EDITOR, The Tribune
ARE reports true that Prime Minister Perry Christie told an audience that it is easy to “piss away” money?
If so, this crude language comes on the heels of the PM raising his middle finger at an opponent who alleged that he is currently constructing condos on Cable Beach.
One look at the still photo of Christie and his crude gesture reveals a man who seems to be very angry. Whatever one makes of the PM’s latest gaffe, it was an unwitting admission that his administration has squandered $1 billion in VAT revenues with hardly anything to show for it.
Just last week it was revealed that the $17.069 million that was earmarked for the Prime Minister’s Office in 2016 mushroomed to a colossal $79.947m. That budget went over by $62.8m.
This can help explain why the country has suffered four downgrades and has hit junk status. Also, I understand that the rally in Abaco for North Abaco MP Renardo Curry and Central and South Abaco candidate Eva Bain was a complete flop.
Despite the presence of Christie, Brave Davis, V Alfred Gray, Edison Key and other influential PLPs, the event only had about 90 Abaconians in attendance. When a party has to depend on a 76-year-old man you know that party is in very deep trouble.
Key has no more political capital. The embarrassingly dismal attendance portends disaster ahead for Christie, who must now be coming to the sobering realisation that his grip on the PM’s job is rapidly slipping away. Even the presence of the incumbent Key was met with a ‘meh’ attitude on that island.
In the past four weeks the PLP has held two church functions. After walking all over the Christian community like a doormat and calling the late Dr Myles Munroe “stupid”, the PLP wants to now sit up in church and talk about praying for God’s guidance when that very same guidance was shoved aside in order to pander to the wealthy numbers boys in 2013 when the election was eons away.
Now that D-day is only weeks away, they are trying to fake piety with the hopes that the church has forgotten the utter contempt it was shown by Christie and his ministers. The sudden announcement that Junkanoo Carnival 2017 has been delayed also signifies that the PM is running scared and is falling apart at the seams.
THE WHISTLEBLOWER
Nassau,
April 3, 2017
Comments
Well_mudda_take_sic 7 years, 5 months ago
We need to all be careful what we pray for. Minnis has failed to articulate even one major policy initative he would undertake to try and turn things around for the Bahamas. Specifically, he has made no compelling mention or commitments whatsoever regarding:
1) The holding of a Royal Commission of Enquiry to investigate even one of the many egregious instances of corruption, fraud and outright theft that has occurred during the last five years;
2) The passing of meaningful and enforceable freedom of information legislation with few exceptions or loop holes for the government and politicians of the day;
3) Legislative amendments to close financial disclosure loop holes and introduce enforceable penalties of substance for MPs and Senators who fail to comply with their financial disclosure requirements;
4) The establishment by legislation of a formal Office for a truly Independent Director of Prosecutions in order to once and for all end the government's ability to wrongfully interfere with the judiciary through its de facto executive (PM) control of the Office of the Attorney General;
5) The wholesale repeal of the gaming web shop legislation;
6) New legislation to establish a National Lottery, the profits from which would be earmarked solely for the purpose of contributing to the financial needs of our public education system;
7) Tightening of legislation to give the Office of the Auditor General and the Public Accounts Committee the biting teeth they need to discharge their important duties in the way intended and expected; and
8) New campaign finance reform legislation to avoid the will of Bahamian voters being thwarted by large amounts of 'tainted' money directed at politicians by the likes of Sebas Bastian, Craig Flowers, Peter Nygard, Christie's Red China friends, and so on.
A passionate stance by Minnis and the FNM on implementing just these eight major initiatives alone would go a long ways towards putting the Bahamas on the right road for its future and the betterment of the Bahamian people. But "No", Minnis has made no meaningful or passionate commitment to us on any of these most important matters. Minnis instead prefers to ramble on and on ad nauseum about how the Christie-led PLP government has failed the Bahamian people. It's as if Minnis and the FNM believe they need not commit to anything on our behalf. That just can't be right and should give each voter serious pause for thought!
OMG 7 years, 5 months ago
Quite right. Minnis needs to get down to hard hitting facts about this present government and some clear policies that an FNM government would implement. Mind you the word accountability is like latin to the majority of our people. School tuck shops, Home comings, fund raisers and the government seem unwilling to publish accounts even when it is public money.
banker 7 years, 5 months ago
Y'all don't understand politics. All Minnis needs to do to get elected is keep his mouth shut to get elected. That way he doesn't scare off the people who rely on the status quo for the gravy train. He can't drive the vote to the PLP by the people who think that their material status will change if some of the corruption and corruption-lite policies change. Many people make a living on the wink-wink status quo, and if those doors shut, were are in for another Crisco Butt term.
