...the future of The Bahamas

The young and unemployed

The Nassau Guardian Editorial
Nassau, The Bahamas



On May 7, 2012, many young Bahamians exercised their right to vote in an election for the first time.  But it is this generation lured by promises of a better Bahamas that continues to suffer the consequences of continually failing government policies.  The Bahamas has an overall unemployment rate of 14 percent that surges to nearly 31 percent for those between the ages of 15 and 24.

It is this generation of discouraged Bahamians who asks where are the promised 10,000 jobs?  The government’s answer: An inadequate campaign to expel domestic staff in the pursuit of a so-called Bahamians first policy.  Surely, the government can do more to inspire, develop and meet the career aspirations of our children?  To the misfortune of our young, simply being Bahamian will neither improve educational aptitude, nor professional qualifications.

Spending on education has not doubled as promised.  Repeatedly passed for seemingly more pressing matters of webshops and lottery, poor education now stands as a significant barrier of entry to the workplace.  A point of consternation reiterated by the Bahamian business community and acknowledged in a recent Inter-American Development (IDB) report.

Yet this government prefers to appease the cronies of independence, while our youth stand idle with dangerous temptation.  They naively listen to the PLP’s ongoing eulogy of a glorious era under Sir Lynden Pindling that seldom touches on the problems of drugs and corruption during those times.  They dream of the yesteryear of independence because this is a government that prefers the past to the present.  They cheer the creation of a holiday to celebrate majority rule, while our Parliament bars entry to young people when they seek accountability.

The College of The Bahamas Union of Students (COBUS) made a laudable attempt to express its dismay for college fee increases but saw its efforts dashed by ridiculous assertions that the peaceful and professionally-dressed student group was a security threat.  Unlike Spain and Greece, our youth have not marched en masse on Rawson Square to demand change.

In its second year, this government must reaffirm its commitment to education and make it a priority.  It must showcase talented Bahamians whose intellectual prowess has lead to success.  It must advocate scholastic achievement through hard work and dedication to study.  It must engrain in the minds of our youth that education is the key to success.  Most importantly, the government must engage this next generation of Bahamians in the process and administration of government.
They are the future Bahamas.

June 11, 2013

The Nassau Guardian

Bahamas Blog International

Gender Equality in the Caribbean

Gender inequality in the Caribbean: A sad story

By Rebecca Theodore:



Christianity, it has been argued, “changed the world, established the roots of civilization and advanced the general well -being of humanity.” Astoundingly enough, it now seems that the Christian thought that evolved from the fiery preaching of St Paul the apostle to the Ephesians is now engulfing the Caribbean in a tide of darkness and destruction. Emboldened by a religious intellectualism fiddled with emotionalism, the dilemma of gender inequality lies fortified amidst a wreckage that yearns for a perfect comprehension in the Caribbean.



The lurid and pithy utterances and the revelation contained in Ephesians 5: 22-23 and 1 Timothy 2:11-14 are now distinguished in a surge of gender inequality that betrays the progress that women have made and continue to make in the Caribbean.

If statistics concerning gender inequality in the Caribbean are correct, then we at once see the economic, social, and political status of women being rapidly eroded in a patriarchal society where religion worships the epitome of a male dominated supremacy.

As ministers of religion take to the pulpits and preach the boldness and grandeur of the scriptures, it seems more men are taken in with the soaring flight of their own imaginations as a reason to beat their wives because they are the head of the household. Others feel compelled to restrain them to silence in church ministry and political participation.

Statistics report that “women in the Caribbean still lack promotional rights, free from job discrimination as social and legal institutions do not pledge equality in employment and earning and social and political participation.” Caribbean women not only continue to cluster at the lower sectors of society in terms of employment, wages, and political representation, making them vulnerable to poverty and gender-based violence and harassment, but to conflicting ideology of power and religious oppression as well.

The impact of gender inequality on Caribbean shores should now awaken the conscience of governments to take measures to ensure that all its citizens are protected. It is time that Caribbean governments focus on the eradication of direct and indirect forms of discrimination against women through legislative reforms and the enactment of gender sensitive social, political and religious policies.

Although one might be tempted to infer that Christian morals should be upheld in every aspect of our daily lives, it must also be seen that in a society where women’s rights are vaporized by religion, then the narrative becomes sexist in origin and chaos quickly follows.

