The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

I was surprised to read a Letter to the Editor early this week which seemed little more than staged propaganda in support of ludicrous environmental claims by Member of Parliament and Minister of Education Jerome Fitzgerald concerning the erosion of Saunders Beach.

The writer suggested that the beach erosion caused by Hurricane Sandy would not have occurred were it not for the construction of the public toilet block at Saunders Beach-side Park.

It appears that the beach erosion resulting from Hurricane Sandy all along the western end of New Providence Island, and nowhere near Saunders Beach, escaped the letter writer.

I was also amazed that the letter writer, while noting the absence of sand on Saunders Beach, seemed to be oblivious to the fact that the displaced sand had not been taken out to sea but rather blown up onto the Saunders Beach parking area, onto the main West Bay Street, which was closed for more than a day as a result, and into properties on the southern side of the road notably the gas station and the Luna night club.

What I find incredulous, indeed scandalous, is the fact that the government either organised or permitted private trucking companies to scoop up the tons of sand blown onto the roadway by the storm and take it away presumably for sale at a profit.

Subsequently, the Government purchased new replacement sand, no doubt from political supporters, to place on the same sand depleted beach and to complete the beach expansion project which was needlessly interrupted immediately following the general elections in May.

Farther afield, Florida television stations report daily on the continuing struggle being experienced in the Fort Lauderdale area where heavy surf continues to buffet the South Florida coastline eroding beaches and throwing sand up onto roadways.

In the case of Fort Lauderdale, the City Government has been continually engaged in an exercise returning displaced sand to the beach and putting further buffers in place to keep the sand on the beach.

Perhaps we might take a page from their restoration book.

Not only do I not believe that Mr Fitzgerald was correct in his claims about erosion caused by the development of the beach-side park, I believe that the PLP government has been willing to neglect arresting the storm damage at Saunders Beach so as to create a rationale for the Minister’s unreasoned allegations.

The hundreds of Bahamian families who frequent Saunders Beach should join in demanding that the government stop the delays and complete the beach expansion and beach restoration at this beautiful beach park at the earliest possible opportunity.

KIRKLAND TURNER

Nassau,

November 26, 2012.