Seriously though, I am seriously contemplating voting PLP. Something drastic needs to be done, and if we give the PLP another term, they will take this country to hell -- nothing left but ashes. Then we can rebuild from scratch and all of the stupid, ignorant, brainless PLP supporters will all either die of starvation or see the light. With any luck, if we get to that stage, the mobs will take care of the MPs who stole money from the people.
DDK 7 years, 5 months ago
You are so right. I was thinking exactly the same reading Mudda's list, which was why I commented about things best dealt with AFTER Election.
However, trust you don't seriously contemplate the corrupt party! Would hate to have to go through all of that. The Red party will have to do the right thing and the people will have to see to it!
themessenger 7 years, 5 months ago
The only problem with that is that the rest of us get to starve with them and the mob,even now, generally 'aint too picky about who dey does mob and our money jus as good as the politicians dem own and easier to tief not being in Switzerland or Panama. Personally I would rather NOT see everything I've worked for my entire life be reduced to ashes. Be careful what you wish for, we might all get it!
Gotoutintime 7 years, 5 months ago
Banker it looks like what you are saying is that if the PLP get back in there will an "Apocalypse Now" in the Bahamas and anyone still alive after the five years can pick up the pieces. This could work but I would hate to be in the Bahamas during the next five years!
banker 7 years, 5 months ago
The PLP have borrowed like drunken sailors on shore leave. And they don't know how to stop. It will come to a point where they can't borrow any more. They will squeeze everywhere trying to get more money. Nothing will work. So they will miss government payroll. The junior ministries will be hit with non-payment first. Many people have payroll deductions for things like cars and furniture. Those will be repossessed. Never mind hold-ups for cash and cell phones -- folks will break into Super Value for food. Gangs will start roaming Eastern Road and breaking into houses for goods, cash and food. Things will stop working. Copper thieves will tear out electricity lines. Stop lights will stop working. There will be folks begging at wharf. Cruise ships will stop coming. It will be illegal to hold American dollars. Smart businessmen who have found a way to siphon off American dollars offshore, will board up their houses, and depart for safer places. (I know of business people who have created clever schemes to bypass Central Bank regulations, and have regularly been buying American dollars from the bank to ship offshore, in the guise of doing business. They have been doing it since 2007).
The courier offices will be the best place to get food -- sent from Miami. The economy will move to a mostly underground economy, with folks dealing on a cash or goods barter. The Bahamian dollar will be devalued, so that the government can raid the American dollar reserves (if the peg is not 1:1, you don't need as much reserves).
It will be grim. Recently, I was at an undisclosed location, and I saw a bunch of rastas fishing. They were catching these little fishes -- not a single one was more than 3 inches long, and they were happy to catch those for a meal. That's the future of how many will eat, until it will be impossible to catch even those small fish from shore.
It een gern be pretty.
OldFort2012 7 years, 5 months ago
Serious question: what makes you think they won't simply default on foreign debt? After that, all they would need is enough money for police and RBDF and things will just simmer along for a LOOONGGG time....before the collapse. But you and I will likely be dead by then.
DDK 7 years, 5 months ago
This is the first time I have seen these dire predictions spelt out so eloquently! Any one with any form of understanding of the politics of the world with be aware that this sort of apocalyptic occurrence would become reality.
VOTE 'EM OUT SO WE DON'T LOSE OUR COUNTRY FOR GOOD!
Sickened 7 years, 5 months ago
We are truly on the brink of being a Venezuela. I used to say Jamaica but that is too short sighted - we will blow past that calamity faster than Perry's outriders.
sheeprunner12 7 years, 5 months ago
What has Minnis done to this guy "Well Mudda Take Sick"?????? ....... He is really bitter towards the Doc .......... But if we re-elect Perry, we will all be rowing dinghies to Florida by 2020
Well_mudda_take_sic 7 years, 5 months ago
Just sit back, take a deep breath, and do as I've done - simply judge Minnis on his public record for who and what he truly is, who and what he truly represents and who and what he truly stands for. Minnis has never caused me or my family any harm or grief as a Bahamian citizen or as a practicing medical doctor. But that would not continue to hold true if ever he became PM. He's really just a greedy power hungry megalomaniac without any of the core competencies required by a PM of our country, especially at this critical juncture.
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