It is assumed that since St Augustine and his confessions, the Christian church continues to misread Paul and religious interpreters are losing sight of the controversy regarding the relationship between men and women. Former professor at Harvard University Divinity School Krister Stendahl confirms that “Paul’s biblical exegesis, historical interpretation and sociological analysis, is only demonstrative of an "introspective conscience" hence the real dynamic in Paul’s polemic, i.e., the relationship between men and women should not be one that encourages or contributes to abuse of women or gender inequality.”

If God is the liberator of all humanity, then shouldn’t the aim of the law as understood in Christianity construct a device capable of inclusion of all sexes? Why then should St Paul declare it a shame for women to speak in public or constrain them to silence, thus reducing them to inequality and slaves of the law?

Seeking to alienate women from the duties and privileges of church leadership or employment equity is antiquated in nature especially in a glowing 21st century where much emphasis is placed on gender egalitarianism and non-discrimination.

History has proven time and time again, that institutions of faith destroy equality. It must also be remembered that it was the skepticism of organized religion that led to the fundamentalist movement in the United States and the manipulation of individual faith as a means to a political end, because people wanted the freedom to learn from the bible, and interpret it themselves through their community church.

And while there is salvation on the Damascus road, the need for structural reform, redefinition of power, accelerating human rights for women to provide a firm foundation for social, religious and economic development and security should now be an urgent plea in many Caribbean societies.

June 06, 2013

Caribbean News Now!

Bahamas Blog International

The Summit of the Pacific Alliance: ...Return of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA)?

Pacific Alliance: Return of the FTAA?

By Anubis Galardy

THE Summit of the Pacific Alliance, comprising Mexico, Colombia, Chile and Peru, which took place May 23 in Cali, Colombia, left clear its pretension to become the new economic and development organization for Latin America and the Caribbean, within a framework of the free circulation of goods, services, capital and persons among its member states.

The idea of former Peruvian President Alan García, formalized in Chile in 2012, the implementation of this new regional mechanism has generated rejection, criticism and distrust.

Argentine political analyst Atilio Borón defined it as a political-economic maneuver on the part of Washington to retrieve its lost influence in the region, after the 2005 defeat in Mar del Plata of its grand strategic project, the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA).

In other words, the plan is to build a kind of contra-insurgency or reactionary corridor to counterbalance the radical or moderate left in the region, Borón emphasized.

Peruvian researcher Carlos Alonso agrees with this perception. For him, the Alliance is also a resurgence of the failed FTAA, this time in an undisguised neoliberal version.

The Pacific Alliance has emerged in the face of other regional integration mechanisms such as the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA), MERCOSUR, the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).with a concrete divisive and pro-Washington mission, to facilitate the United States repositioning itself with force in the region, he noted.

The Pacific Alliance divides South America into two: a part which seeks to play a role in world politics, for which it needs to act within a framework of sovereignty, and another with clear right-wing leanings, and inclined toward Washington, Alonso continues.

In summary, it is simply a merger of the Free Trade Treaties that Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Chile and shortly Panama and Costa Rica (currently observer countries) have with the United States, among themselves and with other countries in the region sharing a Pacific coast, Alonso concludes.

In his opinion, all of this is pointed toward a supra-free trade area with the Asian-Pacific region (Pacific Arch) which the United States is seeking to dominate.

Meanwhile, in Colombia, which assumed the rotating presidency of the Alliance at the Summit, Eduardo Sarmiento, director of the School of Engineering’s Economic Observatory, stated, "The free interchange of goods among members of this new bloc could possibly generate cheaper products, but at the cost of sacrificing employment and the country’s growth." (Orbe weekly)

June 06, 2013

 

Granma.cu

 

Bahamas Blog International 

Bahamian tourism is “starving” in The Bahamas

Tourism 'Starving': The Shop Is Bare

By NEIL: HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
Nassau, The bahamas

Bahamian tourism is “starving” because it has both failed to develop a unique product, a well-known architect believes, and not invested in creating key “attractions”.

 

Pat Rahming, of Pat Rahming & Associates, told Tribune Business that while the Bahamas had potential tourism product “coming out of its ears”, much of it was “locked away in a warehouse with three padlocks on it”.

 

And he explained that rather than focus on developing one-of-a-kind ‘attractions’, the Bahamas had instead concentrated the bulk of its tourism investments in the infrastructure that supported them - accommodation (hotels) and transportation.

