to swindle yes votes from unsuspecting Bahamian voters.  We give this government a vote of “no” confidence and encourage our readers to do the same and vote no.

The government repeatedly denies a position on the gaming referendum, yet it continuously retracts statements from party members.  Such blatant support by the prime minister and his party reveals not only a flawed process, but a biased one as well.

On Sunday, January 20, PLP Chairman Bradley Roberts said: “The PLP urges all Bahamians to see the broader national picture and vote yes on Referendum Day.”

Roberts went on further to say: “The PLP is now obliged to encourage Bahamians to make this bold and progressive step in the economic interest of the country by voting yes on Referendum Day.”

This was said only for the chairman to retract his party’s position later that day.

“It is well documented that I support a yes vote in the upcoming referendum and I do so proudly,” Roberts said.

“Many in my party agree; some do not.”

For a prime minister who did not want his party to influence votes, many of his party members have been vocal supporters of the yes vote in the referendum.  Christie skirts the issue of his position with forward-leaning statements on the anticipation of web shops being made legal.

“People are anticipating that it would be legal.  So when we started off and I talked about a limited amount of licenses, it will be interesting to see how many applications there will be in the event of a yes vote because there has been a tremendous increase,” he said.

But Christie meets a potential no vote with apprehension and reiterates the problems and costs of enforcement.

“Whether it’s a no vote, it’s going to be a tremendous cost.  The state will have to pay for directing resources to assist in setting up a regime to enforce the no vote and that will require a significant amount of money.  And I presume those people who [are] advocating are aware of that,” he said.

Furthermore, Christie laments the impossible nature of stopping Internet-based gaming and cites the possibility that Craig Flowers may continue operations from the Turks and Caicos unimpeded.

“Mr. Flowers, I’m advised, is licensed in the Turks and Caicos Islands to conduct gaming and I presume that he is able to do that and still conduct his Internet gaming from the Turks and Caicos,” he said.

“I don’t want to suggest anything otherwise.  What we have to deal with is how does one go about addressing Internet gaming.  It’s a very difficult subject – the impossibility of stopping people from what they want to do.  Laws haven’t been designed by man that have effectively stopped that kind of illegal or irregular operation.”

Though Christie bemoans the annoyances of a no vote above, such statements pale in comparison with his brazen comments that a no vote would lead to unemployment and higher taxes.

“We are going to have a real situation that we would be confronted by for a no vote, because yes these people will either have to go deeper underground illegally or we will have to find a way to find alternative employment for them,” he said.

The proliferation of illegal gaming operations has allowed for the employment of numerous people.  However, for the prime minister to indicate that a Bahamian voter who votes no is responsible for this possibility of unemployment is unacceptable.

It is absolutely astounding that the prime minister can claim no position when he continues to reiterate the problems of a no vote.

Christie as prime minister of The Bahamas is being less than honest with all of his utterances on the referendum other than for his outright preference for a yes vote.

Since the election in May 2012, the PLP and Christie have undermined the democratic process in The Bahamas.  We suggest the Bahamian public ignore the PLP’s pro-gambling propaganda and vote no on Monday.  Misleading statements inherently breed distrust and this government has made a mockery of the referendum process.  The Bahamas needs more than ever a prime minister who upholds his position and leads Bahamians.

January 24, 2013

thenassauguardian editorial

Caribbean Blog International