Leslie Miller
By SANCHESKA DORSETT
Tribune Staff Reporter
sdorsett@tribunemedia.net
TALL Pines MP Leslie Miller criticised Bahamas Power and Light Company Ltd and the government yesterday for “bringing in foreigners” to assist in restoring power to New Providence when, Mr Miller claimed, “Bahamians could have done the same job.”
In an interview with The Tribune, Mr Miller speculated that the government is paying more than $1m to “outsiders” when qualified Bahamians are being overlooked “for no real reason.”
The former Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC) executive chairman said “never in the history of The Bahamas” has any foreign company ever had to be brought in to assist with restoration efforts. Last week in a press release, BPL announced that two teams from PowerSecure and two from the Caribbean Electricity Utility Services Corporation (CARILEC) arrived in New Providence to “ramp up the pace of restoration”.
BPL also said the company sought the help of local contractors.
“They brought in these old, rusty trucks that we have right here on the island not being used because they don’t work,” Mr Miller told The Tribune. “What I want to know is, how much money is this going to cost us? This wasn’t a gift, they brought in these people and we have to pay them. I bet you any money that will be well over $1 million.
“They have 35 men and 10 trucks from what I understand. We have 35 trucks here that we used to rent. When I was there, we used Bahamians because we preferred the money to stay in the Bahamas. That is $1million that Bahamians could have used. This will be one hefty bill. They didn’t want our help. They didn’t want Bahamians to do it; they wanted the money to go outside. We always used Bahamians and we never had an issue and we certainly never took this long.
“This is the first time in the history of the Bahamas that anyone had to be brought in to New Providence. All this is dong is telling our people we are incapable of doing something we have always been doing. I hope in my lifetime this never happens again but I would not bet on it.”
Mr Miller also said he believes he is being victimised by the BPL for “speaking out” against the utility provider.
“My constituents have been telling me that the guys from BEC said if they want their light on they need to ask the ‘potcake’ to do it,” Mr Miller claimed.
“Some of the corners still aren’t on and these people playing games because they don’t like me. In the plaza where my business is, every other place was on but me. I called and called and complained and nothing happened. I was told a simple line had to be connected to my business; I had to call in a favour to get the line hooked up. There is no doubt in my mind that this wasn’t intentional. They did it because what I said about the crew down there but I don’t really care. I am not going to stop.”
Mr Miller has repeatedly gone on the record with his belief that surrendering the day-to-day management of Bahamas Power and Light to PowerSecure was a “huge mistake.”
Mr Miller has said the new management lacked compassion and the experience needed to run BPL.
Comments
rqd2 8 years ago
Mr Miller,
In the US, many power companies have agreements to bring in help from other areas (better known as "foreigners") The Edison Electric Institute published a paper on the mutual aid process, and you may read it here:
http://www.eei.org/issuesandpolicy/elec…
I hope providing a link to a foreign website doesn't hurt your sensibilities.
No single utility has the capability to quickly restore power when the entire system is offline. That's why they agree to work together in times of disaster. If they all wanted the jobs to go to untrained locals, the systems would take months to come back online.
Your idea of having Bahamians do the work just for the sake of having them be Bahamian is ludicrous. The time for training those Bahamians was long ago and it would have cost you millions of dollars to not only train them, but to keep them employed while you waited for a disaster.
Your protectionism and that of others in The Bahamas explains much about what is wrong with your country.
I'm sure those that volunteered for the assignment to assist all Bahamians would rather be at home with their families rather than suffer the whining of a short-sighted fool.
Would you also refuse monetary donations and aid from the US and people like me that gave to help when asked?
Just when I think it's time to reconsider The Bahamas as a place for investment and to visit, I'm reminded why I stopped coming.
Naughtydread 8 years ago
Couldn't have been summed up any better.
ThisIsOurs 8 years ago
"Untrained locals"? Where'd you get that?? The "locals" have the necessary training to get the job done, the problem was a foreign firm that refused to accept local advise on how to carry out the restoration, that only exacerbated the issue with insufficient resources to completely tackle the problem. It wasn't the "locals" who waited forever to ask for help.