 

Pointing to the “dilapidated” state of Nassau’s few land-based attractions, such as the forts and Water Tower, Mr Rahming likened Bahamian tourism to a shop with little inventory on its shelves.

 

Arguing that ‘attractions’ were the equivalent of tourism’s “cash register”, Mr Rahming said of these shortcomings: “That’s why we’re losing our shirts, and other people are eating our lunch.”

 

His thoughts offer a new perspective on why some believe the Bahamas’ tourism competitiveness is slip-sliding away, a perception reinforced by a Tribune Business report last week.

 

This newspaper reported that stopover visitors’ share of total foreign arrivals to the Bahamas had slipped from around 31-32 per cent pre-recession to around 24-25 per cent for the past four years. In raw terms, this means that high yielding stopover visitors (spending over $1,000 per head) have declined from one out of every three visitors to one out of every four.

 

Recalling how he arrived at his conclusions, Mr Rahming said he first began attending the annual American Parks and Attractions convention some 17-18 years ago.

 

Becoming a regular attendee every November, he explained: “The key was that I learned through that organisation that the business of tourism, the members of that organisation were the people that drove the business of tourism globally.

 

“At the various seminars and workshops, I came to understand why our business was floundering, what we were doing and perhaps ought not to be doing.”

 

Although he failed to convince Ministry of Tourism officials to accompany him to that convention, Mr Rahming said he learnt that all tourists - wherever they were in the world - were seeking unique Place-specific Experiences.

 

This, he told Tribune Business, could be delivered through a variety of products - place, history, mythology and lifestyle. New York and Miami were lifestyle destinations; London was a historical destination; Athens was steeped in ancient mythology; and unique places included the likes of Niagara Falls and the Grand Canyon.

 

Downtown Nassau was once, Mr Rahming said, the place-specific destination that Spanish Wells, Hope Town and Green Turtle Cay were now. Yet the fundamental flaw was that the Bahamas still had to properly define its tourism product (Place-specific experience).

 

Noting that the Bahamas represented Christopher Columbus’s first port of call in the Western Hemisphere in 1492, Mr Rahming told Tribune Business: “Someone looking for a warm weather destination, sun, sand and sea, has half the world available to him, but the guy looking for the spot where contemporary civilisation started has only one choice.

 

“We are the genesis of all contemporary Americans, the Bahamas. Isn’t that incredible? This is why it becomes so important to the business of tourism. We have product coming out of our ears, but it’s all locked away with three padlocks on it.”

 

In contrast, Mr Rahming said the Dominican Republic had chosen in 1991 to focus on Columbus as an attraction, changing the focus of its tourism product.

 

It had also concentrated on golf, these two moves explaining why its stopover visitor numbers had increased by 109.8 per cent in the nine years up to 2000. Cuba’s growth over the same period was 318.4 per cent, yet the Bahamas’ growth remained in low double digits.

 

Unlike New Orleans with its ‘Voodo’ aura, Mr Rahming said the Bahamas had never exploited its ‘Obeah’ mythology. “This is one of the few places you can go where there isn’t a church tour,” he added.

 

And, while aspects of the Bahamian diet and lifestyle were unique, this nation paid “so little attention to it” as part of the tourism product.

 

“The position is that we have product coming out of our ears, but we are losing business because we have no product,” Mr Rahming told Tribune Business. “This is why we are losing our shirts, people are eating our lunch.”

 

This, he added, was exacerbated by the Bahamas misunderstanding where the tourism ‘Point of Sale’ or cash register was located. It was not located in hotels, transportation or hospitality, which were supporting infrastructure, but attractions.

 

Mr Rahming said there were five types of attraction - traditional tours; retail (the Straw Market); events (the Super Bowl); infrastructure; and resorts.

 

He described the latter as “the most misunderstood in our neck of the woods”. Bahamians generally believed resorts were a hotel with a few facilities, but Mr Rahming argued it was the other way around - a resort was an attraction with accommodation as the supporting facility.

 

Pointing to Atlantis as a water-based theme park attraction, Mr Rahming told Tribune Business: “Atlantis is an attraction, but it has accommodation.

 

“They understand that, and you never hear an Atlantis executive call Atlantis a hotel. But you’ll hear us call it a hotel because we don’t understand.”

