Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham says: ...Bain and Grants Town MP Dr. Bernard Nottage failed to use more than half of the $100,000 allowance Members of Parliament were given access to for constituency projects... ...In Centreville and Farm Road, during the height of the global recession ...their MP Perry Gladstone Christie couldn’t get around to spending his full allocation of money

Ingraham says Nottage failed to access full constituency allowance

By Krystel Rolle
Guardian Staff Reporter
krystel@nasguard.com

Bain and Grants Town MP Dr. Bernard Nottage failed to use more than half of the $100,000 allowance members of Parliament were given access to for constituency projects, according to Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham.

Ingraham previously made a similar revelation about Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Leader Perry Christie.

The prime minister reiterated that claim at a Free National Movement (FNM) rally on Wednesday.

“When we made available $100,000 to each MP to spend to improve their constituency, most MPs got to work for their people,” Ingraham said.

“In Centreville and Farm Road, during the height of the global recession, their MP Perry Gladstone Christie couldn’t get around to spending his full allocation of money.

“He left more than one half of that money unspent. His sad excuse is he was still planning a whole year after the money was made available. I tell you he’s never ready.”

Ingraham added: “The same thing could be said for B.J. Nottage. He couldn’t figure out what to spend his money on either so he left more than half of his money unspent. It seems Bain Town and Grants Town don’t need any small capital project.”

Christie acknowledged in 2010 that he had some difficulty with his constituency allowance.

He explained that after consultation with his constituents he was determining how best to spend the funds.

He said he had plans to expand three parks in the constituency and construct bathrooms at two of the parks.

Calls to Nottage were not answered up to press time last night.

Apr 21, 2012

thenassauguardian

Caribbean Blog International

Perry Christie isn’t performing and doesn’t do anything in the Farm Road constituency

Is your Member of Parliament performing?
By IANTHIA SMITH:


This is the question The Bahama Journal posed to residents in the Farm Road constituency yesterday.

The residents there minced no words in explaining just how they feel about their Member of Parliament, Perry Christie.

Long time Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) supporter Prince Arnette said he is disappointed and "feels let down" by Mr. Christie’s performance over the past three years.

"No, he isn’t performing," Mr. Arnette said. "He doesn’t do anything in this area. If you have an MP with such influence and such power, don’t you think your constituency should look like paradise? Well look around, Farm Road is no paradise."

"That man only comes around every five years when it’s time for election. Other than that, this area stays run down and in a mess; he doesn’t bring programmes in the area, he doesn’t help provide jobs, he doesn’t help the youth, he doesn’t do anything and I’m a big time PLP telling you this."

Welder Mark Johnson said he wants to see more done.

"These people around here need help, man," he said. "We need our MP to come around and ask us what it is that we need, what it is that we’re lacking, how is it that crime is affecting us, what are our children doing; how are they doing in school. But Mr. Christie doesn’t know these things because he doesn’t come around."

Another Farm Road resident who goes by the name Tiffany said she feels like "just because we live in the ghetto they don’t want anything to do with us."

"We (haven’t) had any social programmes, we have nothing for the children to do, there have been no renovations to the government homes, the water pump that we all depend on doesn’t work."

"There are no jobs, the park is a mess and Farm Road just gone to the dogs. The MP for this area does nothing and is just sitting by and watching these things get worst and worst."

But the reviews were mixed.

There are those Farm Road residents who said no matter what their MP does, some constituents are never satisfied.

One area resident who goes by the name "Crab" said he is quite happy with Mr. Christie’s performance and cannot even fathom why someone would complain.

He said as far as he sees things, his MP is doing all he can.

"He can’t do it all," Crab said. "I feel good about him, he’s a busy man and he is doing all he can. We live in the ghetto. What we need is a big bulldozer to come and just knock it all down and start over again because all these people doing is foolishness in the back here."

"But they wont let no one come in the back here and make a change. So when he does the little that he can they complain."

The only time I see my MP is when he’s on TV," one Farm Road woman added. "The people around here are hurting and we need someone to help us. It seems like my vote doesn’t count but I know that it does. Because if there are 60 votes 30 on one side and 30 on the other the one last vote that is coming is what will determine the winner, so guess what, one vote does count."

"These MPs need to stop sitting up in their air conditioned offices and come out here and see what’s going on with the people who put them in office."