JohnDoe 8 years ago
I often do not agree with Mr. Miller, but for the record those "untrained locals" have been restoring power to these islands after hurricanes for as long as I can remember and their track record is unambiguously much more impressive than what BPL has accomplished following Matthew. Further it seem to me that you totally missed Mr. Miller's point. His point, as I understand it, was not that foreigners were unwelcomed as we have received foreign help before, His point was that experienced local resources are here willing to help, able to help and available and were not offered the opportunity to be be effectively utilized. That was unfortunate and in my view why persons are still without power almost three weeks after Matthew.
licks2 8 years ago
This Sandals person has no skills or ability to comment on untrained locals. . .watching your performance with that union mess will show who are the "untrained yardies them round ere". . .them five union members are now out of court. . .stay tuned mr sandals! Stay tuned for TCI round two fer yinna "untrained" executives down the road there!
bandit 8 years ago
I am sure Haiti would appreciate these foreigners helping them put back on whatever little electricity that they have. Leave the Bahamas and go to Haiti where you would be more appreciated. Mr Miller sound so ungreatful
Well_mudda_take_sic 8 years ago
Foreigners had to be brought in because Crooked Christie and his mange ridden lackey potcake Miller a\k\a the Lady Slapper ran BEC right into the ground through fraud and mismanagement driven by their corruptness and insatiable greed as shortsighted incompetent politicians.
The_Oracle 8 years ago
Foreign companies, particularly U.S. cannot give monetary donations to foreign Governments due to their Anti-Foreign Corrupt Govt. act. Which is why they prefer NGO's. Few here of which have their affairs (books) in order. As to Miller, does he not concede in this article that their "rust Buckets" don't run? Without Bucket trucks and post hole drillers what you gonna do? Run drop cords everywhere? Maybe give the "Bahamians" spike boots like the Jamaicans use? What an unmitigated @#s.
VDSheep 8 years ago
Don't be daft ' where in the world do you know that politicians are not corrupt!? The bigger or more affluent the more the corruption - in so called "developed societies" [sic] - the corruption almost seems legal! Insomuch as to say the least ' we have similar habits. In addition we also have the colonial, house boy, slave mentality - that still haunts our concept as a people. The man, or the foreigner can do it better than us - so we most often bring them in - in lieu of our own ' how do we get past that syndrome? We might disagree with Mr. Miller or whoever..., for whatever reason - but in this matter ' he is correct!
Well_mudda_take_sic 8 years ago
You're clearly beyond the point of counselling by Dr. Allen.....and no doubt big pharma has yet to develope the kind of happy pill you need. Just hang in there though....take comfort in knowing your miserable mental state and existence are not eternal.....after all, no one lives forever!
ThisIsOurs 8 years ago
Nothing wrong with "foreigners", as long as they're competent and they're not political puppets
VDSheep 8 years ago
Further ' when hurricanes has devastated areas in the Caribbean and Bermuda - BEC Bahamas was there - helping to restore power! The narrative about BEC Bahamas help was always - "professional help from BEC Bahamas" - totally satisfied! I dare say too - the same about BTC! So give it up for our guys and cut the crap!
realfreethinker 8 years ago
Why do you give this nut job a platform, he is obsolete like the rest of his buddies
ohdrap4 8 years ago
he sells newspapers.
C2B 8 years ago
If Mr. Miller wants to take credit for the good at BEC, he needs to own the bad. He is partially responsible for the sorry state of this utility. His mismanagement stands as part of a corrupt legacy that threatens the very development of future generations of Bahamians. Under his leadership, among others, this utility was allowed to metastasize in to the grave cancer that it is. How he reconciles this with his concern for Bahamians now, is beyond comprehension. As Trump would say; you have had 30 years to fix it and did nothing. Now tell us about the rental trucks you had again............
OMG 8 years ago
Has he paid his BEC bills yet ?
bandit 8 years ago
I saw do as Mr Miller suggested and not bring in Foreigners to help with the restoration and let the people continue to bawl that they don't have any electricity. The man Miller has lost his mind and with his continuing bashing of foreigners I can see the Bahamas tourist protect going further and further down the hill without any brakes.