 

The result of this misunderstanding, Mr Rahming said, was that “the only investment for the tourism business is on accommodation, and this isn’t helping us.

 

“If you look at New Providence, you will see all our attractions are in trouble. We have few tours, and by any definition of tourism we have very few land-based attractions. What we have are dilapidated or in bad shape,” he told Tribune Business.

 

“That’s the product we are selling. We have the Ministry of Tourism going out to bring customers in, but we have very little inventory on the shelves, and what is on the shelves is not selling. That’s why our lunch is being eaten by other people.”

 

Focusing on Freeport, Mr Rahming said the strategy of concentrating on casino and hotel operators was entirely misplaced. “In their case there is absolutely nothing on the shelf, nothing whatsoever,” he told Tribune Business.

 

“We have product coming out of our ears. This destination, the Bahamas, is the most gifted community on the planet, 350,000 people. You put us against any other community in the world, we have more champions per capita. Why are we starving?

 

“It’s about the fact the shop is open and there’s very little on the shelf. You can’t make money without stuff on the shelf.”

 

Going back to the retail analogy, Mr Rahming said the industry’s ‘first rule’ was that if there was something to sell, it had to be easy to buy. The second was that if you were selling something the competition could sell, price would inevitably drive sales.

 

This was the situation Bahamian tourism now found itself in, a price-driven competition, due to the absence of a unique product and associated attractions.

 

June 03, 2013

 

Tribune 242

 

Bahamas Blog International

 

Criminal deportees from the United States to the Caribbean are a great challenge to the countries of the region...

CARICOM leaders discuss criminal deportees with Biden

by Calvin G. Brown:



Regional Governments have told US Vice President Joe Biden that the matter of criminal deportees from the US to the Caribbean was a great challenge to the countries of the region and the US needs to do more in terms of intelligence sharing in this regard.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar the incoming Chairman of the CARICOM's Conference of Heads of Government, told the media yesterday that the matter of criminal deportees featured in the discussions with the US Vice President as it was one of the issues that Specific focus was given to the issue as it relates to the Caribbean, and the increase of crime and violence, which has a perceived correlation with the increase in the number of criminal deportees from the United States of America.

She also indicated that the discussions were in line with the Prime Minister’s meeting with US Deputy Secretary of State, William Burns on April 17, this year, when she referred to the need for the US Government to do more to inform Trinidad and Tobago and regional authorities of the criminal background of deportees from Caribbean countries and to the need to improve information sharing on deportations.

The Prime Minister thanked Biden, noting that one of the major problems being experienced is that many of the criminal deportees would have left the Region prior to adulthood and do not have any ties to the countries to which they have been deported.

In this context, Persad-Bissessar suggested that increased focus should be placed on improved information and intelligence sharing with respect to criminal deportees, in particular access to complete dossiers on medical and criminal history as well as consideration of financial and technical assistance to establish re-integration programmes within CARICOM Member States.

In addition, she noted that because the majority of criminal deportees have few support networks or connections in their home country, making them vulnerable to criminal careers, therefore threatening the same citizen peace and security that the Region is working so assiduously to improve.

The Prime Minister referred to a Memorandum of Understanding between both governments, pertaining to the removal of criminal aliens from the United States. That MoU, from the year 2000, was intended to address, among other issues, the challenges faced by Trinidad and Tobago when criminal aliens arrive from the US without advanced notification. However it has not produced all of the expected results as it failed to ensure forwarding of complete records.

The Prime Minister thanked the US Vice President for his visit and noted that the visit indicated that the US remains a strong ally to the region.

She noted that other security matters were discussed at their meeting, including an offer from the United States with respect to the use of naval vessels that are being decommissioned to see whether they would be able to assist with border security.

The Prime Miinister said several options had been discussed along with the invitation to see the naval vessels on site and their capabilities.

At yesterday’s media briefing, at which no questions were allowed, chairman of Caricom, Haitian President Michel Martelly, described the talks as “frank but cordial” and said the meeting with Biden was an important precursor to a summit between regional leaders and US President Barack Obama.

Biden said the talks were “important,” “completely open, frank and straightforward,” Persad-Bissessar said: “Both of you mentioned being very frank. I would say that it was brutal, but at the end of the day there was consensus and together we share much in common: in terms of our people, in terms of our culture. Indeed our jurisprudence and our language.”

