WE agree with former prime minister Hubert Ingraham that elections rather than a short time in prison settles ”scores between populations and politicians.”
Bahamians, have possibly for the first time learned the power of their vote, and how, with it, they can deliver the most devastating verdict of all against politicians who have betrayed their trust.
“If crimes are committed, criminal activities committed and police have evidence then police ought to proceed with it against whomsoever, politicians or non-politicians,” Mr Ingraham said. “But there ought not to be a witch hunt against people. If there’s evidence somebody abused their authority in office or evidence of misfeasance then that’s possible, but not to do otherwise. I come from the school of thought that generally speaking elections settle scores between the populations and politicians and sometimes a loss is a bigger punishment for them than six months in prison because he spends the rest of his life with this thing that he regards as humiliation.”
Bahamians seem more anxious now to open the prison gates for those whom they perceive as political offenders. However, we strongly advise that they turn their full attention to helping rebuild their nation, and let the police deal with suspected political offences and offenders.
We do not believe that Bahamians as yet fully understand the seriousness of this country’s economic crisis. This means that many promises made by the dismissed PLP government – or even this government —cannot possibly be fulfilled at this time.
For example, when one considers the present condition of the Princess Margaret Hospital, it would be madness to even attempt to introduce National Health Insurance at an estimated annual cost of $100 million. No one yet knows where such funds are to be obtained, but if available should be used to raise the standard of the existing hospital before trying to achieve the impossible just for political kudos. The dilapidation of the Princess Margaret Hospital is a story in itself. To say it is in a subhuman state is an understatement. Recently a leading American doctor was taken on a tour. He was so shocked at what he saw that he said if the PMH were in the United States it would have been immediately condemned and closed.
Another area that needs close examination is the cost of maintaining and staffing so many foreign missions. Take Washington for example where a Bahamas Embassy is already established with an ambassador in residence. It is customary that a Consular office with a consul general is located in the Embassy. But not so for the penny poor, but ostentatious Bahamas. Under the PLP this consul general was established in offices and a residence of her own, with a three year lease, which has not as yet been completed. Why was this extra expense needed in the first place? Surely, this consular office will be closed and relocated in the Embassy, where it should have been in the first place.
Then there are embassies and consular offices around the world that could be closed and arrangements made for an already established foreign embassy to take the Bahamas under its wing for representation - or even rent a small office within that embassy to be manned by a Bahamian representative. It would certainly be less costly and just as effective.
Before the PLP came to power in 1967, it was established that anyone travelling on behalf of the government had to get permission, and on return had to submit a statement of expenses. However, once the PLP became the government there were long and unpleasant arguments by the new politicians, who believed that travel expenses should be a part of their perks.
We recall a political fight in 1988 when the then Opposition tried to get Sir Lynden to give a financial accounting of a trade mission to the Far East. On that mission no one involved with trade was included, but among the delegates were a campaign general for one of the ministers, a personal friend of Sir Lynden who sold motor scooters, and a government minister who at the time could not get an American visa to enter the United States. Sir Lynden refused to give an accounting. However, on another mission to the Far East, Sir Lynden’s delegation included 22 people and cost the country $98,922.
And now we come to the the five years of former foreign affairs minister Fred Mitchell who believed that the job of a foreign minister was to travel. In 2013 he announced that he intended to take most of that year off to spend in the Middle East and Asia looking for investments to fund our “capital starved” Treasury. We don’t know how much the Treasury benefitted, but the following year he arrived with what he claimed was $500,000 worth of “high grader phosphate” fertilizer as a gift from the Moroccan government. We don’t know what this could possibly have contributed to the Treasury, but Mr Mitchell assured Bahamians that it showed a “strong relationship between the Bahamas and Morocco.”
He even found time for two years before her election to pledge his personal support to the Baroness Scotland to head CHOGM, and convince then prime minister Christie to throw the Bahamas’ vote behind her. He thought she would provide for the best interest of the Bahamas. She won the post, as far as we know, she has done nothing for the Bahamas, but has succeeded in attracting a press that has completely discredited her.
We now believe that the country is owed an accounting of all of Mr Mitchell’s trips and how much they have either taken from or contributed to the Public Treasury.
However, with so many embassies and consular offices around the world, and the use of video conferencing, the travelling of a Foreign Minister has to be curtailed and every person who undertakes a mission on behalf of this country should be required to give a detailed accounting of his/her expenses.
Yes, a new day has arrived in this country. The nonsense must stop.
Comments
ThisIsOurs 7 years, 5 months ago
"Another area that needs close examination is the cost of maintaining and staffing so many foreign missions."
I've posted on many occasions that I believe KP is the wrong man for the job. I'm not saying that and I didn't come to that conclusion because I dislike him, my concern comes from having seen the way he operated before the election and continues to operate post election.