"Yes, Perry Christie is doing a good job," said Farm Road resident Andrea Moncur. ‘We live in the ghetto and only so much you can do with people who don’t want to help themselves. You can give them jobs, they go for three weeks and come right back out here on the blocks, so what you want Mr. Christie to do then?"

"The people don’t want to work, they don’t want to do any better and that is not Mr. Christie’s fault. He does his best, it’s just that these young people don’t want to work."

Farm Road constituents said if Mr. Christie would take a minute and walk around the area, he would know that the youth, crime and unemployment are burning issues facing his constituency.

But, according to most of the people the Journal spoke to, they are lucky to even see Mr. Christie outside of campaign mode.

"He needs to do better," another Farm Road woman said. "He need to do something with the (youth) around here, they need something to keep them occupied and keep them interested in the country."

"The older ones need jobs but it’s these young ones we really need to worry about and catch while they are young."

Calls to Mr. Christie were not returned up to press time.

July 15th, 2010

jonesbahamas

Bahamas Blog International

How Perry Christie could have spent that $200k constituency allowance

How Christie could have spent that $200k for his constituency
NOELLE NICOLLS
Tribune Staff Reporter
nnicolls@tribunemedia.net:



RESIDENTS of Farm Road and Centerville - the constituency represented by opposition leader Perry Christie - have many ideas about how $200,000 could be spent in their area.

Some community members were unaware of the funds available to their representative. Others said they had a "big problem" with it.

"I was trying to figure out what he was doing with the money a long time ago. I do have a problem with it. I would like to see them add a playground for the children. Put computers in the community centre; put a building up for the after school programme so the children don't have to work out in the yard," said Janice Farrington, a Farm Road resident.

Between 2007 and 2009, Mr Christie spent only $31,000 of a possible $200,000 worth of funds in his constituency allowance. The accumulated money rolled over three years, but was set to be redistributed when the 2009/2010 budget year ended Wednesday. Minister of State Zhivargo Laing said that due to the government's tight fiscal position, constituency allowances were not being rolled over.

Given the politics of Farm Road and Centerville, a constituency member said the actions of Mr Christie would not affect him politically, because there is a strong allegiance to the Progressive Liberal Party.

One resident said even if the money were spent, community members would still question what the money was spent on. Depending on where it was spent the question of favouritsm might arise. He said unless the residents received direct benefit from the money, they would likely be indifferent or have complaints.

"No one would even worry themselves about that now, unless the opposition makes a flair of it. They are caught up in the hoopla; they don't even know what the man stands for. They go to rallies to drink and have fun, but they don't follow the issues," said Ras Charlie, a resident in the community, whose family lived there from the 1930s.

He said money could be used to train small business owners in the community, to provide computers and training in computer technology. He said the two local Junknaoo groups, One Family and the Music Makers, would welcome access to the funds. He said local parks were in need of refurbishing, and some schools might need resources.

"People in the community have an attachment to the party. He is the face of the party, but really whoever is the party leader it is the party they support. They say he is still a weak leader. They admit that amongst themselves, but they will still support him because they support the party," said Ras Charlie.

Before the cut off date, Mr Christie submitted requests for the funds to be used to purchase interactive whiteboards, desks, projectors and other items to benefit local schools.

Mr Christie said he made a request in 2008 for the funds to be used to purchase a plot of land next to the Joe Billy/Blind Blake Park in Fowler Street, as well as property near the Hay Street Park and the Sunlight Village Park. He did not confirm the status of the request until The Tribune broke the news that his funds were in jeopardy of being reallocated by the government.

Community members said they recalled hearing about Mr Christie trying to purchase land to expand the parks, but that was a "long time ago."

Mr Christie admitted that the did not feel rushed to spend the allowance because "he was assured that the money would be carried over."

"Plenty people are not aware of it. If you tell them now, they would be trying to figure out what you are talking about. I would use the $200,000 to hire small time workers from the ghetto to redo the bathrooms in the park, not big time contractors. Get the people from the ghetto who have skills and put them to work," said Mr Sears, a constituency member.

"I would use the money to fix up people's houses: change boards, fix the roofs, put bathrooms on. Some people still do not have bathrooms on their houses. That is what people want. For years they were supposed to build a concrete concession stand for the park a long time ago. They were supposed to take down the fence and build a wall," said Mr Sears.

July 05, 2010

tribune242

Bahamas Blog International