May 29, 2013

Caricom News Network

Bahamas Blog International

Governance, Governing and the Governed after 40 years of Political Independence in The Bahamas

Governance, governing and the governed

By RAYNARD RIGBY
Nassau, The Bahamas

There is no doubt that we have yet to develop a concept or model of governance that adequately complements our political development and our uniqueness as a people.

Since independence, our sense of governance is dictated by the whims of the leaders who wear the hat as chief.  The chief has the ordained right to assess and determine the best form and method for the dispensation of executive power.

His sole guiding rod is the singular provision in the Constitution (Article 72) that mandates that his Cabinet must be no less than eight other ministers and that “the Cabinet shall have the direction and control of the government of The Bahamas”.  Even this simple declaration has led to abuse, by evidence of Gussiemae Cabinets and the appointment of incompetent ministers.

It is no doubt true that in our political dispensation the selection of a Cabinet is even fraught by much anxiety, even though many will agree that this should be the easiest first step in the development of a style of governance.

It appears that less consideration is placed on intellect, capacity, knowledge and just plain commonsense.

Far too little value is allotted to the possible minister’s record of excellence in business or a profession.  This may be surprising given that the minister is treated as the CEO of the ministry.

It does not help though that the Constitution only refers to the principles of “direction” and “control” as tenements of governance.  This perhaps creates a deep fallacy in our system because the notions of direction and control, by their very nature, are coextensive with all manners of governance.  That is, by having the power to govern one must have control of the direction of the governed.

At the outset let me state that I am not an advocate for codifying, whether in the Constitution or by an act of Parliament, what should be the by-products of governance.

Truth is that there are some elements that must be left to the personal dogmas of a leader.  However, there are shades of governance that must be universal, that apply to a people no matter who is their leader or prime minister.  It is that side of the coin that should compel us to assess the state of our governance, the state and direction of the Bahamian people.

Maturity

It must also be remembered that our nation is only now approaching ‘true adult’ maturity.  For some the decade of membership in the elite 40-plus-group means a new burst of life, vigor and perspectives.

I assume that as this equally applies to adults it must be the same for a nation-state.  So this means that next year should be the start of a golden era for governance in The Bahamas.

Within the doctrines of political science and history, governance is at its core a notion that rules should be made, followed and executed by the leader or prime minister (in our system) without fear, favor or failure.

It is a process.  It mandates that all citizens and stakeholders have an appreciation for an understanding of the rules.  More fundamentally, it expects that there will be no arbitrary alteration of the rules, but that change and modification will come by way of an organized and civilized process.

We often hear chatter from elected politicians of good governance.  This is a new twist to the concept of governance.  It probably was intended to be an extension of well-established and respected democratic traditions.

The use of the concept of good governance may also have been designed to attempt to define the quality of governance.  It must be good versus bad or chaotic or even dogmatic.

Whatever descriptive word is employed, it really goes back to a rather simple narrative as to the state of governance within a society of people alongside their norms and customs.

Governance too invokes the strength of a nation’s traditions and institutions.  Executive authority and power should be exercised through the institutions by way of a process of balanced value assessments.

Too, there must be a recognized framework for the airing-out of differing views and opinions and even for dissent in the sacred ranks.  Individual thought and opinions must never be subjected to an archaic concept of loyalty.

Additionally, there must be an environment that fosters and demands excellence in thought, policy formation and public participation.

There is no denying the fact that governance as a concept invokes the notions and emotions of transparency, accountability, competence and equitable participation.  By the latter, I mean that there must be carved out in the domain of public opinion rooms of thought for all socio-economic classes, which are masked by gender and age neutrality and even perhaps political neutrality.

In our current system, the thought of political neutrality is barren as no leader will think that he can manage his political survivability by encroaching on the precincts of a competing political ideology and or membership.

Governance and decision making

There must also be a well-established and recognized policy of restraint in governance.  Just as the notion of good governance demands an appreciation for judicial independence, the restraints that operate must be of a similar nature that reject all forms and fashion of corruption, nepotism, abuse of power and harmful incompetence.

The restraints should be worn as a breastplate of the citizenry to demand and voice opposition to the prevailing threat that exists, which often leads to an unequal society.