My radar went up at his reaction to LBT at the convention, yes that far back. I thought the reaction was odd, very odd, and for the most part I felt it was a big show put on for the cameras. Then he seemed to adopt a penchant for showing up on talk shows and I wondered how can the deputy have so much time to make adhoc calls?? I was also concerned that he was an "accountant". In normal times, no issue, but I knew we needed someone with good instincts with their pulse on the economy, a Gowen Bowe type figure. I didn't know enough about Turnquest to disqualify him but I wasn't sure he had the qualifications to turn our finances around. But by far the most concerning thing was his penchant to get in front of the mic. He seemed more concerned about optics.
It turned out to be worse than I thought.
As you've identified we are in bad shape and Turnquest didn't seem to get it for a whole month. He appeared high on the fumes of victory, power and retribution. He didn't seem concerned about doing any work to change anything. It wasn't until after the voices for a plan rose up that he started talking about a. "Plan", actually I'm wrong, it wasn't until Moody's said they were coming to look for a plan that he started talking about a plan. Before that "we were too impatient, they just get in, did we expect a miracle?" was the attitude.
What you cite in this article as a cost cutting measure is obvious for anyone watching. But Turnquest has not thought of it. How do I know that? He's not a strategic thinker, he's not proactive, he reacts to the news of the day.
They kicked Agatha Marcel out of the program that she created and then spoke of what a wonderful initiative it was. No one saw a need to change anything about it. Even more disturbing the senior rep appointed in Marcel's place bragged about how wonderful the facilities were. Huh?? Do we have money to continue to pay for grandiose facilities for a program that duplicates BTVI, COB or Bahamas Host?
As long as Turnquest remains, my hope is dimmed for an economic turnaround. He's not the finance man for this time. He may close a mission now that you've pointed it out to him, but don't look for him to do anything today that gives benefits a year from now, he's just not a strategic thinker. He's a public relations guy.
I'm concerned that Moody's and SP have already completed the profile on him and have come to the same, possibly worse, conclusion. Hence the "we coming to see the plan"
Well_mudda_take_sic 7 years, 5 months ago
@ThisisOurs: I stopped reading at your mention of Gowan Bowe....that's where all of your credibility went out the door.
ThisIsOurs 7 years, 5 months ago
Lol. :)
Whenever I mention his name people think I'm talking about "him", I'm not. I'm using him as an example. I think he's very intelligent, I think he's inciteful, he's analytical and he understands the economy. Did he disappoint me by not calling out the foolishness of the last administration, Yes. Does he know everything, I doubt it, but I think someone "like" him is what we need at finance. He has foundation, KP doesn't. KP isn't going to cut it, this isn't a time where he can learn on the job, the times are too critical and things will be coming at him too fast.
I'd also say we need someone "like" Fred Mitchell in leadership for the same reason, he has the "qualities" of a great leader, but somewhere along the way bitterness took over and he disqualified himself. Dr Minnis should be able to do the job since he's focusing solely on organization . His first leadership test is to do something with leadership at finance.
sheeprunner12 7 years, 5 months ago
Rebuilding The Bahamas means:
Acknowledging that there are 30 inhabited islands that are full of resources and potential
Right-sizing the government and public infrastructure in ALL of the islands
Cleaning up immigration and citizenship challenges based on the present Constitution
Reviewing and reforming the Constitution to move to a unicameral Republic with autonomous Family Island districts with their own elected mayors and Councils.
Introducing a fair three-tiered income tax system to replace the customs/VAT system
Creating a dynamic indigenous sports and cultural system to restore national pride
DDK 7 years, 5 months ago
No three-tiered income tax system. Enough taxes already. No need to mention any more or they just may add them to the list. There are far more taxes in place than customs duty and VAT that should be eliminated for starters, like the environmental tax, which is a laugh since nothing is ever done about vehicles spewing toxic pollution into the air from exhaust pipes. Has the Police Commissioner ever thought about dealing with that?
DDK 7 years, 5 months ago
"The nonsense must stop."
True enough.
gbgal 7 years, 5 months ago
My 2cents, DDK...what about the littering of verges, streets and properties??? Grand examples of Pollution and nothing done to curb it!
sheeprunner12 7 years, 5 months ago
DDK ........... with all due respect, there is a need to see the BIGGER PICTURE ...... Do not waste time nit-picking ......... Are you satisfied with the present tax regime in the country?????? How can the tax system better serve its purpose without squeezing the bottom THIRD of the population??????? ......... What are the list of "taxes" that are recorded in the Budget that provide Revenue to the country and who pays those taxes?????.............That is the BIGGER PICTURE
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