Long Island MP Loretta Butler-Turner
By KHRISNA VIRGIL
Tribune Staff Reporter
kvirgil@tribunemedia.net
LONG Island MP Loretta Butler-Turner yesterday said her constituents were angry that the government has continued to drop the ball amid rebuild and repair efforts on the island in the aftermath of Hurricane Joaquin.
One month since the category four storm devastated the southern islands, Mrs Butler-Turner said Long Islanders, with the help of private companies and citizens, are refusing to wait on the government to render assistance.
She said residents were sceptical that anything substantial will be done on the island by the government.
“Throughout the island, people are using their own monies or using donations from the private sector to do what they have to do,” she said when contacted for comment.
“This weekend marked one month since the passage and people are still going through the manifestation of their losses. The general feeling is people don’t expect much to happen because many said they were still waiting for assistance from the last disaster. They are very sceptical and looking to private businesses and family to help.
“They feel left out and that this Nassau-centric government is not doing enough for their safety and well being.”
Her comments came the day after the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) was slated to begin rebuilding efforts.
However, Mrs Butler-Turner said while the first shipment of building supplies had arrived on the island from NEMA, she had seen no building or repair efforts taking place by government contracted workers.
When contacted yesterday, NEMA’s director, Captain Stephen Russell, said he was advised that supplies were being shipped to the islands with officials in the process of distributing the materials. He said a trip to the affected islands was expected this week.
Last month, Prime Minister Perry Christie told the House of Assembly that the government plans to simultaneously rebuild the hurricane-ravaged Family Islands where an estimated 836 homes were completely destroyed.
Mr Christie said based on information from the Department of Social Services, Hurricane Joaquin wiped out 413 homes in Long Island, 227 houses in San Salvador, 123 homes in Acklins, 50 houses in Crooked Island and 23 residences in Rum Cay.
The damage from Hurricane Joaquin has been pegged at $80 million. The storm wreaked havoc in the central and southern Bahamas on October 1 and 2.
Comments
TruePeople 9 years, 1 month ago
Gov't know to take, but not how to give. PLP is the worse for dat
Reader 9 years, 1 month ago
Yea Bulla yinna gat that right to da bone.
Regardless 9 years, 1 month ago
No sense in having an apoplexy over it. The people in Long Island continue to vote in parliamentarians who never know how to reach across the aisle. Anyhow, most Long Islanders south of Thompson Bay will tell you they don't need government for anything if it is the PLP. The FNM love this blind loyalty.
asiseeit 9 years, 1 month ago
As the people of Long Island can attest, this PLP government is WUTLESS, just like the PLP government from 2002-2007. I wonder how silly those that fell for this governments lie's and sweet talk feel today. Fool me once bad on you, fool me twice, slap me silly!
jujutreeclub 9 years, 1 month ago
Regardless. When you start to comment on this Long Island political situation, you need to come with the facts and understand where it all started. Firstly, when Long Island was split into two seats, which was south Long Island and North Long Island and Exuma/Ragged Island, the PLP with Philip Smith won the North side. During that time, the PLP only did things for their side under the leadership of Prime Minister Pindling. This is how the South was treated. The roads were paved from north and stopped at Thompson Bay and basically everything stopped there. In the late 80's - pre 92' there were some upgrades to the telephone system. The main station was in deadmans cay, the govt decided to go ahead and build a station about 4 miles in the bush at ONeils for the upgrade. It would have been more cost effective to perform the upgrade at the Deadmans Cay station, but it was in an FNM area so it wasn't done. There was also a packing house for the ministry of Agriculture built at the same location as BTC. The funny thing about this is that the majority of farmers lived up to 90 miles away. The produce was harvested and taken to the packing house about 90 miles away over pot holed and valley roads. Sometimes the vehicle go into those pot holes and valleys the other vehicle could have not seen them. And guess what then, the produce then had to be packaged and taken back over that bad road to the dock in Clarence town. By the time the produce get to the produce exchange in Nassau, they were no more good to be sold to anyone. Talk about a waste of money. When Long Island was in the prime of farming, the PLP government decided to send a mailboat that could have only taken a limited amount of produce, the rest had to go back and feed the hogs or let it rot. Many nights we had to sleep in our trucks because you had to go to be some of the first to offload your vehicle to ensure that it get to market. Also there was no electricity provided for none of the Island.
In 1992 when the government changed, electricity/water/good roads were supplied to the entire Island, north and south. The packing house was built on property about 100 feet from the dock at clarence town that was more convenient and did not necessarily required a vehicle to transport the produce to the boat but utilized fork lifts.
Talk about victimization, that is it there. So you still is wondering why the south feels that way about the PLP government. Ponder on those things.***
Regardless 9 years, 1 month ago
Nothing like the old south Long Island "victimization, poor me" diatribe. You can thank Yuma Power for not getting power in the south at the same time as the north. As to the packing house issue, what a wonderful way to spoil one of the most scenic sports in The Bahamas, Clarence Town by sticking an industrial packing house on the bay. All that bush near docks and they put it on the beach. Bravo Tennyson Wells. Think he would put a packing house on his development on the old Bacardi site. I don't know what is worse, the arrogance or just the ignorance! BTW, fact check the length of Long Island before erroneously stating distances from point A to B.
TruePeople 9 years, 1 month ago
My bey really is crying bout mash up 'most scenic spots [sic]' because a pretty beach is more important that the sufferation of Bahamian people.... my lawd... look at cable beach
Regardless 9 years, 1 month ago
Same mentality as the bleach shipments skyrocketing to Long Island at the start of the crawfish season. Screw the environment as long as its expedient!
sealice 9 years, 1 month ago
He's crying about mashing up pretty spots? what was his PLP ars thinking when he approved the Pointe? Dey dun mash up the entire city in one chinee swoop....
birdiestrachan 9 years, 1 month ago
Butler Turner persons are suppose to use their own money and their families should assist, they should not wait for the Government if they can help themselves. only persons who can not help themselves should seek Government assistance . and try to remember Long Island is not the only Island affected. Persons in Long Island may be better off than persons in the other Islands.
TruePeople 9 years, 1 month ago
wtf? Then why have a Gov't. Lets just go to Garrison Politics where each community has their own Don / Benefactor. Lets stop Pay VAT, Taxes, everyting, cus apparently at the end of the day National and Social Development and Maintenance has to come out of the pockets of individuals rather than out of the national treasury. After all, the Treasury is just pocket money of PLP MPs right?!
Bey y'all fool is truely confuddling
asiseeit 9 years, 1 month ago
Birdie, are you finally admitting that this government is useless? Are you saying that the private sector and individual Bahamians are more effective than our failed Government? IF so there might be hope for you yet, you actually may have an honest bone in your body.
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