This brings me to ask two questions: What is the state of Bahamian governance?  Do we have a developing set of rules for decision making?

To answer the first question, without any political naivete or impartiality, requires an out-of-body experience for the majority of Bahamians, because we typically wrap our answers into a sense that speaks to the failures or successes of the party that we support.

In truth, the state of our governance is a by-product and a reflection of our collectivism and of community.  It is a great indicator of our values, our vision for the future and our commitment to national development.

It is a clarion call to demand the formation of sensible policies, a pragmatic and participatory approach to decision making and a shared vision that is oriental in its respect for balancing the needs and saving the fruits of the national treasures for future generations.

It must also be recognized that to grade a nation’s state of governance is a difficult task because of all of the items in the breadbasket.  A superficial analysis may dictate that realization be given to the level of poverty, unemployment and the lack of basic social and human essentials.

An all-inclusive and holistic evaluation will encompass an assessment of many factors, one of which is the state of active participation by the governed, meaning the electorate, in the apparatus of governance.  And in this context, the governed refers to all sectors of the society and to all peoples.

No one can be left out of the equation, and if there is a segment of the populace that is silenced then the state of governance is poor.  Democracies are by their very nature designed to be democratic and that means being open to all peoples.

Over the last 20 years, a trend is beginning to steadily creep into and is near institutionalization in our nation.  Those with wealth and influence appear to be able to set the rules that favor them to the exclusion of others.

Too many are now marginalized and yet they are the ones who have a blind obsession to their ‘chief’.  Politics sometimes produces the ugliness about human nature and we see it exemplified in the actions and decision-making style of those elected to govern.

There are so many events that demonstrate and support this view.  One need only start with the continuation of an obscene policy that forces taxpayers’ dollars, now ever limited, to assist in the advertising of new hotels, or the payment of subsidies for cruise ships or the inability to levy a rational tax on companies that repatriate the lion’s share of their profits to overseas headquarters.

The most glaring recent example is the disclosure of the new gaming legislation that would favor an expanded industry for foreigner owners of casinos to the exclusion of Bahamian ownership.

No one needs to have a deep sense of nationalism to recognize the sharp economic inequality that such a policy will continue to foster.  It is regressive and foolhardy.

The recent audit of NIB with a price tag of $861,000 is another fine example of the failures of a modern and thought-out approach to governance.  A negotiated settlement of the disengagement of the director of NIB would have cost the tax payers far less than $861,000.

A new course

There are so many other illustrations where the lack of a clear, concise and well thought-out approach to governing The Bahamas have failed the nation and her people.

There are far too many people whose eyes reveal the sheer pain of their desperation and hopelessness in the future of this nation.  These are the features of a society and people that are being subjected to a system of governance that is stale, out dated and unsuited for their continued development and evolution.

The governed must begin a new march for fundamental change in the way that the country is being managed.  This demands a rethink of the national priorities and the recognition that the government must be reflective of the people’s wishes, hopes and dreams for tomorrow.

We must chart a new course that is built on the principles of moral and intelligent decision making.  Our society must evolve and reject an insular approach to problem solving, and we must work together so that the future is secured and belongs to all of us and not just the chosen few.

I remain ever so convinced that The Bahamas remains the best vehicle by which the world can be transformed for the better.

• Raynard Rigby is a practising attorney-at-law at Baycourt Chambers. You are free to send comments about the column via email to rrigby@baycourtlaw.com.

May 29, 2013

thenassauguardian

Bahamas Blog International

Burning Issues in The Bahamas which require Bahamian Leadership Attention and Action

People Power Needed To Tackle Burning Issues

By PAUL THOMPSON

Fmr Asst Commissioner of Police - RBPF

Nassau, The Bahamas



IT is my love for this country, which has been home to me for the past 62 years, that encourages me to continue to write about some of the issues and offer ideas and some simple solutions.

 

The Bahamian people gave me the opportunity to be educated in many police schools overseas, and it was discussion with my colleagues from other countries that made me able to provide ideas to be considered for solving some of our country’s problems.

 

There are persons who think of my writings as politically motivated, which is not true. Both governments of the Bahamas have been recipients of unsolicited advice and ideas. Response was rarely received.

 

It is my opinion that the Bahamian people must prevail upon their elected representatives to deal with all of the issues affecting the country and to heed the advice being given by many of us who reside here.