TalRussell 8 years ago
Comrades! Truth is, if the "Pot cake" Leslie cannot confirm that he has in fact "paid off" his old $100,000 BEC light bill made public that remained outstanding, hasn't he in fact contributed to the depressed financial state of affairs left in place at BEC on the date the PM decided to transfer his political Chairmanship appointment over to the water department?
Personally, I think the criticism being levied at BEC/BPL is unfair when considering what equipment and broken power system was left behind to work with, their power team have done a pretty damn reasonable response time job at restoring power to thousands of businesses and residences....be it having been foreigner lead or not. Might I remind the Pot cake that prior to the hurricane even being in sight when he was Chairman at BEC, he couldn't even keep the damn lights on at "96%" of businesses and residences.
OMG 8 years ago
Funny counry this, love donations from other countries of equipment, cash from winter residents to allow voluntary groups such as family island ambulances and fire engines to operate, assistance from free dental groups, supplies to the clinics but "we don't want foreigners". Get real Mr Miller this tiny tiny country needs all the help it can get and can easily be by passed by more efficient countries. Most developed countries have long realised that one or more qualified individuals from whatever country can often run local industries efficiently and therefore provide more jobs. If devaluation and downgrading occur which is looking more likely you better hope Mr Miller that you and your mindless cronies know where turn for help.
sheeprunner12 8 years ago
Yes ........... this country has a serious "love-hate" relationship with "foreigners" ....... the funny thing about that is that the whole damn population are foreigners!!!!!! .......... all of the Arawaks are dead, thanks to Columbus and his band of foreigners ......... who is a real Bahamian????? .......... a person with an original Puritan or Loyalist name??????
We need to stop this "foreigner" talk before the real foreigners do not take over
VDSheep 8 years ago
No one is saying – there is a dislike for foreigners coming in to help. All that is said simply – Bahamians could have done the job! Separate your dislike for the guy (sure he has issues ' who doesn't?) - but look at what he said about this issue – that is all.
John 8 years ago
The fact is BPL seems to have brought in foreign help and the trucks as an afterthought. It appears they were approaching the BEC restoration and recovery in a "business as usual mode." Only after they realized the extent of the damage and the intolerance of the Bahamian consumer did they decide to holler for help. So when the men and trucks arrived a large bulk of the repairs were completed. Since they are here hopefully they will ship some of them to Andros and get the victims over there back up and running.
licks2 8 years ago
Thank you sir. . .it was never about this company being from here or Japan. . .THEY RAN BPL LIKE A PEANUT BOY ON ONE CORNER. . .LIGHTS OFF EVERY NIGHT. . .WAY MUCH MORE THAN BEC EVER DID IN ALL MY LIFE. . .THEN THE STORM CAME AND SOME LIGHTS ARE STILL OFF! BEC has always got lights back on in just days after any storm in the past!
Any person who been in this country for the last three years can testify that BPL has done far below BEC ever did on a stormy night! And we all know that all BEC needed is one "lil thunder clap" and the lights them go "voop". . .darkness all over the island!
No that "udder" company acted like "they een never see one light company before in they life". . .much less run one! Voop. . .this problem. . .Voop. . .that problem. . .Voop. . .anudder problem. . .Voop. . .now where that light switch problem. . . Voop. . .gee storm coming problem!
On and on and on and on. . .all the while using them same engines them BEC was using all these years with they "load shedding"!
The issue here is not with over seas people being here. . .However, it is about "dumb over seas" people coming here and "moving over" our dumb peoples them and then can't even cut bait. . .at least the Bahamians them know how to "cut we off" some of the times when "one lil reenin come down" and not three and four times every day like this BPL peoples them who can find a light switch it seems!
MonkeeDoo 8 years ago
I recall several times where Bahamians have gone to other island nations to assist them. One I am sure was The Cayman Islands. Are they considered foreign when they go to help. No they are welcomed with open bloody arms.
licks2 8 years ago
When was that? Now I can recall that Jamaica helped in the out islands one time. . .but you are missing the point. . .THIS COMPANY IS NOT GETTING IT RIGHT FROM THE TIME THEY GOT HERE.
I don't care how that cat jumps. . .WE ARE PAYING FOR THE SERVICES AND THIS COMPANY CAN'T DELIVER IT. . .STORM OR NO STORM!
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