 

The shanty towns are a major part of the illegal immigration problem, in particular as it relates to Haitian nationals. Any person listening to the media discussion of the government appointed committee’s report on shanty towns must register their concerns with their parliamentary representative and implore that immediate action be taken to rid our country of this destructive menace.

 

It is evident that the law is being flagrantly contravened – the liquor shops and food stores within the shanty towns; the availability of clothing, dry goods, and medicines for sale; and most frightening, the health hazards to which we are exposed.

 

The medical report on the shanty towns is scary. The immediate solution is to instruct the law enforcement agencies to give notice to the residents to move by a specified date, after which officers will move in with bulldozers. It would be ideal for immigration officers to check the permits of the residents.

 

Prosecution of owners or landlords could come later.

 

We should not wait until there is an epidemic or an incident on the scale of the disaster at Mayaguana Airport to move to correct this dangerous situation.

 

Over the years there have been many other suggestions made to governments which appear to have been ignored.

 

Following is a list of some of those suggestions, which the public may wish to discuss with their representatives.

 

• Prohibit smoking in public places

 

Doctors in the Bahamas are aware of the dangers of smoking. Some of them wrote to successive governments, but their suggestions appear to have been ignored. I presented a copy of the Act from Trinidad and Tobago to a Minister of Health with my suggestions. No response. Smoking in public places continues.

 

• Mandatory Breathalyser testing

 

Again, a copy of the relevant Act from Trinidad and Tobacco was sent to two ministers of government with my suggestions. The Act, which became law in T&T two years ago, has been effective in reducing the incidence of accidents caused by drunk driving.

 

The police’s ability to detect drunk drivers has been improved. In the event of accidents, drivers have to take the test at the scene. Just recently a junior minister in the Ministry of National Security in T&T was arrested for his refusal to take the test and was later removed from the Cabinet by the Prime Minister.

 

• Public transportation system

 

It is long overdue. I have written to governments about the need to have public transportation administered by a Public Transport Corporation organised and controlled by the government, with bus owners as shareholders and members of a government board.

 

I suggested that government officials visit Barbados and Bermuda and examine their systems. Both governments have been advised of this need.

 

Such a corporation would provide for timely schedules covering all parts of the island, uniformed drivers, monthly and weekly ticketing, with transfer tickets and everything else that goes with an efficient and effective system. It could only be done under the administration and scrutiny of a government corporation.

 

• The environment

 

After decades of majority rule and 40 years of independence, outdoor toilets should be non-existent. The landlords, not the government, should be responsible for installing the required sewerage systems as a criteria for the rental of the premises.

 

New Providence is presently a dump or junkyard for abandoned or derelict vehicles. Just take a drive through Bain and Grants Town and see the rodents that live and breed in those abandoned vehicles. It is unhealthy and nasty.

 

In the old days the police submitted monthly reports on derelict vehicles to the Public Works Department. The latter wrote to the owners demanding removal, or the department removed the vehicles and submitted the bill to the owners. Failure to pay resulted in civil action in the courts.

 

One of the causes of the new situation in the prevalence of roadside and front yard garages.

 

I was an ex-officio member of a committee representing the Police Department, which presented a report providing information on the location of every such garage on the island, the name and address of each operator; and the condition of each location as it related to derelict, abandoned and other vehicles parked on the streets that were an obstruction to the free movement of traffic or otherwise affected the area.

 

We recommended that the laws relating to town planning be enforced to have all garages removed; we said Town Planning should issue letters – which the police volunteered to deliver by hand – demanding that these garages cease operations immediately.

 

The committee recommended that the government provide land in the Industrial Park and build a large open warehouse type building with adequate parking and lighting to accommodate the garages. This was to be done before the service of the Town Planning letters.

 

Minister Loftus Roker was quite happy with the report and the recommendations. But he was removed to another ministry before implementation and the matter was not heard of anymore. It was just prior to a general election.

 

• Illegal immigration and terrorism

 

Many recommendations have been made to governments on this subject. A paper was done by me and hand delivered to all members of parliament in 2008, with recommendations for consideration – including lookout points around New Providence to be manned by Defence Force personnel equipped with effective night vision; the presence of Defence Force and police patrol craft in the harbour when cruise ships are here; a detention centre in Inagua to reduce the cost of returning illegal immigrants to Haiti by plane instead of by boat; intensive investigations to identify the captain and crews on the boats carrying illegal immigrants for prosecution and imprisonment at Fox Hill Prison; the fingerprinting and photographing of all illegal immigrants and the keeping of records on them. Should they try to return, there must be court action and punishment and imprisonment, not detention and repatriation.

 

I often remind the public that after the earthquake in Haiti it was reported that at least 350 dangerous criminals escaped.

 

I was reliably informed that the circulation of fingerprints and photographs was non-existent, even through Interpol.

 

We do not know how many of them came here. They were described as being political prisoners, gunmen and rapists.

 

I do not know what efforts have been made to get the required information, if it is available. I usually describe the young thugs involved in the current wave of criminality as terrorists.

 

Terrorists’ goals, at least two of them, are: (a) to create fear, (b) to destroy the economy.

 

The police need our help, but more than that they need the help of the government to deal NOW with the invasion of illegal immigrants, many of whom are involved in crimes such as drug trafficking, gun running and car stealing.

 

• Tracing and Forfeiture Act, 1987

 

As far as I am aware activity in this area of the law is dormant. This law was designed to give law enforcement agencies, the Financial Intelligence Unit and the Attorney General’s Office the authority to target the assets of drug barons, drug dealers and drug traffickers. The assets of all such persons convicted of major drug offences here or abroad are subject to investigation and seizure by the courts.

 

Investigators are provided with a lot of authority by the Act. We have scores of drug barons, drug dealers and drug traffickers convicted in the Bahamas or overseas. Many of them are non-Bahamians.

 

I have not seen any action being taken to confiscate their assets. There are millions of dollars that could be targeted.

 

There appears to be no effort being made in this area of law.

 

• Technology for police control centres and mobile patrols

 

This is technology that I have been recommending for decades. A contract was signed between the former government and Motorola to provide the technology here.

 

All police forces are working towards what is called “Quick response.” Commissioners Bonaby, Farquharson and Greenslade were all aware of what could be accomplished when the police can respond to the scene of a crime and call for help or information about suspected criminal activity.

 

It is common knowledge that when police respond promptly, it is more likely that criminals will be found at or near the scene, which results in immediate arrests, or arrests shortly thereafter.

 

It is also good for public relations as it reduces fear.

 

I have been monitoring and getting information with regards to arrests made on the scene of a crime. Very often it depends on the arrival of the police within three to five minutes of receiving the call.

 

The Motorola system for which the contract was signed by the last government would provide the following to the police:

 

• The controller in the police control centre – through the implementation of GPS in all police vehicles and an electronic map of New Providence in the control centre – would be aware at all times of the exact location of police vehicles on the streets of New Providence. Upon receipt of a call for help, he will know which police vehicle is nearest to the scene of the incidents and deploy that car to proceed there immediately.

 

He would also know which other cars are in the area in the event that there is the need for back-up or a road block.

 

• The controller would be able to allow the crew of the patrol car to listen to the conversation he is having with the caller. The crew would get valuable information including descriptions of suspects, vehicles, et cetera. They will be aware of the details of the incident on the way to the scene.

 

• The misuse of police vehicles would be eradicated. The controller will be aware of any vehicle leaving the patrol area.

 

• There could be a reduction in fuel consumption as patrol cars could park in different locations during the patrol instead of moving constantly.

 

The chiefs of police in Detroit and Chicago invited police officers on our cricket team, who were visiting those cities, to see the system at work.

 

I implore the public to ask their members of parliament about the implementation of this system.

 

• Indoor range

 

Providing an indoor range for use by all law enforcement agencies to be trained and for practice in the use of revolvers and shotguns would be an asset. I sent information with all the specifics that I obtained from the FBI and a Dade County law enforcement agency to the Ministry of National Security some years ago. I even described locations close to Police Headquarters that could be used.

 

I suggested that help be sought from the private sector for the financing. In addition to law enforcement using the facility, persons applying for shotgun and rifle licences could be made to qualify at a price.

 

In Trinidad and Tobago, the indoor ranges are owned by former law enforcement officers who invested in them and got long term government contracts for the training and use by law enforcement agencies.

 

Most of the officers attending the ranges do so on their own time. Police officers who use them have shot in the Olympic Games.

 

May 27, 2013

 

Tribune 242

 

Bahamas Blog International